Five hundred years after firearms helped rewrite the rules of warfare, Beretta just dropped a shotgun that looks less like a firearm and more like something stolen straight out of a Renaissance museum after dark.
Introducing the SO10 EELL History, the latest one-off masterpiece from Beretta’s Pietro Beretta Selection line. Built to celebrate the company’s 500th anniversary, this over-the-top 20-gauge side-by-side pays tribute to the Battle of Pavia of 1525. The clash that helped prove firearms were officially more effective than waving sharp metal around while screaming in French.
And honestly? If there was ever a gun built to scream “we’ve been doing this longer than your country has existed,” this is it.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
A Battle Frozen in Steel
The SO10 EELL History isn’t just engraved. It’s engraved engraved. Beretta says more than 1,000 hours of hand engraving went into the gun using traditional hammer-and-chisel and burin techniques, complete with gold and copper inlays.
The receiver tells the story of the Battle of Pavia in insane detail. Spanish arquebusiers hammer French cavalry across one sideplate, while the city of Pavia itself rises from deep-scroll backgrounds like a steel-carved Renaissance painting. Down below, victors and defeated soldiers collide beneath a golden Beretta 500 Years logo.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
This thing has more artwork than some luxury hotels.
Old World Craftsmanship, Modern Mechanical Perfection
Underneath all the visual drama sits one of Beretta’s finest mechanical platforms: the legendary SO10 sidelock action.
Built with 30-inch barrels in 20 gauge, the receiver is machined from a solid block of high-resistance tri-alloy steel with no casting or welding involved. The hand-detachable side plates reveal internals polished to absurd levels, while the locking system uses a rear longitudinal bolt and additional lower lugs for tank-like strength.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
It’s not just pretty. It’s built like an Italian vault with triggers.
The gun also features Grade 5 walnut finished in Tru-Oil, mirror-polished barrels, and a handcrafted leather-and-wood presentation case lined with dark Alcantara and gold-finished accessories. Because if you’re going to own a half-millennium celebration gun, you probably shouldn’t store it next to loose duck calls and beef jerky wrappers.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Five Centuries of Smoke & Steel
Beretta’s connection to the Battle of Pavia runs deeper than marketing copy. Company historians note the battle happened just one year before Bartolomeo Beretta’s famous 1526 receipt; the document marking the official birth of the company. Given Val Trompia’s reputation for barrel-making at the time, there’s a very real chance Beretta-made arquebus barrels were present during the battle itself.
That’s the kind of historical flex only Beretta can pull off.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Some companies celebrate anniversaries with commemorative coins or special logos. Beretta celebrates by building the SO10 EELL History worthy of hanging inside a castle. And honestly, that feels appropriate.
WHY OUR ARTICLES/REVIEWS DO NOT HAVE AFFILIATE LINKS
Affiliate links create a financial incentive for writers to promote certain products, which can lead to biased recommendations. This blurs the line between genuine advice and marketing, reducing trust in the content.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
