Perazzi Shotgun
 

Yesterday at our skeet/trap event am older gentleman showed up with a set of Perazzi Shotguns. Opened a beautiful Perazzi Case with two guns: one side was an MX8 the side was a TM 1 (never seen one before). They were the Ithaca imported Perazzi as stamped on the barrels. It's been my experience that 40 year old competition guns tend to be on the well used side of the equation and these were beautiful. He stated his father ordered them in 1984, after his dad's death in 2014 he'd shot them only twice. He shot a round of trap on my squad with the TM 1 and he just crushed the birds. He normally always shoots one of his very nice Remington 1100, for me it would be difficult leaving those two Perazzi in the vault.

The Perazzi to me has never had any appeal as I think they lack grace and beauty. However several of my friends like their's and shoot them well, beauty has always been in the eyes of the beholder!

Any thoughts on these Perazzi (Ithaca) Guns?

My advice, "Watch the obituaries."

I had a Ithaca MX8 ,great guns. As far as lacking grace and beauty? I've never heard anyone say that about a Perazzi.

I've got an imported by Ithaca Perazzi Comp1 skeet gun with 27 9/16” bbls. that are Tula choked. Others comment on how wonderful they are on the skeet field. But, I enjoy shooting my Parker Reproduction Sporting Clays Classic better.

Horses for courses.... During the time my students were reffing many of the major Sporting clays events in the US I saw a large number of P guns on the courses. Shooters said they liked the "feel" of the P guns as opposed to the less svelte American produced guns. It should be noted that a goodly number of shooters were also shooting K guns and Kolar, as well. Two very different types of guns and then there were a few Blaser guns showing up.

These are all high end comp shotguns. Just for interest's sake check out the last Olympic trap videos. Mostly high half rib P guns. Go figure....

Last utube Olympic trap video I watched had 80% of the shooter's using a Perazzi.

I owned the Heidimarie Hiptmayer engraved and gold inlaid Mirage that was pictured in an early Gun Digest, foolishly sold it because it turned out to be a lefthanded gun stocked by her talented husband, Klaus. I shot it very well, but it was above my pay grade at the time. I wonder who owns that gun today? I would buy it back at five times what I sold it for.

Opinions vary, but to me, this is a beauty
Attachment 125473
The majority of the wins with this gun were cash prizes, but there's been a few trophies picked up along the way.

Attachment 125474

I've owned an Ithaca imported MX8, and now own a Winchester imported one. Both great old guns. I've shot all the K guns, the Italian SC guns, and nothing handles like my MX8. As long as I'm able to shoot sporting clays I'll never sell it.

Pretty is as pretty does. I'd shoot a Winchester Model 24 if I could break more birds with it than any other gun.

Personally, I think Perazzi guns look a helluva lot better than Kreighoff, and I like the handling better, too. I never cared for the Germanic, angular look, and Kreighoffs feel "dead" in my hands. Italian guns are much prettier and handle much better, IMO.

Todd, that is a beautiful Perazzi!!!

Lacking grace and beauty comment has me perplexed. The guns are amazing and handle fantastic, especially if you're lucky enough to have one built to you. I have shot a few Ithaca imported ones, and they're quite great too. A friend of mine has a Perazzi Mirage that he paid $4,000 for recently, and that's a hell of a gun in great shape he snagged. An MX8 with fixed M/IM chokes and 31.5" barrels is likely the last gun a man would need. That's my opinion I'm sticking with it. I like the understated elegance; it's the filling in the pie not the crust that matters.

I'm on my 3rd P gun, but still have my step ribbed MX 8. That gun is all business!

Several years ago a P gun showed up at the traps at my rod and gun club. The owner said it was an Ithaca import. I thought it was beautiful and he asked if I would like to shoot it. He handed me the gun and 5 shells. When I shouldered it I had the feeling it was actually a part of my body. I had never experienced that to that degree. I shot 5 times and broke 5 targets. I never forgot that experience and have never felt like that with any other gun.

I worked in a large family-owned sporting goods business in the Washington DC metro area in the early 1970s, at the time when Ithaca began to import the Perrazzi into the US. We were a major Browning, Winchester, Ithaca and Remington dealer, and at that time the darling of the trapshooting world was the Browning Superposed Broadway Trap, which outsold anything else close to it by about a 6 to 1 margin.

When prospective buyers that had heard about the Perazzi Competition Trap guns came in to look at them, they always complained that they were too much money: "Why would I pay $600 (the price of a Comp 1 trap) for a relatively unknown gun when I can buy a Broadway for $475 (Browning's discounted price at the time)?? I would always reply; "Well sir, its your choice: pay your $ and take your pick!" Within 3-4 years, Perazzi began to completely dominate the trap gun market.

