Misplaced Pages

Beretta: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:53, 26 March 2014 editScalhotrod (talk | contribs)18,672 edits Expanding article← Previous edit Latest revision as of 18:38, 6 January 2025 edit undoMeleager91 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users4,115 edits ce 
(323 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Italian firearms manufacturer}}
{{three other uses||the surname|Beretta (surname)|the automobile|Chevrolet Beretta|the headgear|Biretta}}
{{about|the firearms company|the surname|Beretta (surname)|the automobile|Chevrolet Beretta|other uses|Beretta (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name=Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A.
| name= {{nowrap|Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A.}}
| logo = ]
| logo = Beretta logo.svg
| type = ] |
| type = ] (])
| foundation = 1526
| foundation = {{circa|1526}}
| location = ], Italy
| founder = ]
| industry = ]
| products = ]s, ]s | location_city = ]
| location_country = Italy
| homepage =
| industry = ]
| products = ]s and accessories
| parent = ]
| homepage = {{url|https://www.beretta.com/}}
}} }}


'''Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta''' {{IPA-it|ˈfabbrika ˈdarmi ˈpjɛtro beˈretta|}} is an ]-based ] ]s manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Founded in the 1500s, Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the world. Their original products were ] barrels. '''Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta''' ({{IPA|it|ˈfabbrika ˈdarmi ˈpjɛːtro beˈretta}}; "Pietro Beretta Weapons Factory") is a ] Italian ] operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for various 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 1526, Beretta is the oldest active firearm manufacturer and one of the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=4 Oldest Gun Companies in the World |url=https://www.oldest.org/entertainment/oldest-gun-companies/ |website=Oldest.org |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Oldest manufacturer of weapons |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/4000/oldest-manufacturer-of-weapons |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025002829/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/4000/oldest-manufacturer-of-weapons |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-10-25 |website=Guinness World Records |publisher=Guinness World Record Corporate |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref> Its inaugural product was the ] barrel; by all accounts Beretta-made barrels equipped the Venetian fleet at the ] in 1571.<ref name=Suro/> Beretta has supplied weapons for every major European war since 1650.<ref name=Anderson/>


==History== ==History==
] of the Province of Brescia. Val Trompia is in the center. Map is oriented with the West at the top.]]
Beretta has been owned by the same family for some five hundred years. The Beretta company was established in 1526,<ref>http://www.beretta.com/index.aspx?m=53&did=1501</ref> when gunsmith Maestro Bartolomeo Beretta<ref> ''Encyclopædia Britannica''</ref> of ] (], ], Italy) was paid 296 ]s for 185 ] ] by the ].<ref> at the official website.</ref> The bills of sale for the order of those barrels are in the firm's archive.
]
] barrels to the Republic of Venice]]


], a northern Italian river valley in the ], ], has been mined for iron ore since the time of the ]. In the ], Val Trompia was known for its ironworks; after the ], it came to be a center for the manufacture of weapons.<ref name=Alderson/> 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 ], located on the banks of the ] river in the middle of Val Trompia (i.e., between the upper and lower valley).<ref name=Grant/>
In 1918, the ] was the second ] the Italian army fielded. Beretta manufactured ]s and ]s for the Italian military until the ] during ]. With the Wehrmacht's control of northern Italy, the Germans seized Beretta and continued producing arms until the 1945 German surrender in Italy. In that time, the quality of the exterior finish of the weapons diminished and was much inferior to both the pre-war and mid-war weapons, but their operation remained excellent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beretta.com |title=Beretta International |publisher=Beretta.com |date= |accessdate=2008-09-08}}</ref> The last shipment of Type I rifles left Venice for Japan in a ] in 1942.


