Fausti Stefano products belong to one of the best shotgun manufacturers. This is an Italian brand that does not have a centuries-old, but unique history. At the moment, the Fausti Stefano company is owned by three sisters, who continue the work of their father. These are guns that are distinguished by their elegance, aesthetically pleasing appearance, high build quality, hand-finished elements, and ease of use.
The manufacturer offers a wide range of smoothbore double-barreled shotguns for hunting and sport shooting. The products have gained popularity all over the world and are suitable for both beginners and professionals. The specialty of the brand is the production of products for women and teenagers. This segment features light-weight products with lightweight barrels, a short stock, and a small-sized pistol that fits your hand.
Story
The company producing Fausti Stefano is located in Gardone Val Trompia, a commune located in Brescia. This Italian province was rightfully considered the weapons capital of the country. Stefano Fausti opened a small rifle repair company in 1948. At that time, there was a drop in demand for weapons after the war, which stopped the development of new models. This changed as the decade progressed as shooting sports became more popular. It was then that Stefano began to market his developments. These were classic horizontal and later vertical double-barreled shotguns, which were distinguished by their lightness and elegance. But the company was known only within Italy and was considered a manufacturer of economy-class shotguns.
Stefano Fausti had three daughters. No one then imagined that the girls would not only continue their father’s work, but would make the company world famous and create a brand that would become recognizable and unique in its kind.
Three sisters, Giovanna, Barbara and Elena, still successfully manage their father’s company. The secret of their success is not only in business acumen, but, first of all, in knowledge and experience. They have an impeccable understanding of guns, master all the subtleties at the production stages, participate in developments, and implement innovative systems.
Now the girls are known all over the world, the company produces a wide range of weapons for hunting and sport shooting, economy, middle class, as well as expensive products. Despite the small staff (50 people), due to competent personnel selection and production automation, the company produces about 14 thousand units per year, 10% of which go to the Russian market. The sisters themselves came to Russia more than once, and Barbara Fausti speaks Russian quite well.
Fausti Stefano Senator
The Fausti sisters: almost according to Chekhov
Photo by the author.
The history of the Fausti Stefano company began in the post-war years, in less than two decades having gone from a handicraft workshop to a modern enterprise.
And after 40 years, this is already over 3000 m2 of production space, equipped with the most advanced equipment, with a golden fund of fifty highly qualified gunsmiths, not just experts, but “artists” in the gun business.
The company presents the Classic hammer with classic triple locking as a connection between the past, present and future.
Although many companies have caught the new trend in the development of hunters’ tastes and are producing guns with external triggers for the most sophisticated shooters, adherents of proper hunting, not all gunsmiths managed to guess the mood of gun hunts of Aksakov’s times in the remakes.
But the Classic “EL Gold” and “EL Gold Tartarugato” models are not only the past, present and future, but a relay baton from the founder of the company, Knight of the Order of the Italian Republic Stefano Fausti to the successors of his work, his daughters Elena, Giovanna, Barbara.
I’ll finish with this about weapons, although, of course, one could traditionally continue to list the model range of the Fausti Stefano company, but I think that not only a hunter, but any reading Russian would be more interested in knowing that the gunsmith sisters are passionate about Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
“Three Sisters,” perhaps the title of a play by the great Russian writer, consonant with the unofficial name of a rifle company, aroused the Fausti sisters’ initial interest in Chekhov’s work.
One can only speculate about this. But I dare to boldly assert that, empathizing with the characters of the play, it is already difficult not to delve deeper into the work of Anton Pavlovich and deny oneself the pleasure of continuing to get acquainted with Russian culture.
Chekhov's three sisters and the far-from-Russian rifle company Fausti Stefano from Italy in the 2000s. Is there anything in common between the dramaturgy of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, the Russian three sisters: Olga, Maria, Irina and the Italian ones: Elena, Giovanna and Barbara?
Yalta, Crimea - “Russian Italy”, the place where Chekhov wrote “Three Sisters”. The white peaks of Ai-Petri and the snow-white peaks of the Alps of Northern Italy, the warm waters of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Of course, it is not geographical features that connect Chekhov's play and the three Italian sisters.
Rather, the historical past, Suvorov’s liberation campaigns, and the courage of Russian sailors under the command of Ushakov contributed to good relations and mutual sympathy between Russia and Italy, which were not hindered even by the Second World War.
So the love and knowledge of the Italian language by the younger sister Irina in Chekhov’s play very organically resonates with the study of Russian by the Italian Barbara and the passion of the entire Fausti family for Russian culture and, of course, the work of A.P. Chekhov. Moreover, his “Three Sisters” seemed to find a logical continuation in the life path of the three daughters of the Italian gunsmith Stefano.
Anton Pavlovich's hunting experience is small; he limited himself to only one unsuccessful outing.
“One fine morning I received a letter from my uncle, a landowner of the Ekaterinoslav province. Among other things, he wrote: “If you don’t come to me next week, then I won’t even consider you a nephew, I’ll cross out your father from the memorial book... Let’s go hunting, come!”
The outing ended sadly, the novice hunter confused his uncle’s favorite dog with a wolf...
As a result... He stopped sending me content. Dying, three years ago, he ordered me to tell you that even after death he would not forgive me for killing his beloved dog. And he bequeathed his estate not to me, but to some lady, his former mistress.”
But his other lines about the discovery of hunting sound so soulful and sincere to the “hunter’s ear” that they seem to have been said, if not by an avid hunter, then certainly by an expert on the human soul.
