# Franchi Affinity???



## floyd (Oct 19, 2009)

I am about to make the big move from duck hunting with my 870 pump to a reliable autoloader. I am a poor man with a young child, so finances are tight.

I have been planning to buy a Beretta 390/1. But now I see Franchi has a new auto that uses an "inertia spring" instead of a gas system. It's almost exactly the same cost as a Beretta - around $750. (I also realize I could buy a used Beretta for less than that, and I am shopping for that deal.)

Any thoughts about the Affinity vs. 390?


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## motorcityhtps (Mar 1, 2010)

I've seen AL390's go on MGO for around 400 bucks. That's a big difference in price between the Al390 and the Franchi.


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## mwakely (Jan 7, 2004)

If you are a poor man with a child keep the 870! But if one must buy a new gun the 390 ain't a bad way to go!


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

3901 if ur poor. I think its ur best bang for ur Buck on an auto


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

Love my 3901.

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## chromer101 (Oct 21, 2011)

My buddy picked up a stoeger 3500 and seems to love it. If i remember correctly you can pick it up for less than $600 in max 4. comes with 5 chokes, recoil reducer, and etc. shoots up to 3 1/2 too. Benelli actually owns stoeger and the gun also uses the intertia technology. He likes it, but just a thought. Def due diligence on it b4 purchasing.


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

chromer101 said:


> My buddy picked up a stoeger 3500 and seems to love it. If i remember correctly you can pick it up for less than $600 in max 4. comes with 5 chokes, recoil reducer, and etc. shoots up to 3 1/2 too. Benelli actually owns stoeger and the gun also uses the intertia technology. He likes it, but just a thought. Def due diligence on it b4 purchasing.


 read some reviews its 50;50 good or bad. I've seen one person complain about that 3901. Also just my opinion but from what I've seen out of the Berettas they r machine. I'd go with my ole mans 3901 before I spent one dime on a sbe 2 if its anything like my sbe. Points and shoots well. I actually shoot it well. I can expect to be well over 40;50 on sporting clays. Just have to keep it clean. Every Beretta I've seen doesn't need that.


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## bc21 (Dec 15, 2010)

chromer101 said:


> My buddy picked up a stoeger 3500 and seems to love it. If i remember correctly you can pick it up for less than $600 in max 4. comes with 5 chokes, recoil reducer, and etc. shoots up to 3 1/2 too. Benelli actually owns stoeger and the gun also uses the intertia technology. He likes it, but just a thought. Def due diligence on it b4 purchasing.


I looked at getting one for my brother a while ago when they first came out. I believe they are a bit more than that and probably in the range you would plan to spend on a new Beretta ($700-750ish?), unless they came down in price.


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## BangBangBang (Mar 30, 2011)

berretta owns benelli, stoeger and don't they also own Franchi?

So is the low end semi auto a stoeger, mid level the franchi, high end the benelli??
Am I sensing a marketing pattern???

I'm a year into my Super Vinci after running the stoeger 2000 for about 4 years. Very happy with both.


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

BangBangBang said:


> berretta owns benelli, stoeger and don't they also own Franchi?
> 
> So is the low end semi auto a stoeger, mid level the franchi, high end the benelli??
> Am I sensing a marketing pattern???
> ...


And with a 3901 u get a gun that function on a high end price that cost mid to low level. I know a few guys who have got rid of their Vinci. I'm not going off price point at all. I'm going off experience and talking to others. I have a high end benelli by ur logic and i would trade my dad in an instant.


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## chromer101 (Oct 21, 2011)

bc21 said:


> I looked at getting one for my brother a while ago when they first came out. I believe they are a bit more than that and probably in the range you would plan to spend on a new Beretta ($700-750ish?), unless they came down in price.


 
Just an FYI

 
*Stoeger M3500 Semiautomatic Shotgun
*Select items on sale!
$599.99 - $639.99


$549.99 - $639.99


Cabela's website. just to let you know


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## rentalrider (Aug 8, 2011)

I shoot a Vinci and love it, my son shoots a 3901 and loves it. To me the fit and finish of the 3901 vs. upper end guns is that of a renault alliance vs. a camaro... but it seems to function flawlessly. Lewy if your gun is in good shape I'm sure he (my son) would trade you!!  As far as the OP's original gun in question, my buddy (sometimes on here) shoots one since last summer. He shot hundreds and hundreds of duck loads through it with me. He really liked it but had some gasket installed wrong from PO (I'm assuming) so it didn't cycle correctly initially. After that fix it's been great. He said something about availability of parts if needed being an issue but I think that was prolly fifth hand as I don't know of him ever NEEDING parts. I like the gun personally. If you'd like, PM me and I can get you his contact info I'm sure he'd bring it to a waterfowl show, etc when we come so you can throw a box through it.


