Spanish Doubles, quality?

Dagny · May 25, 2002, 05:12 PM

Often see these at gunshows. Are the dealers trying to peddle to the rubes what their more discerning customers refuse to buy back home?

C.R.Sam · May 25, 2002, 06:39 PM

Likely.

Sam

Dave McC · May 25, 2002, 08:38 PM

Spanish guns run the gamut in quality from junkers to as fine a shotgun as ever made anywhere by anyone. Needless to say, there's many more of the first kind.

At this point, I'm wary of any non name shotgun made overseas, and some that are.

Chuck Graber · May 25, 2002, 09:29 PM

Of the recent guns some of the names to look for are Ugartechea, AyA, Grulla, Arrieta, Garbi, Arrizabalaga, and Kemen. These are all quality guns and I don't think that you can go far wrong with any of them. As with any gun check what kind of dealer and importer that is behind the product. You will be dependent on them for parts and things like choke tubes.

Spanish steel and spanish barrels used to be the benchmark of quality in the field. Then American companies went to Spain, Italy, and Belgium in the fifties and sixties wanting to contract for cheap double guns. Unfortunately some companies took these contracts and the image of the products that these countries made suffered. There are plenty of old Belgium clunkers out there. Likewise Italian guns used to have a bad rap until Beretta and Perazzi among others pulled the reputation of Italian shotguns out of the dumper. It has been a longer period of recovery for the spanish guns. This is not to say that there are not some real junkers that have come out of Spain from time to time and have been dumped on the American market.

Be careful and do your research before you buy.

Chuck Graber

P.S. Be a little careful of Ugartechea and AyA doubles that are more than about 20 years old. Some of these older guns had some problems with soft metal and in the case of the AyA matadors, cantankerous single triggers.

C.R.Sam · May 25, 2002, 09:49 PM

AyA Matador. Good practice for serious gunsmithin. Break a part, make a new one. Had one that was stone reliable but every time the lockwork was played with, the other barrel would fire first. Left or right didn't make any difference, was always the other one.

Sam

PJR · May 26, 2002, 05:15 PM

I own a Spanish gun. It's a recently-made Arrieta sxs. IMHO, if you want a sidelock game gun, the Spanish currently offer the best value compared to the Italian and English game guns.

The older guns are a bit murky. Stay away from Pride of Spain (the initial POS are well earned) and anything other than most of the names that Chuck mentioned. I might take a chance on a Laurona, I know a couple of shooters who shoot them and are happy. Zabala is another maker you might see around and I've seen some nice ones and others that were not so nice. Incidentally, the new sxs guns from Weatherby are made by Zabala.

The only knock on Spanish guns is their inability to put up a good single trigger sxs (the notable exception here is Kemen). Stick with the tradition double trigger.

May 25, 2002, 05:12 PM	#1
Dagny Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2000 Location: Galt's Gulch Posts: 390	Spanish Doubles, quality? Often see these at gunshows. Are the dealers trying to peddle to the rubes what their more discerning customers refuse to buy back home?

May 25, 2002, 06:39 PM	#2
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Likely. Sam

May 25, 2002, 08:38 PM	#3
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Spanish guns run the gamut in quality from junkers to as fine a shotgun as ever made anywhere by anyone. Needless to say, there's many more of the first kind. At this point, I'm wary of any non name shotgun made overseas, and some that are.

May 25, 2002, 09:29 PM	#4
Chuck Graber Member Join Date: August 22, 2001 Location: Kansas Posts: 74	Of the recent guns some of the names to look for are Ugartechea, AyA, Grulla, Arrieta, Garbi, Arrizabalaga, and Kemen. These are all quality guns and I don't think that you can go far wrong with any of them. As with any gun check what kind of dealer and importer that is behind the product. You will be dependent on them for parts and things like choke tubes. Spanish steel and spanish barrels used to be the benchmark of quality in the field. Then American companies went to Spain, Italy, and Belgium in the fifties and sixties wanting to contract for cheap double guns. Unfortunately some companies took these contracts and the image of the products that these countries made suffered. There are plenty of old Belgium clunkers out there. Likewise Italian guns used to have a bad rap until Beretta and Perazzi among others pulled the reputation of Italian shotguns out of the dumper. It has been a longer period of recovery for the spanish guns. This is not to say that there are not some real junkers that have come out of Spain from time to time and have been dumped on the American market. Be careful and do your research before you buy. Chuck Graber P.S. Be a little careful of Ugartechea and AyA doubles that are more than about 20 years old. Some of these older guns had some problems with soft metal and in the case of the AyA matadors, cantankerous single triggers.

May 25, 2002, 09:49 PM	#5
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	AyA Matador. Good practice for serious gunsmithin. Break a part, make a new one. Had one that was stone reliable but every time the lockwork was played with, the other barrel would fire first. Left or right didn't make any difference, was always the other one. Sam

May 26, 2002, 05:15 PM	#6
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	I own a Spanish gun. It's a recently-made Arrieta sxs. IMHO, if you want a sidelock game gun, the Spanish currently offer the best value compared to the Italian and English game guns. The older guns are a bit murky. Stay away from Pride of Spain (the initial POS are well earned) and anything other than most of the names that Chuck mentioned. I might take a chance on a Laurona, I know a couple of shooters who shoot them and are happy. Zabala is another maker you might see around and I've seen some nice ones and others that were not so nice. Incidentally, the new sxs guns from Weatherby are made by Zabala. The only knock on Spanish guns is their inability to put up a good single trigger sxs (the notable exception here is Kemen). Stick with the tradition double trigger.