doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Aya over/under, when was it made?

Cloffe, this from a Booklet AyA sent me when I ordered some spares.
It is called "Spanish Treasure" by Terry Wieland and has an introduction
by Michael McIntosh:

Serial numbers.
"The numbers assigned since 1945 are:

1945 to 1948 ---- 0001 to 19,999....
1994 -----602,423 to 602,642"

The serial numbering changes starting 1995; they are in the form of
16-03-001-95 to 16-03-800-95

You can see from this that they have made over 600,000 guns.

Date codes.
The list from the "personales" website is the same as the one published
in the referred booklet. When the Banco de Pruebas de Eibar starts using
a letter and number (1956-A1) they do not use "LL" or "RR" but they do use
an N with ~ on top. So A1 is 1956 and Z1 is 1980. Then A2 is 1981 and S2 is 2000

There is a note that says that the codes from 1995 onward were assigned
but never used (?).

JC(AL)

P.S. On all the Spanish guns I have (4) the date codes are on the barrels.

Thanks JayCee. So if I don't find any date codes under the wooden bits on the barrels, then I have to assume that it was made in circa 1945?

The table in 9mmlargo.com that I have referred to in the past is identical except that it shows that LL was only used once, not twice (as LL1) as in the link above. That puts my reckoning one year off after K1. Not a big problem unless someone gets persnicketty about what is or isn't a legit "curio and relic".

I checked my Model 37 last night to find the location of the date stamp. After removing the barrels from the action and removing the upper left forearm piece, you must fully extend the ejector on the left side. The date stamp is on the barrel, hidden under the ejector slide when ejector is closed. Mine shows "L1", indicating 1966 date of manufacture. Us the list in Terry Weiland's "Spanish Best", 2nd edition or the list posted above.

I saw the pictures of your gun posted on another thread on this BBS, and I believe (really stretching my momery now), based on your engraving pattern, it is probably pre-1950's. About that time, AyA stopped using the Merkel Model 303 pattern and went to wildlife scenes. I remember seeing both engraving patterns when I was stationed in Turkey and would go to live pigeon shoots in Seville, Spain and Rimini, Italy in early 1960's. The AyA model 37 was a very popular O/U in pigeon shoots at that time.

Also, check to see if your bsarrels are marked "Bellota" on the right rear of the upper barrel. In English translation from the Spanish, it will be marked, "Barrels Chrome-Nickel Bellota". They may not be, because as I understand, for a while after WWII, this extra grade steel was not available. I don't know just when, but I believe it was not available until mid-or late 1950s. Both my AyA Model 56's, one 1961 and the other 1969 manufacture and my Model 37, 1966, are so marked.

Also the under side of the upper forearm wood is marked with the gun serial number. Jim Haynes

Thanks Jim, the info on engravings and the popularity of the gun in pigeon shooting is very interesting.

I have checked my gun once more but I am sad to say that I can't find any dating marks. On the other hand the barrels are indeed marked "Cañones Chromo-Niquel" and "-Bellota-", so that's a good thing.

I didn't know anything about spanish guns until I saw this gun at the gun store. Sure I had seen a couple of Aya no 2's but I never gave them much notice because my interest (until now) have laid solely on british side-by-side shotguns, and especially hammer guns. If someone had told me a few months ago that AyA and Merkel over/unders where fantastic, I would have shook my head and thought of him as an idiot. However, the looks, the balance and the quality of craftmanship this gun posesses hit me right in the face. I had to buy it, and now I am beginning to love it!

Merry Christmas!!

I know you will enjoy the gun. It is quite expensive to buy a new one these days, and as you have found out, it is a very high quality firearm.

Back to the dating code, on mine, the "L1" date code, located under the forward end of the left ejector slide, is very shallowly impressed. On one of my model 56s, it is almost polished out. It appears that the date stamp is placed early in the barrel manufacture. You may want to check under both the upper forearm wooden parts, right side as well as the left (you will have to remove the screws to do this) and maybe even remove the ejectors so that you can see the entire barrel surface under the ejector slide arms. I can't believe that AyA would put out a gun without a date stamp.

Anyway, enjoy your AyA. I certainly enjoy mine. Jim Haynes

What player to choose for a gift? Has found in a network of clause(article) with the description of some marks. What in your opinion is better?
changer
alpine cd changer
200 cd changer
cd changer
5 disc cd changer
Im at a loss!

CDchanger, you are indeed at a "lost"!!!

JC(AL)