Only 500 Made: The 828 S LE Pays Tribute to Beretta

The new Benelli 828 S LE was conceived to commemorate Beretta’s 500th anniversary with a production run of just 500 guns, according to the presentation published by all4shooters/all4hunters. The publication describes an over-and-under that uses the two brands’ shared history as a mark of exclusivity, with decoration inspired by the Renaissance in Urbino.

There is, however, a discrepancy that must be clarified before publication. The Spanish website of Benelli currently shows an 828 S A.I. Limited Edition restricted to 350 guns, featuring scenes of ducks, pheasants and quail. That listing does not match the 500-gun edition with Renaissance motifs presented by the specialist publication, suggesting that these are two different configurations with very similar names.

A shotgun turned into a brand narrative

What makes the project distinctive is that this edition bears the name not of Beretta but of Benelli, another company within the same group. The initiative presents Beretta’s historical continuity and the Urbino manufacturer’s technological approach as two complementary expressions of the Italian gunmaking industry.

According to all4shooters, the receiver decoration reproduces motifs associated with the Ducal Palace of Urbino. These include rosettes taken from the third loggia of the Torricini façade and grotesques inspired by ornaments commissioned in 1526 for the duchess’s apartments. The underside also features the three-arrow emblem associated with Beretta. These details make the gun a commemorative piece rather than merely another finish variant.

The mechanics of the 828 family

Beneath the ornamental work lies the architecture of the Benelli 828. The publication notes the presence of the Lock Plate action, based on a steel plate that contains pressure within the assembly formed by the monobloc and the plate itself. This solution relieves the receiver of that structural role, one of the features that set the 828 apart from more conventionally built over-and-unders.

The edition would also feature the Benelli Advanced Impact barrel and choke system. The manufacturer presents this technology as an integrated system designed to alter the internal geometry and improve shot-pattern performance. These claims come from Benelli and should be understood as the manufacturer’s commercial specifications, not as the results of an independent test of this commemorative gun.

The publication also attributes a carbon-fibre rib, walnut stock, Perfect Fit adjustment and the Progressive Comfort progressive recoil-absorption system to the model. However, the absence of an unambiguous official specification sheet for the 500-gun version currently makes it impossible to confirm its gauge, barrel lengths, weight and commercial configurations without risking confusion with those of the 350-gun limited series.

An exclusive edition awaiting price and distribution details

More than a mechanical innovation, the 828 S LE is a branding and collectors’ project: a numbered production run linking Beretta’s five centuries of history with Urbino’s industrial and artistic identity. The figure of 500 guns reinforces that approach, although essential details are still missing for assessing its commercial reach.

Neither the price nor market allocations could be verified from the sources consulted. It also remains to be confirmed whether any guns will be allocated to Spain and under what name they will be offered. Until Benelli clarifies the relationship between the two limited editions, the specific features of this commemorative model should be treated as provisional information attributed to the specialist publication.