“The morning of the long-desired day has come, it has come - hurray, gentlemen hunters! - June 29... the day has come on which debts, bugs, expensive grub, mothers-in-law and even young wives are forgotten - the day on which you can show twenty figs to Mr. Constable, who forbids shooting. The stars turned pale and clouded... Voices were heard here and there..."
In the play “Three Sisters”, hunting and especially gun themes are completely absent; the gun not only does not shoot, but does not even hang on the wall.
And, it would seem, how the play, called by the author a drama, with the feeling of closeness of a “healthy, strong storm” that permeates the entire work, can resonate with the life of a prosperous, purposeful modern Italian family in the city of Brescia in the north of the Apennine Peninsula.
Perhaps, none of Chekhov’s works sounded with such force the longing for strong people capable of fighting as in the drama “Three Sisters.” The smart and pure heroes of “Three Sisters” hate vulgarity, but their hatred, unfortunately, manifests itself only in the desire not to encounter it.
They dream of a useful, working life, but their dreams remain dreams. “We do not exist, but only seem to exist,” says one of the characters in the play. It is not they, the weak and helpless, but those who come after them who are destined to realize the dream of a wonderful life.
The ending of the play is imbued with a premonition of future happiness: “Time will pass, and we will leave forever, we will be forgotten, our faces, voices and how many of us there were will be forgotten, but our suffering will turn into joy for those who will live after us, happiness and peace will come on earth "
Chekhov became angry when his plays were perceived as heavy dramas. “You say that you cried at my plays,” he told the writer Serebrov. - But that’s not why I wrote them...
I just wanted to tell people: “Look at yourselves, look how bad and boring you all live! The most important thing is that people understand this, and when they understand this, they will certainly create a different, better life for themselves.”
Apparently, in these words we should look for a certain continuity between the plot of the work of the great Russian writer and the life of our contemporaries - “The Three Sisters of Fausti”, who devoted themselves to a cause very far from literature, but if we are objective, then also to art.
The art and skill in metal and wood to preserve the classics of English guns, while embodying and preserving the cultural heritage of Ancient Rome. Having managed to cross the line that separated the dreams of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” from reality, he began to work, boldly looking forward, without fear of becoming the head of an already world-famous arms company.
So much has been written about the triumvirate of the Fausti sisters that it makes no sense to retell their wonderful stories again. The most important thing is that family advice helps to correctly and correctly determine not only the future direction of development, but also to guess the mood of the majority of hunters and lovers of smoothbore guns, as it seems to me, in the surest way - with a woman’s instinct and excellent taste.
Experts say that the “feminine” approach is clearly visible in the design of the Fausti Stefano weapon. This, first of all, is expressed in special attention to small details, which distinguish top-class weapons from ordinary guns.
In addition, much attention is paid to the shape of the stock and the quality of the wood selected for the manufacture of the butt and forend of a particular gun. And, of course, any woman’s natural craving for beauty is expressed in the careful choice of the subject of the engraving and its execution.
The Fausti Stefano model range meets the requirements of the most demanding and capricious customers.
Speaking about guns for proper hunting, one cannot fail to mention the small calibers in which almost all Fausti Stefano models can be produced. In addition to the traditional ones today, the 12th and 20th, there are the forgotten 16th, 28th, 32nd, the most modest .410 and the 24th caliber, exotic for the modern Russian hunter, so beloved by our domestic patriarch of the gun business S. Buturlin.
The future of the Three Sisters looks very promising and cloudless, not only thanks to the merger with Emilio Rizzini and Barbara’s statement on behalf of all the sisters: “We would like to maintain the activity and prestige that we have in the arms world. The main thing is that we should not waste time and stand still. We constantly need to look for new approaches in production, in business, and open new horizons for cooperation.”
But, most importantly, each of the sisters has a son, I think, also future gunsmiths. And, perhaps, in a dozen or two years, the gun brand “Fausti Stefano” will receive a new popular name “Three Brothers”.
Yuri Konstantinov March 15, 2022 at 1:38 pm
Description
The production of Fausti Stefano combines mass production and hand-assembly technologies. All surfaces are polished by hand, and exquisite and original engraving is also applied to the body of the product. A distinctive feature of Fausti Stefano is its high-quality barrels, which are forged from modern steel alloys with the addition of special alloying components and have a chrome-plated internal surface. Their standard sizes are: 660 mm, 710 mm or 760 mm. The barrel position of shotguns is horizontal and vertical.
The impact mechanism (lock) is equipped with spiral cylindrical mainsprings. They are characterized by increased reliability. Double-barreled shotguns are made with one or two triggers. On sport shooting models, the trigger acts on the two barrels in turn; on others, a sequence switch is added.
The forend and butt are made of walnut. Budget product lines have a multi-layer walnut stock, while expensive models use walnut with a contrasting texture.
Technologies and developments
A special feature of the company is that the production process uses automated technologies and manual labor. All machines operate using program control. For cold forging of barrels, high quality stainless steel blanks are used, which are purchased from Bettinsoli. It is known that in the company each product undergoes stringent tests; cartridges are used that exert a pressure of up to 120 MPa on the barrel. The remaining metal elements are processed on computerized milling machines. The parts are carefully adjusted at the places where they are connected. This is ensured by the fact that minimum tolerances are included in the machine program. Polishing is a three-stage process: first by machine, then by hand and again by machine. Images and inscriptions are applied to all parts of the gun using a laser. Famous Italian engravers are invited to design expensive models.
