doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Zabala Side by side 20 gauge

I have a Zabala side by side in twenty gauge that has always been a bear to open fully. I bought it used. Three gunsmiths have looked at it and shrugged.

With the forearm taken off the gun opens fine! The two knuckles or tabs on the receiver that meet the two concave metal parts on the forearm are two very different sizes, they look like they were machined "by someone's teeth". One also protrudes farther forward than the other; very poor quality and consistency of these important mating and functional surfaces. I have to think this is the problem.

I have tried to find someone who will work on Zabala's or has parts for Zabala's and have had no luck.

The gun is sweet and if it were not for this issue it would be a great gun for my girlfriend or the days when I want a very light double to take out there and go bang bang.

Can anyone dierct me to a Zabala parts supplier of repair shop that would take this double on? Thanks guys!

Sounds like one of the cocking levers or rods is bent or a bit too long. I'd bet our friend Mike Orlen could fix it. Anyone familiar with working on SxS guns should have no trouble figuring it out. This ability is not inherent in all "gunsmiths".

The two cocking levers are definitely different from each other on this Zabala. And yes I have found the hard way that some gunsmiths do not know much about doubles.... and this is extra sad because I am in ITHACA NY (!) and can't seem to find a smith who can fix this side by side... or help me out with other side by sides I own.

Anything is possible but I would be surprised if the gun left the factory this way. I wonder if someone did a "repair" and used the wrong part. Though Zabala is not a high-end gun they are usually very serviceable and decently finished. I have a .410 that I sleeved with .22 barrels and built a .22 Hornet on, and a 10 bore that I shortened, installed choke tubes, slimmed down the forend, skeletonized the forend iron, removed the factory-installed pound and a half of lead from under the butt plate, and made up my goose gun on. Both have given sterling service for quite a few years. You CAN get parts directly from Zabala in Eibar, Spain. I sent them an e-mail a couple of years ago, inquiring about the possibilty of purchasing a safety button for a 10 bore Zabala. Several months later an envelope showed up on my desk one day with all of the safety parts inside and a nice letter thanking me for being a Zabala user, please accept these parts, no charge. I was very impressed with that level of service.
As an aside, if you look at the shape of the safety button from a Zabala or a Laurona gun you'll see perfection. It's impossible for your thumb to slip on it, sweaty, wet, oily, or not. I've often wondered why all makers haven't adopted the same shape, particularly on double rifles in dangerous game calibres.

Ron--- Excellent post. Maybe my cocking levers are enroute because I emailed Zabala in Spain about the problem and never heard from them, and that is why I am asking for a repair source here on this forum! Actually I emailed them TWICE and have not heard back so maybe I have two sets of repair parts coming! (hahaha!) But seriously, thanks for the insight and observations about the Zabala. I like the gun too. This "problem" may have been the result of re-work. I bought the gun used.

Your 22 hornet must be a beaut. The guns do have nice aethestics and they are so quick and light to point... well... er... it sounds like you had to put that 10 ga on a diet for sure, but the smaller gauges certainly are light. I just want to get this double fixed because I can't use it this way or let my girlfriend use it because she is not able to break the barrels open easily enough for her to WANT to use it. So if a field grade gun sits around at my house unused it gets sold. But I can't even sell it as is. No one will buy a gun that is this hard to break open. But if I can get it fixed I would put this Zabala to use!

There is a gunsmith who specializes in double guns about an hour's drive north of you in one of those small towns along I-81. Both his name and the name of the town escape me. I drive by it every time I drive south on that hwy. I'm just heading out the door to go sit in my treestand until dark with my M/L Cape gun. I'll check for his name in DGJ and post it tonight after I get home. That is unless a whitetail comes by and I'm busy gutting and dragging!

Ron---

Let's hope for the later! Good luck!

Yogi, I got to thinking, while I was sitting 25 feet up in an oak tree, that that is exactly what happened to me. I sent them an e-mail and got no answer. About 2 weeks later I sent them a second e-mail and got no answer to it either. I attributed it to a language barrier, (Yo habla Espangol, solo poquito), and gave up hope. Lo and behold, as I said earlier, the parts showed up about 2 months later.
If you're interested in seeing some photos of that Hornet that I built, go to NitroExpress.com, go to the forum entitled "Building Double Rifles and Gunsmithing", and open the topic entitled "Oak & Leather Case and Rifle Modifications". There are several photos of it posted there.
I'm still trying to come up with the name of that gunsmith that I spoke of. He's somewhere south of Watertown. Will post when I find the info.

Ron, is that gunsmith you are trying to think of---is his name Dave Allen? In Wayne NY?

I just got referred to him by a guy who used to work for Ithaca Guns and who has done a lot of work on shotgun development. He spoke very highly of Dave Allen.

Wayne, NY is south west of Watertown.

Yogi, the gunsmith that I was thinking of is Bryan B. Burgin, Burgin's Gun Shop, Sidney Center, NY, 607-829-8668.I was wrong about the location, Sidney Center is about 1 hour, SOUTH of Utica. I had it in my mind that it was somehere between Watertown and Syracuse. He advertised for quite a while in DGJ but I haven't seen an ad for a couple of years now. A phone call will tell you if he's still in business.

Ron- Before you get too carried away with the cocking rods, do yourself a favor and check the extractor for full travel. Your post reminded me to check my Zabala .410. Sure enough, the problem was caused by the extractor. A little clean up and the gun opens fully. A five minute fix. Cheap, too!

Cary

Cary, it isn't my gun it's Yogi's.

Ron- Sorry for the confusion. Yogi- might want to check the extractor.

Cary

Cary---Thanks for the recommendation. I will really give the extractors a thorough cleaning first!

And, Ron, thank you for the contact and phone nuimber for the other gunsmith in Sidney. I will call that number.