. Cat.logo_AYA(1-15).fh8 - AYA, Aguirre y Aranzabal

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The first half of the 20th century was a period of turmoil in Spain. From the 1880s onward, Spain was a constitutional monarchy, and its king was Alfonso XIII. Alfonso was a charming man whose great joy in life was shooting — both driven birds on the plains of Castile and the estates of England, and also live-pigeon competition. Alfonso’s tastes dictated the fashions of the day, and shooting of all kinds became a Spanish passion. For the gunmakers of Eibar, this was a great benefit. Victor Sarasqueta, for example, was appointed “Gunmaker to the King,” and included Alfonso’s royal warrant in its catalogs for many years. Unfortunately, the Spanish king’s skill with a gun (which was prodigious) was not matched by his skill at politics, and his reign was marred by a succession of upheavals. In 1923, General Primo de Rivera established a military dictatorship that lasted until 1930. After a brief restoration, the monarchy was replaced by a republic, but Spain’s political situation deteriorated. In July, 1936, General Francisco Franco incited the Spanish Army to revolt, and the Civil War began. The Basque Country was, by general inclination, democratic and pro-republican. The arms-making industries of the Basque Country were a great prize, and Franco made it a priority to conquer the Basques. His forces rolled up the river valleys of the Cantabrian Mountains, taking one town after another — Elgoibar, Eibar, Ermua, Guernica. The carpetbombing of the market-town of Guernica on April 26, 1937, was a watershed in twentieth century warfare — the first mass-bombing of an undefended civilian populace. In June, Bilbao fell to Franco’s army, and, for the Basques, the war was over. The gunmakers were put to work making guns and parts for Franco’s army. Those who had fled Eibar as the Nationalists approached (including AYA), gradually made their way back home and went back into business. After the war ended, Franco maintained a harsh hold on the Basque Country. He wanted to ensure that Basque aspirations of independence – 9 – Spanish Treasure would never again threaten the Spanish state. The Basque language, Euskera, was banned from public use. It was the beginning of a long period of economic and social hardship for the Basques. For Miguel Aguirre and Nicolas Aranzabal, however, it was the beginning of their company’s rise to become the largest and bestknown Spanish maker of fine guns. In 1938, as the war ended, they decided to move on from making components for other companies, and began making complete guns themselves with the AYA name engraved on the barrels. ✦
The Complete Gunmaker, 1938 to now T he second world war had little direct impact on AYA, since Spain was officially neutral. Afterward, it even had a beneficial effect, since Spain in 1945 had one of the few functioning civilian arms-making industries left in the world. The British and American industries had been converted to war production, while those in Italy, Belgium, Germany, and Austria had been devastated by war, looting, and occupation. Returning servicemen, especially in America, were anxious to take up hunting and sport-shooting once again, and needed rifles and shotguns with which to do it. This market represented a great opportunity for Spanish gunmakers of all types. Unfortunately, Spain was still subject to shortages of vital commodities, and rationing of essential materials such as steel. During this period, there was intense competition among Spanish gunmakers to export to the United States, and the majority of guns exported were low-priced, and low-quality. At this time, AYA was producing a basic range of standard shotguns — mostly side-byside double guns, in both boxlock and sidelock configuration, as well as single-shots. While their products were well-made and dependable, they were not yet “best” guns. They were low- to mid-range products that sold for prices competitive with established Spanish makers. This was the situation as it stood in the mid-1950s, when an event occurred which was to change the course of AYA’s history: Two English brothers arrived in Spain on holiday, and visited some gunshops in Barcelona. What they saw gave them an idea, and that idea changed the face of both AYA, and of the Basque fine-gun trade. – 10 – The brothers were Andrew and Peter King. In the Barcelona gunshops, they saw some of the products of the Eibar gun trade as it was then — almost all side-by-sides, with a few over/unders, varying in quality from utility grade to quite fine. What the Spanish guns all had in common, however, was their low price: They sold for a fraction of what a comparable gun would command in England. At the time, the English gun trade was in a sad state. Those companies that had survived the war were having even greater difficulty surviving the peace, rife as it was with trade unions, Labour politicians, and the demise of many of the old-money landowners who
Page 2 and 3: “ From beginning to end …” A
Page 4 and 5: Spanish Treasure by Terry Wieland S
Page 6 and 7: A fondness for AYA by Michael McInt
Page 8 and 9: The Basque Country And the Ancient
Page 12 and 13: were the trade’s major customers.
Page 14 and 15: As the rest of the Basque firearms
Page 16: This partnership with its importers
Page 19 and 20: Model Nº 4/53 T he Nº 4 has been
Page 21 and 22: Model Nº 4 “de Luxe” T he Nº
Page 23 and 24: Model XXV / BL O ne of the most fam
Page 25 and 26: Model Nº 2 & Nº 2 Round Action T
Page 27 and 28: Model XXV / SL O ne of the most fam
Page 29 and 30: Model Nº 53 T he Nº 53 (also know
Page 31 and 32: Model Nº 1 & Nº 1 Round Action T
Page 33 and 34: Model Nº 1 - “de Luxe” T he N
Page 35 and 36: Model Nº 56 T he Model Nº 56 was
Page 37 and 38: Model “Imperial” T he “Imperi
Page 39 and 40: Model Nº 37 T he Model Nº 37 is t
Page 41 and 42: Model Augusta T he Augusta is a “
Page 43 and 44: Special Shotguns The following page
Page 45 and 46: - 44 -
Page 47 and 48: Picture courtesy of The Shooting Ga
Page 49 and 50: Making an AYA E very AYA is made by
Page 51 and 52: Why an AYA? S ixty years ago, in th
Page 53 and 54: Wood T he quality of a gun stock ma
Page 55 and 56: Optional extras A ll AYA shotguns c
Page 57 and 58: Serial numbers and historical data
Page 59 and 60: Gun Cases S uch special shotguns de
Page 61 and 62:
Accessories T hese are a few of the
Page 63 and 64:
Gun and rifle slings - 62 - Belt Kn
Page 65:
AYA, Aguirre y Aranzabal Gun Makers
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. Cat.logo_AYA(1-15).fh8 - AYA, Aguirre y Aranzabal

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