A history of Beretta SO shotguns + introduction to Beretta's Shotgun of the Year
Episode description
Beretta first released their over and under shotgun design in 1933 named in the catalog as Mod. S1 Fucile da Caccia Sovrapposta. Sovrapposta is Italian for "overlapped" and refers to the barrel arrangement, think over/under or superposed. The newly released S1 featured a true sidelock design with premium specifications. Beretta immediately went head-to-head with Browning, openly criticizing their Superposed shotgun as "very high, heavy, and ugly," a chiding that would be echoed by the Italian trade for the next 70 years.
In the 90 years since, Beretta has continued to refine and expand its over-and-under models. The S models evolved into the SO models, which remain some of the finest hand-built shotguns available today. Each year, Beretta releases a "Gun of the Year" to showcase the pinnacle of the company's craftsmanship. Recently, I sat down with Travis Haglin, Beretta's Director of Premium Sales, to discuss the magnificent SO6 EELL Sparviere Marco Polo - this year's Gun of the Year and why special projects like this are important.
In this episode:
Beretta SO6 EELL Sparviere Marco Polo
Our Sponsors:
The Beretta Galleries
B&P Shotshells
Delaney & Sons
Negrini Cases
Guyette and Deeter
Cole Fine Guns and Gunsmithing