Franchi Affinity 3 and 3.5 Shotgun Review

The Franchi Affinity 3 has received some upgrades, but the reliable operating system remains the same.

February 16, 2026 By Brad Fitzpatrick

Franchi released the Affinity shotgun in early 2012, and that fall I had an opportunity to shoot the new semiauto on a waterfowl hunt in Texas. I was impressed by the gun’s reliability and design details, and I suspected that the Affinity would be around for quite a while.

It’s 2026, and the Affinity has been a huge seller for Franchi, solidifying the brand’s reputation for building some of the best autoloading shotguns in the world. But, faithfully as the Franchi has served hunters for the last decade, it was due for a refresh last year.

Let’s take a closer look at what has changed—and what hasn’t—on the new Affinity 3 shotgun.

A hunter shoulders the Franchi Affinity shotgun, ready to shoot it. — The Franchi Affinity 3 has been a popular hunting shotgun for years. (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick)

Franchi Affinity 3: Built for Bird Hunters

Five years prior to the release of the initial Affinity shotgun, Benelli purchased the rights to the Franchi name. Now, almost two decades later, that marriage has proven to be fruitful. For starters, the Affinity uses Benelli’s Inertia-Drivenaction. During recoil, the gun moves rearward and an inertia spring within the bolt compresses, unlocking the lugs and sending the bolt rearward. A return spring then pushes the bolt forward, where it picks up another shell before going back into battery. Gases exit the barrel instead of funneling through a system of ports, so the Affinity 3 runs clean and operates reliably.

The primary difference between the Benelli operating system and the one found in the Affinity is that the return spring is located in the stock on the Benelli, whereas the return spring is located on the magazine tube with the Franchi. But the driving principles between the two guns are the same, and with so few moving parts, both guns are extremely reliable. Cleaning and a light layer of lubricant will keep a Franchi running fine, and you’ll never have to clean gunk out of gas ports or replace damaged O-rings. The Franchi also runs with a wide range of loads, everything from target ammunition to magnum duck loads. Mechanically, the Franchi system in the new Affinity remains unchanged because fiddling with that system would be addressing a problem which does not exist.

Upgrades to the New Franchi Affinity 3

There are, however, some significant upgrades to the new-for-’25 Affinity 3 model, and the most noteworthy of these additions is the inclusion of a two-piece shell latch. This design makes it much faster to load the gun and requires less effort, and it reduces the risk of pinching the thumb when reloading. As someone who has had my thumbs bitten by one-piece shell latches, I promise that it’s not an experience you want to have, and this new two-piece system greatly reduces the odds of being pinched. With the two-piece shell latch and beveled action, the new Franchi is easier and faster to load than the gun that came before. That’s a benefit for every owner, but it’s particularly beneficial when you need to load and shoot often and quickly.

The trigger guard of the new Affinity is rectangular in shape and offers more room for gloved fingers. The outgoing model’s trigger guard was large enough to fit gloved fingers, but just barely. The redesign offers ample room and will be an important benefit for anyone who hunts often in very cold weather. There’s also a newly redesigned magazine cap.

The latest trend in shotgun design has been to enlarge the bolt release button and bolt handle, sometimes to exaggerated sizes. The new Franchi Affinity 3 has a redesigned bolt release button that is oblong instead of round. The new boltrelease is larger and easier to locate, but Franchi didn’t make it so gargantuan that it looks like it belongs on a competition gun. It’s a subtle but worthwhile upgrade.

The real meat of this redesign, however, is the new polymer stock. I wouldn’t call the existing Franchi forearms clunky, but the new guns feature a forearm that is more streamlined and feels better in the hand. Franchi also extended the texturing so that shooters will have more control over the gun, and that increase in texturing extends to the pistol grip. The new Affinity’s texturing extends higher and farther back on the pistol grip to offer better control.

GUN DOG Editor in Chief Kali Parmley, who had a chance to hunt waterfowl with the new Affinity in Canada last year, told me that I would immediately recognize the improved feel of the Affinity. So, when I first saw the gun at SHOT Show, I made it a point to examine the new ergonomics. She’s absolutely correct, this gun feels livelier than the previous model.

The last major upgrade to the new Affinity is an adjustable recoil pad that, the company says, reduces recoil impact as much as 50 percent. It also allows the shooter to adjust length of pull, and I believe that’s very valuable. You can adjustthe gun to properly fit shooters of different sizes, and when you bundle up on those frigid winter days, you can shorten length of pull to accommodate a thick layer of cold weather clothes.

The stepped rib and included fiber optic front sight carryover from the older Affinity 3 and 3.5 shotguns to the new version. Currently, the new Affinity 3 (3-inch chamber) and 3.5 (3 ½-inch chamber) shotguns are available with black synthetic stocks and matte blue receiver or camo synthetic stocks with full Mossy Oak Bottomland or Realtree Max-7 coverage.

I was hoping that news of a 28-gauge Affinity would arrive, too, but that has not yet happened. However, I do think that the new Affinity is a superb gun with substantial upgrades. It’s also a better-looking gun with the resculpted triggerguard and new texturing.

In terms of weight and overall length, the new Affinity closely mimics the previous model. That means that the Affinity 3 12-gauge with a 28-inch barrel will weigh around 6.9 pounds while the Affinity 3.5 will weigh almost exactly 7 pounds unloaded. Since the figures for the old and new gun are similar, I suspect that the updated 20-gauge model will weigh around six pounds when it finally arrives.

There wasn’t anything wrong with the old Affinity, but Franchi was wise to keep the guts of this gun intact. The improvements that were made are just that—refinements that are a result of more than a decade hunting with the last gun. The basic rules that applied to the previous model also apply to the new gun: keep your Franchi clean, apply a thin layer of lubricant, and you have a gun that will work for you while hunting waterfowl, upland birds, or shooting clays.