doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How about AyA doubles?

Been doing some looking around for a 16ga and I notice Cabela's has an overwhelming number of AyA doubles.

I've not handled an AyA or fired one, but would you gents kindly offer your impression of these guns? They look very nice. However, judging from the sheer numbers Cabela's has, I'm wondering if they crank them out two at a time over in Spain ...

Thanks,
DeWayne

The #1 is hand engraved, but the #2 (mostly what Cabela's has) is machine engraved. For what you spend you can get a Merkel in 16g. hand engraved. I've handled these @ Cabela's and think they are very well balanced.

Handled, not fired. Nice. Cabela's guy claims that they buy enough guns from AYA that all Cabela AYA's have the wood at least one grade up from other distributors. I don't know if this is true, but they sell for the same price (retail) as anywhere else I've seen them and the wood was of very nice figure on all their stock. Compared to my AOC Ugartechea, its only Spanish boxlock competitor, the AYA 4/53's I handled are better in fit, finish, case color and wood by a considerable margin. The #2 sidelock is nice, as well. I believe they are the second largest producer in Spain behind Ugartechea , but it's a very nice product. I'd buy a 4/53 in 20 ga. before that special order gun everybody's always talking about.

AyA #2 was hand engraved until mid 70's.
I'm very pleased with my #2 made in 1969.

Very well known here in the UK.
Imported by ASI, allegedly they were able to copy a H&H Royal and deliver in 4 months from scratch.Far, far superior product to a brand available in the U.S. that you pay in full for and then wait more than a year for.
I have a Number 1, a number 2, 4, and a Yeoman O/U deluxe.
The O/U is a school gun which has fired probably 1,000s of shells and never missed a beat, I also use it as a game gun where the engraving makes it a gun that is very often mistaken for a Boss by fellow Guns.Which is not bad when you consider I paid £650 ( I think) twenty eight years ago for it new.

DeWayne,
I’ve happily owned several AyA’s in the past & living in the UK there’s been lots of opportunity to examine a great number more. They were considered to be several cuts above the majority of Spanish production & AyA were largely responsible for raising the profile of the Spanish gun industry in the UK in the 1960-70’s

AyA went through the doldrums a number of years ago when several makers amalgamated or became a co-operative (I’ve never quite known the full story but it didn’t seem like a rosy time for any concerned).

When I look at current production I don’t see AyA offering as good a quality gun as in the past nor the same value for money (even accepting that prices have to rise). Recently in a British gun magazine there was a photo of an AyA No.1 illustrating – I quote: “the superb inletting for the locks”. Well it was the most simplistic attempt at inletting you’d ever see – not good on any gun & very poor on a gun costing as much as the current No.1 (it said a lot about the quality of the articles author as well!). The point is – the No.1’s & 2’s did used to have a good standard of inletting.

Subject to inspection - I’d certainly buy another AyA but it would not be a new one (actually I fancy an older XXV boxlock just for fun).

Regards
Russell

My circa 1980 no. 2 holding up well after a bit of corrective surgery to the right sear nose. While about that I also did the ejectors optional mod per G. T. Garwood. Interesting gun. Some of the 4/53s appear very nice as do the higher end sidelocks no longer produced.

jack

I have one made in the late 60s that I like a lot except the finish is kind of flaking. I would buy one before I purchased a Merkel for the same price.

I love my 1999 No 2.
And you're right, AyA cranks out a lot of guns, about 700/yr according to Wieland. That's about 499,300 fewer than Remington makes/yr. <Grin>
Strictly in terms of quality, I would rate AyA at no. 5 out of the big 6 of Eibar makers. But they're hard to beat for the price.

Pete

Speaking of AYA price, a local emporium was paying $1500 for custom ordered 453s and about $2400 for custom ordered #2s as recently as four years ago. I can't quite get used to the new price structure although other guns have gone up a bit in the same period also.