The Beretta forge was in operation from about 1500,<ref name=Index/> although the first documented transaction is a contract dated 3 October 1526, for 185 ] barrels, for which the Republic of Venice was to pay 296 ducats to ''Maestro di Canne'' (master ] maker) ] {{in lang|it}}.<ref name=Alderson/> The original account document for the order of those barrels is now stored in the ] {{in lang|it}} in ].<ref name=Story/> By the end of the 17th century, Beretta had become the second largest gun barrel maker in Gardone.<ref name=Grant/>
After World War II, Beretta was actively involved in repairing the American ]s given to Italy by the U.S. Beretta modified the M1 into the ] rifle, which is similar to the ] ]; armourers consider the BM-59 rifle to be superior to the M14 rifle in some ways, because it is more accurate under certain conditions.<ref>http://www.gunsmagazine.com/bm59/GCA0283.pdf</ref>


Under the guild system, the knowledge of gun barrel fabrication that had been bequeathed to Jacopo (1520/25 – ...) by his father Bartolomeo (1490 – 1565/68)<ref name=Britannica/> was then passed down to Jacopo's son, Giovannino (1550 – post-1577), and then to his grandson Giovan Antonio (1577 – post-1649),<ref name=Since /> and it continued to be passed down in this manner until guilds were abolished by ] after his conquest of the Venetian Republic in 1797.<ref name=Grant/>
After the war, Beretta continued to develop firearms for the Italian Army and police, as well as the civilian market.


The same family has owned Beretta for almost five hundred years;<ref name=Thomson/> it is a founding member of ], an association of bicentenary companies that are family-owned and operated.<ref name=Henokiens/>
In the 1980s, Beretta enjoyed a renewal of popularity in North America after its ] pistol was selected as the service handgun for the ] under the designation of "]". In the seventies, Beretta also started a manufacturing plant in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 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 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 their design is based on the original Beretta 92.


In 1918, the ], one of the first ]s in the world, was fielded by the Italian army. Beretta manufactured ]s and ]s for the Italian military until the ] during ]. Once the Wehrmacht controlled northern Italy, the Germans seized Beretta and continued using it to produce arms until the 1945 German surrender in Italy.<ref name=Alderson/> During that time, the quality of the exterior finish of the weapons diminished—-late-war specimens were much inferior to both the pre-war and mid-war weapons—-but their efficacy remained excellent.<ref name=International/> The last shipment of ]s left Venice for Japan in a ] in 1942.
Beretta acquired several domestic competitors (notably ] and ]) and some foreign companies (notably in ]) in the late eighties.


After World War II, Beretta repaired the American ]s that the U.S. had given Italy. Beretta modified the M1 into the ] rifle, which is similar to the ] ]. Armourers consider the BM-59 rifle to be superior to the M14 rifle in some ways because it is more accurate under certain conditions.<ref name=GunsMag/><ref name=Case82R/>
==Overview==
Today, the company is owned and is run by Ugo Gussalli Beretta and his sons, Franco and Pietro. 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 descendents through their mother's side of the family.


After the war, Beretta continued to develop firearms for the Italian army and police force, as well as the civilian market.<ref name=McClellan/>
Beretta is known for its broad range of firearms: side-by-side ], over-and-under shotguns, hunting ], ]s, ], ], lever and bolt-action rifles, single and double action ] and semi-automatic ]. The parent company, Beretta Holding, also owns Beretta USA, ], ], ], ], ], ], and the Burris Optics company.


In the 1970s, Beretta also started a manufacturing plant in ], ]. A contract between Beretta and the Brazilian government was signed, under which Beretta produced Beretta 92s for the ] until 1980. Later this plant was sold to ], who continues to manufacture the Beretta 92 under the name of ] using the same tools and labour that Beretta used, without the need for a license from Beretta, since the design is based on the original Beretta 92, for which the patents have expired.<ref name=Humphries/>
The model ] is the primary ] of the ], ] and ], 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 fabrication of the M9.

