VICTOR SARASQUETA SxS 20 gauge

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d4dave1

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Alberta
I have a VICTOR SARASQUETA SxS 20 gauge that I inherited from my father. It is a nice enough shotgun (in it's day it was a beauty judging by the engraving) and handles well, but has a flaw. If you snap the action closed a little too brusquely it discharges both barrels. I made inquiries about repairs and was told No Joy as there are no parts for them. So I have it disabled and tagged in a safe.
Does anyone have any experience with these shotguns? Has it become a paper weight? There is not really any sentimental value to the shotgun because my father picked it up late in life and it was not one of his favorite firearms by any means.
If it was repairable I think that I would spend the money and fix it but if not I'm thinking it should be run through the chop saw because I cannot in good conscience ever sell it to anyone and risk a tragedy.
Any input?
 
Do not destroy it. Someone can fix it , I'm sure . Just have to find them. At the worst , it is a parts gun for someone.
 
straightshooter said:
Your location puts you somewhere close to David Henry in Bently, AB.
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Yes, Bentley is about 3 -3/12 hours south of me so I can drive there. I do not know any "qualified" SxS gunsmiths. I do know a couple of gunsmiths that have done good work on the rifles I have taken to them. But it was one of them that told me...no parts...no fix. Now I do understand when a professional is saving someone the pain of discovering that the repair bill is worth more than the item being fixed by telling them that it is simply not repairable. So perhaps that was the case??

So for clarity, are you saying that David Henry is able to fix SxS shotguns correctly?
 
David is a fine gentleman and has done great work on a number of my shotguns and rifles, the last shotgun being a 112 year old Clabrough and Johnstone.
 
This gun is probably 40+ Years old, maybe 50 or 60, has been out in all kinds of weather and has probably never been apart for a proper servicing. This type of fault is not uncommon with older neglected doubles. Your car or truck would likely give the same results with the same neglect. If the gun has double triggers it is a fairly simple common design, boxlock or sidelock, and any competent qualified gunsmith should be familiar with the mechanism and be easily able to dismantle, clean, check, relube and reassemble it. It probably doesn't need new parts beyond maybe springs unless it has a single trigger( Spanish single triggers have a terrible reputation) but you are in a situation where many casual, self taught or hobby gunsmiths know little or nothing about this type of gun and a good professional might not want to work on it because his hourly rate means that the cost could exceed the value of the gun and there is too great a possibility of a dissatisfied customer. There are no parts for these guns, never really was because they were hand fitted, nothing really interchangeable. For the same reason it isn't a good parts gun, any usable parts would need to be hand fitted to another gun. It would make a fine project for an advanced hobbiest, learning aid for a gunsmith or could be disabled ( last resort) to serve as a training aid for someone teaching the CFSC.
Also worth noting, Victor Sarasqueta made fine shotguns, never cheap junk like some Spanish makers, their guns are at least the equal of the more familiar AYA in equivalent model.
 
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Ashcroft said:
This gun is probably 40+ Years old, maybe 50 or 60, has been out in all kinds of weather and has probably never been apart for a proper servicing. This type of fault is not uncommon with older neglected doubles. Your car or truck would likely give the same results with the same neglect. If the gun has double triggers it is a fairly simple common design, boxlock or sidelock, and any competent qualified gunsmith should be familiar with the mechanism and be easily able to dismantle, clean, check, relube and reassemble it. It probably doesn't need new parts beyond maybe springs unless it has a single trigger( Spanish single triggers have a terrible reputation) but you are in a situation where many casual, self taught or hobby gunsmiths know little or nothing about this type of gun and a good professional might not want to work on it because his hourly rate means that the cost could exceed the value of the gun and there is too great a possibility of a dissatisfied customer. There are no parts for these guns, never really was because they were hand fitted, nothing really interchangeable. For the same reason it isn't a good parts gun, any usable parts would need to be hand fitted to another gun. It would make a fine project for an advanced hobbiest, learning aid for a gunsmith or could be disabled ( last resort) to serve as a training aid for someone teaching the CFSC.
Also worth noting, Victor Sarasqueta made fine shotguns, never cheap junk like some Spanish makers, their guns are at least the equal of the more familiar AYA in equivalent model.
Click to expand...


I think that I would be willing to spend more than the average guy to repair/refit this old shotgun. I did my research on the Sarasqueta group of shotguns a number of years ago when I inherited the shotgun and yes, Victor S. built nice shotguns. This old girl shoulders very nicely, swings on clays great, and almost seems to chase down grouse by itself. It is a nice gun that has seen many years of use in the field and could really do with an in depth cleaning and an inspection by a competent gunsmith. I think I will contact David Henry and see if he will look it over for me.
I have been Jones'ing for a Browning BSS or one of the Cynergy line for many years. Perhaps if I can get this old girl back in shape it will fill the need and I can save some money.
Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated.
 
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