History - Asociaci\u00f3n Armera<\/title>\n <style>\n * {\n margin: 0;\n padding: 0;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n }\n \n body {\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n line-height: 1.7;\n color: #495057;\n background: #ffffff;\n }\n \n .container {\n max-width: 1200px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n padding: 0 20px;\n }\n \n \/* Encabezado principal *\/\n .page-header {\n background: #1e3c72;\n color: white;\n padding: 50px 40px;\n margin: 40px 0;\n text-align: center;\n border-radius: 8px;\n }\n \n .page-header h1 {\n font-size: 2rem;\n font-weight: 600;\n line-height: 1.4;\n }\n \n \/* T\u00edtulos de secci\u00f3n *\/\n h2 {\n font-size: 1.8rem;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n border-bottom: 3px solid #1e3c72;\n padding-bottom: 10px;\n margin: 50px 0 25px 0;\n }\n \n h3 {\n font-size: 1.3rem;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n margin: 25px 0 15px 0;\n }\n \n \/* P\u00e1rrafos *\/\n p {\n font-size: 1rem;\n line-height: 1.7;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n color: #495057;\n }\n \n \/* Texto destacado *\/\n .highlight-text {\n background: #f8f9fa;\n border-left: 4px solid #1e3c72;\n padding: 20px 25px;\n margin: 25px 0;\n font-style: italic;\n }\n \n \/* Contenedor de contenido *\/\n .content-section {\n margin: 40px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Tablas de datos *\/\n .data-table {\n background: #f8f9fa;\n padding: 25px;\n border-radius: 6px;\n border: 1px solid #dee2e6;\n margin: 25px 0;\n }\n \n .data-table h4 {\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-size: 1.1rem;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n .data-row {\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;\n gap: 15px;\n margin-bottom: 10px;\n padding: 8px 0;\n border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;\n }\n \n .data-row:last-child {\n border-bottom: none;\n }\n \n .data-label {\n font-weight: 600;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-size: 0.85rem;\n }\n \n .data-value {\n color: #495057;\n font-size: 0.85rem;\n }\n \n \/* Listas de empresas *\/\n .company-list {\n background: #ffffff;\n border: 1px solid #e9ecef;\n padding: 25px;\n border-radius: 8px;\n margin: 25px 0;\n }\n \n .company-list p {\n font-size: 0.95rem;\n line-height: 1.8;\n }\n \n \/* Citas textuales largas *\/\n .quote-block {\n background: #fff3cd;\n border: 1px solid #ffeaa7;\n padding: 30px;\n margin: 30px 0;\n border-radius: 8px;\n }\n \n .quote-block h4 {\n color: #856404;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n font-size: 1.1rem;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n .quote-block p {\n color: #856404;\n font-style: italic;\n }\n \n \/* Divisor de secci\u00f3n *\/\n .section-divider {\n height: 2px;\n background: #e9ecef;\n margin: 50px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Texto enfatizado *\/\n strong {\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n \/* Im\u00e1genes *\/\n .support-image {\n width: 100%;\n height: 200px;\n object-fit: cover;\n border-radius: 8px;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);\n margin: 30px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Responsive *\/\n @media (max-width: 768px) {\n .container {\n padding: 0 15px;\n }\n \n .page-header {\n padding: 40px 20px;\n }\n \n .page-header h1 {\n font-size: 1.5rem;\n }\n \n h2 {\n font-size: 1.5rem;\n }\n \n .data-row {\n grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n gap: 5px;\n }\n \n .quote-block,\n .company-list,\n .data-table {\n padding: 20px;\n }\n }\n <\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n <div class=\"container\">\n \n <div class=\"page-header\">\n <h>Historical Journey of the Spanish Arms Sector through ASOCIACI\u00d3N ARMERA<\/h>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Constitution of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1967, sixty-five companies manufacturing short and long firearms decided to group together into a large sectoral confederation that would soon also include ammunition manufacturers. In 1978, the latter became full voting members of the Association.<\/p>\n \n <p>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera is actually the successor to an earlier organization, the Official Arms Chamber, founded in 1915 with the objective of financing the construction and maintenance of the Proof House for Portable Arms of Eibar.<\/p>\n \n <p>The founders of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, who at the time generated direct employment for 3,000 workers and indirect employment for 2,000 self-employed individuals, decided to form a united front to resolve the severe problems affecting the arms sector: the need to establish minimum export prices, the continuous devaluation of the peseta, multi-million dollar liability claims in the USA, worker training, the necessary standardization of parts, increasingly restrictive firearms regulations, quality problems with barrel steels, significant payment defaults, etc.<\/p>\n \n <p>The headquarters was established at Plaza de Unzaga in Eibar.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"company-list\">\n <h3>Founding Companies<\/h3>\n <p>The following companies signed the first constitutional documents of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera: Aguirre y Aranzabal S.R.C., Mart\u00edn Amuategui, Francisco Anitua, Hermanos Aramberri S.R.C., Javier Arana Alberdi, Gaspar Arizaga, Armas Ego, Armas El Corzo, Armas Garbi, Armas Ilja, Armas Marixa, Armer\u00eda Parkemi, Luis Arrizabalaga, Pedro Arrizabalaga, Ayra Durex, Juan Antonio Belategui, Eugenio Bilbatua, Comercial Vasco Armera, Crucelegui Hermanos S.R.C., C. y T. Bascaran, Jose Mar\u00eda Chopitea, Pedro Gorosabel, Hijos de F. Arizaga, Hijos de V. Aramberri y C\u00eda. S.R.C., Hijo de J. Muguruza, Antonio Ibeas Rosuero, Laurona Armas S.A., Antonio Madariaga Urquidi, Manufacturas JCM-J.C.M. suc., Antonio Marcos Ralea, Mendi S.C.I., Norberto Arizmendi, S.A., Adolfo Sarasqueta, Star-Bonifacio Echevarria S.A., Suc. de E. Guisasola, Suc. de Viuda e Hijos de J. Fernandez, Trust Eibarr\u00e9s, Mart\u00edn Ugarteburu, Ignacio Ugartechea, Uni\u00f3n Armera S.L., Jos\u00e9 Urig\u00fcen, Victor Sarasqueta S.A., Vda. e Hijos de J.J. Sarasqueta, Zamacola Hermanos S.R.C., Juan Zubiaurre Arrizabalaga, Ignacio Zubillaga, Armas Gib M\u00e1ximo Bolinaga, Zabala Hermanos S.R.C., Armas Erbi S.C.I., Armas Urbiola, Pedro Arosa Aguirre, Manufacturas Arrieta, Francisco Sarriugarte, Felix Sarasqueta y C\u00eda. S.A., Miguel Larra\u00f1aga, Suc. de Eusebio Arizaga S.R.C., Industrias Danok, Astra Unceta y C\u00eda. S.A., Carrero y Astelarra S.L., G. Zabala y C\u00eda. S.A., Ascensio Zabala, Garate y Mendibe S.A., Hijos de Orbea S.A., Llama-Gabilondo y C\u00eda. S.A., Uni\u00f3n Explosivos Rio Tinto S.A.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>The statutes were designed so that manufacturers of short and long firearms were equally represented on the Board of Directors, and the positions of president and vice-president alternated between representatives of these two subsectors. Likewise, representation of all types of companies regardless of their size was guaranteed, avoiding hegemonic positions by large manufacturers.<\/p>\n \n <p>The first boards of directors were also executive; their members met weekly and divided tasks among themselves. In 1972, management was professionalized with the hiring of the first manager and administrative staff.<\/p>\n \n <p>Years later, after several deep crises and failed restructuring attempts that led to the closure of numerous factories, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, facing the danger of extinction, decided to reorganize and modify its statutes to also accommodate manufacturers and importers of complementary products for hunting and sport shooting such as clothing, footwear, cutlery, clay targets, etc.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fachadas_fabricas_armas._antiguaspng.png\" alt=\"Facades of old arms factories\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Minimum Prices<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1968, the sector gathered around Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to agree on minimum export prices. At that time, a minimum price of $44 was set for half-plate shotguns and $45 for full-plate shotguns.<\/p>\n \n <p>In subsequent years, prices would be set by models with a division into ten different models and prices ranging from 1,475 pesetas for the most basic to 7,790 for the premium model.<\/p>\n \n <p>Annual increases in these minimum prices ranged between 15 and 20%.<\/p>\n \n <p>Compliance with these minimum prices was guaranteed by the Government Delegation through the Customs Department. Arms exports were subject to authorization through export licenses, and their granting was conditional on compliance with these minimum prices. The Government Delegate attended the General Assemblies of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to witness their establishment and subsequent compliance.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, the establishment of minimum export prices was a source of continuous conflict. Issues such as the galloping increase in Social Security payments, labor demands for wage increases, rising raw material costs, dollar devaluation, and currency devaluation in Spain's competing countries (Italy, Brazil...) made it impossible to maintain the agreed minimum prices throughout an entire year and led to continuous extraordinary assemblies and meetings with the Ministry of Industry to find a solution.