Beretta Pistols

A Beretta handgun was initially the preferred tool of the trade for fictional British super spy James Bond. But 007 not the first to rely of Beretta weapons for combat and survival. The Italian gun manufacturer has made history-changing armaments for more than 500 years. It created gun barrels for the kings of Naples and the Venetian Senate, cannons for Napoleon Bonaparte's imperial army, and hunting guns for the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg empire.

Beretta's recent claim to fame is the official adoption of its semi-automatic handguns as U.S. Army officers' standard-issue sidearm. Beretta replaced the Colt .45-caliber pistol, previously the standard issue since 1911. Beretta, which owns firearms plants in Italy, Spain, and Finland as well as in the United States, continues to focus on military production. The manufacturer is also spreading out its efforts into the production of precision sporting, competition, and personal-defense weapons including its well-respected pistols.

From modular U22 Neos made for target shooting and training to classics like the 9 mm 92FS, gun collectors and small arms enthusiasts appreciate the history, quality, and reliability of Beretta pistols.

Quick Facts

• Elvis Pressley one used a Beretta 9 mm pistol to shoot out the screen of a TV during a televised performance by singer Robert Goulet, calling the handgun his remote control
• In 1986, the Beretta M9 9 mm semi-automatic pistol replaced the M1911 .45 caliber pistol as the official sidearm of the U.S. Army
• The Beretta Tomkat .32-caliber pistol used by actress Halle Berry in the James Bond film "Die Another Day" sold at a 2006 Christie's London auction for £10,800, above its £5,000 to £7,000 estimate