Perazzi Factory Visit

Factory visit
Perazzi
pilgrimage
Don Brunt visits the place third in the affections
of many Italians behind the Vatican and the
Ferrari factory: Perazzi’s home in northern Italy
I
f you shoot clays, you undoubtedly
know the name Perazzi. It is the
gunmaker of choice for many of
our country’s top shots. Richard King,
Martin Papworth, Pinky le Grelle, Jamie
Brightman and Stuart Cummins all use
a Perazzi, along with their own talents,
to achieve success. George Digweed
uses one to devastating effect, winning
major event after major event.
Safe, then, to say that Perazzi
shotguns work, and work very well.
But what is it that makes the marque
so special in the eyes of competition
shooters, not just here but around the
world? A haul of 12 medals at the Athens Olympics is certainly an endorsement – one that could well be repeated
in Beijing – but when you decide to buy
a Perazzi it is more of a pilgrimage than
a simple purchase.
To start with, Perazzi prides itself on
producing tailor-made guns that fit the
owner and his/her discipline perfectly.
So as with a handmade suit, you can’t
expect a Perazzi to be ready the day
after ordering. In fact, you may have to
wait a while. Three to six months is a
realistic time to wait for a competition
gun, and if you want to splash out on
something really special it could take
up to a year before your pride and joy
arrives. Perazzi is not a volume producer (on average, 12 guns a day leave
through the gates), nor does it want to
be one – for going down that road might
compromise its pursuit of perfection.
“All a load of hype,” you may be
muttering as you read this – but wait
just a moment. Let me take you to the
home of Perazzi, where it all began.
Drive up through Val Trompia in
Brescia, and you will see the roadside
factories that read like a who’s who of
Italian gunmaking: Beretta, Bettinsoli,
Fausti, and Zoli, among many others.
Perazzi prides
itself on producing
tailor-made guns
that fit the owner and
his/her discipline perfectly.
Pictured is the Extra Super
20-gauge game gun
There are also all the smaller ‘boutique’
makers, who only produce a handful of
guns each year. One name, though, is
absent: that of today’s subject. Perazzi
considers itself a breed apart, and the
factory’s location in Botticino Mattina,
near beautiful Lake Garda, reflects
that. Its scarlet façade is a sign of the
company’s confidence, and is one
of the many reasons why it has been
compared with that other Italian legend
in red, Ferrari.
Times have certainly changed from
the company’s humble beginnings,
when Daniele Perazzi started making
guns on a bench in his kitchen back
in 1952. However, even with the use
Perazzi’s factory near Lake
Garda in northern Italy
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Factory visit
A stock is customised
for a perfect fit
Nearly ready: a gun undergoes
final cleaning before dispatch
No lasers here: all the
chequering is hand cut
of modern technology, the guns are
imbued with the character that comes
only when hand-finishing is such an
intrinsic part of the production process.
Doubters might suggest that no gun
which has CNC-machined parts inside
it could ever claim to be handmade. But
at Perazzi the idea has been to balance
the cost-effectiveness of machining
against the uniqueness that only handworking can provide. Certainly, the
basis for each gun has been machinemade, but without that the guns would
be beyond the financial reach of most
people.
Hand-finishing is a phrase often
used in only the loosest of terms, more
to spice up brochures than to articulate
the passion that goes into the work
of true artisans. At Perazzi, though,
the hand-finishing starts well before
the gun is completed. Each barrel is
checked individually by eye, not by
laser, for any imperfections. This is a
skill passed on from one generation to
the next, and it takes years to perfect,
though less than 1% of barrels ever fail
the stringent
expectations placed upon them. The
guns which pass the check move on
through the manufacturing process.
Others are tested to destruction, to
ensure that construction strength is
regularly assessed. Watching a barrel
finally yield to 17 times the normal pressure generated by a standard cartridge
really does bring home the fact that
these things are built to last.
