There are more than just firearms in Benelli’s history. In fact, how one of the biggest firearm brands came to be over 100 years ago began with wheels, not guns.
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In 1911, a widowed Teresa Benelli, a mother with six sons, decided to invest in her children’s futures by opening a service garage in Pasaro, Italy, where vehicles could be repaired and a few spare parts made. Little did she know the company bearing her family’s name would one day become one of the world’s biggest firearm brands.
According to a history on BenelliBike.com, soon after opening the garage, her sons were not only servicing motorcycles, they were building them, but even that wasn’t enough. The boys were also avid hunters and gun enthusiasts and believed the future of shotguns was in semiautomatic models. So in 1967, they created Benelli Armi and teamed up with designer Bruno Civolani who invented a revolutionary new action that became Benelli’s patented Inertia Driven mechanism. It used the energy from the firing and recoil to reload the shotgun and reduce recoil. With the Inertia Driven system they replaced gas-operated systems that were the current norm and provided the fastest reloading guns in the world.
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The same year,
according to Benelli's company history, the mayor of Urbino offered land to the Benelli family at no cost in hopes of boosting the local economy with a motorcycle factory. Instead, the factory became the base of operations for Benelli Armi and is still there today.
The company was sold to Beretta in 1983, but since 1967 Benelli has focused on technology, innovation and research with a goal of producing the most advanced firearms available.
The website InUrbino.net relates that gun parts are produced by robots in the high tech factory and automated machines do nearly everything from precise tooling to quality control.
In 2002, Benelli offered their first rifle after years of producing mainly shotguns and in 2007 they celebrated making over 2 million shotguns in 40 years. They even created a shotgun called the Bimillionaire in recognition.
According to GunsForSale.com, their factory in Urbino, Italy, approximately 1,000 firearms are produced each day of the 135 models and variations Benelli offers.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.
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