Weatherby Sorix

It’s always nice to trial a new semi-automatic shotgun, and although Weatherby is well known for its magnum rifles, they have offered shotguns as part of their lineup for decades, often turning to a European manufacturer to make a shotgun to their specification.
The new Sorix is an inertia-operated semi-automatic shotgun that is made in Italy by Marocchi, which is now part of C.D. Europe, and the company has a fantastic reputation for gun making. The 12-bore version on test weighs in at 7.1lbs, and it sports a hard-wearing Cerakote-type matte finish in sniper grey. It comes with a set of five Crio Plus chokes and enlarged operating buttons/handles for ease of use. Importantly, it also offers the ability to move the bolt handle to the left-hand side!

The furniture
Let’s start with the stock. Unsurprisingly, it is a two-piece moulded polymer setup with a pretty much seamless design, and the butt stock feels solid without being too heavy. Some semi-autos can feel a little hollow, but the Sorix feels very rugged. Plus, the balance of the gun is better for it, especially with a 28” barrel up front. There are inserts at the action join, meaning the cast and angle can be adjusted. From the factory, it pretty much arrives ambidextrous, which is handy.
The moulded-in chequering patterns are actually reversed dimples. They are fine, covering both sides to the pistol grip and fore-end, with the latter showing a small belly and two full-length grooves for the fingers of the supporting hand. It measures 10” in length.
The butt features a moulded-in sling swivel attachment point and a 5” rubber cheekpiece. The length of pull comes in at 14.25”, which is a comfortable length for a semi. There is also a ½” black rubber recoil pad with chevron grooves for a decent grip when shouldered.
The Storm camo pattern shows a black background with brushed patches of grey and green. It complements the metal finish and looks very good. It’s worth mentioning that the stocks are hand-finished at Weatherby in the USA, as is the Cerakote finish. This is why the gun looks and feels semi-custom and handles so well.
Overall, it’s a good-looking and comfortable stock with a decent LOP. It has a very practical finish and a rugged and sturdy build that is best suited to a semi that will probably live a hard life.

Just one barrel
Barrel-wise, you have a 28” tube on this 12-bore model, and the same can be found on the 20-bore version, which would make a lovely gun for walked-up shooting. The 3” chamber (3.5” option for the 12-bore) can handle cartridges up to magnum loadings and is steel shot proofed. You get a set of Crio Plus chokes that are flush-fitting and offer restrictions from Cylinder, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified, and Full.
I really like the sniper/titanium grey finish that ties the whole colour scheme of the stock, action, and barrel together, and it appears to be hard-wearing too. It is certainly non-reflective, making it perfect for a hide or when after ducks on the foreshore.
There is a slightly stepped-up 6mm rib, and I like it because it does not obscure what you are aiming at. Look forward, and you will see a muzzle-mounted red dayglo fibre optic element. There are seven elliptical vents for cooling, and at the rear of the barrel, where the bolt rides, you will notice it is polished or chromed for smoothness and easy cleaning. Note the ejector spur is inset here, on the left-hand wall. In fact, the bore of the Sorix is chrome lined for longevity and ease of cleaning, which is handy for lead or steel loads. It also has a reasonably short forcing cone.

The action and bolt
The action needs a good deal of praise for its clever design. The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts, allowing the shooter to fit a red dot sight or scope, and there is an interesting slot that has been cut out on the left-hand side of the receiver. It runs parallel to the bolt operation and measures just shy of 5” long. My farmer friend asked if it was there for cleaning, which it is not. In fact, it is a very clever way to switch from right to left-handed operation, and it’s called the ‘Shift System’.
To make the swap, simply remove the extended bolt handle and then push it through the aperture on the left of the receiver, into the corresponding mounting point of the bolt. You can now operate the working parts of the gun using your left hand. Very clever! Also, if you are a lefty, you won’t have to pay more for a left-handed Sorix, and if you need to sell it, then you can configure it back to right-handed use and it will probably sell quicker.
The bolt itself is a two-piece affair that shows a polished blue main body and a rotating head with two large locking lugs that lock into the barrel abutments. It holds open on the last round, and the enlarged release button is below the bolt, on the right side. There is also a small cocked action indicator that drops down in front of the trigger. This is positioned on the right side of the trigger guard, and when pushed up, it will also lock the cartridge carrier. Speaking of which, the loading bay is enlarged and rounded off, allowing easy access to the cartridge carrier, making loading a breeze.
The polymer trigger guard has an Italian look if you know what I mean, and the trigger is a smooth, blacked blade that broke at 6lbs 10oz, although it felt lighter in use. You also have a large triangular safety of the cross-bolt type. Simply push it through from the left-hand side for fire and the opposite for safe. This too can be reversed for left-handed use, which is handy.

In the field
The handling was a real treat, as the Sorix effortlessly comes to the shoulder and swings very naturally for a semi. I like the rugged, hunter-friendly surfaces on the metal and stock, and the gun was totally reliable with the test loads.
With the ½ choke fitted, the first cartridges to be tested were the Eley Grand Prix Traditional Steel. They are 65mm (2½”) long and contain a Pro Eco wad and a loading of 30g of No.4 shot. We had a tight pattern from the Sorix at 30 yards, with a total of 181 pellets hitting the pattern board. These were distributed with 98 outer hits and 83 inner strikes, with a slightly upward bias. Overall, good coverage, especially considering the larger shot size.
Next up were the Hull High Pheasant Extreme. These show a 70mm case and contain 36g of No.4 XTRM shot and a plastic wad. My point of aim was dead on, and we had a total of 165 pellet strikes, with 61 inners and 104 outers. An even pattern that was combined with good energy transfer and penetration from the No.4 XTRM shot.
It always surprises me how well the Imperial Game load from Hull patterns, and I am not sure why! These 65mm cartridges contain a fibre wad and a load of 30g of No.6 shot, and they always pattern tightly. This was the case with the Sorix, as we had a total of 199 pellets on the 30” board, with 88 inners and 111 outers. The pattern had a lovely even and dense shot distribution that radiated from the centre to the edges, making it a very good load for this gun.
Seeing as this Weatherby would make a superb pigeon gun, it made sense to try some of Hull’s Superfast Pigeon cartridges, and this high-velocity loading holds 29g of No.6 shot and a plastic wad. They are designed to be semi-auto-friendly, especially with inertia systems, and this proved the case during testing, as I was rewarded with total reliability. The pattern board showed 236 pellet strikes, with 88 inners and 148 outers. Again, the pellets struck dead centre and then fanned out evenly, proving that this shotgun can hold a good pattern down range.

Conclusion
I have to say, I really liked testing the Sorix. It feels like a bit of a custom gun but without the price tag, as it’s not your run-of-the-mill semi. It handles fantastically well and swings effortlessly, and it patterns remarkably well too. During the tests, we had no hang-ups, and loading was a breeze. Also, I do like a simple inertia system, especially when it is done right.