Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns new AyA or used holland and holland when i hit the lotto?

any thoughts or ideas on this?

Not enough info.

Need more details.

DF

everything from trap to pheasants
12 gauge (2.75" chambers)

have no experience with side by sides

http://www.mwreynolds.com/HTML/AYAno4roundPage.html

or something like this but in 12 gauge?
http://www.mwreynolds.com/HTML/shotHollandRoyalDeluxe28.html

You are talking apples and oranges.........


"IF" you just want to kill stuff, the AYA will work just dandy.
Caveat; I know they used to. The Spanish shotgun industry has undergone major changes and I don't know what the present state of affairs with the various Basque makers might be.

But "IF" you might be looking at resale value someday, the "right" H&H would be the better investment. Much greater resale value down the line. Holland and Holland is a top name brand, AYA not so much. Better take someone who knows English doubleguns, inside and out, before you lay down the cash.

Yep.

And a shotgun is like a toothbrush, it's a personal thing. You need to shoot some side by sides to see if you can hit with them. And you need to feel, shoulder and handle a bunch of guns to find the one that you can perform with.

To me, buying a shotgun, especially a vintage side by side is about as complicated a gun buying process that you could think of. Lots of pitfalls out there.

Find a good dealer, maybe more than one. Visit their places, ask questions and in the process, find that jewell that's perfect for you. I've done a lot of trading to get the few keepers I now have and fortunately didn't take a bath. If you're not careful, trading can get expensive, much more so than seeking out a reputable dealer for assistance in finding that one gun you'll cherish and keep.

DF

Keep an eye on cabels's gun library and such places and you can find a used AYA #4 between 2-3 thousand. Ugartechea makes some very decent SXS's that you can attain for about $1000.

I would not drop 6K-7K unless I was familiar with the gun and knew it fit me.

Here, knock yourself out.
http://gun.home.cyberverse.com/
http://www.fieldsportltd.com/gunroom/preowned.php?listBy=preownedBySideBySide
http://www.doubleshotguns.com/used-overunder-shotguns.html
http://doublegunshop.com/quala2.htm

R.H. just handed you the keys to the kingdom...

DF

By the time you win the lottery, you'll know which one to buy!

AYA makes a better than good shotgun and they are modeled after the English best with more than a little hand fitting. Holland & a Holland has the name and prestige, but today they use more than a little CNC machines and like AYA do the hand fitting at the end. They are no longer hand made from start to finish. The final finish on the H&H will be, and should be better. Will it outlast the AYA? Seriously doubt it.

Depends on your wallet and how you are going to use is it. Break something on the H&H and back to England it may have to go, although they probably do have certified smiths here in the States. Crack a stock and you have problems.

Investment? H&H all the way.

Looking for a great SXS? Check out what Perazzi has to offer and you may be surprised. More than AYA AT $18,000- no chickens on the frame, they cost extra- but you could buy more than a few for the price of one H&H and have one for whatever game you want to play.

Shot a Perazzi SXS a couple weeks ago and it was sweet.

No problem hitting with a SXS, but for that kind of cash it would be wise to get it right the first time re dimensions, forend style and what you are going to use it for.

Perazzi for the win. : Since money doesn't seem to be an issue, with you feeling lucky.

Addition: Sidelocks are nice to put some scratching on, but can be a PITA when it comes to long term wood fit. Boxlocks again for the win.

If you hit the Lotto, why not buy an example of every shotgun out there- you can afford it. Then get back to us with your reviews of each one!

As noted, night and day. If I were up for spending H&H-ish money I would be looking for a Scottish round body or a Westley Richards droplock. But hey, that's just me.

Yeah Ed,

You got good taste...

DF

Prices of top name English guns - Purdey, H&H, Boss, WR, etc. - have been dropping like rocks on the used market. Spanish guns have generally been good buys on the used market, never new. They are like a new Chevrolet when you drive it off the showroom floor.

However, be very careful. Buy the gun, not the name.

If you just want to get your feet wet with SxS, there's worse ideas than CZ, used Jap Ithacas etc.