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F.lli Rizzini Extra Lusso BLE 12 Ga. 26" bls, ST, A Best Boxlock, New in Case Guns International #: 102474071 Seller's Inventory #: 23-011 Category: F.lli. Rizzini Shotguns - Shotguns - Italian Double Seller's Information When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com Seller: rcrwin70 Member Since: 9/26/07 First Name: Roger State: Hawaii Country: United States Platinum Seller Number of Active Listings: 1 Seller: Private Seller Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns. 3 days Payment Types Accepted: cashiers check or money order or pay pal plus 3% Description: SOLD ** F.lli Rizzini Extra Lusso BLE 12 Ga., 26” bls, ST, A Best Boxlock, New in Case Description: F.lli Rizzini (The Brothers Rizzini) of Val Trompia, Italy, has been building Best Guns since 1971, as first imported by Abercrombie & Fitch when A&F carried lines of high-end guns.  This is an Anson & Deeley boxlock ejector side by side double, 12 gauge, choked Modified (left) and Skeet (right), perfectly choked for driven birds. It is a best gun. This Extra Lusso Quality is not to be confused with the guns branded Zoli-Rizzini. After that partnership dissolved in early 1971 the Rizzini Brothers without Zoli, formed their Company known today as F.lli Rizzini (Brothers Rizzini) and continued to build only Best Quality shotguns as the industry knows today. Simply by examining the quality of the gun, we don’t need to see that the water table inscribed XX8 for 1972 and F.lli Rizzini which otherwise readily distinguish this is the work of this great best maker (see below) and imported by Abercrombie & Fitch which at the time was the only Importer for F.lli Rizzini. Import requirements dictate that the distributor engrave its name on the barrels. This is the quintessential Italian boxlock ejector system, the same action that nearly all the Italian makers, including Luciano Bosis, adopt for their boxlock action.* With 2 3/4” chambers, the 26” (66 cm) steel ejector demi-bloc barrels are fitted with a tapered level hand-filed matted rib with a single front silver bead. Features include a Boss non-selective single trigger, the tried and true Purdey double underlug locking system, automatic ejectors, cocking indicators, and an automatic safety.  The receiver is mated to the stock with a scalloped fancy back (perfectly inletted) and notice in the photos how the wood is inlaid into the action on angle, both above and below receiver, instead of merely butting up to it. With deep blue chopper lump barrels, the receiver is finished with the maker’s pleasing case-hardening colors and is fully engraved with gorgeous ornamental scrolls with a small blend of floral, with small triangles of engraving on the breech end of the barrels. In addition to the engraving, the fences are incredibly deep chiseled and carved with oak leaves and the top lever is not only pierced but also intricately shaped with a rose in the pattern.  This may be a boxlock but it is truly a best gun. The joining, shaping and finishing of this gun was done entirely by hand with the utmost attention to detail. Both the water table and the barrel flat are inscribed: “F.lli Rizzini” for Fratelli Rizzini. Stock: The stock is shaped with a classic comb, a popular Prince of Wales semi-pistol grip with rounded knob and a semi-beavertail forearm with an inletted Anson release button. It also has panels with drop points or tear drops which is a pleasing design emulating the popular boxlock design of Lindner for his Prussian Charles Daly. The wood is Turkish walnut with rich marble-cake figure on left side planned in the correct area for display but chosen for the grain in the right direction for strength through the pistol grip. Similarly, this worked out for the right side as well with parallel fancy dark streaks (tiger-stripes) running from the pistol grip to the butt. Even with the pistol grip, the maker chose to extend the tang with a meticulous inlay and a two-screw tie down and included an inlaid gold oval for the owner’s initials (which is vacant awaiting owner’s initials). All screws are engraved. While the checkering patterns are classic English, hand-executed with two point patterns on the grip, coming together in a design over the wrist and fully-wrapping around forearm, look closely at their execution. Notice the spear heads where the points meet. Checkering is 32 lpi very fine and perfectly executed. Who can do this? The distinguished maker Purdey of London doesn’t even do this. Fratelli Rizzini is one of the few and rare makers that can. The butt is hand checkered also. Dimensions: DAC 1 ½” DAH 2 ½”  and LOP 14 3/8” with ¼” cast off for the right hand shooter. Weight is 6 lb, 9 oz. Condition: Near Perfect. It is tight as new, the barrels ring with an excellent chime and the bores and chambers are new. You would never know this gun manufactured in 1972 -- you will not find a nicer, higher quality boxlock anywhere. And finding it with its near new A&F case with A&F snap caps is like opening up a time capsule, how many can still be found in this mint condition with all accessories? It may be unique. Price: $7,450.00 in this rare, uncirculated, and 100% complete disposition.  New Reduced Price $6,450.00 Seller is the author of The Rifleman’s Rifle (Winchester pre-64 Model 70s) and will furnish a Letter of Provenance that this gun is from his collection.  Please check out author’s feedback on ebay under rcrwin70roger.  3-day non-firing inspection for full refund, shipping is $60 to buyer’s FFL, payment by MO or certified check or wire transfer. For questions, call Roger 808-989-1863 Hawaii time zone. *from The Italian Gun by Smith and Morrow, Luciano Bosis p.130 **F.lli Rizzini has been building Best Guns since 1971, this is Extra Lusso Quality. About the maker: F.lli Rizzini, via X Giornate, 9 – 25063 Gardone, VT, Italy, located in the heart of the well-known “firearms district” of Val Trompia, the mecca of the best Italian gunmakers. F.lli is an abbreviation for Fratelli and the name Fratelli Rizzini translates to the Rizzini Brothers, and there were five of them when they started. They also started with Renaldo Zoli in the sixties and when he retired, two brothers took on their own name exclusively, Guido and Amelio, as F.lli Rizzini.               