Tanfoglio

{{Infobox company

| name = Fratelli Tanfoglio S.N.C.

| logo = File:Tanfoglio logo.png

| type = Private

| genre =

| fate =

| predecessors = SATA (founded 1948),
Fabbrica d'armi Tanfoglio Giuseppe

| successor =

| foundation = 1969 ({{years ago|1969}} years ago)

| founder = Giuseppe Tanfoglio

| defunct =

| location_city = Gardone Val Trompia

| location_country = Italy

| location =

| locations =

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people =

| industry = Firearms

| products = Pistols

| services =

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| aum =

| assets =

| equity =

| owner =

| num_employees =

| parent =

| divisions =

| subsid =

| homepage = {{URL|http://www.tanfoglio.it/}}

| footnotes =

}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.tanfoglio.it/it_IT/prodotti/sport-and-competition-steel |title=Sport Competition Steel |website=tanfoglio.it |language=it}}{{cite web |url=https://www.tanfoglio.it/it_IT/prodotti/sport-and-competition-polymer |title=Sport Competition Polimero |website=tanfoglio.it |language=it}} Tanfoglio pistols are popular firearms across Europe, and are distributed worldwide.

History

In 1948, Giuseppe Tanfoglio and a partner formed a company known as [https://www.sata.com/en-dat/ SATA] to produce hunting rifle components. In 1953, they began making pistols chambered in .25 caliber and .22 caliber. 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.{{cite web |title=Team Tanfoglio USA Professional Shooters |url=https://www.theoutdoorwire.com/releases/0d2c10f4-88cf-47a6-b12b-8cd02c3769da |website=The Outdoor Wire |publisher=© Outdoor Wire Digital Network |access-date=25 March 2025}}

Fratelli Tanfoglio (Tanfoglio Brothers) was formed in 1969, specializing in self-defense pistols. In 1986, the company began producing pistols for use in IPSC and IDPA competitions.{{cite web |url=https://www.tanfoglio.it/en_GB/company/who-we-are |title=Who We Are |website=tanfoglio.it |language=en |accessdate=April 1, 2024}}

As of 1991, Tanfoglio pistols were imported to the United States by Firearms Import & Export (FIE) and Excam Inc., both based near Miami, Florida. The three companies had been involved in lawsuits during the mid-1970s over distribution rights, ultimately settling out of court.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-phoenix-small-gun-outlet-started-fa/144595981/ |title=Small gun outlet started family on road to wealth |agency=New York Times News Service |newspaper=The StarPhoenix |location=Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |page=F6 |date=October 1, 1981 |accessdate=April 2, 2024}}

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.{{cite news |last1=Humphries |first1=Michael |title=EAA Witness |url=https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/eaa-witness/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=NRA Shooting Illustrated |issue=Guns |publisher=National Rifle Association |date=28 October 2010}}{{cite news |last1=Daiker |first1=Duane |title=Review: EAA Witness Elite 1911 Polymer |url=https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/review-eaa-witness-elite-1911-polymer/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=NRA Shooting Illustrated |issue=Guns |publisher=National Rifle Association}}

As of 1999, Tanfoglio produced approximately 90,000 pistols per year, of which 85% were exported.{{cite web |url=http://hem.passagen.se/vectra/history.htm |title=Tanfoglio History |website=hem.passagen.se |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990417134941/http://hem.passagen.se/vectra/history.htm |archive-date=April 17, 1999 |url-status=usurped |via=Wayback Machine}}

As of 2024, Tanfoglio pistols are exclusively imported to the United States by the Italian Firearms Group (IFG) based in Amarillo, Texas.{{cite web |url=https://www.italianfirearmsgroup.com/about-ifg |title=About IFG |website=italianfirearmsgroup.com}}{{cite web |url=https://www.tanfoglio.it/en_GB/company/distributors |title=Distributors |website=tanfoglio.it}}

=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.{{cite news |author1=NRA Staff |title=CZ Model 75 Pistol |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/cz-model-75-pistol/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=American Rifleman |issue=Gun News: Semi-Auto Handguns |publisher=National Rifle Association |date=12 May 2009}} 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.{{cite web |title=Tanfoglio Israeli Surplus: MOSSAD 4 5/8" Blued 9mm |url=https://www.redstarnation.co/products/tanfoglio-3017 |website=Red Star Nation |publisher=© Red Star Surplus |access-date=25 March 2025}}

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).{{cite news |last1=Zimba |first1=Jeff W. |title=The Caracal Pistol: A New Animal for the Firearms Professional |url=https://sadefensejournal.com/the-caracal-pistol-a-new-animal-for-the-firearms-professional/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |work=Small Arms Defense Journal |issue=3 |publisher=© Chipotle Publishing |date=15 August 2023}}