BE.S.T. (Benelli Surface Treatment)
BE.S.T. (Benelli Surface Treatment) is a new proprietary finishing technology developed by engineers and scientists at Benelli’s manufacturing headquarters in Urbino Italy. Spending more than a decade developing BE.S.T., this coating provides corrosion and abrasion resistance that is superior to any other firearm finish on the market.
It is a hybrid Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technology that applies a protective coating to parts. PVD and PECVD processes utilize electricity, radio frequencies, and plasma in a high vacuum environment to deposit a solid coating that precisely and uniformly covers the treated parts.
While these technologies have been used in many industries for some time, applying them to a shotgun barrels had never been practical until Benelli’s breakthrough. Typical deposition processes operate at high temperatures. Treating a shotgun barrel in such an environment would ruin the ballistic properties of the barrel and weaken the strength of the barrel extension. Benelli’s engineers created a process that completes the process at low temperature, maintaining the perfect ballistics of our Crio-treated barrels and the heat-treated strength of the barrel extension.
Currently available in 2020 on select Super Black Eagle 3 and ETHOS models, and 2021 ETHOS Cordoba BE.S.T.
Diamond-like carbon particles are applied using nanotechnology, resulting in an exceptionally hard surface that is difficult to scratch, and won’t ever rust or corrode. The graphitic components of the coating layer also greatly reduce the amount of oil and maintenance required.
Parts treated with BE.S.T have been tested by immersing them in saltwater for months with no signs of rust or corrosion. Shown here is a competitor's barrel showing the damage from 48 hours of saltwater exposure. A Benelli's BE.S.T.-treated barrel with no sign of rust or corrosion after 3 months of saltwater exposure.
Areas treated with BE.S.T.:
Barrel
Barrel Extension
Bolt
Bolt Handle
Extended Choke
Safety
Stud
Trigger
Trigger Pin
Benelli developed this chemical makeup and made modifications to machinery to apply the new BE.S.T. coating at low temperatures in order to make it usable on shotguns. As an added bonus, Benelli's new process produces no emissions or waste, poses no health or safety risks to operators, and is environmentally friendly.
Confident the treatment is impervious to the elements, Benelli is backing parts treated in BE.S.T. with a 25-year warranty.
