Back in ’09, my college buddies and I spent the occasional afternoon at the local trap and skeet club. One of our crew shot for our school’s rifle team; he busted clays with a gorgeous Beretta 686 Onyx. While he was generous with his trigger time, pride (and greed) demanded that I buy my own shotgun. Uncle Sam’s tax refund check (a.k.a., my federally-funded contribution to the firearms industry) hadn’t been quite as healthy as usual; I was strapped for cash. So I sought alternative solutions. Enter the Yildez SPZ ME 12-gauge over-and-under shotgun . . .
A shooter outside our circle rocked-up to the range one day with a Yildiz O/U shotgun. I shot it side by side with the Beretta. I was smitten. The Turkish-made firearm wasn’t quite as polished as its European cousin—in the sense that a Swatch watch lacks the refinement of a Patek Phillipe Calatrava. But the $1400 price differential between the two guns clearly said “we don’t need no stinkin’ refinement!”
Also true: I like a gun that’s a work horse, not a race horse. Truth be told, I’m sometimes less than responsible with my guns’ care and feeding; I’ve been known to go a few days before I clean them. OK, a week. Sometimes two. My guns have also been known to ride around the ranch in my pickup uncased. Ding! And needs must; I’ll shoot any ammo I can get my hands on.
So the Yildez joined my firearms family, impoverished as it was. Academy Sports and Outdoors provided the gun. As the markings on the gun indicate, they’re the sole American importer of these Turkish guns. Not available on-line. So if you’re a bargain-hunting shotgunner, here’s hoping you live in or near Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee or Texas.
Your $400 buys you the gun (obviously) and five chokes (two in the barrel, three in the box, from modified to full). You also get a choke tube tool. And that’s it. But hey, we’re talking a real walnut stock (nothing synthetic) in a shotgun that’s a genuine joy to move through the air.
The Yildiz SPZ ME is perfectly balanced; unlike a number of, uh, value-priced guns, it’s neither nose or ass heavy. She swings like a couple at Plato’s Retreat (RF’s reference). I’ve shot 200 rounds through the 5.8 lbs. Turkish shotgun in a single session without fatigue. The sight picture is easily acquired. Do I wish the gold bead was a bit easier to see? Evet! But, I don’t often find myself shooting clays at night, so it is a non-issue.
Of course, you don’t get what you don’t pay for. When I first took delivery of my Yildiz, I noticed the following.
The shotgun’s action is stiffer than a double shot of moonshine. This gun ships DRY. Unlike your Nagant, buyers need to take the Yildiz home and start adding chemicals. I oiled all the pivot points, trigger, and firing pin assemblies from the start. And . . . it’s still tight. It starts to loosen after a few hundred cycles, but $2000 Beretta smooth it is not.
Barrel selection is not marked. Maybe I’m nitpicking, but I only shoot the gun a few times a year and I often forget which barrel is going to go boom first. Safe is the position to the rear. Select either top or bottom and slide forward for Fire. This control is extremely crisp with positive feedback and an audible click to let you know what position you have it in. To open the breech, swing the lever counterclockwise. This might be an awkward movement for you lefties.
As you can see in the pictures, I have mounted an aftermarket recoil pad. At only seven pounds, with no real factory pad to speak of, this thing kicks like a mule. I shot the first twenty-five shells and immediately drove to my gun store to pick up a recoil pad. The pad added about an inch to the length of pull, making this gun fit like a dream. It already felt good in the store, but that extra inch took it to the next level. [ED: So to speak.]
The Yildiz SPZ ME has treated me extremely well. Bystanders not so much. The Turkish shotgun ejects shells like a Marine unit lobbing mortars. Anyone standing within five feet of the shotgun may get shelled. More importantly (for the shooter), in the last two years, the Yildiz has had zero reliability issues. Any gun that can hold its own against a $2k shotgun for less than a quarter of the price gets my vote. At least until I can afford the alternative . . .
SPECIFICATIONS
Metal Finish: Blued
Action: Break
Product Weight: 5.8 lbs..
Stock: Walnut
Barrel Length: 28 inches
Total Length: 45.5 inches
Capacity: 2 (3” chamber)
MSRP: $399
RATINGS (Out of Five Stars)
Accuracy *****
The only time I don’t hit my target is when I forget how to swing a shotgun through the air or when my targets escape the useful range of my ammo. Otherwise, it seems to be dead on.
