Products with the Benelli brand are intended primarily not for collectors, but for hunters who will actively use these weapons. Benelli M4 Super 90 is a self-loading magazine shotgun (shotgun).
A few kilometers before Urbino, a mesmerizing panorama opens up: the city standing on two hills seems to be a skillfully executed decoration for a medieval play. From the tiled foam of roofs and towers grows a huge palazzo ducale (the duke's palace). Houses and small churches seem to cling to impregnable walls, trying to pull themselves up as high as possible to the sky and as close to the palazzo as possible.
Since 1155, the surname of Montefeltro begins to appear in local annals: Friedrich Barbarossa appointed Count Antonio as ruler of the city. In 1213, Emperor Frederick II granted Urbino as fief to Buonconte and Taddeo Montefeltro. Thus, Urbino became the capital of the Montefeltro family.
Whole historical eras passed, rulers and popes changed, and Urbino until 1508 grew and flourished under the patronage of the Montefeltro family. Representatives of this clan have managed to strengthen their positions in a short time thanks to successful economic activities and colossal contributions to art and culture. By the 15th century, the city had become one of the centers of the Renaissance. Of particular note is the name of Federico II (1444-1482). It was during the reign of Federico da Motefeltro that the first rifle workshops appeared in the region. In addition to Urbino, schools of gunsmiths appeared in Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata, Senigallia, Fossombrona, and other cities. Manufactured weapons were exported to other regions of Italy, to the countries of the Middle East. Federico da Montefeltro concludes an alliance with the king of Naples, the Milanese Sforza family and even the pontiff, and is appointed the chief leader of the Italic League.
Federico da Montefeltro, who became the symbol of Urbino, gathered around him, as they would say in our time, the creative intelligentsia from all over the world. It was he who came up with the idea of creating a "city-palace" in the form of a grandiose palazzo ducale. The construction was intended to express the importance, power and wealth of his fiefdom, but at the same time, despite the thick walls, it never served as a fortress.
During the Renaissance, Urbino was considered one of the most beautiful castle cities in all of Italy, and the ducal court was one of the most enlightened. The greatness and glory of Urbino is inextricably linked with the Montefeltro surname, everything that came before them, and everything that happened later flew by, leaving almost no trace. But, perhaps, this city would have been lost in a scattering of pearls of Italy, if not for another event that forever determined its fate: Rafael Santi was born here. Raphael owes much of his creative development and education to the rulers of the city: when his first works were put up for sale in his father's shop, they were immediately bought for the ducal palace.
The great past of the city is inextricably linked with the present. And another proof of this statement is the names of aesthetically and technically perfect models of weapons produced and manufactured by Benelli - Duca, Montefeltro, Raffaello - as if continuing the connection of times.
The history of the Benelli company begins in 1911. A certain Signora Teresa Boni Benelli, who lived in the city of Pesaro and raised six sons, was tormented by thoughts of what her boys would do in life. What options came to her mind is not known for certain, but the family's money was invested in the purchase of metal-working machines. A workshop was built next to the house, and Giuseppe, Giovanni, Francesco, Filippo, Domenico and Antonio, without further ado, named the company Fratelli Benelli Spa. At the very beginning, the brothers were engaged in the repair of cars and guns. Then the company began not only to repair motorcycles and mopeds, but also to develop internal combustion engines for mopeds and motorcycles of its own design.
The glory of the Fratelli Benelli company was brought precisely by racing motorcycles, which, in fact, is what the company is famous for now.
One of the Benelli brothers, Giovanni, was fond of hunting and, back in the 1920s, made a double-barreled hammer gun, and in 1940 he designed a 12-gauge self-loading rifle. The design was based on the schematic diagram of John Browning, implemented by him in the Auto-5, but in comparison with the Auto-5, the Giovanni Benelli's gun had a more perfect trigger mechanism. Giovanni Benelli's innovation in the trigger design has even been protected by four patents. Who knows in what direction the company would have developed if the Second World War had not been raging in Europe at that time: the company was loaded with military orders, before hunting weapons were there in such conditions.
The war ended, the country returned to a peaceful life. The economic recovery of the 1950s - 1960s did not bypass Italy either. The Benelli Fratelli company confidently developed and firmly occupied its niche among the motorcycle manufacturing companies.
And at this time, the designer from Bologna Bruno Civolani turned to the Benelli brothers. It is likely that he regarded his appeal to this company as a last chance: after all, Bruno Civolani had already addressed all Italian arms manufacturers with his invention, but everything was unsuccessful. It is likely that the Benelli Armi company would never have existed if the Benelli brothers did not believe in the prospects of the Civolani development.
