I don't know that my pool of knowledge in metallurgy is that deep, but I do know how to stack atoms. Anyway, it seems that the powers that be in Italy in the last 1/4 of the 19th century wanted Italy to be self sufficient in arms, armament, etc. So the government propped up steel making facilities like Terni, which was a poor location regarding logistics and steel oriented concerns. Commendatore Vincenzo Stefano Breda(expired on 1.03.1903) was a very influential Viennese fella in addition to being an engineer at an armament facility, government funded, in proximity of the Terni steel facility, which had zero British machinery and relied heavily on the Belgian Cockerill concern with some other French & Swiss additions. The forging portion being almost totally Belgian so I would assume Beretta's early frame to be of some Cockerill steel variant. There must have been a Beretta-Breda-Terni sourcing triangle but I'm not sure just yet and I don't know that early on the Breda is that of Machinefabriek Breda/Ernesto Breda & Company(Milan), not sure of the founding date(1886? name change -from Bamat & Co., Cerimedo & Co.). Ernesto Breda was some cousin of Vincenzo Stefano Breda. Both Krupp & Vickers saw an huge opportunity to separate the government from their monies and Midvale & Bethlehem Steel were in on the act also but Krupp & Vickers made out like bandits and circa 1907 all including Fiat(founded 1899) required a new infusion of government cash. Government cash which poured in with the facility opened and closed at times and out poured poor quality steel that they exported and dumped on someone. I'm sure on occasions a lack of raw materials forced them to close their doors until supplies were replinished. Considering the difficult times of the 1930s, it may have been post WWII till all got their affairs in order.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
