Originally Posted By: Ted Schefelbein
Originally Posted By: gjw
The subject is vintage Spanish guns, not modern guns. I've seen some of those great $400 to $600 guns. For the most part they are low end guns that can in no way compare to a 700 or similar gun, no matter the maker. These "gems" are cheap imports and to be honest, pieces of junk.


Pretty broad brush you are stroking there with, Greg. This is my $400 "Piece of Junk":



Disc set strikers, a very well fitted hidden third fastener, 3" chambers. Based on actual experience two friends have had with their 700s, I'd take it before either. Break the striker/tumbler in a 700, and you are down for the season, brother, until the gunsmith gets around to hogging a new one out for you. My gun has it's original strikers in it, but I have a spare set all ready to go. It works every time I pull the trigger, so far, anyway. No ejectors, as I don't care for them, or single triggers.

I don't believe the Uggy model 30 changed all that much from the late 1940s, until, say, now, but the Falcon version came with the afore mentioned little extras that current production guns don't have. No big deal. Even without the extras, a model 30 is a great gun, and I'd still buy one in front of a 700.

Best,
Ted


Ted, you found a pretty good bargain there. Take a look at what I found, going through Kyrie's "bargain basement" inventory. There are a few out there, but a gun like that for $400 would be an unusual find these days. I found a nice AyA 20ga extractor gun, made for Sears, at a recent gun show. Also very nice . . . but more like 12ga weight because it was a magnum with a BT forend. (Not a bad idea for a gun to be heavy if it's bored for magnums.) Just a little more than you paid. But given that a new Model 30 will run you around $16-1700 (and thanks to the Internet, people are more aware of prices these days than they used to be, especially on pretty common guns like Uggies), you're not likely to find one for that any more. Twice that in good condition would be a good price. And frankly, for twice that I'd do the same thing I suggested to Kyrie: I'd look for an SKB 100. I've had a bunch of those, never known of one to break a striker. (Never had a W&S 700 break a striker either--although I've put WAY more rounds through SKB's.)

And, as Greg pointed out, this whole discussion started with a focus on VINTAGE Spanish guns, because Kyrie made clear reference to all the guns that were used for driven shooting in Spain before WWI. Which, given the fact that there are plenty of those "delicate" Brit guns from that era still in regular use, begs the question: Where are they? Do they survive in any kind of numbers today? Are a high percentage of them still in regular use? Why is it we don't see some of them circulating in this country? It certainly seems that the Spanish gun lover would enjoy showing up at the range with his 1900-vintage Pedro Jimenez, of a quality equal to maybe a Powell boxlock (or better yet, a "best" sidelock) and showing off to his friends who paid more for old Brit guns.