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Yildiz Professional shotgun review

Yildiz Professional shotgun: Though semi-automatics may not be the first choice for many shooters this Turkish 20-bore gives a respectable performance.

ShootingUK
ShootingUK 3 January 2012

Yildiz Professional shotgun
I shall undoubtedly remember 2011 as the year of the semi-automatic shotgun, as every gunmaker seemed to have a model on offer for test.

It is hardly the sort of product one normally associates with famous London names who might get a bit sniffy at the very idea and, anyway, would be inclined to call it a ?self-loading? gun.

I am not sure whether the market is quite as big as the various makes and models available might suggest, but there is certainly less prejudice against this type of gun than in the past.

Quite advanced technology can be used with a semi-auto, and as any fan of this type of gun will tell you, by comparison, the doublegun, with two barrels stuck together, is actually only the crudest form of repeater.

The semiauto is free from many of the constraints of conservative styling associated with a conventional game gun, so quite interesting flights of fancy can be accommodated.

></img> <br /> <br /> At the same time, there are guns of this type that are fairly restrained ? in fact, some are quite traditional in approach. <br /> <br /> On making that comment, I can almost hear the rumbles of disbelief already, as for most shooters, tradition and semi-automatics do not go together. <br /> <br /> Yet, they have been with us for more than 100 years and so must have achieved some respectability by now. A good example of this is the Yildiz Professional 20-bore. <br /> <br /> <em><strong>CONSERVATIVE STYLING</strong></em> <br /> The Yildiz has attractive looks, and much of this is due to its conservative styling and the good quality of the wood used for the stock and fore-end. <br /> <br /> There are not many semi-autos that sport fine-grained walnut with some dark veining and fiddleback, in addition to an oiled finish and hand-cut chequering. <br /> <br /> The drop across the comb is a fairly average 1.1⁄2in to 2.1⁄2in, as you might find on a double gun. <br /> <br /> The length of the pull is 14.3⁄4in, which is a bonus, as some semi-autos are often a bit short in this area. <br /> <br /> <em><strong>A RELIABLE LAYOUT</strong></em> <br /> The Professional follows a layout that has become very much the standard for a gas-operated semi-auto ? the most obvious feature being the recoil spring fitted around the magazine. <br /> <br /> In the older design, a separate spring box was located in the butt with associated linkage, so the new design reduces the number of moving parts, which aids the gun?s reliability. <br /> <br /> The carrier or lifter underneath the action, which feeds the cartridge from the chamber up to the breech, has to be in the down position to lock the bolt open. <br /> <br /> This is easily achieved by depressing a small catch at the hinged end of the carrier prior to racking back the bolt to enable one to load a cartridge direct into the chamber, making use of the two-plus-one facility (two in the magazine, one in the chamber). <br /> <br /> Of course, while doing this it is necessary to remember that the barrel should be pointed in a safe direction and the safety should be applied. <br /> <br /> The safety is the usual cross-bolt trigger-lock style, accommodated in the rear of the trigger guard, which, though nicely proportioned, might be a bit on the small side for anyone with large fingers or wearing gloves. <br /> <br /> <em><strong>A CHOICE OF CHOKES</strong></em> <br /> The barrel, of a nominal 28in length, is surprisingly slim and chambered for 76mm (3in) cartridges. It is fitted with a nicely proportioned ventilated top rib, brass bead foresight and screwed for multichokes. <br /> <br /> A set of five chokes is supplied with the gun, covering a range from full to cylinder, each identified with a simple notch marking. <br /> <br /> While appearing plain and simple and of the earlier, short type, they are nicely made and well finished. <br /> <br /> Proofing is carried out at the Birmingham Proof House and the gun on test bore superior proof marking. <br /> <br /> <em><strong>ACTION STATION</strong></em> <br /> The action on this gun follows the typical layout of a modern, gas-operated semi-automatic, but it also features a two-plus-one facility. <br /> <br /> <img width=

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