[10gaOkie]

Maybe I should put this on the Bakail site but I have no doubt I would make a bunch of people mad.
Back a year ago when I bought my Yildiz, Academy also had the Spartan or Baikal right along side of the Yildiz. Of course I looked at both but it took me no time at all to write off the Bakail and not give it another thought. Both guns were priced almost the same.
What could draw someone to possibly consider the Baikal when they can have a Yildiz?
I just don't get it....
Chris

 

[Pharmr]

I'm with you Chris...I also held a Baikal and a Spartan...all were close in price and I could have had the Baikal or the Spartan right away....I chose to wait for my Yildiz and I'm glad I did...I think of all three the Yildiz looks the best and feels the best...I think the others may be more popular because they have larger followings and have been around a bit longer...I'm by no means saying they aren't good guns either...I just decided that the Yildiz was the best for me, and I every time I hold it I know I made the right decision.

 

[Fish Springs]

Yep--gets me too. I first looked at a Bikal and a Yildiz over a year before buying one.

The reputation of the IZH shotgun was well established and lots of nice things had been written about it. The Spartan variant was on the rack beside the Yildiz--the difference was $20.00

When I shouldered the two there was no comparison--the Yildiz balanced and mounted much better...the only open question was the relative newnewness of the Yildiz brand.

Having shot both, I'd still buy the Yildiz on balance alone.

 

[WinM12]

I spend far too much time browsing in gun shops and sporting goods stores, always on the lookout for my next gun. Although I'm wary of inexpensive imports, I think the Yildiz is by far the nicest feeling O/U in its price class. Every few months, I consider buying one. To date, I have not been able to take the plunge. Here's why: 1) it may be too light for repeated clay target use, 2) unknown reliability/durability, 3) future parts/service availability.

Some shooters are reluctant to buy an unknown gun, particularly a break-action gun with an alloy receiver. The material used for a receiver of a pump or semi-auto is less crucial, since the bolt to barrel lockup is what's important. On a break-action gun, the receiver IS the breech to barrel lockup. Bulky as it is, the Baikal uses a much more traditional steel design with an underlug that locks through the base of the receiver. The Yildiz uses an alloy receiver (with strenthening inserts), as well as fairly shallow underlugs. I also don't like the faux stenciling used on the top lever and trigger guard. Hopefully, that will wear off quickly. :roll:

I have been pleased to read so many positive reports on the Yildiz. That really helps build confidence for prospective buyers. Speaking of which, I see Academy is running their "free hard case" promotion again this week - so I might have to go take another look at the Yildiz...

 

[New_Geezer]

WinM12 said it all. I would like to look at a Yildiz but they haven't reached California yet so far as I know. Even so, for all the good things I've read about them so far I would hold off until there's more of a history regards durability. In general, reviews of inexpensive Turkish guns have been hit or miss and I can't afford to be part of some new company's learning curve. For that reason when I bought a Baikal after a long wait about a year ago (when EAA was still the distributer). It's been a solid performer so far over 2K rounds. It's true I've seen many ugly Baikals but you know with a little time, some elbow grease, and "sweat equity" they can look pretty nice. Actually, the one I got didn't require much work.

Don't get me wrong, I sincerely hope Yildiz's turn out to be as impressive over the long run as they are initially. John Wall's comments carry a lot of weight as I recall he has a gunsmithing background. It'll be wonderful if there's finally another inexpensive quality O/U available for us working types. I can always use another gun so I'll check the Y's out whenever I get a chance :wink:

I think some good advice is - don't brag about what you paid for your gun or make fun of what others paid for theirs. It's not hard to appreciate a high quality gun, but the gun never provides the time and effort it takes to become a quality shooter. Do the best with whatever you can afford.

Happy clays to all

 

[Tbaus]

What everyone is saying makes perfect sense. I usually don't buy a car the first year they come out. I like the manufacturer to work out the bugs. The thing about Yildiz is they are not new to making shotguns. They have been in existance 25 years. They have been making and marketing shotguns to Europe for quite some time. They are new to America. I too bought a couple of Baikals. I think they are a strong shotgun. I also think they are a "tank" of a shotgun. When I pick up and swing one of my Bailkals, I sure can tell they weigh a lot more and balance diffently than my Yildiz. The Baikals are made from steel. They should last virtually forever if maintained correcty. The Yildiz does have an alloy frame. It also has steel or titanium in all the stress points and pivot points. AR-15s and M=16's are made out of aluminum alloy. All this gives me a "warm fuzzy" about the Yildiz. True, only time will tell if they hold up. I also think the price will not stay at $386. ( The same store, Academy has the Baikal ( Spartan) for $368.) The area of the US where they are sold is limited, so they may not ever become a major seller nationwide. The two sales people I spoke with at Academy said they were one of the store's best sellers. They get them in, they sell them out.. Since they are low cost, some buyers will throw them in their truck, unprotected. They will get used and abused. I am sure some will see a very harsh environment. I suspect some of those will come to the market in a couple of years. It will be interesting to see some of those abused ones in a couple of years. It too will be interesting to see what they sell for in a couple of years.. I suspect they will sell for a bit more.. My two cents... Good shootin'...
Tom

 

[Pharmr]

while talking to the Hunting/Fishing manager at the Midland Academy he told me that Academy had projected to sell a certain number of Yildiz guns this year....as of mid October they had sold over twice that number....they are selling them as fast as they get them...I can only hope the gun continues to perform the way it does now, but only time will tell....I'm sure we'll continue to get reports on the Y guns here...good or bad!!!

