The Spanish Revival
by Douglas Tate
pretty Spanish shotgun
Grulla’s custom-made Royale Classic is styled along London lines and is the company’s finest model. Photo courtesy of Grulla Armas.
The Spanish gun trade rises again

Anyone who has chased upland birds for more than a couple of seasons knows boom and bust. One year can be absolute gangbusters, the next can be virtually nothing. During my lifetime, fans of fine Spanish doubles have seen a similar cycle in which times of prosperity and growth have alternated with times of deep recession. Back in the day, American gun writer Jack O’Connor called one model by Spanish maker AyA “probably the best buy in a side-by-side anywhere,” while British gun scribe Gough Thomas said of an Arrieta that it was “the best Spanish gun in its price that has so far come my way.” Those who valued a bargain in the US and UK saw opportunity, and the Spanish trade in Eibar roared.

Since then we’ve seen the DIARM (Desarrollo de Industrias Armeras, S.A.) debacle, when in 1988 efforts at consolidation and cooperation between Spanish firms collapsed. To fully appreciate DIARM’s failure, a recapitulation of Spanish economic history is necessary. At the end of the Second World War, Spain was registering negative growth rates. By the early ’50s, per capita gross domestic product was barely 40 percent of the average for Western European countries. As a result, labor was cheap and Eibar’s gunmakers saw opportunity in the UK and US for inexpensive shotguns in a burgeoning entry-level market. In an effort to meet immediate demand, some makers resorted to using softer steel—not because it was cheaper, but because it could be worked more quickly. Eibar consequently played its role in Spain’s economic miracle.

The severe recession of the early 1980s affected economies worldwide, but Spain’s gunmakers took a bigger hit than most. Game shooting had long been the preserve of the rich, and the rich were buying their shotguns elsewhere. The market for entry-level firearms had all but disappeared or been taken over by Turkey. Spain’s recent transition to democracy meant workers who had once earned a few pesetas a day were demanding compensation on par with Europe’s other industrial workers. And if we are totally honest, some of Eibar’s older guns came back to haunt the trade in the form of failing metallurgy.

The crisis was so severe that the Spanish government intervened, guaranteeing financing that would modernize production, and the collective/cooperative known as DIARM was born. But despite the best of intentions, virtually the entire Eibar gun trade ceased to exist. Basically, a bailout that didn’t take into account changing international demand was doomed from the get-go. But the length and depth of a bust is what makes a boom so eventful. Recently the involvement of wealthy investors and business owners with a proven track record of reviving failing concerns suggests we are about to see the sun rise again over the Spanish gun trade.

Continued

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Arrieta & Arrizabalaga

The recent merger of the established brands Arrieta and Arrizabalaga (see “New Basque Bests,” S/O ’23) embodies the essence of the current Eibar renascence. Savvy investment by rich capital, designs that pay homage to heritage English side-by-sides and classic Italian over/unders, and workmanship by Spain’s most skilled artisans are what have made Arrieta & Arrizabalaga an immediate success.

Traditional side-by-sides coexist with triggerplate and sidelock over/unders. Juxtaposed, they are ideal metaphors for what Arrieta & Arrizabalaga has achieved since Ricardo de Serdio underwrote research and development. I asked Managing Director Miguel de Oriol about the availability of the firm’s guns in the US. “All our guns are available and imported by William Larkin Moore & Sons, in Scottsdale [Arizona],” he said.
pretty Spanish shotgun from Arrieta & Arrizabalaga

Arrieta & Arrizabalaga guns, such as this sidelock over/under, are marketed with one name or the other. Photo courtesy of Arrieta & Arrizabalaga.

Marketed as either Arrietas or Arrizabalagas, models on William Larkin Moore’s website [williamlarkinmoore.com] at press time included a 12-gauge Arrieta O/U Sporting gun with 30-inch barrels, a “drop trigger group” and rose & scroll engraving for $49,000 and an Arrieta Over/Under SLE 12-gauge with 29-inch barrels and extra-quality ornamental scroll engraving with gold for $70,000. There was also a 12-gauge Arrizabalaga SLE side-by-side pigeon gun with 32-inch barrels and extra-quality Celtic weave engraving with gold for $49,000.
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For more information and to see the company’s catalog, visit arrietaandarrizabalaga.com.
Armas Garbi

Armas Garbi dates from late 1959, when five of the best craftsmen in Eibar got together to found the firm. The name is an acronym made up of the first initials of those men, but it also means “clean” in the Basque language. Initially makers of affordable shotguns, Garbi was inspired “to improve the quality of our guns,” according to Manager Jon Barrenechea, “to be able to compete with the mythical English makes.”
spanish shotgun from Armas Garbi

No two guns from Armas Garbi are alike, as each is bespoke and features one of five engraving patterns. Photo courtesy of Armas Garbi.

