GTW - Fausti Stefano Arms

GTW MEET THE MAKERS
Fausti
Italian shotgun manufacturer Fausti is
looking back in time for its future success.
GTW’s Stan Piecha speaks to the firm to
find out more.
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MEET THE MAKERS GTW
The three Fausti sisters from left to
right: Elena, Giovanna and Barbara.
I
talian gunmaker Fausti has
seen where its future lies
and it’s all about stepping
back in time. In fact, it has
turned the clock right back
to the glorious Renaissance
period – an era when the likes
of Leonardo da Vinci showed
the world the true meaning of
art – to increase demand for its
handcrafted weapons.
The Renaissance, which
means rebirth in Italian, was
an age of great cultural change,
marking the transition between
medieval and early modern
Europe. Fausti has focused on
that period to draw inspiration
for its new Boutique line of
deluxe shotguns.
The over-and-under and
side-by-side shotguns in this
line are perfect examples of
how centuries-old craftsmanship
and skills are now applied to the
creation of models continuously
evolving towards perfection, with
a ‘neoclassical’ taste.
The guns in this line are
entirely hand finished and
feature stocks in the finestgrade walnut, engravings signed
by the artists, barrels with an
outstanding ballistic performance
and truly scaled frames. Also
incorporated in the models
is the use of the best possible
materials, tighter tolerances,
and stricter quality-control tests
over other mass-produced guns.
Extremely harmonious lines,
balance of shapes and attention
to every detail converge into the
creation of the Fausti Boutique
line. Here Fausti guns are not
only the perfect combination
of steel, wood and technology,
but also part of the new Italian
Renaissance, becoming timeless
objects of a gunmaker’s art.
Fausti’s impressive 4,000 sq m
factory is based in Brescia and
has three women at the helm –
the daughters of Stefano Fausti
who founded the company in
1948. Barbra and Giovanna are
the managers responsible for
commercial, marketing and sales
while Elena is the production
manager.
The female trio is extremely
excited about the direction in
which they are steering the
company because they feel there
will always be a market for the
production of guns, which can
not only be fired in the field but
also be put on display as true
works of art.
Our new range of guns is expressly made for
all the lovers who recognise the beauty of a
gunmaker’s art.
They were present at the
recent SHOT Show and came
away encouraged by the response
the trade showed in their latest
models, and they expect a similar
reaction at this month’s IWA
exhibition.
Giovanna told GTW: “Our
new range of guns is expressly
made for all the lovers who
recognise the beauty of a
gunmaker’s art. It is for people
who understand how much
passion and care there is behind
the work that goes into each
weapon.
“At the moment we are
working on guns in the more
expensive range because we feel
that the handmade guns can’t be
copied by anyone else, and that
gives any buyer something very
special. The line of a high-quality
walnut stock made by hand or
the original engravings made
by people who are masters of
their craft give each gun a totally
unique look. Producing this kind
of gun makes everyone in the
company extremely proud.
“The future plan for Fausti is
to push the brand name deeper
throughout the world, and to
achieve that goal we will work
on more-specific models to suit
the various markets. We are
fortunate that this is a young
and flexible company, so when
we have a good idea we can react
quickly and develop it.
“We feel the reason we can
continue to increase our sales is
because we have the production
flexibility and also an extensive
range that covers every avenue,
from sidelock to boxlock to the
sporting and hunting over-and»
under to the rifled models.
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GTW MEET THE MAKERS
“And most importantly they
are not just pieces of wood and
steel but the representation
of centuries of tradition and
culture.
“We are selling the whole
idea of the Italian Renaissance.
If you look at some of the
details of our guns or at the
shape of them you can find
tracks of the 16th century. Who
can do this work better than an
Italian company?
“We came away from SHOT
Show with a very positive
feeling because our products
were well received by the people
who visited our stand. They
were surprised at the level of
We came away from SHOT Show with a very
positive feeling because our products were well
received by the people who visited our stand.
craftsmanship of our guns and
also loved the possibility of
having their own custom gun.
“We export our guns all over
the world – Europe, the Far East,
the Emirates and Japan – but
America is potentially the biggest
market. Since we opened our
US facilities in Fredericksburg,
Virginia, we have been able to
offer American shooters a larger
Fausti’s new range
The Fausti Class smallcalibre over-and-under
shotgun is built on
a scaled frame with
rounded and sinuous
lines, offered in two new
and very rich versions.
Theme one features scroll
engraving in a coin finish,
while theme two has a
very dramatic scroll with
gold inlaid banners. Both
models are very well
balanced and extremely
easy to handle.
These new hunting
models, Class SL De
Luxe, have been designed
and built to meet the
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requirements of the most
discerning and passionate
hunters who look for the
absolute best materials,
first-class finishing and
hand engraving with gold
and silver inlays.
Side-by-side shotguns
have been considered
the symbol and origin
of all fine shotguns for a
long time so they need
to meet both aesthetic
criteria and precise,
proven mechanical
standards. The new Dea
British side-by-side
shotguns feature roundbody actions dedicated to
variety of products. They also
appreciate that we are present in
America with offices and a gun
service where qualified staff can
offer help and support.
“I expect the same sort of
success and reaction at IWA
as we enjoyed at SHOT – and
maybe even more so. We are sure
the new Boutique line will create
a lot of interest, as the market
the gauges, with plenty of
class, history and respect
of traditions.
Every prestigious
model in the Boutique
line can be ordered as
a pair, in line with the
old-fashioned Italian
gunmaking tradition.
Pairs can consist of two
guns in the same or
different gauges always
built on scaled frames.
Matching stock figure
and shape as well as
gun balance, weight and
handling characteristics,
engraving and ballistic
performances is a must
right now is looking for very
good-quality guns.” GTW
Fausti
T: +39 30 89 60 217
E: [email protected]
W: www.faustistefanoarms.com
while building pairs of
competition shotguns.
The new Fausti
hunting and competition
over-and-under shotgun
finds its stylistic roots
and name in the Italian
Renaissance. The
“Magnificent” reveals
the Master Engravers
soul with a new tridimensional design,
and the deeply sculpted
engraving is made
possible by the use of
state-of-the-art laser
technology. And once
again the stylistic roots
stem from the Italian
Renaissance theme.
Giovanna adds: “I
know some people may
feel the word Boutique
can sound a little
feminine, but in reality it
comes from the Italian
‘bottega’, which means
the traditional workshop
where, in the glorious
Renaissance, the artists
worked at their best.”
Fausti points out that
its latest models are all
about making guns that
represent elegance and
refinement – a little like
Leonardo da Vinci’s
Mona Lisa!