The life of a group, an association or any other team goes through several phases. The first phase is its creation and the start-up which is the most exciting and thrilling one: people leave their individualities behind and join the collective, combine their efforts, put their heads together and reach objectives that would be way out of reach for any individual.
Sooner or later, the first phase evolves into the maturity phase, when the initial enthusiasm fades away, personalities re-emerge and the association comes to a moment of standstill and confusion. The next step could be the dissolution of the group itself, unless new actions and ideas come in to reinvigorate the members’ interests and re-energize their actions.

ConArmi experienced both phases and thrived. As a matter of fact, it went from the critical mass of a voluntary association to the size of the national association we are familiar with today.

ConArmi has matured substantially since its foundation: from the infancy years of ArtArm in the early 60s, to the long and prolific growth years of Consorzio Armaioli Bresciani (Consortium of Gunmakers from the Brescia Region) and, eventually, the maturity of Consorzio Armaioli Italiani (Consortium of Italian Gunmakers). The common denominator through all these years has been the steady increase of the Consortium authority and relevance with Institutions and industry operators.

The Consortium now has 110 members and counting. Internationally we have become the point of reference for all those who want to connect with the firearm industry. Our battles, initiatives and training initiatives have put the sporting gun industry on the radar of our national economy and have prevented a priceless legacy of knowledge and experiences from being forgotten.

The long journey of the artisanal gunmaker has marked a trail, a path, that we believe it very wise to follow and develop further. We believe that the best course of action is blending in the progress that new technologies and know how bring to the table, without ever losing sight of the excellent results our ancestors were able to achieve just relying on their imagination, intuition, desire to experiment and determination at finding solution to every problem and challenge. The destination of this long journey was never wealth, but it was always the creation of innovative products with harmonious lines, excellent performance and, most of all, exclusive. This philosophy is what all of us still work and live by, no matter how big or small our companies are. It is only by sticking to this philosophy and staying the course of history that we overcome the challenges, some harder than others, that hit our sector on a regular basis; that we survive the siege we are under from time to time led by those who look at what we do as a threat to society; it is only through the power of history that we can illuminate the path for future generations to come.

I truly wish that every artisanal gunmaker and every craftsman, essential link of a chain that takes us back to the beginning of civilization, will always feel proud of what he or she does and happy to be part of such a small group of very extraordinary and unique people.

The President Pierangelo Pedersoli Consorzio Armaioli Italiani