doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK.... from TURKEY

With all of the interest in new Dickinsons, I thought this might be appropriate as all of these guns below are offered from the same maker.

Turkey doesn't exactly have the best reputation for quality guns but they are up and coming. A company by the name of AKUS is leading the way. This gun maker has contracted with several larger companies to produce guns under each company's own name. They built the Hatfield "London" sidelock. They built the Elite lineup of SXSs and O/Us for Smith & Wesson. They built the Marias (O/U) and Valier (SXS) sidelocks for Kimber. And now they are building sidelocks for Webley & Scott.

These guns are not your typical Turkish doubles.

The sidelock SXSs are built on a 7-pin Holland & Holland sidelock style action.... with ejector or extractors. They are stocked with grade 3 Turkish Walnut (with the option to upgrade to GRADE 4 or 5). They are oil-finished and hand-checkered to 24 lines per inch. Full checkered butts come standard. The actions have bone-charcoal case hardening giving them beauitul colors. The internals are nicely polished and attractive. Scroll engraving is at 25% coverage. These guns are also available with rounded actions. These were first brought in as the Hatfield "London", then Kimber "Valier", and now as the Webley & Scott "3000".


The over/unders are back-action sidelocks. Not sure of the inspirtation for the design but a review mentioned, along with the AKUS website, H&H... maybe their new Sporter O/U? Regardless, the O/U is available in game and clay versions. This was first offered as the Kimber Marias and now offered as the Webley & Scott 3000.

The boxlock SXS is not your typical Anson & Deeley action but is a rounded trigger plate action (according to one review, it was designed by an engineer from Kimber... apparently they had a deal with AKUS to build the boxlock, but it fell through and S&W picked up where they left off... who knows?). This gun was first brought in as the S&W Elite and now as the Dickinsons.

The options are all bespoke and nearly endless: engraving, wood grade, grip and forend, stock dimensions, barrel lengths and chambers, triggers, chokes (fixed or thinwalled), weight, ribs, and finish types for both metal and wood.

Here you can view a new catalog of all the guns (and options) now being offered from Akus

http://www.akus.com.tr/huglu-Av-Tufekleri/ing/products.asp



These were the prices emailed to me from Commando Arms who is the main distributor for AKUS in Europe.

"Prestige" SXS Sidelock 20 or 16ga_____Ejector - $2249_____Extractor - $1999




Grade 10 SXS (didn't get this price)


"Prestige II" O/U 20ga Sidelock Ejector - $2799


Grade 10 O/U (didnt get this price either)






"Elite" SXS Boxlock 12,16,20ga_____Ejector - $999_____ Extractor $829_____

Super nice, thanks for your research and sharing the information here Adam....!...

So WHO is going to be the importer for these guns into the U.S...?.........Adam, I think you can add another 30-40% to those prices by the time the importer and middle men collect their fees..........

Best,

A few more photos....

First the Turks whipped the British at Gallipoli. Now a "Webley & Scott" smoothbore is made in Anatolia. Sic transit gloria mundi. Farewell Old Albion!

J.K.B. von Falkenhorst

Or maybe, "the sun just don't shine on the same dog's a** all the time.

Thanks for posting, Adam

SRH

Nice guns if you're looking for a boat paddle....

The issue here, I think, will be the comparative quality of higher grade guns, and how reliable they are based on significant use. The Turks have succeeded in establishing themselves in a price range of about $1500 or less. What they have yet to do is convince very many Americans that buying a $5K or up Turkish gun is a wise decision. The Valiers did not sell very well. The Ruffed Grouse Society bought a bunch of them for banquet/life sponsor guns and had a lot of trouble getting rid of them. The high dollar Marias OU got a pretty negative review in Shooting Sportsman, from either Bruce Buck or Vic Venters (can't remember which). Thus it still remains in question whether they can compete against established Spanish sidelocks in the new sxs market. But then it took the Spanish some time to establish themselves in that market, and the Turks may eventually get there.

Thanks! I paddled mine all the way to South Africa and back and it never missed a stroke







Heck, I have even paddled it around the US a fair amount.


A limit of sharptail over my pup this year.


Sage Grouse


Prairie Chicken


Woodcock


Ruffed Grouse


Pheasant


Gambels Quail


Scaled Quail

I also have taken Huns and several duck species with it over the past few years. That gun has been one of the best handling guns I ever bought. I would sell all my guns before that one if it ever came down to it. I have carried it enough to wear the case color off. It has thousands of rounds through it without ever missing a beat. This includes the dirty shooting crap we shot in Africa. Looked like you were shooting black powder when you touched off a round.

Hi All:

This is great news! Welcome new kid on the block! I get a hoot out of people who condemns a product without ever handling one let alone see one! Lol

Wburns,What breed of dog is the fuzzy faced beauty? If the gun worked well for you and you are satisfied, then what do you care if some person does not like it? Enjoy the gun!!!!

Good luck all,

Franchi

History has a lot to do with how I feel about guns. I've a hankering for the American classics that I can't extend to later ones. I respect Turkey, and haven't forgotten their extraordinary valour in the Korean war. I don't think there was a single Turkish POW. I wish them well with their guns.