Several years ago I took this gun to The Vintage Cup at Orvis Sandanona, I was hoping to use it as trade bait for an English hammergun. We took a lunch break and I had the gun laying on a picnic table near the food stand when a fellow walked up and asked "is that a Boss?". I explained to him that it wasn't, but rather just an entry level Spanish gun. A few minutes later a different guy walked up and asked "is that a Boss?". I calmly explained to him, too; that it was just a lowly Spanish gun. The guy shrugged his shoulders and muttered "sure fooled me" as he walked away. At that point I gingerly slid the gun back into its case and put it back in the car---no way was I going to trade it in after that! This 12-ga. 3" American Arms Derby w/28" IC/M bbls. has served me well in the duck blind having digested oodles of factory 3" steel loads since 1989.

O.K.

Yep, O.K.

Pretty gun!

Adam

Niiiice gun; looks like the Zabala one.

Very nice!

Is that a Boss?

Roger.

tough forum

So is this one of the higher end AA guns made by Grulla?

I don't think so, although I could be wrong. This, to me, looks like a very high end and well made Zabala Hermanos. I don't think that Grulla ever made a gun that was not stocked to the fences --a characteristic for many, of a quality made gun. Not because it is actually "better", but rather more difficult to execute for the gunmaker.

BTW: there is a nice one for sale at Cabela's. Look under "American Guns" in their gun library.

I concur.

In studying those Derbys before, I can tell by the pin arrangement, and I'm pretty sure it is the Zabala. The Sarriugarte made Derbys had a couple of the pins up higher. Doesn't that one of Bamboozler's look like a back action?

Also, the Sarriugarte is stocked to the fences.

Hell yes, it's a Boss! This Po' Man could never afford the real deal...it's MY Boss!

In looking back at the original sales receipt from the wholesaler, Ron Shierk's Shooter's Supplies in Lebanon, PA. I paid $526.95 for the gun new...best money I ever spent. It has never had a problem and has gone BANG each and every time I've pulled a trigger.

Patriot usa is correct, it is indeed a Zabala-built Derby.

Here are a couple of pics of an American Arms catalog from which described some of their offerings back in the day from when I bought the gun. Note the Derby description..."hand engraved" case colored frame...Hmmmm?

Back action and coil springs?

Well guys, I guess here is the exception to the fleur-de-lis rule ( ⚜) in Spanish guns. Still going strong with steel shot. Hmm.

Or was it actually proofed for steel?

Doubtful that it was proofed for steel then.

All I can say is O.K., but not in mine, nor will I recommend it unless it is proofed for steel.

Amen.

But they did some strange things in Eibar over the years. My old Grulla 216 two barrel set had 3" chambers in the 12 bore barrels, but no ⚜ It was a DU Banquet gun made especially for DU. Go figure. Why wouldn't it have been steel proofed? Is that sort of Basque perversity Uncle Chorizo?

Someone forgot to ask for it. They would have had it proofed for steel, for a price. That is, if a steel proof was approved and authorized by C.I.P. when they bought it....may not have been.

Was it built for steel? Well, we will never know.

All depends on for what you contract.

Forgot to mention it was a 1995 gun so the proof for steel was in place per EU standards. You are right though, durned DU guys didn't want anybody popping their ducks with it, after they raffeled it off.

Let me share with you a story...

Many years ago I worked with a fellow who every Friday, after work, would get blind drunk and then drive the thirty interstate miles to his home. My first clue was one Friday evening when I found him in the local bar, in the men’s' room, standing at the urinal, head against the wall, asleep. He had fallen asleep while urinating. I woke him up, he staggered back to the bar, paid his tab, staggered to his car and drove away.

The next week I talked to him about it, and asked if he wasn’t a little concerned at driving drunk. He replied it was something he had done every week for the last ten years, and never had a problem. That proved he could drive three sheets to the wind.

The moral to the story is sometimes it’s easy to mistake being lucky with being safe.

Seems likely. The Zabala lock pictured in this thread is from a Derby two barrel (12/20 ga.) gun.

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