Guns International #: 102150180
Seller's Inventory #: 22-009

Category - Famars Abbiatico & Salvinelli Shotguns - Shotguns - Italian Double

Category
Famars Abbiatico & Salvinelli Shotguns
Shotguns - Italian Double

Abbiatico & Salvinelli (Famars)

Description:
SOLD  ** Abbiatico & Salvinelli (Famars) “ExcaliburBL EXTRA Special Finish” 12ga – 29” 5 Briley chokes – Mint

ABBIATICO & SALVINELLI (FAMARS*) “EXCALIBUR BL EXTRA Special Finish” Sporting Clays, SABATTI engraved

If you have a Perazzi and want to upgrade, this is the perfect choice. Also with a removable trigger group, this is a truly handmade Italian shotgun built by a “best gun” maker. When I first acquired this gun, I immediately compared it to my Perazzi SC3.  The wood to metal fit is much better on the Excalibur and when I compared the disassembled parts, the Excalibur has tighter tolerances with parts much more finely polished than those on my Perazzi. This Excalibur is like a Perazzi SC3 on steroids.

Description:
Abbiatico & Salvinelli, (FAMARS*) Gardone Val Trompia, Brescia Italy: Serial Number F0151, 12 Bore Excalibur “Extra” Sporting Model with special finish ordered with 29" Vent Rib Monobloc Ejector barrels, .729" (18.5mm) bores with wide file-cut cross-hatched ventilated top rib and ventilated mid rib.  The “Extra” grade is an upgrade and accounts for the ornamental engraving, the #4 Turkish walnut, the leather covered recoil pad and the leather presentation case; however, this one was special ordered with a combination of color case-hardened receiver with blued components: removable trigger group, safety and action lever.

Barrels are choked with 5 factory Briley thin-set Chokes at Full, Full, IM, Mod, and IC with 2 3/4" chambers and are fully interchangeable between barrels.

Action and the metal:
The Excalibur action uses the locking system that mounts the barrels low in the action on stub pins, a takeoff of the famous Boss design. There are two locking bolts in the breech face that catch the barrel lugs just under the ejectors. On the inside of the receiver, there are other locking lugs are on the sides, two on each side.  This is a state-of-the-art combination of the best engineering of both Boss and Perazzi, here in one best-made gun.  Features include open forcing cones, a polished removable trigger group, automatic ejectors, a single selective trigger, and a manual safety.

The underside is engraved “Excalibur BL” and shows sidewall engraving of small English scrolls in six areas on each side; seven areas on top of the receiver, the fences and action lever; nine areas on the bottom of the receiver and the trigger bow; and border engraving on all separations executed and signed by the famous Italian Master Engraver L. Sabatti.  The company name, FAMARS, is inscribed in small font on both sides of the receiver and the upper barrel on the left side is inscribed, FAMARS – ITALY, in script.

Wood:
Just look at the incredible figure of the stock and forearm, made of Turkish Walnut Number 4 -- exceptional character – emblazoned figure with strong colors of contrasting dark streaks.  It is designed with a game style forend with finger channels, classic pistol grip stock, and slight cast-off for the right hand. Checkering is hand-checkered at 28 lpi and is generous with five-point wrap-around on the forearm, and full coverage panels on the grip, executed perfectly. Measurements are 14 5/8” (over a quality 1” leather-covered recoil pad) x 1 1/2 x 2 1/4 ", Weight, 7 lbs.11 oz.

Accessories: It is cased in its factory fitted leather trunk case. For a long extended life of sporting fun, it includes extra mainsprings and firing pins in a FARMARS’ custom case, plus documents housed in a leather pocket which includes FAMARS’ Certificate showing the serial number and Model name as “Excalibur Extra” with factory salient data. Also included are: a Briley choke case, a Briley wrench, and two nickel snap caps.

According to the Blue Book, “Currently FAMARS manufactures the following O/U shotguns: Leonardo, Poseidon, Excalibur and Sportivo...”  and of the Excalibur, the basic grade is the Excalibur Sporting, and there are three upgrades, the first upgrade, the “Extra,” which is the gun being described here, jumps significantly in price over the basic Sporting model. Again, the Blue Book states, “The Extra Grade is English scroll, with quality #4 wood and a leather case.” 

Condition: Although built a few years ago, this is a virtually a NEW gun. The case-colored receiver is engraved in the “Extra” pattern which includes coverage of English scroll, tastefully engraved, and signed by the Master Engraver, “L. Sabatti.”

This model is offered new today at basic price of $32,000 for the basic Sporting Excalibur with little figure and no engraving. For their “Extra” it increases to $37,500 which includes Quality 4 Fancy wood and 40% English scroll engraving…Add $3,250 more for the special order treatment of the case color and blued parts combination, for a total of $40,750.00

SOLD ** Although this gun is in uncirculated condition with all the bells and whistles, it is priced here to sell at less than half the cost of a new one -- $21,750...an extremely good deal.

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 $75 to buyer’s FFL, payment by MO, certified check , wire transfer or personal check on hold for validation.
For questions, call (808) 989-1863 and ask for Roger.

*About the Maker: “FAMARS”is an abbreviation that stands for (Fabricated Arms of Marlo Abbiatico and Remo Salvinelli). Since 1967, Abbiatico & Salvinelli have manufactured some of the world’s finest rifles and shotguns – approximately 100 fabricated annually according to the The Blue Book of Gun Values. The article goes on to state “All A&S FAMARS shotguns incorporate a patented A&S FAMARS mechanism and are available in Hunting, Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, and Pigeon configurations.” 

In their book, Gamefield Classics, published 2008, the authors devote an entire chapter to Abbiatico & Salvinelli entitled, “Incomparable Italian,” and stating, “The genius of gunmakers Abbiatico & Salvinelli can be found in much more than exquisite engraving.”
In that chapter, they write…

”total output is only about sixty guns and rifles each year and that includes the SO9 Berettas that A&S makes under contract for the big company down the street. No wonder that the workshop has a quiet air about it. No one’s in a hurry, certainly not their master engravers, who work in a small side room off the shop.”

In 2012, the factory moved to a new and bigger location, but remain in Gardone, Italy.  At the time, their contracts with their previous US distributors were closed and the company set up FAMARS, USA, located in Richmond, Rhode Island to handle all their US sales. From their new factory, their guns are still hand-made, but they have increased their output which is now more than 100 annually.

When I first heard about A&S FAMARS, I asked experienced clay target shooters at my club about this maker. The general consensus was that A&S Excalibur shotgun is a step above Perazzi’s.  I don’t know if either of the companies would agree with that, as it seems Perazzi’s do very well in competition.  But, what I learned is, if you want a competition gun with a little finer fit, with more handwork and attention to detail, then the Excalibur fills that bill.

When I asked a custom gunmaker in the ACGG what he thought of them, his answer was, “Just compare the drop-out trigger mechanism in a Perazzi with one from an Excalibur, and you will be amazed at how much more polishing (hand-polishing) has been done to the Excalibur.”
 

SOLD