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Serious problems began to be detected in sales possibilities due to the inability to pass on constant cost increases to the final price, and meetings between Asociaci\u00f3n Armera and suppliers began.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>In 1974, a commitment was secured from stock makers to freeze prices, and barrel makers as well, except for wage increases exceeding 1,000 pesetas. Action makers, after announcing an increase of between 8.8 and 9%, committed to maintaining prices throughout the year. Barrel finishers, however, applied increases of 12%.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, the minimum price system began to fail; selling exclusively by price was no longer working. It became necessary to address the quality issue, seriously study markets, and venture into organizing their own distribution channels to increase company profit margins.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Trade Delegate, Mr. Coloma, warned at the General Assembly of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera held in 1975: \"we are in the era of the disappearance of minimum prices; the Administration cannot be responsible for controlling compliance with minimum prices among industrialists with minimal commercial sense. The manufacturing costs of a shotgun must be reflected in the final price; that is assumed.\"<\/p>\n \n <p>Furthermore, a General Assembly denounced that some manufacturers were misusing minimum prices by incorporating finishes and equipment into shotguns that increase their value but, nevertheless, selling them at the minimum price to secure orders more easily.<\/p>\n \n <p>Minimum prices, the complainants argued, should be the minimum profitability scale; they should almost be a liquidation price in exceptional cases and not the general rule. A manufacturer should know their profitability margins, with minimum prices being a reference for setting very special sales conditions and for specific models.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/publicidad_fabricas_armas_antiguas.png\" alt=\"Historical advertising from arms factories\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <h3>Domestic Market<\/h3>\n \n <p>Regarding minimum domestic prices, the outlook was even more bleak. The criterion followed for their establishment was to use minimum export prices plus the 12% tax relief and luxury taxes in effect at any given time.<\/p>\n \n <p>The importation of foreign firearms into Spain was restricted for many years; import licenses for firearms were granted sparingly and for very few units. The domestic firearms market was dominated by national manufacturers for many years, who failed to take advantage of this benefit.<\/p>\n \n <p>By the late 1970s, the problem of domestic market prices worsened as the American market was lost and some companies placed their excess production in Spain at low prices, frustrating sales for other manufacturers. The domestic market had a purchasing capacity that was exceeded; some gunsmiths began to become small warehouses and distributors trading with ridiculous margins.<\/p>\n \n <p>There were manufacturers selling 30% below the minimum price, which amounted to collective suicide. Many companies didn't even have production cost studies to help them set the minimum selling price that would guarantee minimum profitability, and they asked Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to undertake this study.<\/p>\n\n <h3>International Tensions<\/h3>\n \n <p>In 1978, the President of the French Syndical Chamber of Arms Manufacturers denounced the constant increase in Spanish arms sales in France while there was no reciprocity with French arms in Spain because imports were restricted.<\/p>\n \n <p>Spanish shotgun exports to France went from 1,500,000 pesetas in 1970 to 144,000,257 in 1975. However, Spanish imports of French shotguns did not exceed 6 million pesetas in 1975.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Export Tax Relief<\/h2>\n \n <p>After several rounds of negotiations in 1972, the arms sector obtained a tax relief of 12% on amounts invoiced for export.<\/p>\n \n <p>Negotiations for increasing this percentage would be the main focus of subsequent years and the subject of multiple meetings among manufacturers within Asociaci\u00f3n Armera.<\/p>\n \n <p>When, in 1976, the national company Santa B\u00e1rbara, manufacturer of Mauser-type bolt-action rifles and muzzleloaders and belonging to I.N.I., joined Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, an attempt was made to reorganize the arms sector by leveraging the significant weight of this company in terms of figures.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, adherence to tax relief was voluntary, and in 1975 its processing was not possible as Asociaci\u00f3n Armera was unable to obtain 80% adherence among companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>Some large manufacturers had opposed it in the mistaken belief that in difficult economic situations they were better prepared to survive, thus eliminating part of their competition.<\/p>\n \n <p>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera never asked for accountability from the companies that did not adhere, to their own detriment and that of others, to avoid internal divisions that would have weakened the Association.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Proof House<\/h2>\n \n <p>Spanish arms manufacturers saw the need to provide their firearms with a quality stamp recognized in Europe and urged the Spanish Government to subscribe to the Convention for the Reciprocal Recognition of Proof Marks on Portable Firearms (CIP Convention).<\/p>\n \n <p>Following the signing of this International Convention, the Law for the Creation of Proof Houses was enacted in 1915, and from that moment on, firearms that had not passed a mandatory test at a Proof House could not be sold in Spain or exported abroad.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"quote-block\">\n <h4>Official State Gazette (1915)<\/h4>\n <p>Don Alfonso XIII, by the grace of God and the Constitution, King of Spain:<\/p>\n <p>To all who shall see and understand this, know: that the Courts have decreed and We have sanctioned the following:<\/p>\n <p>The Minister of War shall proceed urgently to create Proof Houses for portable firearms and their ammunition, as they exist abroad, which shall be directed by Artillery Officers and Chiefs to be designated and shall have the purpose of guaranteeing the safety in the use of said firearms and maintaining the credit of their factories.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>The Proof Houses would be created in Eibar and Oviedo for manufacturers in the Basque Provinces region for the first and the Santander and Asturias region for the second.<\/p>\n \n <p>The manufacturers in the region where the mentioned Proof Houses were established would commit to installing them at their own expense and to bearing all expenses arising from their operation, both personnel and materials, without burdening the State, Provincial, or Municipal budgets in any way.<\/p>\n \n <p>Only the Eibar Proof House would be established, at Plaza de Unzaga, with a branch of the same at the Barcelona Artillery Arsenal, which would have the mission of carrying out tests and marking firearms manufactured in that city.<\/p>\n \n <p>The manufacturers existing at that date constituted the Official Arms Chamber with the purpose of establishing a common fund for the construction of the Eibar Proof House for portable firearms and their ammunition and to provide it with technical means and provide for its maintenance.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1998, the Eibar Proof House would move to its current location in the Azitain Industrial Estate in the same town.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Training Plans<\/h2>\n \n <p>The recruitment of specialized workers in shotgun manufacturing has always been a problem for the arms industry, and there were continuous complaints filed with Asociaci\u00f3n Armera about the \"theft\" of specialists between companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>To solve this problem, in 1970 the first gunsmithing training course was launched at the Eibar School of Gunsmithing with 25 apprentices. The specialty of master gunsmith was included in the nomenclature of Intensive Professional Training (F.I.P.) and the course was fully financed by the Ministry of Labor.<\/p>\n \n <p>The course duration was two years and focused on the study of action manufacturing and fitting.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, at the end of the first course, the School of Gunsmithing reported its inability to continue with the courses due to lack of funding.<\/p>\n \n <p>It would not be until 1999 that the sector demanded institutional help to address the training problem; it did not seem fair that other industrial sectors had specialists trained in vocational schools at the expense of general State budgets while the arms sector had to bear the training of its workers.<\/p>\n \n <p>The INEM and the Eibar City Council through its Workshop School took note of the problem and financed the implementation of training plans. Programs were developed, focusing on the three specialties of action, stock, and engraving; teaching staff was hired, students were selected, and necessary materials were acquired.<\/p>\n \n <p>Under the modalities of \"Employment Workshop\" course and \"Workshop School\" course, six training plans of two years duration each would be organized, through which dozens of students would pass who would subsequently join the companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>Recent public spending cuts would lead to the withdrawal of all support for shotgun training, which from that moment until today has been assumed by the companies themselves.