In the late 1980s, Beretta acquired several domestic competitors (notably ] and ]) and some foreign companies (notably in Finland).<ref name=Economist/>

Also in the 1980s, Beretta enjoyed a renewal of popularity in North America after its ] pistol was selected as the service handgun for the ] (as the "]").<ref name=Suro/> 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 more prominent law enforcement and commercial markets.<ref name="Diaz">{{cite book |last1=Diaz |first1=Tom |authorlink1=Tom Diaz |title=The Last Gun: How Changes In The Gun Industry Are Killing Americans And What It Will Take to Stop It |date=2013 |publisher=The New Press |location=New York and London |isbn=9781595588302 |page=143 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2G8RBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA143 |access-date=December 24, 2022}}</ref>

==Overview==
]]]
Today{{When|date=November 2024}}, Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (Beretta S.p.A.) is run by Franco Gussalli Beretta, President and CEO.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/5d9ed1c4-2bf5-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/5d9ed1c4-2bf5-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Franco Gussalli Beretta defends the family-run gunmaking company|last=Roberts|first=Hannah|date=2016-06-09|website=Financial Times|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-15}}</ref>


The traditional father-to-son Beretta dynasty was interrupted when Ugo Gussalli Beretta assumed 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.
==Subsidiaries==
'''Beretta USA''' was founded in 1977 and based in ] which manufactures military, police, and civilian pistols.<ref name=2014Tennessee>{{cite web|last=Noble|first=Andrea|title=Beretta building firearms plant in Tennessee worries Maryland|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/29/beretta-announces-tennessee-plant-says-its-not-lea/|publisher=Washington Times|accessdate=26 March 2014}}</ref> In May 2013 the company announced that, despite disagreements with the ] over recently enacted changes to MD gun control laws, it would not relocate its Accokeek facility.<ref name="staying">{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-beretta-to-stay-20130524,0,2293801.story |title=Despite threats, Beretta plans to stay in Maryland for now. On 1/29/2014 Beretta announced it will build a manufacturing and R & D facility in the Nashville Tennessee area.|publisher=Baltimoresun.com |date=May 24, 2013 |accessdate=May 24, 2013}}</ref> The facility employs around 400 workers.<ref name=2014Tennessee/>


Beretta is known for its broad range of firearms: side-by-side ], over-and-under shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, hunting ]s, ]s, ], ], lever- and bolt-action rifles, single- and double-action ] and semi-automatic ].<ref name=AR-May-15/> The parent company, Beretta Holding, also owns Beretta USA, ], ], ], ], ], ], and the Burris Optics company.
In January 2014 Beretta announced the construction of a design and production facility in ] to expand its US operations.<ref name=2014Tennessee/> The US$ 45 million facility is scheduled to be completed in 2014 and will employ another 300 workers.<ref name=2014ARGallatin>{{cite journal|last=Staff|title=Beretta sets sights on tennessee|journal=American Rifleman|date=April 2014|volume=162|issue=4|page=28|accessdate=26 March 2014}}</ref> CEO of Beretta Ugo Baretta personally visited the site and stated regarding the new facility, "In return for our investment in jobs, facilities, and assistance to the local economy, we ask for respect and a supportive business climate. We deserve such respect. We make the standard sidearm for the U.S. armed forces. We also make firearms that police and consumers use to save their lives and the lives of others."<ref name=2014ARGallatin/>


The model ] was the primary ] of the ], ], ] and ], designated the ].<ref name=AR-Feb-15/> In 1985, Beretta was chosen after a controversial competition to produce the M9, winning a contract for 500,000 pistols.<ref name=SI-Jul-14/><ref name=Machinist/> A condition of the original agreement was domestic manufacture of the M9.<ref name=Valsecchi/><ref name=Kennedy/> In 2019, the ] version of the ] was selected to replace the M9 throughout the U.S. Armed Forces.<ref name=YahooNews/>
Other divisions include:
*]
**Uberti USA
*]
**]
*]
*]<ref>http://www.tikka.fi/</ref>
*]


==Product lines== ==Product lines==


===Semi-automatic pistols=== ===Semi-automatic pistols===
*] ]]]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *] / ]
*] / ] *]
*] *]
*] **]
*] **]
**] **]
**]
**]
**]
*] *]
**]
**] **]
**] **]
Line 72: Line 82:
**] **]
*] *]
*] *Beretta 9000
**] **Beretta 9000S
] Beretta 92F 9MM Parabellum Pistol]]
*] *]
**] **]
Line 90: Line 101:
**] **]
**] **]
**Beretta 92X
*] *]
**] **]
*] *]
**] **]
***] **]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
**] **]
Line 107: Line 119:
*] *]
*] *]
*]


