doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Zabala 20 gauge side by side

I've got a nicely engraved Zabala 20 gauge SXS that does not seem to open easily all the way. When I "try" to break it open it is as if a spring-like tension is keeping it from being opened easily and you have to press down on the barrels with considerable pressure to open them wide enough to extract the spent shells and put new shells in it... I've had three, yes three gunsmiths look at it, and all three said they cannot figure out how to fix it... At this point I have far more into the gun than it is worth... Limbsaver recoil pad, repaired TWO firing pins at outrageous gunsmith fee, etc.. so at this point I just want the gun 'fixed'. I may keep it or I just may sell it for whatever I can get for it. I am guessing the gun was made in the 70s and from my quest to find firing pins it appears there were only two basic types of Zabala 20 gauge sxs's and mine is the newer one with 3 inch chambers. Any help would be much appreciated. (Sorry I was away so long... had a fire at my company, got burned out, suffered through a relocation and then much business travel... finally back for a couple of weeks.. whew!)

Yogi,
If it's an ejector gun, some of them have terribly stiff ejector springs. The one I 'fixed' (spayed) had V springs which I removed from the foreend and had a much more friendly extractor gun.

Welcome back man!

Yeti--- Hi! Yes it is excellent to be back. I missed this place! Regarding the Zabala---it is an extractor....

Sounds like my Zabala 12 gauge BLNE, 3-inch chambers, articulated trigger, disk set strikers, PG, BTFE. I have the same problem and no solution so I'm interested to see if there is an easy fix.

Bruce

I have the Zabala 10 Ga SxS version, I have the same "problem" you have described. Seems to be the nature of the beast. I believe it's the two cocking rod "pads" that the fore end engages that is the source of the problem, maybe too long? I'd hate to try and "shorten" them, as it could affect the overall reliability of the gun. There's a reason 1960's and 1970's Spanish doubles gained a questionable reputation. I say, "Learn to love it."

Mike Doerner

gee it couldnt be that some spanish guns in the 60s and 70 were being made to compete with pumpgun prices.the love affair with doubles hadnt stated with most shooter .MC

I have the same problem with a Zabala .410. I read once (on this board) the cocking rods were the problem and repeated that on another board. I was pretty well ridiculed by several people. Seems the owner found a burr on the extractor causing the problem. Might want to check that.

Cary

I have had the same Zabala 410 since I was Twelve. It was my first shotgun that I bought with paper route money for $84.00 in 1972 at Kmart.When opened it has never fully dropped down to where the shell will clear the breech freely . It has always had a rebound making it a PITA to load and unload.I always pointed down and wrapped my left leg over the barrels. It would be nice to know of a fix.

quite often that is associated with hammer notches that were cut in the wrong position, The hammers cock before the gun is completely opened. As you try to get the barrels open farther you are fighting the hammer springs. I know it sucks but most of the time to fix you have to weld up the hammer notches and recut a little further " so that when the barrels are dropped or broken open, they clear the reciever and the sears engage and hold the hammer srpings at bay.

Otherwise when you go playing with other parts you get into the law of unintended consequences with one part affecting another in a way you dont want.
Thats my 2 cents. hope it helps.