Anyone familiar with Siles 12ga O/U?

[MSC]

Saw one in a shop. Was 26" or 28", screw-in chokes. No model name, just said Siles 12ga 3" on the barrel. Also said Made in Italy. Average looking wood, silver receiver, some engraving, blued barrels and silver trigger. It was priced at $435. Excellent shape. Fit / finish looked a lot better than the Baikal I've been looking at. Action a bit stiff, shop owner said it just felt like it wasn't used much. He had little else to say besides "it's a nice gun, better than those other inexpensive imports". Couldn't tell me if they were still made, etc... I looked on all the usual internet selling-sites. Found a Siles 12ga/.222 combo, that was it. And nothing as far as manufacturer, etc...

I'm considering it for a first gun for skeet. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[bergie]

I'v seen a couple over the years but have never shot one. Sile is the distributor and I don't know anything about them either. Yeah they were manufactured in Italy but not sure by who. The first one I ever saw really caught my attention because it had a slot cut in the fore end and the gun was hinged in such a way as to fold completely in half with the triggerguard going into the slot. They still made like that? I looked a few of them over pretty close and thought they looked okay, as you say a little nicer finish than the Russian guns.

A quick google turned up a little info (an import marks web page) on a Sile Distributors located in Meridan, CT or Ossian, IN, marked as either Sile CT or Sile IN. # given for the CT location as 203-238-4285. Also, on the Hoosier Gun Works site ( a major gun parts place), they say that they have a bunch of barrels, stocks and parts from when an Italian manufacturer changed importers, listing Marrochi, American Arms and Sile. Couldn't find a web page for Sile.

hope this helps,

bergie

[HunterTRW]

Sile was, indeed, the distributor of your Italian-made shotgun. You may reach them at:

Sile Distributors, Inc.
7 Centre Market Place
New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-4111, or (800) 243-3404

Hope this helps.

Good luck, and good shooting!