Fausti
GTW
FEATURE
The year is 1948, World War II has recently ended
and Italy is on its knees; it is to rebuild over the
ruins, it is to rebuild an identity, with its people
working extremely hard. Th ere are no holidays or
long weekends away.
Only three years after the war had ended, a young
Stefano Fausti, who had absorbed the workings of the
gunmaking trade, operating alongside his brothers and
grandfather, decided to begin operating on his own, to
build shotguns under the family name.
It was a bold move at a time when many in this wartorn
country were still struggling to make ends meet.
Working in the heart of Italy’s renowned gunmaking valley,
Val Trompia, the young Stefano was fortunate to have an
advantage close at hand. He could, when needed, reach
out to a pool of local craftsmen skilled in gun and stockmaking.
Consider that at the time there were none of the
fantastic CNC machines we have today, so the capacity
to work on guns with your hands was fundamental. Not
surprisingly, however, Fausti was not the only person in the
valley seeking to start his own brand, but only a handful of
these start-ups would eventually succeed.
It was here that the Fausti company was born, from the
hands of a young Stefano Fausti, assembling guns, creating
the classic ‘external hammer’ with only the use of chisels
and fi ne papers.
Th e elegant and reliable shotguns that he was creating
began to win Italian fans and customers and also draw the
attention of admirers from Europe and fi nally fi nd their
way into hunters’ and collectors’ hands from the Americas.
Th e personal history of Fausti is intertwined with the
greatest history of Italy. In the 1960s, the time of the
economic boom, economic growth and a new-found
pride in being Italian, this time would represent years of
passionate work, the creative impetus of inspiration and
imagination.
Every day the hard-working Fausti team would
improve the Fausti brand, creating even better-quality and
reliable products. It is no coincidence that in those years
the shotguns that held the tag ‘Made in Italy’ imposed
themselves internationally and, in the eyes of Fausti,
overcame those English companies which, although always
glamorous and a point of reference, could not keep pace
with the times and follow the changing dynamics of the
market.
THE FAMILY GROWS
Th e three Fausti sisters – Elena, Giovanna and Barbara –
grew up learning to love the smell of steel. It was a critical
moment in the Fausti history but the three women are
exceptionally talented individuals, each of whom is fully
focused on and dedicated to the success of their family’s
business. Th ey are deeply connected with the shotguns they
make and, when time allows, love to get out on the range
or fi eld.
Th e company is now expanding rapidly. From a small
laboratory Fausti moved into a state-of the-art, 4,000 sq/m
facility where technological wonders, specialised craftmen,
techniques and traditions are carried out on a daily basis.
Th e Fausti teams still practise traditions dating back over
www.guntradeworld.com 31
As iconic Italian shotgun manufacturer Fausti celebrates
70 years of trading, Gun Trade World takes a look back
over that time to discover the key developments that
make the company the giant it is today.
/www.guntradeworld.com