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/mujeres_trabajando_fabrica_armas.png\" alt=\"Women working in arms factory\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Opening International Markets<\/h2>\n \n <p>The need to expand markets where the growing arms production could be placed has always been a constant in the arms sector, and the organization of trade missions and participation in international fairs has been one of the activities most demanded by manufacturers.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the first trade missions organized by Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, several representatives of the Board of Directors always traveled together with the President of Aguimex. The trips lasted around a month and covered several countries, gathering information on markets, buyer lists, most demanded products, etc. This information was subsequently transmitted to manufacturers for their use.<\/p>\n\n <h3>International Fairs<\/h3>\n \n <p>Attendance at international fairs has also been a constant; initially companies occupied a joint stand and later individual stands. The Association publishes a catalog of companies and products and distributes thousands of copies worldwide.<\/p>\n \n <p>Presence at International Fairs in El Salvador and Ecuador is common.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the USA, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera has always been present at the NSGA Fair, normally held in Houston and Chicago. These fairs would disappear to give way to the <strong>SHOT Show<\/strong>, currently the reference fair in the US firearms market, which was held for the first time in 1980 in San Francisco.<\/p>\n \n <p>At the European level, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera participated in the first edition of the Exposition Europee de la Chasse et du Tir held in 1972 at the Hotel Meridien in Paris. This fair would be the European firearms reference for many years and would be held in various European cities: Brussels, London, Rome, Madrid, Milan, Copenhagen...<\/p>\n \n <p>In the late 1970s, this fair began to decline until it disappeared due to opposition from exhibitors regarding its high prices. For some years it coexisted with the <strong>IWA in Germany<\/strong>, which was held for the first time in 1976.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tiradores-profesionales_actuales.png\" alt=\"Current professional shooters\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <h3>Results<\/h3>\n \n <p>All these market prospecting actions soon began to bear fruit, and by 1977 the percentage of exports from the arms sector relative to total billing was already 40% and has been increasing to currently stand at 90%.<\/p>\n \n <p>The main destination countries in the 1970s in order of importance were: United Kingdom, France, Italy, USA, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Belgium, and South Africa.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the early 1980s, exports to South American countries increased: Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Alliances in Europe<\/h2>\n \n <p>Spanish manufacturers gathered around Asociaci\u00f3n Armera soon saw the need to form alliances with other European manufacturers to defend their common interests and, after several meetings of the then President of the Association in Brussels with other representatives of European arms manufacturers' associations, <strong>CEFAC (European Committee of Arms Manufacturers)<\/strong> was created.<\/p>\n \n <p>CEFAC changed its name to <strong>IEACS (European Institute of Hunting and Sport Firearms)<\/strong>, approved its statutes, and registered them in Brussels in 1977. From that moment on, it acquired legal personality and began to represent the European arms sector before international organizations.<\/p>\n \n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Reflecting the Spanish arms sector's constant focus on international markets is the paradoxical situation that occurred for years where a Spanish business association (Asociaci\u00f3n Armera) presided over an organization belonging to the European Union (CEFAC) when Spain was not even part of the common market.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Quality<\/h2>\n \n <p>In the mid-1970s, quality problems began to appear among Spanish-manufactured firearms; barrel deformations and firearm bursts occurred, and serious liability problems for manufacturers began to arise.<\/p>\n \n <p>These quality problems very negatively affected the image of Spanish shotguns and reduced competitiveness compared to products from countries like Russia, Brazil, or Italy.<\/p>\n \n <p>Quality problems were especially serious when accidents occurred in countries like the USA and Australia where civil liability claims were commonplace and claims were in the millions. It was urgent to solve the problem.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Board of Directors of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera asked the Proof House to create an investigation commission to analyze the causes but, in the absence of cooperation from the Proof House, the Board decided to form an investigating committee with manufacturers and specialists from the School of Gunsmithing.<\/p>\n \n <p>The problem pointed to the use by barrel makers of certain materials that facilitate the barrel manufacturing process and machining but produce unexpected consequences in firearms during firing.<\/p>\n \n <p>The technical commission appointed for this purpose would conclude its study with the determination of recommended alloys in barrel manufacturing, thus solving the problem.<\/p>\n\n <h3>Ammunition Homologation<\/h3>\n \n <p>However, the technical commission also pointed out an issue never addressed before, namely \"ammunition homologation.\"<\/p>\n \n <p>At that time, neither CIP legislation nor Spanish regulations provided for such homologation and, nevertheless, Spanish firearms manufacturers pointed out this need.<\/p>\n \n <p>Years later, the International Commission for Proof would take charge of the need to standardize ammunition measurements and pressures, and regulations on ammunition homologation would come into force.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Increasingly Restrictive Firearms Legislation<\/h2>\n \n <p>The increasingly restrictive firearms legislation is another constant difficulty for Asociaci\u00f3n Armera. In 1972, the Ministry of Interior began to tighten security measures in factories, requiring works to be carried out in them, and just two years later modified security devices again and imposed the obligation to have permanent security guards in handgun, rifle, and ammunition factories.<\/p>\n \n <p>Again in 1981 the Arms Regulations were reformed, and the increasingly restrictive treatment of firearms generated serious problems for the arms industry, especially during a moment of deep recession.<\/p>\n \n <p>The President of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera denounced, before the Ministries of Interior and Industry, that this new regulation was based more on a restrictive philosophy regarding the possession and circulation of sporting firearms than on a position of balance between necessary control and security on firearms and the agility that commerce and the arms industry need to maintain themselves as such, placing the Spanish arms industry at a serious disadvantage compared to international competitors.<\/p>\n \n <p>Users, hunters and shooters, saw their rights progressively diminished, and in November 1985 Royal Decree No. 2283 was published regulating the psychophysical aptitudes that individuals wishing to obtain firearms permits must meet, aggravating the sector's problems as the granting of firearms permits decreased by 46%.<\/p>\n \n <p>Furthermore, the recurring problem of firearms auctions held by the Civil Guard increased, and by 1985 the number of firearms auctioned by the Civil Guard already exceeded those manufactured by industry. The State became the largest gun shop in Spain, competing in the market with manufacturers, wholesalers, and gun shops with firearms from seizures and hunters who turned them in at Command Posts. It was unfair and unfair competition that stifled industry.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1993, the Arms Regulations were modified again and firearms legislation underwent another turn of the screw; transport security measures were tightened, leading to the paralysis of all supplies to gun shops for weeks. Sporting firearms legislation in Spain is the most restrictive in Europe, criminalizing manufacturers and users and suffocating industry, causing the closure of numerous companies.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Restructuring<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1975, against a background of severe economic crisis, voices began to emerge advocating for undertaking a series of structural changes.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"quote-block\">\n <h4>Mr. Arana's Letter (1975)<\/h4>\n <p>\"I believe that the specific situation that most of our sector's companies are going through has the characteristics of a deep crisis.\"<\/p>\n <p>\"The situation is frankly difficult and panic has begun to spread since we all know that our companies' capitalization rate is very low, so there are no accumulated reserves to face a prolonged period of stock accumulation.