Turkish shotguns, which are good, and which are not?

I own an ATA SP nickel o/u. There is much info online about it and its relation to the Beretta 686.
The shotgun is amazing, and I would buy one again if I were in the market. The first time I showed up to the range with it the guys were super impressed...3 weeks later, there were two more! That was a couple of years ago, and although mine barely gets out, the other guys do some heavy shooting and ZERO issues. Great value!
https://www.ataarms.com/en/sp-nickel.html
 
Rich the Butcher said:
I own an ATA SP nickel o/u. There is much info online about it and its relation to the Beretta 686.
The shotgun is amazing, and I would buy one again if I were in the market. The first time I showed up to the range with it the guys were super impressed...3 weeks later, there were two more! That was a couple of years ago, and although mine barely gets out, the other guys do some heavy shooting and ZERO issues. Great value!
https://www.ataarms.com/en/sp-nickel.html
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That's good to hear, the only experience I've had with them is looking at one that a guy brought to the club. He had won it at a raffle and it was stamped Weatherby but was an obvious copy of a 686. He didn't shoot it because the top lever wouldn't return to center when the action was closed, it was as if the spring was weak or broken or maybe getting hung up on something. He went away and I haven't seen him or the gun since.
 
Inherited a Hatsun semi from a relative and its my brothers go to duck gun. Never jams, eats whatever you feed it. I give it a good cleaning after duck season every year, it was pretty filthy but still running just fine. Not as nice as my Benelli M2 but I don't expect it to be.
 
I know that I've related my first hand experiences with Turkish guns on the forum before but I'll do it again for this thread, even though it's an old one.

My first Turkish gun was a Yildiz Elegant A1 side by side 12 g with wood to die for, normally you'd only see wood like that on guns costing a lot of money! The triggers were deplorable to say the least..... both triggers broke at 12 lbs which is impossible to shoot when your used to 4 lb pulls. I contacted the distributor and he said to bring it back and he'd have his gunsmith look at it so I did and was surprised to have the gun back in 24 hours. I threw a couple of snap caps in and tested the triggers to find one at 10 lbs and the other at 8 lbs. I contacted the distributor again and casually told him about the triggers to which he got quite irate and told me to bring the gun back again. I chose not to do that given his attitude and took the gun apart to see what I could do. I found that the coil trigger springs were so soft that I could compress them with my thumb and fore finger and when I released them they were shorter than before. I cleaned up a few machining burs and put the reduced length springs back in to find the trigger pulls around 5 lbs each so I left it like that. Oh, and right from new, the recoil pad was cracked from some one at the factory over tightening the screws, the distributor told me that he would get me a new one but I never saw it.
Having said all that, the gun balanced and handled very nice, the hand engraving was delightful and the bluing was good but I didn't keep the gun very long before someone made me an offer on it I couldn't refuse.
Overall I think that Yildiz is probably good enough for the occasional shooter. The guns are very light which is nice in a hunting gun but they won't hold up to high round counts. I know a guy who shot an over and under on the trap range and after 4000 rounds the gun was as worn as a Browning or Beretta after 150,000 rounds.

I won a Winchester SPX at a shoot and passed it on to a friend who has shot it a bit with no problems.

I got a Weatherby Sa-08 with composite stock to use a beater in a goose blind with 3 inch shells. I shot it on the sporting clays range a few times before retiring it to a hunting gun and it has performed flawlessly albeit the round count is probably under 600. The only time it has failed to function is when I was experimenting with the different gas valves with light and heavy loads. I can make it jam by using the heavy valve with light loads but it's simply this, heavy valve for hunting loads and light valve for target loads, easy. Overall I've been very impressed with it.

Huglu 202B side by side 410. The first time out I found the left hammer was dragging on the inside of the stock wrist and would fail to fire some times. I pulled the stock and relieved a small bit of wood with my dremel to give the hammer clearance and the gun has run flawlessly ever since. I really love this little gun!

Overall my experiences have been good with the Turkish guns I've owned. I'd be a bit hesitant to get another Yildiz but I understand the triggers are better now that they were a number of years ago when I had one but still, once burned.... One has to remember that every manufacturer sends out a lemon once in a while and these guns are no different than the rest in that regard. The most obvious thing to me is that if you only shoot a few rounds per year then these can be good value but if you plan to do a lot then maybe your better off with something of better quality. Even though Yildiz is making a sporting gun that copies the boss action and looks for all the world like a Perazzi, it is not a Perazzi by any stretch of the imagination... but nor does it cost what a Perazzi costs either.
 
Good to hear from some of the fellows here who had extensive experience with these shotguns.

I guess, some of them are little rough and need a touch or two to make them function as expected, but price is right.

And of course, because I did not want to generalize and call all Turkish guns good or bad, keep the writings coming... let's separate diamonds in the rough, from cheap junk.
 
