Made in Italy

[toot]

in black powder weapons the ITALIANS RULE!! JMHO.

 

[B P Arn]

...and wimmins...

 

[Rató:rats]

I disagree that it has anything to do with cheap labour. Wage standards and benefits in Europe are far and away better than ours. Italians learning about our 40 hour work week pity us and when they learn we usually get only two weeks vacation a year they all say the same thing; “I’m NEVER moving to the US”.

 

[RB POWELL]

...And artists, and architecture that the western world still copies. My Colnago bicycle is a work of art. Look, the Italians make great stuff. I think that sometimes there can be quality control issues. I see that now in products from just about anywhere. Also, the pace of life in Italy, as in Latin countries is a lot slower than it is in the USA and elsewhere. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that productivity is slower. That isn't necessarily a bad thing either. Sometimes quality comes with time: like wine

 

[desi23]

Why Italy? One thing that seems overlooked (or talked around) is that when the modern era of reproduction guns started in the 1950's and 1960's the Italians were in on the ground floor. There were several people involved in creating the replica industry one of whom was Val Forgett who founded Navy Arms. There was a growing demand for affordable, shootable replicas of Civil War era firearms due to the approaching Centennial and Forgett found an Italian company with the available capacity and skill to make what he wanted. It really began with the 1851 Navy and soon many more followed.

The only other country that was a good source for affordable reproductions of classic arms at that time was Belgium and while they produced some nice guns (Turner Kirkland of Dixie Gun Works sold a lot of Belgian made guns early on) they were outdone by the fast growing Italian industry. In the US only Thompson Center got into mass production but they really only made variations of one rifle design and a single pistol. Spanish makers got a share of the market and Japanese firms were in it for a while but the Italians were the most successful. Demand for replica firearms has fluctuated over the years but the Italian firms have done rather well at figuring out what would sell and making it at an affordable price.

 

[towgunner11h]

Please don't mention Chiappa. In my opinion they produce garbage. I own one of their little badger survival guns and have handled several of their shotguns, and that abomination version of an M6. They are junk.

I own two Civil War muskets made by Chiappa/ Armi Sport that are real tack drivers. I have also heard less than stellar reviews of some of their unmentionable firearms.