SPORTING CLASSICS MAGAZINE HONORS BERETTA'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SHOOTING SPORTS WITH AN AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

ACCOKEEK, MD — February 27, 2006 —Beretta has been awarded the prestigious Award of Excellence in the Shooting Sports for 2005 from the editors and writers of Sporting Classics magazine. The annual awards, to those who contributed most to the quality of the sportsman’s outdoor experience, appear in the publication’s March/April 2006 issue.

Sporting Classics Senior Editor Ron Spomer presented Beretta’s Director of Consumer Marketing and Communication, Matteo Recanatini, with an engraved crystal signifying the honor at the Shot Show in Las Vegas this February.

“To most Sporting Classics readers, the winners of our 2005 Awards of Excellence will all be familiar names. After all, they were selected because of the contributions they make to the quality of our outdoor experience. These artists, craftsmen, manufacturers and others who share our love of the outdoors continue to do their level best to provide everything we need to pursue our passions,” reads the publication’s introduction to the 2005 awards.

“Beretta is proud to receive this award from such an influential publication in the sporting world,” said. “A devotion to performance, precision and the finest craftsmanship imaginable in our firearms has been Beretta’s passion for nearly 500 years. We are furthering that passion today by developing a comprehensive line of products that meets the individual needs of different types of outdoor enthusiasts.”

In honoring Beretta, Sporting Classic cited the company as “ one of the most recognized names in quality firearms.” The March/April issue goes on to state:

After fifteen generations of Berettas, the family-owned company is still going strong. Today, under the leadership of Ugo and his sons Franco and Pietro, Beretta is combining its unprecedented tenure of experience with the latest technologies. Beretta now produces about 1500 pieces per day including over-and-under and side-by-side shotguns, autoloaders and pump actions, express double rifles, semiautomatic pistols and assault rifles. Over 95% of Beretta firearms are used for shooting sports with nearly 100 countries importing them. A little over a decade ago, Beretta added a complete range of accessories and apparel for hunting, clay shooting and other outdoor sports. In 1995, Beretta opened the first Beretta Gallery in New York and quickly followed its success with stores in Dallas, Buenos Aires, Paris and Milan. Dedicated work, ingenuity and traditional craftsmanship, combined with ongoing research, technology and state of the art manufacturing methods, continue to foster Beretta’s worldwide fame.

For 25 years, Sporting Classics has been the publication of choice for sportsmen and women who seek the best in hunting, fishing, wildlife art and collectibles. This is the sixth year that Sporting Classics has given out the Awards of Excellence.