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I have to start buying turkish guns where you guys do , because any one I have had anything to do with has been a terrible disappointment. Light hits ,,cracked stocks ,selectors that jump out of place after first shot. I realize i am high volume shooter, but still . In the group I shoot with they show up now and then ,, they are sold or traded very quickly. I got my trigger lightened up a bit on a Citori and he told me they are so substandard ,he won't even work on them. Before someone rants about how they have turkish gun that has shot 150k round with out a problem. Just let me assure you that there is almost nothing in the world that i care less about than what gun you shoot.. as long as I don't have to shoot one .
 
Kenny said:
I have to start buying turkish guns where you guys do , because any one I have had anything to do with has been a terrible disappointment. Light hits ,,cracked stocks ,selectors that jump out of place after first shot. I realize i am high volume shooter, but still . In the group I shoot with they show up now and then ,, they are sold or traded very quickly. I got my trigger lightened up a bit on a Citori and he told me they are so substandard ,he won't even work on them. Before someone rants about how they have turkish gun that has shot 150k round with out a problem. Just let me assure you that there is almost nothing in the world that i care less about than what gun you shoot.. as long as I don't have to shoot one .
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Your first mistake is in thinking that Turkish guns will do high volume, they won't. And some people (not thinking of you) think that high volume shooting is a hundred rounds per year.... it's not!
 
Rich the Butcher said:
I own an ATA SP nickel o/u. There is much info online about it and its relation to the Beretta 686.
The shotgun is amazing, and I would buy one again if I were in the market. The first time I showed up to the range with it the guys were super impressed...3 weeks later, there were two more! That was a couple of years ago, and although mine barely gets out, the other guys do some heavy shooting and ZERO issues. Great value!
https://www.ataarms.com/en/sp-nickel.html
Click to expand...

The gun shop on youtube does a complete side by side comparison. You may want to check it out.
 
I find good value in some of the better turkish guns for hunting. I dont use them for high volume skeet shooting but i do use them enough to be familiar with them. 2 or 3 boxes each week or so
I am impressed with my recent charles daly 20ga auto although ive only got a few hundred rounds it in the last couple months
 
I won a Canuck defender/regulator in a draw. Was planning on selling it because it wasn't quite what I wanted. Then I got it out of the box and shot it. It's a really nice, accurate gun. Will it handle thousands of rounds? Perhaps not, but it won't be asked to.

I'm not saying I would buy one, but considering how little I would get if I sold it, I decided to keep it. I'll use it for grouse and varments around the house.
 
Just my 2 cents worth...
My Hatsan super escort semi 12 ga. works fine with all loads and brands.
My Pardus SL semi 20 ga. doesn't like Challenger shells (so do many other shotguns from what I hear) but works fine with the other brands I've tried.
My Uzkon AS-11 pump 12 ga. hasn't given me any problems, it only came with a fixed IC choke so it's good for all steel shot and slugs.
None of these are high end or real expensive shotguns, but I am happy with how they perform with regards to how much I paid for them.
To each their own...some Turkish shotguns are definitely better than others. If you are considering buying one, do your homework. Read the reviews and watch the YouTube videos. Test shoot one if possible.
In the end it's your decision what you buy.
 
Buying from a dealer that supports what they sell is also important. I bought a turkish gun from a sponsor here and thru use it developed a problem. 1 email with pictures and i got a reply asking only for my address. Few days later a new part arrived free of charge. Corwin arms has great service. Other times with turkish guns dealing with their warrenty support centers ive had nothing but problems. It wasnt until i got ahold of actual company manager in turkey that i was able to get anywhere and that was only after threating to post bad reviews on every Canadian social media site and every gun club i could. It was nearly a 9 month battle.

That said another package fron prophet river showed up with another well built turkish huglu sxs. So far its proven to be a great purchase. My charles daly 601 semi is still running flawless.
I think as turkish guns flood the market to fill our want for cheapness they will only continue to get better. I believe some day turkey will be the new Birmingham or italy just as spain has become the london maker of the working class. In 5 or 10 years a thread like this will reappear with a different dirt cheap labour rate whether that be china or Philippines or some other country its how our market works
 
brybenn...Agree with you % 100 about the customer service aspect.
I have dealt with Corwin Arms in the past and was super impressed with his level of support and willingness to help his customer.
 
i got myself an armed o/u 410 this summer and it has the shinnin'; approx 20 grouse so far this season (a few on the wing even, which is tough w a 25 yard gun). very happy with it, although the bead seams a bit off as slugs hit about 5" left at 50 yards.

not sure what the overlap in actual manufacturers is; presume like polytech/norinco/dominion (or guitars) where there are a bunch of names but only a few actual factories that make them. so, armed is ? which is ? and just different finishes, etc.
 
brybenn said:
A major part of the equation is who brings them in and at what quality level. Id be more willing to take a risk on a cheaper turkish gun if it came from say corwin arms or prophet river. I know martin and clay will stand behind whst they sell and make any issue right. Other dealers i dont have as much faith in. Odell engineering has been great when my canuck pump needed warrenty. Corwin arms has sent me parts free of cost to fix issues myself with just an emailed picture of the broken parts. No questions asked.
That said ive had very positive experiences with turkish gubs and ive had horrible ones. Ive had a turkish semi go 40 000 rounds but it needed a new bolt lock and firing pin along the way. Another turkish gun lasted 9 shots before needing to be sent in for warrenty. Now that ive got it back its run flawless but i havent run very many rounds thru it. Only a few hundred.
Huglu. Akkar. Churchill. Webley and scott. Dickinson arms would be the top 5 turkish makers for me based on my experiences and seeing what guns last on the skeet field as im the chairman of skeet at my local club
I do own cheaper turkish guns that i like. Im loving my fedarms frx. The slide is a lil too oversized and smooth but it functions great. Very simple design.
Asena has been another very good brand in my experince.

