This exceptional exhibition-grade gun was the inspiration of the two co-founders of Famars, Mario Abbiatico and Remo Salvinelli, both of whom had been members of the Alpini Corps - an Italian Army mountain corps based in the Italian Alps. This gun was meant to be the first in a series of guns dedicated to historic Italian characters and events but the death of Mario Abbiatico ended the project and left the Alpini gun as the only masterpiece of Italian gun-making design and execution in the series. The engraver, Gianfranco Pedersoli, one of Italy's great master-engravers, dedicated 1000 hours of work to the gun and he considered it to be his best work. The subjects covered include historic incidents in the life of the Alpini including their desperate search for shelter in the Adamello Alps, fighting in North Africa and the retreat from Russia in the last war which caused a heavy loss of life. These engraved scenes are surrounded by motifs of the Alpino including their caps, Alpine flowers and motifs, a portrait of the founder of the Corps and a refrain from their song