What’s in a name?  According to William Larkin Moore in his interview with the authors of The Italian Gun (Smith and Morrow), when asked if Piotti was on par with Purdey, Moore stated, “I’d rank Piotti as one of the best gunmakers in the world, the others, of course, being Purdey, Holland & Holland, Fabbri, F.lli Rizzini, and Luciano Bosis in Italy (pp 153-154).             Later in the book, in the chapter entitled F.lli Rizzini, the authors state, “No Italian gunmaker is the best. There are three: Ivo Fabbri, F.lli Piotti and F.lli Rizzini (p.156). The authors go on to explain that Amelio Rizzini is the craftsman (an incredible craftsman) and Guido Rizzini is the inventor, having patented many improvements for sidelock guns and his removable inspection plate.             The authors further explain that some gunmakers are guild makers and some are handmade gunmakers. They put Bertuzzi, Purdey, and Holland & Holland in the class of guild makers, while Fabbri, Bosis, F.lli Rizzini are handmade gunmakers.             The few Italian guild and handmade gunmakers that qualify together as best gunmakers, typically build three models: an Anson & Deeley Boxlock Ejector side by side with a fancy back, a Holland & Holland sidelock ejector model for their side by side and the amazing Boss over and under for their sidelock stacked barrel models. (Fabbri builds only over and unders today). Any of these three models are best guns when made by these best gun makers.  The exceptions are F.lli Rizzini which makes additional models using Guido’s own patents, and Beretta, as a high production company, also has a special custom department that is in this ilk of best gunmakers with their Beretta Gran Lusso, ASE, SO9, and SO10 along with their in-house engraving department comprised of superstar engravers. From F.lli Rizzini’s : “Our guns are entirely made in our workshop for one simple reason: to have control over product quality. Remember that even for a small number of shotguns precision machines are needed. And consider that machines' work is followed by 1000 hours of hand work. A fine shotgun is not made to gather dust in a gun rack. It must be used to fully appreciate its beauty and to be used it must function perfectly. Each single part of a fine gun must be perfectly made, fitted and polished. This can be achieved only through a slow painstaking process, requiring highly skilled handwork. The true value of a best gun is revealed by inspecting it from the inside.” About the distributor, Abercrombie & Fitch: David Abercrombie founded an upscale sporting goods store on Madison Avenue in New York in 1892.  Eight years later, an admiring customer and businessman, Ezra Fitch, bought into the company. It did well from the beginning and by 1917, they occupied all 12 floors of a 12-story building on Madison Avenue & East 45th Street.             In 1928, under new management, A&F acquired Von Lengerke & Detmold (VL&D), a well-respected New York dealer of fine European-made sporting guns. They expanded and opened a store in Chicago. Two years later they purchased Griffin & Howe, an upscale rifle maker and gunsmith who would re-locate near A&F’s New York building fulfilling orders for custom rifles. A large shooting range was in the basement of the 12-story building.  The 7th floor was the gun room with then hundreds of shotguns and rifles surrounded by trophy game heads.  The 8th floor was entirely devoted to camping, boating and fishing equipment.             Adding to Griffin &Howe Mauser-based rifles, A&F offered high-end Mannlicher Schoenauers. They carried American made shotguns including A.H. Fox but because of the acquisition of VL&D much of their inventory came from their European sporting guns. Staying with highest quality, their inventory included J.P. Sauer drillings, Francotte Bests and Browning Superposeds from Belgium,  and later from Italy, high-end shotguns from Beretta and F.lliRizzini.             In the 1950s, the main floor of the 12-story building was remodeled and game heads of North American big game were added, Buffalo (Bison), Moose, Elk, Caribou and several types of other deer.             In the late 70’s, poor management began to take its toll, and the company was sold to Oshman’s who tried to revive the quality name. In 1979, A&F opened several satellite stores with one in Beverly Hills, Dallas Texas, and other prominent cities.  During that time, it was said that they had elephant guns selling for $40,000 which would be a hundred thousand or more today. They carried several double rifles: Francotte Best, Webley & Scott, among others and those were offered in calibers of 9.3x74R, .375H&H, ,.416 Rigby, 470 NE, and 577 NE, to name a few.             This ownership didn’t work out well and in 1988, the company sold again and the new owner dropped all sporting lines except fashion.  Entering the 21st Century, A&F had become the 6th most recognizable brand to teenagers between Nintendo and Levi’s.             Today, there are gun collectors who collect any gun inscribed with Abercrombie & Fitch on their barrels. GunsInternational has set up a separate category for them. Just like in A&F’s heyday, you couldn’t go wrong buying a gun from them then, and you can’t go wrong today buying one marked “Abercrombie & Fitch,” especially if it is in collectible condition.   SOLD Shotgun Gauge: 12 Gauge Manufacturer: F.lli Rizzini Model: Extra Lusso Barrel Length: 26 Chambers: 2 3/4 Ejectors: yes Condition: New Metal Condition: New Wood Condition: New Bore Condition: New Action: Boxlock Ejector Triggers: Single Stock Dimensions: 14 3/8 x 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 Stock Comb: 1 1/2 Stock Heel: 2 1/2 Stock Cast: 1/4 off for right hand Fore End: Beavertail Butt Pad: hand checkered LOP: 14 3/8 Rib: tapered hand-filed Finish: Color case Weight: 6lb 9oz Manufacture Date: 1972 Choke Left: modified Choke Right: skeet Engraving: 100% action Case: Original A&F leather trunk