Reviewing Weatherby's Semiauto Shotgun the Sorix

The new Italian-made, inertia-operated Sorix is a robust and reliable semiauto that can be configured for right or left-handed operation.

December 09, 2024 By Brad Fitzpatrick

Weatherby will likely always be best-known for their hypervelocity cartridges and precision rifles, but the Flying W brand has a history of selling shotguns that dates back over 50 years. Recently, Weatherby has been revamping their shotgun offerings, adding a side-by-side version of their Orion double guns, as well as a new inertia-operated semiauto, the Sorix.

In many ways, the Sorix follows the traditional inertia gun recipe, but there are some new and novel touches that set this shotgun apart. The most noticeable upgrade is a channel machined into the left side of the receiver. When I first handled the Sorix, behind the scenes at the Dallas Safari Club show, I suspected that it was an attempt to lighten the gun or a cosmetic touch. However, Weatherby’s Tyler Grethen explained to me that the opening on the left side of the receiver was part of Weatherby’s new SHIFT SYSTEM.

The SHIFT SYSTEM allows the shooter to remove the oversized bolt knob, swap it to the other side, and reinsert it—a process that takes just a few seconds. The safety is also reversible, making the gun southpaw friendly. Shells are still loaded and ejected through the right side of the gun, but having the ability to swap out the primary controls on any Sorix shotgun is a major benefit for lefties.

First Look at the Weatherby Sorix

Like the company’s 18i shotgun, the Sorix is made in Italy, and it utilizes an inertia-operated action. Inertia guns are growing in popularity, in large part because the inertia system is simple, reliable, and easy to maintain. Sorix guns feature a rotating bolt head with a large side-mounted extractor. When the gun is fired, the rearward force of recoil compresses a spring in the floating bolt head. When pressures reach safe levels, the spring’s energy rotates the bolt head out of battery and forces the bolt to the rear. The empty shell is ejected and a “tail” at the rear portion of the bolt compresses a return spring in the stock that pushes the bolt forward into battery, picking up another shell from the magazine tube.

It's a fast, efficient process, and that’s why hunters and competition shooters have grown so fond of inertia-operated guns. Gas is expelled, and disassembly of the gun takes a matter of minutes. Since there are not gas ports to clean, routine maintenance is simply a matter of cleaning the components and applying a light layer of lubrication to the moving parts. You don’t need an engineering degree and a detailed diagram to field strip the gun, and cleaning isn’t a chore.

Inertia guns like the Sorix aren’t without their foibles, but Weatherby has done a good job addressing them. First, inertia-operated guns only fire if they are in battery, and they only go into battery if the lugs at the front of the bolt head rotate properly into position. This failure-to-fire most often occurs when the shooter tries to slowly and quietly close the bolt. Speaking as someone who has experienced a failure-to-fire on more than a single occasion, I can assure you that losing a bird because your gun wasn’t in battery is one of the most frustrating experiences in upland or waterfowl hunting. The Sorix’s bolt head, however, goes into battery regardless of how lightly the bolt is closed. I know because I tried multiple times to cause this gun to malfunction. It flatly refused, snapping the lugs into position no matter how gingerly I lowered the bolt.

The other issue with inertia guns is increased recoil. The lighter an inertia gun is built, the better it operates. And because there is no gas system to prolong recoil impact, the setback from an inertia gun can be quite sharp. That’s not terrible if you’re hunting wild birds and only shoot a handful of shells each day, but it can be taxing if you spend a day shooting doves or back-to-back rounds of skeet. To combat recoil fatigue, the Sorix has a soft-touch cheek insert as well as a dense recoil pad; both of which serve to soften recoil. Interestingly, the recoil pad lacks screws and can be removed by hand to swap out the included stock shims that come standard with this gun.

black lab sitting with ducks and Weatherby SORIX shotguns — The Weatherby Sorix is offered in the colors Midnight Marsh, Storm, and Slough. (Photo courtesy of Koby Owens)

The Sorix is being offered in three camo/Cerakote patterns, and in two gauges. Both the 12- and 20-gauge guns are available in Midnight Marsh, Storm, and Slough. The 12-gauge Midnight marsh gun that I tested came with a 28-inch barrel, a black Cerakote finish, and black synthetic stock. Like all Sorix guns, that black stock was hand-painted at Weatherby’s factory in Sheridan, Wyoming. The striking brown and tan paint strokes give the gun a personal touch and improve aesthetics. Storm guns come with a tungsten Cerakote finish and gray camo paint on the stock, and the Slough version features a brown Cerakote finish on the barrel/receiver and a brown stock with brown and tan paint accents. 12-gauge guns come with 3 or 3 1⁄2-inch chambers while 20-gauge guns feature 3-inch chambers.