Fit and Finish *** ½
Everything fits together really well. In fact, it can fit together a bit too well. It is pretty easy to ding surfaces trying to put the gun together if you store it in two pieces. Additionally, the chokes are not of stainless steel and can corrode easily if stored in a humid environment or not properly oiled to prevent such things
Ergonomics * * * *
I can barely tell the difference between this and a much more expensive gun. The length of pull might have been a bit too short, but the recoil pad remedied that problem.
Reliability * * * * *
A breech-loading shotgun doesn’t exactly lend itself to having reliability issues. In hundreds of shots, I have not had a single FTF or FTE. It eats anything that you put in the cylinder.
Overall Rating * * * *
The stiff action, recoil, and lack of barrel markings prevent the Yildiz from getting the full five stars. These are all really small squawks that can be easily corrected. I have been extremely impressed with my gun, as have other shooters. When ya guy who owns a $2000 Beretta admits you have a nice gun, you must be doing something right.
Once it was established that the man had a valid permit there was no further need for the officers to inspect the gun. He wasn’t even driving the car and he did not impede or resist the officers in any way.
well, if i were a gun-grabber.. i would probably try to grab ’em both.
CSGV is coordinating the message with Shannon that a “big bad meany” forced his way into their inner sanctum. Once again damage control by giving the illusion that a separate group is quantifying Shannon’s description of events.
It’s a nice show put on for all of the low level supporters who blindly follow without the slightest idea of what actually happened. You would think that someone with twenty plus years in public relations would have been a little bit more professional. But then again that experience was mostly in the private sector, which is very different than running a non-profit with an extremely devoted opposition.
Thanks for the article. I’ve seen these in the stores, they have not really been on my radar, so to speak.
I’m pretty much at a “beginner” level when it comes to trap and skeet. Nonetheless, about 6 years go I had some spare cash so I bought a Beretta Silver Pigeon III over & under and started shooting trap and skeet at the local range. Its hard to me to comment on how good it is (or isn’t) because I don’t have much of a frame of reference for comparison. I *think* most experienced shotgunners will tell you that its more about how any one particular gun model “fits” you that matters more than anything else. But again, that a “beginner” talking…
In any event, I decided to purchase some after market chokes from Kicks Industries -mainly because I thought they looked cool. They call their model the “smoke choke”: http://kicks-ind.hostasaurus.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Kicks&Category_Code=12GaugeSmoke
I was really amazed at the dramatic increase in my scores using these aftermarket chokes as compared to the factory chokes. On top of getting more hits, the hits I did get were often more dramatic (the clay seemed to vaporize as opposed to merely cracking into two or three pieces as before – an obvious sign that more shot is hitting the target). The only downside is that they are rather time -consuming to get clean, but that seems like a small price to pay for such a dramatic improvment in performance.
I’ve paid that for used OU guns, so that’s a decent deal. It seems better than the cheap Russian OU guns sold at Dicks
I have had one of these for about 5 years now. It has been a great OU shotgun for me. Saying it kicks like a mule is a bit of an understatement. I managed to get though a box of shells before I decided for a trip to the gun smith. I had a limbsaver recoil pad installed on it and afterwards I poured #8 shot in the stock where the bolt that attaches the receiver to the stock runs. For a cheap fix it does help out, and makes a great balance even better. Finally I added a HighViz fiberoptic sight on the front of the gun (held on with a magnet). The only other thing that I might do to mine is get the barrels ported (have yet to decide on it). Overall if you are wondering wither or not to get it, don’t hesitate it’s a great gun and I would do it all over again just getting a recoil pad earlier.
In ’05 or ’06 I needed to add a 20ga OU gun to my heard at my dove hunting outfit in Old Mexico. I was hoping to find a good used Citori or maybe a 101 Winchester when I came across the Yildiz at an Academy store in Arlington, Texas. I asked the attendant if I could handle one. Of course he quickly put one in my hands. It felt sweet and well balanced like an good OU ought to feel. I’ve owned and shot a pile of OU guns and have always enjoyed the way they handle. When the attendant told me the price it scared me a bit. While he expanded the guns features my mind was calculating that I’d have to spend twice the retail price of the Yildiz to buy a used OU of almost any brand I knew to be reliable. I was intrigued enough by the feel and overall quality to consider this purchase. Then these thoughts hit me. There aren’t any gunsmith’s in my area of Mexico. This gun is gonna need to work and work hard for a living at my dove camp.