===Shotguns=== ===Shotguns===
]
]
*Beretta 1200
*]
*Beretta 1201
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*] *Beretta Tx4
*] **]
*]
**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 Model A series
*] *Beretta UGB25 Xcel
*] *Beretta Folder
*] *]
*] *Beretta Urika
*] *Beretta Urika 2
*] *Beretta RS 202-M2
*] *Beretta LTLX7000
*] *Beretta 470 Silver Hawk
**]
*]
**]
**]
**]
*]
*]
*]
*] *]
*Beretta 692
*]
*Beretta DT-11
*]
*Beretta SV10 Perennia
*Beretta bellmonte due


===Rifles and carbines=== ===Rifles and carbines===
*] *]
*]
*] (sporting rifle) *] (sporting rifle)
*] *]
*]
*Beretta BRX1 ] bolt-action rifle<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.all4shooters.com/en/hunting/rifles/beretta-brx1-hunting-straight-pull-repeater-video/|title=+++ World premiere +++ Beretta introduces the BRX1 hunting straight-pull repeater: product presentation with exclusive video|date=October 19, 2021|website=all4shooters}}</ref>


===Assault rifles=== ===Assault rifles===
]
*] *]
*] *]
*Beretta AR-70/223
*] *]
*] *]
*]


===Submachine guns=== ===Submachine guns===
Line 155: Line 186:
*] – a postwar modification of the 38/42 *] – a postwar modification of the 38/42
*] series *] series
*]
*] *]


===Machine Pistols=== ===Machine pistols===
*]
*] *]
**]


===Launchers=== ===Grenade launchers===
*] *Beretta GLX-160 (underbarrel grenade launcher for the ])


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Italy|Companies}} {{Portal|Italy|Companies}}
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name=Index>{{cite web
| url = http://www.beretta.com/en/world-of-beretta/today/
| title = FABBRICA D'ARMI PIETRO BERETTA S.p.A. Today
| publisher = Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta
| access-date= 1 September 2015
| quote = Passed down through 15 generations of the Beretta family, the company was already active in Gardone Valtrompia in the 1400s and its work has been documented since 1526.
}}</ref>

<ref name=Since>{{cite web
| url = http://www.beretta.com/en/world-of-beretta/since-1526/
| title = Beretta Since 1526
| publisher = Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta
| access-date= 5 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Story>{{cite web
| url = http://www.beretta.com/en/world-of-beretta/private-museum/
| title = Private Museum
| publisher = Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta
| access-date= 1 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Suro>{{cite news
|last =Suro
|first =Roberto
|title =ITALY: HOST FOR THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT - A LAND OF FAMILY BUSINESSES; The Careful Aim of the Beretta Clan
|url =https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/07/business/italy-host-for-economic-summit-land-family-businesses-careful-aim-beretta-clan.html
|access-date = 26 August 2015
|work =The New York Times
|date = 7 June 1987
|quote =The Pentagon's 1984 decision to buy 320,000 Beretta 92SB-F 9-millimeter pistols for use as a standard sidearm produced a pile of exceptional publicity for Beretta (which also supplies the Texas Rangers.)
}}</ref>

<ref name=Kennedy>{{cite news
|last = Kennedy
|first = Harold
|date = October 2000
|title = Beretta 9 mm Finds Niche In 'Low-Intensity' Missions
|url = http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2000/October/Pages/Beretta_97206.aspx
|newspaper = National Defense
|publisher = ]
|access-date = 28 August 2015
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160730091025/http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2000/October/Pages/Beretta_97206.aspx
|archive-date = 30 July 2016
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>

<ref name=Thomson>{{cite news
|last = Thomson
|first = Candus
|date = 30 March 2001
|title = Same aim, for nearly 500 years
|url = https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/03/30/same-aim-for-nearly-500-years/
|newspaper = The Baltimore Sun
|publisher = Tribune Publishing Company
|access-date = 28 August 2015
|archive-date = 4 December 2015
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151204084946/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-03-30/features/0103300049_1_beretta-exhibit-guns
|url-status = live
}}</ref>

