![]() ![]() These became the basis of four classic AYA models – the Nº 1, the Nº 2, the Nº 4 and the ’Best Quality Boxlock’ and they were the core of the AYA range.The AYA Nº 2 is the pre-eminent ‘affordable’ sidelock side-by-side and the most famous model in the AYA line. Both guns were considered to be among the finest examples of their type at the time. The first was a ‘Holland and Holland’sidelock and the second was a Westley Richards boxlock with an Anson &Deely action. The Kings Brothers came back to Spain with two shotguns on which the ‘English range’ would be based. During the course of that meeting, a relationship was formed which was to transform the firm from a provincial gunmaker, known mainly in Spain, into one of the best-known gun making names in the world. The Kings agreed to help AYA design and produce an ‘English range’ of shotguns specially made for the British market. They visited the majority of the gun makers and, with one exception, they were met with uncompromising ‘take it or leave it’ attitudes, along the lines of ‘this is what we make, how many do you want?’ The sole exception was AYA.ĪYA not only had the largest and best equipped Factory in Eibar, but its Chairman, Agustín Aranzabal, was an incomparable host and was prepared to listen to all the suggestions from the King brothersconcerning a possible development of the British market. Armed with a list of gun making firms in the Basque Country, Andrew and Peter King returned to Spain and started making calls. The guns they were shown impressed them by their honest quality and they saw in them great potential in the British market. ![]() ![]() In the mid-50s and event took place which would change the course of AYA’s fortunes and future: two English brothers, holidaying in Spain, happened to visit one or two of the gun shops in Barcelona. They were entry-level and middle-market guns which sold at competitive prices, both abroad and domestically. ![]() While their guns were well made and reliable, they could not be classed as ‘best’ guns. I n 1938, AYA was making a straightforward range of shotguns, mainly side-by-sides in boxlock and sidelock configurations, with a few single-barrel guns thrown-in. ![]()
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