We don’t shoot birds anywhere close to the number as in Argentina, but hunters shoot several hundred rounds in a morning and again several hundred rounds in the afternoon. Knowing that I almost changed my mind but bought it anyway, and I’m glad I did. The gun seemed well put together and I guessed it would hold up–not as much goes wrong with a closed action gun. Still, I decided not to make it a permeate part of my gun line down there. I took the gun to MX on a gun permit that allows me to bring it back to the US of A at the hunting seasons end.
Initially, the gun was frowned on by each traditional OU shooter when they discovered they were going to be shooting a Turkish made firearm. However, by the end of the day the gun had won them over. I put a slip over leather recoil pad on (all closed action guns kick harder) and away they went. A long story short… the little 20ga Yildiz was shot all season without any issues–functioning flawlessly while being shot several thousands of rounds before I brought it back home to Texas. I’m still shooting the gun. I don’t take it to MX anymore. Maybe I’m still not convinced how long it would hold up to that kind of torture. I like to loan the Yildiz to teens and youngsters that aren’t that familiar with loading an auto shotgun. And at the end of the dove day, just like down Old Mexico, all those young men say they love the gun too.
Don’t get me wrong though. It’s not a Beretta, or Winchester 101, a Citori, SKB, or a Red Label. The quality of those guns are tried and true over many years of service. Any gun can break though, no matter what you spend, but I have no problem recommending the 20ga Yildiz. I believe you’ll get you money’s worth and more. That’s what we’re all looking for, right?
I just bought this gun, haven’t shot it yet. Will it shoot any 12 gauge shell I throw in it or only 3″ or what?
I shoot 2 3/4″ with no issues
Thanks for the review. I want to buy this gun, but live in Michigan… thinking of taking a family trip to Nashville so I can pick one up! Couple questions, how much was the recoil pad and where did you get it? Does it make the gun look ugly? Thanks, Mike.
I think I paid $25 at my local sporting goods store. The pad is shown in the photos. If you think it looks ugly, then It very well might be ugly.
I would like to buy the Yildiz 30” O/U, would u know where i might get one. (FOR SKEET)
Only come in 28 in.
you can get chokes for the gun that extend out an inch and make it 29″ thats what my dad did for me
Thanks for the review I am looking for a O/U shotgun but could not afford the prices of the name brand ones. I saw this one on the Academy website but the name threw me off as I had not heard of it. Thanks for this awesome review.
TX
I live in illinois, and i am very interested in getting an YILDIZ SPZ ME/12. cAN YOU PLEASE IF YOU DON’T MIND TELL ME WHERE I CAN PURCHASE ONE FROM, AND HOW TO GO ABOUT GETTING IT? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Purchased a yildiz over under model sp2me The thumbreak does not return to the middle. It stays off to the right. Its even taking off the finish of the walnut.Looks wrong. Is this normal?
They do tend to stay off to the right of center. Both of ours do.
A good article.. I have owned this gun in Pakistan and whenever I visit there, I have gone clay shooting and hunting with it. It does fit really good but as mentioned on top, has a bad recoil. I will consider taking the recoil pad with me this year. I have had issues with it where it wouldnt eject the empty shells properly but I think that might be due to the low grade shells available in the market over there. When I try a better quality or ‘imported’ shells, it doesnt have any problems.. So I guess, it may be the shells then..
Overall, I am very pleased with the gun – though little expensive there (around $1000) than i could get it here for but again I cant complain.. While ejecting the empty shells, you can seriously hut someone.. though its funny and i brag about it to my friends over there in the US we measure the gun’s worth by the distance it ejects shells to. A youtube video where a friend of mine borrowed the same gun to shoot some ‘thing’ can be seen here with shells being ejected to at least 4 feet..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWqWNlx8Pvg
I own two Beretta’s 687-12 & 28. But I wanted a .410 O/U. I was in Academy and saw the Yildiz-shouldered it and was hooked. Love the little gun so I bought two, one for home and one for my daughter so I can shoot it when I visit!! Use it for skeet & Whitewings. Two year warranty, Briley Mgf. for any repairs if needed.
