Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapon Factory") is a

privately held A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. Sporting arms account for three-quarters of sales; Beretta is also known for marketing shooting clothes and accessories. Founded in the 16th century, Beretta is the oldest active manufacturer of firearm components in the world. In 1526 its inaugural product was arquebus barrels; by all accounts Beretta-made barrels equipped the Venetian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Beretta has supplied weapons for every major European war since 1650.

History

Val Trompia, a northern Italian river valley in the Province of Brescia,

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

, has been mined for iron ore since the time of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, Val Trompia was known for its ironworks; after the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

it came to be a center for the manufacture of weapons. By the mid 16th century Val Trompia had forty ironworks, supplied by fifty mines and eight smelters. The birthplace of Beretta is in the village of Gardone located on the banks of the Mella river, in the middle of Val Trompia (i.e., between the upper valley and lower valley). The Beretta forge was in operation from about 1500, although the first documented transaction is a contract dated October 3, 1526 for 185 arquebus barrels, for which the Republic of Venice was to pay 296 ducats to ''Maestro di Canne'' (master gun-barrel maker)

Bartolomeo Beretta Bartolomeo Beretta (c. 1490 – c. 1565). known as ''maestro di canne'' (master gun-barrel maker), was an Italian artisan from Lombardy who, by 1526, had established the arms manufacturing enterprise Beretta. Beretta worked at Gardone in Val Trom ...

. The original account document for the order of those barrels is now stored in the ''Archivio di Stato di Venezia'' in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. By the end of the 17th century, Beretta had become the second largest gun barrel maker in Gardone. Under the guild system, the knowledge of gun barrel fabrication that was bequeathed to Jacopo (1520/25 – …) from his father Bartolomeo (1490 – 1565/68) was then passed on to his own son Giovannino (1550 – post 1577), and to his grandson Giovan Antonio (1577 – post 1649) and so on until guilds were abolished by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

after his conquest of Venetian Republic in 1797. Beretta has been owned by the same family for almost five hundred years and is a founding member of Les Henokiens, an association of bicentenary companies that are family owned and operated. In 1918, the Beretta Model 1918, one of the first

submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...

s in the world, was fielded by the Italian army. Beretta manufactured

rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...

s and

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

s for the Italian military until the 1943 Armistice between Italy and the Allied forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. With the Wehrmacht's control of northern Italy, the Germans seized Beretta and continued producing arms until the 1945 German surrender in Italy. During that time, the quality of the exterior finish of the weapons diminished, with late-war examples being much inferior to both the pre-war and mid-war weapons, but their operation remained excellent. The last shipment of Type I Rifles left Venice for Japan in a

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

in 1942. After World War II, Beretta was actively involved in repairing the American

M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World War ...

s given to Italy by the U.S. Beretta modified the M1 into the

Beretta BM-59 The BM 59 is an automatic battle rifle developed in Italy in 1959. It is based on the M1 Garand rifle, chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, modified to use a detachable magazine, and capable of selective fire. Later revisions incorporated other featu ...

rifle, which is similar to the M14

battle rifle A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to better differentiate the intermediate cartridge, intermediate-powered assault rifles (e.g. the S ...

; armourers consider the BM-59 rifle to be superior to the M14 rifle in some ways, because it is more accurate under certain conditions. After the war, Beretta continued to develop firearms for the Italian Army and police, as well as the civilian market. In the 1980s, Beretta enjoyed a renewal of popularity in North America after its

Beretta 92 The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...

pistol was selected as the service handgun for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

as the "

M9 pistol The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1985 ...

". In 1993, a Beretta USA executive revealed that it had been the company's strategy since 1980 "to use the military contract to make Beretta a household name in the United States", and then to expand into larger law enforcement and commercial markets. In the 1970s, Beretta also started a manufacturing plant in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. A contract between Beretta and the Brazilian government was signed, under which Beretta produced Beretta 92s for the Brazilian Army until 1980. Later this plant was sold to

Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus * ''Bos taurus ...