The Fausti Stefano company has another highlight - all guns are assembled by hand, regardless of what price segment the models are aimed at.
Fausti Stefano Teen
Armory house Fausti Stefano (Fausti Stefano) Italy
Armory house Fausti Stefano (Fausti Stefano) Italy.
The world-famous classic double-barreled shotguns and exclusive sideflints from Fausti are a synthesis of high quality standards and an example of aesthetic perfection, and their uniqueness is emphasized by exquisite and impeccable hand finishing.
In the period after 1945, many previously well-known Italian arms companies collapsed or went bankrupt, and the former loud brands and models lost their former popularity. Their place was taken by other manufacturers who were able to offer hunters guns that correspond to the new times. This is how a whole clan of new weapons companies arose in the industrial north of Italy in the city of Brescia and small towns around it. Some of these enterprises immediately chose a narrow specialization, for example, only shotgun hunting and sporting weapons. Likewise, the arms company Fausti Stefano, srl (Fausti Stefano) is a typical representative of companies that arose in the middle of the 20th century. She was not weighed down by tradition and was therefore able to jump straight into modern hunting and sporting models.
The company was created in 1948 by gunsmith Fausti Stefano in the Italian arms center - the city of Brescia, and for more than half a century it has specialized in the manufacture of only smooth-bore shotguns for hunting and sports. Since then, the company has remained family-owned and is now located in the town of Marcheno. By the way, the entire Fausti dynasty are professional gunsmiths; now three daughters of S. Fausti himself work at the company - Giovanna, Elena and Barbara. At one time the company was called Fausti cav. Stefano & Figlie (Stefano Fausti and daughters). And only relatively recently the modern name Fausti Stefano, srl was introduced
It was a small enterprise, where, in addition to Fausti himself, two more workers worked. The workshop was focused on producing inexpensive guns. The first gun released under the new Fausti Stefano brand was a side-by-side hunting rifle with external hammers. In 1950, Fausti began producing hammerless hunting rifles, and ten years later, in 1960, he began producing shotguns with vertical barrels. Later, semi-automatic shotguns were introduced into production. In 1990, a new production building was built, on the territory of which 45 gunsmiths work. At first, Stefano sold guns only in Italy, but soon he began to develop the French market.
Fausti spoke French very well, so there were no problems communicating with customers. Fausti himself always dreamed of sons, but it turned out that he had three daughters, but this did not stop him from passing on to them all his experience and passion for weapons. His two eldest daughters visited France with him and helped him work with clients. It was in France that the first presentation of the company outside Italy took place.
Currently, the Fausti Stefano enterprise is run by his three daughters: Barbara, Giovanna, Elena, successfully continuing their father’s work. When the sisters were still children, they already showed an increased interest in the production of weapons. And a completely logical step on the part of Fausti Stefano was to transfer the matter to them. The company has a fairly large range of guns; its products are represented by hunting and sporting guns with horizontal and vertical barrels; the production of rifled weapons has already begun.
To head the company opened by their father, the sisters went to a gunsmith school, where they learned the craft on an equal basis with others, like everyone else, they passed exams, because they needed to get a license to produce weapons. The sisters refused to put weapons production on stream; they decided to produce guns in limited quantities and make individual engravings for each customer. The weapon is produced under two brands: “Fausti Stefano” and “Emilio Rizzini”. The second brand appeared after Barbara Fausti married Fabio Rizzini, the son of Emilio Rizzini, and a few years later it was decided to merge the two companies to create one powerful company. All models of guns are particularly elegant; you can feel a woman’s hand in them. When creating the company, Fausti Stefano dreamed that his guns would be in demand and in demand, and now they are the ultimate dream of many hunters and collectors in any part of the world. The company makes about 9 thousand guns per year, but only about a thousand are sold in Russia.
The coat of arms or registered trademark is of great importance, otherwise it is easy for a hunter to get confused in the consonant names of numerous Italian arms companies. Branded guns are decorated with a coat of arms with images of two guns, a tower and a medieval helmet topped with a crown, with the inscription Fausti in the center of the coat of arms.
The company is not one of the particularly large Italian arms companies, but it widely uses modern business development techniques and even merges with other enterprises. Thus, since 1999, its divisions have included the company Emilio Rizzini (Emilio Rizzini).
The annual production of hunting and sporting rifles is determined by the needs of the national and international markets. Weapons are produced so much that the company can constantly be present on the market with ready-made models. Its guns can be considered traditional for the Italian arms company - these are serial double-barreled shotguns with blocks of horizontally or vertically connected barrels. In addition to them, they also produce a self-loading gun with the currently most common reloading mechanism - a gas vent, and even a hammer-operated double-barreled shotgun.
Branded guns can be classified as mass-produced weapons of a fairly high category, since they do not fit the classical interpretation of high-class models, manufactured in small quantities with a large share of manual labor, or The Best in British terminology, due to mass production.
Serial technology plus manual labor.
The technology of Fausti Stefano, srl is typical for an arms company producing mass-produced hunting weapons. Its modern production is concentrated in a technological building, well equipped with machines for various purposes - metal-cutting and woodworking. However, in order to ensure the quality, reliability and durability of high-category guns, the company prefers to use manual labor during assembly. A characteristic feature of the technology is that the surfaces of the barrel block and the block adjacent to each other, as well as other parts, must be ground in only by hand. The company is also able to use manual labor in finishing; this applies to mass-produced high-category guns as part of the special Fausti Gold Collection series. It includes the main models of double-barreled guns, finished with hand-engraving.
