Thoughts on the new Weatherby Orion SxS?

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Aabradsh

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I'm considering picking up one of these, in 20ga. Looking at getting a more reasonably priced SxS for busting brush after grouse. I've considered a CZ, but these new Weatherbys have a few features I think I'd prefer. They use grade II wood for their stocks (I do find the CZs look rather plain), are matte blued rather than chrome coated, and come with 28" barrels as a standard.

I may consider waiting to see if they made a "deluxe" version of these, with gloss blueing and wood finish. But am currently pretty impressed with what I'm reading about them, given a retail price of ~$1200.
 
It looks like a pretty good attempt at approximating a classic sxs pattern employing modern production methods and materials. Weatherby contracts production of their shotguns to Turkish manufacturers (as does CZ USA). I couldn't find anywhere on the Weatherby web site where they specify the material used for the receiver. This, along with the look of the receiver, and the fact that the barrels are threaded for Yildiz chokes, all suggests to me that the receiver is cast in aluminum alloy. For me personally, I wouldn't want a double built in aluminum to a British pattern. Having said this, it remains to be confirmed that this is the case. But, their complete avoidance of disclosing the material used is suspicious.

There are some passable sxs's coming out of Turkey. I'm not fond of the black chromed barrels or the tacky nitre case colours they come with, but they are priced in the entry-level $1200 CAD range. This Orion receiver makes me uneasy. Looking at the gun overall, I get the feeling they used a variety of economy materials and put almost nothing into fit and finish.
 
Yeah straightshooter, I was thinking they likely aren’t made with top tier materials. These definitely aren’t a Perazzi. But compared to other guns in their price range, they seem to have a number of desirable features. I imagine they’re not a generational gun, but they also don’t cost 3,4,5k+. I may end up just saving for longer and trying to find a mid level AYA.
 
Aabradsh said:
I'm considering picking up one of these, in 20ga. Looking at getting a more reasonably priced SxS for busting brush after grouse. I've considered a CZ, but these new Weatherbys have a few features I think I'd prefer. They use grade II wood for their stocks (I do find the CZs look rather plain), are matte blued rather than chrome coated, and come with 28" barrels as a standard.

I may consider waiting to see if they made a "deluxe" version of these, with gloss blueing and wood finish. But am currently pretty impressed with what I'm reading about them, given a retail price of ~$1200.
Click to expand...

I think there’s a very good chance this gun is made by Yildiz for Weatherby. The fact that the choke thread is Yildiz compatible plus the fact that the safety button is a dead ringer for the one on Yildiz guns convinces me. For what it’s worth, I’ve had a Yildiz Elegant A5 E in 20ga for more than 5 years and it’s a fabulous gun for the money. Mine has an aluminum receiver “in the white” and I have absolutely no concerns about its durability. I think the Elegant in the sub-gauges is only available with an aluminum receiver which would suggest that the Weatherby would be as well. It’s a really light gun, so great for hunting but less so for extended forays at the range.

https://yildizsilah.com/tr/cifte_i.html
 
I purchased a Yildiz Elegant A1 12 ga when they first came to the country probably 15 years ago or more. The blueing was nice and it had very nice wood, the finish was very nice with hand engraving on the receiver but the triggers broke at 12 lbs each.... The dealer pretended to fix them but when I got the gun back one trigger broke at 10 lbs and the other broke at 8 lbs and it was near impossible for me to shoot when my trigger finger was used to 3 to 4 lb pulls, I'd try to pull the trigger but it wouldn't go off unless I thought to pull harder than usual which meant that I was usually behind the target by the time the gun would go off. I had to take matters into my own hands to fix the triggers and when I pulled the stock off the cheap quality of the work done by the factory was apparent. The slot in the tang where the triggers extend through had burs and sharp edges, once removed the triggers moved much more freely. Also, the trigger coil springs were so soft that when I compressed them between thumb and forefinger then released they didn't rebound to the original length. This actually worked out well because when I put the gun back together with the shorter springs and dehorned edges the triggers actually both broke around 4 lbs. I shot the gun for a while and someone else fell in love with it one day so I let it go because despite being really shiney on the outside, it really was a poorly made gun.
I do believe the Weatherby Orion is made by Yildiz and I'm not saying that all Yildiz guns are that poorly made. I do think the company has made inroads with their quality and possibly their more expensive guns are made to a higher standard... at least I would hope that they are anyway. The Orion doesn't appeal to me with it's matt finish and the name "Weatherby" in huge yellow paint on the side of the receiver but each to their own. The cheap Turkish shotgun market is flourishing and folks seem to love the fact they can get a nice looking gun that is a loosely based copy of a successful makers gun at a low price and most of them will last long enough if not used heavily.
 
