Editor's Note: Today is our final special report on IWA, the European equivalent of our SHOT Show from Frank W. James. As Frank says, Turkey is a growing name in the firearms industry-even if you might not recognize the Turkish names. It was only a few decades ago that Spain was a major producer of handguns for the world and specifically the United States. Firms like Llama, Star and Astra were prominent under the glass of most any gun shop handgun case. Not any more, they are gone and gone to the extent the only firearms manufacturers found in the IWA Exhibition Halls from Spain these days are those hand-making 'fine' guns. A number of economic factors and impossible government requirements contributed to the demise of those historic firms, but it would appear those long gone establishments of European gun manufacturing have been replaced by firms from Turkey.

TiSAS has an annual production capacity of approximately 50,000 firearms and it is ISO 9001 certified in its manufacturing techniques. They have also been extensively endurance tested by the Turkish military. This CANiK pistol follows the design established by the CZ and Tanfoglio line of handguns. GiRSAN manufactures both handguns and shotguns in Turkey. Their handguns mimic the Beretta 92 in design and operation and another version has a SIG-like appearance, but features a slide-mounted safety. All photos by Frank W. James SARSILMAZ also manufactures traditional double action swing out cylinder revolvers besides a long line of 1911 style pistols. Their revolvers are imported into the United States by European American Armory.

All one has to do to understand this is walk the floor of the IWA and you will soon realize the number, the extent and the breath of Turkish gun making capability. Some of them are easy to understand because firms like MKE are actually owned by the Turkish government for the production of small arms used for national defense. The fact they also make guns that can be sold elsewhere is a testament to capitalist instincts as well as their need to keep their production staff busy. For the uninitiated MKE is the Turkish manufacturer providing the Turkish armed forces with the HK inspired sheet metal receiver, roller locked military service rifles and submachine guns. In short, they produce licensed copies of the German G-3 7.62x51mm service rifle and the 9x19mm caliber MP5 submachine gun in both military select-fire versions and semi-auto versions configured for various civilian markets. Another Turkish firm is TiSAS and it concentrates on 1911 style pistols, together with a double action pistol that approximates the style and size of the Classic Sig pistols, but it does so with a slide mounted safety. Additional handgun products include a Beretta 92 clone as well as a close copy of the Russian Tokarev. CANiK is another Turkish handgun manufacturer whose products follow designs well established by more traditional manufacturers. Their CZ inspired pistols look for all the world like something from Tanfoglio of Italy with their slide mounted safeties and overall shape and curves. Yet, they also make models that could pass for close copies of the original CZ-75. GiRSAN is a Turkish gun maker that offers a very close copy of the Beretta Model 92 as well as a double action semi-auto that has a Sig-like profile. Like others in Turkey they also manufacture a 1911 style pistol in .45 ACP. By far the biggest of these Turkish handgun manufacturers is SARSILMAZ. They offer both semi-autos and swing-out cylinder revolvers. The semi-autos for the most part borrow heavily from the CZ design and the revolvers are traditional in both size and operation, but they are solid and proven designs. Many of these firms are already in the American market, but most consumers don't know it because their importers are selling these products under their own proprietary labeling. There's nothing wrong with that because they are solid designs and one distributor/importer told here the other day that has had virtually no-returns because the quality of the guns he's purchased is so high. He was a big believer in Turkish gun manufacturing. Modern technology has changed much in the work of firearms manufacturing but quality control and attention to detail still is demanded by an ever-increasingly sophisticated market. It would appear the gun makers of Turkey are more than meeting the standard and requirements being presented to them. -- Frank W. James