2011 Gun of the year in England.
Thanks for the initial review Tyler and to everyone else for that matter. I am new to Trap Shooting and after my first time I was hooked. So much fun. Like others I had a limited budget and it was my boss (avid trap shooter) who suggested I look at Yildiz. Great price range and looks amazing, so I went for it and we ordered the SPZ M. I love it and yesterday had it out at the range for the first time. I wouldn’t consider myself a girly girl but was a little taken aback by the recoil. I thought I’d been standing behind a donkey. But in saying that a lot of the problem was me!!! Normally a rifle shooter, my stance and holding were wrong and it took me a little while to get my arm in the correct position. With a little advice from the boys, I was soon on target and enjoying it. For anyone interested in getting one, it is a really good price (a little higher here in Canada) and even though she kicks, its not enough to put me off singing its praises. I am going to shorten the stock a bit and add a recoil pad, but I can’t wait for next Sundays shoot. Bring it on…..
I am considering this gun, however have been told conflicting information. Since you guys have owned these guns, can you tell me that with a Yildiz 12GA O/U after first shot is fired does it automatically shift to the second barrel or do you have to manually move the switch?
Thanks,
Eddie
Automatic. By recoil.
ShotGun
Remington Model 887™ NitroMag™ 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun….$339usd
Tristar Products Tec 12 Semiautomatic/Pump-Action Shotgun….$529usd
Stoeger M3500 12 Gauge Semiautomatic Shotgun…$559usd
Browning A5 Hunt 12 Gauge Semiautomatic DS Shotgun…$1,450usd
Mossberg® 500 ZMB 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun…$360usd
Mossberg® 835 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun….$340usd
Mossberg® 835® Ulti-Mag® 12 Gauge Pump-Action Turkey….$380usd
Webley & Scott K Sporter 900 12 Gauge Break-Action Shotgun….$1,100usd
Mossberg® Maverick® 88 20 Gauge All-Purpose Pump-Action Shotgun…..$180usd
Mossberg® 500 Persuader 12 Gauge Pump-Action Shotgun…..$430usd
Yildiz SPZ ME/20 20 Gauge Over-and-Under Shotgun….$420usd
Yildiz SPZ ME Special L 20 Gauge Break-Action Over-and-Under Shotgun….$1,500usd
Email: kelvincazes@yahoo.com
What chokes do you use on top and bottom?
I’m an avid trapp shooting hobbiest and I recently perchased the Yildiz O/U 12 guage to use in a local tournament to give my Benelli a break. The Yildiz took just a little while to work in with some oil but ran perfect and I’m happy with the perchase and recommend it!
I wonder how many millimeter width of the upper band
My wife bought this gun for me as a birthday gift. It’s a great gun! I haven’t had a single problem with it. I would recommend getting the recoil pad if you’re going to be shooting 3 inch mags though. Target loads aren’t a problem with the stock recoil pad. I’d expect this gun to be about double the price than what it is. Mine cost $439 before tax, so they’ve gone up a little. I think this gun is a deal at anything under $900
I have lost the literature on the chokes that came with my Yildiz 12 Ga. SPZ ME O/U. They are marked with slots cut into the ends starting with one and ending with five. It is hard to tell which one is which without a way to measure them accuratley. Can you enlighten me?
Larry – from the Yildiz web site – the most restrictive choke has a single notch, and each successive choke is more open.
A well written article and I agree with everything Mr. Key has written, especially about having the aftermarket recoil pad. One issue to think about with this gun is the number of rounds you intend to shoot. The lighter weight is good for a younger shooter to manage and learn to mount consistently. This gun worked well for my son to shoot 50 -75 targets every few weeks but once he got more competitive, shooting 500+ targets a month during tournament season, the gun had issues. There is what I consider a design flaw in the gun in that the dowel pins that hold the firing pins in place induce stress on the narrow portion of the wooden stock with each shot. After a few months or maybe 1000+ rounds, the stock split and the gun had to be shipped for repair at less then 9 months old. Since Briley handles the warranty work for Yildiz in the states, we shipped it to them. Four months later it was returned to us and two months after that the same thing happened again, the stock split. It has now been at Briley for eight months the second time waiting for another new stock and Briley says they are waiting on parts from Yildiz for not just our repair but many they have and had no idea when we will see it back as Yildiz has been very slow and uncooperative with them. I have since purchased a used Browning for about three times the price and have had no problems with close to 5000 rounds shot in various tournaments. For small volume target shooting or hunting, the Yildiz seems fine, for competitive shooting, stick to one of the “B” shotguns (Browning, Benelli, Beretta)
I have a three week old 12g o/u bought here in Ireland(Yildiz).When wiping the barrels with an oily rag theblueing comes off on the rag.One section of the barrel is now down to the bare metal. I e mailed YILDIZ factory 8 days ago but they have cocked a deaf ear and to date no comment has been forthcoming.Has any one else had this problem
“I support the second amendment”….as long as it pertains only to registered water pistols manufactured in the shape of a bagel, so as not to alarm the discriminating voters.
