The Shooter’s Companion

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An independent reference on sporting shotguns, for shooters, collectors, buyers and sellers.

AYA
No. 2

A sidelock side-by-side with double triggers and English scroll engraving

Nº2 · UK, USNº 2 Round Action · UKNº 2 de Luxe · UKNº 2 de Luxe Round Action · UK

Drawing of an AYA No. 2 from the right: side-by-side barrels, a concave rib, scroll-engraved sidelock plates, double triggers, a straight-hand walnut stock and a splinter fore-end.
Drawing: 12-bore, 28 in, old-silver finish, right side

he AYA No. 2 is a built on the Holland & Holland pattern for the British market.1, 2, 3 In standard form it has a straight-hand walnut , English scroll and gold-lined cocking indicators.2 It also has two triggers and a concave .2

The No. 2 shares its mechanism with the No. 1.1 Its forged-steel has a double locking mechanism and intercepting safety .2 The hinged front folds if the shooter’s finger strikes it while firing the rear .4 Automatic are standard, and single triggers are available to order.4

Specifications

12-bore

LockingDouble locking mechanism2, 1, 4
LockworkHolland & Holland-pattern with intercepting safety 2, 1, 4
Trigger with a hinged front ; options to order2, 1, 4
Ejectors2, 1, 4
Made inEibar, Spain5, 6
Introducedby 19591
Bore12-bore
Barrels28 in

2 Compare specifications

Specifications

ConfigurationBoreBarrels, inFore-endGradeChoke systemYearsMarketsStockFinish
Standard212-bore28Standardstraight hand gripColour hardened, old silver or white action; English scroll engraving; wood grade Grade 2
de Luxe912-bore28de Luxe2015straight hand gripOld silver action; Bold foliate laser finished by hand engraving
Standard216-bore28Standardstraight hand gripColour hardened, old silver or white action; English scroll engraving; wood grade Grade 2
de Luxe916-bore28de Luxe2015straight hand gripOld silver action; Bold foliate laser finished by hand engraving
Standard220-bore28Standardstraight hand gripColour hardened, old silver or white action; English scroll engraving; wood grade Grade 2
de Luxe920-bore28de Luxe2015straight hand gripOld silver action; Bold foliate laser finished by hand engraving
Standard228-bore28Standardstraight hand gripColour hardened, old silver or white action; English scroll engraving; wood grade Grade 2
de Luxe928-bore28de Luxe2015straight hand gripOld silver action; Bold foliate laser finished by hand engraving
Standard2.41028Standardstraight hand gripColour hardened, old silver or white action; English scroll engraving; wood grade Grade 2
de Luxe9.41028de Luxe2015straight hand gripOld silver action; Bold foliate laser finished by hand engraving
Standard test gun1012-bore28splinter, semi-beavertail or full beavertail optionsStandard test gunfixed2009USstraight, Prince of Wales or pistol options grip; splinter, semi-beavertail or full beavertail options fore-endColour case hardened, old silver or white action; wood grade Grade 2
Game
Game11, 1228-bore29Half and quarter; fixed2017

Scroll for more columns.

Identify and date

On the standard gun, a lever-like screw head on the left side of the lets the locks be removed by hand.7 The Round Action has no such hand-detachable locks.7 The standard comes in a colour-hardened, old-silver or white finish.2 Under the Spanish proof rule of 1979, smoothbore barrels carry a symbol recording the year of proof.13

WhereMarkings
BarrelsYear-of-proof symbol under the 1979 Spanish proof rule13

Proof date

The 1979 regulation requires smoothbore barrels to carry a symbol for the year of proof. Later codes in the official table carry an asterisk, as in A*1, and the first series includes CH, LL and Ñ.13, 14

Proof date codes

Before you buy

  1. Confirm which lock arrangement the gun has: the standard form has hand-detachable locks, while the Round Action does not.7
  2. Check which arrangement the gun has: double triggers with a hinged front are standard, while selective and non-selective single triggers are available to order.4
  3. Read the gun’s own length; the de Luxe Round Action tested in 2013 had 2¾-inch chambers.15
  4. Check the on the gun itself, because they vary: the American test gun had fixed , and the British 28- test gun had half and quarter.10, 11
  5. Check that the finish matches the grade: the standard No. 2 comes in colour-hardened, old-silver or white, while the centenary de Luxe is old silver.2, 9

History

AYA introduced the No. 2 in the late 1950s.1 By 2009 the standard and Round Action forms differed in how their locks were removed.7 AYA’s centenary catalogue lists the de Luxe with bold foliate laser finished by hand.9 The same catalogue offers the de Luxe in 12, 16, 20 and 28 and .410, with 28-inch barrels as standard.9

Sources

  1. AYA No. 2: introduction, relationship to No. 1 and specifications, introduction-and-mechanism. Aguirre y Aranzabal. maker website · Archive
  2. AYA No. 2: introduction, relationship to No. 1 and specifications, standard-features. Aguirre y Aranzabal. maker website · Archive
  3. AYA centenary catalogue: history and model specifications, british-models. Aguirre y Aranzabal, 2015. maker catalogue · Archive
  4. John M. Taylor: AYA No. 2 and DIARM history, triggers-and-ejectors. American Hunter, 2009-11-17. magazine · Archive
  5. AYA centenary catalogue: history and model specifications, revival-and-otaola. Aguirre y Aranzabal, 2015. maker catalogue · Archive
  6. AYA: craftsmanship, custom orders and parts supply, parts-supply. Aguirre y Aranzabal. maker website · Archive
  7. John M. Taylor: AYA No. 2 and DIARM history, detachable-locks. American Hunter, 2009-11-17. magazine · Archive
  8. Beretta Parallelo 20-bore — test and review, test-configuration. Sporting Gun; Mike Yardley, 2022-06-15. magazine · Archive
  9. AYA centenary catalogue: history and model specifications, no2-de-luxe. Aguirre y Aranzabal, 2015. maker catalogue · Archive
  10. AYA No. 2 US test specification, test-specifications. American Hunter, 2009-11-17. magazine · Archive
  11. AYA No. 2 28 bore test, test-configuration. ShootingUK, 2017-02-08. magazine · Archive
  12. AYA No. 2 28 bore test, test-weight. ShootingUK, 2017-02-08. magazine · Archive
  13. Spain: portable firearms proof regulation, 19 February 1979, date-symbol-on-barrels. Boletín Oficial del Estado / Ministerio de Defensa, 1979-02-19. proof house · Archive
  14. BOPE: official letter and year table, code-table. Banco Oficial de Pruebas de Eibar. proof house · Archive
  15. AYA No. 2 de Luxe Round Action test, test-chamber. ShootingUK, 2013-08-01. magazine · Archive

Revised