On August 6, 2019, the creator of the “Ferrari of shotguns” was recognized for his worldwide contributions to trapshooting.
Born in 1932 in Brescia, Italy, Daniele Perazzi spent his early years oblivious to the world class gunmakers around him. After all, his father was a cobbler and there was no family connection to the gun industry. But at the age of 15, he accepted an apprenticeship at a small gun factory, and his interest was piqued.
As he worked around the shop, young Perazzi studied the ins and outs of shotguns. As he studied, he learned. As he learned, he began to innovate. By 16, the imaginative Perazzi had patented his own shotgun model. In 1957, at the age of 25, he established Armi Perazzi.
In 1960, Perazzi partnered with Ivo Fabbri to build premium, yet affordable shotguns. He also worked with good friend and competitive shooter, Ennio Matterelli, to design a gun that would win an Olympic gold medal. In 1964, Matterelli and his Perazzi shotgun achieved that goal in Tokyo by breaking a record 198 of 200 to win gold.
While preparing for the 1968 games, Perazzi and Matterelli designed a gun that could handle the heat and altitude of the Olympic host, Mexico City. The result was the classic MX8.
Since 1964, 54 Olympic medalists have won with a Perazzi. That’s more than any other brand of shotgun.
Despite not having received any formal training in engineering, Perazzi was awarded several U.S. Patents. These include the adjustable trigger, internally and externally selectable trigger groups, the horizontally and vertically adjustable stock comb, and higher ribs for better heat dissipation and quicker target acquisition. Perazzi was also one of the first to offer screw-in chokes.
In 1987, having established a marketing arm in the U.S. through Ithaca, Perazzi moved his company to New York. The following year, it was moved to California. Today, Perazzi’s son and daughter, Mauro and Roberta, continue running the company and carrying on their father’s legacy. Daniele Perazzi died at age 80 in 2012.
