doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Spanish side by side

Yep, you guys are right - LOW price point it is! I was probably less than clear when I just said: "...they made a lot of low-end guns to a price point." (bold added in quote)

But I still disagree - in terms of absolute dollars, better guns bought a few decades ago have appreciated.

Resale value, of course, was not part of Palunc's original post - it crept in.

There are a couple of Arrizabalaga 20 ga on the market right now - check out Orvis. These guns are orgiastic. I own a 20 ga AyA #2 that handles so well that it's a real joy to use. The AyA is not an expensive gun, either.

if one must buy spainish, then go for the higher end aya guns in small gauges. they seem to be worth the most and the fastest sellers of all of the spanish guns...but, there are many much better investment grade sxs to choose from. why not have the best of both worlds. a fine gun to use and enjoy and so long as you do not mess it up, it can be a good investment as well. the browning bss and now the various skb sxs's are cases in point.

In my experience Spanish guns made back in the 60's have the bad reputation and guns made in the 90's and 2000's have a very positive reputation. The 30 and 40 year old guns did come to this country with some bad firing pins, bad springs, etc., and those problems have been fixed and I think the AYA's, Garbi's, Arrieta's, and Grulla, all produce guns that are superior to any other guns in their price range as long as you stay with the current production guns made in the last 15 - 20 years. I've owned a bunch of them and I can honestly say I've never had problem one with any of them and they have always made me happy. That early reputation of a bad product is still out there with people that aren't really up on current guns, but most people that really like SXS guns today know a good gun when they see one. Again, this is just from my personal experience.

Shouldn't we say SOME Spanish guns made back in the 60s? The big 5 have nothing to hang their head about; Arrizabagala, Arrieta, AYA, Grula and Ugartechea as well as some smaller makers.

I agree 2holer. My Sarriugarte was made in 1969 and I can't fault the quality or workmanship of the thing. The internals are quality made and wood to metal fit is great. I know I would never sell it.

There are a couple of points on which I respectfully and cordially disagree.

Firstly the conditions under which improperly heat treated parts can make their way into the parts stream have not changed and aren�t likely to do so. None of the currently operating Spanish gun makers are immune to the problem. Those who doubt that may want to read this thread:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=126&t=333860

This is not and never has been a major or wide spread problem. In short, while it does happen it doesn�t happen often.

Secondly I much prefer Spanish guns made in the 1950 � 1970 time frame to those made after DIARM. The earlier guns generally had more skilled hand labor put into them than is the case with corresponding gun made today. Indeed, the top price point guns of today are the upper middle price point guns of the 1950 � 1970 era. The top price point guns of that earlier time just aren�t made today; they would be so expensive that prospective buyers would just buy new Purdey or Holland & Holland shotguns.

If you can find a late model Garbi 100 with long barrels for less than $ 5000, buy it .
They are no longer made, supply is drying up fast and the quality cannot be duplicated at 2x the price.
Best regards,
JBP

Before spending $5000 USD on an entry level Garbi it might be wise to look at these two guns:

Mateo Mendicute, Purdey Grade, 1700 Euro (1948 gun):

http://armeriataradell.com/?wpsc-product=mateo-mendicute-grado-purdey-1270


Victor Sarasqueta, Hispania, Model 208, two barrel set, 3000 Euro (1974 gun):

http://armeriataradell.com/?wpsc-product=v-sarasqueta-mod-hispania-208-calibre-1270

Both guns have been restored by a master gun maker to like new. They are in a shop in Barcelona, so add about another $400 to the price of either gun for export, import, and shipping fees. At an exchange rate of 1.3 dollars to the Euro, total cost (USD) of the Mendicute would be around $2600. The Sarasqueta would total about $4300.

If a fellow wants to spend 5K USD on a Spanish shotgun there are a lot of attractive alternatives to a Garbi 100.

Here are my favorite models from each of the makers...

Ugartechea 1040... love the Woodward-style arcaded fences.





I love all of the models from Arrizabalaga. This one has Purdey-style scroll with oak leaves on the fences.



Arrieta 801 with Churchill scroll and a rounded body.




AYA #1 Deluxe







Grulla 216 RB



Grulla 209 with H&H stlye scroll (somewhat)




Arrieta 871 16ga 2-barrel set

Arrizabalaga with H&H style scroll






Arrieta 803