Franchi Alcione

I'm not intimatly familiar with the Alcione, but I do have a Veloce. Can't really say why you don't get a fire on the second shot on occasion. Are you sure you have it firmly against your shoulder each time. I suspect that the Alcione has inertal set trigger and may not reset if you don't have it firmly against your shoulder. My Veloce usually resets without a shell fireing, but it does indeed have an inerta block in the fireing mechanism.

Why the small indent in the uppr shell unfired primer when having only fired the bottom barrel? Fireing pins on most O/Us aren't spring loaded, they just float in the standing breach. When you fire the bottom barrel the gun recoils and the upper fireing pin responds to Newtons law. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. As the gun fires and recoils the upper fireing pin stays put in relationship to the universe but the gun with the shell in the upper barrel recoils rearward with enough force to allow the fireing pin to protrude and hit the primer hard enough to put just a tad bit of a mark in it. Not nearly enough to fire the shell, but definatly enough to leave a mark many times. Usually the heavier the load and the looser you have the gun mounted on your shoulder the greater the free recoil the gun has and the more likley you will be to get a mark on the unfired primer. Obviously if you go agead and fire the second shot you would have never known this! I wonder how many folks actually fire an O/U only one time when two shells are in it? I bet not very many?

BP

I have an Alcione T and have not noticed any of these problems. My barrel selector is also set up to fire the bottom first. I haven't shot it much so far and like Burnt Powder said, I haven't shot the gun only once with both barrels loaded. Tomorrow I think I'll try it and see if I get the same effects as you. I do know that Franchi puts mechanical triggers in there O/U's so there should not be an inertia problem. To check for inertia triggers, just load snap caps or empty hulls in the gun and pull the trigger. (with the gun pointed in a safe direction) If the you hear a firing pin "click" after both pulls of the trigger, they are mechanical. An inertia trigger will require you to bump the butt of the stock with your hand to get the trigger to pull the second time. If I find any problems tomorrow I'll post it. Take care and good luck.

Inerta triggers are a curious lot. My Veloce manual says that it is a mechanical set trigger, however; in the parts list they show/list an inerta block and indeed there IS one in the action. It does in fact snap both hammers one after the other without fireing a shot.

I fired my new SIG Aurora by Rizzini this afternoon and I did have a bit of a problem with it from time to time. The manual says it is an inerta activated trigger. After the 5th shot the thing would not reset the trigger to fire the top barrel. Tried it several times and just wouldn't go. Changed it to the top barrel first and it worked fine. Went back to the botom first and sure enough, no fire second shot! Since I had gone from handloads to new AAs when the problem started I went back to the handloads suspecting the AAs didn't have enough "poop" to set the trigger. Nope! Still no go! I poped the back of the stock with my hand to try to again set the second shot. No go. I then put a couple fired hulls in the gun and snaped it off. Lo and belold, the second barrel snaped everytime without fireing a shot, and this with an inertial mechanism. Put in 2 more shells, and first barrel BOOM! No go on the top barrel! I fiddled with the safety and the barrel selector a bit and tried the empty hull thing again and again they both snaped without any inerta applied at all! Loaded it up again and fired probably a dozen shots with everything working properly! Go figure?? I'm baffeled as to why the gun would snap empty hulls but not after fireing the bottom barrel for a while. Now after fiddling with it it works fine with loaded ammo and empty hulls. And this, according to the owners manual is an inerta system requireing a first shot to set the trigger for the second shot? No siree! Musta been some grit or grease in the trigger mechanism since it is indeed brand new and only proof fired before?? Nice little gun, the 28 ga Rizzini! Hope it keeps fireing like it is supposed to!

BP

JabberN, I took the Alcione out and fired the shotgun with only the bottom barrel but with both tubes loaded. At first I thought there was not any firing pin mark on the unfired shell. After close inspection there is a very small - light indention from the firing pin. It very much reminded me of an Ar-15. If you fire that rifle then eject the chmbered round without firing it, there will be a firing pin mark. More with the Ar-15 than the Franchi, but both marks look the same to me only lighter strikes on the Franchi. Burnt Powder is exactly right, the firing pin is not held back from the breech face with a spring. Same thing in an Ar-15. There is not enough inertia in the pin to set the unfired shell off. So far though, I have not had any miss-fires with reloads, cheap factory, or compatition ammo. That is with either the 12ga or 20ga barrels.

Hey Mike,

I would not let a few mishaps shy me away from some really great guns. I seem to shoot better with a O/U "still not very well though....heehee!" I guess I know there is not gonna be a 3rd shot.

I think all my problems can be called "user error". I too have always shot auto's until my Alcione. Mainly my Beretta 390, which I still love- damn tough gun!

At any rate, One should always shoot what He/She is most comfortable with.

Take care,

Jab.