, who continues to manufacture the Beretta 92 under the name of PT92 using the same tools and labour which Beretta used, without the need for a license from Beretta, since the design is based on the original Beretta 92, for which the patents are expired. Beretta acquired several domestic competitors (notably

Benelli Benelli may refer to: *Benelli Armi SpA, an Italian firearm manufacturer *Benelli (motorcycles), an Italian motorcycle manufacturer *HSR-Benelli, an Austrian-Italian manufacturer of personal watercraft * Andrea Benelli (born 1960), Italian sports sh ...

and Franchi) and some foreign companies (notably in Finland) in the late 1980s.

Overview

Today, Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (Beretta S.p.A.) is run by Franco Gussalli Beretta, President and CEO. The traditional father-to-son Beretta dynasty was interrupted when Ugo Gussalli Beretta assumed the firm's control; uncles Carlo and Giuseppe Beretta were childless; Ugo married into the Beretta family and adopted the last name Beretta. His sons are now direct descendants through their mother's side of the family. Beretta is known for its broad range of firearms: side-by-side

shotguns A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...

, over-and-under shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, hunting

express rifle The term ''express'' was first applied to hunting rifles and ammunition beginning in the mid-19th century, to indicate a rifle or ammunition capable of higher than typical velocities. The early express cartridges used a heavy charge of black p ...

s, assault rifles, submachine guns, lever- and bolt-action rifles, single- and double-action revolvers and semi-automatic

pistols A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

. The parent company, Beretta Holding, also owns Beretta USA,

, Franchi, SAKO, Stoeger, Tikka,

Uberti Uberti is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernard degli Uberti (1060–1133), Italian Roman Catholic prelate * Claudio Uberti (born 1957), Argentinian government official * Daniel Uberti (born 1963), Uruguayan footballer * ...

, and the Burris Optics company. The model Beretta 92FS was the primary

side arm Sidearm, side-arm or Side Arm(s) may refer to: *Sidearm (weapon), a backup weapon *Sidearm (baseball), a baseball throwing technique *Sidearm, a flying disc (Frisbee) throw *'' Side Arms Hyper Dyne'', a 1986 arcade game *AGM-122 Sidearm The ...

of the

, Marine Corps,

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

, designated the

. In 1985, Beretta was chosen after a controversial competition to produce the M9, winning a contract for 500,000 pistols. A condition of the original agreement was domestic manufacturer of the M9. In 2019, the 9mm version of the SIG Sauer P320 was selected to replace the M9 throughout the US Armed Forces.

Product lines

Semi-automatic pistols

Beretta Model 1915 The Beretta Model 1915 or Beretta M1915 is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Beretta, designed by Tullio Marengoni who was the chief engineer in the company, to replace the Glisenti Model 1910 which had a complex and weak firing mechanism. ...

Beretta M1923 The Beretta Model 1923 pistol was a service pistol used by the Italian Army from 1923 until 1945. The M1923 was designed to consolidate the improvements of the 1915/19 model and to use the 9mm Glisenti round. However, due to the vast amount of ...

Beretta 418 The Beretta M418 is an easily concealed Italian 6.35 mm (.25 ACP) pocket pistol. The earliest examples were made between 1919 and 1922. There are several versions, including the 1920 (V1 & V2), 1926, 1926 - 31 (V1 & V2), 1934, 318, and 418 ...

* Beretta M1934 /

Beretta M1935 The Beretta M1935 is a compact .32 ACP caliber blowback pistol that was manufactured by Italian firm Beretta. History In the early 1930s, the Italian army was impressed by the Walther PP pistol. Beretta did not want to lose a big Italian mi ...

Beretta M1951 The Beretta M1951 is a 9×19mm semi-automatic pistol developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Pietro Beretta S.p.A. of Italy. The pistol was produced strictly for military use and was introduced into service with the Italian Armed Forc ...

