News & Events


März 28, 2024

MECHANICAL WONDERS: WHAT DO LUXURY TIME PIECES AND SPORTING ARMS HAVE IN COMMON?

Some play music or give the time, some generate speed, others fire bullets at 1000m/s…….all are mechanical machines …fantastic, complex human engineering and craftsmanship efforts that lavishly celebrate the idea of LUXURY, that fascinate and delight by pushing borders.

There is an immeasurable value in the existence of such objects – the collective outcome of thousands of years of cultural history, an intrinsic link to civilization: the ability of man to build machines by virtue of his mind and hands, which forever changed the course of the world.

We at Fanzoj feel deeply committed to our roots and consider it both duty and honor to uphold the Old Knowledge and extraordinary set of skills passed on within our family from generation to generation. We are one of the world´s few gunmaking firms that are still able to build individually designed (multi-barrelled) weapons at the highest level of craftsmanship, honouring an old and hallowed tradition in Middle-European gunmaking.

Let us share some fascinating details with you, about an amazing project that we just delivered to its final destination in the US. A reason to celebrate and thank everybody involved – especially the client and the whole Fanzoj team – to having made this happen.

JOHANN FANZOJ´S “FOUR-BARRELLED RIFLE-SHOTGUN” (VIERLING)

An astonishing technical tour-de-force, from the conception, design & crafting of this masterpiece over a six year span, following a client’s specific request and fantasy of paring a side-by-side double rifle (cal. 9,3/9,3X74R) with an Over-and-Under shotgun (Gauge 20/20/76mm) to be transformed into one single firearm.

4.6 kg total weight, an H&H style sidelock mechanism as complex as a swiss mechanical time piece, 4 individual automatic HH ejectors, did little to lessen this impressive sporting arm’s responsiveness and perfect balance. Massive, without a doubt, but not „heavy“ at all this sporting weapon handles magnificently which makes a continuous series of loading and shooting free standing over open sights at 35m a true pleasure. Alternatively the rifle is sighted in to 100m via Swarovski scope.

Regulating four barrels to one point of impact, thru a scope and open sights, enabling 4+ shots in quick succession, against the effect of thermal heating, to function flawlessly under high pressure and a changing environment, cold, heat… was in short: a challenge in every aspect.

The mechanical function – SMOOTH. Both the perceived stability and the „sucking noise“ during closing point identify a perfectly regulated mechanical masterpiece.

SHOOTING this thermoballistic machine is simply COOL.

The experience of holding this unique tool in hands, which, with continuous reliability allows you to load four cartridges, shoot one after the other in quick succession, powerfully eject in time, reload, and repeat the process several times – is a dimension in itself.

The Engraving: a magnificent, deep-relief ornament engraving with a variety of animals harmoniously woven into the ornament lines. Old-World craftsmanship at its finest. This is the masterclass, engraved by our master engraver F. Mak.

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST WATCHMAKERS WERE IN FACT GUNMAKERS?

Indeed, the earliest craftsmen in human history to deal with the technical processes of a mechanical work were gunsmiths – armourers, blacksmiths, bellmakers – who in the 15th century evolved into the guild of locksmiths with a variety of specialized crafts, among those the watchmakers.

Let us draw your attention to one of the most amazing mechanical works of art: the famous singing bird pistols attributed to Freres Rochard (1820), auctioned off in 2011 at Christie´s Hongkong for 5,86 Mio US$.

There is an immense value in the existance of such marvels – MECHANICAL WONDERS – delightful, rare, precious expressions of human genius.

If you have a chance, do watch the following movie on youtube, it is delightful, absolutely amazing.

-> Link to the Video



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