doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Franchi info seems scarce

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 ?

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.

http://www.franchiusa.com/history/

In 1868, Franchi began manufacturing firearms in Brescia, Italy. The city was part of that nation�s industrial heartland.

In those days, gunmakers� guilds isolated themselves to keep their metalworking techniques secret.

Thus began our well-established tradition of craftsmanship.

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?

I used to read/speak Italian at a decently high level; my sons still do. there has to be a book on Franchi in the Italian Press...I'll look. In the meantime here is an ad for a 1948 Franchi:
https://www.maremagnum.com/libri-antichi...mi-da/147704034

1940 book on Italian shotguns with one page for Franchi:
https://www.maremagnum.com/libri-antichi...-armi/136119022

Here is an ad for a 1935 Franchi littoral, before the fascist symbol was stamped on the guns:
https://www.steniron.com/index.php?id_product=92&controller=product&id_lang=2

1938 ad:
http://www.ebay.it/itm/1938-PUBBLICITA-L...A-/302196673908

Here is a publicity poster for a Franchi 1948:
https://www.abebooks.com/magazines-perio.../18689410889/bd

Do a google search for "Societa Anonima Luigi Franchi" and start with "images." You'll turn up some information.
"Arma (Armi) de caccia" - "hunting gun(s)"
"Doppietta" - double gun.
"Sovrapposto" - over/under

Re this from above "This is a well-made and unpretentious side by side, built in 1935 when the fascio (symbol of fascism) was not yet punched on the action flats"...Ironman, is there a "fascist" stamp on the gun? I've tried to run this down to give yo and example. "Punzoni" is Italian for "stamp." I'd get you a picture but maybe it'd be better if you can post some pics of the gun and barrel flats.

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

This is probably the best Italian language site I've found on guns in general.
http://www.earmi.it/default.htm

This 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.








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.

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...)



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."