Still a Legend: Beretta Firearms

Nearly 3 centuries before Eliphalet Remington founded what would become the Remington Arms Company—the oldest American gun maker—an Italian gunsmith formed what is now one of the oldest active companies in the entire world. What would eventually be known as Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, Italian for “Pietro Beretta Weapon Factory,” officially opened its doors in 1526 in the Val Trompia river valley in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy.

Just as the United States had its “Gun Valley” of Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, the site of the original Springfield Armory and soon after the home to companies such as Colt and Winchester; Val Trompia was the epicenter of early Italian firearms manufacturing. Though when the region first began making firearms is lost to history, the earliest written reference to the guns made in Val Trompia is an order from the Venetian Senate, dated April 21, 1459—decades before Christopher Columbus even “discovered” America.

Val Trompia — Italy’s Gun Valley

The region had already been known for its iron ore mines that existed since the time of the Roman Empire, while by the Middle Ages it was also known for its ironworks—considered among the very best in Europe at the time. Within a century of that first known gun order, Val Trompia had become a highly industrialized manufacturing center. A contemporary account from the middle of the 16th century described that there were 8 iron-ore smelteries along with about 40 smithies where steel and iron products of all sorts were made by a diverse workforce.

“The Historia di Venezia” by Paolo Paruta, published in Venice in 1574 further stated, “All kinds of firearms are made, muskets with all their mounts, crossbows, cannon balls, weapons of every kind, as well as tools of tempered steel, and all kinds of cutlery, farm implements, and nails. Every year the said Valley produces twenty-five thousand guns that are fetched off by merchants into foreign lands.”

That early account paints a vivid picture that Val Trompia was truly a Renaissance Italian gun valley, even if it doesn’t mention the name Beretta. However, it appears that the Beretta family had long been involved in the ironworks and that one member of the family may have simply been born at the right time in history—a story not all that different from Americans Eliphalet Remington or Samuel Colt.

According to “The World of Beretta: An International Legend” by author R.L. Wilson (Random House, 2000), the Berettas had worked at the “small fires,” forges where rough plates from various smelters were heated and wrapped around steel mandrels. It was likely a combination of backbreaking work mixed with a bit of fine art, as many of the civilian barrels that were produced were ornate.

Bartolomeo Beretta (1490 – 1565) may not be as famous as the aforementioned Samuel Colt, but he is generally credited with starting the business that is producing firearms today. He had become a maestro di canne (master gun-barrel maker), after learning his trade as the village ironmaster. According to various accounts, Batomolomeo was renowned throughout the region for his attention to detail, as well as his artistry—and it is somewhat fitting that he began his career during the brief High Renaissance period of the early 16th century that saw such artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante create their most famous works.

Whether Bartomolomeo was inspired by those Italian greats is of course unknown, but he certainly caught the attention of the right people. In 1526, the Venetian Arsenal paid him 296 ducats—a considerable sum at the time—for 185 arquebus barrels. The firm that still bears the family name was officially established.

arquebus muskets
A pair of arquebus muskets in the collection of the Doge Palace Museum in Venice. Barrels like these would have been made by Beretta. (Author’s Photo)
Venetian Arsenal
The gates of the Venetian Arsenal in 2009. It was once the center of power of the Venetian Republic. (Author’s Photo)

The iron foundry and arms business continued to grow and was later run by Beretta’s son Jacopo and later his grandson Giovannino. While perhaps overshadowed by such Italian brands as Gucci or Ferrari, it is important to remember that Beretta was founded centuries earlier and is still family-owned to this day.

Moreover, the significance that Beretta has played in European history is just as notable.

The company’s firearms were first used in the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571, one of the greatest naval engagements of the Renaissance—and which also ended the Ottoman Empire’s expansion in the Mediterranean. Beretta would go on to supply weapons for every major European War since the middle of the 17th century.

The painting "Battle of Lepanto"
“The Battle of Lepanto” by the Venetian painter Tintoretto. (Public Domain)

The Beretta Businessman

After the death of Bartolomeo Beretta, the small firm continued to produce firearms for Venice. Yet, the Beretta family didn’t really prove all that successful as businessmen or even salesmen. In truth, throughout nearly the first 3 centuries of its existence, buyers—mainly the Venetian Republic which controlled the region—came to Beretta largely because there simply weren’t that many companies that could make firearms on the scale of the Italian gun maker.

Moreover, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the company faced export bans due to the guild system that existed in the Venetian Republic. That changed after Napoleon Bonaparte ended the Republic in 1797 and with it the outdated guild system. The timing was again quite notable as Pietro Antonio Beretta was born just 6 years earlier.

He began his career with the family business by building barrels for shotguns and pistols. A forward thinker, he saw the potential of expanding the product line, but also the market. Just as Remington, Colt, and other Americans were developing new firearms, so too was Pietro Beretta. He traveled throughout Italy to contact importers, wholesalers, and retail dealers.

Instead of just selling barrels and weapons to European armies that came with orders, Beretta began marketing its products to retailers throughout Italy and, soon after, Europe. In 1832, he even gave the firm the name it bears today, Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta. Pietro and cousin Lodovico also bought back half of the smithy that the family had previously sold to an outside investor.

It was in this era that Beretta expanded its product line, and began selling rifles, shotguns, and muzzle-loading pistols to upscale customers. The firm was noted for its quality, not the quantity of the products it sold.

Pietro Beretta died in 1852, but by then the company was on solid ground.

The gun maker had made quite an impact at the Bresican Exposition of 1857. Giuseppe Antonio Beretta, Pietro’s eldest son, further refined the network of customers but also began to produce more modern firearms including percussion locks, revolvers, and later, bolt action rifles.

Giuseppe Antonio Beretta
A contemporary of Samuel Colt, Giuseppe Antonio Beretta was as successful a businessman. (Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta)

When Giuseppe died in 1903, he was succeeded by the eldest of his 5 sons, also name Pietro—who went on to lead the firm for 45 years until his own death in 1957. As noted by R.L. Wilson, the impact that Pietro II had on the company proved even more substantial and far-reaching. Beretta became one of the most dominant industrial powers in the world of firearms.

The Beretta Expansion

In 1903, when Pietro II took charge, the company had a single 10,000-square-foot building and about 130 employees. It was still impressive for a gun maker at the time, but over the next 5 decades, Beretta saw a massive expansion that included the building of much larger facilities while its workforce grew to more than 1,500. What makes this all the more impressive is that it occurred during 2 World Wars, the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini, and the Great Depression.

black and white historical image of workers inside the Beretta Factory
Italy may have a bad reputation for not working hard—but Berreta’s quality would suggest otherwise. (Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta)

Even as gun makers in Europe and America struggled to stay in business through those turbulent times, Beretta saw exponential growth. Pietro II also made seemingly revolutionary decisions that were years ahead of their time. That included building an innovative hydroelectric plant on the Mella River. He also took a cue from other firearms makers and hired the best designers he could. In this case, it was Tullio Marengoni, a noted firearms inventor who was the nephew of a family friend. While self-taught with no formal qualifications as an engineer, Marengoni would go on to create some of the company’s most important military firearms.

While Pietro II is generally remembered as the “empire builder” of the family, his sons Pier Giuseppe and Carlo were the ones who truly took the company international. It was during their tenure that the company made its 9mm Model 92 autoloading (semiautomatic) pistols, one of the most successful firearms pistols of all time. It became the standard choice of more than 1,600 law enforcement agencies around the world.

Beretta M9 Pistol
The Beretta M9 was based on the 92 series that was designed in 1975. Production of the 92 series began in 1976 – it has become one of the best-selling handguns in the world. (Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta)

The mark the family left on Italy also can’t be overstated. When Carlo Beretta passed away in March 1984, at least 10,000 mourners paid tribute.

Military Firearms

No firearms company in the world can claim to have as long a connection to military firearms as Beretta. From that first order for 185 arquebus barrels for the Republic of Venice, the firm has made countless weapons for the military. It has been an innovator as well.

Military arms of Beretta’s own designs, however, only began with the Model 1915 9mm Glisenti automatic pistol, which was designed by Marengoni. During the First World War, the company also aided the Fiat Company in producing the Villar Perosa—the world’s first true submachine gun. Originally designed as a squad weapon, it was equipped with 2 magazines. Beretta supplied many of the critical parts for the revolutionary firearm, and Marengoni further refined the design as the Beretta M1918—which took on a more traditional firearm design.

Villar Perosa submachine gun
The Villar Perosa—the world’s first true submachine gun. (Photo: Royal Armouries)

During the fascist era, the firm produced weapons for the Royal Italian Army, including the Modello 38 (Model 38), an innovative submachine gun that was also a Marengoni design. Instead of having a fire selector, it featured 2 triggers—one for semi-automatic and the other for full-automatic fire. That weapon, which was chambered for the 9×19-millimeter Parabellum round, was also used by the German Waffen-SS as well as by the Romanian Army during the Second World War, and it saw postwar use in the Algerian War and the Congo Crisis.