British makers inspired Garbi’s range of side-by-sides, which includes the rounded-action Model 101, a five-pin sidelock with safety sears and rose & scroll engraving priced at $20,800; the 103A, a five-pin sidelock ejector with Purdey-style rose & scroll engraving at $26,000; and the 103B, an identical gun but with a Holland & Mansfield self-opening action and a choice of two engraving patterns at $32,000. Beginning in 2012 Garbi, which currently employs five workers, began making over/unders. The latest is the Arrow Titanium, which has 4,500 hours of development in its quiver and is unquestionably the company’s best gun so far. The triggerplate firing mechanism and action body are titanium, while the monoblock barrels are of 42CrMo4 steel alloy. Stocks are Grade 4 walnut rigorously tested for dampness and density, and they are custom fitted to the clients’ dimensions. No two Garbi guns are the same, as each is a bespoke creation embellished with one of five engraving patterns.
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For more information, visit armasgarbi.com or contact US dealer William Larkin Moore & Sons, williamlarkinmoore.com.
Grulla Armas

Today technology trumps tradition, and over/unders built by rocket science are eclipsing bench-made side-by-sides. But one Spanish maker has long built traditional guns. “Last year we made 90 years on the market,” said Iñigo Usobiaga of Grulla Armas. “We are the only manufacturer in Eibar that continues making custom-made side-by-side shotguns only.” The company’s finest model is the Royale Classic, styled along London lines, with a price starting at €23,900 ($25,600).

Grulla has genuine royal connections, and the firm can trace its origins in a direct line to gunmaker Victor Sarasqueta, who King Alfonso XIII patronized starting in 1902. The Grulla name has been around since the early ’30s when, according to Terry Wieland in his book Spanish Best, a half-dozen “master craftsmen left Victor Sarasqueta SA. to strike out on their own.” They formed Union Armera, adopting the crane as their symbol. Recent Grulla advertisements feature a strapline reading “Fine gun makers since 1932.”

When I visited Grulla’s shop in 2023, every bench was occupied and every hand was working. I asked Usobiaga if his order books were full, and he said, “As shotgun manufacturers, we are always looking for new orders. We have orders on production and to be started to be produced, but it is always helpful to have new ones. Our actual delivery time is between seven and nine months.” The Grulla Royale Classic may represent the best value of any high-quality side-by-side sidelock ejector on the planet.

For more information, visit grullaarmas.com or contact US importer Fieldsport, Ltd., fieldsportltd.com.
Armas Kemen

Just last season I borrowed a brace of bespoke Kemen over/unders for a driven shoot on the plains of La Mancha. Kemen’s reputation is for rock-steady gun platformsbuilt with both game and target shooting in mind, and my pair of target guns was really responsive for those red-legged partridge that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. One reason for this may be that, like some other recent Spanish O/Us, their action bodies were made from titanium.

The heart of Kemen’s collection is the KM-4, a gun inspired by the Perazzi MX8, according to British gun writer Mike Yardley. Yardley recently said of it: “I tried the new, hugely expensive titanium model. It was, I think, the best over and under that I have yet shot . . . . I want one!”
Spanish shotgun from Armas Kemen
spanish shotgun from Armas Kemen

Armas Kemen is known for producing well-made and perfectly balanced guns for both game and clays. Recently the company began offering titanium action bodies. Photo courtesy of Armas Kemen.

I asked Jonathan McGee, who brings Kemens into the UK, what his customers thought of the company and its guns. “Kemen are one of the world’s best gunmakers. My guess is that people who’ve shot Kemens like them for the same reasons I do. Kemens have always been regarded as well-made and perfectly balanced guns. With the inception of our titanium models, Kemen managed to create 12-gauge over-and-under shotguns weighing as little as 7 pounds 6 ounces but maintaining perfect balance coupled with unbeatable strength.” The Kemen range includes four KM-4 competition O/Us (the Sporting, Oxford Sporting, Luxe Sporting and Suprema Sporting) and two field models (the Hunting over/under and the Imperial side-by-side). The Sporting has a suggested retail price of $13,995.

For more information, visit kemen-usa.com.
Ugartechea

Ugartechea dates from 1922, and the company’s logo features a coat of arms with a motto reading “tradición y prestigio”—which at one time was perhaps an accurate expression of the brand’s reputation, although in 2015 the firm fell on hard times and ceased production. Recently came the good news that Ugartechea had been acquired by a venture capital group lead by Rafael A Pinedo (see “Ugartechea Relaunches,” July/August). Word is that Pinedo is investing large sums to rebuild the company’s credibility.
spanish shotgun from ugartechea

Ugartechea recently reopened and is expanding its line of side-by-side shotguns. Photo courtesy of Ugartechea.

I recently received a note from Pinedo that said, “We are pleased to announce that we are open for business and expanding our products. We have embarked on the creation of a limited-edition masterpiece known as the Model 100X.” The Model 100X is clearly intended to celebrate 100 years in business and meant for the collector market, as only five are currently in production. “As far as other new models,” Pinedo said, “we are going to push a marketing campaign on [the] 75EXN [$5,850] and 40EXN [$3,950] in the side-by-side shotgun line and then two new rifles: the Express .375 H&H and the Nitro 500. Keep in mind that 90 percent of our current production is going to the US . . . . In the UK we have several shotguns in demo at the prestigious Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds, in Northwood, where anyone can have an opportunity to try one in a beautiful environment.”

For more information, visit ugartecheashotguns.com or contact US distributor New England Custom Gun Service, newenglandcustomgun.com.

Eibar’s gunmakers have always had the skills to make best guns, but their most lucrative products have long been affordable kit for those with a taste for cava on a cerveza budget. A shakeup in global supply and demand had Spanish craftsmen cooling their heels, but now come sharp investors and businesspeople who are challenging the old tropes of cheap entry-level hardware. Only time will tell if strong capital investment will reestablish Spain’s place in the sun.

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