Tradition Meets Innovation: Factory Tour of Beretta in Italy
In this installment of our Select Fire series, we traveled to Beretta's state-of-the-art factory in Gardone Val Trompia, near Milan, Italy, to see what goes into making some of the most renowned firearms in the world.
An Institution
To say that Beretta has been around for a while is a massive understatement. To the point, the company is the oldest firearms maker in business today, logging its first documented contract in 1526, for arquebus barrels bound for the Republic of Venice from the shop of Bartolomeo Beretta. Who else can say they made arquebus barrels in the old Venetian Republic?
Beretta has well-guarded records going back centuries. This is because the company has been a constant in the region, no matter what banner flew over the land.
Not a lot of companies can say they were founded in the Renaissance. Keep in mind it predates the colonies at St. Augustine, Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth. Further, while other long-running gun makers such as Remington and Smith & Wesson have changed ownership dozens of times over the past couple of centuries, Beretta remains a family business, now in its 15th generation – with the 16th lined up.
Beretta's campus is located along the Garda Mountains in the foothills of the Alps, with portions of the facility inside the rock itself. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
They have been in the same location for a bit.
The Melia River runs through the factory campus like an artery. The ore from the mountains helped craft Rome's weapons and tools in ancient times, leading the region to be known as the "Iron Road."
Beretta long used hydroelectric power drawn from the Melia, first harnessed there by Pietro Beretta in the 1900s, with this 6,500-volt Pellizzari generator preserved as a legacy.
This lineage makes Beretta unique and, located in the same valley for five centuries, gives it a tremendous "tribal knowledge" to draw from. With the constantly refreshed new eyes of these successive generations, it should be no surprise that Beretta has filed more than 1,400 patents throughout its history.
With 500 years in the rear view, Beretta isn't just an Italian treasure but a brand with worldwide recognition.
Just looking at the company's catalog for the past 125 years, the number of iconic designs echoes across history. From the Modello 1918 carbine and PM12 and 1938 sub guns, to the Beretta 1934, 1951, and Model 92 pistols; the BM-59 and AR70/90 rifles, the interesting clowder of small "cat" (Minx, Tomcat, Bobcat, Jaguar, et. al) pocket pistols, and shotguns spanning from the legendary SO series to the 686, it would be easy to rest on its laurels.
Beretta's Private Collection holds hundreds of firearms and highlights the company's history and tradition through steel and wood.
However, the company continues to push into the 21st Century, with guns like the ARX160/200 rifle, the 1301 series shotgun, and the APX modular handgun turning heads and gaining new fans.
Modern and Efficient
With a foundation based on Old World culture, walking around the Beretta complex gives you an appreciation for just how modern the company’s thinking is today.
Aisles of top-of-the-line CNC machines are lit by natural light, giving the line a feeling more akin to a cathedral than a factory.
Dedicated green spaces, fortified by UV lamps, abound. It’s typical for employees to take a few steps away from their workstation or desk to a nearby oasis.
Raw materials come in and are verified and prepped.
Then transformed.
Beretta has been in the shotgun business for a century.
And they have figured out the demanding process to craft these firearms.
1301 Tactical receivers.
Great care is given to make sure these budding scatterguns are protected and allowed to mature. Note the padded stock covers.
There is still great personal attention to detail.
Beretta has an entire facility located near the main factory that is dedicated to engraving (hand not laser) and making bespoke firearms as part of the PB Select program.
In line with its past work in arquebus barrels, Beretta is an acclaimed barrel manufacturer. The company is a leader in eliminating hexavalent chromium from production processes while still delivering high-quality and durable products to its customers.
Of course, the company is well known for its rifle lines, such as these AR-160s seen moving out to a waiting customer.
Just as Lamborghini is better known for his cars than his tractors, when the name “Beretta” is uttered, many think immediately of handguns—and the Model 92 in several forms was frequently seen in various stages of production.
Model 92 slides under the same roof as those for the APX.
PX4 slides spotted.
We'd like to thank Beretta for the opportunity to visit their amazing facility, and we look forward to the company's next several centuries of innovation.
