Ferlib - 26 April, 2000

There are some things that the Italians do very well indeed; pasta, wine and red sports cars all spring to mind, as do guns.

Italy has a wide and very diverse gun making community capable of making vast quantities of very cheap guns, vast quantities of middle priced guns to making a more limited number of very good guns. It is also very interesting that in Italy most of the gunmakers are in close proximity to one another; working within the space of a few miles up the Val Trompia Valley, located just above Brescia, in northern Italy.

It is only in recent years that the best gunmakers of Italy have become more prominently known in this country; makers such as Piotti, Abbiatico and Salvinelli, Bosis and Bertuzzi.
There are one or two others tucked away over there that are quietly producing guns of top quality and beauty; one such maker is Ferlib.

Ferlib produce about thirty guns a year , the bulk of which go to America and have often been made with their buyers name on them rather than that of the maker, hence why the name may not seem familiar.
Ferlib is a very small gunmking firm and has a total workforce of eight or so.
Their factory comprises apart from storage and offices, of a large workshop combined with a machine shop. The factory by most standards is quite small and is perched on the side of the valley, with views across and above many of the other makers.

Part of the survival and subsequent success of the Italian gunmakers has been their willingness to adapt in order to survive. Largely they have kept up with modern technology, employing the most modern computerised machine tools as they come into use. The other thing they refuse to do is to compromise on quality; exacting standards have to be met at all times.

Of course only the largest companies can afford to invest in themost advanced machine tools. So the smaller companies such as Ferlib will use the services of others. After lunch we called in at one such machine shop to pick up a batch of actions for the SS boxlock guns.The machine shop concerned was a very small business that specialised in precision parts and action machining for many other gunmakers.
Similarly the action is then sent to another small specialist to have the slots squared and other square holes cut by spark erosion, or EDM (electro-discharge machining).

And another will carry out the specialist machine work needed on the barrels.
By working in this way each company becomes expert in their particular field and helps ensure the survival of all because they depend on one another. Also each company's investment is smaller and their turnover of work is faster.

To get back to Ferlib, by using specialists for the more intricate machining work, they can concentrate on the hand work that makes their guns Best Guns. The fine fitting and jointing work that is needed to create the feel of a Best Gun is meticulously carried out in their factory.
Whilst I was there they were working mainly on SS boxlock guns.

On one bench a gun was being fine tuned on its jointing after being returned from the hardeners.
Ivano Tangfoglio, having worked his way up through the company to finally take over as the new owner, explained that as hardening can very slightly distort the action in some cases, so they will leave the jointing as tight as possible so that they can regulate precisely should the need arise.

On the next bench the locking bolt, spindle and top lever were being fitted to an action. I watched as each piece was checked against the other and slowly mated together.

Further on an action was being filed up to have the hammers fitted. Each man a specialist in his particular fieild.

The stocker was not at work the day that I was there, but Ivano stripped down a gun that was nearing completion to proudly show us the quality of his man's work, which was of course, superb.

Oil finishing and chequering is carried out in another part of the factory. And numerous stocks could be seen hanging up on racks as they wait for their next coat of oil. Some stocks are given gloss finishes depending on what the customer wants. Gloss finish is very popular with Americans, and as this is where most of the guns end up it is not surprising that this is very common at Ferlib.

On the other side of the factory, was an engraver steadily working away on an action. As with most masters of their craft he made his work look easy to the point of being effortless. Which is definitely an illusion should you ever try your hand at engraving work.

He was carving the shape of an eagle in to the underside of an action that was then to be inlayed with gold. He showed me how to form the outline of the bird with gold wire which he folded around its profile and secured into position.

Later he showed me a portfolio of work that he had carried out over the years. Some very unusual guns that caught my eye were engraved with the scenes of pictures painted by the great painter Pablo Picasso. The guns were also detonated or carved in the cubist style that was one of Picasso's hallmarks.
Ferlib makes guns in all configurations and calibre's, this includes double rifles, over and under, side by side in both boxlock and sidelock, and even hammer guns.

One very interesting innovation was that most of the double trigger boxlocks had a feature whereby the front trigger will fire the right barrel and when pulled again will fire the left. It sounds complex, but when I questioned Ivano about the details, he assured me that it was not complicated; and proceeded to prove it by stripping one down to show me, and sure enough it wasn't. although he certainly makes best guns, Ivano is very much of the opinion that they do not need to be complex; simply very well finished. Simple ideas are the most reliable, and that is one of the qualities inherent in a Best Gun.

I think my favourite is the OU that Ferlib produce. Available only as a sidelock, the OU gives the engraver a great deal of space on which to show his full talents. The OU also swings and point with great precision.

The engraving can be carried out to whatever level the customer requires; and in Italy that really means that the sky is the limit.

Ferlib guns are available through Shooting Star of Suffolk, and can be contacted on 01728 638028.

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