Have you ever thought it ironic that most, if not virtually all, of the reproduction muskets and carbines we use in our uniquely American hobby are made in Italy? I don’t know much of the story of how that came to be, but, this past fall, I was able to learn a little bit of it. In October, my wife and I toured the Armi-Chiappa arms factory in Brescia, Italy. The Chiappas are a very gracious Italian couple who produce the Armisport line of Civil War long-arms.
Early last year, when I was sure I couldn’t dissuade my wife from an Italian vacation trip, I negotiated a deal with her. The trip had to include a visit to one of the reproduction musket factories, if I could
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