Becoming A Shotgun Importer

[sovranceo]

We just got FFL Type 08 and we're going to import and distribute some Turkish shotguns in US.

Pump action, semi auto magazine fed and bullpup models.

We are new in US market and I'd like to know more about what Americans like.

Is there anybody who can give me advice? What do you need or what should we provide?

May be some parts that we can import from Turkey. I just wanna know about US market.

 

[armoredman]

Welcome to the board and it's a crowded field with a lot of cheaper Turkish import shotguns around. I have considered buying one, but I don't know enough about reliability or durability of the various designs. Some video documentation of stress testing them might be nice. Spare magazines are always a plus for any magazine fed firearm, especially one from overseas with limited availability in the US. Adding extras to a sale might move you the step up.
A lot of people I know think that the AR style/detachable magazine fed shotguns are fragile or gimmicky, not worth real attention, so showing them in actual use both on the range and in the field, (I doubt many bird hunters would want a bullpup shotgun, but you never know...), might help. Also "extended" mags of 7 or 10 rounds for the "tactical" crowd, plus maybe some durable mag pouches that would fit on a belt, if they company can source those as an add on.
Just thinking out loud, hope that helps, and again, welcome to the board.

 

[MikeInOr]

I agree with armoredman, unproven cheap Turkish shotguns have no appeal to me. Too many unknowns to buy a cheap shotgun with no reliability history. The old adage, "you get what you pay for", seems especially pertinent to firearms! All of the online, I have had this gun for a week and this is what I think of it, reviews are also worthless to me. How does a gun stand up to thousands of rounds in various situations with various types of ammo over a years time or more is what it would take for me to even consider a no name Turkish shotgun.

Yet another cheap Turkish shotgun importer... ehh... why?

 

[PapaG]

I have seen firsthand the effects of hard use (trap and skeet) on Turkish shotguns at three local clubs. They might be all right for hunting but with few exceptions, perhaps Yildiz and Tri Star (upper end models only for each) reliability is questionable.

 

[Riomouse911]

The guys above pretty much sum up the hesitancy American shotgunners have when considering buying a shotgun from manufacturers in Brazil, Turkey, China, etc. Long term durability is a real thing for us, as firearms are often a generational gift passed down as we age out. Clay-games guns get used a lot by serious shooters, guys don’t want to buy one and then regret it after just a few trips to the range. ( Is this gun going to last for two hunting trips, or will it keep on ticking after ten straight years of weekly trap league shooting?)

Lots of ill-fitted parts, cheap finishes, poor ergonomics or shotguns made of inferior materials that get beat up quickly are a real turn off. Difficulty with service or repairs is another huge issue, folks like knowing a maker or importer stands behind their products and works hard to make things right. Will there be additional choke tubes or a variety of gauges and models available, etc.

Good luck, I hope you are able to find a builder over there who isn’t just looking to make a buck and who takes things like quality, service and company reputation to heart.

Stay safe.

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive had a few turkish shotguns, only one has had an issue. My most current one, an Escort Bulltac.
Before i got to shoot it i did a detailed function check and found that sometimes when releasing the trigger after pumping the gun, thr hammer would drop. It would do this every time if you released the trigger slowly.

Having caused this issue with trigger jobs, i knew exactly what was wrong. The hand-off between primary and secondary sears was not close enough and it was allowing the hammer to slip past the primary sear.....pretty sure they have other names but cant remember them off hand.

Took the gun apart and found exact that.
I also found the edge of the primary sear rounded over. I recut the sear face flat with a cheap mini-file (shouldnt be able to do that), polished and case hardened it with cherry red.

Refitted the parts as well as added more pre-travel to the trigger.
Put about 100rnds thru it last weekend and had no issues, pulled the trigger group and everything looks fine so far.

Im still going to be very careful with this gun tho, and whenever hatsan us has parts im going to order some replacements.

Thats my one bad experience, but it could have been a real doozy. Will i continue to buy Turkish whotguns, sure, but they will also get more scrutiny.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I was in Az this past week at Ben Avery Shooting Facility watching a friend compete in the "Cactus Classic" shotgun tournament. After Thursdays event, me and Dylan were talking about this exact subject. He mentioned no shooters use the inexpensive shotguns for big tournament use; they simply don't last nearly as long as the more spendy Krieghoffs, Blaser[his], some Beretta;s, etc. Nor are they as reliable. However, he thought they would be ok for the casual trap, skeet or sporting clays or field use. That latter market is pretty flooded.

 

[12Bravo20]

I have a Turkish made Gazelle 410 O/U. It is fine for hunting and occasional sporting games. There is no way it would hold up to long term use shooting clays, skeet, etc. But I knew this when I bought it years ago. And as mentioned, product support, customer service and spare parts are an issue with some foreign made firearms.

 

[slowr1der]

I have a lot of experience with Turkish shotguns through work and they are pretty lousy in quality. I would have absolutely zero desire to buy one.

 

[armoredman]

It appears the original poster was a one and done. Oh well. Reminds me of when a guy used a Chinese shotgun in a two gun match at the range I worked at 25 years ago. Frist time he shot it, the magazine cap let go and he watched his mag spring fly to the end of the range. He had it repaired and brought it back the next weekend. That time, he fired 5 rounds, and we all watched in shock as the barrel slowly tipped forward and fell off. He trashed it.

 

[SterlingBullet]

I work at a LGS in Florida. Our clientele is typically middle class, a higher percentage of retirees, some are significantly well off. In this market, there is not a high demand for high-end shotguns.

Most of the shotguns sold today, in the price range for the average customer are made in Turkey. Note that some models of national brands such as Winchester and Mossberg are also manufactured in Turkey. We have sold several thousand Turkish shotguns in the last few years, including pumps, semi-autos, AR or AK platforms, over-unders and bull-pups.

In that timeframe, only 3 or 4 have been brought back for failure to function. One was a manufacturing defect that was quickly addresses by the importer with a new firearm. The rest were operator errors, a few of the guns have different mechanisms and the new owners failed to read the owners manual.

Note that most who competitively shoot, do not buy these Turkish imports, and stick to the Benellis, Brownings, high-end Mossbergs and the like, because of the durability and long term reliability of these firearms.

However, we may ultimately be surprised by many of the Turkish guns. The build quality on these guns (and handguns too) is phenomenal. Excellent fit, perfectly machined receivers, frames, slides and hammers. No tool marks anywhere on the firearm. Their only obstacle to longterm reliability could be the design of internal workings or possibly metal quality.

There is a need for more magazine options and availability.

 

[lemaymiami]

A first time firearms importer... sounds to me very similar to the fishing tackle business..
"We can make a small fortune in the XXXX business... first we'll start out with a large fortune..."