About a year ago, a friend got me back into shooting. I hadn’t fired a gun since I was in the Air Force 30 years ago. Over the last year I acquired several handguns and a wonderful Henry rifle. I started thinking about getting a shotgun, but I didn’t want to spend a lot. I wasn’t even sure I’d enjoy shooting one. I was in Atwood’s one day chatting with the guy at the gun counter about inexpensive starter shotguns and he showed me a RIA Imports 12-gauge, single-shot from Turkey, for only $99.00. I bought it on the spot and took it to the range the next day.
The gun has a 20-inch blued barrel, a silver-colored alloy receiver, and wood-grain synthetic stock and grips. It has a brass bead sight in front and an ugly red plastic sight with two positions in the rear that is functional. It has a muzzle brake, which could be useful because, at only four pounds, it kicks like a mule. I like that it came with the posts to add a sling. The 20-inch barrel would be good in a self-defense situation where you had to maneuver inside a house. It would make a good truck or backpack gun because it folds in half very compactly. It is super-fun to shoot. Here is a link to a picture and review of it.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...ory-traditional-single-shot-12-gauge-shotgun/
I liked shooting it a lot and I thought about looking into getting a 410 or 20-gauge. I read up on Yildiz and found that they have a budget 410. I dropped in over at Academy Sporting Goods one weekend and checked them out. Instead of the 410, I ended up getting another 12 gauge. The Yildiz TK-12 is a single-shot 12-gauge with attractive walnut furniture. It sells for $139.00, but it looks like a more expensive gun. It has a blued barrel and some modest engraving on the silver-colored alloy receiver. The brass bead front sight sits in the end of a 12-inch barrel. This one has an internal hammer and a safety switch, while the RIA had an external one. The Yildiz opens with a lever in front of the trigger guard, but the Yildiz’s release is the trigger guard, which slides to the rear. The Yildiz does not have anywhere to add a sling and the wood is too pretty to drill. The Yildiz weighs just about five pounds, so it still kicks substantially—but not as bad as the RIA. I like having a safety and the cock-on-close function on the Yildiz. The RIA has no safety and you have to cock the hammer like a single-action revolver.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/yildiz-tk-12-gauge-single-barrel-shotgun-105279765
Anyways, I thought I would start out a little about these two guns. If someone is new to shotguns like me, I hope this is helpful. If ai could only have one, it would be a hard decision choosing between them. The wood stock and foregrip on the Yildiz is nicer and the safety is good, but the short barrel on the RIA is practical for home defense and it has the sling mounts. Both seem to be very accurate, but the Yildiz’ 28-inch barrel holds the pattern farther down range. Overall, if you’re like me, just staring out with shotguns, you have two really good choices.
The gun has a 20-inch blued barrel, a silver-colored alloy receiver, and wood-grain synthetic stock and grips. It has a brass bead sight in front and an ugly red plastic sight with two positions in the rear that is functional. It has a muzzle brake, which could be useful because, at only four pounds, it kicks like a mule. I like that it came with the posts to add a sling. The 20-inch barrel would be good in a self-defense situation where you had to maneuver inside a house. It would make a good truck or backpack gun because it folds in half very compactly. It is super-fun to shoot. Here is a link to a picture and review of it.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...ory-traditional-single-shot-12-gauge-shotgun/
I liked shooting it a lot and I thought about looking into getting a 410 or 20-gauge. I read up on Yildiz and found that they have a budget 410. I dropped in over at Academy Sporting Goods one weekend and checked them out. Instead of the 410, I ended up getting another 12 gauge. The Yildiz TK-12 is a single-shot 12-gauge with attractive walnut furniture. It sells for $139.00, but it looks like a more expensive gun. It has a blued barrel and some modest engraving on the silver-colored alloy receiver. The brass bead front sight sits in the end of a 12-inch barrel. This one has an internal hammer and a safety switch, while the RIA had an external one. The Yildiz opens with a lever in front of the trigger guard, but the Yildiz’s release is the trigger guard, which slides to the rear. The Yildiz does not have anywhere to add a sling and the wood is too pretty to drill. The Yildiz weighs just about five pounds, so it still kicks substantially—but not as bad as the RIA. I like having a safety and the cock-on-close function on the Yildiz. The RIA has no safety and you have to cock the hammer like a single-action revolver.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/yildiz-tk-12-gauge-single-barrel-shotgun-105279765
Anyways, I thought I would start out a little about these two guns. If someone is new to shotguns like me, I hope this is helpful. If ai could only have one, it would be a hard decision choosing between them. The wood stock and foregrip on the Yildiz is nicer and the safety is good, but the short barrel on the RIA is practical for home defense and it has the sling mounts. Both seem to be very accurate, but the Yildiz’ 28-inch barrel holds the pattern farther down range. Overall, if you’re like me, just staring out with shotguns, you have two really good choices.
