“Firing two large-mag Berettas at once will lower accuracy and increase load times. On the bright side, you'll get to fire two large-mag Berettas at once.” ― Official description
Dual Berettas, formerly known as .40 Dual Elites, are an iconic weapon in the world of Counter-Strike. These pistols were exclusive to the Terrorist faction until the release of Global Offensive, after which they began to be used by both sides of the conflict. Until this point, Counter-Terrorists preferred the Five-seveN pistol.
Review
A detailed review reveals that Dual Berettas belong to the family of 9x19mm semi-automatic pistols manufactured by the Italian company Beretta. In particular, the US Army adopted the Model 92FS under the name Beretta M9. The .40 Dual Elites in Counter-Strike, Condition Zero, and Source were introduced as Beretta 92G Elite II pistols, with mention of being partially based on the Beretta 96 series using the .40 S&W cartridge. Global Offensive Dual Berettas feature stainless steel Beretta M9A1 pistols with wood grips.
On the battlefield, these pistols demonstrate moderate power. They always appear in pairs, one in each hand, and before the release of Global Offensive they were exclusively available to terrorists. Now both sides can use them. The price of Dual Berettas in Global Offensive has been reduced to $300, compared to $800 in previous games in the series, which previously made them the most expensive pistol.
These pistols are distinguished by their high rate of fire, large magazine and ammo capacity. Despite their name, they are adapted to use 9x19mm cartridges. Their damage is not the highest, but it is slightly better than standard pistols, usually requiring one less shot to kill an enemy with a body hit. Due to their light weight, low recoil and Global Offensive spread, Dual Berettas are especially effective for shooting on the move. They perform best in Source due to their increased damage.
The main disadvantage of these pistols is their low accuracy and significant damage reduction at long ranges, which limits their use to brief skirmishes. The long reload process also contributes to the balance given their magazine capacity.
Bots in Global Offensive will sometimes resort to purchasing these pistols, while in Source they will often choose Dual Berettas, especially if limited to pistols only. In earlier versions of the game, terrorist bots were sometimes limited to using Dual Berettas unless they were allowed to carry other weapons. In Condition Zero eqstale bots prefer to fire in bursts, aiming for the head. With increased recoil, they can aim higher than the target. Thus, their effectiveness comes down to the first few shots.
Interesting Facts
In the arsenal of Counter-Strike 1.6, Condition Zero and Source, the rate of fire from Double Berettas knows no restrictions. Players who have honed their skills can achieve fire rates as fast as the K&M SMG. One of the tricks is to configure the shooting key to the mouse wheel or other button through the developer console, which allows you to increase the rate of fire, although at the expense of accuracy.
In short-range fights, aim to hit the enemy's head. If accurate headshots are difficult, don't be afraid to use the Twin Berettas to unleash a barrage of fire at close range. Their advantage here is a high rate of fire and a large magazine. At medium distances, it is better to aim for the chest or stomach, since shooting to the head is complicated due to the significant spread, which can be compensated for by slowing down the rate of fire.
For long ranges, the use of Double Berettas is not recommended due to a noticeable damage reduction - by 21% every 500 units on the map in Global Offensive. In such cases, the P250 will be a better choice, capable of guaranteeing a one-shot headshot kill at long range.
Dual Berettas are great as a complement to weapons with a slow fire rate or long reload time, such as the Schmidt Scout or Leone 12 Gauge Super, providing reliable protection while the main weapon is reloading.
These pistols can assist in retreating from the enemy due to their light weight, large magazine, and good rate of fire, allowing snipers to move away from approaching opponents with a snarl.
Be careful when reloading - Twin Berettas have the longest reload time of any weapon. It's best to reload in a safe place where you're unlikely to be seen by enemies, or near allies who can cover you.
Buying Double Berettas at the start of the round for $300 in CS:GO makes them a good choice for both sides due to their high accuracy in movement and outstanding rate of fire. This makes them an excellent choice for both attack and defense, especially effective during pistol rounds, where the weapon's shortcomings in armor penetration and increased spread at range are offset by the nature of the combat.
Trivia
- The use of a pair of Beretta pistols probably found inspiration in the action cinematography of John Woo from Hong Kong. Movies like “New Tomorrow” and “Boiling” made the duo of Beretta 92 series pistols famous.
- In previous games prior to Global Offensive, the purchase menu stated that .40 Dual Elites pistols fired .40 S&W ammo, while the user interface displayed 9mm Parabellum.
- Even when switching all weapons between left and right hands, the weapon model remains the same in all games except Global Offensive, where the animations are reflected as if in a mirror.
- Pistols fire in turns: in earlier versions of the Counter-Strike series, the pistol in the right hand fired first, and in Global Offensive - in the left.
- When there is only one cartridge left in the magazine, the bolt of the empty weapon remains in the open position, emphasizing its emptiness.
- If you fire one round when only one is left, the animation shows both magazines being replaced, similar to the action of reloading after firing one round, when both magazines (one of which is full) are replaced.
- Each pistol is assumed to have a magazine capacity of 15 bullets, cost $400 (and $200 in Global Offensive) each, and each pistol has a capacity of 60 rounds of 9mm ammo.
- In games on the Source engine, where you can move models in the world, two pistols cannot be separated.
- Even though the StatTrak kill counter is located on only one of the pistols in a pair of Dual Berettas, it records kills from both guns.
- In the Global Offensive beta, the animations for Dual Berettas were taken from Source until an update added new ones.
- Some players affectionately call these pistols "Dualies".
- In Source, a player equipped with Dual Elites is shown in third person with an additional left leg holster, which is a separate model, as opposed to the integrated right leg holster.
- Dual Berettas are a rare type of weapon whose drawing process does not involve the action of “cocking” or “reloading” (moving the bolt back and forth). Instead, the player draws his pistols and pulls back the triggers. The Desert Eagle, Schmidt submachine gun, and XM1014 have similar features.
- Similar to the Nova, the pistols in Global Offensive have small inscriptions "PIETA BARDOTTA" on the sides of the pistols, which is likely a deliberate misrepresentation of the Pietro Beretta name for theavoiding copyright problems.
- Next to "PIETA BARDOTTA" is engraved "GORDON F" in honor of Gordon Freeman, the protagonist of Valve's Half-Life series.
- Prior to the March 8, 2016 Global Offensive update, the sound of Dual Berettas firing at a distance was taken from Source.
- In Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Deleted Scenes, Dual Berettas only appear in three missions created by Russell Mikim: Secret War, Building Recon and Thin Ice.
Dual Berettas in numbers
- Damage - 38
- Armor penetration - 57,5%
- Rate of fire - 500 RPM
- Accurate range (meters) - 16.93m
- Reload time - 3.77sec
- Magazine capacity 30
- Reserve ammo limit 120
- Running speed (hammer units per second) 240
- Kill award $300 (Competitive) $150 (Casual)
- Penetration power 100%
- Ammunition type 9mm caliber
- Firing mode Semi-automatic
- Can fire underwater Yes
- Other Entity weapon_elite
