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Joined: May 2006
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 366 |
I picked up a Luigi Franchi O/U with double triggers awhile back and finally decided to figure out what I had. I just thought there would be mounds of info on a company that's been around for 150 years. That doesn't seem to be the case. The gun predates the Italian numerical date codes that started in 1945 and I doubt there were any made during the war. So that means it was probably made in the 1930's. I can't find one bit of info or even a comparable model in any of my normal venues. Any thoughts on why there is so little info on older Franchi's ?
Lloyd Purvis - Director of Collegiate Scouting College Prospects of America cpoaohiovalley@yahoo.com
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
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Post a picture. It may be identical to a nice double trigger Franchi that I sold several years ago. It resembled an Aristocrat model as sold by Stoeger in the late forties and early to mid fifties.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2008
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http://www.franchiusa.com/history/In 1868, Franchi began manufacturing firearms in Brescia, Italy. The city was part of that nations industrial heartland. In those days, gunmakers guilds isolated themselves to keep their metalworking techniques secret. Thus began our well-established tradition of craftsmanship.
Last edited by skeettx; 09/29/17 05:25 PM.
USAF RET 1971-95
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Joined: May 2006
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Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 366 |
I have a couple of pictures if someone would be willing to post for me. However I'm more interested as to why a company that's been making guns (some very nice doubleguns) since 1868 doesn't have more info available anywhere. A "Franchi" search of our database here doesn't even give you much... Any thoughts?
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,948 Likes: 871 |
That is a gun that is much more popular in southern Europe, than here. The Aristocrat was at least as nice as the Beretta S guns of the same era, and cheaper to boot. But few sold.
Best, Ted
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,268 Likes: 346 |
This is probably the best Italian language site I've found on guns in general. http://www.earmi.it/default.htmThis is a site with a pretty complete list of proof marks: https://www.earmi.it/armi/database/Guida...0da%20fuoco.pdf I was looking for the particular fascist stamp put on guns in the Mussolini era..the "Fascio." The "Fascio" is just the old Roma "Fasce"....the bundle of sticks with an ax in the middle symbolizing authority and judicial legality adopted and used by many countries including the USA (used to be on the back of dimes). I've not found it on a gun but here is what it looks like. ![](https://s20.postimg.org/efehswyal/fasce1.png) ![](https://s20.postimg.org/8fqqp9di5/fasce2.png) ![](https://s20.postimg.org/lxxn1jpnh/Fasce3.png) Searching for "PUNZONATURE SULLE ARMI" - stamps on arms - hasn't turned the "Fascio" up. Maybe someone has a 1930's Beretta or some other Italian gun with this stamp... It would be interesting to see it.
Last edited by Argo44; 09/30/17 08:20 PM.
Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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Joined: Feb 2016
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,268 Likes: 346 |
Ironman, I haven't spoken Italian in a number of years (except with my brother-in-law who is Italian) and so have enjoyed searching Italian sites for info on Luigi Franchi. There just isn't much there. Two Italian legendary cycle champions from the 30-50's Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi (many Tour de France and Giro d'Italia victories) owned Franchi's. But the company is now owned by Beretta. Beretta must still have the records. Why not write them a letter and ask? We'd all be interested in the response. In the meantime I'll write to brother-in-law who is from Northern Italy (but not that area) and ask what he can turn up. (Interesting, I went up to Brescia about 18 years ago to see a man about a horse...) ![](https://s20.postimg.org/5zt3tbgd9/Screen_Shot_2017-10-04_at_8.58.55_PM.png) Last Paragraph translated: "Gino Bartali and his SxS Franchi Imperial Montecarlo model was the protagaist in the play titled "The pathos of a great man and his mythical Italian hunting gun."
Last edited by Argo44; 10/04/17 10:06 PM.
Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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