By Derek Partridge
Originally published in POPULAR GUNS magazine, February 1972
Author (in shooting vest) in factory at Brescia, examining International trap gun designed by Daniele Perazzi
"Perazzi?" If that name was mentioned on a trap field five years ago! anyone would have. been forgiven for presuming it was some new Italian motor scooter. Today, two Olympic medals, three world championships and countless national titles later, any shooter who doesn't know the name is likely to be called an ignoramus.International trap was once almost monopolized by Brownings, and it is quite fantastic how Perazzis are beginning to dominate the International trapshooting scene. Recently I was competing in the Italian Championships with 170 Class AA entrants, who were shooting 200 targets over the four Olympic trenches at Bologna. As preparation for European and World Championships, the match was shot over. three days -- 75, 75 and 50 targets a day. At a domestic-style trapshoot 200 birds would be easy. Interational rules make it a far different proposition. It's a long strain on the nerves, but that's International trap! However, it gave me plenty of time to examine the guns being used by these experts.
The astonishing result, confirmed by the club's armourer, was that 80 per cent of the shooters were using Perazzis, while the others were divided between Brownings and Berettas. Further questioning showed that this was the approximate proportion of Perazzis to other guns at any big Italian shoot. It was almost inevitable that the first four places went to Perazzis!
This massive demonstration of faith in Perazzi guns is significant, for the Italians are acknowledged as the world's foremost nation at International trap. Probably they have more top-class shooters than the rest of the world put together, and they definitely have amassed more International honors and medals, from the Olympics down, both in individual and team events, than the rest of the world. So, they know what they want in the way of guns. Italy, by the way, has more gunmakers than any other country, plus a choice of guns from anywhere else. The last significant point is that, even in Italy, the Perazzi is markedly more expensive than other guns available there. In spite of this, we come up with this remarkable 80 per cent figure.
View of hand-finish section of Perazzi factory, Brescia, Italy
I've been happily acquainted with these guns for quite a while. The first time I ever laid hands on a Perazzi was in Frank Pachmayr's store in L.A. I can only describe it as a moment of magic: Of all the guns that had been in my hands, none had ever felt like this over/Under. The gun has the strange and wonderful characteristic of always feeling right to me (perfect balance and distribution of weight). Sometimes I almost believe the gun has a mind of its own and can hit targets all' by itself! Of course, Daniele Perazzi has not yet invented a self-operating gun, but it's a lot better for a shooter to feel that way than to have the more common feeling that he has to battle his gun to make it move in the right direction at the right time.I eulogize the gun because, after years I spent struggling with irregular perf ormances in total shooting obscurity, it took me as far as representing Great Britain in International matches. I believe it can take me further; the years ahead will tell. I also eulogize it against a background of growing up with fine English guns, long acknowledged as the world's best. And men who are more experienced with fine guns than I am, share my opinion that the best-grade Perazzis are better than most and at least as good as the finest guns from around the world.
Upper gun is Mirage Pigeon model with 5 interchangeable chokes. Below it is an MX8, with new cheek piece now gaining favor among trapshooters
Their history is fairly well-known by now, but for readers who are as yet unfamiliar with their background I'll cover it briefly. The Perazzi over/under is the ideal tool for the competitive shooter, because it is the brainchild of two remarkable men, each at the top of his field: Ennio Mattarelli reigns unchallenged as the world's greatest International trapshooter--he set the Olympic record when he won the Gold Medal in Tokyo with 198/200; he has won the World Championship twice and the European once. In case anyone doesn't realize how tough International trap is, this record has never, in the history of shooting, been beaten, or even equalled, and it is doubtful if it ever will.Beyond this, and of more importance to the rest of us shooters, he happens to be one of the very few men who can translate what the competitive shooter wants into practical terms that a master gunsmith can build into the ideal gun. When Mattarelli met Daniele Perazzi, this fusion--something akin to the meeting of Rolls and Royce--took place.
Prior to their meeting, Mattarelli had tried unsuccessfully to get various gunsmiths to make the gun he wanted. He told Perazzi what he had told the others: "If you can make me the gun I want, I believe I can win everything there is to win." It takes a very stupid or a very courageous man to make such a brash claim. Mattarelli very convincingly proved himself to be the latter.
As a result of his Olympic win in 1964, one Dr. Pasquale, an industrialist and keen shooter from Bologna, decided to back Mattarelli and Perazzi, thus launching the obviously, successful gun in the shooting world. Unlike the other guns on the firing line, the Perazzi is hand-crafted to suit each individual customer. This is the only way any top competitor's gun should be, but it is apparently considered impractical by the other manufacturers.
The supposedly impractical is accomplished in a relatively short time, by the successful blending of ultra-modern machinery and production techniques with time-honored hand-finishing. The English gun trade, to my mind, wastes literally years by sticking to traditional methods with an excessive and unnecessary amount of hand-work. To the end product of any part of a gun, it is not important that the crude' steel or wood be started by hand, only that it be finished by hand. At Perazzi, they use speedy modern machining to rough-finish parts and then pass them over to the other half of the factory, which hand-finishes and fits them together.