<ref name=Henokiens>{{cite web
|title=Press Room : Gallery
|url=http://www.henokiens.com/content.php?id=71&lg=en
|website=Les Hénokiens - Association internationale d'entreprises familiales au moins bicentenaires
|access-date=2 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Grant>{{cite book
| last = Grant
| first = Tina
| title = International directory of company histories | publisher = St. James Press
| location = Detroit, Mich
| date = 8 June 2001
| isbn = 9781558624443
|url= http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/fabbrica-d-armi-pietro-beretta-s-p-a-history/
|via = FundingUniverse
}}</ref>

<ref name=Machinist>{{cite web
| url = http://americanmachinist.com/machining-cutting/italian-designed-american-made-iraq-deployed
| title = Italian designed, American made, Iraq deployed
| author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| date = 13 December 2005
| website = American Machinist
| publisher = Penton
| access-date= 27 August 2005
| quote = Its pistols have been used in every major U.S. military engagement since the late 1980s, including both Iraq campaigns, in Bosnia, Panama and Afghanistan.
}}</ref>

<ref name=Economist>{{cite news
| author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| date = 16 November 2006
| title = Switching targets
| url = http://www.economist.com/node/8173480
| newspaper = The Economist
| access-date = 27 August 2015
| quote = Beretta has reinvented itself in the past decade, a change as dramatic as the reinvention of its most famous customer in 'Casino Royale', the latest Bond film.
}}</ref>

<ref name=YahooNews>{{cite news
| last = Mizokami
| first = Kyle
| date = 23 January 2017
| title = The Sig P320 is the U.S. Army's New Sidearm
| url = https://www.yahoo.com/news/sig-p320-u-armys-sidearm-193331061.html
| newspaper = Yahoo News
| access-date = 28 January 2017
| quote = After a two-year, $17 million dollar search involving 12 contestants, the U.S. Army has finally picked its first new handgun in 32 years.
}}</ref>

<ref name=McClellan>
{{cite news
| last = McClellan
| first = Angus
| date = 12 November 2009
| title = The Beretta M9: 25 Years of Service
| url = http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2009/11/12/the-beretta-m9-25-years-of-service/
| newspaper = American Rifleman
| publisher = National Rifle Association of America
| access-date = 30 August 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Alderson>{{cite news
| last = Alderson
| first = Keanon
| date = 20 December 2011
| title = ADVICE: Longevity teaches family business lessons
| url = http://www.pe.com/articles/family-637093-business-beretta.html
| newspaper = The Press Enterprise
| location = Riverside, CA
| access-date = 27 August 2015
| quote = Learn from a company that weathered bubonic plague, political intrigue, assassination attempts and World War II to become a premier manufacturer in its industry segment
}}</ref>

<ref name=Humphries>
{{cite news
| last = Humphries
| first = Michael
| date = 27 February 2012
| title = Taurus PT 92
| url = http://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2012/2/27/taurus-pt-92/
| newspaper = Shooting Illustrated
| publisher = National Rifle Association of America
| access-date = 29 August 2015
| quote = Although that first pistol would look very different to anyone familiar with the current PT 92, it was quite similar in appearance to the existent Beretta Model 92.
}}</ref>

<ref name=SI-Jul-14>
{{cite news
| author =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| date = 29 July 2014
| title = U.S. Army Acquires Additional Beretta M9 9mm Pistols
| url = http://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2014/7/29/us-army-acquires-additional-beretta-m9-9mm-pistols/
| newspaper = Shooting Illustrated
| publisher = National Rifle Association of America
| access-date = 29 August 2015
| quote = To date, Beretta has delivered over 600,000 M9 pistols, with 18,000 already scheduled for delivery under the new 5 year contract.
}}</ref>

<ref name=AR-Feb-15>
{{cite news
| author =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| date = 3 February 2015
| title = Beretta and the M9A3: Update
| url = http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/2/3/update-on-beretta-and-the-m9a3/
| newspaper = American Rifleman
| publisher = National Rifle Association of America
| access-date = 30 August 2015
| quote = Beretta submitted an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) to its current contract the company calls the M9A3, which fulfilled many of the requirements set out for the looming Modular Handgun project.
}}</ref>

