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The
Barrel Construction.
All Beretta barrel-makers are in debt to the
heritage left by Bartolomeo Beretta, who by 1526
had accumulated the knowledge and developed the
criteria for barrel construction that has been
inherited by succeeding generations. Although
times and techniques may have changed, the principle
of concentrated care and attention remain constant.
The first consideration is the material used.
Many years of research and experimentation, as
well as subsequent successes in worldwide shooting
events, has confirmed Beretta's belief that Boehler
Antinit steel is the best choice for barrel gunmetal.
It is an ideal combination of flexibility, corrosion
resistance, high tensile and impact strength
-- an invaluable quality in low temperatures.
At Beretta, the insides of the barrels are as
distinctive as the external profile, permitting
in a single process the installation of a standard
universal or a Magnum chamber, a fixed choke-
or a Mobilchoke® housing - whatever
the need may be. From gun drill to blanks, internally
honed, the hammers of the rotary forging machines
cold form the tubes over the mandrel. Attention
then is focused on the extenal profile, which
is turned, ground, polished and preset for the
precise assembly of the tubes and for welding
and mounting of the ribs. The inside of the tubes
is then carefully polished to ensure perfect
ballistic performance. Finally, an alternating
process of oxidation and surface cleaning creates
the characteristic polished black finish and
ensures long-lasting protection.
Making of the Receiver and Mechanisms.
The action is the essential link in the performance
of a firearm. Its role is crucial to the precision
and quickness of the firing mechanism: and its locking system determines
the gun’s ability to
perform consistently decade after decade, generation
after generation. Creation of the action starts with a solid block of Nickel-Chromium-Molibdenum
alloy. The essential shape with all of its components is then cut by extremely
precise, state-of-the-art, computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine
tools to realize an exactness and consistency unachievable by human hands.
But once these machines have performed their work, and before the alloy
is hardened, human hands take over... because no machine can duplicate
the skill and judgement of the master gunsmith. Using file and emery cloth,
the same tools used for centuries to perform this task, the lugs and locking
system bolts are slowly, painstakingly honed to a perfect fit. The process
is repeated for the smaller lugs and hinge pins. The result is worth the
effort: the barrels and the action lock snugly, in perfect alignment,
and open again smoothly with a firm touch of
the top lever. And because of the care taken in construction,
they will continue to operate flawlessly thousands
and thousands of times, with the same precision as when the gun is new.
Next, the master gunsmith focuses his attention
on the external profile of the action. With an
expert hand and a sharp chisel, he applies himself
like a sculptor to a piece of marble, chiseling
the metal away, shaping the top mouldings, drawing
the profile, rounding the edges. And again he
switches to the finest emery cloth, this time
addressing the firing mechanism, refining, polishing,
operating it over and over and retouching again
and again, until the appropriate release quickness
is achieved. At last, the time has come for finishing
the firearm in bianco - “in the white” - before
the final heat treatment and blueing. Again with
file and emery cloth, the stock wood and action
are conformed perfectly to one another; the surfaces
are cleaned, and the mechanical parts are assembled.
The gun is now complete, functioning perfectly
and ready for the final steps. It is disassembled,
and the action, fittings and mechanical components
are subject to rigorous hardening treatments,
guaranteeing their continuous durability and
precision. Finally, the gun is carefully reassembled
and readied for its scrupulous final check and
firing test.
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