* Beretta 70 series ** Beretta 70 ** Beretta 71 Jaguar ** Beretta 72 Jaguar ** Beretta 73, 74, 75 ** Beretta 76 ** Beretta 100, 101, 102 * Beretta Cheetah ** Beretta 81 ** Beretta 84 **

Beretta 85 The Beretta Cheetah, also known by its original model name of "Series 81", is a line of compact blowback operated semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. They were introduced in 1976 and include models in .32 ACP (M ...

** Beretta 86 ** Beretta 87 ** Beretta 89 *

Beretta 8000 The Beretta 8000 (Cougar) series pistols are manufactured by Beretta of Italy. They first appeared on the market in 1994 as a more compact alternative to the full-sized Beretta 92 service pistol in order to offer a compromise between concealabil ...

** Beretta 8000 Cougar ** Beretta 8045 Cougar ** Beretta Cougar Inox ** Beretta Mini Cougar * Beretta 90 *

Beretta 9000 The Beretta 9000 is a series of modern compact size semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. It is used primarily for civilian self-defense. The Beretta 9000 pistol is a polymer-framed design that retains tradition ...

** Beretta 9000S *

Beretta 90two The Beretta 90-Two is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. It was released in 2006 as an enhanced version of the Beretta 92, and is produced in 9×19mm Parabellum, 9×19mm, 9×21mm, 9×21mm IMI and .40 ...

** Beretta 92F **

Beretta 92F/FS The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...

** Beretta 92FS Inox *** Beretta 92FS Compact *** Beretta 92FS Centurion *** Beretta 92FS Brigadier *** Beretta 92FS Brigadier Inox ** Beretta 92G Elite 1A *** Beretta 92G Elite II ** Beretta 92S ***

Beretta 92SB The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...

**** Beretta 92SB-C ** Beretta 92A1 **

**Beretta 92X *

Beretta 96 The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...

** Beretta 96A1 * Beretta Px4 Storm ** Beretta Px4 Storm Compact ** Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact * Beretta U22 Neos *

Beretta APX The Beretta APX is a family of polymer-framed, modular, striker-fired semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Beretta. The series began in 2016, starting with the full-size standard model. The size of the line has grown, with the design b ...

Beretta 21 Bobcat The Beretta 21A Bobcat is a semi-automatic pocket pistol designed by Beretta in Italy. Production began in late 1984, solely in the Beretta U.S.A. facility in Accokeek, Maryland. It is a further development of the Beretta Model 20, whose productio ...

** Beretta 21A Bobcat *

Beretta 3032 Tomcat The Beretta 3032 Tomcat and Beretta 3032 Tomcat Inox are semi-automatic pocket pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta. They are chambered in .32 ACP (a.k.a. 7.65 mm Browning) and are small pistols, designed for concealed-carry and use a ...

Beretta 950 Jetfire The Beretta 950 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta since 1952. It builds on a long line of small and compact pocket pistols manufactured by Beretta for self-defense. It was intended to be a very simple and reliable p ...

Beretta Nano The Beretta BU 9 Nano is a semi-automatic, striker fired, micro compact pistol line that was manufactured by Beretta USA in the United States at its Gallatin, Tennessee facility. Until 2016, it was manufactured at Beretta USA's main headquarter ...

Beretta Pico The Beretta Pico is a small, Semi-automatic firearm, semi-automatic pistol intended for concealed carry. It’s been discontinued by Beretta. Design Specifications The Beretta Pico is chambered for the .380 ACP. The Beretta Pico measures 5.1 in ...

Revolvers

* Beretta Stampede * Beretta Laramie

Shotguns

*Beretta 1200 *

Beretta 1200 FP The Beretta 1200 FP is a semi-automatic shotgun developed in the late 1980s or early 1990s by the Italian arms manufacturing company Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta. The gun was primarily intended for self defense, law enforcement, and military u ...