Pair of Daniele Perazzi's sidelocks were photographed against handsome marble floor of his Brescia office. Top gun is MX8 trap over under; with it is a 20 gauge side-by-side
Using these methods. Perazzi can turn out a top-quality side lock over under (or side-by-side) in 8 to 12 months, for a cost (in Europe) of around $2,500. Expensive? Time-consuming? If you were able to persuade Boss of London to make one of their famous sidelock over/unders--and they tell me they are not really interested in taking any more orders for them--it would require several years and set you back in the region of $7,500!At the other end of the scale, Perazzi can turn out a standard-grade over/under--which is still hand-finished and custom-fitted to the customer's specifications--in about one month, and for $580 (in Europe). The gun will not be engraved, the wood will be plainer, the interior parts will be a fraction less than mirror-poished! And it will still be a finer shotgun than most shooters have ever been lucky enough to handle.
In the present Perazzi range, all guns have interchangable trigger assemblies, available in single or double, firing top or bottom barrel first, with options of single or double release systems and deluxe gold-plated versions of any of them.
The stocks are also interchangeable with the aid of a large Allen key tool, inserted through hole in the recoil pad. (These specifications apply to all boxlock models, but not to sidelocks.) There are over/unders, for conventional (American-style) trap, doubles and International trap: the Competition and MX8 models, which are also available in skeet versions--with ot without muzzle breaks. For live-pigeon shooting, there's there's the graceful Mirage Model Perazzi. There are models for all kinds of hunting, customized to any specifications. And finally, there's the exquisite sidelock over/under.
Side-by-sides are also made in all these catagories, but, owing to tremendous demand for over/unders, the side-by-sides are only available in the top grades at present. The same situation applies to the 20 gauges. In this smaller bore size, both over/unders and side-by-sides can be obtained only in top-grade boxl;ock or sidelock versions.
Then there is the single-barrel model for trap singles, which at present is marketed by Ithica. A new over/under is about to make it's debut on the market. In order to reduce the price and make the guns avaiable to a larger number of shooters, Perazzi has brought out a model which does not have a detachable trigger assembly but a more conventional selective trigger mechanism, and instead of leaf springs it has coil springs. In all other respects the gun is identical to the existing Competition models, but the production savings will result in an estimated 20 percent reduction in the price.
A most interesting recent development and one of great value to American trap shooters (who might be shooting 16 yard, handicap, or doubles) is the introduction of interchangeable chokes. The tubes can be screwed into the bottom barrel, where they fit flush with the existing barrel. Of course, more tubes can be ordered, if required.
For the Mirage live-pigeon model, a sophisticated development has made these tubes available for the top rather than the bottom barrel. The latest Mirages have had the normal firing sequence reversed and fire the top barrel first. The reason behind this is to get a very high-thrown pattern, to catch the pigeon's sharp leap into the air when the trap opens. To do this, Perazzi has "bent" the top barrel upwards--something that obviously could not be done with the bottom barrel.
Standard options, available on all Perazzi's at no extra cost, include a choice of action finish in black or case-hardened or antique silver for engraved scenes; a choice of barrel lengths from 26 to 34 inches; chokes bored to specification and patterned with the shell of your choice; ribs which can be solid or ventilated, parallel, tapered, concave or flat, stepped, semi-stepped or normal; and a stock with straight English grip, pistol, half-pistol, Monte Carlo cheekpiece and a variety of recoil pads in different lengths. Trigger variations have already been covered, but all other specifications of over-all weight, drop, cast, pitch and any weird, special stock shape you might fancy--it can all be done.
The stock wood come mainly from engraving, whose availability depends on the grade of gun ordered. All are among the best-executed engraving I've ever seen. Some of the game scenes (which can be gold-filled) rate as exquisite miniature sculptures chiseled into steel.
Astonishingly delicate engraving, of snipe in flight on bottom of its' receiver, adorns finest Perazzi sidelock MX8. Only 2 such guns exist.
The wood stock comes mainly from Yugoslavia. On less expensive grades, it is sometimes rather plain. Really attractive, figured wood is ever harder to come by, and although more "pretty" wood is available, Perazzi prefers not to use it, as it has a tendency to crack. But if you take a look at a Perazzi stock, I don't think you'll find any cause for criticism.For anyone who has the good fortune to acquire a Perazzi, I feel I should give a note of warning, based on my own experience. The perfect balance and weight distribution of the gun make it point very fast. For someone used to handling slower-pointing guns, this can result in over-leading targets at the outset. After a while, one tends to shoot more at targets, with less conscious lead.
I find this particularly so when it comes to the essential second-barrel "kills" encountered in International trap. With my previous gun, once it had started its ponderous path towards a target I had a tough time altering course instantly. With the Perazzi, I found I could instantly define where my missing first-barrel shot was placed, and I could instantly correct.
It may take you a little while to become accustomed to a really fast pointing shotgun, but it's certainly well worth it! Perazzis have raIsed scores for an enormous number of champions around the world, and it's a good bet that they'll continue to do so.
Want more Derek on Perazzi?
Here's "Fine Tuning The Perazzi".
And "Perazzi. . . Ferrari of Shotguns".
Originally published in POPULAR GUNS magazine, February 1972