Good deal on a used 3" model at a local shop. Pump equipped friend wishes to join the double gun fraternety, inexpensively, if possible.
I'm leary of Spanish guns, more so those with single triggers/ejectors, this gun has neither.
Anyone?

Best,
Ted

My only eperience is that I neearly bought one once, and replies to my internet quiries said a decent gun for the money (but that was a long time ago and I don't remember what "the money" was).

About $425 in this case, maybe a little less with cash. I've seen them, but, always on a rack, never in the field. Wondered if there might be a reason for that? We are going to look this afternoon.

Best,
Ted

Never had a Model 30, but have had several low end boxlock Ugartecheas and they all worked well. Only kept the 16, but the 12s and the .410 were very functional field guns. (.410 was too little; 12s too big--16 JUUUST RIGHT). I would say comparable to the lowest end Bernardelli "VB" or "San Uberto" boxlocks (which I also like, as long as in small guage--12s also too heavy for upland use; great duck/coyote/turkey blasters).

I'd say that they are good starters, IF that particular model and gun fits the guy's physique and his proposed uses for the gun.

I have a 30 12 gauge that I bought used in excellent condition about 4 years ago for $500. No issues with it so far.

Had an Excel-imported m221 (leaves engraved on fences) otherwise a m30. Very tight, little use, choked mod/full, very plain wood. Bought 450; sold 700; it was bery good to me!

jack

I had a Uggie extractor 410 for a few yrs. Sold it to a good friend. It never failed in any way. POI was right on. Barrels were brazed together. I saw it last dove season and it brought down a few dove. I'd not hesitate on one if it was what was wanted in configuration and gauge.

Great guns! Love them! Currently own a 16 and a 20. The 16 is the go anywhere in any weather gun. I opened the chokes to 3 & 6 and it will handle all tasks from quail to ducks.
Bob Jurewicz

Wow.
$400, out the door. Capped pistol grip, 28" barrels, MOD/FULL chokes, 3" chambers, bland wood, but, honest-to-goodness English game gun handling. MAYBE 7 lbs, tops, good double trap gun, late season pheasant or duck boat gun with the appropriate non-tox loads. Ugly Pachmayer pad installed. Wouldn't want to feed it a steady diet of big loads, but, a guy could do it, if'n he had to. Everything worked, no excuses, great price. Friend is on board, and, for better or worse, is one of us.
The $450 Fox BSE 12 next to it was a slug by comparison. Really.

Thanks. Might have to find one like that for me.

Best,
Ted

I've been happy with several of them. They're the best in that price range, IME & IMO. The firing pins are a bit soft but they're a bit soft in my AYA #2, as well. Firing pins are simple in design and easy to make. Kasenit makes them a little more durable.$400, and I would have bought it and God knows I don't "need" another double.
You did well, IMO.

I've probably owned 6-7 of the model 30 types. All the boxlock Uggies are basically mod 30s receivers. Sometimes there are different ribs.
Not one had bad barrel regulation. There were a couple years, 84-85 maybe, a supplier of firing pins to various companies were not hardened properly. The 85 I owned had to have the pins replaced.

Not sure this one is a model 30 as of right now-it has a pistol grip, and some very light engraving on the case colored action and the breech balls-rather uninspired looking leaves with some shading. Definitely an Uggy, and definitely a boxlock.
A quick round of clays put us both in a good frame of mind-the thing smashes them with authority, both for the right handed friend and left handed your's truly. Just a touch of cast in the stock, not enough to bother my shooting from the other side. Very nicely balanced, decent trigger pulls, nothing amiss anywhere that I could see.
Told him if he wants to part company with it someday, to give me a call. Best buy I've seen on a double in a long, long while.
I could use a big 12. 3" magnum chambers and a stout level of proof. Good pheasant medicine in nasty weather.
Wish I'd have seen it first!
Thanks for your help, fellows.


Best,
Ted

With the open pistol grip and carved fences, it could be the Falcon. They were made just before the 30s but it definitely has the same receiver as a 30; different engraving on the sides.
Sometimes Falcon is on the barrel, other times it is on the water table.

The Falcon, I believe, was imported by American Import Co. of CA, marked as a Dickson Falson--but it's an Uggie. I bought one of those 2 or 3 years ago, $400 range. You can often do well on them because dealers that don't know doubles don't recognize them as Uggies.

Even though it says "I. Ugartechea" on one barrel...

Now, I got to find one. When I get a chance, I'll look to see what the thing says, Falcon, Dickson, Jingle Heimer Schmidt, or, whatever. It did see I. Ugartechea on a tube, that much I know.
I did like the pistol grip and skimpy 'sorta beavertail for clay shooting. Didn't like the white line Pachmeyer, but, for $400 I should shut up.
Nifty gun.

Best,
Ted

Weren't the Uggie 30's also imported under the Parker Hale banner at one time?? Am I confusing another maker? I would almost swear I have handled a Parker Hale that was the spittin' image of my Uggie 30.

They were imported by:
American Import (Dickson Falcon)
Exel
Precision Sports (same guns as Parker Hale)
Act III

Current importers of Grade I, II, III (the same as a 30 except without the Purdey style third lock-up. Although some of the late 30s didn't have the Purdey lock-up.
Lion Supply..
Aspen Outfitters....sells a tweeked and custom version of the Grade I

Stupid question time-IF Lion Supply can STILL sell the model 30s in the $1500 dollar price range, why can't someone contract to them (Ugartechea) to produce a gun like the Lefever repop everyone here seems all hard about, for a reasonable cost?

This is a damn nice gun this guy bought for $400, plain, but well finished, nice case colors, and with a touch of engraving. I can't buy anything like it for that kind of money, and it seems like that isn't a lowball price from what everyone else says.