Beretta submachine gun
Beretta Modelo 38A—a light machine gun that saw use during the Second World War. (Public Domain)

Beretta continued to supply the Italian military with weaponry until it was taken over by Nazi Germany, which occupied northern Italy after the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was driven from power in 1943. Though many of the same weapons were produced, the quality diminished considerably.

However, following the Second World War, the company returned to family control.

Among its first post-war contracts was repairing M1 Garands that were supplied to the Italian military. It would be the first tie with the U.S. military, but certainly not the last.

Throughout the Cold War, Beretta also produced a number of firearms for the Italian military and other partner nations. These included the AR70/90, ARX 160, and ARX 200 assault rifles; the M12 series and Mx4 Storm submachine guns, and the Beretta M1951 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Italian soldier
Italian Lagunari reconnaissance member in a security patrol in Santa Margarida, Portugal, during JOINTEX 15 as part of NATO’s exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 on November 4, 2015. He is armed with the ARX160A2. (Photo: Sgt Sebastien/US Army)

Its firearms have been adopted by the Italian military, along with other NATO and international partners.

International Expansion

One of the most notable changes with Beretta also occurred in the post-World War II era—when it greatly expanded into international markets, but also when it gained fame when Italian trap shooter Galliano Rossini won a gold medal at the Melbourne Olympic Games using a Beretta shotgun. It was a first for the company, but not the last. Beretta has been as much a part of the Olympics in the shooting competitions as Nike or Adidas are on the track. Olympian Kim Rhode is among the medalists to have relied on a Beretta firearm, and she has used two DT 11 12 gauge shotguns in competitions since 2016.

Olympic shooter Kim Rhode
Kim Rhode has won multiple Olympic medals with her Beretta shotguns. (Team Beretta/Pinterest)

The company further expanded its manufacturing facilities in recent decades and opened its first facility in Brazil in the 1970s to manufacture the aforementioned Beretta 92 handgun. Commercial subsidiaries were also opened in France, Greece, and Spain—in part to keep up with the demand for the 92 series of pistols, which are still used by military and police forces around the world.

To address bootleg production in emerging markets, it has expanded its manufacturing and now supplies the “real deal” to markets in China, Turkey, and Central Asia.

In addition, the parent company Beretta Holdings S.p.A. has acquired several other firearms manufacturers and these include noted Italian gun makers such as Benelli, Franchi, and Uberti, but also the Finnish-based Tikka, and the British upscale gun maker Holland & Holland, as well as Burris Optics.

In the 1980s, Beretta sold its Brazilian facility to Taurus, which continues to manufacture its PT92 under license. That wasn’t actually a retreat for the company, however, and instead was part of an effort to refocus on expansion to the United States. While the Italian firm had sold its products in America for decades, in 1977 it established Beretta USA.

The American Firearms Giant

Just as the mark the company has left on the Italian “boot” can’t be overstated, neither can its expansion to the United States. Under the direction of Ugo Gusalli Beretta, who was the 14th generation of the family to lead the firm, it acquired F.I. Industries, a bankrupt gun factory in Accokeek, Maryland near Washington, D.C. that had previously had a contract to service its products.

This new venture not only allowed Beretta to expand further into the American market—but it also, more importantly, allowed the Italian firm to compete for U.S. military contracts. While the United States had throughout its history often relied on imported firearms—the Buy American Act (BAA) of 1933 all but required the U.S. military to use domestically-produced firearms. It also required the federal government to buy American-made iron, steel, and manufactured goods wherever possible.

The timing of Beretta USA’s founding was of course notable.

In the late 1970s as part of a Department of Defense (DoD) effort to synchronize the weapons of all 5 branches of the U.S. armed forces, and to replace its stocks of worn-out Colt M1911 .45 pistols then in service, the military looked at a variety of options from Colt, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Walther, Fabrique National, Heckler & Koch. In the end, Beretta’s 92S-1 won the competition, but the result was actually challenged by the U.S. Army.

Another round of tests was conducted in 1984 as the Joint Service Small Arms Program competition. That time the improved Beretta 92FS performed successfully in a number of survivability tests, and it was selected as the U.S. military’s standard sidearm—given the official designation “Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9,” or simply the M9.