\"<\/p>\n <p>\"It is necessary to study the viability of some alternatives: Request Government collaboration in granting long-term special credits. Request collaboration from our suppliers in cost containment. Orient towards centralization in the manufacture of stocks, actions, barrels, etc. Program a strong worldwide advertising campaign to revalue our shotgun.\"<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>Production Evolution by Weapon Type<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1974<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 24,345 | Double-barrel: 192,848 | Semi-automatic: 11,580 | Pistols: 100,468<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1975<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 26,458 | Double-barrel: 172,179 | Semi-automatic: 9,650 | Pistols: 90,512<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1978<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 11,487 | Double-barrel: 144,027 | Semi-automatic: 19,781 | Pistols: 110,270<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>The Restructuring Process<\/h3>\n \n <p>It would not be until 1980 that the urgent need for sector restructuring was highlighted at the General Assembly of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1981, sector restructuring began. A survey was addressed to all member companies and, of the 60, 41 showed interest in entering the project.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Basque Government through the Minister of Industry Mr. Garc\u00eda Egocheaga confirmed its intention to collaborate in the project, committing to subsidize 90% of the preliminary study cost.<\/p>\n\n <h3>Sector Diagnosis<\/h3>\n \n <p>As a starting point, a study was commissioned from the company SOFEMASA to analyze the state of the sector. The preliminary conclusions of the sectoral study offered the following far from encouraging panorama:<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>1. Loss of Sales Volume<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Year 1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">217,251 shotguns manufactured<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Year 1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">160,670 shotguns manufactured<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>2. Loss of Export Positions<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">146,500 units exported (67% of total sales)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">59,760 units exported (37% of total sales)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">USA 1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">33% of total exports<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">USA 1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">8% of total exports - Almost complete loss of this market<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>3. Classification of Member Companies<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">More than 50 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">9 companies<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Between 25 and 50 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">14 companies<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Less than 25 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">37 companies (billing less than 50 million pesetas)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>Proposed Lines of Action<\/h3>\n \n <p>The proposed lines of action included:<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>1. Company resizing:<\/strong> They must adjust to minimum dimensions that attempt to make them profitable. This involves the merger and integration of many of them. In the shotgun subsector, there should be 4 or 5 companies.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>2. Technological innovation:<\/strong> Undertake new investments that allow incorporating more advanced technical means whose profitability will require a minimum production volume.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>3. Product development:<\/strong> We must start creating, inventing, launching new types of firearms and products that allow maximum development of the subsisting market around shooting and hunting.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>4. Workforce adjustments:<\/strong> Derived from the disappearance of some companies and the resizing of others.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>5. New commercial policies:<\/strong> Approach of own or sector-controlled commercial networks abroad.<\/p>\n\n <h3>UFA and Soresko<\/h3>\n \n <p>It was agreed to create a joint company intended to lead and develop the restructuring process, initially for shotgun and air rifle manufacturing companies. The company adopted the form of a Corporation and was named <strong>UFA (Union of Arms Manufacturers)<\/strong>. It would later change its name to <strong>Soresko<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \n <p>Of the shotgun and air rifle companies, forty-one decided to join.<\/p>\n \n <p>Investments, not including real estate, would amount to 500 million pesetas: 350 million in technology and 150 in research and commercial.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, controversies soon arose among some of the companies that initially entered the restructuring project. Some significant sector companies, such as Aguirre y Aranzabal, S.A., Ignacio Ugartechea, Lanber Armas, S.A., Laurona, S.A., and Benelli remained outside the process.<\/p>\n \n <p>The restructuring project did not seem realistic and some companies decided to disengage from it.<\/p>\n \n <p>By the end of 1984, the new plant, located in Iciar, was already in operation. Two years later it would close and begin its liquidation.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cazadores-profesionales_actuales.png\" alt=\"Current professional hunters\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Current Moment<\/h2>\n \n <p>From the 1990s to the present, the picture shown by the arms industry is very different from that of previous decades.<\/p>\n \n <p>Large production volumes have been reduced, and specialization and excellence in quality are sought.<\/p>\n \n <p>While the objective of company merger intended in the restructuring process was a failure, the challenge of sector reorganization was a success. Those companies that had ceased to be competitive disappeared to give way to a new panorama with a modern arms industry, with a high degree of specialization and a range of products adapted to new demand.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 2007, the <strong>Arms Industry Museum in Eibar<\/strong> was inaugurated to collect a sample of what the arms sector was in the region, what it represented in the economy and in the feelings of its people.<\/p>\n \n <p>At the beginning of the 21st century, the arms industry already appears renewed, having incorporated the latest technologies into its manufacturing processes, adapted to new market demands, develops new products, and obtains recognition worldwide.<\/p>\n \n <p>In a transforming world where production centers migrate to countries with cheap labor, the arms industry has been able to maintain Eibar manufacturing and export it to the five continents.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/artesanal_armas.png\" alt=\"Artisanal work in firearms manufacturing\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Thus, hand in hand with the sector itself, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera reinvents itself and welcomes new subsectors linked to hunting and sport shooting, taking advantage of synergies between companies.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>The Current Sector<\/h3>\n \n <p><strong>Shotgun manufacturing companies<\/strong> have specialized in side-by-side and high-end rifles, taking up the tradition by combining craftsmanship and perfection in finishes with the latest technical advances. They manufacture luxury firearms highly demanded in international markets.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>The muzzleloader subsector<\/strong> has positioned itself at the forefront worldwide and has diversified production towards precision rifles and barrel manufacturing.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Hunting ammunition manufacturers<\/strong> restructured, modernized their facilities, and made quality a priority, becoming a worldwide reference with export levels exceeding 90%.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Air rifle manufacturers<\/strong> have perfected their product; the importance of success lies in barrel quality and the capacity for continuous product innovation.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera welcomes<\/strong> firearms and equipment distributors of the most prestigious international brands, manufacturers of cutlery, clothing, footwear, and clay targets for shooting practice.<\/p>\n \n <p>Industry creates and innovates and ventures into new technologies applied to firearms, electronics as a component of firearms, special polymers are incorporated into ammunition. In short, the 21st-century arms industry is modern and in continuous adaptation to a scenario also in transformation.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History – Asociaci\u00f3n Armera Historical Journey of the Spanish Arms Sector through ASOCIACI\u00d3N ARMERA The Constitution of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera In 1967, sixty-five companies manufacturing short and long firearms decided to group together into a large sectoral confederation that would soon also include ammunition manufacturers. In 1978, the latter became full voting members of the Association. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3493","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3493"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3552,"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3493\/revisions\/3552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n \n \n History - Asociaci\u00f3n Armera<\/title>\n <style>\n * {\n margin: 0;\n padding: 0;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n }\n \n body {\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n line-height: 1.7;\n color: #495057;\n background: #ffffff;\n }\n \n .container {\n max-width: 1200px;\n margin: 0 auto;\n padding: 0 20px;\n }\n \n \/* Encabezado principal *\/\n .page-header {\n background: #1e3c72;\n color: white;\n padding: 50px 40px;\n margin: 40px 0;\n text-align: center;\n border-radius: 8px;\n }\n \n .page-header h1 {\n font-size: 2rem;\n font-weight: 600;\n line-height: 1.4;\n }\n \n \/* T\u00edtulos de secci\u00f3n *\/\n h2 {\n font-size: 1.8rem;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n border-bottom: 3px solid #1e3c72;\n padding-bottom: 10px;\n margin: 50px 0 25px 0;\n }\n \n h3 {\n font-size: 1.3rem;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n margin: 25px 0 15px 0;\n }\n \n \/* P\u00e1rrafos *\/\n p {\n font-size: 1rem;\n line-height: 1.7;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n color: #495057;\n }\n \n \/* Texto destacado *\/\n .highlight-text {\n background: #f8f9fa;\n border-left: 4px solid #1e3c72;\n padding: 20px 25px;\n margin: 25px 0;\n font-style: italic;\n }\n \n \/* Contenedor de contenido *\/\n .content-section {\n margin: 40px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Tablas de datos *\/\n .data-table {\n background: #f8f9fa;\n padding: 25px;\n border-radius: 6px;\n border: 1px solid #dee2e6;\n margin: 25px 0;\n }\n \n .data-table h4 {\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-size: 1.1rem;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n .data-row {\n display: grid;\n grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;\n gap: 15px;\n margin-bottom: 10px;\n padding: 8px 0;\n border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;\n }\n \n .data-row:last-child {\n border-bottom: none;\n }\n \n .data-label {\n font-weight: 600;\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-size: 0.85rem;\n }\n \n .data-value {\n color: #495057;\n font-size: 0.85rem;\n }\n \n \/* Listas de empresas *\/\n .company-list {\n background: #ffffff;\n border: 1px solid #e9ecef;\n padding: 25px;\n border-radius: 8px;\n margin: 25px 0;\n }\n \n .company-list p {\n font-size: 0.95rem;\n line-height: 1.8;\n }\n \n \/* Citas textuales largas *\/\n .quote-block {\n background: #fff3cd;\n border: 1px solid #ffeaa7;\n padding: 30px;\n margin: 30px 0;\n border-radius: 8px;\n }\n \n .quote-block h4 {\n color: #856404;\n margin-bottom: 15px;\n font-size: 1.1rem;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n .quote-block p {\n color: #856404;\n font-style: italic;\n }\n \n \/* Divisor de secci\u00f3n *\/\n .section-divider {\n height: 2px;\n background: #e9ecef;\n margin: 50px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Texto enfatizado *\/\n strong {\n color: #1e3c72;\n font-weight: 600;\n }\n \n \/* Im\u00e1genes *\/\n .support-image {\n width: 100%;\n height: 200px;\n object-fit: cover;\n border-radius: 8px;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);\n margin: 30px 0;\n }\n \n \/* Responsive *\/\n @media (max-width: 768px) {\n .container {\n padding: 0 15px;\n }\n \n .page-header {\n padding: 40px 20px;\n }\n \n .page-header h1 {\n font-size: 1.5rem;\n }\n \n h2 {\n font-size: 1.5rem;\n }\n \n .data-row {\n grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n gap: 5px;\n }\n \n .quote-block,\n .company-list,\n .data-table {\n padding: 20px;\n }\n }\n <\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n <div class=\"container\">\n \n <div class=\"page-header\">\n <h>Historical Journey of the Spanish Arms Sector through ASOCIACI\u00d3N ARMERA<\/h>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Constitution of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1967, sixty-five companies manufacturing short and long firearms decided to group together into a large sectoral confederation that would soon also include ammunition manufacturers. In 1978, the latter became full voting members of the Association.<\/p>\n \n <p>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera is actually the successor to an earlier organization, the Official Arms Chamber, founded in 1915 with the objective of financing the construction and maintenance of the Proof House for Portable Arms of Eibar.<\/p>\n \n <p>The founders of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, who at the time generated direct employment for 3,000 workers and indirect employment for 2,000 self-employed individuals, decided to form a united front to resolve the severe problems affecting the arms sector: the need to establish minimum export prices, the continuous devaluation of the peseta, multi-million dollar liability claims in the USA, worker training, the necessary standardization of parts, increasingly restrictive firearms regulations, quality problems with barrel steels, significant payment defaults, etc.<\/p>\n \n <p>The headquarters was established at Plaza de Unzaga in Eibar.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"company-list\">\n <h3>Founding Companies<\/h3>\n <p>The following companies signed the first constitutional documents of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera: Aguirre y Aranzabal S.R.C., Mart\u00edn Amuategui, Francisco Anitua, Hermanos Aramberri S.R.C., Javier Arana Alberdi, Gaspar Arizaga, Armas Ego, Armas El Corzo, Armas Garbi, Armas Ilja, Armas Marixa, Armer\u00eda Parkemi, Luis Arrizabalaga, Pedro Arrizabalaga, Ayra Durex, Juan Antonio Belategui, Eugenio Bilbatua, Comercial Vasco Armera, Crucelegui Hermanos S.R.C., C. y T. Bascaran, Jose Mar\u00eda Chopitea, Pedro Gorosabel, Hijos de F. Arizaga, Hijos de V. Aramberri y C\u00eda. S.R.C., Hijo de J. Muguruza, Antonio Ibeas Rosuero, Laurona Armas S.A., Antonio Madariaga Urquidi, Manufacturas JCM-J.C.M. suc., Antonio Marcos Ralea, Mendi S.C.I., Norberto Arizmendi, S.A., Adolfo Sarasqueta, Star-Bonifacio Echevarria S.A., Suc. de E. Guisasola, Suc. de Viuda e Hijos de J. Fernandez, Trust Eibarr\u00e9s, Mart\u00edn Ugarteburu, Ignacio Ugartechea, Uni\u00f3n Armera S.L., Jos\u00e9 Urig\u00fcen, Victor Sarasqueta S.A., Vda. e Hijos de J.J. Sarasqueta, Zamacola Hermanos S.R.C., Juan Zubiaurre Arrizabalaga, Ignacio Zubillaga, Armas Gib M\u00e1ximo Bolinaga, Zabala Hermanos S.R.C., Armas Erbi S.C.I., Armas Urbiola, Pedro Arosa Aguirre, Manufacturas Arrieta, Francisco Sarriugarte, Felix Sarasqueta y C\u00eda. S.A., Miguel Larra\u00f1aga, Suc. de Eusebio Arizaga S.R.C., Industrias Danok, Astra Unceta y C\u00eda. S.A., Carrero y Astelarra S.L., G. Zabala y C\u00eda. S.A., Ascensio Zabala, Garate y Mendibe S.A., Hijos de Orbea S.A., Llama-Gabilondo y C\u00eda. S.A., Uni\u00f3n Explosivos Rio Tinto S.A.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>The statutes were designed so that manufacturers of short and long firearms were equally represented on the Board of Directors, and the positions of president and vice-president alternated between representatives of these two subsectors. Likewise, representation of all types of companies regardless of their size was guaranteed, avoiding hegemonic positions by large manufacturers.<\/p>\n \n <p>The first boards of directors were also executive; their members met weekly and divided tasks among themselves. In 1972, management was professionalized with the hiring of the first manager and administrative staff.<\/p>\n \n <p>Years later, after several deep crises and failed restructuring attempts that led to the closure of numerous factories, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, facing the danger of extinction, decided to reorganize and modify its statutes to also accommodate manufacturers and importers of complementary products for hunting and sport shooting such as clothing, footwear, cutlery, clay targets, etc.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fachadas_fabricas_armas._antiguaspng.png\" alt=\"Facades of old arms factories\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Minimum Prices<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1968, the sector gathered around Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to agree on minimum export prices. At that time, a minimum price of $44 was set for half-plate shotguns and $45 for full-plate shotguns.<\/p>\n \n <p>In subsequent years, prices would be set by models with a division into ten different models and prices ranging from 1,475 pesetas for the most basic to 7,790 for the premium model.<\/p>\n \n <p>Annual increases in these minimum prices ranged between 15 and 20%.<\/p>\n \n <p>Compliance with these minimum prices was guaranteed by the Government Delegation through the Customs Department. Arms exports were subject to authorization through export licenses, and their granting was conditional on compliance with these minimum prices. The Government Delegate attended the General Assemblies of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to witness their establishment and subsequent compliance.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, the establishment of minimum export prices was a source of continuous conflict. Issues such as the galloping increase in Social Security payments, labor demands for wage increases, rising raw material costs, dollar devaluation, and currency devaluation in Spain's competing countries (Italy, Brazil...) made it impossible to maintain the agreed minimum prices throughout an entire year and led to continuous extraordinary assemblies and meetings with the Ministry of Industry to find a solution.