Its just amazing the degree to which a gun rag writer can be ignorant. On-line auction houses, Larry, on-line auction houses. Youve heard of those havent you? Sites like Gun Broker? I just did a quick query on Gun Broker and came up with a dozen very nice, used, condition VG to like new, Spanish 12 gauge box lock SxS shotguns for between $400 and $600.
See? It really isnt hard if you bother to look.
Well Kyrie . . . I guess our definition of "very nice" is different . . . or else perhaps you didn't look at the descriptions of that treasure trove of Gunbroker guns you tout so highly.
Here's what my search on Gunbroker turns up, for used Spanish sxs:
I find a total of 8 guns between $4-600. (I actually broadened the criteria a bit: From $350-700.) 2 of them are 10 gauges. (If you want a cheap 10ga sxs, Spanish is an OK way to go.) There's a 26" 12ga for $425 . . . sounds good until you spot that 12 1/2" LOP. Thought I had a real winner with a Stoeger Zephyr for $ 700 . . . until I saw the 24 1/2" barrels. Then there's a decent looking Uggie for $700 . . . but it has a very visible crack (repaired, it says--looks like with Elmer's glue!) in the toe of the stock. And a "light" ZH 12ga, at only $475 . . . although "light" is defined as 7 pounds. And another Zephyr 12ga for $535 . . . with rust on the water table. And it looks as if several of these Spanish sweethearts are stocked with top grade Iberian beech. Sorry . . . not a winner in the bunch. If I want a gun for that kind of money, I'm going to look around for an Ithaca SKB 100 12ga somewhere around the top end of your price range. (Which, by the way, is pretty much a Japanese copy of a W&S 700.)
But hey Kyrie . . . thanks for the trip through the Spanish junkyard. There's an old saying that goes "The devil is in the details." Looks to me like you missed a whole flock of devils in your gunbroker search.
Last edited by L. Brown; 04/28/15 02:11 PM.
