Beretta Yesterday

In 1526 Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta (1490 - 1565/68) of Gardone received 296 ducats as payment for 185 arquebus barrels sold to the Arsenal of Venice. Already in production in the early 1500s, Beretta products were chosen even by the Republic of Venice because of their excellence. As the Beretta name became synonymous with uncompromising quality, design, materials, construction and performance, word spread beyond the Italian borders, establishing a tradition that has carried over, uninterrupted, through fifteen generetions of Berettas.

Beretta Today

Almost 500 years of experience has allowed Beretta to develop advance production methods that employ the most modern technology. From the turn of the century to the dawn of the new Millenium, Beretta's production facilities have grown from 10,000 to 75,000 square meters. There are more than 1000 machines and numerically controlled milling machines, some of which are completely automated robotic work stations, used in shaping and finishing Beretta's firearms.