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Serious problems began to be detected in sales possibilities due to the inability to pass on constant cost increases to the final price, and meetings between Asociaci\u00f3n Armera and suppliers began.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>In 1974, a commitment was secured from stock makers to freeze prices, and barrel makers as well, except for wage increases exceeding 1,000 pesetas. Action makers, after announcing an increase of between 8.8 and 9%, committed to maintaining prices throughout the year. Barrel finishers, however, applied increases of 12%.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, the minimum price system began to fail; selling exclusively by price was no longer working. It became necessary to address the quality issue, seriously study markets, and venture into organizing their own distribution channels to increase company profit margins.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Trade Delegate, Mr. Coloma, warned at the General Assembly of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera held in 1975: \"we are in the era of the disappearance of minimum prices; the Administration cannot be responsible for controlling compliance with minimum prices among industrialists with minimal commercial sense. The manufacturing costs of a shotgun must be reflected in the final price; that is assumed.\"<\/p>\n \n <p>Furthermore, a General Assembly denounced that some manufacturers were misusing minimum prices by incorporating finishes and equipment into shotguns that increase their value but, nevertheless, selling them at the minimum price to secure orders more easily.<\/p>\n \n <p>Minimum prices, the complainants argued, should be the minimum profitability scale; they should almost be a liquidation price in exceptional cases and not the general rule. A manufacturer should know their profitability margins, with minimum prices being a reference for setting very special sales conditions and for specific models.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/publicidad_fabricas_armas_antiguas.png\" alt=\"Historical advertising from arms factories\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <h3>Domestic Market<\/h3>\n \n <p>Regarding minimum domestic prices, the outlook was even more bleak. The criterion followed for their establishment was to use minimum export prices plus the 12% tax relief and luxury taxes in effect at any given time.<\/p>\n \n <p>The importation of foreign firearms into Spain was restricted for many years; import licenses for firearms were granted sparingly and for very few units. The domestic firearms market was dominated by national manufacturers for many years, who failed to take advantage of this benefit.<\/p>\n \n <p>By the late 1970s, the problem of domestic market prices worsened as the American market was lost and some companies placed their excess production in Spain at low prices, frustrating sales for other manufacturers. The domestic market had a purchasing capacity that was exceeded; some gunsmiths began to become small warehouses and distributors trading with ridiculous margins.<\/p>\n \n <p>There were manufacturers selling 30% below the minimum price, which amounted to collective suicide. Many companies didn't even have production cost studies to help them set the minimum selling price that would guarantee minimum profitability, and they asked Asociaci\u00f3n Armera to undertake this study.<\/p>\n\n <h3>International Tensions<\/h3>\n \n <p>In 1978, the President of the French Syndical Chamber of Arms Manufacturers denounced the constant increase in Spanish arms sales in France while there was no reciprocity with French arms in Spain because imports were restricted.<\/p>\n \n <p>Spanish shotgun exports to France went from 1,500,000 pesetas in 1970 to 144,000,257 in 1975. However, Spanish imports of French shotguns did not exceed 6 million pesetas in 1975.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Export Tax Relief<\/h2>\n \n <p>After several rounds of negotiations in 1972, the arms sector obtained a tax relief of 12% on amounts invoiced for export.<\/p>\n \n <p>Negotiations for increasing this percentage would be the main focus of subsequent years and the subject of multiple meetings among manufacturers within Asociaci\u00f3n Armera.<\/p>\n \n <p>When, in 1976, the national company Santa B\u00e1rbara, manufacturer of Mauser-type bolt-action rifles and muzzleloaders and belonging to I.N.I., joined Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, an attempt was made to reorganize the arms sector by leveraging the significant weight of this company in terms of figures.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, adherence to tax relief was voluntary, and in 1975 its processing was not possible as Asociaci\u00f3n Armera was unable to obtain 80% adherence among companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>Some large manufacturers had opposed it in the mistaken belief that in difficult economic situations they were better prepared to survive, thus eliminating part of their competition.<\/p>\n \n <p>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera never asked for accountability from the companies that did not adhere, to their own detriment and that of others, to avoid internal divisions that would have weakened the Association.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Proof House<\/h2>\n \n <p>Spanish arms manufacturers saw the need to provide their firearms with a quality stamp recognized in Europe and urged the Spanish Government to subscribe to the Convention for the Reciprocal Recognition of Proof Marks on Portable Firearms (CIP Convention).<\/p>\n \n <p>Following the signing of this International Convention, the Law for the Creation of Proof Houses was enacted in 1915, and from that moment on, firearms that had not passed a mandatory test at a Proof House could not be sold in Spain or exported abroad.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"quote-block\">\n <h4>Official State Gazette (1915)<\/h4>\n <p>Don Alfonso XIII, by the grace of God and the Constitution, King of Spain:<\/p>\n <p>To all who shall see and understand this, know: that the Courts have decreed and We have sanctioned the following:<\/p>\n <p>The Minister of War shall proceed urgently to create Proof Houses for portable firearms and their ammunition, as they exist abroad, which shall be directed by Artillery Officers and Chiefs to be designated and shall have the purpose of guaranteeing the safety in the use of said firearms and maintaining the credit of their factories.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <p>The Proof Houses would be created in Eibar and Oviedo for manufacturers in the Basque Provinces region for the first and the Santander and Asturias region for the second.<\/p>\n \n <p>The manufacturers in the region where the mentioned Proof Houses were established would commit to installing them at their own expense and to bearing all expenses arising from their operation, both personnel and materials, without burdening the State, Provincial, or Municipal budgets in any way.<\/p>\n \n <p>Only the Eibar Proof House would be established, at Plaza de Unzaga, with a branch of the same at the Barcelona Artillery Arsenal, which would have the mission of carrying out tests and marking firearms manufactured in that city.<\/p>\n \n <p>The manufacturers existing at that date constituted the Official Arms Chamber with the purpose of establishing a common fund for the construction of the Eibar Proof House for portable firearms and their ammunition and to provide it with technical means and provide for its maintenance.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1998, the Eibar Proof House would move to its current location in the Azitain Industrial Estate in the same town.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Training Plans<\/h2>\n \n <p>The recruitment of specialized workers in shotgun manufacturing has always been a problem for the arms industry, and there were continuous complaints filed with Asociaci\u00f3n Armera about the \"theft\" of specialists between companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>To solve this problem, in 1970 the first gunsmithing training course was launched at the Eibar School of Gunsmithing with 25 apprentices. The specialty of master gunsmith was included in the nomenclature of Intensive Professional Training (F.I.P.) and the course was fully financed by the Ministry of Labor.<\/p>\n \n <p>The course duration was two years and focused on the study of action manufacturing and fitting.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, at the end of the first course, the School of Gunsmithing reported its inability to continue with the courses due to lack of funding.<\/p>\n \n <p>It would not be until 1999 that the sector demanded institutional help to address the training problem; it did not seem fair that other industrial sectors had specialists trained in vocational schools at the expense of general State budgets while the arms sector had to bear the training of its workers.<\/p>\n \n <p>The INEM and the Eibar City Council through its Workshop School took note of the problem and financed the implementation of training plans. Programs were developed, focusing on the three specialties of action, stock, and engraving; teaching staff was hired, students were selected, and necessary materials were acquired.<\/p>\n \n <p>Under the modalities of \"Employment Workshop\" course and \"Workshop School\" course, six training plans of two years duration each would be organized, through which dozens of students would pass who would subsequently join the companies.