What's Wrong With Franchi?

R

roy reali

New member
Many makes of shotguns are mentioned here. Someone is looking for a shotgun and mentions of Remingtons, Mossbergs, Berettas, and Brownings quickly appear in the replies. Mentions of Franchi shotguns are not too common around here.

Is there any reason they are not mentioned too often?

Just curious!
 
Franchi has had a poor presence here in North America. They have never had a significant amount of market share with either their autoloaders or double barrel guns. They recently discontinued their side by side guns, and are now only selling over-under guns here in the USA.

They are quality guns that are well made in Italy. There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with them.

The AL 48 is an awesome more modern update to the Browning Auto-5 design. But they are only selling it in light gauges for upland use now: 2 3/4 inch 20 gauge and 28 gauge only.

They sell 12 gauge autoloaders that use the same inertia recoil system that Benelli uses, and they sell a 3" 20 gauge gas operated autoloader called the 720. Plus they still sell over and under guns.

They almost went out of business several years ago, but Benelli bought them out and took the company over, making it a division within Benelli. Then Benelli fell on hard times, and ended up being taken over by Beretta.

Beretta really does not seem to be pushing the brand very much, now that they own it. At least that is my impression.

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Stoeger was the marketing outlet for The Franchi for many years and the guns were sold through discount stores. Had a rep. as cheap, as the guns were made to stoegers spec's. cheap wood/finish. The metal fit was very good and function was John Browning proven design. The problem that pop's up often is the gun won't function, usually thats corrected when the owner is told to standup hold it like a gun, shoulder it firmly and shoot. Many of todays starting shooters want a computer gun that blast's everything in sight and has no kick with a 100 round magazine!!

Franchi will last several lifetimes if taken care of juast like any other well made gun. The action gets dirty through handling, no gas debris from operation. Handling -- swings great due to the alloy reciever, and great to carry in the field.

Yes I have one, wish I had more!!
 
I bought one few months ago, i got the I-12 for around 900 and change, put about 350 rounds through it witho only 1 jam in first session, and i only broke it in with 25 game loads, rest were normal 1/8 #8-9's..Easy to clean, swings great, just has bit more kick than i expected but nothing to get upset about.
 
I had two 20ga AL-48's, and love them both.

The first was an excellent bird gun, a 24" VR Standard that I bought in 1978 and used up to about five years ago, when one of my daughters decided she wanted it for her birding.

As posted, there weren't many replacements around, except for the occasional used specimen - so I kept looking while using a double gun.

Then last summer I won a $20 raffle for a new 26" VR Franchi 20ga AL48 Deluxe at a State Fair booth run by a sportsman's club - so I'm back in my happy place again.

JMO, The Franchi O/U's seemed big/heavy for gauge, compared to the likes of a Beretta BL-3 or 686 - the main reason I passed on them, years ago, and one of the reasons (I suspect) they came into hard times.

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The 48 is one of the best auto's ever made, in my opinion. It's a super-light A-5. I have a 20 ga. and my only complaint is it's a plain barrel fixed mod. and I can't find a vent rib choke tube, or even full choke barrel. the plain barrel has this goofy 3/8" tall front sight.
 
The last gun I bought was a 12 ga 28" Franchi Renaissance O/U. I love the light weight and the recoil pad is amazingly effective. Love it!
 
Here in Hellas, Franchi has a good market.
If you go to a field and gather the empty cases, 80% of them will be Franchi.

Many people have Franchi shotguns as well.
They are not bad or something, they are good shotguns. Not top shotguns, but good. And i mean the way they came from their "mother" as we say, meaning the factory, because after market changes can be a trouble here except magazine extensions, sights and stocks, but not rifled stocks.

People say that Benelli makes the best factory tuned shotguns. More or our IPSC shooters use Benelli M3s in matches from Pump Action, and Saiga and Molot, that are magazine fed anyway.

I never heard someone not been pleased with his Franchi.
I have seen guns passing from grandfather to father and from father so son and still working fine.

So, if you want a Franchi gun, go and get it.;)
They are not bad guns.
 
I picked up a Renaissance "Sporting" a couple of years ago and it's a great gun for the money. Came with extended chokes, porting, and factory adjustable comb. Makes a great clays gun. :)
 
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