But let's return to the main stages of technology. The simple but elegant design of the company's serial over/unders, as well as those of other Italian companies, is formed, first of all, by the precise, clean lines of the barrel block. The barrels are made from special modern grades of steel with the addition of alloying components. However, the company believes that barrels, even those made of high quality material, must certainly be protected from corrosion, and a chrome coating is applied to the inner surface of the bores of shotguns. The connection of the barrels into a block depends on their arrangement: on vertical rifles, the barrels are connected using a breech coupling and connecting bars; on horizontal rifles, the sighting bar is also a connecting bar.
In Italy, the technology of cold forging barrels on rotary machines from pre-drilled rods is widespread, as a result of which a barrel with a precisely made channel comes out of the machine. The length of the barrel forged in this way is, as a rule, longer than required; allowances are left in the muzzle and breech for processing the chambers and the muzzle or choke. In the future, only processing of the outer surface of the trunk and its ends is required. The length of the barrel block is standardized - 660, 710 or 760 mm; such barrels are installed on all hunting models with a block of vertically or horizontally connected barrels. The company uses the same set of standard lengths for sporting weapons, so for shooting on a trench stand, barrels with a length of 760 mm are placed on guns, and barrels with a length of 660 or 710 mm are used on a round stand.
The company specializes in smooth-bore weapons for hunting and sport shooting and does not produce rifled weapons. However, it produces guns of the Slug category, which is very popular in Italy, for shooting a special bullet for hunting ungulates - these are over-and-unders of only 12 gauge with relatively short barrels 585 mm long. They have good small shot fire over short distances and are used when hunting small feathered game with a gun dog.
The most important mechanism of the gun - the impact mechanism, or lock in traditional terminology, is equipped with mainsprings of a modern, or rather widely used design at present - they are spiral cylindrical. In fact, such springs in weapons technology have been known since the 19th century, but only in our time it was possible to create them to be durable and survivable, and Italian gunsmiths recognized them. This applies to locks in the block both on horizontal and vertical guns, since on guns with padlocks on the side plates the springs are of a different type - they are V-shaped.
Triggers on branded vertical and horizontal rifles can be of different designs - with one or two triggers. On hunting models there are mainly trigger mechanisms of the usual type with two hooks, on sports models there are mechanisms with one hook and a shot sequence switch, or with one hook acting alternately on both barrels. Of course, this is not an axiom - any trigger mechanism can be mounted on every double-barreled shotgun. The same applies to ejectors: they are required on sporting shotguns, but hunting ones can be equipped with both ejectors and conventional extractors. However, ejectors are always installed on high-category guns.
Italian gunsmiths prefer selected varieties of walnut wood for the stock and forend; Italy has its own walnut groves. And the company has the opportunity to put exquisite walnut on its guns. Moreover, it is selected so that in the neck of the stock of any gun, the layers of wood are always oriented along the longitudinal axis of the gun and thus ensure the strength of the stock. For guns of a high category, blanks with a complex contrasting wood texture are selected, and only guns of simpler categories can have straight-grained walnut, but it must be dense and contrasting.
Branded weapons undergo a full cycle of tests at the national station, located, by the way, in Gardone Val Trompia. In addition, the firing parameters of each model are checked in the company’s own shooting range; such shooting operations are usually performed by all Italian manufacturers of high-category shotguns.
Taking care of the reputation of its guns, the company gives the hunter the opportunity to expand the use of his gun for hunting through interchangeable muzzle devices with different constriction sizes. These devices, in the form of internal tubular attachments, are screwed into the barrel flush with the muzzle and allow you to hunt various game and engage in sports shooting with the same gun. Muzzle devices are currently only designed for 12- or 20-gauge shotguns.
These basic technology stages and design elements are common to any signature weapon. Otherwise, each model is individual.
Contacts: Via Martiri dell'Indipendenza,70 MARCHENO VT - 25060 Brescia - Italy
phone +39-030-89 60 217 phone +39-030-80 96 0222 phone +39-030-86 1475 Fax +39-030-86 10 155
Operating principle
The Fausti Stefano weapon lock is a design consisting of a striking and trigger mechanism. The first is necessary to strike the igniter primer using the striker. And the second is needed in order to disrupt the firing pin at the moment the trigger is pressed.
The gun is loaded manually. To place 2 rounds in the chamber, you must press the barrel opening lever.
To fire, you need to pull the trigger. At this moment, the restraining spring straightens, a sharp blow hits the firing pin, and a shot is fired. The cartridge cases are removed using a cartridge extractor.
Locking system
It should be noted that some models have a unique patented system - a locking mechanism consisting of 4 elements, which is called FOUR LOCKS. It consists of 2 frames that fix the barrels in a vertical plane along with the protrusions of the receiver located on the side and fit into the side grooves of the connecting barrel coupling. This locking system is more reliable and durable than standard ones.
Fausti Stefano Dea
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The Fausti family
The arms production of Fausti Stefano, srl is concentrated in a modern building.
In the period after 1945, many previously well-known Italian arms companies collapsed or went bankrupt, the former ringing brands and models lost their former popularity. Their place was taken by other manufacturers who were able to offer hunters guns that correspond to the new times. This is how a whole clan of new weapons companies arose in the industrial north of Italy in the city of Brescia and small towns around it. Some of these enterprises immediately chose a narrow specialization, for example, only shotgun hunting and sporting weapons. Likewise, the arms company Fausti Stefano, srl (Fausti Stefano) is a typical representative of companies that arose in the middle of the 20th century. She was not weighed down by tradition and was therefore able to jump straight into modern hunting and sporting models.
