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Forums10
Topics39,490
Posts562,005
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,571 Likes: 165
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,571 Likes: 165 |
Given the Dea's price point, I wouldn't have expected them to have flooded the market. Talking new guns, someone asks about a CZ or a Dickinson, they'll likely get quite a few responses.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 648
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 648 |
I think Faustis being sold at Walmart more or less ruined the name in this country. They were cheap, ugly, and the name was plastered all over the gun. Hard to spend 3 to 7k on a gun with that kind of brand damage. I know they are very capable of making a good, well finished gun...but Id never spend 3 to 5k on anything with their name on it. The nicer guns by Fausti that I looked over were all fat through the wrist and still sort or had that cheap gun stigma attached to it.
The same could be said for Antonio Zoli. They put out some real crappers in the past but the Kronos-Expedition-Pernice guns are in a much different class than lets say the SA-3 that SigArms brought in. Yuck. They also suffer brand damage from flooding the market with cheap guns. If Zoli wouldve stuck with the better stuff, people wouldnt associate their name with cheap guns as much and their higher end stuff would be held in higher regard.
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111 |
Since you were all kind enough to reply to my thread here is the update, I decided to buy a Fausti DEA, there is a dealer in the lower valley, 30 minutes away, their web site showed that they had 6 in stock so I took the drive down there.
Turns out they are in stock with their distributor, and are not in the store, kind of irritated me, but I thought I had seen one on a previous visit, in a little case they have sitting to the side so I went and took a look, turns out it was a brand new Franchi Highlander, 12 ga, prince of wales grip, splinter for arm, weighs 12 pounds 13 oz. and fits me perfectly, it had some handling marks so they gave me $80.00 off of their listed price, picked it up for $1500.
Once I got home I took it Duck hunting to pattern it, this is one of those guns that fits so well that you can't miss...almost, I did miss one, what a fantastic gun, I can't believe they stopped making them.
Thanks
TM
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111 |
I think Faustis being sold at Walmart more or less ruined the name in this country. They were cheap, ugly, and the name was plastered all over the gun. Hard to spend 3 to 7k on a gun with that kind of brand damage. I know they are very capable of making a good, well finished gun...but Id never spend 3 to 5k on anything with their name on it. The nicer guns by Fausti that I looked over were all fat through the wrist and still sort or had that cheap gun stigma attached to it.
The same could be said for Antonio Zoli. They put out some real crappers in the past but the Kronos-Expedition-Pernice guns are in a much different class than lets say the SA-3 that SigArms brought in. Yuck. They also suffer brand damage from flooding the market with cheap guns. If Zoli wouldve stuck with the better stuff, people wouldnt associate their name with cheap guns as much and their higher end stuff would be held in higher regard. This was a problem I was having with deciding to get a Fausti, but from what I've read they make a fine gun now. Years ago I bought one of those less expensive Zoli guns, it was a Delfino, and to be honest I loved it, but no choke tubes, I gave it to one of my sons when I bought a RRL, and he still has it, but says he can't hit anything with it. It came with a very nice hard gun case that is covered with fabric, not canvas, but heavy like that, I kept the case! Thanks again TM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,107 Likes: 78
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,107 Likes: 78 |
Might want to recheck weight. I'm guessing 6 lbs. 13 oz.
Congrats on acquisition.
There appear to be some coincidental similarities to a gun labeled Weatherby and outsourced to... Fausti.
One does wonder who actually makes some of these brands, and how much of it is done in Italy.
"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,571 Likes: 165
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,571 Likes: 165 |
Fausti was making guns being sold in the States for a long time, under other names, before I recall seeing anything under their own name. The first Fausti I can recall was the Style, a relatively inexpensive (mid-teens price range) sxs they made for Cabela's. I had one briefly. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but a friend wanted it more than I wanted to keep it. They were much better than some of the guns they'd been making for other companies. They eventually made the Athena d'Italia guns for Weatherby and the 12 and 20ga LC Smiths for Marlin (which were essentially the Athena d'Italia with different cosmetics).
They then did some fancier sxs under their own name for Cabela's--the original Deas in either round body or side-plated versions. Originally priced at $4K, Cabela's had to discount them pretty significantly in order to sell them. Don't think they were bad guns, but at that point they had not established enough of a reputation to hit that price point. And back then, you could still buy a new AyA #2 for about the same money.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,008 Likes: 1817
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,008 Likes: 1817 |
Once I got home I took it Duck hunting to pattern it .............
TM Certainly different from how I do it. I pattern it ........... then take it duck hunting, if I like the patterning results. I cannot tell a thing about where my pattern placement is, or the quality of it, by shooting at ducks. SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 648
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 648 |
Fausti was making guns being sold in the States for a long time, under other names, before I recall seeing anything under their own name. The first Fausti I can recall was the Style, a relatively inexpensive (mid-teens price range) sxs they made for Cabela's. I had one briefly. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but a friend wanted it more than I wanted to keep it. They were much better than some of the guns they'd been making for other companies. They eventually made the Athena d'Italia guns for Weatherby and the 12 and 20ga LC Smiths for Marlin (which were essentially the Athena d'Italia with different cosmetics).
They then did some fancier sxs under their own name for Cabela's--the original Deas in either round body or side-plated versions. Originally priced at $4K, Cabela's had to discount them pretty significantly in order to sell them. Don't think they were bad guns, but at that point they had not established enough of a reputation to hit that price point. And back then, you could still buy a new AyA #2 for about the same money. The Walmart guns with Fausti all over them were from the late 90s and early 2000s. Much earlier than any of the guns you mentioned, especially the Cabela guns. What other names were Faustis being marketed under before then?
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111 |
Might want to recheck weight. I'm guessing 6 lbs. 13 oz.
Congrats on acquisition.
There appear to be some coincidental similarities to a gun labeled Weatherby and outsourced to... Fausti.
One does wonder who actually makes some of these brands, and how much of it is done in Italy.
HaHa, a 12 lb 13 oz gun would be a boat anchor!! You are correct 6 lb 13 oz. I think the Weatherby uses different chokes than the Highlander, which could prove to be a problem, when I bought the gun there were only two chokes that came with it instead of the five that were supposed to be with it, fortunately they are improved cylinder, and modified, the two chokes I use most of the time, however they said they would get me the missing chokes, that might prove harder then they think, I can only find one source for those chokes, and they are $50.00 each. I think most of the gun makers in Gardone V.T. source out work to specialty makers, from what I understand Gardone is a town full of cottage industries. I have read that Fausti did make the Hylander but I have also read that they didn't. All I know is I really like the gun, and it shoots where I point it. Thanks TM
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 111 |
Once I got home I took it Duck hunting to pattern it .............
TM Certainly different from how I do it. I pattern it ........... then take it duck hunting, if I like the patterning results. I cannot tell a thing about where my pattern placement is, or the quality of it, by shooting at ducks. SRH I was being a little facetious, when I got home I had the opportunity to go hunting, and I had a new gun so I decided to take advantage of both, turns out the gun hits/fits perfect for me...at least with Federal Black cloud ammo, never wounded one duck, killed them dead in the air, on a side note I am impressed with Black cloud, I thought it was just a gimmick, this stuff reminds me of the good o'l days of hunting with lead, devastating is the only word I can think of. TM
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