Beretta Celebrates Near-Perfect Olympic Success 

A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Beretta’s Olympic Medals Haul 

It’s no secret how well American trap and skeet shooters performed at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris earlier this year. Vincent Hancock won his fourth individual gold in Skeet and took Silver in the Mixed Team event, Conner Prince took the Silver Medal in Skeet and Austen Smith claimed Bronze in Women’s Skeet and Silver in the Mixed Team event. All three are members of Team Beretta. 

A fact that might be even less well-known is how many shotgun medalists were shooting shotguns made by the historic Italian manufacturer Beretta Arms. The fantastic Beretta success was not just by U.S. shooters but was a worldwide phenomenon, with Team Beretta shooters from seven countries medaling. While about 55% of Olympic shooters were using Beretta shotguns, out of the 15 medals available for shooting sports disciplines, Beretta shooters won 14 of them—far exceeding expectations. 

Party Time For Beretta Shooters—Italian Style! 

That incredible success prompted the historic firearms company to host Olympic athletes for a special celebration at the Teatro Grande in Brescia, Italy, to express gratitude and strengthen ties with the athletes. 

Franco Gussalli Beretta, president and CEO of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, was on hand to convey his appreciation for the athletes and their accomplishments. Along with Team Beretta shooters, the gala recognized Brescian medalists from several other disciplines. 

“Beretta is from Brescia, nestled between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda in the industrious Val Trompia,” Mr. Beretta said. “We’ve been here for nearly 500 years, and tonight, we celebrate sport excellence.” 

Mr. Beretta said that this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris will go down in history as one of the company’s crowning achievements. 

“2024 will be remembered as the year of our Olympic record, with 14 out of 15 medals earned,” he continued. “Every medal is special because we know the effort behind each achievement. We are proud to have helped our athletes reach such extraordinary successes and to have seen so many from Brescia shine in other disciplines—swimming, gymnastics, sailing, biathlon, kayaking, and judo. It’s been an unforgettable summer.”  

American Medalists In Italy 

On hand from the United States were the three proud American medalists—Vincent Hancock, Conner Prince, and Austen Smith—who are equally proud to be part of Team Beretta. Hancock, who won his fourth gold medal, described his Paris experience as “amazing.” 

“It's probably the best experience I've ever had because I had my family with me—my wife and my two daughters—and I had other friends and family that were there as well,”  Hancock said in an exclusive interview with Hook & Barrel. “Being able to go again, win a gold in the individual, and have a student of mine and a really good friend win silver right behind me, as well as getting another medal in the mixed team event, too, was everything that I could have asked for and probably a whole lot more.” 

Having been associated with Beretta for many years, his experience with the company has been equally amazing. 

“They've always treated me like family since I was probably 16 years old, and it's something that I can't take for granted at any point because of how amazing they've been and how much they've been willing to work with me over the years,” he said. “To be able to be there and represent them on the Olympic stage, on the world stage, is an honor, and one that I don't take lightly by any means.” 

For Conner Prince, the Paris Olympic Games were an emotional roller coaster, yet he still enjoyed every minute of the competition. 

“The Paris experience was unbelievable,” he said. “You've got the stressful part of the actual competition, but you've also got the excitement of it. So, you’ve kind of got every single emotion you could think of all in a matter of a couple weeks while you're there. It truly was an incredible experience, and I hope it's not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But if it was, it was quite amazing.” 

The trip to Italy for the gala and surrounding events was equally exciting for Prince, a proud member of Team Beretta. 

“They treated us fantastic while we were there,” he said. “When we went to the hall of fame it was a surreal experience seeing my face in that hall of fame. It was super cool to see a bunch of shooting legends on that wall, and the fact that I'm on that wall now is pretty incredible, and it's hard to explain the feeling. 

“We as athletes wouldn't be able to do what we're doing if we didn't have a good shotgun like Beretta. So, we're very grateful for them, and they're obviously grateful for us.” 

New Beretta Pyramide DT11 Shotgun Unveiled 

Not content to only honor athletes at the event, the storied company also unveiled the DT11 Pyramide, a one-of-kind shotgun design to commemorate the success of Paris 2024. Built on the DT11 platform, it integrates advanced technology, including Steelium Pro barrels and a highly balanced design. The DT11 Pyramide is a cutting-edge shotgun that the company expects will play an important role in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.  

In the end, Carlo Ferlito, Beretta’s CEO and general manager, put the Olympic success, along with the celebration, into perspective quite well. 

“In sport, no one is perfect,” he said. “This mirrors life itself. In Paris, we came close to perfection, and here tonight, we celebrate athletes who have tasted both victory and defeat. We are immensely proud of our athletes. Shooting exemplifies fair competition, teamwork, and precision—values we embrace at Beretta. Sport is a powerful force for global growth, inspiring generations and promoting excellence.”