doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Considering a Grulla

I'm interested in member feedback on the Grulla. I'm considering a 216RL.

I had the same model made a few years ago after a long search looking into the Spanish guns. I was very happy with my gun. It was a 16 gauge with 29" bbls and a number of other upgrades. The fit and finish was excellent and I would order one again. Grulla had the least amount of inconsistencies compared to the other Spanish makers, though I did not look into the Garbi, which seems to be excellent as well as the Arrizabalaga. I recently sold the gun to help finance a newer purchase, but hated to see it go. I also got mine before the huge price increase.

I have a Grulla 215 I bought in 2001. So far it has digested over 25,000 rounds with only one hickup, a broken top lever spring at 21,000. It was an easy $100 fix to get installed. (The dealer who sold it to me mailed me a spring at no charge.) It is one gun that will NEVER be sold. I have others that I enjoy playing with, but when in doubt this is the one that leaves the cabinet.

sv

I have a 216 12 ga. pigeon/wildfowl Grulla I bought this fall for duck hunting. Very well made and I seem to have trouble missing ducks with it! I also have 2 Garbis and I think the quality is comparable, although the engraving and checkering are a bit better on the Grulla. I would not hesitate to buy another one.
Joe

Just bought a 216 RL this weekend. Took me 4 months to find one. I think the Gullas are one of the best Spanish guns out there. The AyA's I have seen have bad checkering and the Arrietta 578 has a simplified rose and scroll engraving. The 216's engraving is much more complex and sasitfying. My 216's checkering was good , but not perfect. No overruns, but a few flatened diamonds on the fore end. To be totally honest I think My Browning Gran Lighting has a better fit and finish. I know it isn't a "handmade" gun, like the Grulla, but it has better wood to metal fit. The 216 is super light and responsive, unlike my Browing and other production guns that have relatively thick barrels. Kind of a trade off, but what isn't? Grullas are a lot of money and getting more expensive. GSI now wants $8k+ for a 216. Far, far too much money for the gun received. If you can pick one up for $5-$5.8K, I think you have a good deal. I bought mine from Pacific Sporting arms and it was exactly like they descibed it me. The gun has upgraded wood-porn, near exhibition and that cinched the deal for me. If you want a cheaper gun that is still nice, I have found my Dehaan a deight. Fantastic wood and great fit and finish. The English scroll is simplified and not as fancy as the Grulla, but there are no mistakes in the engraving. hope this helps.

Spanish guns.........if they cost the same......they are the same.

I/M, I called Pacific Sporting Arms today and they said they had sold a Grulla, the one with the LH cast. When I saw it on Guns International I was wishing I was a "lefty". You got a great deal because the 12ga I'm looking at is 7.5K!

What was the LOP on your gun? The one I'm considering is 15" which seems about 1/2 longer than I can comfortably use (at least based on my current guns).

Markel, They were kind enough to bend the gun at no addional charge. It is now has just a slight cast-off. It kind of torqued the bottom strap, but not too bad. LOP is 15". It may sound long but the majority of English based game guns, "i.e., straight grip, 2 triggers have a longer LOP. Remember it is based off the front trigger so the rear trigger is about 14-1/2". English game guns were designed for driven bird shooting, so the longer LOP is ideal for a overhead-incommer shot. Anyhow, LOP isn't as critical as drop. The dirty little secret that gun fitters don't want you to know is that nearly all shotguns have a rising comb. In other words, drop gets less as you go forward and more as you go rearward. You can move you head slightly to adjust your point of impact. Ideally you should have a gun with DAC 1-1/2 and drop at heel 2-1/2, or some where close. Beware of extreme drops like DAC 1-3/4 and DAH 3". Can't do much with them. Once I find where regulation is spot on I put a little rubber square cut out of the rubber pads they sell to raise comb height on the exact spot my cheek touches the stock. This marks my ideal drop at face. When I shoot I make sure my face is touching the rubber and BANG!Dead bird. Hope this helps.

I/M, Thanks for the reminder. I'll confirm that they measured from the front trigger, but I'm sure you are right. If so, it won't be a problem as my other DT gun measures 14-1/2 from the front trigger to the center of the butt plate and, if anything, seems a tad short. Also, the DAC is 1-1/2; DAH 2-1/2.

Markel,

I have owned a 216 RL for about two years now. I knew I wanted a new, made-to-order gun, and decided on a Spanish one (couldn't afford a London best. I flew to Madrid, picked up a rental car and drove to Eibar (less than three hours' drive through spectacular country, and over the course of a couple of days visited all the name Spanish gunmakers (Grulla, Garbi, Arrizabalaga, Ugartechea, AyA, and Arrieta). Unforgettable experience, and one which I recommend to any and all who are considering purchasing a new Spanish SxS. I finally decided on the Grulla, since they seem to spend more time striking down their barrels and thus have a "livlier" feel, which I like. Best in terms of fit and finish is the Arrizabalaga, but their guns are built heavy; fine for driven shooting but not so good for the sort of walked-up shooting we do here. Garbi guns are comparable to Grulla in quality (as are AyA and Arrieta)but are more heavily built. AyA and Arrieta seemed to be the most "industrialized" in terms of number of guns produced. Ugartechea seemed quite sleepy, and my guess is they won't be around many more years. Didn't like their quality either.

Last piece of advice is "don't buy from some importer's stock." Take the extra time to have a gun made to your precise measurements. After you shoot a gun that fits you you won't want to shoot anything else. Email me if you have any more questions. Good luck!