Falconflyer said:
I purchased a Yildiz Elegant A1 12 ga when they first came to the country probably 15 years ago or more. The blueing was nice and it had very nice wood, the finish was very nice with hand engraving on the receiver but the triggers broke at 12 lbs each.... The dealer pretended to fix them but when I got the gun back one trigger broke at 10 lbs and the other broke at 8 lbs and it was near impossible for me to shoot when my trigger finger was used to 3 to 4 lb pulls, I'd try to pull the trigger but it wouldn't go off unless I thought to pull harder than usual which meant that I was usually behind the target by the time the gun would go off. I had to take matters into my own hands to fix the triggers and when I pulled the stock off the cheap quality of the work done by the factory was apparent. The slot in the tang where the triggers extend through had burs and sharp edges, once removed the triggers moved much more freely. Also, the trigger coil springs were so soft that when I compressed them between thumb and forefinger then released they didn't rebound to the original length. This actually worked out well because when I put the gun back together with the shorter springs and dehorned edges the triggers actually both broke around 4 lbs. I shot the gun for a while and someone else fell in love with it one day so I let it go because despite being really shiney on the outside, it really was a poorly made gun.
I do believe the Weatherby Orion is made by Yildiz and I'm not saying that all Yildiz guns are that poorly made. I do think the company has made inroads with their quality and possibly their more expensive guns are made to a higher standard... at least I would hope that they are anyway. The Orion doesn't appeal to me with it's matt finish and the name "Weatherby" in huge yellow paint on the side of the receiver but each to their own. The cheap Turkish shotgun market is flourishing and folks seem to love the fact they can get a nice looking gun that is a loosely based copy of a successful makers gun at a low price and most of them will last long enough if not used heavily.
Click to expand...

I know in the early days of Yildiz’s arrival in NA, there were quite a few complaints of various sorts, including horrendous triggers. Broken firing pins seemed to be another complaint. This is actually my second A5; I traded the first away when I came across a Beretta that made me drool. That first A5 was a brute to break open (got better over time, but was always too stiff). Trigger pull was heavy, but not 12th lbs heavy; more likely 8ish. It also came with extractors. My second one was/is much improved action and trigger pull-wise. It also has ejectors. The wood on the first one was border line spectacular, this one is very nice, but not equivalent to the first. My impression is that Yildiz makes continuous improvements over the years.
 
It's nice to hear that the quality of Yildiz is getting better because the early ones are not something I'd wish on anybody. I know several people who purchased early over and under's and they didn't last for many rounds before breaking down or wearing out.
It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that Yildiz has copied other makers guns almost to the last detail and have never come up with a unique design of their own. They're latest endeavor of copying a Perazzi and charging one quarter of the price of one is a prime example of trying to cash in on another companies success but I guess that's capitalism for you and there are people out there who would want you to think their gun is a model that it isn't at a glance.
 
I recently had the chance to shoot a Pro Sport from Yildiz, their Perazzi copy. I was quite impressed with the wood on the gun and the quality of finish was good. The triggers were fine and it shot well. It was a little on the light side as far a weight goes, but the balance was fine. How they hold up to heavy target shooting, time will tell. But at the price, Yildiz has done a good job.
 
The Orion SxS are indeed made by Yildiz -- the action is a round bodied steel receiver, not aluminum. My 20ga weights in at 6.5lbs and is a joy to shoot. Te action is unlike other Yildiz guns and is in fact very much like a Krieghoff SxS. The gun is well balanced between the hands and with the English stock and swamped rib is very responsive. I will be ordering a 12 ga when they are available again.
 
I've got the new Orion SxS in 410. For the money I'm very happy with it. Fit and finish is decent, handles well, and breaks all targets when I do my part. I've only got about 500 rounds through it so no idea about longevity at this point. The store I bought mine from also had the 2 ga and it was nice but I already have 2 20 ga SxS so I passed.
 
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