Khan. Kral. Tristar id avoid. I have a tristar ou that has been a course in gunsmithing on its own. Fantasic bluing but thats the only positive. I fear to sell it because the issues ive had with it. Even with full disclosure i couldnt sleep at night knowing itll likely fail on the next owner

All guns that are mass produced are capable of making a gun that slips thru quality control and fails. Some companys go for the quick buck and disappear. Now with the turkish industry its as confusing as a family tree in a Tennessee trailer park trying to figure out who makes what but the turkish industry is only getting better. At one time the japs were thought to build crap and now look at where they are with browning and winchester. For years Italians were looked down upon and now theyre at the top with the best makers of fine guns. Same thing happened with spain and belguim. Turkey had a rough start but theyre getting there and theyre getting there faster with modern machines. Theyre not knocking out british bests but they can make some amazing guns to revival top makers and they can do it cor a fraction of the cost
I cant say all turkish guns are great or even good but if you shop thru and listen to actual owners youll get a good idea of the brands and names that are better built. Seems only the northamerican market is heading downward in quality whereas the rest of the world is rising. Long gone are parkers bakers lc smiths tobins and nid ithacas. They cost to much to make. Even unadored basic field guns. Once turkey becomes established and unionized production will again move to a cheaper labour force and we will have this conservation all over again
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Brybenn, you saved me from writing a paragraph on my own. I agree 100% on anything from Corwin or Prophet river.

MGN308 said:
Just my 2 cents worth...
My Hatsan super escort semi 12 ga. works fine with all loads and brands.
My Pardus SL semi 20 ga. doesn't like Challenger shells (so do many other shotguns from what I hear) but works fine with the other brands I've tried.
My Uzkon AS-11 pump 12 ga. hasn't given me any problems, it only came with a fixed IC choke so it's good for all steel shot and slugs.
None of these are high end or real expensive shotguns, but I am happy with how they perform with regards to how much I paid for them.
To each their own...some Turkish shotguns are definitely better than others. If you are considering buying one, do your homework. Read the reviews and watch the YouTube videos. Test shoot one if possible.
In the end it's your decision what you buy.
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I had the same issue with challenger in my pardus SL in 20ga. When i compare them to other brands they seem to make my hands feel waxy, like they're lubricated with something and rim also seems to be a bit tapered and i think the extractor get the waxy residue on it and slips off of the tapered rim. If i use 2 or 3 challengers in a row it would cycle the first shot no problem, but then start getting failure to eject after that. As long as i only used 1 challenger every 2 or 3 rounds it kept cycling fine.

brybenn said:
Buying from a dealer that supports what they sell is also important. I bought a turkish gun from a sponsor here and thru use it developed a problem. 1 email with pictures and i got a reply asking only for my address. Few days later a new part arrived free of charge. Corwin arms has great service. Other times with turkish guns dealing with their warrenty support centers ive had nothing but problems. It wasnt until i got ahold of actual company manager in turkey that i was able to get anywhere and that was only after threating to post bad reviews on every Canadian social media site and every gun club i could. It was nearly a 9 month battle.

That said another package fron prophet river showed up with another well built turkish huglu sxs. So far its proven to be a great purchase. My charles daly 601 semi is still running flawless.
I think as turkish guns flood the market to fill our want for cheapness they will only continue to get better. I believe some day turkey will be the new Birmingham or italy just as spain has become the london maker of the working class. In 5 or 10 years a thread like this will reappear with a different dirt cheap labour rate whether that be china or Philippines or some other country its how our market works
Click to expand...

MGN308 said:
brybenn...Agree with you % 100 about the customer service aspect.
I have dealt with Corwin Arms in the past and was super impressed with his level of support and willingness to help his customer.
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Another +1 for Corwin.

Most of my turkish guns i use for hunting. They're light, shorter barrel, easy busting through the brush guns that i don't mind if they get scuffed up in and out of the truck, or or getting wet and muddy.

If i were getting serious into clays, they wouldn't be my first choice, but for the number of shots i take each year they'll likely outlast me.
 
IBM said:
They're all garbage. I've never seen one hold together for long.
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Ive put over 40 000 rnds thru a turkish semi auto. Thru a great deal of neglect it kept working with only breaking a bolt lock which was replaced for free. Not bad performance for a $387 gun. Turkish guns are built to a price point and the higher end makers are well known thruout uk where their guns are used more for shooting then a couple yearly trips to the range or field.

There are alot of turkish junk out there brought in but thats because we as consumers want the cheapest #### we can buy.
 
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