Mid-range but top quality

The Sideplate is a notable gun from the less celebrated side of the Rizzini family, writes Charles Smith-jones Tech specs

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that the Rizzini family have had on the Italian gunmaking industry over the past half-century. An often bewildering mix of names, further complicated by the fact that they are related to the Fausti brothers as well as Caesar Guerini. All of these names have become synonymous with Italian gunmaking.

The impression you often get is that the complicated relationship between the different companies is akin to a soap opera. The four most familiar ones usually seen on the gun rack are F. Ili Rizzini (which translates as Rizzini Brothers), who produce only a small number of very expensive and high-quality shotguns and rifles every year, while brothers Battista and Emilio Rizzini each operated independently under their own names with somewhat higher outputs. Isadoro Rizzini also produces guns through his company FAIR (Fabrica Armi Isadoro Rizzini).

It was Emilio who produced the Sideplate model that we are looking at today. His

Weight: Overall Length: Barrel: Length of pull: Rib:

company of E. Rizzini was founded in 1974.

No-nonsense

E. Rizzini tended to make mid-range guns and the Sideplate is a good example of its output. The example pictured actually belongs to Sportinggun’s editor, Matt Clark, who acquired it 20 years ago as a second-hand bargain from Sloan International of Inverurie when it was still relatively new.

It must have been one of the last few produced as E. Rizzini ceased to make them in the late 1990s. Matt’s gun is used