quite possibly the best new 20 gauge auto in some time...

S

Slugo

Moderator
after reading all the reviews by the shotgun pundits, I decided to throw another one on the pile! The new Franchi Affinity built by Benelli, inertia driven synthetic. Basically the same gun as the Benelli M2, other than the recoil spring location. $849 retail, I got it for $659!! I'll let you know how well it performs next week...

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I don't so plastic, recoil, or inertia. If I strayed I would go with a Franchi 48AL 20 gauge. But, if you like it that's all that matters.
 
Another one on the pile..???...:D...ok, we look forward to a thorough range report....

I hope its a less expensive alternative - some of us can recommend to new shooters...but the Franchi reliability record has been pretty spotty.../ so I sure hope its improved..
 
Jimbo, it's the same gun as the Benelli M2 with the exception of the location of the recoil spring. It's located on the mag tube, the M2 is in the stock. The reliability is that of a Benelli, it's made on the same assembly line...
 
Ok, I get it...

......./ but I'm still seeing a few Franchi models at my club that have a lot of issues feeding, etc ( maybe guys aren't taking care of them / don't know )...
 
It's not the same gun as an M2, not very many parts are interchangable. It is very similar to the Stoeger M2000 line. I researched the Franchi's and Stoegers pretty hard looking for an inexpensive auto to shoot 3 gun with. Reviews ran the spectrum from love to hate. They are very light and point pretty well. If it ends up being reliable, it would be a good bird gun for a hunter that has to cover alot of ground on foot.
 
It's not even closely remote to the Stoeger line! Where did you come up with that!?! The Stoeger is built in Turkey. The Franchi is built in Italy in the exact same plant as the Bennelli...
 
I don't know where any of their guns are built / but I'll trust Slugo's info...

The Stoegers I've seen at my club - especially the M2000 / seem to have had more issues than the Franchi...based on what I see and hear at my club / but then again some of this stuff might come down to stupid owners too ..hard to tell....

and speaking of stupid owners..... I saw a guy last week crank a choke tube into a relatively new Beretta O/U with a choke tube wrench ....and he was putting way too much elbow grease on it ...turns out it was cross threaded...and now he's stripped out the threads..and the choke is stuck inside the barrel and spinning freely...( he may have ruined the barrel )...( he might think its Beretta's fault )....don't know ...
 
It IS internally the same as the Stoeger. Benelli purchased the Stoeger design so they would not have to compete with a less expensive inertia design. The Italians may give it a better fit and finish, but it is the same gun.
 
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I held both side by side and other than cosmetic differences the 12 gauge guns are almost identical. Im not saying it's a bad gun. I researched them pretty heavily, and alot of aftermarket parts fit both guns. Mag tube extensions, bolt handles, etc. Reviews were mixed. Some love and some hate.
 
I don't own a Franchi or a Stoeger ....but the few I've helped take apart to diagnose issues with at my club ....internally, while they look similar to the Benelli's, they don't look identical to me ....

.....and I only suspect -- but I haven't done a lot of thorough inspection or measuring of the parts between the various models ...but some of the internal parts don't appear to be made to the same specs as the Benelli parts....( especially on the Stoegers ).

I'll make the analogy to 1911 style handguns ...in theory they are a lot alike at least internally ....but who makes the parts, how they're fit ...makes a big difference / and it makes a big difference after they've each seen 10,000 rds ...or 25,000 or 50,000 ..../ but its hard to see with just the eyes.
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I'll wait for Slugo's range report ....lets hope it holds up and performs well !
 
I think all the points we've made are valid. The 1911 analogy makes sense. I won't be getting trigger time for a week or so. My wife and I are on a fall vacation. Be back on Saturday...
 
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