Beretta
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- This article is about a firearm manufacturer; for the car, see Chevrolet Beretta.
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is a major Italian gun manufacturing company. Its weapons are used extensively by civilians, police and militaries around the world. Beretta is among the world's oldest corporations, and has been owned by the same family for nearly 500 years. The Beretta company was established historically in 1526, when gunsmith Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta, of Gardone, received 296 ducats as payment for 185 arquebus barrels sold to the Arsenal of Venice. The paperwork for that order still exists in the company's archives. Today, the company is owned by Ugo Gussalli Beretta, a direct descendant of the original Bartolomeo, and is run by him and his sons, Franco and Pietro. (The traditional Beretta dynasty — father to son — was broken when Ugo Gussalli Beretta took over. His uncles Carlo and Giuseppe Beretta had no children. Carlo adopted Ugo, the son of sister Giuseppina Gussalli, to give him the Beretta name.)
Beretta is famous for its broad product range that includes side by side shotguns, over and under shotguns, self-loading shotguns, hunting rifles, express rifles, assault rifles, sub-machine guns, lever action rifles, single action revolvers, double action revolvers and pistols. Parent company Beretta Holding also owns Beretta USA, Benelli, Franchi, SAKO, Stoeger, Tikka, and Uberti, and is a partner of Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. Beretta products are generally well made, durable and reliable.
Beretta is famous for the 92FS 9 mm Luger pistol, which has seen much exposure in American action movies, such as the Lethal Weapon series. That gun has at various times been the official sidearm of several first world armies.
In 1985, Beretta was chosen during a controversial selection process to produce the M9 9 mm Luger sidearm for the United States military, winning a contract for 500,000 units. There have been many follow-up orders. A condition of the original agreement was that U.S. military pistols be manufactured domestically. The Beretta USA plant in Accokeek, Maryland makes finished pistols from raw materials for the military, law enforcement, and civilian markets.
Beretta pistols
Beretta is also well-known in hunting circles for their shotguns, often embellished with exquisite handcarved stocks and frames.
See also
External links
- Beretta worldwide website (http://www.beretta.com/)
- Beretta Defence (http://www.berettadefence.com/)
- Beretta USA website (http://www.berettausa.com/)
- Beretta owners Forum (http://www.berettaforum.net/)
- Berettaworld information site (http://www.berettaworld.com/)
- Berettaweb information site (http://www.berettaweb.com/)
- Largest Beretta Collection Outside the Factory (http://www.berettacollection.com/)
- Photos and information about current production Beretta pistols (http://www.gunshopfinder.com/berettapistols.html)
- Photos and information about Beretta shotguns (http://www.gunshopfinder.com/berettashotguns.html)bg:Beretta