As a result of the implementation of the project, a unique hunting weapon was born, based on the principle of using the force of inertia of mass instead of the traditional gas vent mechanism. So, the production of a model 121 gun was started, capable of firing 5 shots in less than one second, even despite some imperfections in the operation of the trigger, which was corrected, however, in subsequent models.
In the first prototypes of the gun, when firing cartridges with light charges, the recoil energy was not enough to compress the buffer spring of the bolt, and as a result, the automation did not work: after all, the kinetic energy of the recoil of the gun depends on three quantities: the mass of the projectile, the initial velocity of the projectile and the burning rate of the powder charge. The first samples of Benelli guns, when firing cartridges with a projectile weight of less than 32 g and a low initial velocity, did not differ in high reliability. They could not function reliably and with cartridges more powerful than a semi-magnum. The search for the required values of the stiffness of the buffer spring and the mass of the inertial body of the bolt, as well as the refinement of the design of the gun as a whole, gave the desired result: Benelli guns began to calmly "digest" both cartridges with a shot mass of 24 g and supermagnums with a shot mass of 55 g. Subsequent models, those that came off the factory conveyor were capable of firing cartridges loaded with 55 g of steel and 65 g of lead shot.
Benelli M4 Super 90 is a self-loading magazine shotgun (shotgun)
The first Benelli shotguns were produced only in 12 gauge, and the magazine capacity was 4 or 5 rounds. The gun chamber was 70 mm long. The standard barrel length, with or without ventilated sights, was 70 cm. The forend and stock were made of high quality, carefully crafted walnut. The death of the box ranged from 50 to 60 mm.
The barrels for the first Benelli shotgun were made in Saint-Etienne (France) at the Manufrance plant by hot forging. The desired barrel shape was achieved by forging a tubular blank until it took the shape of an inner mandrel. Then the bore was honed and chrome plated.
The first Benelli semiautomatic shotguns were produced in three versions (Standard, Lusso and Extra Lusso) and had a steel receiver, but very soon a light alloy was used for the production of the receiver.
The Model 121 marked the beginning of a new generation of self-loading weapons. This model of the gun has long become a legend and holds a special place in the hearts of hunters and gun connoisseurs.
Over the next years, the prestige of weapons with the Benelli brand is growing rapidly, and the company itself offers to the market all new samples of unique weapons made in accordance with the most advanced technological solutions.
The Beretta company, of which Benelli has been a member since 1983, will soon be 500 years old. Benelli itself will only be 42 years old in 2009. From the point of view of the world history of the production of firearms, this is only an instant. How did Benelli manage not only to catch up, but also to bypass competitors, among which were recognized giants who have been producing self-loading weapons for more than a dozen years? Through hard work.
For forty-two years, Benelli has been moving forward step by step. Just because a gun is great doesn’t mean it cannot be improved. It was this approach of the company's management that contributed to the launch in 1978 of a new series of automatic weapons SL 80. The SL 80 series was the first to use Italian-made barrels made in Brescia. The barrels were cold forged. In addition, they have been heat-treated to provide each zone with mechanical characteristics suitable for a wide variety of stress types. The SL 80 was followed by the transition to the 121 M1, launched in 1979. In 1983, a model appeared under the name Montefeltro, and two years later - Montefeltro Super 90. In this model, a transition was made to a new design of the bolt, receiver of the firing mechanism and the cartridge feeder. Introduced in 1987, the Raffaello has become a symbol of the technical and aesthetic excellence of the semi-automatic rifle. And the list of produced models also includes such guns as Super 90 and M1 Super 90, Super Black Eagle and Centro …
Benelli M3T is a self-loading magazine shotgun (shotgun)
Photo: Mough wikipedia.org
Before the advent of Benelli rifles, semi-automatic rifles offered to hunters were nothing more than an ordinary hunting tool. And now, if a hunter wants to buy a gun in a piece version, he may well buy himself a Benelli semi-automatic from those that are produced in limited series. Shotguns of these series in terms of elegance and sophistication of execution rightfully compete with the quality of execution of piece shotguns of the world's leading companies.
At the same time, it should not be forgotten that Benelli guns are not the result of the labor of a handicraftsman, but rather an industrial product. Benelli branded products (even limited-edition weapons) are not primarily intended for collectors or for gifts to statesmen or politicians, but for hunters who will actively use these weapons. And one more important note: in the 21st century, aesthetics is inextricably linked with ergonomics. A gun should be not only beautiful, but also convenient for the one who will use it. Benelli shotguns are a clear example of this combination - together they embody aesthetic principle and ease of use.
