Beretta BM59Beretta BM59

BM59 — Italy’s Full-Auto Reinvention of a Classic The BM59 is a 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle born in Italy in 1959 as a bold rework of the M1 Garand — keeping the Garand’s reliability but adding a detachable magazine and selective-fire capability. Designed to bring a WWII-era favourite into the Cold War, the BM59 added modern features like improved sights, optional folding stocks and grenade-firing capability on some variants. It served as Italy’s move toward a true battle rifle and was exported in limited numbers to allied and non-aligned forces during the 1960s and 70s. Rugged, punchy and surprisingly accurate for a full-power service rifle, the BM59 occupies a unique place between old-school heritage and mid-century military innovation. Firing a BM59 at our Budapest shooting range is a rare chance to handle a piece of small-arms evolution — an unexpectedly cinematic and historic daytime activity in Budapest for anyone hunting memorable things to do in Budapest. This is your shot at a weapon that turned a wartime icon into a Cold War workhorse. Seen in movies: – Italian Cold War and military dramas – Documentary features on post-WWII small arms evolution – Historical reenactments and armoury sequences Featured in games: – Niche Cold War military sims and modded shooter titles – Historical weapons packs in tactical PC shooters – Collector/armoury sections of military strategy games Used by militaries & forces: – Italian Army (primary developer and user) – Exported in limited numbers to selected South American, African and Asian units – Used by paratroop and mechanised units in small deployments Fun Fact: The BM59 literally rewired a legend — engineers converted the classic M1 Garand action to accept detachable box magazines and selective fire, effectively turning a beloved WWII semi-auto into a near-assault rifle. That mash-up of eras means you’re firing a rifle that’s half Hollywood-period classic and half Cold War tactical tool — a weirdly cinematic combo even non-shooters love to try.