At Pro Gun Vegas ahead of SHOT Show 2025 in Nevada this past January, Aridus Industries quietly dropped what might be the most exciting upgrade for Beretta Model 1301 owners in years. At a special Beretta-hosted range event, Shooting Sports USA Editor-in-Chief John Parker caught up with Aridus Industries founder and owner Adam Roth for a closer look at the new-for-2025 Imperium handguard—a sleek, all-aluminum, American-made marvel that’s as much about function as it is about form. Watch the video above or on YouTube.
This rigid, lightweight handguard features dual M-LOK slot banks on both sides and installs in seconds. The Imperium’s minimalist design conceals a clever engineering solution: a friction-fit, front-and-rear collar system that locks the handguard in place without screws. The front collar includes a custom detent and spring modeled after Beretta’s factory components, ensuring that tube extensions and end caps stay secure under recoil.
Designed with generous barrel clearance, the Imperium handguard doubles as a heat shield during high-volume shooting. Aridus’s proprietary CNC machining process creates a built-in, high-traction texture, eliminating the need for grip panels and setting a high bar for control in tactical shotgun accessories.
When shooting the Beretta 1301 Tactical equipped with the Imperium handguard, the difference is immediately noticeable. The grip texture strikes a solid balance—grippy enough to enhance control, but not so aggressive that it feels overdone. During an extended shooting session, the handguard kept barrel heat at bay, which is especially helpful for fast-paced reloading. Every element feels deliberate, engineered for those who value quality products.
Some background: before the Imperium, Aridus Industries made waves with a clever workaround that won over Beretta 1301 fans: a hardware adapter kit that let shooters mount the Magpul Zhukov handguard—originally designed for AK-pattern rifles—onto their shotguns. It was a creative leap that gave users more modularity than the factory fore-end ever could. But while the Zhukov mashup was a hit, it wasn’t perfect. That experience sparked a bigger idea: what if Aridus built something from the ground up, tailored specifically for the Beretta 1301? Enter the Imperium—a purpose-built evolution born from experimentation, feedback and plenty of range time.
A Handguard With Momentum
The Imperium isn’t just another bolt-on accessory. Crafted from 6061 aluminum and finished with a Type 3 hard coat anodizing, the handguard wraps the 1301 Tactical in a full 360-degree heat shield. It weighs only 12½ ounces, has a low profile and is built to endure the kind of abuse that a 12-gauge scattergun can dish out.
But what really sets the Imperium handguard apart? The patent-pending milled-in texture—a tactile surface that eliminates the slick feel of traditional handguards. Roth calls it the “secret sauce,” and after watching him run the gun on the range, it’s clear this isn’t marketing fluff. The grip is aggressive without being abrasive, offering unprecedented recoil control and handling confidence, whether you’re shooting in rain or wearing gloves.
M-LOK slots at the three o’clock and nine o’clock positions provide ample real estate for mounting accessories like lights, slings or shell caddies. It’s a modular platform designed for shooters who demand flexibility without compromise.
Currently, the Imperium handguard is only compatible with the Beretta Model 1301 Tactical. It won’t fit Competition models due to its ultra-low profile, and it’s not yet available for the A300 series—though Roth mentioned that a dedicated Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Tactical shotgun version is in the works.
With an MSRP of $300, the Imperium isn’t cheap—but it’s not trying to be. It’s a premium upgrade for serious Beretta 1301 fans who demand performance, durability and innovation. And like everything Aridus Industries makes, it’s made in the United States.
If the Beretta Model 1301 Tactical is your go-to shotgun, the Imperium handguard from Aridus Industries might just be your next essential upgrade.
