AYA Matador
Aguirre y Aranzabal S.A.L. · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1955
Also known as: AyA Matador, AYA Model 400 Matador, Matador
Overview
The AYA Matador is a Spanish Anson & Deeley boxlock side-by-side double-barrelled shotgun built by Aguirre y Aranzabal of Eibar. Introduced in the mid-1950s and widely imported into the United States by Firearms International Corporation, it earned a reputation as an affordable working game gun that nonetheless offered automatic ejectors and a single non-selective trigger, features usually reserved for costlier doubles of its era. Built on a forged steel boxlock body with a walnut stock, chrome-lined double barrels and fixed chokes, it was offered most commonly in 12 gauge with 2¾-inch chambers and also in 16, 20 and 28 gauge and .410 bore.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3175 g (112.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1143 mm (45.00") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12ga, 12 Bore
- 16 Gauge — also known as 16ga, 16 Bore
- 20 Gauge — also known as 20ga, 20 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Open Internal
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Cocking Indicators
- Features: Anson Deeley Boxlock, Side By Side Barrels, Single Non Selective Trigger, Automatic Ejectors, Double Barrel, Fixed Chokes, 2 75 Inch Chamber, Pistol Grip Stock, Engraved Action
Variants
- AYA Matador II - Improved
Production
Production years: 1955-1963
A high-volume export model of its day; large numbers were imported into the United States by Firearms International Corporation before importation ended in the early 1960s. Exact totals are not published.
Origin
Country of origin: Spain
Designer: Aguirre y Aranzabal
Discontinued: 1963
Notes
The Matador was one of the first inexpensive Spanish side-by-sides to bring automatic ejectors and a single trigger to the American budget market. A later Matador II added a beavertail forearm and, on some guns, a ventilated rib. Barrel lengths typically ran 26-30 inches with fixed improved-cylinder/modified/full choke combinations. Specifications given are for a representative 28-inch 12-gauge gun; exact weight and dimensions vary by gauge and barrel length.
Background
The AYA Matador helped make the Spanish boxlock a fixture of American gun racks in the 1950s and 1960s, giving budget-minded upland hunters ejectors and a single trigger at a fraction of the price of the English doubles it imitated.