This month’s test gun is a Yildiz Pro CCH with 3in chambers, steel proof marks and 32in fixed-choke barrels equipped with a 9mm-7mm tapered sighting rib. It weighs in at just over 8lb 2oz. The action has a colour case-hardened-effect finish, hence CCH, and there is an adjustable comb atop the substantial butt. Chokes are constricted at 1/2 and 1/2 but the gun’s stablemate, the Pro Black Adjustable (which has a plain black action), comes with multichokes as standard and 28in, 30in or 32in barrel options. The CCH as tested, though, is only available in this 32in Long Tom fixed-choke form.

A big gun, the Yildiz presents as an evolved product of modern Turkish gunmaking. I am not a great fan of ersatz colour case hardening (an increasingly encountered process on Italian guns too) but it is done quite well here and combined with simple but tasteful border engraving. Action, barrels (monobloc) and wood all pass muster on further inspection. The barrels are not especially polished externally – as befits what is primarily intended as a competition gun – but they are straight internally and the well-figured wood (Turkish walnut, of course) is oil finished. Chequering, cut by laser, is practically sized and aesthetically pleasing. There are no modernistic flights of fancy – no squiggles or logos among the chequering diamonds. The laser technology is used only to replicate classic style.

Choosing a schnabel fore-end pattern on the CCH might be queried. While this style of fore-end is attractive and slim, a rounded design keeping the front hand in constant relationship with the barrels regardless of position might be preferable. The tightly radiused palm-swell grip is adequate but doesn’t anchor the rear hand especially well. It suggests continental trap-shooting influence (as the schnabel mimics continental game guns). A classic grip shape with less radius, as seen on pigeon guns and some big-game rifles, would increase purchase and offer the advantage of ambidexterity and improved muzzle control.

The stock has a length of pull of 14¾in with a black synthetic rubber pad. Again showing continental inspiration, the comb profile is quite thick and without much taper. It is comfortable but high. Set in its flattest position, it just managed to accommodate the tester. Drop dimensions are 1½in forward and 1⅞in at heel. These measurements may have been conceived with trap shooting in mind but they limit the adjustable comb feature. The latter would be better paired – in a gun intended for sporting or field use – with a bit more heel drop.

What about 32in 12-bores? I often used heavy, long-barrelled 12-bores for competitive shooting: guns much like the CCH. I tended to use Perazzis and Kemens weighing around 8lb as well as long-barrelled Beretta semi-automatics. All did double service shooting live quarry on occasion (the Berettas were constant hide companions and used for wildfowling too). These guns may be pointed well and accurately, and also promote consistency of mount and swing. With over-and-unders my preference was always for fixed chokes because they typically allowed for less weight forward (a quality also shared by single-barrelled semi-autos).

The test gun, meantime, balances on the hinge pin – unusual for a 32in gun but welcome. Its handling qualities are enhanced by barrels that have no trumpeting to accommodate multichokes and the aforementioned sighting rib. Joining ribs are vented too (though absent beneath the fore-end, which is not always preferable for balance but it works here). Weight distribution, especially in the barrels, is a critical factor in any shotgun. English game guns of the golden age succeeded because their barrels were light, especially forward, but still strong. In recent decades, the trend has been for ever-heavier competition guns with longer barrels. Those that succeeded tended to have light-for-length barrels. However, these create manufacture challenges, and are easier to produce in fixed-choke form and with reduced-weight ribbing.

Technical

This Yildiz is clearly inspired by Perazzi, sharing a similar profile: a low, thick-walled action; trunnion hinging with bifurcated lumps; a single central cocking bar; and Boss-style draws and wedges. Monolithic in design, the action is made from 4140 alloy steel: a type typically used for crankshafts. The CCH tested is a fixed-lock design similar to a Perazzi MX12. This has manufacturing advantage, requiring no box to accommodate a removable trigger-lock. The original droplock Perazzi MX8 became famous as the gun made for the Mexico Olympics in 1968. Perazzi guns essentially evolved in two directions: one with a detachable trigger-lock offering the option of helical or V springs and the other a simpler, fixed-lock, MX12-style variant with coil springs. Both proved hugely successful. The generic Perazzi-type gun is one of the most efficient overand- under types yet conceived and has inspired gunmakers worldwide.

Shooting impressions

The CCH shot consistently well. Even with an acutely angled palm-swell stock oddly paired with a schnabel fore-end, this big beast seemed to move instinctively to the targets once given the necessary impulsion. The Yildiz is a reminder of the advantage of these long guns if you are able to manage the heft: momentum in swing and pointing precision. Two pro-trap layouts were addressed and a bird dropped on each. By any standard, the CCH performed admirably – all the more considering its stock form might be significantly improved. It would be enhanced with a rounded fore-end, as noted, and a grip design more suited to pushing the gun to the target rather than pulling/locking it back to the shoulder. Recoil was well controlled. While the trigger-pulls were not quite up to Perazzi standards, the overall shooting quality was. This gun represents outstanding value for money.

Yildiz Pro CCH 12-bore information

RRP: £3,250

Raytrade UK, Lower Woodcott Farm, Whitchurch RG28 7QA

01635 253344; raytradeuk.co.uk