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Yildiz 20-bore shotgun review

Yildiz 20-bore shotgun review

The new Yildiz, according to our tester, is a well built gun for the price.


By Jason Harris

Wednesday, 27 June 2007

Hankering after a 20-bore? Buying on a budget? Jason reckons he's got just the shotgun you're looking for.

Too many decently made 20-bores let themselves down in one crucial area - weight.

Quite simply, they're too heavy.

Of course this might not matter if the gun's going to be used for clay shooting or driven game with heavy loads, but it somewhat defeats the object if you plan to walk any distance in the field.

At 5.1/2lb the Turkish-made Yildiz notches up a useful set of Brownie points. And this boxlock ejector is nicely balanced, to boot.

In fact the more I look at it, the more I like this little gun.

First thing in its favour is the price: at £500 it sits firmly at the 'lower end' of the market.

"Don't let the price put you off. The reality is you get a lot of gun for your money here."

For a start the wood quality is good for a gun of the price, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise as most of the walnut used in gunmaking today is grown in Turkey anyway. The wood is oil finished with the comfortable pistol grip and splinter fore-end actually being chequered by hand, not machine.

The 28in multi-choke barrels have been fitted with 3in chambers and the barrel assembly hooks up to the action body with a single bite, rather than the more normal double. I don't see this as a weakness because the bite is a wide affair that fits accurately with the bolt. In fact this gun is very well jointed and hinges open on a full width steel cross pin.

Yildiz 20-bore shotgun.

The Yildiz 20-bore shotgun features a satin silver finish to the action frame.


One noticeable feature are the slightly larger than average barrel lumps which house the spring loaded extractors. The barrels are built on the monobloc system and have been very well filed or 'struck up' from the monobloc into the tubes.

The concave top rib has been matted to reduce glare. The single trigger mechanism is a simple affair which works on inertia from the first shot and barrel selection is made by moving the safety catch button through a gate in the Browning/Miroku style.The safety catch is manual, and doesn't appear to be able to convert to auto safe.

Hammers pivot from the bottom of action and are powered by coil springs while the sears are suspended from above in the same manner as an over-under. This simple, no frills, mechanism will probably prove very reliable in the long term. Machine work of action and parts is very good.

The alloy action face has been fitted with a steel reinforcing plate to protect against recoil and to also avoid gas erosion around the firing pin exit holes.

JASON'S VERDICT:

The makers have managed to keep the weight down by careful use of aluminium alloy in the action frame and fore-end iron.

The advantage here is the gun handles and points very well.

It might be simply made but I consider this gun to offer excellent value for money.

PRICE:
£500

Build quality: 7

Handling: 7

Styling: 7

Value for money: 9

MORE DETAILS: From the distributors Entwhistle Guns, Preston, Lancs.
Telephone 01772 718048


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Comments


September 17 12:10

I have just bought one of the Yeldiz 20 bore Side by side that you have been testing and used it for the first time on Saterday 15th. I must say it was a shock to the system, this gun is one of the most user frendly guns i have ever used, it is verry light, no adverse recoil,and although it is not finished to the standard of one of the leading gun makers, for the money it was well worth the investment.I might find it dificult to pick between the Yediz and my Beretta when the season starts. Barry


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