I was a little disappointed to hear that Mr. Bilozir out west (speaking with him the other day) no longer carries Aya shotguns. I have wanted one for a while and when I finally called up he said that there have been issues regarding warranties since the company is now corporate. He mentioned that Ugartechea is a good alternative, chopper lump barrels, pick your own wood etc., maybe I'll wait til the Beretta 486 comes out in 20 gauge, not sure what I'll do yet.
No Aya Dealers In Canada Anymore?
- Thread starter edp
- Start date
While it's disappointing to learn that AYA will no longer be supplied in Canada, we should appreciate that Wil is prepared to lose a sale rather than let AYA, or any other maker, sell us products that they don't adequately support.
Ahsan Ahmed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
What are you looking for specifically - Sidelock or Boxlock? You may wish to look at the AYA shotguns in Cabela's inventory.......Prophet River could easily import one for you. The warranty question may still be there. Ugartechea also produces excellent bird guns and should be considered.
As you mentioned, the 486 Parallelo is yet to become available in 20ga. However, even when that happens it may still be offered as SST with screw-in tubes and may not be appreciated by someone having strong preference for features such as DTs, fixed chokes etc in an Upland Gun.
Edited to add - EE section has a 20ga 471 on sale.....doesn't indicate stock/fore end type, whether SST or DTs etc? If memory serves, I inspected the same model equipped with DTs couple years back at Epps.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1144701-Beretta-471-Silver-Hawk-SxS-20-gauge
As you mentioned, the 486 Parallelo is yet to become available in 20ga. However, even when that happens it may still be offered as SST with screw-in tubes and may not be appreciated by someone having strong preference for features such as DTs, fixed chokes etc in an Upland Gun.
Edited to add - EE section has a 20ga 471 on sale.....doesn't indicate stock/fore end type, whether SST or DTs etc? If memory serves, I inspected the same model equipped with DTs couple years back at Epps.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1144701-Beretta-471-Silver-Hawk-SxS-20-gauge
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beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
I'm sure Prophet River could import one for you ... even a custom dimensioned piece.
Phone & ask Mel if he can/would import one for you from New England Custom Gun in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Check their website ... usually a dozen or so new AyA No. 2's and a few other models in stock, and frequently a
couple of good used ones. NECG has maintained a regular pipeline to AyA for North America for years.
They can also custom order for you and ship to Prophet River should you wish to go that way.
Phone & ask Mel if he can/would import one for you from New England Custom Gun in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Check their website ... usually a dozen or so new AyA No. 2's and a few other models in stock, and frequently a
couple of good used ones. NECG has maintained a regular pipeline to AyA for North America for years.
They can also custom order for you and ship to Prophet River should you wish to go that way.
- Location
- Lloydminster, Alberta
We are actually set up to order direct with AYA now.
That's great news as I have been reading reviews and everything I can find regarding the Aya shotguns for the past 6 months, I had no idea that Prophetriver can get them, I had my eye on the No. 4/53 its a boxlock case coloured, 20 gauge with 30" barrels with a SST is my preference, I hope it is around the $3500.00 range, thanks for the info.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Well done !
- Location
- Lloydminster, Alberta
Eventually, we will inventory a few but have been concentrating on our Grulla guns as they have been selling well.
I have shot a #3 Aya in .410 for 34 years which has proven to be absolutely reliable and a wonderful shotgun. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
Not that that in any way diminishes any of the other good Spanish guns.
Not that that in any way diminishes any of the other good Spanish guns.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Well, if you read it on the Internet, it must be true ... despite what Mr. Bilozir says.
May be wrong about this, don't think AYA is making new 4-53's anymore. there is a new model out. There are still some avail in the US, MW Reynolds, Aspen etc. And their prices went up last year, if I remember correctly. At present, it looks like all that is avail in a 486 is an SST, haven't noticed a DT or 20 ga being avail yet, and they start at 5000.00 anyway. There are some new 471's around still, but DT's are not very common in those, either.
You could look into Franchi's and Fabarm also. Check the Euro home sites on those, both have new 2014 boxlock SXS's out, not shown in the US yet, with interchangeable chokes. I have a new Fabarm, mine is a 12 SST, no 20 avail on the shelf yet, but, check with TSE, he may be waiting for them. The Fabarm I have was 3200 cdn. Most of the new AYA,etc., I saw on the US sites were that or more, and were all fixed choke.
