gun info

Question
QUESTION: I have a 12 gauge shotgun that says the following on the barrel: Luigi Franchi,12 gauge, 2.75, chrome moly steel. Fie Corp. Miami, Fl. Brescia, Hunter. Serial # u28737. I would appreciate any info on this  gun, such as value new and used, year made, screw in barrel chokes and choke removal tool.This gun is in excellent condition. Also, 28 inch barrel with a slug choke. Thanks for your time.

ANSWER: Hello Lee. Yes, you have a very fine model of a gun. Beautiful wood and double aluminum receiver. The 48AL was manufactured from 1950 to 1990. Your Hunter model with interchangeable choke tubes was made in 1989 or 1990. The new price on this gun was $482. The extra barrel is worth around $175. So your set should be valued around $575. I hope this answers your questions and thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage

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QUESTION: Hello mr sir this is lee hayes again I also wanted to tell you about the carvings or engravings on both sides of the receiver 1 of 2 men in a boat on pond the other a field birds trees grass or cat tails pond thank you so much sir this info is so valuable I was told it makes the value go way up with the carvings or is it stamped .how do I tell if it is hand carved it doesn't appear to be but not sure I will rate this advice highly sir much appreciate the help.

Answer
Hello Lee. In the case of your shotgun having designs on the receiver, the 'Hunter' model had  such. Therefore, the information I gave to answer your original question remains the same. You do ask about carving or stamping on your gun. There are three most common ways to mark steel. Engraving, the art that gives items like firearms a much higher value, is the method which uses a number of sharp tools to make small gouges in the metal, generally following a transferred design in ink.No two engravings are the same. Etching is the use of an acidic liquid poured over an unprotected design on the surface of the steel. The steel is first coated with a wax or other hardening agent, after which the details of the pattern are carved, leaving only the surface of the metal exposed. When the acid is poured, it lightly etches the surface that is not covered. Stamping is generally done with high pressure placed on externally cut graphics, like letters or numbers and pushing the details into the milder steel. These are generally deeper and smoother markings than engravings. I hope this answers your questions and, again, thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage