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AYA Best quality boxlock


Bungle The Bear
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Ive inherited an AYA best quality boxlock which has 28" barrels and is really nice condition, has anyone any expierience of these boxlocks.

It appears to have been finished to finished to a reasonable standard, with a scalloped action - it looks like a westley richards, and  with what looks to be hand engraving

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9 hours ago, Bungle The Bear said:

Ive inherited an AYA best quality boxlock which has 28" barrels and is really nice condition, has anyone any expierience of these boxlocks.

It appears to have been finished to finished to a reasonable standard, with a scalloped action - it looks like a westley richards, and  with what looks to be hand engraving

Hello, put some photos on, I would guess many PW members had an AYA , and still do, 

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Bungle the bear, I have a no. 4 best boxlock,28 inch, assisted opener, deluxe wood. Very attractive gun and very well made and finished. Handles nicely and pleasant to use. In my opinion it is a better, more reliable and cheaper option than most used British boxlocks. Any questions, please contact. Regards

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as said it could be any boxlock model AYA....ive had AYA's for 50 years and even i get confused.........about 30 years ago i bought a sidelock ejector AYA 2nd hand (quite an old one)..it was stunning...not a #1.....could not figure out what model....neither could other folk...

so put some pics up please

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 AyA guns are largely based on 3 models . The yeoman , the No4 and the No 2 sidelock . Within these models there have been numerous variations of grades and specifications some not intended for the UK market ,some in only small numbers .

Because of this there are guns that difficult to identify exactly due to changes over time and on which base model the gun has been built .

All that aside and although it has pained me , as an English gunsmith to do so , I would and have recommended people buy AyA's over older English guns .They may not be as fancy or well finished as other Spanish makers but overall I thought  they are better built than others .

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Gunman said:

 AyA guns are largely based on 3 models . The yeoman , the No4 and the No 2 sidelock . Within these models there have been numerous variations of grades and specifications some not intended for the UK market ,some in only small numbers .

Because of this there are guns that difficult to identify exactly due to changes over time and on which base model the gun has been built .

All that aside and although it has pained me , as an English gunsmith to do so , I would and have recommended people buy AyA's over older English guns .They may not be as fancy or well finished as other Spanish makers but overall I thought  they are better built than others .

 

 

Something to ease it as I/we know that you have a soft spot. I'm with Ditchman and his 50 years except for a short period with 2 real Churchill XXVs which were too small in the hand. I decided to sell the AyA 'Churchill' and bought a 700. Then purely by accident I tripped over a '62 702 in XXV flavour so this replaced the 700. Talk about keeping the best for last! What is it about an English gun that makes it feel 'just so' when you mount it? And we're not talking simply fit.

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13 hours ago, Bungle The Bear said:

Ive inherited an AYA best quality boxlock which has 28" barrels and is really nice condition, has anyone any expierience of these boxlocks.

It appears to have been finished to finished to a reasonable standard, with a scalloped action - it looks like a westley richards, and  with what looks to be hand engraving

Terrible guns, pass it this way to save you being disappointed.:innocent:

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Still a current model,listed on the AyA website,getting expensive now!! Based on No4 but with better qualty barrels ,wood and of course a scalloped back action and decent engraving.

Chased a few but never managed to do a deal on one but they are still on the list!!lol

Just had a look ,list price starts just over £9k nowadays.

Edited by matone
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1 hour ago, ditchman said:

of all the ones ive handled and seen............the older ones  (cabinate queens) are the best.....30-40 years old........it just seems the new ones are not finished as nicely as they should be...........

The AYAs I handled back in the 70s - 80s where always nice handling guns you would be hard pressed blindfolded not to know from a well made English gun. I have not handled an AYA since that period.

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8 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

The AYAs I handled back in the 70s - 80s where always nice handling guns you would be hard pressed blindfolded not to know from a well made English gun. I have not handled an AYA since that period.

Yep, would have agreed 100% which is why I would imagine that having had one many folk would have stayed with them as I did. Until I compared my '62 702 with my '64 (AyA) 'Churchill'.

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The "best boxlock" eventually became too expensive to produce having, as it did chopper lump barrels and in the action some sort of intercepting sears. What a best boxlock is not and never was was Webley's 701 or 702 these being mere 700s tarted up with better quality engraving. But the barrels remain dovetail lump. So they can never be defined by a gunsmith's benchmark as "best". Best guns have chopper lump barrels. So the 701 amd 702 are mere window dressing in other words. Your AyA is a Model 4/53 and is a true best boxlock by any definition of the term. Based apparently on the Westley Richards Heronshaw I think? I've even seen pairs (a true pair) of best boxlocks. You have a nice find. 

Edited by enfieldspares
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After some 50 odd years of on and off  AyA ownership, I don't and wouldn't want to disagree with the last two posts. But. When I first picked up the 702 this bog standard piece of English gun making came alive as no other and in terms of handling this is my best gun. It's just a shame that it took so long to acquire.

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Wymberley, The opening post requested any experiencies of the Aya best boxlock. I have given mine and am available to offer further info on the topic if required. The Webley 700 series ( of which I admire) is worthy of its own discussion in its own post/topic. To further answer the opening post I can only offer a positive experience of my Aya  no4 best boxlock. Regards

Edited by benbobailey
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1 hour ago, benbobailey said:

In addition to the above mentioned chopper lump barrels, the Aya best boxlock also in includes replaceable hinge pin and disc set strikers.  I am very familiar with the Webley 700 series but must fall into the Aya best boxlock camp for quality and reliability. Regards

Yes. I'd forgotten that. Yes. 100% correct.

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All AyA's has chopper lump barrels .It was more of a simpler method of mass production than a status . AyA's as with most Spanish side by side barrels were put together with the ribs and brazed in a muffle or furnace .

The whole subject of production techniques between English and Spanish makers is open for another topic .The pros and cons of which I will always be glad to add my two penny worth .

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2 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

and in the action some sort of intercepting sears.

Are you sure about that?  When I looked at a few, I can't recall any with intercepting safety - a feature very unusual (though not unknown) on boxlocks.

All the AyA sidelocks I can think of have them EXCEPT the Senior (Beesley/Purdey patent action), which has bolted sears.

12 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Didn't the humble Yeoman have chopper lump barrels?

I thought that as well

2 minutes ago, Gunman said:

The whole subject of production techniques between English and Spanish makers is open for another topic

That would be an interesting topic.

 

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