Tag Archives: beretta narp

Beretta Showcases Titan Concept Rifle as NARP Takes Center Stage at L’Aquila

Posted on by Leave a comment

The storied gunmaker released its one-off Titan rifle this week as the Beretta NARP platform was featured at the head of Army celebrations in Italy.

The Titan is a semiautomatic sporting rifle using a short-stroke gas piston system and chambered in 6.5 Grendel. As such, it takes cues from the company’s select-fire NARP series carbine, which has been under development since 2018.

Using an enhanced two-stage trigger for a crisp, predictable break, the Titan is a bespoke release for sure, using a titanium upper receiver, a magnesium lower receiver, a carbon‑fiber stock and forend, and a forged‑carbon pistol grip.

The Titan is unlike anything Beretta has ever released as a rifle. (Photos: Beretta)

It incorporates magnesium, titanium, and carbon fiber in its construction.

The exclusive grey camo pattern applied to the receiver subtly incorporates the date 1526, the year of the earliest verified Beretta firearms contact.

The Titan is shown with Steiner optics, including an MPS enclosed micro red dot atop a M7Xi series 2.9-20×50 riflescope.

Its custom-fitted case is built with a carbon‑fiber shell and a refined Alcantara interior.

We profiled how the iconic Italian gunmaker produces such one-of-a-kind firearms via the company’s  Pietro Beretta Custom Atelier, where dreams come true.

With semi-auto NARPs in the form of the Titan at least conceptually in existence, a production model for the U.S. market seems very possible in the coming months.

NARP marches at the head of the parade

Released in 2023, the NARP has been a hit at arms expos worldwide, and we had a chance to go loud with one on Beretta’s range in Italy in 2024. Offered in 5.56 NATO, .300 BLK, and 6.5 Grendel, a large-action 7.62 variant is also under development.

We had a chance to fire the NARP on full-auto in 2024 and found it very controllable. The mag shown is for a Beretta 93R that we were also shooting that day. Sigh. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Compare the 6.5 version of the NARP, the Praetorian, below, with the Titan in the first part of this post.

Beretta NARP Praetorian configuration 6.5 at Milol Paris

It has been short-listed for Project Grayburn, the replacement program for the British Army’s SA80 rifle, and earlier this month was seen in the hands of elite Italian Army units.

Folgore brigade paratroopers with the Beretta NARP at the 165th anniversary celebration of the Italian Army in L’Aquila in May 2026. (Photo: Italian Army)

Alpini mountain troops seen with the Beretta NARP in L’Aquila in May 2026. (Photo: Italian Army).

Beretta Defense Technologies confirmed to Jane’s Defense earlier this year that the Italian Army ordered 7,000 NARP rifles chambered in 5.56 NATO with 14.5-inch barrels.

It is believed the rifle will replace Beretta ARX-160s as part of the modernization plan of the Italian Armed Forces. Speaking of which, the same troops shown with the NARP this month were wearing the new Altimetrico F-based Mimetismo multi-terreno modello 2025 (Multi-terrain Camouflage Model 2025), camouflage pattern, which was developed by the Italian Army in collaboration with Beretta.

For comparison, check out the image below of Italian troops with the current Vegetato camo pattern and Beretta ARX-160s seen in Rome last week by Guns.com staff.

What were we doing in Italy? You will find out soon enough!

(Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Beretta out-MCXs the SIG MCX?

Posted on by Leave a comment

In London this week, Beretta took the curtain off its newest rifle design, which may look familiar.

Dubbed the NARP for “New Assault Rifle Platform” – keep in mind that “assault rifles” are real and “assault weapons” are made up here, guys – the latest Beretta debuted at the 2023 Defence & Security Equipment International show on Tuesday. Offered in three different barrel length configurations (11.5. 14.5, and 16-inch) at introduction, the 5.56 NATO platform has a layout similar to a number of popular modular short-stroke gas-piston platforms on the market, such as the CZ BREN M2, FN SCAR, HK 416, IWI Carmel, and SIG Sauer MCX and sports AR-style controls.

The new Beretta NARP has fully ambidextrous controls and can use a range of telescopic, foldable, and collapsible stocks as it is an adjustable piston gun and doesn’t have a standard AR-style recoil buffer and DI gas system. (Photos: Beretta)

Other standard features are common MIL-STD-1913, STANAG 4640, and M-LOK interfaces, meaning optics will mount, AR/M4 mags will work (it is shown with Lancer L5 AWM mags), and all those groovy accessories will fit. (Photos: Beretta)

Among the variants shown off, clad in assorted optics from Beretta-owned Steiner, are an 11.5-inch CQB-style carbine and a more standard model with a 14.5-inch barrel. Importantly, Beretta stresses that the NARP is meant to run suppressed full-time if needed and the company has also introduced the new Beretta-made B-Silent sound suppressor to use with it. (Photos: Beretta)

Beretta stresses the developmental process behind the NARP is rigorous, with the platform vetted under extreme conditions. (Photos: Beretta)

As for what this means for the company’s futuristic ARX short-stroke piston rifles and carbines, which were introduced in 2008 and later offered as semi-auto sporter variants to the commercial market, it is unclear. With so many countries opting for assorted M4-looking platforms and the ARX more or less stalled with adoption by only a handful of Mil/LE users outside of Italy, it could be that Beretta is opting to go a little more contemporary and see who bites.

Will the NARP ever appear in the U.S. as a commercial sporter variant? Our bet is probably, but probably not with that name.

If so, will fans of House Beretta buy one to go with their 92F, PX4, and 1301? That’s a sure thing.