I went to a gun show over the weekend, and while I was there I picked up a Beretta 950 for my wife to carry after she gets her CHL. I didn't know a whole lot about the 950 series at the time, and I assumed it was one of the newer Tomcat models. After getting it home and getting it cleaned up, I realized that it was a lot older than I originally thought it was. I've done some research and as far as I can tell, based on the proof mark, it was manufactured in 1968 somewhere in Italy. However, I've read that Beretta changed the design slightly in 1968 to include an external safety; this gun has no safety. Anyway, I took it out and ran box of shells through it and at first the slide was quite sticky and didn't want to return fully after being fired even after being thoroughly cleaned and oiled. However, toward the end of the third clip it finally loosened up and is working like a champ now.

There's very little info on the net about these particular guns, so my biggest question is what's the easiest way to find out how old the gun truly is? The owner's manual is in poorly translated english, so it doesn't offer much along the lines of proper cleaning and oiling. Are there any special procedures for cleaning and oiling guns as old as this one has turned out to be? And finally, since the gun is going to see occasional use, is there anything in particular that I should look out for when using an older gun?

Thanks in advance,
Nick