<\/p>\n \n <p>Recent public spending cuts would lead to the withdrawal of all support for shotgun training, which from that moment until today has been assumed by the companies themselves.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/mujeres_trabajando_fabrica_armas.png\" alt=\"Women working in arms factory\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Opening International Markets<\/h2>\n \n <p>The need to expand markets where the growing arms production could be placed has always been a constant in the arms sector, and the organization of trade missions and participation in international fairs has been one of the activities most demanded by manufacturers.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the first trade missions organized by Asociaci\u00f3n Armera, several representatives of the Board of Directors always traveled together with the President of Aguimex. The trips lasted around a month and covered several countries, gathering information on markets, buyer lists, most demanded products, etc. This information was subsequently transmitted to manufacturers for their use.<\/p>\n\n <h3>International Fairs<\/h3>\n \n <p>Attendance at international fairs has also been a constant; initially companies occupied a joint stand and later individual stands. The Association publishes a catalog of companies and products and distributes thousands of copies worldwide.<\/p>\n \n <p>Presence at International Fairs in El Salvador and Ecuador is common.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the USA, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera has always been present at the NSGA Fair, normally held in Houston and Chicago. These fairs would disappear to give way to the <strong>SHOT Show<\/strong>, currently the reference fair in the US firearms market, which was held for the first time in 1980 in San Francisco.<\/p>\n \n <p>At the European level, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera participated in the first edition of the Exposition Europee de la Chasse et du Tir held in 1972 at the Hotel Meridien in Paris. This fair would be the European firearms reference for many years and would be held in various European cities: Brussels, London, Rome, Madrid, Milan, Copenhagen...<\/p>\n \n <p>In the late 1970s, this fair began to decline until it disappeared due to opposition from exhibitors regarding its high prices. For some years it coexisted with the <strong>IWA in Germany<\/strong>, which was held for the first time in 1976.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tiradores-profesionales_actuales.png\" alt=\"Current professional shooters\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <h3>Results<\/h3>\n \n <p>All these market prospecting actions soon began to bear fruit, and by 1977 the percentage of exports from the arms sector relative to total billing was already 40% and has been increasing to currently stand at 90%.<\/p>\n \n <p>The main destination countries in the 1970s in order of importance were: United Kingdom, France, Italy, USA, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Belgium, and South Africa.<\/p>\n \n <p>In the early 1980s, exports to South American countries increased: Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Alliances in Europe<\/h2>\n \n <p>Spanish manufacturers gathered around Asociaci\u00f3n Armera soon saw the need to form alliances with other European manufacturers to defend their common interests and, after several meetings of the then President of the Association in Brussels with other representatives of European arms manufacturers' associations, <strong>CEFAC (European Committee of Arms Manufacturers)<\/strong> was created.<\/p>\n \n <p>CEFAC changed its name to <strong>IEACS (European Institute of Hunting and Sport Firearms)<\/strong>, approved its statutes, and registered them in Brussels in 1977. From that moment on, it acquired legal personality and began to represent the European arms sector before international organizations.<\/p>\n \n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Reflecting the Spanish arms sector's constant focus on international markets is the paradoxical situation that occurred for years where a Spanish business association (Asociaci\u00f3n Armera) presided over an organization belonging to the European Union (CEFAC) when Spain was not even part of the common market.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Quality<\/h2>\n \n <p>In the mid-1970s, quality problems began to appear among Spanish-manufactured firearms; barrel deformations and firearm bursts occurred, and serious liability problems for manufacturers began to arise.<\/p>\n \n <p>These quality problems very negatively affected the image of Spanish shotguns and reduced competitiveness compared to products from countries like Russia, Brazil, or Italy.<\/p>\n \n <p>Quality problems were especially serious when accidents occurred in countries like the USA and Australia where civil liability claims were commonplace and claims were in the millions. It was urgent to solve the problem.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Board of Directors of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera asked the Proof House to create an investigation commission to analyze the causes but, in the absence of cooperation from the Proof House, the Board decided to form an investigating committee with manufacturers and specialists from the School of Gunsmithing.<\/p>\n \n <p>The problem pointed to the use by barrel makers of certain materials that facilitate the barrel manufacturing process and machining but produce unexpected consequences in firearms during firing.<\/p>\n \n <p>The technical commission appointed for this purpose would conclude its study with the determination of recommended alloys in barrel manufacturing, thus solving the problem.<\/p>\n\n <h3>Ammunition Homologation<\/h3>\n \n <p>However, the technical commission also pointed out an issue never addressed before, namely \"ammunition homologation.\"<\/p>\n \n <p>At that time, neither CIP legislation nor Spanish regulations provided for such homologation and, nevertheless, Spanish firearms manufacturers pointed out this need.<\/p>\n \n <p>Years later, the International Commission for Proof would take charge of the need to standardize ammunition measurements and pressures, and regulations on ammunition homologation would come into force.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Increasingly Restrictive Firearms Legislation<\/h2>\n \n <p>The increasingly restrictive firearms legislation is another constant difficulty for Asociaci\u00f3n Armera. In 1972, the Ministry of Interior began to tighten security measures in factories, requiring works to be carried out in them, and just two years later modified security devices again and imposed the obligation to have permanent security guards in handgun, rifle, and ammunition factories.<\/p>\n \n <p>Again in 1981 the Arms Regulations were reformed, and the increasingly restrictive treatment of firearms generated serious problems for the arms industry, especially during a moment of deep recession.<\/p>\n \n <p>The President of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera denounced, before the Ministries of Interior and Industry, that this new regulation was based more on a restrictive philosophy regarding the possession and circulation of sporting firearms than on a position of balance between necessary control and security on firearms and the agility that commerce and the arms industry need to maintain themselves as such, placing the Spanish arms industry at a serious disadvantage compared to international competitors.<\/p>\n \n <p>Users, hunters and shooters, saw their rights progressively diminished, and in November 1985 Royal Decree No. 2283 was published regulating the psychophysical aptitudes that individuals wishing to obtain firearms permits must meet, aggravating the sector's problems as the granting of firearms permits decreased by 46%.<\/p>\n \n <p>Furthermore, the recurring problem of firearms auctions held by the Civil Guard increased, and by 1985 the number of firearms auctioned by the Civil Guard already exceeded those manufactured by industry. The State became the largest gun shop in Spain, competing in the market with manufacturers, wholesalers, and gun shops with firearms from seizures and hunters who turned them in at Command Posts. It was unfair and unfair competition that stifled industry.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1993, the Arms Regulations were modified again and firearms legislation underwent another turn of the screw; transport security measures were tightened, leading to the paralysis of all supplies to gun shops for weeks. Sporting firearms legislation in Spain is the most restrictive in Europe, criminalizing manufacturers and users and suffocating industry, causing the closure of numerous companies.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>The Restructuring<\/h2>\n \n <p>In 1975, against a background of severe economic crisis, voices began to emerge advocating for undertaking a series of structural changes.<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"quote-block\">\n <h4>Mr. Arana's Letter (1975)<\/h4>\n <p>\"I believe that the specific situation that most of our sector's companies are going through has the characteristics of a deep crisis.\"<\/p>\n <p>\"The situation is frankly difficult and panic has begun to spread since we all know that our companies' capitalization rate is very low, so there are no accumulated reserves to face a prolonged period of stock accumulation.\"<\/p>\n <p>\"It is necessary to study the viability of some alternatives: Request Government collaboration in granting long-term special credits. Request collaboration from our suppliers in cost containment. Orient towards centralization in the manufacture of stocks, actions, barrels, etc. Program a strong worldwide advertising campaign to revalue our shotgun.