<ref name=AR-May-15>
{{cite news
| author =<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| date = 28 May 2015
| title = Beretta Announces Limited Edition 92 Centennial Pistol
| url = http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/5/28/beretta-announces-limited-edition-92-centennial-pistol/
| newspaper = American Rifleman
| publisher = National Rifle Association of America
| access-date = 30 August 2015
| quote = The original Beretta Model 1915 was adopted by the Italian forces one month after Italy entered World War I.
}}</ref>

<ref name=Anderson>{{cite news
|last=Anderson
|first=Lisa
|title=Still The Big Guns Of Weaponry
|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/10/30/still-the-big-guns-of-weaponry/
|access-date=26 August 2015
|work=Chicago Tribune
|date=30 October 1990
|quote=Since 1526, The Beretta Family Has Been The World's Most Fashionable Arms Supplier
}}</ref>

<ref name=Britannica>
''Encyclopædia Britannica''
</ref>

<ref name=International>{{cite web
|url=http://www.beretta.com
|title=Beretta International
|publisher=Beretta.com
|access-date=2008-09-08
}}</ref>

<ref name=GunsMag>{{cite web
|url=http://www.gunsmagazine.com/bm59/GCA0283.pdf
|title=Beretta's BM59: The Ultimate Garand
|access-date=February 7, 2016
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325105017/http://www.gunsmagazine.com/bm59/GCA0283.pdf
|archive-date=March 25, 2009 }}
</ref>

<ref name=Case82R>{{cite web
|title=Beretta BM 59 Semi Automatic Rifle
|url=http://www.nramuseum.com/the-museum/the-galleries/freedom's-doorway/case-82-right-display/beretta-bm-59-semi-automatic-rifle.aspx
|website=National Firearms Museum
|publisher=National Rifle Association of America
|access-date=27 August 2015
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221003500/http://www.nramuseum.com/the-museum/the-galleries/freedom's-doorway/case-82-right-display/beretta-bm-59-semi-automatic-rifle.aspx
|archive-date=21 December 2015
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

<ref name=Valsecchi>{{cite news
| last = Valsecchi
| first = Piero
| date = 10 March 1985
| title = Italy-Based Beretta Has Made Weapons Since 1526 : Army Opts for James Bond's Handgun
| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-10-mn-25758-story.html
| newspaper = Los Angeles Times
| agency = Associated Press
| access-date = 27 August 2015
| quote = Beretta will begin production of the model for the U.S. military in its ancient factory in this northern region that has been the stronghold of Italy's arms industry since Roman slaves began working on metals and arms.
}}</ref>

}}

==Further reading==
{{cite book
| last = Wilson
| first = R. L.
| title = The World of Beretta: An International Legend
| publisher = Random House
| location = New York
| year = 2000
| isbn = 9780375501494
}}


== External links ==
==Notes==
{{Commons category}}
{{reflist|2}}
* {{Official website}}


{{Beretta Holding}}
==External links==
{{Authority control}}
*{{Official website|http://www.beretta.com/}}
*
*
*
*{{YouTube|id=XR4gaEF7bo4|title=Beretta Factory Tour - Efficiency, Tradition, & Craftsmanship At Beretta's Plant In Italy}}


]
] ]
]
]
] ]
]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 18:38, 6 January 2025

Italian firearms manufacturer This article is about the firearms company. For the surname, see Beretta (surname). For the automobile, see Chevrolet Beretta. For other uses, see Beretta (disambiguation).
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A.
Company typePrivate (S.p.A.)
IndustryWeapons
Foundedc. 1526
FounderBartolomeo Beretta
HeadquartersGardone Val Trompia, Italy
ProductsFirearms and accessories
ParentBeretta Holding
Websitewww.beretta.com

Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfabbrika ˈdarmi ˈpjɛːtro beˈretta]; "Pietro Beretta Weapons Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for various 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 1526, Beretta is the oldest active firearm manufacturer and one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world. Its inaugural product was the arquebus barrel; 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

16th Century map by Giovanni Antonio Magini of the Province of Brescia. Val Trompia is in the center. Map is oriented with the West at the top.
Venetian State Archive building
Receipt for the supply of arquebus barrels to the Republic of Venice

Val Trompia, a northern Italian river valley in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, has been mined for iron ore since the time of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, Val Trompia was known for its ironworks; after the Renaissance, 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 and lower valley).

