Beretta Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio, the lightest over-under hunting shotgun
Beretta debuts the Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio over-under shotgun, featuring a lightened steel receiver with alloy side plates: a reliable featherweight hunting companion that accepts no compromise
Beretta Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio, the lightest over-under hunting shotgun
Officially announced by Beretta on March 23, the new Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio shotgun brings the Italian company's highly regarded line of over-under hunting guns to a new and higher level of aesthetics and practicality.
Available in 12-gauge and 20-gauge variants, Beretta's new Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio over-under shotgun is built around a standard steel receiver, with trapezoidal shoulders and a double tapered locking system, has been hollowed out on the sides and bottom, retaining only the amount of steel required to deliver the smooth and consistently reliable performance of Beretta magnum-chambered over-and-under shotguns.
The void left by the shaved-off material has been topped with two finely manufactured aluminum side plates; as a result, the Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio shotgun weighs in at barely 2,75 kilograms / 6.06 lbs (20g) or 2,95 kilograms / 6.5 lbs (12g) when empty. That's an average "weight loss" of approximately 400 grams (14.1 oz) compared to the vast majority of over-under hunting shotguns built on a steel receiver, including Beretta's own 609 series.
Beretta Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio over-under hunting shotgun – right side
The unequivocally Italian aesthetics of the new Beretta shotgun are enhanced by a floral-themed laser engraving on both sides of the steel receiver, which is also finished in Nistan – a tin/nickel-based electroless plating – that looks exactly like chrome-plating but offers a higher level of protection against scratches and corrosion while at the same time being easier to maintain and more uniform on all surfaces.
The aluminum plates are instead nickel-plated and hand-polished, and feature hunting-based laser engravings on both sides – a pheasant on the right side, a woodcock on the left – to pay homage to the passions of upland hunters.
The Beretta Ultraleggero Silver Aluminum shotgun comes with a single, very crisp selective trigger. The barrel selector is embedded on the top tang sliding safety lever, right behind the break-open lever.
Daniele Piva, Beretta's vice-president for Business commercial market operations, said:
Beretta's technological resources made the Ultraleggero the most innovative concept in an over-under shotgun over the past few years. We're dedicated to continue to invest on this platform and all its future evolutions, both in terms of aesthetics and function. The Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio reprises the modern look of the Ultraleggero design and brings it closer to the more traditionally-hearted hunters, allowing them to enjoy the featherweight, ballistics, and balancement features of this fine shotgun.
Other features of the Beretta Ultraleggero Silver Alluminio over-under shotgun include a set of Beretta's own blued, Steelium technology barrels with a 76 mm / 3" chamber, all compatible with the Beretta OptimaChoke HP choke system. Both 12-gauge and 20-gauge versions are available with 61 cm / 24", 66 cm / 26" and 71 cm / 28" barrels.
Additionally, the 12-gauge variant is also available with extended 76 cm / 30" barrels. All barrels come without side ribs and feature a double 80 mm forcing cone and a bead front sight.
The stock and handguard are both manufactured out of selected Class 2.5, oil-finished walnut. The buttstock features Beretta's own, Extralight recoil pad and carefully engineered internal lightening cuts, designed to preserve perfect balance with the other lightweight shotgun components; the crosspiece system and trigger guard, manufactured out of aluminum for the 12-gauge version and steel for the 20-gauge version, further help reduce overall weight.
For all information concerning local availability and pricing, visit the official Beretta website.