\"<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>Production Evolution by Weapon Type<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1974<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 24,345 | Double-barrel: 192,848 | Semi-automatic: 11,580 | Pistols: 100,468<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1975<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 26,458 | Double-barrel: 172,179 | Semi-automatic: 9,650 | Pistols: 90,512<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">YEAR 1978<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">Single-barrel shotguns: 11,487 | Double-barrel: 144,027 | Semi-automatic: 19,781 | Pistols: 110,270<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>The Restructuring Process<\/h3>\n \n <p>It would not be until 1980 that the urgent need for sector restructuring was highlighted at the General Assembly of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 1981, sector restructuring began. A survey was addressed to all member companies and, of the 60, 41 showed interest in entering the project.<\/p>\n \n <p>The Basque Government through the Minister of Industry Mr. Garc\u00eda Egocheaga confirmed its intention to collaborate in the project, committing to subsidize 90% of the preliminary study cost.<\/p>\n\n <h3>Sector Diagnosis<\/h3>\n \n <p>As a starting point, a study was commissioned from the company SOFEMASA to analyze the state of the sector. The preliminary conclusions of the sectoral study offered the following far from encouraging panorama:<\/p>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>1. Loss of Sales Volume<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Year 1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">217,251 shotguns manufactured<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Year 1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">160,670 shotguns manufactured<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>2. Loss of Export Positions<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">146,500 units exported (67% of total sales)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">59,760 units exported (37% of total sales)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">USA 1973<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">33% of total exports<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">USA 1980<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">8% of total exports - Almost complete loss of this market<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <div class=\"data-table\">\n <h4>3. Classification of Member Companies<\/h4>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">More than 50 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">9 companies<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Between 25 and 50 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">14 companies<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"data-row\">\n <span class=\"data-label\">Less than 25 workers<\/span>\n <span class=\"data-value\">37 companies (billing less than 50 million pesetas)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>Proposed Lines of Action<\/h3>\n \n <p>The proposed lines of action included:<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>1. Company resizing:<\/strong> They must adjust to minimum dimensions that attempt to make them profitable. This involves the merger and integration of many of them. In the shotgun subsector, there should be 4 or 5 companies.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>2. Technological innovation:<\/strong> Undertake new investments that allow incorporating more advanced technical means whose profitability will require a minimum production volume.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>3. Product development:<\/strong> We must start creating, inventing, launching new types of firearms and products that allow maximum development of the subsisting market around shooting and hunting.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>4. Workforce adjustments:<\/strong> Derived from the disappearance of some companies and the resizing of others.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>5. New commercial policies:<\/strong> Approach of own or sector-controlled commercial networks abroad.<\/p>\n\n <h3>UFA and Soresko<\/h3>\n \n <p>It was agreed to create a joint company intended to lead and develop the restructuring process, initially for shotgun and air rifle manufacturing companies. The company adopted the form of a Corporation and was named <strong>UFA (Union of Arms Manufacturers)<\/strong>. It would later change its name to <strong>Soresko<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \n <p>Of the shotgun and air rifle companies, forty-one decided to join.<\/p>\n \n <p>Investments, not including real estate, would amount to 500 million pesetas: 350 million in technology and 150 in research and commercial.<\/p>\n \n <p>However, controversies soon arose among some of the companies that initially entered the restructuring project. Some significant sector companies, such as Aguirre y Aranzabal, S.A., Ignacio Ugartechea, Lanber Armas, S.A., Laurona, S.A., and Benelli remained outside the process.<\/p>\n \n <p>The restructuring project did not seem realistic and some companies decided to disengage from it.<\/p>\n \n <p>By the end of 1984, the new plant, located in Iciar, was already in operation. Two years later it would close and begin its liquidation.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cazadores-profesionales_actuales.png\" alt=\"Current professional hunters\" class=\"support-image\">\n <\/section>\n\n <div class=\"section-divider\"><\/div>\n\n \n <section class=\"content-section\">\n <h2>Current Moment<\/h2>\n \n <p>From the 1990s to the present, the picture shown by the arms industry is very different from that of previous decades.<\/p>\n \n <p>Large production volumes have been reduced, and specialization and excellence in quality are sought.<\/p>\n \n <p>While the objective of company merger intended in the restructuring process was a failure, the challenge of sector reorganization was a success. Those companies that had ceased to be competitive disappeared to give way to a new panorama with a modern arms industry, with a high degree of specialization and a range of products adapted to new demand.<\/p>\n \n <p>In 2007, the <strong>Arms Industry Museum in Eibar<\/strong> was inaugurated to collect a sample of what the arms sector was in the region, what it represented in the economy and in the feelings of its people.<\/p>\n \n <p>At the beginning of the 21st century, the arms industry already appears renewed, having incorporated the latest technologies into its manufacturing processes, adapted to new market demands, develops new products, and obtains recognition worldwide.<\/p>\n \n <p>In a transforming world where production centers migrate to countries with cheap labor, the arms industry has been able to maintain Eibar manufacturing and export it to the five continents.<\/p>\n\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.a-armera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/artesanal_armas.png\" alt=\"Artisanal work in firearms manufacturing\" class=\"support-image\">\n\n <div class=\"highlight-text\">\n <p>Thus, hand in hand with the sector itself, Asociaci\u00f3n Armera reinvents itself and welcomes new subsectors linked to hunting and sport shooting, taking advantage of synergies between companies.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <h3>The Current Sector<\/h3>\n \n <p><strong>Shotgun manufacturing companies<\/strong> have specialized in side-by-side and high-end rifles, taking up the tradition by combining craftsmanship and perfection in finishes with the latest technical advances. They manufacture luxury firearms highly demanded in international markets.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>The muzzleloader subsector<\/strong> has positioned itself at the forefront worldwide and has diversified production towards precision rifles and barrel manufacturing.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Hunting ammunition manufacturers<\/strong> restructured, modernized their facilities, and made quality a priority, becoming a worldwide reference with export levels exceeding 90%.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Air rifle manufacturers<\/strong> have perfected their product; the importance of success lies in barrel quality and the capacity for continuous product innovation.<\/p>\n \n <p><strong>Asociaci\u00f3n Armera welcomes<\/strong> firearms and equipment distributors of the most prestigious international brands, manufacturers of cutlery, clothing, footwear, and clay targets for shooting practice.<\/p>\n \n <p>Industry creates and innovates and ventures into new technologies applied to firearms, electronics as a component of firearms, special polymers are incorporated into ammunition. In short, the 21st-century arms industry is modern and in continuous adaptation to a scenario also in transformation.<\/p>\n <\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>History – Asociaci\u00f3n Armera Historical Journey of the Spanish Arms Sector through ASOCIACI\u00d3N ARMERA The Constitution of Asociaci\u00f3n Armera In 1967, sixty-five companies manufacturing short and long firearms decided to group together into a large sectoral confederation that would soon also include ammunition manufacturers. In 1978, the latter became full voting members of the Association. 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