Franchi Shotgun, Unknown, Help Please

[CamoCustom]

Hello, Im Dan from FL, I am just getting into collecting of different firearms. I am new to this site, but sure I will be on here a lot asking many questions as I can, one doesnt learn without asking right?

My grandfather recently gave this shotgun to me.....He has had it for 10+years now too.....

I am having some trouble in locating exactly what model this shotgun is. A bit of history, and what I have found:

What I KNOW: It is a Luigi Franchi-Brescia Autoloading shotgun, I know from the date code stamp that it was manufactured in 1965(XXI). From what I can tell it has NEVER been fired. There are no other markings on the barrel or receiver.

What I DONT KNOW: The actual model or name of this weapon; is it a 12g or a 20? Should i even shoot it?

 

[Birdmang]

It looks like a savage automatic 12 gauge copy or something

 

[CamoCustom]

Did savage produce them under the Franchi name?

 

[ArmedBear]

It should be easy enough to figure out if it's a 12 or a 20. Try to stick a 12 Gauge shell in it.

It's a Franchi 48, a long-recoil action like a Browning Auto 5. It looks like a 12 to me, because it has a relatively large receiver and an angled trigger assembly. Should be easy to find info on it. It's still being made, with a few changes, but only in subgauges.

http://www.franchiusa.com/firearms/48al.php

 

[CamoCustom]

Well, thank you armedbear.

I did see that model, just was thrown off by certain things, and I understand mine was made long time ago, and the newer ones have new mods on them..... About the shell trick, great idea, I just dont have any shells This is my FIRST shotgun, so be gentle! Did they make the 48 in 1965?

 

[chevyforlife21]

yes they did make it in 65

 

[ArmedBear]

They did make it in 1965, and Franchi 48 fans think they made them better than they do now.

Here's where you can find out more about it than you ever wanted to know, as well as maintenance and cleaning instructions: http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=78

 

[JWF III]

Franchi 48 AL (the AL may be a later sub-model). They are only made in 20 and 28 gauges now. If it was made in 1965 then it could be 12 gauge. They quit making the 12s in the mid 90s IIRC. The gauge should be marked on the barrel somewhere (usually the left side closer to the reciever). Or ask your grandfather.

If you can't find it marked anywhere, remove the barrel (for safety reasons) and see if a 12 ga. shell will fit in the chamber. If it doesn't, try a 16 (don't know if they were ever produced in 16 but better safe than sorry), then 20 and 28. The first one that fits will be the correct shell.

Or you can mic the bore of the barrel, but that takes some special tools that many people don't have.

Or better yet, take it to a gunsmith and have them look it over real good. I'd say it's safe to shoot. But not having it in hand it's hard to make that call.

Wyman

BTW, nice gun there. I love mine, it's a dream to carry for upland birds. Nice and lite.


ETA- Dang I must be a slow typer. 4 posts while I was typing my one.

 

[ArmedBear]

If it was made in 1965 then it could be 12 gauge.

Right.

Note that the subgauge receiver bottom is flat:

The 12 Gauge has the angle towards the wrist, to keep the trigger pull from getting too long with the larger receiver. See the picture above. That's why I am almost sure it's a 12 Gauge.

Anyway, this is the Shotgunworld Franchi Forum, and these guys know a lot. http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=78 There are stickies with diagrams and instructions for how to clean it.

 

[CamoCustom]

Sweet, thank you all. Like i said, I am pretty sure there is no other markings on the barrel, I will triple check when I get home tonight, because I am the type of person that likes to know what I am dealing with here......you know? gotta know all I can about something!

Thanks again.....

 

[ArmedBear]

The Franchi forum guys will know where to look, if there are obscure markings. In 1965, guns didn't even need serial numbers.

On some older guns, you have to disassemble them to find the markings on the barrel that indicate bore, choke, etc.

Back then, they cared about aesthetics. Now, they care more about liability, and write everything in big ugly letters on top of the barrel.

 

[natman]

Franchi 48 AL (the AL may be a later sub-model). They are only made in 20 and 28 gauges now. If it was made in 1965 then it could be 12 gauge.....

Or you can mic the bore of the barrel, but that takes some special tools that many people don't have.

A 12 ga is roughly .73 inch in diameter, almost 3/4".

A 20 ga is just over .6" or a bit over 1/2". You should be able to tell the difference with a tape measure. Or a dime.

I would be surprised if the barrel weren't marked somewhere.

 

[CamoCustom]

Yea, Im almost positive its a 12, I just wanted to be absolutely sure before firing it of course! I put it next to an old eastern arms(stevens arms) 12 gauge break action, the barrels are pretty much the same diameter from what my eyes see, I will measure to be sure.

 

[ArmedBear]

I think it's a pretty safe bet that it's not a 10 Gauge, which is the only thing a 12 Gauge shell would fit into other than a 12.

It is dangerous to shoot a smaller shell than a gun is made for, so start with 12. If it's a 20, the shell won't fit.

 

[Tim the student]

+1 on the AL 48.

A gun store has one near me, and I'm so close to buying it, but I can't bring myself to cough up $350 (It's even the Black Magic -oooooooohhhh) for a gun I don't really "need".

The only negative thing I have heard about them is about the recoil - not something you want to shoot clays with all day, but great to hunt with.

