By Heidi Lyn Rao

Beretta holds the distinction of being the longest running and oldest active firearms company in the world. Not only is Beretta the oldest firearms company in the world, but it is also one of the oldest and most continuously running companies in the world. There is only one reason why a company can be around for 500 years – Quality!

Beretta has a very interesting history that dates back to the early 1500s. Its evolution into one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers is storybook. Many gun enthusiasts have at least one Beretta firearm in their collection, whether it be a rifle, pistol, shotgun, or a combination of all three!

Founding

Beretta did not start out as a firearms company. Beretta was like many corporations that started out doing one thing and then evolved into a totally different business. Beretta began as a forge company, turning iron ore into usable steel.

In 1500, Beretta set up their business in Northern Italy as a forging plant in the town of Gardone. The iron ore that Beretta forged came from the Val Trompia Valley in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy. This area became the center of weapons manufacture in Italy because of the quality of the steel.

Bartolomeo Beretta founded the original Beretta firearms company in 1526. It was established in Gardone Val Trompia (Italy) under the business name Maestro Bartolomeo Beretta Company. The name changed to Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. (Pietro Beretta Weapons Factory) in 1832. The company name was soon known only as Beretta.

Military Origins

In 1571, Beretta provided all the barrels for the weaponry to the Venetian Fleet at the Battle of Lepanto. This secured the company as a major arms provider to many countries. By 1650, Beretta was the main dealer of arms for every major European conflict or war.

Beretta became renowned for its arquebus barrels, introduced at the company’s founding in 1526. Beretta’s first order was the fulfillment of 185 of this type of barrel to Venice Arsenal. Arquebus barrels are used on long guns that have a “hook” or monopod underneath the firearm. This was used to steady the very long and heavy firearms of this period. Infantrymen who carried long arms with an arquebus were known as “Arquebusiers.” Bartolomeo Beretta became known as a Maestro di Canne (Master Gun Barrel Maker) because of the quality of his barrels.

World War I

Beretta played a major role in Italy’s fight against the Austria-Hungary forces on the Italian Front. Italy originally had a pact with the German and Austria-Hungary but

decided that it was going to remain neutral. The historic aggression with the Austria- Hungary Government, led to Italy breaking the pact and fighting its old enemy.

Beretta introduced their Model 1915 pistol, and it was quickly adopted by the Italian Military Forces because of its reliability. Developed by Chief Engineer, Tullio Marengoni, the Model 1915 pistol was Beretta’s first semi-automatic handgun. This pistol was a blowback design and was considered very reliable for the time. Originally chambered in 9mm Glisenti, the military settled on the caliber, .32 ACP.

Towards the end of World War I, Beretta developed one of the first submachine guns in the world. Known as the Beretta Model 1918, it was developed and produced just prior to the end of World War I in 1918. This submachine gun was a top loaded, magazine fed firearm in 9mm Gilsenti.

World War II

Beretta produced two significant firearms during World War II. These were the M1934 pistol and the Model 38 submachine gun. The M1934 was a very dependable blowback pistol chambered in 9mm Corto (.380 ACP) and as a result, the M1934 had a very long service run. This handgun remained in Italian military service until it was replaced with the popular Beretta 92 (92FS).

In 1938, Beretta introduced the Model 38 submachine gun chambered in 9mm. This firearm had a dual trigger system. The front trigger was used to fire the gun in semi- automatic mode, and the rear trigger was used to fire the gun in full-automatic mode. The Model 38 was produced in different variants during the war.

Edged Weapons

During World War II, Beretta also produced edged weapons for the Italian military. Beretta introduced a foldable bayonet for the Model 38A submachine gun. It was later adapted for the Carcano M38 rifle. This bayonet was unique in the fact that it also served as a combat knife.

The unique feature of this knife is that it is foldable like a pocketknife. While some other bayonets of the time could be rotated under the fore end of the rifle by rotating at the bayonet lug, the M38A folded at the hilt.

Post War

Post war Beretta gave the company the opportunity to develop military, police, and civilian markets. In 1985, Beretta’s 92FS became the official pistol of the United States Military. It was also popular with many European Countries and met NATO standards.

Beretta’s success has a lot to do with its ability to adapt to the current market. Beretta’s production of military arms, civilian arms, combat knives, and bayonets kept them as a major player in the firearm’s market. This is a testament to the reliability and quality workmanship of their products.

In 2011, four leading companies joined together (Beretta, Benelli, Sako, and Steiner) to create “Beretta Defense Technologies” (BDT). This cooperation strengthened specializations of each company’s respective brands to deliver an exceptional range of military products. Whether the demand is for long guns or short guns, optics, accessories, ammunition, or tactical clothing, BDT has the assortment of products necessary to meet any request.

Today, Beretta continues to manufacture rifles, pistols, and shotguns for consumers. A wide selection of rifle models is available, ranging from semi-automatic to bolt-action options.

Whether you are in law enforcement, private security, or are a shooter who enjoys competition or recreation, Beretta pistols are designed with high-quality materials to result in precision and durability to ensure success. Products range from single/double action to striker. Of the three categories of firearms that Beretta offers, it is their shotguns that they are known for.

Hunters trust Beretta shotguns for reliability and accuracy when in the field. Competitive shotgun shooters rely on Beretta to meet the high demands of a competitive environment. These are a few of the reasons that Beretta shotguns are the go-to choice for shooting enthusiasts and professionals around the world.

Today Beretta is one of the most common firearms found in shotgun shooting sports. Their Silver Pigeon line of over-and-under shotguns are reasonably priced and an excellent choice for beginners as well as those in competition.

I frequently teach the NRA Basic and Instructor Shotgun courses. I always bring four different, similarly priced, shotgun makes and models for the students to try out. Of course, one is a Beretta Silver Pigeon over-and-under shotgun. It never fails; the Beretta is always the top choice of the students in my class. I tell my students: you will eventually end up with a Beretta shotgun in your collection so you might as well get it now!