Photo Of The Day: If you happen to own a Beretta AR-70/233 Sport, you surely know you’re one of the very few people who have one as it was produced in very low numbers and imported to the U.S. in even lower quantities.

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The Beretta AR-70/233 Sport is the semi-automatic civilian version of the Beretta AR-70/223 assault rifle. The AR-70/223 is Beretta’s offshoot of the failed 1960s joint venture between Beretta and SIG to collaboratively develop a new rifle, the later of which went on the develop the SG540 and SG550 series of rifles. The AR-70/223 was introduced by Beretta in 1972 and features a long stroke gas pistol system similar to that of an AK. It was adopted by Italian police and special forces as well as being exported to various foreign militaries. The civilian sport version was imported to the United States in very limited numbers with somewhere from 1,000 to 2000 rifles imported.

If you could have only one, which one would you prefer: The SIG or the Beretta version?

For more great images check out the following POTDs: “The Mystery Beretta mod. 70/78 (1978)“, “The Colt SP-1 (1967)“, “The FN FNC” and “The Norinco Type 56-2“. Checking out the Italian Paratroopers with SCP70 Rifles isn’t bad either.

Picture by Cinematic Arms. IG: @cinematicarms