Ruger couldn't build one that shot to point of aim for $2 large.

Best,
Ted

PatriotUSA, When did Aspen Outfitters begin importing the I. Ugartechea guns, and did they have a model number designation? I had asked about one here that I picked up at a gun show a couple years ago, but didn't get much info on it. I am guessing it is about a mid 1970's vintage gun, but that is purely guessing based on the aging of the stock finish and the fact that someone had added white line spacers under the buttplate and grip cap. Yes, the white line spacers are gone.

I had a new Lion Country 16, light, thin ic/m barrels and it was pretty much death on everything within 40 yds. Sold it to get a Lefever, otherwise, a fantastic gun for the money, even at $1400.

Keith, look on the barrel flats for the date code. This chart only goes to 1980 then they started again with A.2=1981, B.2=82, etc. But I think Aspen didn't start importing until the 90s and in 95, I think, all the Spanish makers went to the last two numbers of the serial number as the year of proof. So after that the letter and number date code would be gone.

http://personales.jet.es/rafa/b_punzones_eibar_fecha.html

Aspens custom version of the Grade I is called AOC/SG

http://www.aspenoutfitting.com/shotgunsales.htm

Uggie M-30s? Yea, they kill birds real well.

According to the Aspen Outfitting website, they began importing their tweaked and upgraded Uggi, the AOC/SG model in 1999. I have a 16 bore which I really like for the grouse woods.

NB

I believe Aspen sold Bernardellis before they stopped making them.

The Parker Hale Uggies were marketed in this country as Models 640 and 645, with either an A or E suffix: A for American (PG and, I think, BT), E for English (straight/splinter). There was also a Churchill model, 25" barrels with the Churchill rib. The first Bill Hanus Birdguns were also Uggies, much like the Parker Hales of that era, with a few modifications.

I had one of the 645E-XXV's in 28ga. Probably the lightest sxs I've ever owned. Fun to carry in the grouse woods. Birds liked it too, because I couldn't hit with it!

Larry,

I had one of those too. Another example of "Great Minds run in the Same Track??

I bot mine in an effert to achive "The Ultimate Woodcock Gun". It carried more like a walking stick but did help with "QWM" ie. Quality Woodcock Management. If any kind of crossing shot was offered, it was 95% certain that 'cock would fly away unscathed, grouse too.

It was but one of a series of expensive lessons that I need a gun with longer barrels and more weight up front to hit anything in the grouse woods.

Rod

We learned the same lesson, Rod. And apparently had the same gun as a training aid!

My first Ugartechea was a 12 ga. Model 30 with a straight grip. It was very similar in size and weight to my Pedersoli 12 ga. muzzleloader. I considered the Uggie to be good practice for my (then) competitive ML shooting without all the work. It seemed to help. I used it for a few years and sold it for about twice what I had paid for it. No problems, other than the aforementioned soft firing pins. They are easy to make, Kasenit and replace. Mine lasted longer than the originals, by far. Using Kasenit on the originals works well, too, it they are not already bent or mushroomed.

So, the hot tip is to search out an older Uggy, say, one of the Falcons, and get a hidden, Purdey style third fastener that isn't included with the newer guns?
For my imagined need here, a 3" gun with longish tubes, say 28", 12 gauge, a pistolé grip, the usual MOD/Full chokes, plainish wood that I won't feel bad about cutting to put a recoil pad on and shortening up so I can use it when I wear a parka, and double triggers to pursue ditch parrots in winter conditions and to use for a trap/sporting clays type double gun, and very, very occasional waterfowling with big non-toxic numbers. I won't care if it gets wet.
I'm on it. Will let you know what I find.


Best,
Ted

The Gardner, Mass. Excel-imported guns will probably be the least expensive. They have the top fastener in the breech face.

jack

My first double was an Ugartechea 30 stocked in English style. It has probably been over 10 years ago, now. It was nice to handle and pointed well, but it was choked F and Mod and was a lot too tight for the quail hunting that I do. After about the second season I started experiencing misfires. I took it to Simmons in K.C. and they tore it down and lubed it, but the misfires continued, so I traded it for a Beretta Urika. Now I'm using CZs Bob Whites and an old SKB SXS. As I remember, I paid about $420 for the Uggy. I was told these guns were a batch that the workers at the factory put together and sold as some kind of settlement in a labor action.

Pins no doubt were starting to deform. Odd thing was, in the reorganization, sometimes a hinghed trigger or chopperlump barrels were put on the 30s. When that happened, it was always a surprise upgrade at no additional cost. I have a 30/221 model imported by Act III with chopperlump barrels.

Might have a line on one. Anybody stateside sell parts for the Uggies?

Thanks,
Best,
Ted

Ted -- You might try Lion County Supply since the sell new Uggies. They must have parts and support somewhere.

Cole Haugh, Milan Indiana has done gunsmithing for Ugartechea in the states
Cole Haugh
Haugh"s Custom Guns
fsicole@yahoo.com His work is excellent, very reasonable, with quick turn around time, and I almost hate to share this with others. Bob

Ditto on Cole Haugh. He knows Spanish guns as well as other makes. Ph.513 518 6722

Hia father runs the custom shop.

I currently have a Grade II Ugartechea, in 28 ga. It fits like it was made for me and I've had good shooting with it, from the first day. I liked it so much I bought a new Grade II in .410 to go with it. NEVER could shoot the .410 very well, although it shot straight, too.
jl

I've had different shooting results with guns that have very similar measurements. These days, I'm hesitant to purchase a gun I can't see and/or shoot. Some just work better than others.


Best,
Ted