The Rich History of Benelli Firearms

Benelli is the name of an Italian family who established a motorcycle manufacturing company in 1911. The company began as a humble vehicle service garage started by Teresa Benelli, a widow with six sons. The garage quickly became a place for motorcycles to be built as well as serviced. Their motorcycles, sold through Montgomery Ward stores, were then made by what was considered to be Europe’s oldest motorcycle factory.

Legend has it that the sons were also hunters and gun enthusiasts who thought that guns would be faster and more useful if they fired automatically. Working with Bruno Civolani, they invented Benelli’s Inertia Driven mechanism which took the place of the gas system and became the quickest way to reload guns at that time. The family founded Benelli Armi in 1967, which grew exponentially into one of the world’s most successful brands of firearms.

Flash forward to today to find Benelli ArmiSpA, located in Urbino, Italy, a maker of assorted shotguns used by the military, law enforcement officers, and hunters throughout the world. Today the company’s factory workers are assisted by robotic machines. Most recently, they produced the 12-gauge semiautomatic Ethos, considered an ideal combination of Italian craftsmanship and functionality.

For the best selections of Benelli rifles for sale both online and in the store, visit Al Flaherty’s Outdoor Store. Our store carries a variety of accessories for your Benelli shotgun or rifle, including scopes, magazines, and more.