After the first fifty samples of the Launch Edition were sold to a selected public back in 2021, the new Beretta SL2 12-gauge over-under shotgun has finally entered full production, starting – using the Italian company's own words – "the age of the Hypergun".

A clever mélange of Beretta's high technology and experience in trap and skeet shooting shotguns with the capable craftmanship of master gunmakers working on the Pietro Beretta Selection, the new Beretta SL2 over-and-under 12-gauge shotgun was conceived to dominate the skeet and trap shooting competitions, and will be fielded by selected shooters at the Paris Olympics in the coming summer.

Right at a glance, the Beretta SL2 over-under shotgun strikes the beholder for the streamlined, vanguard lines of the receiver, made even more ground-breaking by its fluoride-free, electrochemically-obtained Graphite Grey finish with a laser-inlaid micro-pyramid glare-proof pattern all through its surface. The William Boss-based locking system, with a locking lug fit near the hinge pin, allows the SL2 to do without locking shoulders and to feature a low-profile opening lever, for better target visibility.

The peculiar locking system also allows Beretta to enlarge the SL2's receiver and lower the gun's center of gravity, while the base of the monobloc engages in a slot carved into the base of the action; the result is a superior level of maneuverability and smoother, lower recoil.

The stock and handguard of the Beretta SL2 are manufactured out of hand-finished, hand-checkered Grade 4 walnut. The stock's lines blend seamlessly with the receiver's design, following its fluid lines to provide better visibility on clays flying on a lateral trajectory, while the handguard was completely redesigned to improve gripping in all conditions.

Just like the highly acclaimed Beretta DT11, the SL2 over-and-under shotgun features a readily removable and replaceable trigger group, with flat flat springs for a crisp and constant release. A carbon-fiber trigger group assembly is available separately as an optional replacement to the standard steel trigger.

Beretta's new SL2 over-and-under shotgun also comes with Steelium ProX barrels – "the best barrels ever realized" according to the Italian company – based on a 430 mm long, tighter triple forcing cone, followed by a tubular section and a set of newly designed 90mm OCXP chokes.

Tests show that Beretta's new Steelium ProX barrels offer higher terminal energy, a lower and more controllable recoil, tighter and more homogeneous patterns, and better performance when using shotshells with felt wads.