Pedro Arrizabalaga BEST QUALITY SIDELOCK Boss Round Action Cased Ultralight 12-bore


Description:
Sold pending funds. If you would like to be put down as a backup buyer, please feel free to reach out. 

For sale today is a true Spanish BEST by Pedro Arrizabalga, built for John Roberts of London, England. This gun was originally made for the English market and imported to London. Built in the style of a classic Boss, this sleek 12-bore features a Holland & Holland type sidelock action that's been beautifully shaped and profiled with a rounded body and crisp beaded fences. It is adorned with full-coverage, best quality English rose and scroll engraving, executed in the classic house pattern of Boss. Instead of the more common color case hardening, this model has a French gray finish on the action that really highlights this beautiful engraving. Even the serial number engraved on the lower tang is done in a Boss-style heavy font… quite the tribute! And it also really highlights just how much effort that Arrizabalaga put into making these guns in the classic Boss form. It comes housed in the original case from
John Roberts; an English-built Brady leather trunk case, complete with trade label, wood cleaning rod, oil bottle, and cleaning kit (altogether, a $500-$600 value on the used market).

Balanced perfectly just forward of the hinge pin, and weighing 6lbs 4oz, this is not just a fine looker. It’s begging to be taken afield! At this weight, it compares more to Spanish 20-bores. I just sold an AYA #1 20ga that weighed 6lbs 4oz. The “self-opening” 26-inch chopper lump barrels are beautifully struck and are choked .004/.010 or skeet/imp. cylinder. They're topped with a slightly raised game rib and single front bead and have auto ejectors and 2 3/4” chambers. The barrels are balanced by a nicely figured French walnut stock. The wood is classically configured: straight grip, splinter forend, and fine hand-cut checkering, including a checkered butt. Even the wood is classic British, as most of the London trade during the turn of the century was using French Walnut. So the grain and figure of this stock looks perfectly appropriate for a British Best. Additionally, the layout on this stock is perfect, with straight grain structure through the head, helping ensure a strong stock unlikely to crack. 

Other notable features include disc set strikers, gold-lined cocking indicators, gold inlaid “Safe”, and a rolled trigger guard, and double triggers with articulated front.

This shotgun is in beautiful used condition. The barrel bluing remains strong with only minor wear. The action is as tight as new (revealing a life of relatively little use), the ejectors are strong and in time, and the triggers are nice and crisp. The checkering is sharp, and the wood is sound with no cracks. This gun has been well cared for.

Pedro Arrizabalga set up shop in 1944 and, before long, built a reputation as THE finest gunmaker in Spain, nicknamed “The Purdey of Spain”. In fact, it is this exact model shotgun that graces the cover of Terry Weiland’s book, “Spanish Best”. New guns by Arrizabalaga today start around $44,000 and the round body Boss-style guns are closer to $50,000. This Arrizabalaga offers exceptional quality and value that you won’t likely see again. 

Maker: Pedro Arrizabalaga, built for John Roberts in London, England
Model: Boss-pattern Round Body
Barrels: 26”
Chokes: skeet/improved cylinder
Weight: 6lbs 4oz
DAC: 1 1/2"
DAH: 2"
LOP: 14 1/2" over a checkered butt  
Cast: slight cast off for RH shooter 
Case: full leather Brady trunk case with trade label, wood cleaning rod, oil bottle, and cleaning kit.

I have several more photos available. Simply shoot me a message and I’ll be happy to send them (or any others that you may want) to you by text or email. Please call or email with any questions. Thank you for looking!

$6950 plus shipping to your FFL.

Adam Stinson 
334-797-2509
coveyrise90gmail

Shotgun Gauge: 12 Gauge

Price: $6,950.00