Anyone know Marocchi Shotguns?

OldSavage

OldSavage

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Last year I bought a Marocchi O/U shotgun. Its chambered to 3" with 26" barrels. The gun has a silver coloured receiver, vent rib, interchangeable chokes, and a cross bolt looking mechanism similar to a SKB. The wood seems nice with some half decent checkering but an ugly high gloss finish with a slight shnable forend and no recoil pad (plastic butt plate).

There is no model information on the gun and the only markings are "Wildlife Conservation Edition" marked on the barrels and some aftermarket engraving with OFAH on one side and 1989 on the other.

I can take pictures and post them, as I cannot seem to find out from anyone what model this gun is as I want to get some chokes for it and what to assess its value as I might be selling it to get something a little bigger.

Thanks,
 
Best guess ... a Marocchi "Field Master" or perhaps "Avanza".

The OFAH was busy replicating DU's Dinner format back in the mid-80's and
early 90's ... seems this was one of their "Dinner Guns"

Lower-priced Marocchi's all seemed to be prone to eventual trigger problems,
which have perplexed many a good gunsmith. I knew three or four people who had Marocchi's in the late 80's and eraly 90's when Sporting first got rolling here in Canada ... and all "dumped them" in relativel short order. I believe even Winchester brought some in as part of their line following the demise of the 101 Olin/Kodensha operation in Kochigi.

All in all, a lower priced O/U that did not get much respect.

Value ... maybe $ 750 - $ 1000 ( maybe less) depending on condition... and... if it's fully functional.
 
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beretta boy said:
I believe even Winchester brought some in as part of their line following the demise of the 101 Olin/Kodensha operation in Kochigi.
Click to expand...
The ill-fated Winchester 1001 made by Marocchi. A shotgun so plagued with problems that Winchester recalled them and gave their owners a Browning Citori Lightning as a replacement.
 
hahahaha

Yes yes I have heard the many stories regarding the trigger problems and barrel selection problems with some older Marocchi guns. Then some guys have nothing but good things to say about them. Its like Brownings, some people think they are over priced and under built and then other people pay too much for them. I guess at the end of the day its all the same.

I like the gun and have no complaints except for the short length of pull (easily fixed with a larger recoil pad I guess). It shoots and functions just as good as the Silver Pigeon I learned to shoot on.

I will take it into a gunsmith and get him to find out what the chokes are. I realized that even in the event that it was some older or off model (which it is) I still wouldn't be able to find chokes for it.

Whenever I ask people about chokes for the Marocchi's they always say the same things you guys did (haha) but then when they see the locking mechanism (similar to SKB and some Perazzi's). Then they say that my gun must be a different model as they ones they are familar with do not have that type of locking mechanism on them and then they ask if I am sure its a Marocchi.

The mystery and excitement continue

Thanks guys

Neil
 
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OldSavage said:
Whenever I ask people about chokes for the Marocchi's they always say the same things you guys did (haha) but then when they see the locking mechanism (similar to SKB and some Perazzi's). Then they say that my gun must be a different model as they ones they are familar with do not have that type of locking mechanism on them and then they ask if I am sure its a Marocchi.
Click to expand...
That is unusual. Every Marocchi that I can recall had a full length underlug like the Browning Citori.
 
I had sold many Marocchi's in the late 80's and half came back with lock up problems.
They did not have the SKB lock up you are describing. I found that you had to hold the top lever all the way over when hinging the barrels and if you did this it would last forever. Slamming the barrels shut was sure to get you problems real quickly.

This being said I never SLAM any of my doubles shut, and it makes me cringe watching others do this.
 
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I am very nice to my O/U. But the guy I shoot with treats his Silver Pigeon like it was an 870. I do respect him for using the gun, but it makes me uncomfortable as well.

Thanks,
 
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