Where has Euro Arms gone?

[Digger Odell]

Hi folks!!

What has happened to Euro Arms? I understand that they closed their doors.
They had one of the most popular Model 1861 Muskets that was approved by many of the reenacting groups & sought after by many smoke pole shooters.
Has any one heard what is going on with them?

Just wondering!!
Thanks.
Digger

 

[Buzzard II]

Pedersoli bought up what was left of the company. Don't expect the prices to be reasonable anymore either. If you can find a Euro Arms that you want, buy it now. Pedersoli does make quality guns, though.

 

[Skinny 1950]

The Italians are good at producing replicas of classic American guns, in order to bring them in to the country they had to be stamped with the importers name.
I have 2 guns with this stamping on it. I think they are no longer in business.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Chiappa Arms is supposed to have guns that don't need work. Link However, check with the N-SSA folks.

 

[Noz]

Pedersoli makes some trash too.

 

[rio nueces]

Chiappa Arms is supposed to have guns that don't need work. Link However, check with the N-SSA folks.

That's a very good link, thanks. Kudos to Chiappa. Wish they had posted prices, but I guess they have the usual prices - "more than I have to spend".
I liked the short Zouave they feature, non-historical, but I like it. Odd that it's offered in a rifled AND a smoothbore. I don't get it - they should have offered the Model 1842 (a smoothbore .69) in a short barrel. A bigger bore that suits a shotgun better, and more historical also (many were cut down).
Now THAT would almost make me go to the bank.

 

[Digger Odell]

Thanks folks for the responses.

One of my boys is thinking about getting involved with the reenacting groups. So he has been looking around for the recommended weapons, which Euro Arms Model 1861 Springfield or the one made by Armi Sport being preferred.
The Euro Arms inventories seem to have dried up. So it aroused my curiosity, prompting the post.
Again thanks for the help.
Aren't guns fun!!

Digger

 

[AlexanderA]

If you want a new 1861 Springfield repro today, you have only one choice: Armi Sport (=Armi Chiappa). The owner, Chiappa, has made it clear in interviews that he prefers to maintain a price point rather than make efforts to improve authenticity. He's also made it clear that he considers Cowboy Action Shooters his bread and butter, and not Civil War buffs. He considers the Civil War reenacting/skirmishing hobby to be in decline, and not worth further capital investment on his part.

You might want to read the following thread (it has a lot of valuable information).

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?5481-Euroarms-vs-Armi-Sport

I have had all of these repros over the years, and to me, the most authentic was the one made by Miroku of Japan. There may be a few of these still left in kit form at Dixie Gun Works. It might be worth checking with them.

All that having been said, none of the repros can compare, on close inspection, to the originals.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

We are about to hit the 150Th anniversary of Gettysburg, and the manufacturer thinks civil war re-enacting is in decline. Other thhan 30 seconds on the news and some stamps from the post office I have neither heard nor read of any increased interest in the civil war.

In a way that says something tragic about American's knowledge and regard for their own history.

 

[Phantom Captain]

There's a lot of us still out there doing it. And actually the 150th cycle is showing renewed interest. My unit has picked up three new recruits this year. The 150th anniversary of 1st Bull Run (1st Manassass for you southern types, ) is in a couple weeks and from last I heard there are over 12,000 reenactors registered, my unit being one of them.

Now back on topic, Euroarms was bought out by Pedersoli and yes, I'm sure, the prices will rise because of it, however the quality might improve too. I have a Pedersoli 1861 Springfield which I love and which is a great shooter, I don't use that one for reenacting though. It's a designated shooter only.

S&S Firearms did buy up all the Euroarms part inventory so if you ever need parts they are the ones to contact. I just bought a sear spring from them to repair one of my guy's musket.

 

[AlexanderA]

We are about to hit the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg, and the manufacturer thinks civil war re-enacting is in decline. Other than 30 seconds on the news and some stamps from the post office I have neither heard nor read of any increased interest in the civil war.

In a way that says something tragic about American's knowledge and regard for their own history.

My gut feeling, having been there, is that interest in the Civil War was higher during the 125th anniversary cycle of events. Keep in mind that in 1986-89 we weren't engaged in major foreign wars. Reenactments (and war toys) tend to ebb when there are real wars going on. It's felt, for example, that the original GI Joe action figure craze died out as the Vietnam war heated up.

 

[Hocka Louis]

I didn't know about Euro Arms -- so they don't exist anymore. Shame. Not sure what that means to their and Pedersoli, who makes great stuff, models for the near future...

I think Ken Burns' Civil War has kept the civil War in our mind's eye alot longer than it otherwise would have been. I hope the 150th's build some stronger participation -- wait, it should. Like the Rev. War. 225th anniversaries -- and that was EIGHT years long!!!

 

[AlexanderA]

Even if interest in Civil War reenacting is greater for the 150th anniversary events than it was for the 125th, that doesn't mean that demand for new reproduction CW rifles will be as high. The attrition rate for guns is low. As old reenactors leave the hobby, and new ones take their places, the oldsters' guns get sold or passed to the new participants. This is particularly true now, because of economic considerations. In 1986-89, there were a lot of "virgin" reenactors needing "virgin" rifles. Not so today. I think Mr. Chiappa is right that for his industry, CW guns are a declining market while Cowboy Action Shooting is an ascending market.

 

[arcticap]

That's probably true but reenacting old battles with muskets is a world wide endeavor. There's a lot of reenacting occurring throughout Europe, including in Eastern Europe where many old important battles are played out in countries where owning BP firearms weren't previously allowed and where only authentic types of reproduction guns are now free to be legally owned relatively unrestricted.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Since Euroarms is gone and absorbed by Perdesoli,

Here's a thread in praise of progressive depth, 1:48 five groove rifling. Pay particular attention to the discussion in the first post about the reproductions and the twist rate used by each Italian manufacturer: Link