What are the advantages of a shotgun with an inertial reloading mechanism? Firstly, these guns are not critical to frequent cleaning and maintenance, and in this regard, they are of particular interest to that part of hunters who sometimes forget to clean their weapons before putting them in the safe. In this regard, Benelli guns are in no way inferior to weapon systems that operate on the principle of barrel recoil with its long stroke, and in some ways even surpass them. Another undeniable advantage of rifles with an inertial reloading mechanism is that it does not need a pressure regulator when using cartridges of different capacities. It also features very low vibration and high rate of fire. Very important advantages of Benelli shotguns are the simplicity of their design, as well as the ease with which they can be disassembled without tools and the small number of parts. The launch of shotguns with an inertial reloading mechanism made a real technological revolution, and hunters quickly realized that these shotguns were free of most of the shortcomings inherent in traditional self-loading systems.
Currently, the inertial reloading system is not protected by a patent. Any manufacturer can buy a Benelli shotgun, disassemble it, copy it and put it into production. But this is not happening! Naturally, the question arises, why does not one of the world's leading arms companies produce hunting weapons with an inertial reloading system? First of all, this is because to ensure the smooth operation of the reloading mechanism, the highest precision in the manufacture of all parts is required. Such precision can only be achieved on automated or robotic lines and machines. But this is not yet the main thing. You can copy the parts and the finished product as an assembly, but the most important thing is the production technology. Trying to reproduce it is an insurmountable task.
Benelli sells its products in 76 countries around the world, including 37 European countries. Over the past five years, the company's share in the world market for semi-automatic rifles has increased from 15.5 to 22%, i.e. every fifth semi-automatic shotgun sold worldwide was manufactured in Urbino. The largest sales of Benelli products are in the United States. There is probably no secret here. For any arms manufacturer, the United States is the main sales market - after all, the number of hunters in this country reaches 16 million! Statistics show that the company ranks second in the American market, behind leader Remington in terms of the number of shotguns sold.
The second most important market for Benelli is the national market, although the number of hunters in Italy does not reach even a million people. More than 10% of sales come from the Russian market, which has firmly taken the fourth place, however, the constantly growing demand noted in this market may soon move Russia to the third place in the list of the company's most important sales markets. By the way, the demand for Benelli products on the Canadian market is growing just as dynamically as in Russia.
2007 is a special year for the company, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of its foundation and the production of a two-millionth gun. The company celebrated this event with the release of the "Bimillionaire" model. In 2007, the company's sales amounted to 90 million euros. The plan for 2008 to achieve sales of 100 million was not fulfilled for a number of obvious objective reasons, but the 2007 figure was still surpassed.
Another important indicator of the company's performance is the number of people employed in production. All Benelli products are manufactured in a single plant located in Urbino. The company has no factories or branches in Turkey or other countries of the world. The Urbino plant employs 250 people, of which approximately 70 are engineering and technical personnel. The plant in Urbino in 2007 produced almost 180 thousand units of products of various names, including one hundred thousand self-loading rifles.
The management of Benelli independently implements the market strategy and implements technological solutions, however, it is aware that administrative independence will remain only as long as the company has good economic indicators. And, as the leaders of the company themselves admit, this is a very good incentive for continuous improvement.
However, in practice, there are several forms of control by the parent company. For example, blanks for Benelli semi-automatic rifles are made at Beretta factories. Thus, the management of the holding tightly controls how many guns and what calibers will be produced by the plant in Urbino. And in addition, the president of Benelli is a member of the Beretta family, Luigi Moretti. We were honored: despite a busy work schedule, President Luigi Moretti still managed to find time and come to Urbino to meet with representatives of the Russian hunting press. I believe that thanks to his instructions, our visit to the Benelli enterprise was not limited to the presentation of the new model at the plant management, but we were shown both the workshops of the plant and the holy of holies - the design department.
The basis of the company's production base is a plant, which includes three workshops - mechanical processing, heat treatment, an assembly workshop, as well as a design department, a metallurgical research laboratory, a department of a state testing station, a factory unit for ongoing technical control of finished products, a metrology laboratory and others.
Benelli M4 Super 90 is a self-loading magazine shotgun (shotgun). Benelli M3T
Photo: Edo leitner wikipedia.org
If the headquarters is the brain of the army, then the head center of any enterprise, of course, is the design department. It is here that new models are created, developments are carried out that are destined to turn into new models, and work plans for the future are drawn up, the implementation of which will allow us to start new developments. Benelli's design department employs nearly twenty people. The working tool for them is CAD 3D software, which is commonly used in the automotive and aviation industries. According to the head of the design department, Marco Vinerole, usually the department simultaneously develops two or three new models per year for each market, since each market has its own requirements for products, therefore, in the process of developing a model, it is necessary to try to take them into account. Every two to three years Benelli enters the market with a new line of products. No other manufacturer of semi-automatic weapons can boast such a wide and complete range of products on the market. Currently, Benelli produces 135 modifications of self-loading weapons and 16 models of rifles produced in limited editions, and in total the company's catalog contains more than 400 titles of semi-automatic rifles, more than 60 titles of carbines and more than 60 titles of pump action rifles. To provide technical support for such a range of products, it is necessary to produce components and spare parts in the appropriate volume. This task is solved by a special workshop.
