In the early 70s, Beretta set out to develop a less-expensive, modern rifle that fit the NATO standard of a 5.56 chambering. So after keeping a close eye on the Colt AR-15 and then Armalite's development of the AR-18, Beretta combined attributes of both guns and created the AR 70. Beretta sold quite a few of these rifles in Indonesia and some other countries, but the gun never garnered much exposure. Despite this, it was a state-of-the-art design for its time and if found can have a hefty price tag due to the fact that they are no longer imported into the United States. For more on the Beretta AR 70 rifle, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
Even though 250 years have elapsed since the fateful first shots of the American Revolution—fired on April 19, 1775—there are still pieces of evidence remaining from the day’s fighting.
In 1971, Harrington & Richardson chose to celebrate its 100th anniversary—along with the company’s heritage of building firearms for the U.S. military—by recreating “America’s first general-issue, breechloading rifle.”
While the U.S. military is actively looking into drone defense solutions, companies such as Beretta Defense Solutions and Benelli Defense have improved the old fashioned shotgun to effectively stop inbound threats.