I ruled out the AYA and Ugartechea, Chapuis and Merkel on that basis, as I wanted a gun to shoot steel out of. The new FAIR Iside didn't impress me at all, the Fabarm is much nicer for 2-300.00 more. I can live with the SST on the Fabarm. I almost sprang on a Merkel 20ga that is still at Orvis, it is a beauty, but, it will be over 6 landed here. I just couldn't justify it, I really wanted a 12, not a 20.
You could look into Franchi's and Fabarm also. Check the Euro home sites on those, both have new 2014 boxlock SXS's out, not shown in the US yet, with interchangeable chokes. I have a new Fabarm, mine is a 12 SST, no 20 avail on the shelf yet, but, check with TSE, he may be waiting for them. The Fabarm I have was 3200 cdn. Most of the new AYA,etc., I saw on the US sites were that or more, and were all fixed choke.
I ruled out the AYA and Ugartechea, Chapuis and Merkel on that basis, as I wanted a gun to shoot steel out of. The new FAIR Iside didn't impress me at all, the Fabarm is much nicer for 2-300.00 more. I can live with the SST on the Fabarm. I almost sprang on a Merkel 20ga that is still at Orvis, it is a beauty, but, it will be over 6 landed here. I just couldn't justify it, I really wanted a 12, not a 20.
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LuckyStrike
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
AYA shotguns are fantastic.............
I have also had many dealings with the Bilozars and find them most reliable...
here are my 2 AYA's ..... #1 Sidelock in 12ga and #4 Deluxe boxlock in 28ga
Lucky
I looked at a lot of stuff over the last couple of years. There are nice English refurbs coming into the US, all reproofed, hammerguns, sidelocks, boxlocks, but, they are essentially 5-10,000. There are used English and Euro guns in the 3-5 range that are quite nice in a lot of cases, but, the wrong stock length, really open chokes, and unless you go down there, you can't tell for sure just what you are getting.
I eventually figured out that I needed a gun for steel shot, it had to have chokes. I wanted DT's, but, couldn't come up with the right combo for a reasonable price. Right now it seems to be CZ/Huglu at the low end, around 1000-1200, the jumps to the Fausti DEA, FAIR Iside, maybe the Franchi, and then Fabarm for that setup, in the 25-35 range. There are guns like the new Webley, which are Turkish built, that need to be watched out for, may as well buy a CZ except for the name on it, which adds 1800.00 to it. The AYA's, Uggies, etc., are in that range also, w/o chokes, no 3" avail, even in some of the 20ga guns, and up from there. Then you jump to Merkel, Chapuis, Beretta, CSC and etc who are 4500 and up, and none offer chokes except Beretta.
There are some really, really nice guns out there in the 3-5000 range, but, can you use, what they offer on them? For that kind of money, it will get used as much as I can find uses for it.
That was pretty much the vein of thought I wound up with.
Mine got used on waterfowl all season, wandering around in the sleet in Sept, in the layout blind in Oct, maybe some more in the layout blind before Xmas, I won't chase pheasants with it, but I will chase the Spring Turkey or Snows again.
I am satisfied with it.
I eventually figured out that I needed a gun for steel shot, it had to have chokes. I wanted DT's, but, couldn't come up with the right combo for a reasonable price. Right now it seems to be CZ/Huglu at the low end, around 1000-1200, the jumps to the Fausti DEA, FAIR Iside, maybe the Franchi, and then Fabarm for that setup, in the 25-35 range. There are guns like the new Webley, which are Turkish built, that need to be watched out for, may as well buy a CZ except for the name on it, which adds 1800.00 to it. The AYA's, Uggies, etc., are in that range also, w/o chokes, no 3" avail, even in some of the 20ga guns, and up from there. Then you jump to Merkel, Chapuis, Beretta, CSC and etc who are 4500 and up, and none offer chokes except Beretta.
There are some really, really nice guns out there in the 3-5000 range, but, can you use, what they offer on them? For that kind of money, it will get used as much as I can find uses for it.
That was pretty much the vein of thought I wound up with.
Mine got used on waterfowl all season, wandering around in the sleet in Sept, in the layout blind in Oct, maybe some more in the layout blind before Xmas, I won't chase pheasants with it, but I will chase the Spring Turkey or Snows again.
I am satisfied with it.
