Which 1

[Hippy]

This is on my "Bucket List" the only shotgun hunting I do is for Rabbits with my Beagles -- I hunt with a Older Ithaca double 20 BUTT a dear friend wants it and it will B a gift to him

I am looking @ one of these either the Tristar 28Ga O/U or the Yildiz SPZ 28 Ga
I have heard that Tristar has Firing pin issues and unfortunately Academy is the sole distributor for Yildiz-- Son lives in N.Carolina and I know he will help with the issue

This gun will be shot less that 50 rounds per year any help would B appreciated

Thanx

Jim

[stuckinthe60s]

give your dear friend the new yildiz and keep the Ithaca.

[Ricklin]

I'll second that.

[Terrierman]

I'll beg to differ. Friends - especially dear friends - are worth more than any shotgun. So give it and feel that forever.

So I can help there.

I've never heard of the two shotguns you mention as possible successor. So not much help there. But good luck with whatever you decide.

[stuckinthe60s]

a dear friend wouldn't ask for it.

[ocharry]

I had a very dear friend..he gave me a two barreled set LC Smith.....he is gone now....but the gun will never leave me...it is very cherished..... I take it rabbit hunting sometimes and remember the sunny slopes we hunted together amongst other good times we had

Those kind of friends only happen a few times......if your lucky

So give it to him and never look back...he will cherish it

Shotguns may come and go....but great friends.....very few

My .02
Ocharry

[stuckinthe60s]

let me clarify.
a real friend would not have asked for it.
but....if you (being the other half of the equation,) offered it to him, it would make you the better friend.
but I stand by my claim. a friend would never (ask) for something.
btw,
I know guys that own yiltz's. no complaints.

[hammie]

#Hippy: If your choice is limited to the tri-star or yildiz, then I would choose the yildiz.

There's a saying that turkey is for thanksgiving not shotguns, but perhaps that is changing.

Huglu shotguns are noted for firing pin breakage and hammer spring breakage which is a leaf spring, and I believe that tri-stars and essentially re-badged huglu's, sold by a distributor in kansas city. You should always look at internet reviews skeptically, but a search for tri-star reviews show a common theme: poor customer service and parts availability.

However, those mechanical problems may not be applicable to all huglu's. The CZ shotguns are made by huglu, but there are two tiers. For o/u the top tier is the redhead and the bottom tier is the drake, which again is basically a re-badged huglu. However for the redhead, the lockworks were totally re-designed, with a better sear, firing pin, and coil hammer springs. Plus CZ invested in new computer controlled machine works at huglu to improve fit and finish. It's a different shotgun. I don't know your budget, but you can get a CZ redhead for around 1,000$.

A search for yildiz reviews seems to be mostly favorable. My son bought a yildiz as a "burner" gun for duck hunting. If it got lost in the water etc., it would not be that much of a monetary loss. Happily, for the past few years of use, the yildiz has been utterly reliable with plenty of upscale features, and with no complaints or issues.

This is your decision to make, but you mentioned that your son lives in north carolina and could help you with the purchase of a yildiz. Since yildiz is only marketed by academy sports in 16 states (north carolina being one of them), I'm inferring that you live in a different "non academy" state. If that's the situation, then a transfer to a different state is illegal, even for immediate family members. Unless of course the transfer was made through licensed firearm dealers. I don't know that anyone has ever been prosecuted for inter family, interstate transfers, but with the new administration, I suspect gun law violators will be treated as harshly as murderers and rapists...or perhaps even more harshly.

[Scorch]

I am looking @ one of these either the Tristar 28Ga O/U or the Yildiz SPZ 28 Ga

This gun will be shot less that 50 rounds per year

I can almost guarantee that. Neither of those is what most people would consider a reliable shotgun.

[clang]

A very nice gesture on your part.

A couple of suggestions when getting yourself a new shotgun:

1. Buy yourself a 20 gauge, not a 28 gauge O/U. Most 28 gauge doubles are built on a 20 gauge frame, so you don't really save any weight. 28 gauge ammo is typically a lot more expensive and there is less variety to choose from.

Typical loads are 7/8 oz for the 20 and 3/4 oz for the 28, not really much of a difference in shot density or recoil. The 20 gauge can come with 3" chambers if you ever need a heavy load for turkeys or waterfowl, but a light gun with a heavy load can be punishing.

I've owned a few 28 gauge guns over the years and there is really nothing they do that a 20 gauge can do at least as well if not better. Don't buy into the hype.


2. I suggest you save your pennies and buy a higher quality shotgun. I'm partial to Berettas but you can't go wrong with a Browning either (except maybe the saltwood guns, but that's another story). There are other good brands out there on the used rack, or there will be after hunting season is over, so shop used to save some money. The quality brand guns will really hold their value.