ASI: Kings of Spain

The Kings

Anglo Spanish Imports (ASI) started life in 1958 and has been importing top quality guns and shooting accessories to the UK ever since. The Suffolk-based company is now run by managing director Edward King, however it was his father and uncle who originally set up ASI.

“Andrew and Peter King, my father and his brother, were on holiday in Spain and came across a shotgun in the window of a gun shop in Barcelona which looked to be incredible value,” Edward explains. “They went in to check it out as the price seemed too good to be true and it turned out that that was the standard price and was made in the Basque Country.”

Upon returning to the UK, the two brothers got in touch with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and requested a list of names of gunmakers in the Basque Country. Expecting around half a dozen, they were presented with pages and pages of various gunmakers and set about eliminating the smaller manufacturers until they were left with a shortlist.

Workers in the AYA Factory

Finding the right partner

The King brothers then set off for Spain again with an interpreter to visit them. Edward says: “The majority said the same thing, along the lines of ‘these are the guns we make, how many would you like to buy?’ One gunmaker however, AYA, showed them the factory and said look, these are our facilities, show us what you want to make and we’ll make it for you.

Faced with a completely different attitude at AYA, Andrew and Peter jumped at the chance. They sent a Holland & Holland sidelock and a Westley Richards boxlock to the Spanish factory with the instructions to create a range based on those typically English guns. The union helped transform AYA from a provincial gunmaker, known mainly in Spain, into one of the best-known gunmaking names in the world.

Having worked alongside AYA successfully for around ten years, growing and developing ‘the English range’ in the UK, the two brothers decided to expand the business and bring in other brands.

Long may the relationship continue

“Once they had seen how successful AYA had done in the UK, my father and uncle were keen to do the same with other brands from overseas,” comments Edward. “They went on to work with Spanish brand Gamo air rifles, Franchi shotguns from Italy, German air rifle manufacturer Feinwerkbau and many others.”

Fast forward to today, and ASI is as busy as ever. With a whole host of newer clients on their books such as Crosman from America, Swedish brand FX Airguns and Rizzini from Italy, there are plenty of exciting products to choose from.

Edward ended by saying: “While it’s great to be taking on new brands to keep things fresh, our strength lies in the long-term relationships we have with our suppliers – it is this which allows us jointly to develop products which really respond to the needs of the UK market. AYA have been with us from the start so we’ve grown with them, long may it continue.”

If you are interested in seeing the full range of ASI products, including AYA and Rizzini shotguns - click here to visit the A-S-I website.

Also, read our article about the visit to the AYA factory in Spain.