Many, if not most of us, would be glad to take the helm of a company owned by our family, certainly that is if good ’ol dad—or perhaps it was mom—had kept the business humming along quite nicely over the years. On top of the money rolling in, if the family operation manufactured something really neat, like fine break-open guns as opposed to, let’s say, cardboard boxes, most of us wouldn’t just be glad, we’d be darn near giddy about the chance to step up to the plate.
I can hardly imagine what it would be like to take up the reins of a gun company with the family name on it. On my first morning, I might start by walking the factory floor, shake some hands and give some reassuring pats on the back. Take a moment to bask in the glow.
Next, I might stop by the marketing office to discuss any upcoming hunts the company had in the works. I could now appropriately describe such outings as product testing opportunities and, their cost, of course, would be a business expense.
Before you know it, it would be time for lunch, and I would gather my team and we would head off to a nice local eatery. Some wine with the meal? Sure, it’s a special day. After all, isn’t it grand to finally be the boss! Well, maybe not always.
When Paolo Zoli was given the opportunity to take over the family company in the late 1990s, he didn’t jump at it right away. If he had ultimately decided to go his own way, it would have been, to say the least, quite a break with tradition.
The Zoli story begins more than 500 years ago in Italy’s famed Valtrompia gun-making region. Records show that Zoli ancestors were making gunlocks in 1490 and complete firearms shortly after that.
In the following centuries, the Zoli family stayed involved in many aspects of the business and, by the mid-1850s, Giovanni Zoli had established himself as a renowned flintlock maker. An exquisite flintlock pistol, signed by Giovanni and featuring the family’s logo, has long been a centerpiece of the Zoli private collection.
Giussepe Zoli built this one-of-a-kind shotgun for his good friend Stuart Roosa, the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 14.
Antonio Zoli started the Zoli company we know today in 1945, just as World War II was ending. In a nation that had been battered by war and political upheaval, it was a gutsy move by a man who clearly believed his country’s best years still lay ahead. A skilled gunsmith, Antonio Zoli was born into the business; his father, Giuseppe, built flintlocks in his shop in a small village perched on the mountain above the present company’s location.
Zoli’s first offerings were exposed hammer side-by-side shotguns followed by several over-and-under models. In the mid-1950s, the company also began producing Civil War era black-powder rifles, mainly for the U.S. market.
In the 1960s, Zoli became the first Italian firm to build combination shotgun/rifle guns along with express double rifles. It also continued its diversification with a lineup of bolt-action rifles under the AZ 1900 banner.
Some 25 years ago, Zoli expanded its break-open offerings by introducing its MG-92 drilling, the classic three-barrel (two smooth and one rifled) gun favored for European mixed bag driven hunts.
By the late 1990s, Zoli had built a strong track record of success, with a wide-ranging portfolio of long guns—especially over-and-under shotguns—for both hunting and clay target shooting. It was time for the next generation to take over.
Just before Christmas of last year, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Paolo Zoli in his office at the company’s factory in Gardone, Italy. He started our conversation with a rather startling admission: As much as he was proud of the Zoli name and what the company had accomplished, stepping into the role of president and CEO of Zoli had not been an automatic decision for him.
An engineer by education and training, Paolo admitted that he was not a salesman at heart and, that as much as he enjoyed hunting and shooting clays, neither was a real passion for him.
President and CEO Paolo Zoli holds a Vulcano side-by-side, a magnificent shotgun introduced in three versions during the 1950s.
As an engineer, what did excite him was the opportunity to re-evaluate the over-and-under shotgun from every possible angle, starting not with a current Zoli or other over-and-under model as a template, but rather with a clean sheet of paper.
Given that chance, Paolo set the company on a course that would lead to a thorough and unbiased examination of design characteristics that would “enhance the performance and durability of the gun together with its fit and feel.” It was an ambitious project that involved a fresh and comprehensive look at the technology, engineering and production methods that could lead into making an over-and-under shotgun “a more perfect tool.”
Dubbed the “Classic Revolution,” Paolo understood his effort was not without its pitfalls.
“As we started off,” he explained, “I was truly concerned that we might throw the baby out with the bath water.”
There were ruffled feathers as well. His production manager, Paolo told me, threatened to quit more than once.
By any measure, however, the project has been a success that is creating, as Paolo said, “Not a new economic model, but a new performance model for the over-and-under shotgun.”
In the end, Paolo emphasized: “We created a shotgun that we could truly be proud of, one that would sell on its merits, not just slick salesmanship. Our products are revolutionary from a materials and technology standpoint, but classic and refined in design.”
Starting from the front, Zoli barrels are machined from hot-forged alloy steel bars in a proprietary process, a secret formula, if you will, that makes a difference in pattern performance and recoil. Each bore is subjected to a variety of specific processes, including aging, stress relieving, precision pairing and, finally, precise fitting and silver soldering.
There’s some black magic here, but Paolo assured me that, for example, their competition over-and-unders deliver better performance with standard or light loads in comparison to high velocity, heavy target loads.
Many of the world’s best competitive clay target shooters compete with Zoli over-and-under shotguns. Paolo is very proud of the fact that all of them have chosen, but none are paid, to step up to the line with a Zoli in hand.
Perhaps the most innovative feature to come out of the “Classic Revolution” is Zoli’s patented BHB (Between Hands Balancer) System. The system is the result of Zoli’s research that underscores the importance of weight distribution being between the hands of the shooter, not at either end of the gun.
The BHB system consists of two parts: a cylindrical device (with six separate disk weights) that is inserted in a matching tubular hole in the pistol grip of the stock. The second device consists of a series of small weights that are easily affixed to the side rib of the gun. The system allows the individual shooter to fine-tune the dynamic balance of the gun, helping to ensure a smooth, fluid swing through the target.
Like a car company heavily involved in racing, Zoli’s hunting guns are a direct beneficiary of the company’s world-class competition models, all of which have been largely revamped from head to toe. Zoli game guns, for example, were the first hunting guns designed with a removal trigger group, and all critical components are now the same as in their target guns. Not surprisingly, the company’s field guns are known for their extreme reliability and durability yet, from all outward appearances, still reflect the elegance and beauty of a traditional Italian over-and-under.
Alas, it’s a sobering truth that few of us will ever inherit the reins of a family gun business. Paolo Zoli, however, cordially invites you to come over to his factory where you will be personally fitted for your new competition or game gun. His fitters are world class and his stock blanks are, in a word, breathtaking. Best of all, though, by the time you finish your first espresso with Paolo, you’ll feel as if you’re part of the family.
Editor’s Note: For additional information regarding the purchase of Zoli guns in the U.S., visit zoliusa.com or call (830) 438-7088.