Larry,
Lets break this down a little.
Kyrie, the vast majority of Zabala-made guns in this country don't look like any of those.
The vast majority of Spanish shotguns Zabala, AyA, Ugartechea, and Victor Sarasqueta in this country dont look like those guns because the vast majority of Spanish shotguns in this country are inexpensive box locks. Those guns were all made to a higher price point than the vast majority of the box lock guns.
But this is something of a digression. You asked if my buy the gun and not the name included Zabala and I answered with three examples where Id done so, and the prices at which I bought each gun. I was happy with all three deals and the guns have been a lot of fun.
Other folks are free to do as they please, but I give little weight to who the maker of a gun was. Im much more interested in how much skilled hand labor went into a gun relative to how much money the seller wants for the gun.
And one of the important aspects of "condition" is what happens when you pull the triggers . . . which you can't find out until you shoot it.
True of any gun, especially used guns.
I'll cordially disagree with you by saying that, from personal experience and that of others, function issues are not particularly uncommon with Zabalas. Less likely you'll encounter them with something made by V. Sarasqueta or AyA.
Anther YMMV subject. Ive had any number of Zabala Hermanos shotguns (and still have five or six) and have yet to have any problem with any of them.
As an aside, did you notice the three guns I posted came from two different makers named Zabala? There were a number of different makers named Zabala, just as there were a number of different makers named Sarasqueta.
Im fine with grouping all the guns made by any Zabala and any Sarasqueta into Spanish shotguns (i.e. buying gun, not name), but Im a little surprised you would aggregate all Zabala guns but not aggregate all Sarasqueta guns (i.e. giving weight to who the maker was).
