Franchi's Affinity 3 Semi-Auto Field Shotgun: Review

With a tried-and-true inertia system, a TSA recoil pad and quality construction, the Franchi Affinity 3 is a feature-packed, quality general-purpose field shotgun.

September 03, 2024 By Jack Oller, Digital Editor

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I continue to be impressed with the quality of firearms coming out of Franchi’s Italian factory. Quite recently, I had the chance to acquire one of Franchi’s new Momentum All-Terrain Elite bolt-action rifles in .308 Win. I wrote a review for our sister publication, Be Ready!, and I concluded it is probably the best general-purpose bolt rifle I own. So, when one of the Franchi Affinity 3 shotguns came through our office, I decided I needed to see how the shotgun side of the Franchi house performs. When a fine Missouri turkey came home after a particularly nasty, rainy morning, I figure that the Affinity 3 does indeed pass muster, and I walked away quite pleased with this quality yet affordable semi-auto shotgun.

Affinity for the Affinity 3

Franchi may be an Italian firearms manufacturer, but they know the needs of the American outdoorsman well. The Affinity 3 is a field shotgun that can do a bit of everything well. If you need it to be a turkey gun, it can certainly do that. If you need it to run heavy duck loads, it’ll do that, too. If you and your buddies decide to hit the sporting clays course, the Affinity 3 will take care of you there as well. In short, it’s a great general-purpose shotgun that doesn’t short you on one discipline of shooting over another.

The foundation of the Franchi Affinity 3 is a tried-and-true inertia-driven action. Inertia-driven shotguns are well-established for their reliability and performance in the field. Whether it’s nasty or nice out, inertia actions eat shells of all variety. The bolt itself on the Franchi featured here boasts a chrome finish, which is great for general longevity, though most turkey hunters don’t love anything that can reflect light. It wasn’t an issue for the bird taken with this shotgun, but the Affinity 3 is also available in other camo patterns and finishes better optimized for turkey hunting if that’s your sport. Regardless of camo pattern and finish on the bolt, I am a big fan of the oversized bolt handle included with each model of Affinity 3 shotgun. Even if you don’t have gloves on, an enlarged charging handle just makes it easier to cycle the action, and it’s a must if you know you will have on thick gloves. The bolt release beneath the handle is also enlarged to easier send the bolt home.

franchi-affinity-3-shotgun-03 — The enlarged bolt handle and bolt release are a great feature for use with heavy gloves.

Moving toward the barrel, the 28-inch barrel on this model is also chrome-lined for long-lasting protection and life against the elements. If you opt to go with a 20-gauge model over a 12, the Franchi barrel comes in at 26 inches. At the front of the barrel, you’ll find a nice, bright red fiber-optic front sight on top of the ventilated rib. If you like red dots on your shotguns, the ventilated rib offers plenty of real estate for shotgun-dedicated red dots like the Aimpoint S-1 or newer ACRO S-2 that mount directly to the rib. Those are expensive red dots, though, so you also have the option to mount an optics rail to the drilled and tapped upper receiver. I’ve had success with several styles of red dots on shotguns, and I’d argue that there really isn’t a wrong answer on that front.

franchi-affinity-3-shotgun-04 — The Franchi Affinity 3 has a slim profile, and it points and swings well.

Moving back to the receiver, you’ll find a great feature in the removable trigger group. The Franchi Affinity 3 boasts a one-piece trigger group that is easy to remove for cleaning and maintenance. Realistically, trigger groups don’t need that much cleaning in comparison to the action, but I have found I’m definitely more inclined to give them a once-over and cleaning when it’s easy to remove them like with the Franchi. I’m also a big fan of the enlarged and beveled loading port in the receiver. This is especially important for upland and waterfowl hunters. A bigger, beveled loading port simply is much easier to load quickly on the fly. The red magazine follower is another nice touch in the loading port, making it quick and easy to see if you’ve run the magazine dry. Speaking of, the Affinity 3 has a four plus one capacity for both the 12- and 20-gauge models, and both feature a 3-inch chamber for use with 3-inch or 2 ¾-inch shells.

TSA Recoil Pad

franchi-affinity-3-shotgun-05 — The magazine port is also enlarged and beveled for quick and easy loading.

That pretty much takes care of the major details of the receiver and barrel. Some of the best features of the Franchi Affinity 3 are found in the buttstock, though. Firstly, the Affinity 3 comes with five shims to customize drop and cast. Franchi refers to them as its Omni-Stock Adjustable Fit, and it is remarkably easy to change out. However, the real magic of the Affinity 3 is found in its TSA recoil pad. This is not the Transportation Security Administration, of course, but Franchi’s Twin Shock Absorber technology. While I don’t have the means to verify this number, Franchi claims the TSA recoil pad can reduce perceived recoil by up to 50 percent. Even if it could only do half of that realistically, that’s an impressive amount of recoil reduction. I’m a big fan of Federal’s Heavyweight TSS turkey shotshells, but they definitely have some kick to them. Most turkey-hunting shotshells do, so any perceived recoil reduction is always a welcome addition to a shotgun. One final touch on the stock that shows great thought was put into the Affinity 3 is the recessed sling attachment. The front attachment connects at the front of the handguard, and the recessed back sling attachment prevents any potential snagging when walking through dense woods. It’s a minor detail, but it greatly shows the purposeful design for field use.

Additional Features

franchi-affinity-3-shotgun-06 — Aftermarket, extended choke tubes are available with the Affinity 3, too.

As you’d expect the Franchi Affinity 3 comes with three flush-fit chokes in improved cylinder, modified and full. If you’re looking to upgrade your chokes, though, Franchi also offers aftermarket extended choke tubes and even extended and ported choke tubes. Out of the box, the Franchi’s length of pull is a bit over 14 inches, but they also offer length-of-pull spacers, too. As I mentioned previously, the Affinity 3 is available in other camo patterns and finishes as well as a Grade-A Satin Walnut. I’m a sucker for wooden furniture on shotguns, and if I could do it again, I’d probably go with the Walnut stock. If you’re a waterfowl hunter, you can get the Affinity 3 in a Realtree Max-7 camo and finish, and it’s also available in a Mossy Oak Bottomland camo and finish. The bolt is blackened on both of those models to avoid light reflection.

franchi-affinity-3-shotgun-07 — The Franchi TSA recoil pad can reduce perceived recoil up to 50 percent.

All-in-all there is a lot to like about the Franchi Affinity 3. Depending on the model, MSRP runs from $949 to $1,049, but I’ve seen go off the shelf for as low as $849. That is a lot of gun for the money, and I cannot find any gripes with this shotgun as long as you’re using it for its intended purpose. I think most would agree that we all prefer fair-weather hunting, but that is often not what happens in real life. Missouri’s weather is irrational at best in the springtime, and as you can see in the included photos, this bird was taken after a surprise thunderstorm in the early morning. It was short-lived, but it was more than enough to get the Franchi a little wet, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to stop the Affinity from performing in the field.