Video: the Steelium technology of Beretta barrels
The Italian company is already preparing for the jubilee of 2026 by re-proposing content in the various media that illustrates the many aspects of its very long corporate life. The subject of this video is Steelium's proprietary technology for the manufacturing of shotgun and rifle barrels. Indeed, it should not be forgotten that the earliest document that unequivocally links the name of Beretta from Gardone Val Trompia with the firearms world is an invoice dated October 3, 1526, in which the Venice Arsenal paid "296 ducats (to) Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta of the Brescian territory of Gardone for 185 harquebus barrels."
Steelium technology in Beretta barrels
Steelium technology means that every single barrel is made using a tri-alloy steel (Ni, Cr, Mo) formulated exclusively for Beretta. Each barrel goes through deep drilling, cold hammer forging and vacuum distension to provide smoother ballistics that help reduce recoil and muzzle rise, ensuring perfect, denser and more uniform patterns with any type of ammunition: lead, steel and High-Performance steel. But it's not all about material and treatment: the barrel internal profile also plays a crucial role. In Steelium-type barrels, the 80-mm double forcing cone ensures reliability and optimum performance with all types of ammunition, especially when hunting. Steelium barrels are fitted to all rifles, tactical and dynamic shooting shotguns, and most Beretta over-and-under, side-by-side, and semi-automatic hunting shotguns.
In Steelium Plus barrels, the triple cone reaches a length of 320 mm (in 76-cm barrels), ensuring excellent performance in all shooting disciplines, including hunting. This is a technical solution adopted on the A400 Xtreme Plus semi-automatic hunting shotguns and the 690, 694 and A400 Xcel Sporting shotguns.
Finally, in the barrels defined as Steelium Pro, the length of the triple forcing cone is further extended to 450 mm (in 76-cm barrels). This internal profile is specifically designed for extreme performance sporting shotguns: it is no coincidence that Steelium Pro barrels are essential components of the most advanced and successful shooting platform ever, the DT11 and SL2 over-and-unders.
Summarized in a dynamic animation, in the video we can see the implementation and ballistics of Beretta's Steelium concept.
To learn more please visit the Beretta website page dedicated to Steelium technology.
