By Phil Bourjaily

People ask me about affordable break action guns. I usually tell them to buy used because there just aren’t many good ones around (CZ is about it). Now there’s another to add to the short list: the Franchi Instinct.

Besides restyling its semiautos, Franchi revamped its O/U line, introducing the Instinct L and SL. Part of that restyling involved shrinking the pricetag significantly. The Instinct L has a steel receiver, the SL has a lightweight alloy frame.

I have been shooting a 12 gauge, 28-inch barreled Instinct L lately.  Mine weighs 7 ¼ pounds (quite  a bit more than advertised, but that’s okay. If you want a very light gun there is the SL) and it balances and points fairly well. It has 2 ¾ and 3-inch chambers, a barrel selector on its automatic safety and mechanical triggers.

In rethinking the O/U line, Franchi wisely got rid of the Euro-style recoil pads that ruined the otherwise traditional lines of their guns. The Instinct L has a traditional black rubber pad that goes well with the rest of the gun’s look, which you would have to call “plain-traditional.” This gun has satin-finished walnut, decent wood to metal fit and clean checkering on its fore end and Prince of Wales grip. The receiver has only a little bit of engraving, which is okay, because the receiver is case colored, and the stripey blues and browns provide all the decoration this gun requires. The ejectors and monoblock are jeweled, which is always a nice touch on a break action.

The gun comes with three choke tubes and a discreet orange bead. It works, it shoots straight, and it lists for $1,049. I have seen it in stores for $999. At that price, it is a good deal of gun for the money. The lighter, silver-receivered SL sells for $1,349.

A few different manufacturers over the years have told me that when people buy O/Us they want a gun that has lots of nice engraving; they want to feel like they have stepped up, or even “arrived.”  Fine. I have some guns like that, but sometimes you just  want to take a break action gun hunting without worrying about it. You want something reliable and not fancy that can wear the honest scars of a hard hunt without ruining its looks or upsetting you – a “working O/U” as it were. The Instinct L would be that kind of gun.

Comments (11)

from Oryx wrote 1 year 1 day ago

How is the drop in this shotgun? I always admired the Franchi line, but couldn't get down on the gun as compared to my Berettas.

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from dale freeman wrote 1 year 1 day ago

Are you including the Brownings.
Not long ago I thought I heard you make a real nice complement on the Citori's
I have two and i'll be glad when they're broke IN.

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from Sayfu wrote 1 year 1 day ago

The Citori's have quite a price range. I bought a Citori on sale for $1,300, and got $150 worth of shells that I could could pick out. But you can exceed $3,000 in a Citori. Wonder how the Franchi holds the wt. to 7.25 lbs? Looks like my Browning that weighs slightly over 8 lbs.

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from PbHead wrote 1 year 1 day ago

Thanks for the review Phil. I hope these guns make it in the market. If they don't, the will suddenly become hard to find and overpriced. Viva Italia!

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from springerman3 wrote 1 year 1 day ago

I have seen this shotgun at the local sporting good store ( Scheels )they do look nice and feel pretty good when you pull it up. Wish they had 20 gauge version ......
This would fall under the spend $$ to save $$ money blog, buy the CZ that Phil refers to ( $ 200 bucks cheaper ) and use the savings to buy ammo or reloading components. I bought a CZ Redhead 28 gauge a few years back, been a good shooter ( grouse, woodcock & pheasants )as well as I am decent with it on sporting clays !

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from Ralph the Rifleman wrote 1 year 16 hours ago

Humm..looks good for the price; thanks for info Phil!

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from RES1956 wrote 52 weeks 21 hours ago

I'm just a sucker for case coloring, even in an O/U.

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from FSU70 wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Bought a Franchi Diamond grade O/U 20 gage, 26" in 2009. I've shot a 12 gauge O/U for better than 35 years and wanted something lighter for early season doves. The Franchi Diamond is made for Dicks Sporting Goods and I got it on sale for $800. Best $800 I ever spent. It is a nice looking gun with good wood but nothing fancy. My Winchester 101 has all the engraving and checkering that comes with an expensive gun and I've put a lot of dings in it over the years. The Franchi I don't worry so much over and the dings and scratches just seem to add character. If the Franchi Instinct is anything like the Diamond you'll have a great gun.