There are many agencies that need immediate disbanding….
Glad he stuck it to them.
Muchas gracias por el articulo, un saludo desde Cancun, Mexico!
I have owned this gun for the past 4 years. It is an excellent choice.
However, on my last outing the ejector locked in place without ejecting the spent shell. Only after a few minutes does the ejector finally toss the shell out. I have taken it to a local gunsmith as this seemed very unusual. He polished the moving parts and it still stuck. He fired several different types of ammo through the gun and found that the brand name shells do NOT stick in the barrel. He stated that he believes the thickness (or thinness) of the shell casings is what’s causing this sticking issue. He said I should only use high quality ammo in this gun. That sounds a bit strange as this gun has taken many different types of ammo over the past 4 years.
Anybody got any other thoughts?
I have had this gun for two years and your review us dead on. If you oil and work the breach at home constantly while watching a football game or two, it loosens up eventually.
WHAT IS THE MEAN OF (( NBD TS 870))
Who makes extended chokes that will fit the Yildiz SPZ/ME 12 Over and Under shotguns?
Its been awhile but when they first came out i believe you can use the same chokes as the berretta silver pigeon and or contact BRILEY out of houston, tx. They do amazing work, they can do anything you need done to your gun, custom fitting to making custom chokes, your yildiz chokes are about 45$. You can find then online, tell them Taylor from AMERICAN sent you
Nice and fair review. Well done 5 stars.
So my plan for Christmas 2014 was a Beretta Silver Pigeon , $2000+tax , then I got rearly retired (no typo).
No $2000 present to myself.
Hello Yildiz 12 guage. Jan 2014 buy at $375 from my buddy, with recoil pad and case, like yours a Katy Texas Academy gun (sold out thru Christmas)! Ok I am 5’10” so average European height ? So I figure it must roughly fit like an off the peg suit and I can live with it, It sort of does but I have to maybe get fitted and see what to add.
Good news is its light (to carry) and cheap enough to throw away (like a BMW X5 tail light which has worse reliability) ,, I digress.(now have a JEEP)!
Bad news is , Its light and even with 8’s and 2 3/4″s, it kicks hard so you need that recoil pad, Of course that is a pain if you are hunting, as it now will not slide to your shoulder and really needs to be mounted and well seated at address.
Even with the pad, I struggle with that second shot in a double (pair) much more than if I use an auto. Recoil throws the gun. I could add weight ? upset the balance.
I am going to have to buy a fluorescent bead sight, the brass one doesn’t do it.
Interesting comments that it is shipped dry, the action opening lever is thumb bruising hard after 100. I am guessing my new purchase has never been disassembled or oiled so going to YouTube after this. I’m guessing I will have to look at WD 40 on the pivot to get into what seems a very very tight pivot action ? Ejectors good to 8ft away as my son rains me with mortar fire ! (yup its NEW)
One NEW comment to add, is that the local range in Houston (Bush Park) has some of these 20’s and 12’s so you can rent for $12 before you buy if a Houstonian. Now I HOPE that these rental guns get 2-300 cycles a day and are 2-3 yrs old (I didnt look) but the last I rented had slight side to side play in the action when broken (open) indicating wear. I have no idea if these guns get regular attention.
So for the Yildiz haters, I’ve not seen any comments on Fail to Fire or Fail to Eject so why the low ‘reliability numbers’ , what goes wrong and can they be fixed in the USA , any factual knowledge ?
(Went out today with +4 friends, one Auto Berreta FTF x 2 and Stoeger Competition FTF 3 x ), not the first time and different ammo, and maintenance done.
At $400 its probably the best place to start with O/U’s to see if your’e really into the sport , I’ve no doubt I can sell this in 12 months for what I paid and save $12 – $15 a time rental
5 stars at this price
( I have $10,000 worth of Golf clubs in my garage, any offers)??
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Im sorry to say but iv shot some of the nicest o/u made and iv also shot plenty of very basic inexpensive o/u. These yildiz are garbage. You get what you paid for really. Its worth saving up a few hundred more and getting yourself something worth shooting. Atleast a citori