Steel Franchi 48 help needed

[meh92]

I recently picked up a steel Franchi recoil-operated 12 ga. shogun. The gun looks very similar to a model 48AL, but the receiver is steel, not aluminum. The gun is in excellent condition and has more external scratches/dings than internal wear. The innards were heavily coated in grease when I got it and there isn't a spec of rust anywhere on the gun. It appears to have been stored along with other guns and banged around a bit, but not shot very much at all. The proof markings on the receiver date to 1965. The gun has a 26" Imp choked VR barrel with a single bead and a 2.75" chamber. The furniture is dinged up a bit, but not cracked or chipped and overall in very good condition. The gun was $150 and the seller threw in cleaning supplies for free.

The serial number is 1309XX.

Is this a model 48? Were steel 48's (assuming that is the model I have) common? Are they particularly valuable as more than just a shooter?

Does anyone have a factory owner's manual with recommendations for oiling and setting the friction rings for different loads?

Any help and information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[meh92]

range test

I gave it a thorough cleaning today. Prectically the entire gun was packed with old grease. A half hour in the untrasonic got everything nice and clean. Afterwards everything got doused with Rem-Oil to displace cleaner, and then wiped/blown dry. The friction surfaces got a few drops of FP-10. The magazine tube got just a very light coating of FP-10.

I started off with 10 shots of Winchester 00 buck and the rings set for heavy loads. The gun worked flawlessly. Then I switched to mixed field loads ranging in shot size from 5 to 9, high brass and low brass, plastic and paper. Everything ran through perfectly on the heavy setting. I switched to the light load ring setting for a few of the field loads and the recoil was noticibly sharper. I'll keep the rings set for heavy. I didn't bring any target loads but I'll give them a try next time out.

I had read that the Browning system was brutal in the recoil department. The gun only has a plastic butt plate and I was wearing light clothing (no jacket), so I expected the worst. I fired about 40 shots, including buck, and didn't really notice it being particularly nasty. I'll still be installing a Decelerator or Limbsaver pad eventually for all-day shoots, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.

Overall I really like the gun. It's a keeper.

I'd still love to know if steel Franchi's are common.

 

[JohnBT]

Looks like a nice gun. I'd never touched a Franchi until last Wednesday when I looked at a new 28 ga. 48AL. Now I'm interested in them for some strange reason - like I need a 5-pound autoloading 28 throwing 15-cent empties in the weeds.

Anyway, looking at the '67 Shooter's Bible, it appears you have a Dynamic-12 Shotgun/Heavyweight 12 Gauge Automatic. Introduced in Feb., 1965. Identical to the Standard Weight except for the steel receiver and the parts do interchange. The Standard Model averages 6#4oz., the Dyanmic-12 averages about 7#8oz. depending on barrel length.

Available in popular barrel lengths and chokes and it has a chrome-lined bore.

List prices (I was making $1.15 an hour at McD's in D.C. in '67)

Plain barrel = $169.95
Vent rib = $196.95
Skeet gun = $236.95
Slug gun = $196.95

They also made a Superange Model with a 3" chamber and a similar Waterfowler Model that was engraved and had the barrel bored with an extra-full choke. The 12 ga. guns were made "...entirely from steel alloys" and both had recoil pads. $208 for one and $249 for the other.

FWIW, the lighter Standard Model was $186.95 with a vent rib. The Imperial Grade, the same gun with top-of-the-line engraving and such, was $1200.

Well, heck, I learned something new today and I've had this book since 1967.

John

 

[meh92]

JohnBT,

Thank you for the info. You are the first person on several forums to come up with an answer for me! I appreciate the effort.

 

[JohnBT]

You're welcome.

JT