Mario Beschi Boxlock Ejector O/U Ferraglio 12ga

This is a stunning example of Italian artisan gunmaking from one of Gardone Val Trompia’s most respected small-shop makers. Mario Beschi produced bespoke-quality shotguns in Gardone, Italy from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, and this late-production example represents the upper tier of his output. The coin-finished boxlock receiver is fully covered in masterful hand-engraved scrollwork, featuring a dramatic central panel with a pair of game birds — pheasants in flight — surrounded by deeply cut acanthus scroll on all surfaces including the trigger guard and forend iron. The engraving is signed by the artist, P. Ferraglio, a Gardone-area engraver in the tradition of the Val Trompia masters. Signed engraving on a production-era Italian gun is a hallmark of presentation-grade work and...