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

rentalrider said:


> I shoot a Vinci and love it, my son shoots a 3901 and loves it. To me the fit and finish of the 3901 vs. upper end guns is that of a renault alliance vs. a camaro... but it seems to function flawlessly. Lewy if your gun is in good shape I'm sure he (my son) would trade you!!  As far as the OP's original gun in question, my buddy (sometimes on here) shoots one since last summer. He shot hundreds and hundreds of duck loads through it with me. He really liked it but had some gasket installed wrong from PO (I'm assuming) so it didn't cycle correctly initially. After that fix it's been great. He said something about availability of parts if needed being an issue but I think that was prolly fifth hand as I don't know of him ever NEEDING parts. I like the gun personally. If you'd like, PM me and I can get you his contact info I'm sure he'd bring it to a waterfowl show, etc when we come so you can throw a box through it.


Camo is a like beat up, not bad just from use but other than that's its fine. No rust or anything like that. I'll give it a once over but I'd say 9/10. Ill have to break out the 870 goose hunting to run 3.5"


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## BangBangBang (Mar 30, 2011)

lewy149 said:


> And with a 3901 u get a gun that function on a high end price that cost mid to low level. I know a few guys who have got rid of their Vinci. I'm not going off price point at all. I'm going off experience and talking to others. I have a high end benelli by ur logic and i would trade my dad in an instant.


Not really sure what you mean by my logic.....I was more questioning 1) doesn't berretta own franchi as well (i'm 90% sure they do) and if so, and they now are making a recoil operated Franchi, it seems to me they are trying to position 3 different price points with their 3 different manufacturers....I was not entering into a quality debate in any way. 
To each their own. 
I chose the SV cause after about a dozen trips to GM and mounting and swinging the berretta xtrema, maxus, SBE2, and the SV- the SV was routinely the one that fit and pointed the best when i opened my eyes.

Let's please not venture down the B vs. B vs. B road....there's a bazillion internet threads on the subject already. Everyone already knows theirs is the bestest gun in the world. Mine included


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

BangBangBang said:


> Not really sure what you mean by my logic.....I was more questioning 1) doesn't berretta own franchi as well (i'm 90% sure they do) and if so, and they now are making a recoil operated Franchi, it seems to me they are trying to position 3 different price points with their 3 different manufacturers....I was not entering into a quality debate in any way.
> To each their own.
> I chose the SV cause after about a dozen trips to GM and mounting and swinging the berretta xtrema, maxus, SBE2, and the SV- the SV was routinely the one that fit and pointed the best when i opened my eyes.
> 
> Let's please not venture down the B vs. B vs. B road....there's a bazillion internet threads on the subject already. Everyone already knows theirs is the bestest gun in the world. Mine included


Funny thing is I've already admitted mines not. The gun that took a back seat to this one was


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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

lewy149 said:


> Funny thing is I've already admitted mines not. The gun that took a back seat to this one was


Isn't that like saying, "My truck is perfect, but I drive my Ford Focus instead"?


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## lewy149 (Apr 19, 2007)

field-n-feathers said:


> Isn't that like saying, "My truck is perfect, but I drive my Ford Focus instead"?


Sure focus gets way better mileage. Just like my 870 has like 10000 to 1 on jams vs my sbe. But I can't pull my boat with a focus and I don't have the recovery out of my 870 like I do out of my sbe.


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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

I have an older AL390 and a Franchi 912....the Beretta has been trouble free. Not so the Franchi....was not engineered real well and was only produced for two years I believe.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I bought a 390 sight unseen when they were wrapping up production of the 303 (have one of those too) and ended up with one of the first ones imported back in 1992. Gun has been prefect, only issue was too much oil got on the spring in the stock and gummed it up in cold weather. Once I cleaned that, it was back to rocking and rolling.

I used to shoot league trap and skeet and could shoot 1000 AA's through it without an issue.

I don't shoot it much in the field as it's shiny and I shoot my BPS better, but when jump shooting where the shiny doesn't matter and I may be walking a couple miles, it's a joy to carry.


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## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

When I first got my 3901 it had a problem with jamming, called Beretta and we got it sent in no problem and now it cycles everything real nice! Very smooth gun! I got my 3901 for $622 final price.


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