Tanfoglio
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms |
| Predecessors | SATA (founded 1948), Fabbrica d'armi Tanfoglio Giuseppe |
| Founded | 1969 (56 years ago) |
| Founder | Giuseppe Tanfoglio |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Pistols |
| Website | www |
Fratelli Tanfoglio S.N.C. is an Italian firearms manufacturing company. Their pistols are used extensively in sport competitions and for personal defence. Tanfoglio is based in Gardone Val Trompia in the province of Brescia, and is known for its broad sport pistol catalogue.[1][2] Tanfoglio pistols are popular firearms across Europe, and are distributed worldwide.
History
In 1948, Giuseppe Tanfoglio and a partner formed a company known as SATA to produce hunting rifle components.[3] In 1953, they began making pistols chambered in .25 caliber and .22 caliber.[3] Late in 1960, Giuseppe Tanfoglio formed his own company to produce pistols, revolvers, shotguns, and air rifles primarily for the United States market, continuing until 1992.[3][4]
Fratelli Tanfoglio (Tanfoglio Brothers) was formed in 1969, specializing in self-defense pistols.[3] In 1986, the company began producing pistols for use in IPSC and IDPA competitions.[3][4]
As of 1991, Tanfoglio pistols were imported to the United States by Firearms Import & Export (FIE) and Excam Inc., both based near Miami, Florida.[5] The three companies had been involved in lawsuits during the mid-1970s over distribution rights, ultimately settling out of court.[5]
Notable Tanfoglio pistols include the Tanfoglio Force (polymer), marketed as the EAA Witness P-Carry in the U.S., and Tanfoglio T95 (steel), marketed as the EAA Witness in the U.S., both chambered for various cartridges and both introduced in 1997.[6][7]
As of 1999, Tanfoglio produced approximately 90,000 pistols per year, of which 85% were exported.[8]
As of 2024, Tanfoglio pistols are exclusively imported to the United States by the Italian Firearms Group (IFG) based in Amarillo, Texas.[9][10]
Other activities
The original Israel Military Industries (IMI) Jericho 941 (a CZ 75 clone) semi-automatic pistols were built using parts supplied by the Italian arms house Tanfoglio.[11] Using a well-tested design allowed IMI to avoid the teething problems the newest pistol designs experience, and subcontracting much of the basic fabrication work to Tanfoglio allowed IMI to quickly and economically put into production a pistol that would have enough Israeli content to satisfy government contract requirements, being issued to both the Israel Defense Forces and Mossad.[12]
In 2009, Tanfoglio became the European importer for the Caracal pistol product line. These polymer framed semi-automatic pistols are produced by Caracal International L.L.C. from the United Arab Emirates and were introduced on the Italian civilian/sport shooters market during the 2009 EXA expo (Brescia, 18–21 April 2009).[13]
Gallery
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Tanfoglio T95 Combat/EAA Witness 9 mm with blued finish
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Tanfoglio T 95 Combat/EAA Witness 10mm Auto with Wonder finish
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Tanfoglio Force 99 / EAA Witness Polymer P
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Tanfoglio Match 10mm
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Tanfoglio Limited
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Tanfoglio Gold Team
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Tangfolio Mossad 9mm
See also
References
- ^ "Sport Competition Steel". tanfoglio.it (in Italian).
- ^ "Sport Competition Polimero". tanfoglio.it (in Italian).
- ^ a b c d e "Who We Are". tanfoglio.it. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Team Tanfoglio USA Professional Shooters". The Outdoor Wire. © Outdoor Wire Digital Network. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Small gun outlet started family on road to wealth". The StarPhoenix. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. New York Times News Service. October 1, 1981. p. F6. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Humphries, Michael (28 October 2010). "EAA Witness". NRA Shooting Illustrated. No. Guns. National Rifle Association. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Daiker, Duane. "Review: EAA Witness Elite 1911 Polymer". NRA Shooting Illustrated. No. Guns. National Rifle Association. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Tanfoglio History". hem.passagen.se. Archived from the original on April 17, 1999 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "About IFG". italianfirearmsgroup.com.
- ^ "Distributors". tanfoglio.it.
- ^ NRA Staff (12 May 2009). "CZ Model 75 Pistol". American Rifleman. No. Gun News: Semi-Auto Handguns. National Rifle Association. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ "Tanfoglio Israeli Surplus: MOSSAD 4 5/8" Blued 9mm". Red Star Nation. © Red Star Surplus. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ Zimba, Jeff W. (15 August 2023). "The Caracal Pistol: A New Animal for the Firearms Professional". Small Arms Defense Journal. No. 3. © Chipotle Publishing. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
External links
- Official website (in Italian)