I was hoping someone could help me identify what I believe is a Franchi Brescia model 48AL 12 gauge. The shotgun has an X on the barrel which I think makes it a 1954. I have also been asked what type of choke it has. All I know is that a dime just fits in the end. Any help would be great. Thanks new member, hope this is the right spot. I have photos if that would help?
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Italian makers use a series of stars stamped on the barrels to indicate choke. You may have to remove the barrel from the receiver to look for the marks. A single star = Full, ** = IM,
*** = M and **** = IC. A few Italian makes use 10ths of a millimeter, ie: 10/10 = Full, 5/10 = M, etc.

Yes, the Roman numeral "X" is the date code for the year 1954.

DF

Montani Semper Liberi

In my experience, if a dime just barely fits into the muzzle, it's most likely a modified choke. That is for a std bore shotgun .729" or .730" and not overbored, which can have a bore from .740" to .790" bore. I would expect your Franchi to not be overbored. Typically, a dime won't fit into a full choke and will easily fit into an IC with a little room to spare. Just barely fitting would most likely be a Mod.

Also, fairly typical of single barrel shotguns made a that time: 26" barrels were usually IC or Skeet choked. 28" barrels usually were Mod choke and 30" barrels are full choke. However, there can be exceptions.