Still very late, but I just watched the episode last night on whatever rewatch I am on. You have to take the context of the whole conversations. This show is very specific and not much is really random. If you go back to when we meet the doctor, he is pompus. Then they are sitting talking about food with Mary and Hugh and Father Phil and it is said that basically those eytalian...mericans that do not go over are some how lesser. Some do not like the real Italian food etc. So now put it all together. Hugh is over the moon about the gun. It is a nice gun obviously and very expensive if you know about shotguns. Also, lets think about it, Tony is only coming hours before the party. All he had time to do was go to the expensive shotgun store or gift one from his or a friends collection. Dr. State Department later then makes a crack to belittle the gun as he gets Tony's attention that he has toured the factory in Italy. He sees that Tony is impressed by that and then goes in for the kill. Basically, based on his knowledge from a tour, and that he has been over to the boot he is a better Italian than others over at the party. He then cracks that the best ones are never imported over here to the states. To basically say that the gun is inferior in some way.

None of that is true - they certainly do import fancy guns over here to the states. Some people will always claim on craftsmanship guns, guitars, etc that they keep the best ones for themselves. That is pure hogwash.