The company was created in 1948 by gunsmith Fausti Stefano in the Italian arms center - the city of Brescia, and for more than half a century it has specialized in the manufacture of only smooth-bore shotguns for hunting and sports. Since then, the company has remained family-owned and is now located in the town of Marcheno. By the way, the entire Fausti dynasty are professional gunsmiths; now three daughters of S. Fausti himself work at the company - Giovanna, Elena and Barbara. At one time the company was called Fausti cav. Stefano & Figlie (Stefano Fausti and daughters). And only relatively recently the modern name Fausti Stefano, srl was introduced
Fausti sisters in Russia
The coat of arms or registered trademark is of great importance, otherwise it is easy for a hunter to get confused in the consonant names of numerous Italian arms companies. Branded guns are decorated with a coat of arms with images of two guns, a tower and a medieval helmet topped with a crown, with the inscription Fausti in the center of the coat of arms.
The company is not one of the particularly large Italian arms companies, but it widely uses modern business development techniques and even merges with other enterprises. Thus, since 1999, its divisions have included the company Emilio Rizzini (Emilio Rizzini).
The annual production of hunting and sporting rifles is determined by the needs of the national and international markets. Weapons are produced so much that the company can constantly be present on the market with ready-made models. Its guns can be considered traditional for the Italian arms company - these are serial double-barreled shotguns with blocks of horizontally or vertically connected barrels. In addition to them, they also produce a self-loading gun with the currently most common reloading mechanism - a gas vent, and even a hammer-operated double-barreled shotgun.
Branded guns can be classified as mass-produced weapons of a fairly high category, since they do not fit the classical interpretation of high-class models, manufactured in small quantities with a large share of manual labor, or The Best in British terminology, due to mass production.
Serial technology plus manual labor
The technology of Fausti Stefano, srl is typical for an arms company producing mass-produced hunting weapons. Its modern production is concentrated in a technological building, well equipped with machines for various purposes - metal-cutting and woodworking. However, in order to ensure the quality, reliability and durability of high-category guns, the company prefers to use manual labor during assembly. A characteristic feature of the technology is that the surfaces of the barrel block and the block adjacent to each other, as well as other parts, must be ground in only by hand. The company is also able to use manual labor in finishing; this applies to mass-produced high-category guns as part of the special Fausti Gold Collection series. It includes the main models of double-barreled guns, finished with hand-engraving.
But let's return to the main stages of technology. The simple but elegant design of the company's serial over/unders, as well as those of other Italian companies, is formed, first of all, by the precise, clean lines of the barrel block. The barrels are made from special modern grades of steel with the addition of alloying components. However, the company believes that barrels, even those made of high quality material, must certainly be protected from corrosion, and a chrome coating is applied to the inner surface of the bores of shotguns. The connection of the barrels into a block depends on their arrangement: on vertical rifles, the barrels are connected using a breech coupling and connecting bars; on horizontal rifles, the sighting bar is also a connecting bar.
In Italy, the technology of cold forging barrels on rotary machines from pre-drilled rods is widespread, as a result of which a barrel with a precisely made channel comes out of the machine. The length of the barrel forged in this way is, as a rule, longer than required; allowances are left in the muzzle and breech for processing the chambers and the muzzle or choke. In the future, only processing of the outer surface of the trunk and its ends is required. The length of the barrel block is standardized - 660, 710 or 760 mm; such barrels are installed on all hunting models with a block of vertically or horizontally connected barrels. The company uses the same set of standard lengths for sporting weapons, so for shooting on a trench stand, barrels with a length of 760 mm are placed on guns, and barrels with a length of 660 or 710 mm are used on a round stand.
The company specializes in smooth-bore weapons for hunting and sport shooting and does not produce rifled weapons. However, it produces guns of the Slug category, which is very popular in Italy, for shooting a special bullet for hunting ungulates - these are over-and-unders of only 12 gauge with relatively short barrels 585 mm long. They have good small shot fire over short distances and are used when hunting small feathered game with a gun dog.
The most important mechanism of the gun - the impact mechanism, or lock in traditional terminology, is equipped with mainsprings of a modern, or rather widely used design at present - they are spiral cylindrical. In fact, such springs in weapons technology have been known since the 19th century, but only in our time it was possible to create them to be durable and survivable, and Italian gunsmiths recognized them. This applies to locks in the block both on horizontal and vertical guns, since on guns with padlocks on the side plates the springs are of a different type - they are V-shaped.
Triggers on branded vertical and horizontal rifles can be of different designs - with one or two triggers. On hunting models there are mainly trigger mechanisms of the usual type with two hooks, on sports models there are mechanisms with one hook and a shot sequence switch, or with one hook acting alternately on both barrels. Of course, this is not an axiom - any trigger mechanism can be mounted on every double-barreled shotgun. The same applies to ejectors: they are required on sporting shotguns, but hunting ones can be equipped with both ejectors and conventional extractors. However, ejectors are always installed on high-category guns.
Italian gunsmiths prefer selected varieties of walnut wood for the stock and forend; Italy has its own walnut groves. And the company has the opportunity to put exquisite walnut on its guns. Moreover, it is selected so that in the neck of the stock of any gun, the layers of wood are always oriented along the longitudinal axis of the gun and thus ensure the strength of the stock. For guns of a high category, blanks with a complex contrasting wood texture are selected, and only guns of simpler categories can have straight-grained walnut, but it must be dense and contrasting.