The Beretta forge was in operation from about 1500, although the first documented transaction is a contract dated 3 October 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 (in Italian). The original account document for the order of those barrels is now stored in the Archivio di Stato di Venezia (in Italian) in Venice. 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 had been bequeathed to Jacopo (1520/25 – ...) by his father Bartolomeo (1490 – 1565/68) was then passed down to Jacopo's son, Giovannino (1550 – post-1577), and then to his grandson Giovan Antonio (1577 – post-1649), and it continued to be passed down in this manner until guilds were abolished by Napoleon after his conquest of the Venetian Republic in 1797.

The same family has owned Beretta for almost five hundred years; it 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 guns in the world, was fielded by the Italian army. Beretta manufactured rifles and pistols for the Italian military until the 1943 Armistice between Italy and the Allied forces during World War II. Once the Wehrmacht controlled northern Italy, the Germans seized Beretta and continued using it to produce arms until the 1945 German surrender in Italy. During that time, the quality of the exterior finish of the weapons diminished—-late-war specimens were much inferior to both the pre-war and mid-war weapons—-but their efficacy remained excellent. The last shipment of Type I Rifles left Venice for Japan in a U-boat in 1942.

After World War II, Beretta repaired the American M1 Garands that the U.S. had given Italy. Beretta modified the M1 into the Beretta BM-59 rifle, which is similar to the M14 battle rifle. 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 force, as well as the civilian market.

In the 1970s, Beretta also started a manufacturing plant in São Paulo, Brazil. 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, who continues to manufacture the Beretta 92 under the name of PT92 using the same tools and labour that Beretta used, without the need for a license from Beretta, since the design is based on the original Beretta 92, for which the patents have expired.

In the late 1980s, Beretta acquired several domestic competitors (notably Benelli and Franchi) and some foreign companies (notably in Finland).

Also in the 1980s, Beretta enjoyed a renewal of popularity in North America after its Beretta 92 pistol was selected as the service handgun for the United States Army (as the "M9 pistol"). 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 more prominent law enforcement and commercial markets.

Overview

Beretta M9

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 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, over-and-under shotguns, semi-automatic shotguns, hunting rifles, express rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns, lever- and bolt-action rifles, single- and double-action revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. The parent company, Beretta Holding, also owns Beretta USA, Benelli, Franchi, SAKO, Stoeger, Tikka, Uberti, and the Burris Optics company.

The model Beretta 92FS was the primary side arm of the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, designated the M9 pistol. 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 manufacture of the M9. In 2019, the 9mm version of the SIG Sauer P320 was selected to replace the M9 throughout the U.S. Armed Forces.

Product lines

Semi-automatic pistols

Beretta APX
Joaquín "El Chapo" Archivaldo Guzmán Loera's Beretta 92F 9MM Parabellum Pistol

Revolvers

Shotguns

Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 12ga
Beretta A400 Xplor Action 20ga

