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.
Last edited by Ron Vella; 12/05/07 01:03 PM.
