When was victor sarasqueta shotguns produced?
The firm of Victor Sarasqueta was founded in 1883 and received a
Royal Warrant as a purveyor to the King of Spain in 1902. The firm
concentrated primarily on side by side double shotguns of British
design. Boxlock guns of Anson & Deely pattern and sidelock guns
of Holland & Holland pattern were produced. Don Victor's firm
also built a sidelock action over & under shotgun which appears
similar to the British Woodward action. The company also produced
SxS double rifles in African calibers for dangerous game. A single
barrel sidelock action trapgun was offered during the 1950's.
Following World War 2, many Eibar based gunmakers, including Victor
Sarasqueta, engaged in volume production of guns which were built
to a price required by North American importers and major sporting
goods retailers. Throughout its history, the firm continued to
produce higher quality bespoke guns according to a client's
personal specifications for weight, stock dimensions, barrel
length, choke, rib type, etc. The top of the line Models 12E and
206E featured elaborate deep chisled engraving on the frame and
breech end of the barrels. Other models featured traditional
Churchill, Holland or Purdey engraving patterns. The 1970's and
80's saw a major downturn in business for Spanish gunmakers. During
this time, Victor Sarasqueta, S.A. was reorganized as Victor
Sarasqueta Rifles y Escopetas Especiales, S.A. A number of models
were discontinued and the production range was reduced to two
boxlock models and eight sidelock shotgun and three sidelock double
rifle models. In the mid-1980's, the firm became part of the
ill-fated Diarm group which tried to consolidate several Spanish
gunmaking firms into one company. The Diarm firm closed their doors
in the late 1980's ending a chapter in Spanish gunmaking. The
Victor Sarasqueta firm should not be confused with the firms of
J.J. Sarasqueta or Felix Sarasqueta, both of which survived the
1980's. VS7E
