The English diction to designate one of the best known and most widespread German dog breeds is curious: the kurzhaar is truly a phenomenal dog for its availability for complex and varied work, always determined on the ends to be achieved, never affected in action and postures. Some esthete can rightly point out a certain lack of class compared to the pointer proper, those created by Arkwright, or the Laverack setters, but if we look closely at the genesis of the Franchi rifles, we recall the first Affinity in caliber 20, it was and it remains set on real hunting, hard and demanding, where you get dirty with mud, scratch with brambles, fight with odious mosquitoes, slide on stones… in short, hunting in the proper sense of the term.
Consequent the credentials of these rifles where a reliable and tested mechanics, so as to deserve a guarantee of 7 years, favors demanding users and connoisseurs who can certainly meet at a post for a joke, but more frequently in those situations where there is trouble to conquer that real and satisfying head of game. Often this hunter is accompanied by the four-legged German pointer and today also by the one who designates a semi-automatic rifle with some composed and elegant additions that make it a remarkable piece in the eyes of enthusiasts.
Celebrating a dog breed
The homage to this widespread breed of auxiliaries is well deserved given the spread it has achieved over the years and also because the nature of these dogs perfectly matches the spirit of the Franchi Affinity. Let us now see some details that describe and qualify the recent construction. At a glance, the golden trigger is immediately highlighted, not only an elegant touch but also a practical protection against oxidation due to contact with the finger; below the eye is attracted by the two-piece stock, made with Grade 3 walnut of which it is superfluous to say since the eye has already memorized the veins, the density of the well mineralized vessels, the properly treated surface on which the oil paint that revives every detail. The comfortable arching pistol grip allows a firm grip and a correct position of the finger acting on the trigger; the rounded shaft has a medium section with upper longitudinal grooves for a firm grip when swinging. The knurling of the type all-round interlacing satisfies aesthetics and functionality as does the TSA buttplate, with a polyurethane foam interior that expands under the compression caused by the recoil, reducing the sensation by 50%.
Moving on to the mechanical part, we observe the closed-type casing, milled from an extruded Ergal with a nickel-plated surface and engraved with the theme of the German Pointer in hunting action. The so-called complex is housed inside front inertia, peculiar of the Franchi: the shutter is composed of the rotating head with two wings connected with a peg to the cam track of the rear body while inside the sturdy contrast spring stores with the recoil and then returns the energy necessary for the inertial movement. Two rods are connected to the shutter at the front which insist on the recovery spring placed around the tubular tank and inside the rod: in the double movement this arrangement of the masses favors the maintenance of the tappet, counteracting the natural wheelie.
The salient technical data
The Affinity Companion German Pointer is carefully proposed in the two most used calibers, 12 and 20 both with 76 mm chamber, therefore magnum version: the series of 70 or 76 mm cartridges commonly found in armories can create only one problem, that of the uncertainty in the choice of so many products, specific and generic, always of very high quality. The length of the barrels also sees an extremely targeted proposal in terms of cost maintenance: the 71 cm for the 12 gauge and the 66 for the 20 are combined with the three 1-star * - 3-star *** - cylindrical chokes while the holes in rod are respectively 18,3-18,5 mm and 15,8-16,0 mm: in our humble opinion there is everything for everyone.
The line of sight sees a grooved milling in the cap of the castle and the flat knurled rib above the barrel to which is added the red fiber optic front sight that stands out against any background. Handling is ensured by the overall balance and the weight indicated in 2,9 and 2,7 kg, again for the two calibers. Release weight also suitable for cold climates, when the sensitivity of the fingers drops dramatically: the 2500 g are functional in all conditions of climate and tension, such as when your kurzhaar is stationary on the rooster among the rhododendrons or on the brigatella of coturne among the rocks in a high altitude meadow or in a treacherous bush from which the fledging of the woodcock is expected.