AYA, anyone?

Is anyone knowledgeable about AYA shotguns? I have one that the AYA company identified (from the serial #) as a Model 400E. It doesn't match photos of other 400E shotguns online. Mine is a 12 gauge side-by-side boxlock with 32" barrels, marked on the rib "12 gauge--3"magnum shells Full & Full". However, on the bottom of each barrel is stamped "MOD. CHOKE 17.4 18.4" It has a pistol grip stock and beavertail forend. Engraving matches other Matador shotguns pictured online. This is a big, heavy waterfowl gun. Anyone care to comment?

I do not know anything about them short of what I learned while searching the internet. A local shop had a side by side on the wall for a couple of years. As I recall, they were asking top dollar for it. After a couple of years, they ended up selling it at auction. I wish I could offer more. I remember being attracted to it but the asking price put me off. I think it was over two grand.

Bill

FWIW I'm no expert,

Most AYA SXS shotguns fetch a pretty penny these days,they were a hand built quality made Spanish SXS shotgun.
I have a set of less expensive Spanish Noble SXS, which were hand built Field Guns from the 50's through the early sixty's when there was a great demand for SXS's in thhe USA. Only the 12 & 16 gauges shared the same frame the 20-28 and .410's had a frame scaled to the gauge. All the part numbers should match though, ie -barrels-stock -forearm and receiver.

Have you searched some of the SXS shotgun sites?

35 AYA's on GB now, https://www.gunbroker.com/Side-By-Side-Shotguns/search?PageSize=96&Sort=13&View=2&Ch-manufacturerName=AYA

Terry

I have a nice AYA that I bought several years ago, for CAS. Really like that shotgun, but I know virtually nothing about it. I believe that is the problem, very few people really know about them and their worth, and the rest just want something functional and are not interested in paying the "true Value".

I think that the one I looked at was a 16 gauge. That kind of explains why I was interested. I do like a 16 gauge.

Jack O'Connor used to carry one for upland game......about the extent of my knowledge on the AYA.

I would ask AyA questions on www.doublegunshop.com/BBS. There are many AyA-savvy guys there. I've had a couple, both field grade 16s.

The only bad rap I've ever heard about AyAs is that the 1960s single triggers tend to be a weak spot, and the stronger the recoil, the weaker they get (You REALLY don't want a 12 Magnumb or a 3 1/2" 10 Magnumb to "double" on you).

Yours sounds like a duck/goose/turkey blind gun or a gun for calling 'yotes!

If you can find a letter code (date code) on the receiver, I can tell you the year of manufacture.