President George W. Bush Receives Beretta SO10 EELL

Beretta presented President George W. Bush with a custom-made SO10 EELL shotgun before a crowd of nearly 3,000 at the final dinner for the 38th annual Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada.

Dott. Franco Gussalli Beretta, whose family owns the nearly 500-year-old company, presented the special 20-gauge over/under to President Bush in appreciation of his leadership during his time in office as Commander in Chief and for his unflagging support of Americans' rights to keep and bear arms.

"My family and I are very proud to be able to present President Bush with this Beretta shotgun," said Mr. Beretta. "Several years ago my father gave a shotgun to President Bush's father at the Safari Club Convention; now I am honored to have the privilege to present this shotgun to the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush".

The shotgun was made exclusively by master craftsmen at the Beretta firearms factory in Gardone, Val Trompia, Italy. It is inlaid with 24-carat gold and features traditional quail hunting scenes on both sideplates. The toplever is adorned with the number "43," and the bottom of the receiver shows the Presidential Seal. President Bush's initials and an image of his dog are also engraved on the gun. More than 500 hours went into the engraving of the shotgun. The stock and forend are carved from the finest walnut.

The SO10 EELL was presented to President Bush by Mr. Beretta. A custom Italian leather gun case with handmade gun accessories as well as a Damascus-steel knife with engraving and wood matching the gun were presented to President Bush by Peter Horn, Vice President of Beretta's US retail sales corporation.

Beretta, established in 1526, is the oldest industrial dynasty in the world, tracing its roots through 16 generations of continuous family ownership. Firearms bearing the Beretta name have been sold for almost 500 years. Beretta USA Corp. was founded in 1977 and supplies the standard sidearm to the US Armed Forces. Today Beretta manufactures, distributes and markets a complete line of firearms, accessories and apparel. Beretta also owns and operates six retail Beretta Gallery stores worldwide. For additional information, visit www.berettausa.com.