I posted a pic of this Piotti shotgun a couple weeks ago. I wanted to post some more pics today just so we could drool some more over this incredible SxS.
This hammergun was made by Fratelli Piotti. Steve Barnett has it on his website now. The gun was engraved by Mario Terzi, and it’s a two barrel set. Both are 30″. It’s a heavy-ish gun (7lbs, 14ozs), and it has a high, long stock: 1 7/16″ x 2″, LOP 15″. Judging by these specs and the fat, file-cut rib, it was probably built for competitive shooting — possibly live pigeons.
Hammerguns used to be the only guns. But in 1870s, their successors appeared on the market. By the end of the 19th century, boxlocks and hammerless sidelocks ruled and hammerguns were disappearing. By World War 1, the they were pretty much gone from the sporting gun scene. Except for special-order models like these Purdey ejectors coming up at Holt’s and cheap, utility grades, hammerguns were gone.
In the late ’60s, the Italian maker Abbiatico & Salvinelli revived hammerguns. Their self-cocking Castore hammergun with coin finishes and lush engraving put an Italian stamp on these doubles. Collectors were interested, and eventually more Italian makers started building these guns.
Fratelli Piotti was started in the early ’60s by Araldo and Faustino Piotti. Today, the firm employs around 14 people and uses a combination of high-tech and manual craftsmanship to build some of the finest shotguns in Italy–include a range of hammerguns.
The Experience of a Customer at Piotti’s Workshop from Fratelli Piotti on Vimeo.