Range Testing the Weatherby Sorix

Oversized controls and cut receivers have become popular on semiauto shotguns in recent years, and the Weatherby features both. The receiver is relieved to make loading easier and faster and helps avoid pinching fingers and thumbs. Weatherby didn’t just add a bit of beef to the bolt release button and call it “oversized,” opting instead to add a true slammer button that measures 1.25-inches long and over a half-inch wide. You’ll never have to hunt for the bolt release, even when wearing heavy decoy gloves. The removable bolt handle has also been oversized and features an hourglass-shaped profile that makes it easy to grasp. Keeping with the “bigger is better” theme, the trigger guard has been oversized as well to accommodate gloved fingers.

Speaking of the trigger, the average break weight was 7.6-pounds as tested on a wheeler gauge for 10 pulls—that's about a pound heavier than my Benelli Montefeltro. How much the Weatherby trigger will lighten over time remains to be seen, but this was after close to a hundred rounds had been fired through the gun. I would not have guessed that the Weatherby’s trigger pull was that heavy, and I believe that the Sorix’s extra smooth trigger helps offset the heavier weight.

The rib measures 7mm wide (about .28- inches), and the stepped rib design and bright LPA front sight offer a solid reference point when shooting, without interfering with sight picture. The balance point lies right at the front of the receiver—right where it should be—and the pistol grip is angled more sharply downward than the Benelli. It’s not much of a difference, but I’d give the Weatherby’s grip a slight edge in terms of comfort.

The Weatherby’s fit and finish are very good, and the gun has no more rattles than those which are inherent to inertia gun design. There was a spare plastic bit that ended up inside the buttstock between the recoil pad and the locking plate that had to be removed to free the stock, but I simply pulled the recoil pad free (no need for a screwdriver, you’ll recall) and shook the gun until the offending polymer piece fell to the ground. Problem solved.

duck hunter in flooded timber shooting the Weatherby Sorix shotgun. — The Midnight Marsh pattern features a black Cerakote finish on the barrel and receiver, and a black stock with light tan and brown accents. (Photo courtesy of Koby Owens)

After carrying the Sorix in the field, and shooting it at the range, I was very impressed with this gun’s performance and build quality. The controls are easy to use, and the ergonomics are excellent. A rounded heel allows you to quickly mount the gun without hanging the shotgun in your vest or shooting jacket, and the finish can handle nasty conditions without blemish. I carried the Sorix rabbit hunting, and the area that I hunted is a mix of greenbrier and multiflora rose, and invasive species like bush honeysuckle and autumn olive. It’s nasty, thorny stuff, and sometimes the only way around those thickets is through them. I had a pang of fear that by the time I escaped that labyrinth I might have to try and explain to Weatherby why their new shotgun looked as if it had been dropped from a helicopter into a rock quarry, but the Sorix came out of that patch no worse for wear and certainly more intact than the gut carrying it. I was afraid the channel in the receiver might gather debris, but that was not the case.

With an improved cylinder choke in place, the Weatherby threw a roughly 60/40 pattern with Federal 1 1/8-ounce target loads at 30 yards. The pattern was properly centered, and the Sorix’s soft-shooting nature makes it a suitable trap/skeet/sporting clays gun in the off season.

With an MSRP of $1,499, the Weatherby takes on Benelli’s M2 ($1,499 to $1,599), Franchi’s Affinity 3.5 Waterfowl Elite ($1,529), and Retay’s Masai Mara ($1,449 to $1,549). Every gun on that list has a proven track record, but after handling the Weatherby, I believe that it deserves to go head-to-head with these other guns. The SHIFT SYSTEM is an innovative and thoughtful touch, and the Sorix’s custom paint job offers a level of exclusivity not available on any other gun on this list.