Beretta 500th Anniversary Celebration 2026

4 June 2026

A Milestone Invitation

Ian Coley Sporting were cordially invited to attend the 500th Anniversary celebrations of Beretta – an invitation that was both a pleasure and a privilege to receive. Representing Ian Coley Sporting on this historic occasion was our Managing Director, Adam Bromfield, who travelled to Italy to mark half a millennium of continuous gunmaking by the world-renowned Beretta family. The visit promised not only a celebration of their extraordinary achievements, but also a deeper insight into the heritage, innovation and craftsmanship that has defined Beretta for five centuries.

From Milan to Brescia

Arriving in Milan, we were transported to the city of Brescia - an area long associated with the Italian gunmaking industry thanks to its rich steel-producing history.

Brescia itself is a beautiful and historic city, well worth visiting for anyone making the pilgrimage to Beretta. The old town, centred around Piazza della Loggia, Piazza della Vittoria and Piazza del Mercato, offers a blend of stunning architecture and excellent restaurants that perfectly capture the charm of northern Italy.

Tracing Beretta’s 500-Year History

Founded in 1526, Beretta’s story is nothing short of remarkable.

For a company to remain in continuous operation for 500 years – while still being family owned – is a testament to both its resilience and its ability to evolve without losing sight of its roots.

It was this heritage that took us, somewhat unexpectedly, to Venice on the second day of our journey. At first glance, Venice might not seem the obvious choice, but as we soon discovered, it is central to understanding where Beretta’s story began.

Venice and the Origins of the Beretta Name

During the height of the Venetian Republic, the city commanded vast trade networks across the Mediterranean and was engaged in frequent conflict with rival powers such as the French, Spanish and Ottomans. Firearms were becoming increasingly important in warfare, particularly arquebuses - an early form of handheld gun.

In October 1526, Bartolomeo Beretta of Gardone Val Trompia was commissioned by the Venetian Doge to produce 185 arquebus barrels. This order, discovered centuries later in the Venetian archives, serves as the earliest recorded evidence of Beretta’s gunmaking and firmly establishes them as the oldest gunmaker in the world.

Our day in Venice began at the Doge’s Palace, the historic seat of power of the Venetian Republic. Beautifully preserved, it houses remarkable artwork depicting scenes of war – conflicts in which Beretta barrels may well have played their part.

Lunch brought another historical connection. At Taverna La Fenice, once frequented by the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio, we learned the story behind Beretta’s iconic three-arrow logo. Originally part of d’Annunzio’s “Dare in Brocca” (“To Hit the Mark”) emblem, it was later adopted by Beretta and remains a symbol of precision and excellence – adapted slightly for their 500th anniversary.

The afternoon concluded with a visit to the Venetian Archives, where we viewed the original 1526 order. Modest in size yet monumental in importance, it marks the beginning of a legacy that continues to this day. The day was a very well-orchestrated journey through the history of Beretta but, in truth, we had yet to see a gun!

Gallery

Click or tap on the images to view the gallery.

A Day at Concaverde

Day three took us to Tiro a Volo Trap Concaverde - better known as Lonato - the epicentre of European trap shooting.

What began as a simple shooting ground among friends has evolved into a world-class facility with 14 trap layouts. After a briefing, we were split into teams to compete against each other in accuracy, acumen and simply paying attention. We were challenged with a variety of shooting disciplines and challenges, including pistol shooting, compak, driven clays, rifle shooting, and a quiz on clothing and accessories, and a virtual shooting competition.

This was also our first real opportunity to experience Beretta’s firearms. Highlights included the 500th Anniversary SL3 20 bore game gun and the exquisite SO sidelocks on the driven stand – both a joy to shoot and beautifully crafted. We had a pan-European team, and our shooting habits soon became apparent.

The compak layouts provided an ideal platform to compare models such as the SL2, DT11 Supersport, 694 and 688, each showcasing its own distinct performance characteristics. Some did better than others on this stand!

Beyond the Guns: Clothing & Accessories

Clothing & Accessories (C&A) quiz – this is now a large part of the Beretta stable and, much like their guns, Beretta cater for every requirement, from competition to sporting and to tactical. We listened to a short presentation and then, proving we do receive information and not just transmit it, our team performed well in the accompanying quiz – proof that we do, on occasion, listen as well as talk!

Pistols, Rifles and Anniversary Highlights

Pistols next - and whilst the majority of the UK are not permitted to own or possess them, the rest of Europe seemed very much au fait with their use, and they certainly proved it! An eye-opener for some of us.

This was followed by the rifles, where Beretta rolled out an impressive catalogue of BRX models, all in .30-06, for use on their 100m range. For some, it was a first experience firing a rifle, and before long gongs were ringing in the distance.

The afternoon was then spent in the newly appointed Beretta Room at Concaverde, where we were given presentations on the full range of Beretta products marking their 500th Anniversary. Among the highlights were a series of exclusive ‘one-off’ commissions, limited to just 10 pieces – six of which had already been pre-ordered, leaving only four remaining. These included a selection of pistols, alongside exceptional models such as the SO10 and the 486, among others.

The Story Behind Steelium Barrels

Barrels, barrels, barrels was next on the agenda!

