Huglu shotguns direct from Turkey?

[Atom Smasher]

I've got a possible trade with a serviceman who was stationed in turkey and picked up a semiautomatic 12ga from a small village that manufactures them there. I know nothing about these guns in terms of pricing or quality. I've only been able to track down that CZ is importing these now. The gun is beautiful, but I'm more worried about is construction than its looks. Anybody know anything about these Huglu guns?

 

[USAF_Vet]

I was stationed in Turkey for two and a half years (Incirlik Air Base, Adana).

Turkey has long been known for the artisan craftsmanship of their shotguns. Hand checkering, hand engraving, beautifully figured wood, real works of art. Prior to the 90's and early 2000's, these could be had for pennies on the dollar. I'm talking beautifully figured walnut with amazing checkering and engravings for under $300.

Those days are long gone.

Their shotguns, like their rugs, have become mass produced and dumped on the market. Artisan quality work is reserved for certain guns, that now command artisan prices. Still cheaper than a Purdey or an H&H, but many many times more than the $300 they went for twenty years ago.

Quality is spotty, and craftsmanship is what you'd expect from any other mass produced budget built shotgun.


IF this is an older shotgun from their handcrafted heyday, then it's probably worth it. Even then, those guns looked great, weren't always the most accurate. Often the focus was on appearance, rather than function. What's he asking?

They went for about $600 when I was there 2006-2008 from the gun stores. I don't know if it matters or not, but check and see if he has the ATF import documents. A LOT of these guns got smuggled back into the states by aircrews and other servicemen.

 

[Atom Smasher]

That's exactly the information I was looking for and (to tell the truth) expected I'd find. I have no data on when the gun was manufactured. The guy's Armlist post is here: http://www.armslist.com/posts/44893...de--nice-huglu-12-gauge-semi-auto-with-chokes. The gun has some nice engraving and checkering, which makes think maybe it's a higher quality? I'll ask the guy if he has the import papers, would that have date of manuf. on it?

As for what he's asking, I have a CZ 85 combat with a few extras (holster, some extra mags, plinking ammo) that I've put a few thousand rounds through that I'm pricing out at $550- I was thinking an even trade for his shotgun or maybe his gun plus a few boxes of shells thrown in. I guess if it's one of the older models I'm game to trade, but if it's crappy I'll pass. I just want a nice $500 shotgun to hunt birds with, so I'm not too picky. I just don't want a piece of crap (a bigger piece of crap, I know $500 isn't a lot to spend on a shotgun).

Thank you so much for having the knowledge google didn't!

 

[oneounceload]

The Turks are where the Spanish were a few decades ago.. I own a S&W SxS made in Turkey (and NOT by the company making the CZ). It is a true trigger plate action, has true bone and charcoal colored case hardening and on closeout was right about $1200. This company also made the Kimber sidelock SxS that sold for much more. Quality gun, but just like US makers, there are good and bad. The S&W is now imported as the Dickinson by Cabelas and the new SKBs are also made there.
They use the latest state-of-the-art computerized manufacturing techniques and turn out quality based on their customers' anticipated price points, so buy something cheap, expect something cheap - just like here.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Personally, if it were me, my money, and my desire for a semi auto shotgun, I'd honestly keep the pistol and buy a lightly used Remington. Heck, even a new one. You've got a nice pistol, accurately priced for trade value, and if you really don't want it, then I'd say it's a pretty fair trade straight up, or with some ammo on top. Can't see the actual page, work laptop blocks that access. The ATF import papers should have serial number, brand, date of purchase, but probably won't have date of manufacture. But if he purchased it a decade ago, you know it's at least that old.

Personally, I wouldn't make that trade. It might be a $600 value, it might be a $250 value. Hard to tell sight unseen.
One Oz. is correct as usual. Turkish guns aren't bad by any stretch, but you will get what you pay for. Also, one thing to consider, if this was imported and brought home by a serviceman, it won't have a manufacturers warranty. Whoever happens to import them today, if anyone, would not be obligated to do service work on that gun. So if you do the trade, hope it never breaks because you'll be hard pressed to find parts.


$500 will get you a used Remington 1100 all day.

 

[Atom Smasher]

So you guys have given me great advice that I'm taking. The guy has no atf papers and had no idea when the gun was made. I'm going to bail. Thanks!

 

[oneounceload]

But don't give up on Turkish guns in general. Check them out at carious dealers. The Weatherby SA-08, a well-regarded semi, is made in Turkey.

 

[au_prospector]

Likely you did good to look elsewhere

I own a SxS HUGLU stamped ARMSCOR Des Plains IL. This importer is now defunct. CZ wont have anything to do with it, I tried.

Mine is a .410 side by side and she is very beautiful with very nice tight engraving on the action box all around,top and bottom tang, break open latch, forearm latch, triggerguard. Beautiful walnut with tight checkering. Quite literally a piece of art. Full size, 14.75 length of pull, 28 inch barrels.

She is however very low quality on the action. About 10% of the time she gives me a light primer strike on the left barrel. Took her to a well known quality Gunsmith in my area who took off the side plates and shook his head in disgust. She was filled with poorly machined and poorly fitted parts made of sub quality metal.

I would never get rid of my shotgun. It was my dad's nemesis project. He hated it and he loved it and tried to work on it himself. And when he passed away I grabbed it and took it to my gunsmith who managed to drop the misfire rate from 50% to about 10%, always the left barrel. I think he paid $800 at a gunshow around 2007. I put another $180 in gunsmith work. It is priceless and like my dad, I love it and hate it.

 

[USAF_Vet]

au_prospector has described the artisan Turkish shotguns to a T. Beautiful guns, if it's going to hang on a wall. Mechanically questionable. Price is right about where it should be, considering the import. One purchased directly in Turkey would have been a hundred or few cheaper.

But 1 oz. is also correct. Some of their guns are still very well functional. I just wouldn't buy one used or from an importer I didn't think was going to be around for awhile.

A lot of their mass produced entry level guns are cheap enough to trash if they ever do break, or sell to Numrich for parts, or donate to a gun smithing school, etc.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I HAD an Armscor Huglu 20ga SxS. I aquired it in '04. It shot well, looked good, but started " doubling". Firing both barrels irregardless of which one was fired.

My FFL dealer sent it back to Armscor. A local 'Smith who was a Browning factory approved service shop tried but couldn't "fix".
After six months, I had my FFL run down the gun. Armscor had dropped the Huglu line and it as well as my gun were aquired by CZ.
Several weeks went by and I had my FFL check again; the gun was sent back to Turkey, and was "unrepaireable" !
Several weeks later, I recieved a call from the FFL, telling me "you have a new gun, come get it!"
To their credit, CZ had sent me a new gun. They even included the fitted Pachmayer recoil pad removed from the previous one, but new stock had to be cut to accept it.(previous gun had been shortened)
The new one has functioned flawless. But neither patterns as well (poi/poa) nor shoots slugs as well as the previous one.
I've got a Yildiz (sold by AcademySports) .410 O/U that is a real darling! It's my most used shotgun by far. It's a copy of a Beretta, but internally, you can tell it "AINT NO BERETTA".

 

[JERRY]

I've tried to find a Mossberg 930 spx to trade for some of my revolvers but no luck. I'm considering one of those Turkish "combat" type semi-auto shotguns for half the price of the Mossberg. the only gripes I've heard about them is that it isn't a ..... name brand.