The Beretta Ultraleggero over-and-under shotgun – the Iatest and hottest new product from the oldest and most famous Italian gunmaker – represents indeed a revolution in the field of hunting shotguns, particularly those conceived specifically for fast handling and swift alignment with a moving target, be it a boar or a gaggle of geese.

Available (for now) only in 12 gauge, with a 76mm/3" chamber capable of handling the hottest Magnum shotshells like a breeze, the new Beretta Ultraleggero over-and-under shotgun owes numerous features from the earlier Beretta 690 series – but all "classic" notes in Beretta's latest creation stop here: the latest findings in materials sciences and cutting-edge engineering allowed the Italian firearms manufacturing colossus to conceive an ultra-lightweight shotgun (that's what "Ultraleggero" means in Italian, by the way) built around a steel receiver while offering levels of weight formerly possible only through the use of an aluminum receiver.

The Beretta Ultraleggero shotgun is based a skeletonized version of the the Beretta 690 series receiver, featuring the same excellent locking system – a signature set of trapezoid shoulders and dual conical locking lugs – but a long series of thorough studies and field tests allowed the Italian company to essentially "carve out" all the unnecessary materials from the bottom and sides of the receiver, leaving only the exact amount of steel that guarantee reliability and resistance to continuous, intense use with any kind of shotshell, including high-pressure 3" loads.

The carved-out portions of the receiver have been fitted with special, high-strength black polymer receiver inserts, all featuring a cutting-edge floral  pattern obtained through a state-of-the-art technology that creates unique angles on surfaces, simulating the visual effect of light reflected on steel engravings. The fade-in-fade-out floral motif and the “Ultraleggero” word engraved on the inserts are visible only if the receiver is exposed to the right angle of light: a unique aesthetic feature that perfectly matches the matte black finish of the steel receiver and the glossy black hinge pins.

The Beretta Ultraleggero also features an aluminum trigger group, and a single trigger with a manual sliding selector located at the center of the safety catch: by a flick of the thumb, a hunter will now be able to decide whether to fire the first shot from the top of the bottom barrel.

Also optionally available for the Beretta Ultraleggero is an alternative double single selective trigger system – a peculiar mechanism with two single selective trigger, one firing the first barrel and then the second, the other one doing the opposite. A feature meant to save hunters time when they need to decide in a split second which barrel to fire from depending from their choke and cartridge combination.

The forend attachment system is manufactured out of aluminum, to reduce weight, and is based on the Beretta 694 forend attachment system with a redesigned shape and a new barrel hook for a smooth release; a forward-fitted release catch is separate from the mechanism and self-adjusts over time.

Both the buttstock and forend are manufactured out of oil-finished, Grade 2.5 selected walnut; the stock features an extended cavity, and is available in a 35/55 drop (for left-handed and right-handed shooters alike), as well in a B-Fast adjustable version or in the Vittoria version with a 35/45/55 drop angle.

The factory-issued Extralight recoil pad is 30% lighter than standard buttpads, yet offering superior resistant to wear, aging and elements thanks to its liquid-repellant closed-cell structure – all whilst delivering superior comfort and stability, with excellent recoil absorption features.

Last, but not least, the Beretta Ultraleggero over-and-under shotgun features Beretta's own Steelium Optima Bore HP cold hammer forged, deep-drilled and vacuum-relieved tri-alloy steel barrels, available in four length (61, 66, 71 and 76 cm – 24, 26, 28 and 30") with a double 80mm forcing cone and all capable of fitting Beretta's Optima Choke HP system chokes or the rifled Paradox OCHP chokes.

The full 6x6 top rib features anti-reflection knurled motif and a spherical steel front sight.

The result of so much tinkering with the design is right there to see and feel: depending from the barrel length, the overall weight of the Beretta UItraleggero goes from under 2,8 kilograms (6.1 lbs) to under 3 kilograms (6.6 lbs), all the while offering all the reliability, durability, performance, and long-term endurance that Beretta firearms are known for.

Should you want to know more about the special features that make the Beretta Ultraleggero so unique, the Beretta company loaded a full playlist of videos on YouTube to illustrate in detail everything that has been done to make this over-and-under hunting shotgun the marker of a new frontier in technology applied to gun manufacturing.

The Beretta Ultraleggero is already in distribution in numerous Countries; for further information concerning local availability and price, reach out to your local or national Beretta dealer.