Affordable inertia-driven semi-automatic shotguns have become widely popular (and available) across the U.S. Many of these guns are imported from Turkey, where production costs are less expensive, making them more attainable for working-class hunters. However, the reliability of Turkish inertia shotguns can vary depending on the quality of the design and parts used to build the gun.
For decades, shooters here in the States have been leery of shotguns imported from Turkey because most failed to operate reliably afield. But over the last several years, a small number of Turkish shooting houses have improved their manufacturing practices, building highly functional and robust firearms designed specifically to meet the quality demands of the American market and coupling them with US-based service and distribution. Retay Arms, which was founded by firearms engineer Hasan Kepez, is one of the Turkish factories at the forefront of this renaissance.
“There is a narrative that Retay shotguns are the Turkish version of Italy’s inertia-driven auto-loaders,” said Chirstian Handy, Chief Executive at Retay USA. “But that’s not the case. We pride ourselves on our guns being different from the Italian brands. Our shotguns use Retay’s Patented floating bolt design called “inertia plus” and don’t need aftermarket upgrades like lengthened forcing cones or oversized controls…those features, as well as deep bore drilled barrels are included standard on all our shotguns and set Retay apart”.
Retay’s first auto-loading shotgun (the Masai Mara) debuted at SHOT Show in 2017. The 3½” auto-loader has proven itself as a reliable repeater with standard features other inertia gun manufacturers do not include. For example, the Masai Mara has a deep-bore drilled barrel milled from a single bar of steel. This process is commonly done on pricey clay target shotguns because it does not weaken the barrel’s strength. It also makes guns more accurate, which testers have seen at the range, in the field, and on the patternboard. The Masai Mara has consistently delivered close to 50/50 patterns at 40 yards during testing with various steel, lead, and bismuth shotshells.
Shotgun barrels are typically hammer-forged because it’s cheaper and faster, but that does not always result in the most accurate shotgun. It’s not uncommon for a gun to shoot high, low, left, right, or a combination of all of those. But Retay’s auto-loaders shoot where you aim them.
Retay built the Masai Mara with a “rollover” torsion spring action it calls “Inertia Plus” so that the bolt always locks the shotshell in battery. Rotating bolt heads are notorious for not fully closing, which means the gun will not function. The shooter hears a “click” when they pull the trigger on a decoying mallard or strutting tom. That frustrating sound is the firing pin moving forward but striking nothing because the bolt head did not fully chamber the shotshell. The torsion spring in the “Inertia Plus” action eliminates that problem, sending the shotshell fully into battery so you never miss an opportunity.
The same action is used in the Gordion, Retay’s 3” autoloader that costs under $900.
The Gordion has proved itself on the skeet range with 1-ounce target loads this year and it never failed to cycle—impressive for an inertia gun since it requires recoil to operate. There’s not much flash to the Gordion. It’s a working man’s shotgun that’s versatile enough to shoot clays and hunt waterfowl, upland birds, and turkeys.
It’s also light for a 12-gauge (the Gordion is available in 20-gauge as well) at just 6.8 pounds. That makes it an easy carry when you’re walking to the duck blind or trudging through mud-sucked fields in pursuit of pheasants. Despite its lightweight, the Gordion’s felt recoil is quite manageable. Retay includes five interchangeable, screw-in chokes (C, IC, M, IM, F); another “extra” that comes standard.
“Bruno Civolani invented the inertia platform, and Retay’s “inertia plus” bolt has taken it a step further, which means our guns shoot when you need them to” Handy said. “It’s resulted in a more reliable shotgun that hunters can always depend on.
“We’re diversifying our lineup of shotguns as well. Retay is building turkey-specific autos and pumps, compact variants for smaller shooters, and our Antalya SS guns cater to the high-end shooter.”