PRESS RELEASE
GARDONE VAL TROMPIA, Italy — In the year of its 500th anniversary, Beretta continues to surprise and redefine the boundaries of fine gunmaking with the unveiling of its next unique commemorative creation: a pair of side-by-side shotguns inspired by the perpetual motion of nature’s purest and most ever-changing elemental force, water. The 1526 Parallelo are inspired by the fluid elegance of the 486 by Marc Newson and refined through the technical excellence of the Beretta SO10. This unique pair of 12-gauge side-by-sides blends traditional sidelock mechanism with a design that evokes the movement of water: seamless, reflective, alive.
Franco Gussalli Beretta, President & CEO of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A., has declared: “The Beretta 486 by Marc Newson has represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to partner with one of the most influential industrial designers in the world. He came from outside the firearm world and contaminated us with its contemporary yet iconic work. For this one-off pair, we didn’t want to lose the groundbreaking design and seamless lines of his side-by-side - but at the same time we wanted to make a tribute to the timeless charm of the traditional long sideplates in a sidelock action. The result is something…never seen before.”
For the first time in fine gunmaking, the fleeting movement of liquid has been captured and immortalized in steel. At the heart of the receiver, the golden 500-year anniversary logo becomes the source of a series of flowing waves that ripple across the surface before dissolving into a flawless mirror-polished finish, symbolizing five centuries of continuity, evolution and transformation.
The apparent simplicity of the 1526 Parallelo pair conceals extraordinary complexity, where purity of form, precision machining, and flawless execution leave no room for error.
Emanuele Cecchel, PB Selection Platform Manager, explained: “The development of 1526 Parallelo demanded a complete re-engineering of Marc Newson’s iconic side-by-side action to accommodate a true sidelock mechanism while preserving its distinctive, streamlined profile and achieving the slimmest possible cross-section. Leveraging state-of-the-art machining technologies, we managed to eliminate the traditional hinge pins and lower plate, creating a seamless round-body receiver and leaving a blank canvas for an unprecedented design.”
The pursuit of a perfectly seamless round-body profile extended to every component of the action. Marco Martelli, Head of Design at Beretta, said: “The trigger guard, trigger, monoblock sleeve, and opening lever were all refined to eliminate visual interruptions and reinforce the flowing architecture of the action. Inspired by the elegant palmette of the SO10, the opening lever completes the design with a distinctive detail that seamlessly combines technical function and aesthetic refinement.”
Crafted from selected grade 5 walnut, the matching stocks of the 1526 Parallelo shotguns are meticulously refined to meet the exacting PB Selection standard of a maximum weight difference of just one gram within the pair. Enhanced by over 80 hand-applied layers of Tru-Oil finish to reveal the wood’s natural figure and warmth, the walnut creates a striking contrast with the mirror-polished surface of receiver and barrels, achieved through countless hours of hand work by Italian master gunsmiths.
Sharing her excitement for these exceptional creations, Irene Ferlito, PB Selection Product Manager, commented: “1526 Parallelo is not a tribute - it is a new platform, a bold statement of innovation and timeless beauty. To house this unique pair, a bespoke lacquered wood motor case was crafted and adorned with laser-engraved wave motifs around the handle and integrated DLC-coated locks. Its French-fitted interior, lined in black Alcantara by the Pietro Beretta Selection Gun Case Atelier, showcases the shotguns with understated sophistication, transforming storage into a ritual and ownership into an expression of refined taste.”
Founded in 1526 in Gardone Val Trompia (Italy) by the Beretta Family, who has now been leading the company for 15 generations, Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. is an international manufacturer of commercial firearms, military weapons and products designed for outdoor sports such as hunting, competition, and tactical shooting. Beretta operates in the world to support outdoors lovers, defense and law enforcement officers, providing them with a complete ecosystem (firearms, clothing, accessories and services) and featuring the most modern technologies, assembly lines, quality control and local highly qualified workers, who hand down the Italian tradition of gun-smithing since the Renaissance. All this represents an irreplaceable asset to achieve the degree of accuracy and quality that made Beretta a world-renowned brand.
With more than 50 global subsidiaries, Beretta Holding Group stands as a world-renowned leader with a distinguished reputation in the fields of hunting, sports shooting, and defense & law enforcement sectors thanks to its wide selection of premium products.