New Family member - Giuseppe Tonolini

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viper7

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Should have some pics tomorrow.

12ga SxS, it has the same markings as this one. (sniped from shotgunworld)

The markings on the left barrel are

"Giuseppe Tonolini Armi" and " Brescia Italy "

The model is " MONOBLOC-Mod.A/58"

The right barrel is inscribed
" MADE FOR EMERY AND SUTTER"

Under the barrels are stamped images.
1. a guy that looks like a knight
2.The word "FINITO" with a star inset into a fuzzy circle above
3.The word "PSF" with the same star and fuzzy circle
4.The word "Nitro" followed with a crown

I can't find anything on the internet about it, but it is in shootable condition, swings beautifully and seems very very light, with very slim woodwork. It is not a high-end shotgun for sure, as the engraving almost qualifies as folk art.

Very nice, except the stock appears to be bent a little. (for sharptail :D )
 
Had one in vg cond. for a while, a good cheap gun. I could never find any info about it. I sold it for 250$. "Bent stock" is castoff. It had chrome bores and the barrels might have been made at the Brescia Franchi plant - not sure about this.
 
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Viper7, sorry, I have not been on the board as much as usual lately, and I missed this one up until now.

You've got me with this one, however. I have never heard of Giuseppe Tonolini, or of their distributor Emery and Sutter. In any case, if the stock is bent it is worthless, send it to me and I'll dispose of it for you :D

Even the Brescian Gunsmith Consortium does not have a listing for these guys, nor does the Littlegun site. Most Italian makers are documented somewhere or another, so this is an obscure maker.

What it sounds like is that an American company, probably a sporting retailer of some sort (Emery and Sutter) contracted a run of shotguns for exclusive sale from Tonolini. This type of arrangement was quite common. If you are located in the city of Brescia (at the end of Val Trompia), and you have the shop space and some tools, you can build guns. The place is lousy with skilled craftsmen, and there are many shops supplying barrels, forgings etc. Contract guns are always built to a price, and wood quality, fit and finish, features and engraving would be determined by that price. The basic parts from Brescia are usually of good quality (unlike some of the Spanish contract pieces) and the Italians know how to build a gun with good balance and handling qualities. A gun built to a light weight, with some engraving, slim wood and cast in the stock does not sound like the "bottom of the barrel" to me.

Does the gun have ejectors or extractors? Single or double triggers? Long or short tang trigger guard? A butt plate, pad or chequered butt? Raised or swamped rib? Straight or pistol grip? Splinter or beavertail fore end?

The marks you have identified are standard, nitro proof Italian markings. There should also be a date code marking, consisting of Roman numerals (until 1974) or a two letter combination (1975 onward). This code will tell you the year of manufacture, and a table of these date codes (and others) can be found here:

http://www.hallowellco.com/proof_date_codes.htm

The gun is an interesting find. Can you post any pictures? I would like to see them if possible.

Sharptail
 
Tonolini

Hi Again , The Roman # should be XV on it and it makes it a1964 last time i check but 67 come s to mind, they were in business a shot while as the big makers they could not compete , I do have more info but not at hand , Paul
 
Thanks Gents,

I am far too attached to it to sell it - it shoots so well for me.

It has extractors, two triggers, and if a long tang trigger guard runs back along the grip under all four fingers of the trigger hand, it is a long tang.

It has a butt plate that appears to be plastic, with an engraved knight in armour on it.

It has a pistol grip. The rib is raised up above the level of the barrels and has nice cross-hatching on the top. I believe it is a splinter fore end, it is very small and delicate.

I will swipe my wife's digital camera and take some pics.

I am trying to woo an old Tobin from a friend - we'll see how that goes...:D

Thanks for the replies gents, good shooting.
 
Viper, thanks for the info - it sounds like a nice gun. I am looking forward to the pictures. In regards to the Tobin, I wish you luck in prying it from your friend's hands. Please check the serial number - I am looking for information on Canadian Tobin guns in the serial number range between 11,000 and 15,000. See here ( http://www.members.shaw.ca/sharptail/Tobin.html ) for further info.

Paul - I believe that the marking XV should indicate 1959, not 1964.

Sharptail
 
Deja Vu all over again. I had this shotgun a few years ago, and dragged it around to a bunch of gunshows to try and get a value or any information about it. The best anyone could figure is it just a run of the mill Italian made SxS. I don't remember who I sold it too, so it might have been you!!!

Bill
 
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