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from deadeyedick wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Very good shotgun for the money. One of my shooting cronies bought one a few days ago so off to the trap field. The gun shoots very well, the lockup is solid and the fit and finish is above average what more does a person need in a shotgun in that price range?

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from FSU70 wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Also, I might mention a new Franchi O/U comes out of the box tighter than a tick on coon dog. I suspect the Instinct will come the same way. As I mentioned before, I shoot doves with my O/U and a lot of shells go through it. Yours will loosen up threw use as well. The more use, the quicker the brake in.

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from Major Graydon wrote 50 weeks 6 days ago

The Yildiz OU and SS shotguns sold by Sports Autority have proven to be very good performers at very good prices. Lots of shooters happy with them.

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from Oryx wrote 1 year 1 day ago

How is the drop in this shotgun? I always admired the Franchi line, but couldn't get down on the gun as compared to my Berettas.

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from dale freeman wrote 1 year 1 day ago

Are you including the Brownings.
Not long ago I thought I heard you make a real nice complement on the Citori's
I have two and i'll be glad when they're broke IN.

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from Sayfu wrote 1 year 1 day ago

The Citori's have quite a price range. I bought a Citori on sale for $1,300, and got $150 worth of shells that I could could pick out. But you can exceed $3,000 in a Citori. Wonder how the Franchi holds the wt. to 7.25 lbs? Looks like my Browning that weighs slightly over 8 lbs.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from PbHead wrote 1 year 1 day ago

Thanks for the review Phil. I hope these guns make it in the market. If they don't, the will suddenly become hard to find and overpriced. Viva Italia!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from springerman3 wrote 1 year 1 day ago

I have seen this shotgun at the local sporting good store ( Scheels )they do look nice and feel pretty good when you pull it up. Wish they had 20 gauge version ......
This would fall under the spend $$ to save $$ money blog, buy the CZ that Phil refers to ( $ 200 bucks cheaper ) and use the savings to buy ammo or reloading components. I bought a CZ Redhead 28 gauge a few years back, been a good shooter ( grouse, woodcock & pheasants )as well as I am decent with it on sporting clays !

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Ralph the Rifleman wrote 1 year 16 hours ago

Humm..looks good for the price; thanks for info Phil!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from RES1956 wrote 52 weeks 21 hours ago

I'm just a sucker for case coloring, even in an O/U.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FSU70 wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Bought a Franchi Diamond grade O/U 20 gage, 26" in 2009. I've shot a 12 gauge O/U for better than 35 years and wanted something lighter for early season doves. The Franchi Diamond is made for Dicks Sporting Goods and I got it on sale for $800. Best $800 I ever spent. It is a nice looking gun with good wood but nothing fancy. My Winchester 101 has all the engraving and checkering that comes with an expensive gun and I've put a lot of dings in it over the years. The Franchi I don't worry so much over and the dings and scratches just seem to add character. If the Franchi Instinct is anything like the Diamond you'll have a great gun.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from deadeyedick wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Very good shotgun for the money. One of my shooting cronies bought one a few days ago so off to the trap field. The gun shoots very well, the lockup is solid and the fit and finish is above average what more does a person need in a shotgun in that price range?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FSU70 wrote 51 weeks 5 days ago

Also, I might mention a new Franchi O/U comes out of the box tighter than a tick on coon dog. I suspect the Instinct will come the same way. As I mentioned before, I shoot doves with my O/U and a lot of shells go through it. Yours will loosen up threw use as well. The more use, the quicker the brake in.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Major Graydon wrote 50 weeks 6 days ago

The Yildiz OU and SS shotguns sold by Sports Autority have proven to be very good performers at very good prices. Lots of shooters happy with them.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.