doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com UA/Grulla 215 Sidelock Opinions

I recently picked up a UA/Grulla 215 20ga from 1967 and wanted to get opinions on the older UA era guns versus the modern Grulla era guns on quality, fit and finish.

I read some older posts from years past and was hoping that the forum might be able to give me a fresh perspective on the gun. It has a rather short LOP due to a cut stock, so I am adding a Silver's No.3 pad. Thanks for looking.

Can't really tell from the photos, but one thing to look at on sidelocks--and it's easy to do with the hand-detachable variety--is the face of the hammers. If they're dished, that indicates either insufficient metal hardening, or a lot of use, or maybe a combination of the two. I had some issues with a pre-Grulla (Union Armera) sidelock, but they related to the single trigger rather than to the overall quality of the gun.

I will check out the face of the hammers. I was warned about the soft metal, but took a chance on this one. Funny how an "improvement" like a single trigger can cause so many issues on so many guns! Thanks.

I've got a UA215 12 with the single trigger. So far the problems I've had are. 1. Inconsistant trigger if changing selector and 2. Had to retime ejector due to wear.

If it is a US import, it is probably a Dakin import from San Francisco. At least you don't have to worry about the single trigger situation. Show us a picture of the stock.

There is no engraving on the barrels telling who imported it. Here is a picture of the stock.

You're going to get a lot of different answers on this one.

My answer is all Grulla/UA shotguns are individually made and must be judged individually. As it happens the 215 is still made today. Look here:

http://www.grullaarmas.com/in/catalogo.php?id=7&fo=0&li=118

In terms of price, the Grulla guns of today bring a premium over the UA guns due to the perception that the company makes better guns since the name change.

Thanks for the link. A friend of mine shoots a Grulla and I understand about the premium for a newer model.

I actually heard from Grulla today and they confirmed that the gun was made in 1967.

I appreciate all of the info. I did not pay very much for this little gun, and pretty much traded up from a Bernadelli Gamecock Premier, we will see if I made the right choice!

The Grulla you have is a 7 pin sidelock. The new ones are only 5 pin locks.

The new ones have less complicated locks, prettier wood, better fit and finish.

The old ones have rougher internal fit and finish, better locks, only moderate quality wood.

Those that are neither new nor old (appx. 1988-1995) are the worst, the DIARM era ones that are not at all desirable. Blue book on those interim era ones are quite prejudicial, perhaps $800-$1000.

Single trigger Spanish guns are extremely prone to flaws and are to be avoided like the plague. Even if you have a good one, a negative price/value is assigned to your gun because of the stigma associated with Basque trigger timing skills.

Look closely at the bridle of the right lock (lower in the photo). Is it cracking? Maybe it is just dirt or a scratch but it appears to be about 75% of the way to failure.
I discovered a broken bridle in one of my locks only after looking at a close up digital photo. I had to break out the magnifying glass to see my break.

Joe