Once a customer has chosen the frame
and engraving choice for their gun, the
wait begins. A production slot is allocated, and the metalworking process
begins. When the barrels and action
are complete, the customer is invited to
visit the factory to select the wood for
stock and forend. This is then fitted to
the customer’s requirements, together
with the action. It is test fired on the
indoor pattern plate, so that the point
of impact can, if necessary, be further
altered, to ensure the gun is 100% right
for the client. There is also an outdoor
range catering for all Olympic disciplines, and this can be used to further
check the fit. Once a perfect fit has
been attained, the gun is finally finished. It may be a painstaking process,
but it is without doubt a reflection of
the brand’s ethos, and this service has
proved to be a unique selling point.
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Factory visit
Visiting a factory like this must surely
be an invitation-only affair though,
right? Wrong: it doesn’t really matter
who you are, whether you own a dozen
Perazzis or whether your ambition is
to own one in the future. Even if you
just appreciate the artistry that goes
into making one of these guns, you
will be a welcome visitor. Uniquely
amongst the great manufacturers,
Perazzi’s doors are always open, and
at the front of the factory, where the
most intricate parts of the handfinishing process are carried out, there
is a public gallery. You are free to sit
and watch the day-to-day workings of
the factory. There is nothing to hide
here – no shortcuts in production,
only a dedicated team all revelling in
being part of something special. The
showroom itself is equally impressive. A cathedral to the gunmakers’
art, its walls are lined with dozens of
guns displayed under a Hall of Fame,
showing the world’s most successful
Perazzi competition shots. The passion behind the brand is obvious to
the eye; the style is unapologetically
Italian in its sophistication. Those who
want to do a little shopping for accessories can wander through the shop to
pick out anything from an umbrella to
a hand-crafted bronze of a woodcock.
Just in case you get bored at the factory, (practically impossible, I assure
you!) there is also a laser-shot Perazzi
shooting simulator on hand to keep
you amused. Try your hand at one of
the Olympic disciplines, or maybe
have a go at the pheasant flush!
Whether it’s an MX2000, an MX12
or an MX8, the choice for the prospective buyer is immense. When you look
at all the various interchangeable
options available to create the perfect
customised gun, the permutations are
endless.
“I started counting how many
different combinations there could be,
but gave up when the number of zeroes
started to get into telephone number
proportions,” said Phil Unwin of UK
Perazzi importer RUAG. “I certainly
can’t think of anyone else who offers
Mauro Perazzi (left) with RUAG
Ammotec’s Phil Unwin
Barrel-breaking: barrels
are checked by eye for
imperfections. Those which
fail are tested to destruction,
ensuring that construction
strength is regularly assessed
A gun enthusiasts’
paradise: the Perazzi
showroom
the degree of choice that Perazzi does.”
Some 80% of factory production
goes towards competition guns, with
the UK being a major market in all of
the disciplines, especially Sporting.
“We are very proud to be associated
with the brand,” continues Phil. “It really is a fabulous product, with a unique
approach to things. When one of our
customers orders a Perazzi, we have no
doubt that he will be delivered a gun
that will exceed his expectations.”
Both the US and Europe take approximately 35%-40% of total annual
production each, with the remainder
being sold in every corner of the globe.
When I told another shooting
journalist that I was making this visit,
he remarked: “Now that you will find interesting. It’s a very special place, Per-
azzi.” He was right. It may sound like
a cliché, but there are gunmakers and
there are gunmakers. Daniele Perazzi
founded something truly special indeed
back in 1952, and something which
is set to continue delivering a unique
product well into the future. On the day
of our visit, his son Mauro was out on
the factory floor making some adjustments to a gun owned by a member of
the Indian shooting team. By maintaining a constant hands-on involvement in
the running of the company, he knows
exactly how things are going, and can
make sure the brand continues to follow the mantra of quality laid down by
his father.
To find your nearest Perazzi dealer,
contact RUAG AMMOTEC on 01579
362319, or visit www.ruag.co.uk.
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