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Famars di Abbiatico e Salvinelli

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Founded	1967
Founders	Mario Abbiatico, Remo Salvinelli
Headquarters	Gardone, Italy
Key people	Cristina Abbiatico, CEO
Products	Firearms
Website	www.famars.com

Famars d’Abbiatico e Salvinelli is an Italian gunmaker, specializing in the manufacture of bespoke shotguns and rifles. Famars’ finest grade guns are used worldwide by discerning sportsman and avid competitors of trap, skeet, and clay shooting. The company is known for its patented detachable-lock designs and handmade woodwork and engraving. For decades, Famars has been cited in magazines and books as the primary force behind the growing popularity of Italian engraving and fine guns.

The name Famars is an acronym for Fabbrica Armi de Mario Abbiatico e Remo Salvinelli.

Overview

Today, Cristina Abbiatico serves as the President and CEO of Famars. She is the daughter of founder Mario Abbiatico and works alongside her brother Paolo. When she was only eighteen years old, her father Mario passed away from cancer unexpectedly. She entered the firm to fill her father's managerial responsibilities. With Remo Salvinelli building the finest Famars guns and Cristina managing the commercial side of the business, Famars popularity grew drastically beginning in the 1980s. The National Rifle Association of the U.S. showcases six Famars models at its Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. Cristina is married to Marco Cavazzoni, the owner of Il Bulino, a company founded in 2006 that specializes in Italian engraving and decorates the Famars guns.

All production takes place at the Famars factory, in Gardone Val Trompia, a small city nestled between foothills alongside the Apennines mountain range. A single Famars gun requires hundreds, sometimes thousands, of man-hours to complete. It is because of the delicate and complex nature of the Famars gunmaking technique that the firm produces no more than 100 guns in any year. Today, Famars combines modern technology with its traditional gunmaking techniques. The company utilizes computer numerical control and spark erosion technology to create precision parts critical for gun reliability. Processes such as shaping of receivers, wood carving, stock finishing, barrel shaping, soldering, and engraving are still performed by hand.

The factory is divided into distinct sectors. At street level, the visitor will find the work shop and the show room, a place where clients can spend some time with different armourers, engravers, and stockmakers, to discuss the details of the gun desired. The show room is also a place for study: there is a broad library that contains precious information about the history and industry of fine hunting guns. Also at street level is the wood shop, where all Famars actions will pass through to be matched with the best Turkish walnut. On the first floor, there is a spacious workroom where the assembly of the gun occurs and parts are crafted by hand.

Famars USA

In 2010, Famars launched a new venture, Famars USA, in partnership with international real estate developer and best gun collector Paul Mihailides. Famars USA was created to expand the company's servicing abilities and product offers, with new products including patented knives, gun equipment and accessories, clothing, and sportsman jewelry. Its first release in the new product line was the Llama, a patent-pending double-action automatic knife, a first in the world just like their sidelock pinless droplock.

History

Gardone Val Trompia has long been one of the most important locations for fine gun manufacturing in Italy. In 1967, Mario Abbiatico and Remo Salvinelli became part of that gunmaking tradition when they founded Famars. Both the Salvinelli and the Abbiatico families had history in the craft going back several generations. Remo’s father, Felice Salvinelli, was an engraver in Brescia, where he first met Mario’s father, Guiseppe Abbiatico, who was an actioner.

Initially, the company focused on smallbore guns ranging in quality and decoration. It was an American businessman, gun connoisseur, and collector who would influence the two founders to specialize in the fine gun category. His name was Joe Bojalad. In 1967, Bojalad was referred to Famars by another Italian gun manufacturer, Beretta. His request was an over/under shotgun with interchangeable barrels, adorned with the best engraving art that Italy had to offer. Upon receiving his first Famars gun, the gentleman was so impressed by the functionality and eloquent design that he placed several more orders and became a lifelong client of Abbiatico and Salvinelli. It was in 1975 that Mario and Remo, considering the earnest advice of Joe Bojalad, made the decision to focus solely on bespoke guns. From then on, only the best quality of guns would be produced, each bearing the name ‘Abbiatico & Salvinelli’ and a unique serial number.

The move to specialize in bespoke guns stimulated much innovation within the Famars factory in the following years. Inspired by Mario’s fascination with hammerguns, the Castore was created - the first-ever self-cocking hammer gun with a single trigger and automatic ejectors. The success and popularity of the Castore model prompted several other arms manufacturers to attempt imitations. In the late 1970s, shortly after the development of the Castore, Famars released the Quattrocanne, an original four-barrel model that fires with a single trigger. A limited run of only 30 guns were made, one of which is showcased in the historical Beretta Gallery in Italy. This makes Famars the only outside manufacturer to be honored within the prestigious gun gallery.

The next major innovation was the development of the Jorema, a Boss-style over/under shotgun that used a pinless sidelock, a design patented by Remo Salvinelli. This model drew on input from Famars’ long-time client Joe Bojalad. It incorporated several patented features. The Jorema concept would eventually evolve into the company’s flagship model, the Sovereign.

In the early 1980s, Mario and Remo released the Tribute, a side-by-side built with a detachable boxlock. The design was inspired by the Westley Richards side-by-side. This was the final model that Mario Abbiatico designed before his death. From the late 1980s to the 2000s, with Cristina Abbiatico now in charge, Famars would proceed to release several new models, including the Excalibur, the Leonardo, and the Poseidon.

Patents

Mario Abbiatico and Remo Salvinelli patented several mechanical designs in their 17 years together. The Famars 'droploock' is a patented mechanism that is fully removeable from the lock of the shotgun or rifle, whereas most other companies do not offer this feature. The triggerplate detaches from the lock and allows for a full display and examination of the locking mechanism. The company holds other patents for a hidden screw removable sidelock, and a unique hinge for the forend iron that promotes faster and easier reloading by allowing the action to swing down farther than normal. Other innovations include: a Boss-style over/under with a pinless lock; self-cocking hammer guns; two versions of a four-barreled shotgun; and drop-lock side-by-side long guns.

Bulino Engraving

The success and recognition of Famars guns undoubtedly opened up the beautiful art of Italian bulino engraving to the world. Famars is often credited for making famous such engravers as Firmo Fracassi, Angelo Galeazzi, and Gianfranco Pedersoli, all who worked exclusively for Famars in their early careers. But it was not just the Famars guns that exposed bulino engraving to the world.

Mario Abbiatico wrote several books that spread the hype and the history of the art. In 1976, Mario published Grande Incisione su Armi d’Oggi. This was the first book written about the renaissance occurring in Italian engraving. In 1980, Mario published Modern Firearms Engraving, an English-language book about Italian gun engraving. According to gun historian Vic Venters, this book had a powerful effect on demand for Famars’ guns and the company’s reputation as one of the world’s best gunmakers. Each book written by Mario generated more exposure and appreciation for the art of bulino and the talented engravers. In 1982, he published L’incisione delle Armi Sportive, his third account of the history and development of bulino and became very influential in the growth of the engraving style. In 1985, a year after his death, Famars published the final book written by Mario Abbiatico, a detailed account of the Italian gunmaking trade entitled Fra la Mia Gente.

Models

• Castore
• Sovereign
• Tribute
• Zeus
• Rombo
• FAMARS Rombo
• Africa Express
• Venus
• Venus Express
• Avantis
• Excalibur Sporting
• Excalibur Round Body
• Poseiden
• Sportivo
• Antares
• Poseidon
• Leonardo