A DUO OF ITALIAN BESTS

Since the late 1960s, a handful of Italian gun-makers in the town of Brescia in northern Italy have been making very fine guns using a blend of modern machinery, old-school hand finishing, and fine engraving. What set things in motion for these bespoke makers was the Italian Ennio Matarelli’s gold medal for Trap at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Matarelli used a then-new Perazzi MX-8 o/u and his win was the first of many with Perazzi guns. More importantly, though, it placed high-end Italian gunmaking firmly on the map, especially in the United States, and in just a few short years “spaghetti guns” (as Italian guns were then still derisively referred to in the US) were all the rage in competition circles. Matarelli’s win and Perazzi’s subsequent success also inspired other Italian makers to follow the same path, enriching the gunmaking world ever since.

SMALL BEGINNINGS, GREAT RESULTS

Perugini & Visini was started in 1968 by Vincenzo Perugini and Darko Visini (both collaborated and worked with Perazzi early during their careers) and from the start their goal was to create the finest guns and rifles possible. Unlike other Italian manufacturers, Perugini & Visini kept a low profile and focused