Benelli has always considered and continues to consider the design process and the technologies at its disposal as a whole. Their relationship is used primarily to achieve the best product performance. At the same time, there is a process of constant improvement of production due to the adoption of new technologies. Here, as in design and manufacture, the main role belongs to metallurgical and experimental research laboratories, which are equipped with the latest equipment. No less attention is paid to computer modeling and prototype testing. A significant contribution to the development and improvement of this area of work was made by the work on the model of the gas-operated (!) Semi-automatic M-4, which was developed and produced by order of the US Marine Corps. (The story of Benelli receiving a production order is reminiscent of a detective story and deserves a separate story.) The M-4 smoothbore gun is in service with the UN peacekeeping forces and a number of special forces around the world.
In the production of civilian hunting and sporting weapons, Benelli is guided by NATO NATO AQAP2110 standards, and first of all it concerns tests for durability of all components, parts and mechanisms assembled and checking the accuracy of combat. According to the company's representatives, the quality of hunting and sporting weapons has only benefited from the fact that NATO standards have been introduced into the practice of the company, which apply to military small arms.
To work in a modern assembly line production, workers require a good knowledge of the computer, because the worker does not perform a single operation, but operates a computerized production line. At night, a computer takes over the control of the production line. If a part is out of tolerance, the computer shuts down the machine and production of that part stops, thus eliminating the risk that an accidental error could lead to the release of a large number of defective parts.
The machining workshop is a modern subdivision of fully automated production, a kind of factory within a factory. The workshop has automated lines designed by a Japanese company that supplies similar equipment to one of the leaders in the Japanese automotive industry. One line is used for the final adjustment of the receiver and bolts of self-loading rifles. The process of feeding and installing drills, cutters and other tools is fully automated. Each magazine for cutters and tools, which are installed on the machining heads of machine tools, holds 500 or more units of tools. If necessary, the line can be reconfigured and programmed to process other parts and mechanisms. Two more lines work in parallel with it. The equipment installed on these lines has increased speed and accuracy characteristics.
The weapons assembly shop is usually associated with traditional workplaces equipped with vices, hammers and files. At Benelli, manual labor is kept to a minimum. Parts are manufactured with such precision that no adjustment is required during assembly. Moreover, the machines perform part of the operations for assembling parts and mechanisms, such as shutters. The final assembly of the products is carried out by the workshop workers, after which the guns are transferred to the quality control service, and then to the state testing station.
Constant control over the quality of manufactured parts is carried out by the metrological service of the plant. It is equipped with the latest measuring instruments, including the Gamma 203, which is used to automatically test thickness and tolerances on all types of products. The measuring equipment is equipped with interchangeable heads, which are changed automatically depending on the tested sample. Control of the conformity of products to the established standards is carried out automatically. The installation measures and calculates tolerances by comparing these values with the design documentation. In case of non-compliance with the established parameters, the part is rejected. This attitude cannot be said that “the plan is on fire” or “then we will file it down with a file”. The product is either compliant or not.
Continuous innovation is the style of the company. Here are just two examples. Benelli was the first company in the world to take a step towards cryogenic treatment of barrels from thermal spot treatment of barrels. Benelli used cryogenic barrel technology to produce the Raffaello Crio. This method optimizes the ballistic performance of barrels and chokes. When fired from a cryogenically treated barrel, the shot sheaf is more uniform and homogeneous.
Benelli M3T
Photo: Mough wikipedia.org
Benelli engineers and designers have created and implemented the Comfortech system. Thanks to the new geometry of the stock, the improved design of the comb and butt pad and the use of new polymer materials, it was possible to achieve an almost perfect balance and reduce recoil. This seemingly simple find was actually the result of long and difficult work with a large number of materials and molds used. The work was carried out through a comparative analysis of theoretical recommendations obtained as a result of the application of the most advanced calculation programs and the practical results of experimental tests.
Benelli is a vibrant and constantly evolving manufacturing company capable of re-energizing the traditional approach to weapons manufacturing through the use of advanced technology and inexhaustible creativity. Intensive work in the field of weapon design does not stop for a second in the company, due to which new modifications and models appear (you have already read about many of them on the pages of our magazine), one of which is the Raffaello CrioComfort rifle, which will be discussed in the next issue magazine.
