Golden State Arms Santa Fe Beretta BM59 BM-59 7.62 NATO Semi-Auto Rifle C&R
Sold For: $1,327
LSB#: 201018CA34
Make: Golden State Arms Corp. California. Licensed by Beretta. The receiver is a WWII Winchester M1 Garand receiver.
Model: Santa Fe M-59. A semiautomatic variant of the Beretta BM-59.
Serial Number: 101554
Year of Manufacture: 1964 to 1966 (https://www.m1carbinesinc.com/carbine_santafe.html)
Caliber: 7.62 NATO (7.62x51mm)
Action Type: Semi Auto, Detachable Magazine
Markings:
Receiver Heel: “TRADE MARK” (the bottom portion of the scrubbed Winchester mark) and “101554”. This was originally a WWII M1 Garand receiver.
Receiver Left: “LICENSED BY P. BERETTA GARDONE ITALY” and “SANTA FE M-59 CAL. 7.62MM NATO / GOLDEN STATE ARMS CORP. PASEDENA, CALIF”.
Trigger Group:”6528290-SA” – A Springfield Armory M1 Garand part (repurposed).
Hammer:”C46008-3 SA” – A Springfield Armory part.
Receiver Leg: “”811”, “diamond” and “88”.
Bolt: “6528287-SA / Z-2” – A Springfield part.
Bolt Release: “PB BM59” – A Beretta part.
Barrel: Barrel: “LMR” (Line Material Company of Birmingham, Alabama), “D6535448” (USGI drawing number), “8 55” (barrel date), “A 43” – LMR provided M1 Garand barrels for International Harvester.
Op Rod: “6535382 SA” – A Springfield part.
The bottom of the magazine is marked “PB BM59” – A Beretta part.
Barrel Length: Approximately 18 Inches
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade set between two protective wings. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight. The windage knob is marked “LEFT arrow” twice. The elevation knob is marked from “2-12” in increments of 2.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is unmarked. The hardwood stock has a pistol grip, metal nosecaps, two sling loops, a stacking loop, and a metal buttplate with hinged metal door for storage in the butt. The refinished buttplate shows light scrapes. The handguard is lighter in color than the body. It shows a filled surface repair. The wood shows various light scrapes & handling marks. The LOP measures 13 1/4 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Excellent overall condition as refinished.
Type of Finish: Parkerized, Blue Barrel
Finish Originality: Original to Build.
Bore Condition: The 2 groove bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion. The bore shows an M.E. of about 0.5.
NOTE: the barrel is marked LMR for the Line Material Company of Birmingham, Alabama. LMR provided M1 Garand barrels for International Harvester, but LMR never made barrels with 2 grooved bores. This appears to be a modified barrel using a surplus 2 grooved Model 1903 Springfield barrel.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. The op rod has surface erosion showing through the finish. The op rod is bent down behind the gas cylinder and the recoil spring is kinked and broken in several locations. The receiver has pin prick surface erosion showing through the new finish. The right side of the receiver shows light thinning from cycling. The bottom metal shows scrapes around the magazine well. The gas tube shows scrapes & small scratches. The screw heads show light use. Some of the markings are faded. Overall, this rifle appears in about Very Good to Fine condition but is in about Fair condition due to the op rod and recoil spring.
Mechanics: Because of the bent op rod and damaged spring, the bolt cannot be cycled all the way to the rear. The op rod and spring will need to be replaced before the rifle will function correctly. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle comes with a 20 round magazine that shows scrapes & oxidation. It is in about Very Good condition. The magazine is not available to residents of California or any jurisdiction with magazine capacity restrictions. The rifle also comes with a brown leather sling. It shows scrapes and a few areas of creasing on the leather as well as oxidation on the buckles. It is in about Very Good Plus to Fine condition.
Our Assessment: This Golden State Arms Santa Fe M-59 is a civilian variation of the Beretta BM-59. These were made by Golden State Arms of Pasadena, CA between 1964 and 1966. The rifle was licensed by Beretta but the Beretta markings are only on some of the M-59 rifles. It was made using a mix of new parts, USGI parts (some repurposed) and Beretta parts. Once the op rod and recoil spring have been replaced, this should be a fun gun to shoot. It comes with a 20 round Beretta Marked BM-59 magazine…but not if you live in California. Good luck.
CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable (THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS): This C&R CAN be transferred in California. All C&R firearms must be transferred through your local dealer OR at our Simi Valley location; we cannot ship directly to a C&R holder in California. Out of state residents can disregard this section – your local laws apply.