A total of 315,930 Beretta M9 pistols were ordered in a contract valued at approximately $75 million.

Upgraded as the M9A1 in 2006, the handgun saw the addition of a one-slot Picatinny rail for mounting lights, lasers, and other accessories while also featuring a more aggressive front, backstrap checkering, and a beveled magazine well for easier reloading. The M9A1 also was offered with Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coated magazines that were developed to address the sandy environments found in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Not the Perfect Sidearm for the Military

Despite the fact that it was the handgun that replaced the venerable M1911, the M9 wasn’t considered the perfect handgun, and it had its share of detractors. Complaints included its size and weight, while its exposed locking block, which can fail and needs replacing every 5 thousand rounds, had also been seen as a serious issue.

For those and other reasons in the mid-2010s, the Army began to seek a replacement, even as Beretta unveiled its newly redesigned M9A3. The gun makers claimed that the new pistol solved many of the problems with the older models.

The military disagreed.

After another lengthy competition, the U.S. military selected the Sig Sauer P320 in 2017, which was adopted as the M17 and replaced the M9.

Taking on the Civilian Market

Despite losing the lucrative military contract, Beretta USA has continued to expand into the civilian market. The brand was further expanded under license with a line of high-end clothing and accessories that was first introduced in 1988.

In the 1990s, two upscale American retail outlets were also opened in the United States—and those arguably rivaled anything from Gucci. One was located in Midtown Manhattan on Madison Avenue in New York City, while the other was located in the prestigious Highland Park Village, Dallas, Texas.

In 2016, Beretta USA moved all manufacturing operations to a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in Gallatin, Tennessee. The 100-acre production plant was built from the ground up with an innovative design and advanced technologies that allowed Beretta USA to increase production capacity.

Beretta USA Factory in Gallatin, Tennesee
The Gallatin, Tennessee facility is home to the R&D and manufacturing divisions of Beretta USA. (Beretta USA)

“With this new facility, we have developed and manufactured a multitude of successful pistol and shotgun lines revered by tactical enthusiasts, sport shooters, and hunters around the world, including the various new 90 series models as well as the small frame, APX, and A300 series,” the company announced at the time. Today, Beretta USA also accounts for more than 50 percent of its annual global sales.

In addition, Beretta has become a pop culture icon thanks to its 92 pistol series, which has been seen in dozens of movies, TV shows, and video games. It was famously carried by Bruce Willis in “Die Hard” and seen in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” as well as multiple Hong Kong action films including “A Better Tomorrow.”

Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Beretta 92F
While not called out by name, Bruce Willis carried a Beretta 92F in 1988’s “Die Hard” – the ultimate Christmas movie.

Nothing Can Stop Beretta

The Italian firm has also been quite successful in recent lawsuits.

In the late 1980s, General Motors Corp. was forced to agree to a settlement that saw it donate $500,000 to the Beretta Foundation for Cancer Research after a trademark infringement case when the Big Three automaker introduced its Beretta sedan. The automaker was also forced to pay unspecified legal and administrative fees associated with the lawsuit after a federal court in New York ruled that GM had infringed on the 5-centuries-old Italian company’s trademark. Though the automaker was able to continue to use Beretta for its car line, it had to acknowledge that the name was used with permission. The 4-wheel-drive Chevrolet Beretta was never a major hit with buyers, and after declining sales, production ended in 1996.

In 1998, the company was found to be non-negligent in an accidental shooting death of a California teenager. More recently, Beretta USA was among the U.S. gun makers sued by the Mexican government last year, which accused the companies of fueling the violence by the drug cartels and other criminals. That $10 billion lawsuit was dismissed by a federal court judge in Boston in September.

Closing in on 5 Centuries

Today the company has a total workforce of more than 3,000 employees and annual revenue of more than half a billion dollars. It continues to produce firearms for the military and civilian markets, as well as clothing, accessories, and advanced systems in the field of electro-optics.

After nearly five centuries, it would seem Beretta isn’t just getting older—it is just getting better.

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based freelance writer who regularly covers firearms related topics and military history. As a reporter, his work has appeared in dozens of magazines, newspapers, and websites. Among those are The National Interest, Forbes, and many others. He has collected military small arms and military helmets most of his life, and just recently navigated his first NFA transfer to buy his first machine gun. He is co-author of the book A Gallery of Military Headdress, which was published in February 2019. It is his third book on the topic of military hats and helmets.

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