doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com information on two Spanish shotguns companies?

I would like to know where i can find information on two Spanish
shotguns companies. First one is Eusebio Arizaga shotguns and the
other one is Carreroy Astela sa. Would i find information in Terry Weiland book The Spanish Best? All i know they made shotguns in the 70s.Also are they still in business under a new name?

Spanish Best won't help. Only mention of Arizaga in a few places and nothing on Astla.
Bob Jurewicz

Jack O'Connor had a Eusebio Arizaga 28 bore made up for him and is mentioned in some of the books about his life etc. I remember in the 60's you could get a bespoke Arizaga for 250-400. I've seen some of these guns over the years and they are decent, but not spectacular quality. The ones I saw were sidelocks and fairly attractive!

Based on the writings of Cactus Jack, my buddy and I pooled our meager college dollars and ordered five Eusebio Arizaga 20-gauge doubles (Holland & Holland pattern) through their exporter Laureano Villar in San Sebastian. We sold three to cover our expenses and each kept one. I kept the one with a blued receiver and lockplate and Wayne kept one with a coin finish. Wayne's was gone after one season in favor of a Beretta over-under. Mine lasted a couple of years, but after replacing the second broken hammer in the right lock, it flowed down the stream of commerce. Beautifully patterning and regulated barrels, but very poor steel in the locks. The end of me and Spanish doubles.

All I have left is a file of letters with Jack and Laureano Villar.

Posts like yours and so many others make this board invaluable. Thank you.

In the late 60's - early 70's, Griffin and Howe imported and sold tha Ariziga shotgun in their Manhattan store. From what I remember, they looked like a quality gun with nice figured wood. I believe that Griffin and Howe would not have sold this gun if their quality was not up to good standard. The retail price at that time was about $550.

These makers were not unlike most Spanish makers in the very early years of being "discovered" by gun writers in the U.S. and through them by gun buyers in the U. S. Most of the small Spanish makers built their goods to a price point for export to the "big market over the water." In those early years, most Spanish guns had problems with such things as heat treating of sears and firing pins, and breaking of springs. You will see very early AyA models that had such problems, and don't even think hard about buying one of the early Spanish guns with a single trigger, they wore very quickly and gave trouble very quickly. Not so in the past decade or more. Spanish guns today represent some of the better buys on the double gun market, particularly the better known brands. They have made their reputation world-wide by correcting those early "soft steel" or "improper hardening" problems. Currently produced, or recently produced Spanish guns just do not have such problems. Those that say they will never have another Spanish gun because "so and so" had one that the single trigger doubled on every shot simply have not thoroughly vetted out a modern one. As in anything else, let's be careful not to paint with too broad a brush. The better grades of Spanish guns from generally the 1970's forward (I hate to be too specific with a date, but that's close) are very well worth the money. I have several, including a Victor Sarasqueta Model 7e 16 gauge sidelock that is one of my favorites, an AyA Model 53e in 20 gauge (with a fine single selective trigger) that everybody who shoots it wants, and a pair of Ugartechea Over/Under sidelock guns in 12 and 20 gauge that are clones of the Merkel 303 gun and better put together than an original Merkel 303. I have a few other Victor Sarasqueta lower end boxlock guns that are very good knock-about guns, just rather plain-jane looking, but very reliable. Those last VS boxlock guns are for sale, BTW, if anyone needs a good inexpensive back-up gun. My safe runneth over. I understand the top selling new guns in the UK for some time have been the various AyA sidelock models. My Victor Sarasqueta 7e, AyA 53e, and my pair of Ugartechea O/U sidelock guns aren't going anywhere.

Chief, as long as there are those who dismiss them we'll be able to get our hands on them.

JC

Hey Chief, I'd like to know more about the VS you have available.

I may be in the market, let me know what you have.

Thanks so much and Happy Turkey Day!!!

Greg

I currently have two, both are listed for sale on the "other" portion of this BBS where such things are permitted to be offered for that nasty old green paper money stuff. Take a look there under the title Six Guns For Sale, both are detailed. There is a direct e-mail for me there as well. If you need to know something else, contact me directly and we'll communicate off-line. I have already sent Bro Dave a couple of checks this year, I'll be glad to send another if we get together. Both guns offer an awful of of gun for the money.