The Fascinating Story of Beretta: How an Italian Family Built the Greatest Hunting Guns on Earth

Subscribe:    / @emberarsenal   Almost every gunmaker you have ever heard of eventually died — bought out, broken up, or sold to strangers who wanted nothing but the name on the box. One family refused. For nearly five hundred years, in one narrow Italian valley, the Beretta family has built guns without a single break — fifteen generations, father to son, through Napoleon and two world wars. This is the full story of how a handwritten Venetian receipt from 1526 grew into the oldest firearms manufacturer on Earth, and how that same family built some of the greatest hunting shotguns ever made — from the hand-fitted SO sidelock that beat the English at their own craft, to the Beretta Silver Pigeon that put heirloom quality into a million hunters' hands. You will find out why Beretta barrels were on the Venetian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, why Ernest Hemingway bought a Beretta SO3 in Venice and hunted with it until the day he died, how the 680 and 686 series became the over-and-under so many of us grew up seeing behind the counter, and what the modern A400 changed about the semi-automatic. And if one of these guns lives in your family safe, there is one thing you must never do to it. In 2026, Beretta turns five hundred. This is why that matters. If you own an old Beretta, tell us in the comments which one — and whether it was handed down to you. Do NOT refinish it before you know what it's worth. 📌 SOURCES (worth reading): Beretta official company history (Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta): https://www.beretta.com/en/company/fa... Pew Pew Tactical — "History of Beretta: The Oldest Firearms Make Ever": https://www.pewpewtactical.com/berett... American Rifleman — "Beretta: Nearly 500 Years Strong": https://www.americanrifleman.org/cont... American Rifleman — "Hemingway's Beretta": https://www.americanrifleman.org/cont... Ducks Unlimited — "Shotgunning: The Beretta Story": https://www.ducks.org/hunting/shootin... Additional sources: Shooting Sportsman — "Beretta at 500: Celebrating the World's Oldest Gunmaker" Clay Shooting Magazine — "The Beretta Story" (history of the SO series) Wikipedia — "Beretta" and "Beretta Silver Pigeon" Field & Stream — "Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Shotgun Review" American Rifleman — "Beretta's A400s: 21st Century Shotguns" Forbes — "How 499-Year-Old Beretta Keeps Reinventing Itself" You can write to me at: [email protected] This channel is dedicated to the history, craftsmanship, value, and collecting of firearms and related items. I am a firearms enthusiast, not a certified professional advisor. All opinions expressed are my own and are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Viewers should conduct their own research and make their own evaluations before making any purchasing, collecting, or investment decisions. This channel does not promote violence, unsafe firearm use, or any illegal activity. We are fully committed to complying with YouTube’s policies and community guidelines, and we encourage all viewers to do the same.