Hospitality_Recreation

BerettaImperialMontecarlo

BERETTA IMPERIALE MONTECARLO ($106,800)The Beretta Imperiale Montecarlo side-by-side shotgun is an example of what can be achieved when no limit is placed on the gunmaker’s and engraver’s virtuosity: the result is much more than a work of art--it is nothing less than a part of gunmaking history. For this reason, the Imperiale Montecarlo is the absolute top of Beretta’s line, and it is crafted in very small quantities for the world’s most exclusive clientele. To the outside, it features a superior-quality rebounding-hammer sidelock action, with hundreds of hours of engraving by top artists who carry a living tradition going back to the time of Dante and Petrarch. To the inside, it works like a custom-made watch, with every part lovingly fitted by hand by artisans who boast centuries-old father-son generations of Northern Italian gunmakers. In short, owning an Imperiale Montecarlo is like owning the modern equivalent of an original big-name Renaissance sculpture.

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In this Dec. 11, 2010 photo, John Paul, center, dressed as an elf and Michael Smallwood, in a Santa Claus outfit, ride the E train in New York. Paul and Smallwood were participants in SantaCon, an annual holiday pub crawl during which participants dress up as Santa Claus or wear Christmas-themed clothing. As thousands of Santa-suited merrymakers prepare to hit the city's streets and bars Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, organizers say they're taking steps to deter naughty behavior. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer/ File)