Bondini Reproductions

[wpjson]

What does anyone know about Bondini handguns?

 

[bpd303]

I have a P.Bondini under hammer replica of the Hopkins & Allen. Very accurate and fun to shoot. I don't know what else they made though. There are several threads on The High Road about them. https://www.google.com/search?q=bondini+guns&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[Don]

I am no expert on them but what I've seen written about them has been positive. They are an Italian maker that makes a lot of Hawken/Dualing type pistols in various calibers.

Don

 

[Zonie]

The Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Values says Bondini made the underhammer shown, a "Wm.Parker" Pistol, .45 percussion or flintlock and a "F. Rochatte", .45 caliber pistol with a hand checkered grip.

They also made a percussion "Sanftl Schuetzen" rifle and a 12 guage "Gallyon" shotgun.

They were imported by,
"Helmut Hofman, Inc." in Placitas, NH.
"House Of Muskets" in Pagosa Lakes, CO.
"Austin-Sheridan, USA" in Middlefield, CT.

 

[Bear Rider]

They also made replicas of the J&S Hawken pistol in .50 cal and the Moore dueling pistol in .45 cal

Both have single set triggers, and all that brass was originally silver-plated. The flintlock is interesting in that the hammer throw is quite short with very reliable ignition.

 

[rafterob]

I have seen 3 of the Bondini hawken-Kentucky? style pistols in my life. they are very good quality, nice looking.

 

[hrp103]

I have one of the percussion Hawkens. The furniture is brass and the steel is left bright. Single set trigger and very accurate.
If it was a flintlock it would be near perfect.

Pep

 

[Bear Rider]

There appear to have been two stock materials used on the Bondini Hawken -- maple and walnut. The brass furniture on my walnut stocked one was originally silver-plated, but it didn't last long.

If the Hawken was flintlock it would be about as historically accurate as Pietta's .44 Navy.

 

[gvandersluis]

What does anyone know about Bondini handguns?

I have read most of the posts on this forum about Bondini guns and opinion seems to be divided about the guns and the quality of their manufacture. My own Bondini, a .31 cal Le Page replica is superb in every way and once I worked out the loading shoots very well. There are some on the forum who are very unimpressed with the quality of Bondini guns they have seen and I don’t question their opinion. This I know, Paolo Bondini worked from the late 1960’s until 1974 when his company was acquired by Chiappa firearms of Brescia who continued to make his guns and continue to do so until this day. They show a cased replica of a Le Page target gun in their current catalogue That gun is apart from the caliber identical to my own gun down to and including the engraving. I don’t know whether Signore Bondini continued to make guns for Chiappa but the change of ownership might account for the quality issues some forum members have noted

 

[painter]

The Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Values says Bondini made the underhammer shown, a "Wm.Parker" Pistol, .45 percussion or flintlock and a "F. Rochatte", .45 caliber pistol with a hand checkered grip.

They also made a percussion "Sanftl Schuetzen" rifle and a 12 guage "Gallyon" shotgun.

They were imported by,
"Helmut Hofman, Inc." in Placitas, NH.
"House Of Muskets" in Pagosa Lakes, CO.
"Austin-Sheridan, USA" in Middlefield, CT.

I believe you meant Placitas, NM.

I live in NH, and there's no town here named Placitas...

 

[MiddleJohn]

I have a Bondini W. Parker in .45cal. Nice quality piece, in walnut and German Silver
trigger guard.

Why do you ask?

 

[MiddleJohn]

What does anyone know about Bondini handguns?

OOPS.
Should have asked why was wpjson asking.