Beretta unveils Battle of Pavia tribute SO10 EELL

Beretta has unveiled a commemorative SO10 EELL sidelock over-and-under shotgun to mark 500 years since the founding of the company, with the gun’s engraving depicting the Battle of Pavia, a 1525 clash that the manufacturer says may have involved barrels made by its founder.The SO10 EELL History, announced on 27 May from Gardone Val Trompia, is the second one-off piece released by the company this year as part of its anniversary programme. It is built in 20-bore with 30in barrels and features more than 1,000 hours of hand engraving, with gold and copper inlays worked using hammer, chisel and burin.

The battle depicted took place a year before a receipt signed by Bartolomeo Beretta – the earliest document used to date the company’s origins to 1526 – and pitted the Kingdom of France against the Habsburg Empire. Franco Gussalli Beretta, president and CEO of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, said the Val Trompia had already established itself as a centre for barrel-making by that point.

“The Battle of Pavia is one of the events that changed the history of the world – and of our world,” he said. “We’re in 1525, one year before the famous Bartolomeo Beretta’s receipt that allowed us to date Beretta origins around 1526, and we’re in Pavia, Lombardy, quite close from Bartolomeo’s workshop. The Val Trompia was already a reputed and designated centre for barrel manufacturing at that time – and the chances that arquebus barrels produced by Bartolomeo Beretta took part in that battle are extremely high.”

The engraving scheme places Spanish soldiers carrying arquebuses on the left sideplate, with French cavalry on the right. The receiver base depicts the battle’s aftermath, with a gold Beretta 500 Years logo incorporated into the scene. The architecture of the city of Pavia forms the backdrop throughout, rendered within a deep-scroll framework.

Marco Martelli, head of design at Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, said the engraving style was deliberately period-consistent. “The representation style aligns with that of the period, in order to remain as faithful as possible to the narrative of this Renaissance historical event. The intention, of course, is not only to celebrate it, but also to showcase the level of craftsmanship and complexity that our Pietro Beretta Custom Atelier is capable of achieving.”

The receiver is machined from a solid block of high-resistance tri-alloy steel, with no casting or welding. Locking is achieved via a rear longitudinal bolt aligned with the hinge pins, supported by two lower lugs and the classic trapezoidal barrel shoulders. The gun is stocked in grade 5 walnut with a Tru-Oil finish and mirror-polished barrels.

The gun case is built in solid wood covered in vegetable-tanned leather, with brass fittings and a dark Alcantara interior.

No price has been disclosed.