Branded weapons undergo a full cycle of tests at the national station, located, by the way, in Gardone Val Trompia. In addition, the firing parameters of each model are checked in the company’s own shooting range; such shooting operations are usually performed by all Italian manufacturers of high-category shotguns.
Taking care of the reputation of its guns, the company gives the hunter the opportunity to expand the use of his gun for hunting through interchangeable muzzle devices with different constriction sizes. These devices, in the form of internal tubular attachments, are screwed into the barrel flush with the muzzle and allow you to hunt various game and engage in sports shooting with the same gun. Muzzle devices are currently only designed for 12- or 20-gauge shotguns.
These basic technology stages and design elements are common to any signature weapon. Otherwise, each model is individual.
Verticals
Most guns are produced with a block of vertically connected barrels. All of them are created using the same technology and differ in details for one or another model. As already noted, the main connecting part of the block is the breech coupling, which is a final processed part with side projections for hinged axle shafts in the sidewalls of the block, grooves for locking valves and extractors, and locking hooks. The side connecting strips, solid or with ventilation slots, are made profiled in length to ensure a given angle of convergence of the axes of the upper and lower trunks. The sighting bars are ventilated, with long slots and narrow intermediate supports between them.
Over/under Fausti Elegant C EL Gold with side decorative plates
All over/unders can be divided into two groups, which differ mainly in the design of the locking unit for the barrel block in the block. On guns of the first group, the most numerous, the locking is only lower - with a wide bolt that fits into a transverse groove on the breech section under the lower barrel. Given the proprietary level of quality in the fit of the breech coupling to the block, such locking is quite sufficient to withstand any shooting rhythm for many years. A serious advantage of vertical units equipped with only bottom locking is their slightly lower weight. The company classifies guns in this group as a prestigious category - indeed, the elaborate design creates the impression of a completely finished model.
Guns of the second group have top locking - a transverse flat bolt resting on two hooks in the upper part of the breech section of the barrels. When opening the barrels, the valve moves out of the block hangers to the left. This is a very reliable locking; it is not for nothing that the company uses it on its most powerful over-and-under, Fausti Volo (Volo) with chambers 89 mm long. In shotguns with top locking, everything is designed in the same style: the breech block coupling in the area of the upper barrel has a steep rollout to the block, the wide shoulders of the block are made flush with the sides of the block. This increased the area of contact between the breech cut of the barrels and the block shield, which made it possible to slightly reduce the specific load per unit of this area. As a result, guns with such locking are able to withstand large total forces encountered during shooting. Their somewhat heavy appearance can be considered to a certain extent consistent with a powerful design.
The shotguns of the first group are represented by the Fausti Leader models; they are characterized by slightly elongated shoulders of the block, emphasized by a longitudinal groove at the sides. They are easily distinguished by the outer ends of the pins at the bottom of the block. They are equipped with a conventional trigger mechanism with two triggers, but a number of guns are equipped with a mechanism with one trigger. Typical Fausti Leader ST hunting rifles are produced in 12, 16 or 20 gauge, the light-colored frame is decorated with decorative edging and images of birds or animals.
Fausti Leader SP shotguns are designed for shooting on sporting grounds. They are produced only in 12 or 20 gauge with chambers 70 mm long. These are typical sports models with a wide 10mm rib. They are equipped with a set of interchangeable muzzle devices screwed into each barrel. The Fausti Leader SP model with the additional marking Full Plated (FP) is also produced with applied decorative plates. Its barrels have certain combinations of fixed choke constrictions, for example, “poluchok-choke”, chambers with a length of 70 or 76 mm allow firing with conventional cartridges or the “magnum” category.
Fausti Elegant ST hunting rifle with a block of vertically connected barrels.
Fausti Leader EL 12-gauge sports models for Olympic shooting are produced with a chamber length of 70 mm. They are equipped with trigger mechanisms with a single trigger and differ mainly in finishing - smooth blocks with a light or black matte finish are decorated along the edges with a narrow yellow stripe. For the trench stand, the Fausti Leader Trap EL model with “three-quarter choke” and “choke” choke constrictions is intended; for the round stand, the Fausti Leader Skeet EL with cylindrical drilling of the muzzle of both barrels is intended. These models are made with 20-gauge barrel blocks as well.
Shotguns of the second group with top locking include the Fausti Elegant model. This smoothbore gun is produced in any caliber accepted by the CIP rules in modern weapons technology, from 12 to .410, including even such forgotten ones as 24 or 32 caliber. The basic model of Fausti Elegant EL is manufactured with fixed choke constrictions, often with a combination of “choke” and “choke”; replaceable choke devices are not provided. Fausti Elegant EL shotguns are also produced for all sport shooting disciplines: trench, circle and sporting. The hunting models of Fausti Elegant ST are distinguished only by a more modest finishing of the block and a simple grade of walnut on the stock and fore-end, as well as the possibility of using interchangeable muzzle devices on individual specimens.
The top-locking shotguns of the Fausti Elgioba model range are, in fact, a continuation of the Elegant series. The technical indicators are completely the same; they differ only in the unique decor of the stock and forearm - protective camouflage or colored coating.