 

[WinM12]

while talking to the Hunting/Fishing manager at the Midland Academy he told me that Academy had projected to sell a certain number of Yildiz guns this year....as of mid October they had sold over twice that number....they are selling them as fast as they get them!!

I heard the exact same thing at Academy stores in Fort Worth. They're selling Yildiz at TWICE the expected rate.

 

[ShootingStar]

I've got no opinion on these guns. Only recently heard of 'em (on SGW) and have never seen one, so I went to their website. Says I can download the "Complete Catalog" (1993 edition :roll: ). But wait, no I can't, but it'll be "Coming Soon" ...

Not sure what "coming soon" means, but the website "was last updated 06/30/04", so soon must mean greater than 16 months.

All this would make me a little nervous. Has anyone ever needed service from, or had any dealings with this company?

 

[Tbaus]

No need to worry, the warranty is through Briley, not Yildiz. Briley has a really good reputation. The Yildiz website is old, out of date, doesn't even have a picture of Academy's best selling Yildiz. I think they probably would be better off if they shut down the server the website runs on. Perhaps they forgot it is there. They obviously don't place any value in the website. Yildiz isn't marketing to America at all, nada, none, zip. In fact, the ONLY place you can get a Yildiz shotgun is at Academy. Academy markets to America. Now if we go to Academy's website and it is not updated for a year and a half, perhaps we should then all worry. :shock: The downside; If you don't have an Academy in your state, you can't get a Yildiz, none, nada, zip.

 

[Pharmr]

Has anyone ever needed service from, or had any dealings with this company?

as Tbaus said...all warranty work is done by Briley out of Houston...which isn't to far for me....and I respect Briley, and don't think they'll be out of business for some time to come...also, it is a 3 year warranty...they are also making the aftermarket chokes for the Yildiz....Academy is the exclusive dealers of Yildiz guns in the USA, so if you live in a state without Academy Sports, you're out of luck...I'm not to worried about the website, just not an issue for me.

 

[Fish Springs]

Tbaus,

Don't worry about warranty, Academy does no warranty work on any gun they sell--Remington, Yildiz, Browning, etc they will only help you contact the manufacturer.

In the Yildiz case, part of my decision to buy was based on the fact that Briley was the warranty provider for Academy/Yildiz. I'd be surprised if there is any shotgun work Briley cannot do and do very well. In fact, I was a bit surprised to see that they had taken on the Yildiz warranty service provider work as they are known for their work on high end guns.

I also know that Briley and the Yildiz family have meet, in Houston as part of the warranty arrangement on behalf of Academy.

Since I shoot mostly "low end" guns I've found that Briley is as excellent with general field gun repair as they are with custom work on Holland and Holland SxS. They may be a bit over booked at crunch time but you can call, get a timing estimate, ship directly to them and you can pay and expedite fee to goto the head of the line if you are really in a rush--tournament coming and guy is acting up for example.

Take a look at the website: http://www.briley.com/

 

[Tbaus]

Thanks for the reassurance Fish. I am not the least bit worried about the Yildiz warranty. I was attempting to reassure Shooting Star. I guess I didn't come across clearly. I was also attempting to say the Yildiz website's lameness didn't bother me either. Briley has us covered. I see myself as a working class man who shoots working-class guns. I don't buy junk, but I also don't buy something because it's name impresses other people. A 3 year warranty is a plus, but the quality of the Yildiz speaks for itself. You can see the craftsmanship and attention to detail in the Yildiz. I like the grain of the walnut, etc. I shot my Silma O/U Sunday too. It is a fine Italian shotgun, IMO, but the grain in the Yildiz walnut looks so much nicer than the non-figured walnut on the Silma. You get a lot for the buck in a Yildiz. I am not the least bit worried. Briley has my back....
Tom

 

[ak-71]

Well, being russian I am sorry to say that I got Yildiz in 20ga, and not IZH-27(Spartan) Remington sells.
I am NOT sorry I did tough, just love the gun and now I know what "sweet gun" means in english.

 

[Tbaus]

Welcome to the Yildiz forum AK-71. It is perfectly OK to be Russian and buy Turkish firearms! I am glad you now know what "sweet" is! I am an American and bought both the Russian and the Turkish shotguns! Now that I think about it, the only American shotguns I own are OLD...

 

[Pharmr]

I had to get some new boots today...my lightweight boots I use for dove just let thorns go right thru them as I walked around looking for covey's of quail today..(not a good thing at all!!)..I got some nice ones at Big 5 sporting goods on sale for $50 from $100....while there I stopped by the guns and again held and mounted the Khan, Spartan, and Mossberg SIlver Reserve....of the three the only one that felt good to me was the Spartan...the others just felt clunky IMO...also only the spartan broke open nicely...and the Mossberg wood was marginal at best IMO(is it real wood?)...I'm still glad I waited for my Yidiz...I'm not putting down these other guns, they just were not to my liking.

 

[Tbaus]

Pharmr, did you get any quail? I was unaware Big 5 was in Texas. I don't think we have any in Central Texas. ( At least not that I am aware of.) Apparently you have them in West Texas. Big 5's I have seen used to sell some military surplus rifles, sometimes interesting. If there is a Big 5 in central Texas, I would like to know where it is. I am getting ready for my East Texas deer hunt this weekend.

 

[Pharmr]

yes sir...got 6 birds today and my hunt got cut short...but by the looks of it, there will be PLENTY of quail to go around this season...more birds than I've seen in a LONG time....and I dont know if there are any Big 5 where you are but we have one in Midland and one here in Odessa....and yes they still do military surplus guns and others.

Juan

 

[New_Geezer]

As I understand it - the Khan and the Mossberg Silver Reserve are essentially the same gun from the same manufacturer (Khan)