 

[1KPerDay]

Hi Dan, your grandfather gave you a great gun. I have one just like it.

The barrel will be marked underneath with one or more stars or asterisks *** which will tell you the choke.

It may be a magnum but that should be marked somewhere. I'll take a look at mine when I get home and see if I can find any other marks.

You remove the barrel by:

1. make double sure it's unloaded. These have an automatic magazine cutoff so you won't be able to unload the mag by racking the bolt back. Put it on safe, pull the bolt handle to the rear until it locks, inspect the chamber. Close the bolt using the silver button on the left side of the receiver. Watch your fingers.
2. Press up on the silver elevator/magazine lever thingy on the bottom of the receiver; you may have to press the silver bolt release button on the left side of the receiver. I can't remember right now.
3. look and feel into the magazine and make sure there are no rounds there. If there are, you have to press the shell catch to the side and allow one round at a time to slip out of the magazine. You can see what you need to press by looking at it.
once it's unloaded...
4. Lock the bolt to the rear again. Put the butt on the ground. Take a firm grasp on the barrel and push it toward the receiver to take the pressure off the forend cap. (the barrel recoils into the receiver, don't freak out.)
5. unscrew the magazine cap. There's a detent ball and it will click for the first couple of turns.
6. remove the mag cap and the forend.
7. Slowly allow the barrel to spring forward out of the receiver.

Assembly is the reverse.

DO NOT allow the bolt to slam forward without the barrel in place.

99% it's a 12 gauge "hunter" model.

Carries great, very light.

You may want a recoil pad on it if you shoot it a lot.

 

[CamoCustom]

Thanks for the Advice 1kperday.....I was unable to get the mag. cap unscrewed though.

I did measure the barrel and it was close to 3/4" so I would safely assume that this is a 12 gauge.

 

[1KPerDay]

It may be that the mag cap was torqued really tight... give it a good twist (lefty loosie as usual) and it should come off. You can loosen it without pushing in the barrel... just hold onto the barrel really well as you unscrew it or the barrel/forend will shoot out and may surprise you. It's under considerable tension.

BTW you do have to press the button to move the lifter up, and the shell catch is on the right side inside the receiver. My barrel has some italian stuff including something like "superkromato" or something and 3 stars, which IIRC is medium choke. And a bunch of proof marks and a number (which on mine doesn't match the serial number stamped into the bottom of the receiver in front of the loading port.)

 

[CamoCustom]

I tried again...its not moving, I even tried with my rubber lobstering gloves :| and nothing, not even a budge. Very discouraging, i dont want to take something that I can do myself to somebody and pay them to do so.

 

[conhntr]

make a bunch of different sized lead balls. get on that just fits in the barrel then count up how many balls=1pound easiest way to find the gauge.

 

[1KPerDay]

Yeah, that's positively easy.

Camo, try some chan-l-lok pliers with a strip of leather padding the jaws. Man that sucker must be really on there.

 

[CamoCustom]

On my way home today, I am going to grab a strap wrench to hopefully turn it loose. and THEN we can find out what choke, etc etc.

While I got you here , this is our first shotgun, along with the 2 break actions we received too. ( I am only 26, married with a wife that loves to shoot and learn as much as me) I probably wont use this for hunting, but for shooting instead, what do the different chokes mean? I know Rifles, semi-auto pistols, and paintball guns, But not Shotguns. Shot them before, but it was all set up for me

 

[Tim the student]

The choke size is how tight the muzzle of the shotgun is. On most newer guns, they have removable choke tubes that screw in and out of the barrel. On older guns, they are not removable, and the barrel is set at that particular diameter.

A tighter choke will shoot a tighter pattern, and a looser choke will shoot a more open pattern. That is, a tighter choke will put more pellets into a smaller area at a given distance, and in a looser one, the shot will put the pellets into a larger area at the same distance (shooting the same rounds that is). The pellets will start to spread out as soon as they get past the choke, and the choke helps to control if they will spread out a lot, or not so much.

The looser chokes are cylinder, skeet, and improved cylinder.

Modified is kind of a happy medium.

Full is at the tighter end of the spectrum.

There are other chokes that are out there, but these are the "normal" ones.

A tighter choke is generally used for shooting things farther away, and a looser choke is usually used for shooting things that are closer.

Does that kind of make sense?

ETA: Does your barrel have any other markings on it? Like little marks towards the muzzle? Does it say anything at all on the barrel? There are guys here that are really familiar with that shotgun, and may be able to tell you what choke it is. Pics would be best.

 

[CamoCustom]

Makes total sense. The choke controls the spray, to either be a close spread, or an more open spread(for faster birds and game I would guess) Thanks, that really makes sense now.

 

[Tim the student]

Good.

Just remember that everything is at a given distance. A full choke will always be tighter than a skeet choke at the same distance.

Sometimes tighter chokes are better for birds at longer distance though, because the pellets will continue to spread out, so at 50 yards, you will have a good pattern to be able to kill a bird with, and with an improved cylinder at 50 yards, you will probably have a lot of holes in the pattern where no pellets are, and the pellets that are there might not be sufficeint to actually kill a bird.

A full choke at 10 yards might not be so good on the same bird though, because you might miss completely, and if you do hit it, you might destroy all the meat.

Does that help?