Beretta APX Falco: a "One-Off" pistol, with built-in red dot sight
Beretta and Burris showcased the APX Falco pistol, a one-off masterpiece entirely machined out of steel and featuring a micro red dot sight built in directly on the slide to celebrate Beretta's 500th anniversary
![Beretta APX Falco one-off pistol, with built-in red dot sight](https://gunsweek.com/sites/default/files/archive/contents/pistols/news/beretta-apx-falco/Beretta-APX-Falco-2.jpg "Beretta APX Falco: a "One-Off" pistol, with built-in red dot sight")
Beretta APX Falco one-off pistol, with built-in red dot sight
Showcased at the beginning of November by Beretta and Burris – trusted US optics brand that has been part of the Beretta Holding since 2002 – the Beretta APX Falco ("Hawk") semi-automatic pistol is but the latest of the many one-off commemorative models created in 2026 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta in the Italian city of Gardone Val Trompia – to this day, the world's oldest gunmaker still in operation.
Conceived both as a bold statement of innovation and as a glimpse into the future of handgun technology, created as an ambitious engineering and manufacturing challenge, the Beretta APX Falco introduces an unprecedented solution: a pistol featuring a slide machined entirely from solid steel billet, with a fully integrated red-dot optic machined from that same solid block of metal.
The seamless, single-piece integration of slide and optic marks a turning point in the design of handguns and their dedicated optics. This now-patented innovation incorporates advanced solutions in miniaturization, isolation, and battery optimization, making Beretta and Burris the first – and, to date, only – companies to possess and master this technology.
Where precision meets groundbreaking design, the APX Falco combines state-of-the-art machining technology with exceptional aesthetics.
The result eliminates many of the compromises associated with conventional slide-mounted red-dot sights: the optics seat lower, resulting in greater long-term stability, more accurate alignment, and reliable zero retention over time.
Beretta APX Falco one-off pistol – right side
Beretta APX Falco one-off pistol – left side
At the heart of the Beretta APX Falco pistol is a robust, skeletonized steel frame, enhanced by a premium Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) finish.
Moving away from the polymer frame typical of the APX pistol design in favor of a steel construction required a complete redesign and re-engineering of weight distribution and balance, resulting in improved ergonomics, stability, and accuracy.
An integrated beveled magwell funnel – precision-machined from the same steel billet the frame is carved out of – further enhances performance by allowing faster reloads.
The key signature features of the beautiful APX Falco one-off pistol built by Beretta and Burris for Beretta's 500th anniversary
The Beretta APX Falco features numerous advanced engineering solutions to deliver enhanced accuracy, stability, and trigger performance. Its lightened slide, featuring compensating ports, works in conjunction with an integrated muzzle brake to ensure a faster operating cycle and improved recoil control.
The shorter, pre-tensioned barrel increases rigidity and reduces vibration, improving point-of-impact stability. Meanwhile, the refined trigger group hosted in an integrated chassis guarantees a short and smooth trigger pull and a crisp, clean break.
The slide of the Beretta APX Falco pistol translates the dynamics of a flying hawk into sleek, tapered lines that evoke both the flow of air and the trajectory of a bullet.
Equally striking from an aesthetic standpoint is the grip, whose laser-engraved pattern reproduces the shape of a falcon's head. The magazine release button becomes the bird's eye, creating a distinctive feather motif that extends across both the grip and the slide.
Hand-engraved details, highlighted by shining gold inlays, trace the path of the Eternal Spark – the symbol celebrating Beretta's 500th anniversary and a passion sustained by craftsmanship and relentless innovation.
The Beretta APX Falco is paired with a black presentation case that echoes the pistol's sleek, flowing lines.
Machined from a single block of aluminum, the case features a custom-fitted black Alcantara interior, hand-made by the expert craftsmen from the Pietro Beretta Atelier in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy.
The presentation case embodies the dual spirit that has always defined Beretta: the relentless pursuit of innovation and the celebration of traditional craftsmanship. Both are brought together under the gold Beretta 500 Years logo, displayed on the exterior and interior of the case.
Like all other one-off creations unveiled this year to mark the company's 500th anniversary, the Beretta APX Falco is a one-of-a-kind firearm, manufactured as a single pistol and not intended for commercial sales.
Far from representing a mere exercise in style, however, this unique creation – like the other one-off pieces showcased this year – also serves as a testbed for advanced, groundbreaking and hitherto unexplored engineering and manufacturing solutions that could eventually become the new standard for firearms produced and marketed by the Beretta Holding.
In other words, today's stunning One-Off creations could well represent the foundation upon which the Beretta firearms of tomorrow will be forged.
For further information, visit the official Beretta website.
