doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ARMAS ERBI. S.C.

I recently acquired a nice little Spanish 20 ga with double triggers and 28 inch barrels. The gun is marked ARMAS ERBI. S.C. on the frame and additionaly marked Elgoibar and Model "English" on the barrels. Anyone have any information on this maker?
Jim

Barrels are probably 27-5/8"? I have an Erbi boxlock 28ga with DT, PG, splinter, metric 28" M/F bbls, coin finish frame with some decent engraving, pretty plain wood, but nicely fitted. Gun originally had sling swivels, so probably for the Euro market. Can only guess what the "English" on yours designates. Mine's a decent little gun, close to quality of current AyA 4/53 but not quite that good. Erbi went out of business during the Diarms fiasco of the 80's (check my dates). Weiland has very brief mention of Erbi in "Spanish Best."

Probably straight stock with no swivels........?.......

Replacement is correct 27 5/8" barrels. Pistol grip stock W/O swivels and a beavertail forend. Boxlock with some nice restrained engraving with good case coloring to the action. I'll post pictures when I get a chance. I agree it's a decent gun.
Jim

Back in September I started a thread on my Spanish double. Someone on that thread mentioned "The Diarms Fiasco". The only information I can find on it is that Francisco Sarriugarte, the maker of my shotgun, was in this too. Can someone tell me what this Fiasco was/is? Is it some dark secret?

"Can someone tell me what this Fiasco was/is? Is it some dark secret?"

No secret at all. The best accounting you are likely to run across is in Terry Weiland's fine book "Spanish Best." It's a very good read about the Spanish gun making industry, listing many of the better known and a number of the lessor known makers and their histories.

Thanks for the lead Chief. I checked to see if it is for sale here and I can't find a listing. I'll check Barnes and Noble maybe they can get one for me.

I think the book may be out of print, although it's not all that old. If you can't find one, I have a very nice copy of the first edition of the book that I could be pursuaded to part with. Drop me a PM if interested.

If you like double guns, you absolutely need a copy of "Spanish Best."

My copy is about 100 miles from here, but as I recall the story, the majority of the Basque gunmakers formed a consortium to achieve some economies of scale and to increase their market presence. A few companies stayed out of the consortium (AyA?), but when the Diarms consortium failed miserably, most of the very small makers just disappeared. That is why there are so many "modern" Spanish guns whose makers are no longer around. A small number of companies came out of Diarms and survive to this day.

Hi all, real down and dirty, Replacement is pretty close to the mark. DIAM was really started by the Spanish Gov't and the purpose was to get all the gun makers (big and small) under one company. Several opted out (Ugartechea, Arrieta, Grulla/Union Armera to name a few) AyA did join DIARM. The venture was financed by the Gov't and bought quite a bit of high tech equipment, gone was the hand crafted guns that made Eiber famous and in fact the Factory was not even in Eiber. Over 20 makers joined, but the experiment didn't last but a couple years. Almost all those who joined never came back. The exception was AyA. They reorganized and made it.

Guns were still marked AyA and even Sarriugarte, but the boxes the guns were shipped in were marked DIARM.

One of the failings of the company was too many chiefs. Everyone wanted to be someone. In fact F. Sarriugarte was the Chairman.

The full story is found in Weiland's book, an excellent read all the way around.

All the best!

Greg