As an aside, the Perazzi Comp 1 was the only 32-inch barreled gun I was ever able to handle effectively. Being of medium build with fairly short arms, other guns seemed too hard to control at the end of a swing on angled targets. With their individually tapered barrels, the 32" Comp 1s were ideal for me. When I began to shoot bunker (Olympic) trap competitively in 1990, I found we had an old Comp 1 at our club that had been sold and resold to at least 4 members over a 20-year period. To the best recollection of the surviving owners keeping records of their reloading for practice as well as their competition rounds, they figured the gun had had a minimum of 250,000 rounds through it. I would love to have that gun today.

The side plated SCOs are about the handsomest guns being made today IMO. Very reminiscent of the early Woodward OUs, on which the Perazzi action is based. In terms of any Perazzi, they can be rebuilt again and again should they need it. Dropout trigger and ease of service by anyone who is inclined. Firing pins and mainsprings are easy to replace. And there are lots of qualified gunsmiths who can work on them.

Couldn't agree more Ed, the SCO's are beautiful. I own 3 Perazzi MX guns and the only regret I have is that I've waited too long to own them. One of the chaps I shoot with on a regular basis who shoots an 1100 asked me not long ago why I picked a Perazzi. My answer was pure and simple is they put more X's on the scorecard. It seriously feels like an extension of my body.

I agree Daryl. I waited until I was 59 to "afford one" but had I taken the advice of a friend years ago I would have saved money.

Browning Citori
Winchester 101
Beretta Silver Pigeon I
Caesar Geurini Summit
Beretta 694

All those guns which have come and gone added up to about $15,000 and sold for much less going out the door

The MX8 with palm swell, SC2 wood, 11x11 rib and dropout leaf trigger was $14,200 to my door. I shoot it much better than any other clays gun I've owned. Buy once cry once as they say. Sadly, I don't think it will be my last but don't tell my wife.

That being said my next purchase will be either a nice Trojan 20g or my dream gun, a 16g 26" or 28" DHE on 0 frame as my grouse gun.

Those Perazzis probably point as well as that David Bruce double trap

They certainly do Ed.

My MX8 and High Tech S Lusso grade. With the 3 Perazzi, mine is the middle one. I like the MX8 because it's understated.

Go to any pigeon shoot and see what's in the gun rack. Money shooters seem to prefer Perazzi.

Perazzi regret
 

This is the only Perazzi I regret selling. It is (was) an MX-8 28 gauge with 29" barrels. Beautiful and shot very little. It was verified by the guy in Wisconsin who bought it and called me when he got it and said; this is way better than you said it was. I'm still a little puzzled as to why I sold it.
X
X

Oh my word. What stunning wood. Not to make you feel bad, but yeah, I'd be sick over that.

MX 28
 

29 1/2", M/IM, 6.1 lbs. I just love her.
She is built on what they call they baby frame.

Very nice Daryl. Full pistol grip or round knob/POW?

Wow Daryl.

Mind if I call you Dad?? : )

Sure thing son.:)

Full pistol Frank.

I have a friend with a mx8 with ejector problems where is a good place to send to.

Look up Giacomo in NY or Don Rackley who has a website and you can find him on Trapshooters.com

Don Rackley is my suggestion, after using both.

My friend says thankyou for the info

A plus for Don, gun is fixed and a big Thank you

Shoot Wobble Trap at Rio Salado (Mesa, AZ) with the gang: 2 Perazzi MX 8, 2 Browning Superposed & 1 Beretta SO4.

The pigeon shoot Saturday was won my gentleman shooting Browning 525.

Daryl, with a straight grip and 32" barrels, that would be the perfect over under shotgun. Wow, Buddy.

It is.

This is the second MX-28 you had correct ? The first was 32” ?

10-4.

I have never shouldered a P gun that didn't come up nice. Can't say that about CG, K or Kol guns. Nice guns but different. I've only shouldered one Blaser F3 and that was really nice.

I had an early 80s MX3 skeet with Kolar tubes that I loved and foolishly sold 35yr ago. Last year finally found the exact gun for sale except with old Briley tubes. Bought it and upgraded to new Ultralight tubes. Was like reuniting with an old friend.

On other matters, I contacted Don Rackley 2 weeks ago about what I thought was a needed lock bolt replacement o the MX3. He said he would be out of town last week but send gun for M/T delivery this week and he would turn it around within a day or two. I sent it to him with instructions to do whatever was needed. I was expecting $600+\-

Gun arrived yesterday, he called me today to say the bolt is fine the issue is someone replaced the lever Spring with one that was too weak and over the last year of heavy shooting the spring just got weaker and wasn't holding the lever in place. Also said the trigger was originally a release trigger that someone converted (incorrectly) to P/P. Fixed that and made a few other small fixes. He said the gun is as good as new.

He could have soaked me for $600+\- and I never would have known and instead it's likely under $200 with shipping and he is sending it back today.

For comparison, I called Giacommo before Don and the expected repair slot was mid September.