Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns New Franchi affinity from dicks - the good and bad

Picked up a new Franchi affinity from Dicks today. Looked at it Saturday night for $699 and the salesman said its the only one in the store and they are going on sale the next day, He didn't know what the sale price was, but they only honor the price on in-store inventory so I took his suggestion and put it on 24 hour hold. $699 is the same price I've seen at other retailers so not much risk if the sale price isn't so great.

The Good -
I walked in and the advertising was for $499!
Between tax and the 10% credit card discount - $482 out the door.

The Bad -
The "dicks exclusive" to get that price so low is it comes with only one choke (marked modified lead, full steel) and no shim kit.
Kinda irritated they don't advertise this and I didn't ask about the shims & tubes until we were finalizing the sale and couldn't find them in the box. Stores that list them at $699 have the tubes & shims.
Buyer beware and shame on me for not asking.

The redemption:
Choke tubes from my benelli fit it so I'm covered until I get the Mod steel/IC lead one I need.
Shims - the gun shoulders well so I may not need them.
I've heard benelli doesn't ship shim kits and only 3 tubes (used to be 5) with new guns now so I shouldn't be shocked on the Franchi store exclusives.


I'm happy and haven't heard anything bad about this gun so I can deal with the cost cutting on the choke tube and shims for the better price. The shotgun is light at 6.5# so it will be a nice grouse gun when its not in the duck swamp.

I think you will like the Franchi. Nice gun.

I almost got one myself but instead picked up a 12g CZ Upland Ultralight with 28" barrels.

They get great reviews and I am seeing them in the field more these days.

A side question - I've always used the modified tube for shooting steel at ducks, but I have never patterned it. Seeing the affinity tube marked "lead modified / steel full" makes me wonder if I should be shooting a IC when we're tucked in the reeds. Especially when the teal buzz our decoys.

Has anyone patterned them to see if the stell patterns that much tighter?

(Background - I started duck hunting about 4 years ago and only hunt 2 saturdays a year so I don't have a lot of experience on what works or doesn't.)

I think I'm about to buy a compact Affinity 26" 20ga for my daughter.

UPDATE:

I called Franchi / Benelli to get an estimate for the choke tubes, shims, and LOP adjusters and the first question from the CSR "did you buy this from Dicks?"...

He told me they had several calls and kindly pointed me where to buy the parts. Shims $15, choke tubes - $20-ish. Common to beretta and benelli and buy from midway, gunparts, etc..

That eases the blow since I only need the tube for now.

I'd use an IC choke with steel for close-range ducks.

I'm going to order one today. Need the IC for grouse and this teal that buzz our decoys at close range.

Update: Shot "Franky" on Saturdays on sporting clays and liked it. Started to hit well with it. My 2 friends were shooting their new A5's and no one had any issues at all... except my gun cost 1/3rd of theirs ;-)

SCREW DICKS,ya get what you pay for IMHO.My 20 ga.franchi affinity that I bought at my local gun shop came with ALL of the chokes and SHIMS.One has to remember DICKS caved to the ANTI-GUN groups after the sandy hook shootings and removed ALL of there AR-15,s from there shelves.I would NEVER SET A FOOT IN THERE STORES PERIOD.How soon we forget

I wasn't aware that dicks did that because I rarely shop there. I guess if they did that, it wouldn't be beneath them to not fully disclose its not a fully trimmed out gun. Its no different than bare bones rem 870 expresses and it was a nice price point.

Took it out shooting sporting clays and didn't miss a beat with light loads. Happy with the buy still.

Dicks is like any other store in the way they want to sell high profit sports clothing anyways. At least Cabelas has camouflage clothing...

I read the title as "French affinity for".

I was wondering why there would be surprise at that.

My bad.

Carry on.

There should have been a rim shot after that reply...

and that could even be twisted in peoiples minds...