Rifles and carbines

Assault rifles

Beretta ARX 160 with thermal sight and grenade launcher

Submachine guns

Machine pistols

Grenade launchers

See also

References

  1. "4 Oldest Gun Companies in the World". Oldest.org. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. "Oldest manufacturer of weapons". Guinness World Records. Guinness World Record Corporate. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  3. ^ Suro, Roberto (7 June 1987). "ITALY: HOST FOR THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT - A LAND OF FAMILY BUSINESSES; The Careful Aim of the Beretta Clan". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2015. The Pentagon's 1984 decision to buy 320,000 Beretta 92SB-F 9-millimeter pistols for use as a standard sidearm produced a pile of exceptional publicity for Beretta (which also supplies the Texas Rangers.)
  4. Anderson, Lisa (30 October 1990). "Still The Big Guns Of Weaponry". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Since 1526, The Beretta Family Has Been The World's Most Fashionable Arms Supplier
  5. ^ Alderson, Keanon (20 December 2011). "ADVICE: Longevity teaches family business lessons". The Press Enterprise. Riverside, CA. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Learn from a company that weathered bubonic plague, political intrigue, assassination attempts and World War II to become a premier manufacturer in its industry segment
  6. ^ Grant, Tina (8 June 2001). International directory of company histories. Detroit, Mich: St. James Press. ISBN 9781558624443 – via FundingUniverse.
  7. "FABBRICA D'ARMI PIETRO BERETTA S.p.A. Today". Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta. Retrieved 1 September 2015. Passed down through 15 generations of the Beretta family, the company was already active in Gardone Valtrompia in the 1400s and its work has been documented since 1526.
  8. "Private Museum". Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  9. "Bartolomeo Beretta" Encyclopædia Britannica
  10. "Beretta Since 1526". Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  11. Thomson, Candus (30 March 2001). "Same aim, for nearly 500 years". The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  12. "Press Room : Gallery". Les Hénokiens - Association internationale d'entreprises familiales au moins bicentenaires. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  13. "Beretta International". Beretta.com. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  14. "Beretta's BM59: The Ultimate Garand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  15. "Beretta BM 59 Semi Automatic Rifle". National Firearms Museum. National Rifle Association of America. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  16. McClellan, Angus (12 November 2009). "The Beretta M9: 25 Years of Service". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association of America. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  17. Humphries, Michael (27 February 2012). "Taurus PT 92". Shooting Illustrated. National Rifle Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2015. Although that first pistol would look very different to anyone familiar with the current PT 92, it was quite similar in appearance to the existent Beretta Model 92.
  18. "Switching targets". The Economist. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Beretta has reinvented itself in the past decade, a change as dramatic as the reinvention of its most famous customer in 'Casino Royale', the latest Bond film.
  19. Diaz, Tom (2013). The Last Gun: How Changes In The Gun Industry Are Killing Americans And What It Will Take to Stop It. New York and London: The New Press. p. 143. ISBN 9781595588302. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  20. Roberts, Hannah (2016-06-09). "Franco Gussalli Beretta defends the family-run gunmaking company". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  21. "Beretta Announces Limited Edition 92 Centennial Pistol". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association of America. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015. The original Beretta Model 1915 was adopted by the Italian forces one month after Italy entered World War I.
  22. "Beretta and the M9A3: Update". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association of America. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015. Beretta submitted an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) to its current contract the company calls the M9A3, which fulfilled many of the requirements set out for the looming Modular Handgun project.
  23. "U.S. Army Acquires Additional Beretta M9 9mm Pistols". Shooting Illustrated. National Rifle Association of America. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2015. To date, Beretta has delivered over 600,000 M9 pistols, with 18,000 already scheduled for delivery under the new 5 year contract.
  24. "Italian designed, American made, Iraq deployed". American Machinist. Penton. 13 December 2005. Retrieved 27 August 2005. Its pistols have been used in every major U.S. military engagement since the late 1980s, including both Iraq campaigns, in Bosnia, Panama and Afghanistan.
  25. Valsecchi, Piero (10 March 1985). "Italy-Based Beretta Has Made Weapons Since 1526 : Army Opts for James Bond's Handgun". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Beretta will begin production of the model for the U.S. military in its ancient factory in this northern region that has been the stronghold of Italy's arms industry since Roman slaves began working on metals and arms.
  26. Kennedy, Harold (October 2000). "Beretta 9 mm Finds Niche In 'Low-Intensity' Missions". National Defense. NDIA. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  27. Mizokami, Kyle (23 January 2017). "The Sig P320 is the U.S. Army's New Sidearm". Yahoo News. Retrieved 28 January 2017. After a two-year, $17 million dollar search involving 12 contestants, the U.S. Army has finally picked its first new handgun in 32 years.
  28. "+++ World premiere +++ Beretta introduces the BRX1 hunting straight-pull repeater: product presentation with exclusive video". all4shooters. October 19, 2021.

Further reading

Wilson, R. L. (2000). The World of Beretta: An International Legend. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375501494.

External links

Beretta Holding
Categories: