doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com AYA-Habicht

Howdy all. I have this AYA 16 gauge that was made for Habicht of Germany. It's from 1965. I'm just curious as to what model of AYA this might have been. Any thoughts?

I don't think Habicht was a German maker. Sauer made a Habicht model. And at one time, AyA had permission from Sauer to copy some of their models. I owned a gun marked AyA-Sauer, scalloped back boxlock ejector. Looked for all the world like a high grade Sauer boxlock (maybe a Model 4 Deluxe), down to the cheekpiece and sling swivels.

Nice looking gun. I think Habicht is just German for hawk and was the model name give this AYA model aimed at the euro-market. Not their highest quality work but a good gun anyway...Geo

I thought Habicht was a German retailer who contracted with AYA to make guns with their name stamped on the barrel. I could be wrong though.

If you email AyA with the serial number you will hear from Carmen what that shotgun model was on their books. It looks like a model 106 to me.
You will also come across German retailed Habicht shotguns by Zabala/Laurona. Reliable in Vancouver had one recently.

Never even thought about contacting AYA about this, duh!
Like the ole saying, "can't see the forest for the trees"!!
No, it isn't a high end gun but it seems pretty reliable. I let the future son in law (I think) use it a few times this fall. It was his first year hunting. He managed to get 6 grouse with it so he was quite happy.

For sure "habicht" is the German word for hawk. I'm unaware of any retailer using this word as a name. However, said word is frequently used as a model name in Germany.

DDA

I was just going by something I had bread on another forum that said Habicht was a German retailer that had guns made by AYA, Laurona and Zabala. However, that was the only place I found that info so it might not have been correct. And when I look at the barrel, it just says Habicht on the one side. You would think it would say Germany after the Habicht if it was a German retailer. The other barrel says AYA. So quite likely Habicht is the model.

I have never seen Habicht as a name on any AyA literature.
AyA made contract guns for a British and a Swedish agent, a Danish company. and US retailer Sears.
There are Belgian Pieper, Laurona/Zabala and AyA guns marked Habicht. There was a pre-war Sauer Habicht model too. Perhaps someone with a better knowledge of German or Austrian retailers could chime in on this topic.

Habicht is German for goshawk, the largest of the accipiters (bird-eating hawks like the Cooper's hawk) and a formidable predator, found in forests across the northern hemisphere. Great name for a bird gun.