*Beretta 1201 * Beretta 1201FP * Beretta AL390 * Beretta AL391 Urika and Teknys *Beretta Tx4 ** Beretta Tx4 Storm *

Beretta 1301 The Beretta 1301 is a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun produced by Beretta Italy and imported by Beretta USA in the United States. The firearm has two separate designs. One is intended for tactical, self-defense, and law enforcement applicati ...

**Beretta 1301 Comp **Beretta 1301 Tactical *Beretta A400 **Beretta A400 Xcel **Beretta A400 Xtreme Unico **Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus **Beretta A400 Xplor Action *Beretta A 300 Outlander *Beretta A 350 Outlander *Beretta SO4, SO5 and SO6 *Beretta Xtrema *

Beretta Xtrema 2 The Beretta A391-Xtrema2 is a semi-automatic shotgun developed and produced by Italian firearm manufacturer Beretta. It is used by hunters and target shooters, mainly in the United States. The shotgun is commonly referred to simply as the Xtrema2. ...

*Beretta Model A series *Beretta UGB25 Xcel *Beretta Folder * Beretta Ultraleggero *Beretta Urika *Beretta Urika 2 *Beretta RS 202-M2 *Beretta LTLX7000 *Beretta 470 Silver Hawk * Beretta 682 *Beretta 692 * Beretta DT-10 *Beretta DT-11 * Beretta Silver Pigeon *Beretta bellmonte due

Rifles and carbines

* Beretta 501 (sporting rifle) * Beretta Rx4 Storm * Beretta Cx4 Storm *Beretta BRX1 straight-pull bolt-action rifleBeretta introduces the BRX1 hunting straight-pull repeater
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Assault rifles

Beretta AR70/90 The Beretta AR70/90 is a gas operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45 mm NATO cartridge, and is the standard issue service rifle of the Italian Armed Forces. The weapon is also designed to be fitted with a rifle grenade, and has gr ...

* Beretta AS70/90 *Beretta AR-70/223 *

Beretta ARX 160 The Beretta ARX160 is an Italian modular assault rifle manufactured by Beretta. Developed for the Italian Armed Forces as part of the ''Soldato Futuro'' (English: "Future Soldier") program, the ARX160 was launched in 2008 as a commercial weapon ...

* Beretta ARX 200

Submachine guns

* Beretta Model 1918 * Beretta Model 38 ** Beretta Model 38A **

Beretta Model 38/42 The MAB 38 (''Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938''), ''Modello'' 38, or Model 38 and its variants were a series of official submachine guns of the Royal Italian Army (1940–1946), Royal Italian Army introduced in 1938 and used during World ...

** Beretta Model 38/44 *

Beretta Model 3 The MAB 38 (''Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938''), ''Modello'' 38, or Model 38 and its variants were a series of official submachine guns of the Royal Italian Army introduced in 1938 and used during World War II. The guns were also used ...

– a postwar modification of the 38/42 *

Beretta M12 The Beretta M12 (Model 12) is a 9×19mm Parabellum caliber submachine gun designed by Beretta. Production started in 1959, the first users were the Italian Carabinieri, Italian State Police and the Guardia di Finanza, though in limited number, it ...

series * Beretta PMX *

Beretta Mx4 Storm The Beretta Cx4 Storm is a pistol-calibre semi-automatic carbine aimed at the sporting, personal defense and law enforcement markets. It is available in two models: one that accepts 92/96 magazines, and one that accepts Px4 series magazines, ...

Machine pistols

* Beretta M951R * Beretta 93R

Grenade launchers

*Beretta GLX-160 (underbarrel grenade launcher for the Beretta ARX160)

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1526 establishments in Italy Companies established in the 16th century Defence companies of Italy Firearm manufacturers of Italy Henokiens companies Italian brands Multinational companies headquartered in Italy Organizations established in the 1520s