Recently, G&G was invited to the rollout of Beretta’s newest offering, the DT-11, at the Ten Mile River Preserve and Dover Furnace Shooting Grounds in Dutchess County, N.Y. And in no time the hospitality, sun, and shotgun barrels all heated up to an extremely Southern-like warmth.

The DT-11 is a high-end competition over/under that promises to build upon its predecessor’s—the famed DT-10—and Beretta’s Olympic gold legacy. According to Beretta USA Shooting Team member and South Carolinian Will Fennell, “the DT-11 basically has all of the core features of the DT-10 with the addition of the longer forcing cone and a wider receiver to allow flexibility in changing balance points.” And it is in the forcing cone and reconfigured receiver that Beretta proves although it is planet Earth’s longest continually operating company—they’ve been making firearms for nearly 500 years—that their approach to gun design is anything but Old World.

When the DT-10 was introduced in 1999, combining the best of the company’s ASE and Model 682 shotguns and moving them forward with a detachable trigger assembly and a few other key features, at the time the shotgun boasted the longest forcing cone in the industry at 4½ inches. The forcing cone is the transition area between the diameter of the chamber to that of the barrel; prevailing theory being that the longer and more gradual the taper, the more steady the rate of shot constriction thereby producing better patterns, less felt recoil and improved velocities.

Utilizing a 22-step process that includes deep drilling, cold hammer forging and vacuum distension necessary to creating their Steelium Pro barrels, Beretta has achieved in the DT-11 a forcing cone that runs nearly the full length of those barrels.

“In a thirty-inch barrel, the cone would be about twenty-six inches,” says Fennell. Because the taper is continuous and not stepped like most lengthened forcing cones, the DT-11 allows for smoother pellet travel and fewer flyers once the shot exits the choke.

As for the wider receiver, the increase in sidewall thickness allows the shotgun to maintain a low, sleek overall profile while adding stability and improved balance in the hand when swinging on a target. Other cutting-edge features include the easily removable trigger group, which allows switching to a new trigger in a matter of seconds, and an improved safety switch design for better grip and operation. The gun comes with three cross bolts, which can be easily replaced to improve lock-up as the shotgun undergoes thousands of rounds of shooting. The DT-11 will come in three models—sporting, skeet and trap. It will also be available with the fully adjustable B-Fast stock, which allows for instant drop and cast adjustments.

For all of its technological features, the DT-11 remains a display-worthy over/under with classic lines and a design as fine as it shoots. The stock of fine Turkish walnut boasts a hand-rubbed gorgeous jeweled satin, no-glare finish, while the receiver marries contrasting mat sidewalls with mirror-polished ribbon border surfaces for a true stamp of elegance. A blue engraved swirl and the DT-11 logo provide a refined accent to the silvery finish. These guns are all handmade with only 15 rolling out of production each day compared to the 1,500 guns the company produces on a daily average.

The first DT-11s are rolling out now with price points beginning at around $8,000.