The Steelium barrel series runs from the Silver Pigeon range with Steelium Barrels, the Beretta 694 range with Steelium Plus, the Beretta DT11 with Steelium Pro and the Beretta SL2 with Steelium Pro X. Each ‘platform’ of gun not only has its own action but now has its own barrel technology, each with its own specification of forcing cone, concentric barrel, choke cones and tubes. Each is designed to give optimum performance for each model of gun and to add value across the platforms to suit customers’ budgets. Not only does Beretta provide an unrivalled portfolio of guns, it also offers an enormous portfolio of aftersales gun accessories to give their range the flexibility of adding a more bespoke feel to a factory-standard gun. These include recoil pads, beads, triggers, comb raisers, weights and shims, to name but a few.

An Evening in the Hills

The day concluded with an evening at Carlo Magno Restaurant, set among vineyards overlooking Brescia. Following an aperitivo, we enjoyed a superb three-course meal, during which we were presented with a commemorative medal that will accompany all Beretta gun purchases registering their warranty in 2026 – a fitting tribute to this milestone year.

From Beretta Uno to Beretta Due

Our final day took us into the heart of Beretta’s operations: their twin factories, Beretta Uno and Beretta Due.

Beretta Uno is where large-scale manufacturing takes place. Here, cutting-edge robotics work alongside traditional craftsmanship, with skilled barrel makers still performing tasks such as rib soldering by hand. Every Beretta barrel is cold hammer forged – a process designed to maximise both strength and flexibility.

Meanwhile, Beretta Due houses the prestigious PB Selection range. This is where craftsmanship reaches its highest level, with hand-fitted components ensuring minimal tolerances and exceptional longevity. Each gun here is effectively bespoke, with increasing man-hours directly reflected in its quality and price.

All of the components of Silver Pigeon, 688 and 694 are then assembled by their team of gun makers in Beretta Uno, finished, tested and then packed ready for shipping.

Beretta Due & The Craft of Precision

Meanwhile, Beretta DT11, SL2, SL3 and SO barrels are moved to Beretta Due, which was our next destination. Beretta Due is the home of PB Selection, the finest of the Beretta range.

This is where Beretta manage to combine large-scale manufacturing with bespoke, made-to-measure competition and game guns. It became very evident during the time we were there that the more man-hours it takes to create a gun, the more expensive the gun. Every model of gun in the PB Selection has hand-fitted barrels, so one set of SL3 barrels will not necessarily fit another SL3 action. Rather than modular barrels, which would be interchangeable between actions, the jointing of these barrels is done twice, before and after the barrel blacking process, to ensure the minimum of tolerances. The DT11 has some finished components and some hand-finished components, while SL2 and SL3 components are all hand-finished, again to ensure the minimum of tolerances, giving the gun robust longevity. All of this work takes time and this is reflected in the final quality and, ultimately, the price of the gun.

The Bespoke Fitting Experience

Beretta Due also houses an impressive wood room, catering to clients who wish to personally select the walnut blank for their custom gun. Options range up to Grade 5, alongside a selection of exceptional exhibition-grade blanks.

Once the wood has been selected, the customer is then taken to the customer service experience, where one of their highly accomplished stockers provides a demo gun with a suitable stock and watches the client mount the gun, checks the height of the comb, length of pull, grip size, etc., and, with what seems like an enormous amount of masking tape, adds pads and palm swells, and adjusts cast and comb height. Once client and stocker are in agreement, the process continues at the in-house pattern plate, where the client shoots the demo gun to confirm that measurements and point of aim are correct. If necessary, further refinements are made until the perfect fit is achieved. Once complete, every detail is meticulously recorded on a fitting sheet, ensuring absolute accuracy for the final build.

The Atelier Workshop: Craftsmanship Preserved

The Atelier workshop was our next destination, and this in itself has a remarkable story.

Historically, Beretta, much like their own company, used a family-owned, multi-generational case maker to make and supply cases for their top-model guns. When that business encountered difficulties, Beretta stepped in – not simply to acquire it in the conventional sense, but to preserve its skills and craftsmanship.

As this was a completely new department, they recruited from within the company, and the then President of Beretta’s personal assistant asked to be considered for the job. The rest, as they say, is history, and this remarkable lady is to this day running the workshop, which produces some amazing bespoke gun cases using the finest materials for the PB Selection.

The Beretta PB Selection has a number of standard engravings for the DT11 and SL3 ranges which are laser-engraved patterns; however, custom engraving is available for these and their SO series. As before, the more man-hours for the engraver, the more expensive the gun Modern laser engraving has advanced significantly, with some work now almost indistinguishable from hand engraving – a remarkable evolution from where it stood two decades ago.

The engraving studio is located on the top floor of the PB Selection building at Beretta Due, where they have the best natural light available to create their remarkable pieces of work. This is where they can create engraving patterns of huge complexity and detail, from deep-carved scrollwork through to the finest and most delicate bulino work – or a seamless combination of both.

Happy 500th Birthday Beretta!

Beretta, without a doubt, are the only sporting gunmakers in the world who produce a gun for practically every purchaser’s budget. The enthusiasm for continual development in both sides of their production, the standard models and the PB Selection, is admirable. It is a company that has been around for 500 years and hasn’t stood still for a minute of it!