Originally Posted By: Kyrie
Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
I bought a Spanish gun a few months ago, a "Widow and Sons of J.J. Sarasqueta". I read Weiland's book and figured JJ must have been trading on Victor's, his more famous brother's premier position in the Spanish gun trade. Turned out the more famous brother began his life in the gun business as JJ's apprentice in 1882 and did not begin his own company until 1904.

Victor went out of business in the late '70s or so and JJ's widow&sons published the firm's centennial catalog in the '80s. Weiland's book is great but he really didn't dig as deeply as he might have to accurately present the Spanish gun trade...Geo


Victor Sarasqueta founded his gun making business in 1904, flourished, and he and his descendants continued to make guns for almost eighty years.

Very well done, Geo.

Geo Newbern, where did you find your source material for Viuda y Hijos de J.J. Sarasqueta and Victor Sarasqueta his brother, and when they started their respective companies? From their centennial catalog?

According to Wieland in Spanish Best, it was Victor Sarasqueta that founded his business in 1883, not 1904, and was considered the first dominant name gunmaking company in Spain. Victor Sarasqueta was appointed Gunmaker to the King in 1902; so 1904 doesn't add up for his business start up.

Anyway, according to Wieland it was when Alfonso XIII (b: 1886) became king that the Spanish gunmakers really began to flourish because of his enthusiasm for guns and shooting sports. But that was gunmaking for turn of the century Spainish consumption.

Tim