The group of over-and-under models with top locking is completed by hunting rifles with the meaningful name Fausti Volo, which means “flight” or “flight”. The purpose of the gun is beyond doubt - shooting at extreme distances for a shotgun shot, mainly when hunting waterfowl or while flying in open areas. It is not for nothing that the 12-gauge Fausti Volo shotgun is produced with long barrels for modern weapons production - 810 mm. In addition to the basic model, the company produces Fausti Volo SL shotguns, the additional SL marking of which means the presence of side decorative plates. In the Deluxe version, the Fausti Volo and Fausti Volo SL shotguns are decorated with engraving and gold figurines of animals, birds and dogs and are equipped with an upper locking lever with a slotted pattern; the stock has a semi-pistol neck shape, rounded at the bottom.
The Fausti Volo model is produced only in the popular calibers 12, 20 and .410 with chambers 70 or 76 mm long, and 28 gauge with a chamber length of 70 mm. The Fausti Volo 12-gauge shotgun with an 89 mm chamber length is designed and intended to fire steel shot, since its nominal caliber shell fits into just such a long cartridge case along with wads, containers and spacers. It can also fire magnum cartridges loaded with larger lead shot shells, but the hunter should consider whether he can withstand shooting such powerful cartridges, since the weight of the Fausti Volo model is only slightly greater than the weight of a conventional shotgun.
Traditional horizontal lines
Trigger shotgun Fausti Classic EL Gold
Many Italian companies in recent years have turned to traditional shotguns with a block of horizontally connected barrels. The growing popularity of horizontal guns is facilitated by the fact that many hunters prefer just such guns, and over time, owners of vertical guns come to the idea of adding a gun of a classic design to their arsenal. In addition, the market is filled with verticals, and there are simply not enough horizontals.
For several years now, the company has been producing horizontal bars of two main common designs - available with locks in the block and prestigious ones with padlocks on the side plates, although in smaller quantities than vertical bars. All branded horizontal guns require mandatory bottom locking of the barrel block in the block: a double frame with two under-barrel hooks. They are equipped with a trigger mechanism with one or two triggers. A common element is the Anson system handguard with a button on the front end. On horizontal shots, the company does not provide for the use of replaceable choke devices, and the hunter should think in advance about choosing the preferred combination of choke constrictions.
The company offers Fausti Senator horizontal guns with padlocks on the side plates as prestigious, well-finished guns. The locks are complex - a traditional V-shaped combat spring is installed on the front cape of the plate in front of the hammer. Locks with such an elastic and tenacious spring are considered the most reliable, although more labor-intensive to manufacture. Without exaggeration, the Fausti Senator shotgun can be considered unique in all model ranges of the company - it was created on the basis of mass technology, although shotguns of this design are usually the prerogative of small companies that use mainly hand-held technology.
The Fausti Senator El Gold shotgun with padlocks is distinguished by good assembly and unique engraving.
The Fausti Senator model is traditional in everything: only popular calibers - 12, 16 or 20, trigger mechanism with two triggers, stock with a straight neck, narrow handguard. The same applies to the design elements: white bone-like decorative “droplets” are cut into the stock at the edge of the locking plates, and a medallion is installed on the lower ridge. It is worth noting the walnut buttplate, one of the latest trends in gun fashion. This gun is of a high grade and is decorated with hand engravings of golden bird figures, the name of the engraver usually indicated on the base of the trigger mechanism. A number of Fausti Senator shotguns are produced with a semi-pistol neck, as well as a wide beavertail forend.
The affordable Fausti Style model with locks in the block is the company’s most common horizontal model. The design of their locks almost completely copies the classic Anson-Deeley system. I would like to note a characteristic and very important detail - the extractor or ejector platforms are wide, they engage most of the cartridge case edge and thus ensure its reliable removal from the chamber. There are no restrictions in the choice of calibers; all possible ones are provided from 12-gauge to .410-gauge, although guns of 12-gauge or 20-gauge are mainly produced. By the way, the smallest shot caliber in Italy is also marked by the number of round bullets - 36th.
Mass hunting horizontal rifle Fausti Style ST with locks in the block
The two main models - Fausti Style EL and Fausti Style ST, differ mainly in the level of finishing and the type of walnut wood on the stock and forearm. In addition, there is a Fausti Style C EL model with side decorative plates, well decorated with floral patterns and hunting scenes.
The company also produces the rare 12-gauge Fausti Style Slug model, which is rare in the sense that not many companies dare to produce horizontal bars in the Slug category. It allows shooting with shot and a special bullet, and for bullet shooting, a lifting rear sight is installed on its aiming bar.
The most powerful horizontal gun is the Fausti Style Canard (Duck) model, only 12 gauge with barrels with constant choke constrictions and chambers 76 mm long. It has a “telling” name, like many other guns; in other words, this solid hunting rifle can fire magnum category shotgun cartridges at extreme distances.
The group of branded horizontal guns with locks in the block also includes the relatively new Fausti Dea model, although of a slightly higher category than the Fausti Style shotguns. The design, including the bottom locking with a double frame on two under-barrel hooks, and the calibers are the same as the previous Fausti Style model. The chambers are made, as a rule, for ordinary cartridges - their length is 70 mm, and on some examples they can be 76 mm long. The stock on the guns of this model is predominantly with a straight neck, and upon request a stock with a pistol or semi-pistol neck shape can be installed.
Fausti Style C EL Gold horizontal gun with side decorative plates on the block.
The company offers the Fausti Dea Club 28 model with only 28-caliber barrels as a special model for lovers of rare guns. Now 28-caliber shotguns are gaining popularity among hunters and sportsmen, and unique fan clubs are emerging. This is facilitated by the shot mass of 21 g or more in the 28-gauge cartridge, which is close to the modern minimum shot shell of the 12-gauge sporting cartridge, and the good sharpness of the 28-gauge shotgun. Despite the relatively small caliber, these are full-fledged hunting rifles. In honor of them, the company gave this model the independent name Fausti Dea Club 28. The barrel block is narrow, and a comfortable wide forend with a figurative and accurate name “beaver tail” is placed on it.
