Beretta is celebrating its 500th anniversary with one of the most unusual versions of the 92FS it has ever produced: the 92FS Ducato.
The name and production number come directly from Beretta's history. On October 3, 1526, Bartolomeo Beretta received a payment of 296 Venetian ducats for 185 arquebus barrels. That surviving transaction is the earliest known documentation of the Beretta business. Exactly 296 Ducato pistols are being produced to commemorate it.
Mechanically, it's still a hammer-fired, DA/SA 9mm Beretta 92FS with a 4.9-inch barrel, but the anniversary treatment is considerably different. The Ducato uses a steel frame with a DLC finish, gold anniversary details and an individually numbered serial number.
The grips are made from fossilized Abonos oak estimated to be between 2,000 and 5,000 years old, recovered from sediments of the Sava River between Slovenia and Serbia. Gold inserts in the grips reproduce the front and back of the Venetian ducat that inspired the pistol.
Each pistol comes in a handcrafted presentation case containing something particularly unusual: an authentic 16th-century Venetian ducat. The package also includes documentation certifying the coin and the provenance of the ancient oak used for the grips.
Only 296 examples will exist worldwide, and the U.S. listed price is $13,999. This one is clearly aimed at collectors rather than being another variation of the 92FS intended for everyday use.
296 pistols to represent the 296 ducats that started the documented Beretta story 500 years ago is a fitting way to mark the anniversary.
The name and production number come directly from Beretta's history. On October 3, 1526, Bartolomeo Beretta received a payment of 296 Venetian ducats for 185 arquebus barrels. That surviving transaction is the earliest known documentation of the Beretta business. Exactly 296 Ducato pistols are being produced to commemorate it.
Mechanically, it's still a hammer-fired, DA/SA 9mm Beretta 92FS with a 4.9-inch barrel, but the anniversary treatment is considerably different. The Ducato uses a steel frame with a DLC finish, gold anniversary details and an individually numbered serial number.
The grips are made from fossilized Abonos oak estimated to be between 2,000 and 5,000 years old, recovered from sediments of the Sava River between Slovenia and Serbia. Gold inserts in the grips reproduce the front and back of the Venetian ducat that inspired the pistol.
Each pistol comes in a handcrafted presentation case containing something particularly unusual: an authentic 16th-century Venetian ducat. The package also includes documentation certifying the coin and the provenance of the ancient oak used for the grips.
Only 296 examples will exist worldwide, and the U.S. listed price is $13,999. This one is clearly aimed at collectors rather than being another variation of the 92FS intended for everyday use.
296 pistols to represent the 296 ducats that started the documented Beretta story 500 years ago is a fitting way to mark the anniversary.