doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Armeria San Giorgio Double

I purchased this gun a few months ago from Cabelas. It weighs 6.8 lbs, has 28" barrels, pistol grip and a beavertail forend (not my favorite) which is actually quite svelte and close to the barrels. It appears to be chrome bores, checkered triggers, and was apparently refinished by someone in the past as I can see sanding marks in the wood and there is some form of tinted varnish sloshed over the initials shield on the bottom of the buttstock. From what I can find, this was a small arms manufacturing shop, which I believe was headed by Giuseppe Di Pirlo. It wears a horribly rotten butt pad and has a chip missing from the rear corner of the forend. I'm guessing this is a side plated boxlock, but I'm not expert. The engraving is nice and even with the horrid butt pad it fits me very well. It has a lot of old grease staining that I shall have to rectify and the chokes are IM/Full, which will need to be opened. Made in 1963. Does anyone have any further insight or thoughts on the gun? I'd love to hear what you guys have to say, good or bad.

It looks like a sidelock to me. Is it a 20 gauge? I checked but Wieland doesn't have anything on this maker.

Another great shotgun built by a small shop in Spain.

If I owned that I would restock it in the best piece of Turkish Walnut I could find and search for an appropriate butt plate for it or maybe an Old English pad.

Neat gun for fair price. It reminds me of Beratta 'Silver Hawk' from early 60s that I used to own.

If it is just plated they did a nice job faking it. Make screw drivers fit the screws and give it a good strip and clean. Well played!

Sorry, I guess I left that part out. It's a 12 gauge made in Italy. I suppose I need to open her up and see what it looks like on the inside. I'll have to measure the LOP without the pad and see what I can fix up. Anyone have any ideas on the teardrops? I'm wondering if they're ivory or plastic or some light wood. Were they commonly glued on instead of carved into the wood? Most I've seen have been carved into the stock.

Giuseppe Di Pirlo article:

http://www.valtrompianews.it/notizie-it/(Gardone-VT,Valtrompia)-Giuseppe-Pirlo-e-il-ricordo-di-una-vita-straordinaria-20337.html

That's a 12 gauge at that weight. You're crazy if you don't redo that gun.

Yes, I see the Italian 'Proof Marks' now.

I have a San Georgio 12 ga. hammergun, with 30" barrels, made in 1973. But, I can't tell you anything about the maker of the guns, other than they are not Spanish, but Italian. The Roman numerals XIX, which is 19, is added to 1944 to determine the year of production ...... which, as you said, is 1963. I was told by the former owner of my gun that he suspected it came out of the Bernardelli factory, but I've never been able to either confirm or disprove that.

SRH

6.8 lbs = 6lbs 13oz

I think it is a plated boxlock, 2 screws for the trigger plate is a dead giveaway. It is similar to some Prandelli-Gasperini guns that were sold here in the 60s, they went to a lot of effort faking the pins on the sideplates. Still it is a decent gun, I would redo the wood and replace the pad.

Yes, that's what I was thinking

I would leave the wood, maybe re do the finish if it bothers you, and replace the butt pad. See how it patterns before opening the chokes. Then, hunt it hard and often and think what a bargain you got.

Oh yes, I do plan on taking it to the pattern board before sending it off to have the chokes adjusted.

I think that is an excellent weight for a 12 gauge. Not to heavy, not to light.

I take it you don't agree.