~ ArSa Pistols

Avancarga ArSa is a (Basque/Spanish) husband and wife team. Jesus Mari Araquistain worked for twenty seven years as a stocker and gunsmith with the famous Spanish sporting gun maker Victory Sarasqueta of Eibar. When his mentor died he started ArSa in 1987 with a co-worker, later to become his wife, Elisa Santiago (hence ArSa). Responsibilities are divided, with Eli making and carving or chequering the stocks (and responsible for all the admin.), Oscar Sarriguarte makes the metal components and Jesus assembles and finishes the guns. They have built their business steadily improving both quality and accuracy in their expanding range, currently seven, of Black Powder Pistols produced by traditional methods. Everything is done in house, with the exception of D. Salvador Sánchez Morales’s hand engraving. They rifle their own barrels and copy/cast parts in lost wax from original guns. Over the last few years they have accumulated an impressive collection of World Records and Medals at International shooting competitions. These and additional information may be found on their Website www.avancargas-arsa.com The Spanish version is recommended. These guns work well ‘out of the box’ and the suggested loads are meant as a starting point from which individual shooters will adjust to suit their own styles and local conditions. Personally I have a small right hand and a larger left one. I find shooting without the spur very comfortable with my right hand and the left is better spurred.

To avoid having to build in a margin to protect against Euro - Sterling fluctuation our practice is to price in Euros, with a minimum of a 50% deposit with order being Bank Transferred to ArSa. The balance may be paid at any time before export from Spain to allow you to get the best rate you can if you so wish. This has the marginal advantage of attracting Spanish IVA at 16% (included in the quoted price) and includes carriage from Spain to us in Guildford, Surrey and Spanish Official Notifications. Failing that onward carriage to a RFD of your choice will be at cost and you will need to negotiate a handling/Police Notification fee with them.

Avancargas ArSa make the following models:

Tanzutzu

a Japanese word that means short harquebus or pistol, for long harquebus, the name was “Teppo” and “Tanegashima”. This is an accurate replica of a matchlock pistol of XVIII century, made originally by the gunsmith Masanobu Fujiwara in the Shankai (Osaka) city. I particularly like the Gold inlaid ‘Fire’ symbol.

It gained :

MLAIC World (and European & Spanish) record (2004 (USA) 94 puntos. Galán T.

Subcampeón de Europa 2005 (Alemania) 93 puntos. Francisco J. Pla Martí

Subcampeón de Europa 2007 (Italia) 90 puntos. José Ramón Galán Talens

Matchlock – Single-shot

Total length 47,5 centimetres, 18.7”

Barrel length 28 centimetres, 11”

Smooth barrel

Stock in selected beech

.41 calibre, .410 round ball and ,20mm/8K” patch, 26mm/ 1” diameter.

Load: 25 grain SW1 or other similar

Anderson Underhammer

Has either a .41 barrel, with 5 grooves 0,2mm/8K”, land groove ratio 50/50, or a .45 calibre, 12 x .1mm/4K” grooves - 50/50; both have a 1:450mm/17¾“ twist and are screwed directly to the frame. 5mm Nock’s breech, adjustable trigger for depth of sear engagement.

Total weight of the .41 Cal is 950 grams and the .45 is 900 grams.

Percussion lock – Single-shot

Total length 40 centimetres, 15¾”

Barrel length 23 centimetres, 9”

Sight Distance 13”

Barrel with 5 clockwise grooves, 1:450mm/17¾“ twist.

Stock in white selected walnut,

.410 round ball and 0,25mm/10 K” patch, 26 mm/1” dia. 9 grain SW1

.440 round ball, 0,25mm/10K”patch, 29mm/ 1-9/64” dia. 15 grain Swiss powder Nº2

Manton

Flintlock – Single-shot Cominazzo, a reproduction of a half stocked pistol with an ebony fore end cap, a spurred triggerguard and semi-rain proof lock,

Subcampeón de Europa 2005 (Alemania) 94 puntos. Galán

Campeón de Europa 2007 (Italia) 97 puntos. José Muñoz Soler

Total length 38 centimetres, 15”.

Smooth tapered barrel length 24 centimetres, 9½”, plug hook breech,

.45 caliber, .440 round ball, 0,25mm/10 thou. patch 29mm/ 1-9/64” dia

Load: 25 grain SW1 or other similar

Muzzle Velocity 325 mps/ 1067fps

An inexpensive gun for Kuchenreuter The Imperio

is the typical Central European pistol made at the middle of XIX century.

Rifled barrel .45 calibre

Percussion lock, Single-shot, adjustable set trigger, spurred.

.440 round ball and 10 thou. patch

Load: 12 grain SW1

White selected walnut stock with fluted grip or carved flowers

Another Kuchenreuter competitor is a copy of the French gunsmith Ferdinant Rochatte,

the Rochatte à París. This French Dueling pistol differs from its contempories by having a round barrel with a top rib. It comes in two versions – Standard and Gold,

Total length 41 centimetres, 16”

Barrel length 26 centimetres, 10¼”

Rifled barrel .45 calibre, 5 right twist grooves, 8K

Stock in selected walnut

Percussion lock, Single-shot, adjustable set trigger, spurred

.440 round ball and 0,25mm/10 thou. Patch, 29mm/ 1-9/64” dia

Load: 12 grain SW1 or other similar

or 15 grain of SW2

Standard and Gold, from

The third Kuchenreuter is the Galand a Paris,

a faithful replica of a competition pistol produced by this famous French manufacturer in the latter part of the 19th Century.

Hand engraved by one of the few exponents of this art, D. Salvador Sánchez Morales, and case hardened.

It has gained almost all the awards in it's class,

Subcampeón Europa 1997 (96 p). Galán

Campeón de Europa 1999. Galán

Campeón de Europa 2001 (98 p). Galán

Percussion lock, Single-shot, spurred

Total length 42 centimetres, 16½“

Barrel length 27 centimetres, 10½”, with special competition rifling:

5 clockwise grooves 0,2mm/12K” deep, 1 : 450 mm/17¾“ twist,

Stock in selected walnut

.41 caliber, .410 round ball 0,25 mm-10K” Patch, 26mm/1” dia.

Load: 9 grain SW1 or equivalent,

producing a muzzle velocity of 275 mps / 900 fps

The fourth Kuchenreuter contender, and my favourite, is the Gastinne Renette,

a de Luxe replica of a pistol of the highest quality that has taken 5 years in gestation. Campeón del Mundo (Bordeaux) 2006 con 99 puntos. Francisco Pla Martí.

Hand engraved by D. Salvador Sánchez Morales, and case hardened.

Total length 42 centimetres, 16½“

Barrel length 27 centimetres, 10½”, with special competition rifling:

5 clockwise grooves 0,2mm/12K” deep, 1 : 450 mm/17¾“ twist.

Total weight 950 grams

Stock in selected walnut

.41 caliber, .410 round ball , 12K” Patch, 1” dia.

Percussion lock, Single-shot, adjustable set trigger, spurred

Load: 12 grain SW1 or equivalent,

15 grain Swiss powder Nº2 or equivalent,

producing a muzzle velocity of 304 mps / 998 fps

There are a number of variants popular with clients:

Standard (plain fore end of stock)

With 99% Pure Gold Inlay

Carved Flowers on fore end of Stock and on the butt as an alternative to the formal chequering

Any of these guns may be cased, either singly or as a pair.

Case & Accessories (Key, Ramrod, threaded M5 x 0,8/ 10x32, brush, flask, wooden pot for patches and a nipple key for up to 5,45mm flats)