A special place in the company's model range is occupied by the Fausti Classic trigger with traditional triple locking: the bottom - a double frame with two under-barrel hooks and the top - a transverse bolt of the Greener system. More precisely, this Fausti Classic shotgun is equipped with a quadruple locking mechanism: at the end of the hook for the Greener system bolt there is a groove for another bolt. For almost two centuries, trigger guns have not lost their relevance and now attract the attention of both experienced hunters who consider a classic gun a must-have in their arsenal, and novice hunters seeking to purchase an unpretentious but reliable gun. Many gunsmiths have caught on to the new trend in the development of hunters' tastes and are producing guns with external hammers for sophisticated hunters and hunting weapon enthusiasts.
The Fausti Classic trigger belongs to a high category shotgun; it has many of the attributes of an expensive model, for example, a white “bone-like” “droplet”, a figured medallion on the lower ridge of the stock, or an Anson system forend with a button on the front end, as on other horizontal guns with internal triggers. All possible calibers are provided for it. The chambers correspond to modern trends: they are made for conventional cartridges with 70 mm or 76 mm long magnum cartridges.
The locks on the backing plates on the Fausti Classic trigger are installed in a well-developed design with a V-shaped combat spring behind the trigger. In fact, such locks have been known as “Liege” locks since the end of the 19th century; they were installed on trigger guns of various categories, ranging from affordable to expensive ones. The working feather of the spring is upper, and when the lock is activated, the front free end of the feather moves upward, raising the back of the ankle, on which the outer trigger is installed. The front cape of the lock plate is shortened; it only has a hole for the screw that secures the lock to the block. The screw that holds the right and left lock together is installed in the middle of the lock plate.
According to the company's rating, the Fausti Classic trigger occupies an intermediate position between the prestigious Fausti Senator horizontal trigger and the more affordable Fausti Style; the company presents it as a connection between the past, present and future.
Another prestigious trigger gun, Fausti Noblesse (Noble), is produced only in small calibers. This model became famous after the famous Italian shooter with a 28-gauge Fausti Noblesse shotgun showed results comparable only to the best achievements of athletes with 12-gauge shotguns. The company notes that this model is fully consistent with the traditions of the 19th century. Fully decorated with engraving, mainly with floral patterns in the form of vines, the gun is a high-class gun and proudly bears its name.
Self-loading
Fausti Style EL Gold side-by-side shotgun from the “Golden Collection” series The
Fausti Progress branded self-loading shotgun with a gas-operated reloading mechanism is a typical Italian self-loading rifle: the under-barrel tubular magazine is designed for four rounds, the sighting bar is ventilated, the safety button is mounted in the rear post of the trigger guard hook, the window for spent cartridges is located on the right side of the bolt box, the feed tray is installed at the bottom. The Fausti Progress model is produced only in 12 gauge, it weighs only about 3.2 kg, primarily due to the fact that the bolt box is made of light alloy Ergal 55 (Ergal), as on most Italian serial self-loaders.
It can be considered almost universal for most hunting, since its chamber is 76 mm long, and the gas release mechanism allows you to shoot not only conventional cartridges, but also magnum cartridges. The barrel is equipped with replaceable muzzle devices with different sizes of constrictions; they are easy to replace in the field, and the gun can be used not only for hunting, but also for sport shooting. The Fausti Progress shotgun is mass produced, but well assembled, finished and decorated with engraving, like any other model of the company.
Golden Collection
Over-shooter Fausti Elegant EL Gold from the “Golden Collection” series
The company tries to be present in all sectors of the arms market and for demanding hunters and lovers of exquisite hunting weapons it produces a special series of Fausti Gold Collection EL shotguns of the highest category. This series is considered prestigious, and the guns are assembled mainly using manual technology, of course from mass-produced parts. However, not all models are included in this series; as the most worthy, the company selected only the Fausti Senator EL Gold and Fausti Style EL Gold horizontals, the Fausti Elegant EL Gold and Fausti Leader EL Gold verticals, as well as the Fausti Classic EL Gold trigger.
Guns are expensive, and hand engraving is also used in the decoration. The company invites the best Italian engravers; their names are usually indicated on the lower surface of the block near the safety bracket. Craftsmen use various engraving techniques, organically combining them with gold, also engraved, figurines of birds and animals.
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Horizontal and vertical guns from Fausti Stefano, srl occupy the sector of mass hunting weapons and equipment on the national and international markets; they are permanent exhibits at specialized exhibitions. Now they are present in our market.
E.G. Kopeiko Expert opinion
Series of messages “Hunting rifles”:
Part 1 - Artistic finishing of hunting weapons Part 2 - Author's works of Oleg Moiseev ... Part 9 - "Aesthetics of hunting rifles" - analysis of the artistic value of hunting weapons Part 10 - "Aesthetics of hunting rifles" Part 11 - Fausti hunting rifles Part 12 - UNIQUE GUNS FROM THE FANZOY COMPANY Part 13 - A loud gun... Part 23 - Products for hunters from the shelves of Tsarist Russia: looking at catalogs from 1910 Part 24 - And the gift didn’t help: who made a luxuriously decorated carbine for Stalin Part 25 - 22 caliber. .
