doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Arrizabalaga

Folks:

I wanted to poll forum members for opinions who either have or had Arrizabalaga shotguns and hunted with them.

I have seen the quality of their work and it appears impressive.
They appear to be a top quality shotgun. I drove by the factory last year but alas it was siesta. We have to respect local customs. A young local led me to the factory, found a parking spot but couldn't, shouldn't change customs. The populace are elegant, cultured people with a warm and welcoming attitude. We truly enjoy Northern Spain.

My point of reference is a very nice DHE Parker 20/30 f/f and is the first Parker I've owned that comes through for quail. Thank you for your time.

Mark

14teener;

If you are considering purchasing one here in USA, be aware that not all shotguns with their name are of the excellent quality as the ones the firm built in the last decade of it's life prior to selling the business to Arrieta. John Boyd of Quality Arms, Houston is the individual to consult if you are in doubt.

Regards;
Bv

Any of the Spanish shotgun makers could, and did, make top end guns for top end prices. Equally generally, all those same makers made shotguns to every price point at which a market existed.

Bottom line; be cautious buying a gun because of who made it. Rather look at each gun as an individual, and assess the price point to which it was made and the purpose for which it was made.

And be careful of which Arrizabalaga it is. I think there was Pedro, Luis and Teodoro. I have a 28 gauge Teodoro Arrizabalaga muzzleloader and it's about as cheap of a quality as you can get.

BV
Thank you for the advice. The gun in question is at a premium so I need to proceed with caution.

Mark

William Larkin Moore & Sons had one a couple weeks ago, they import them along with Arrietas. Take Kyrie's advice, quality varies, as with all makers & models, as well as prices.

No one, least of all those who write books about Spanish guns, give us any real information about the vintage of Arrizabalaga shotguns in best, and less than best quality. The assumption is, as far as I understand it, that early PA guns are not so good, but what is early? My 1961 PA 28 gauge is as well fitted and finished as any Spanish sidelock I have ever inspected. Is this one of the "early" guns that weren't as good as the recent ones?

Read Wieland's "Spanish Best" to get an idea when PA began to move away from guns-at-every-price-point to only top price point guns.

Gentlemen:

My opinion is that PEDRO Arrizabalaga made very good quaility sidelock double shotguns and rifles through all the times.
Even a model 106 (basic model but with triple lock "a la Puedey", double intercepting sears and walnut stock) was made very solid and with the tight tolerances and good steels that made PA shotguns so reliable.

I have a model 132 from 1968 that my granfather bought in Eibar more than 40 years ago. The shotgun still have the characteristic sound when you close it: solid, tight close, dificult for me to explain, but unique for PA shotguns.

I think that ANY Pedro Arrizabalaga shotgun is a good shotgun: I never saw a bad quality one.

As I told you first, just my opinion.

Regards,

Well said, Jose.

If "quality" is defined solely in terms of reliability and durability then a low quality Spanish side lock is a rarity.

If we want to discuss Spanish shotguns using some different definition of the word quality, then we need to articulate that definition clearly before we start jacking our jaws.

Otherwise no one is going to understand what anyone else is talking about :-)