(FORTUNE Magazine) – Spain is the place for sherry, olives, and fine Cordovan leather, yes--but fine shotguns? Some of the world's best are indeed made there, and six premier shotgun makers are within walking distance of one another in the small Basque hill town of Eibar. Value-conscious sportsmen wanting a custom-made, English-style gun ought to make Eibar's acquaintance.

Why? Time and money. While an English English-style shotgun made by Purdey, Holland & Holland, or Boss can cost $50,000 or more and entails a three- to five-year wait, one made in Eibar typically costs $5,000 and takes only a few months. And it's a hell of a gun--reliable and beautifully made.

The attributes of Spanish shotguns in general (and of Eibar's six makers in particular) are described at length by Terry Wieland in his book Spanish Best ($45: Countrysport Press, 800-367-4114). Wieland also explains how to order such a gun, whether you go in person to Eibar or stay home and use an importer.

Basque-born Michel Bergerac, former head of Revlon and an impassioned fan of Spanish shotguns, encourages a visit to Eibar. After being measured and fitted for your gun purchase, he says, stay in nearby San Sebastian, a resort on the Bay of Biscay favored both by the kings of Spain and by Hemingway, who describes it in The Sun Also Rises.

Bergerac recommends the hotel Maria Cristina (pricy) or, right on the beach, the Hotel de Londres (slightly less so; ask for a bay view). Food? The city boasts a Michelin three-star restaurant, Arzak. Try the crayfish. After dinner, as you sip the Basque liqueur Izarra, you can contemplate your next move: a jaunt to Bilbao to admire Frank Gehry's new Guggenheim Museum or something far more Hemingway-esque--a trip to Pamplona, perhaps, to shoot a little bull.

--Alan Farnham