The first centerfire rifle that I ever shot was chambered in .300 Weatherby Magnum, and it was not an experience I was soon to forget (the recoil was terrific and the muzzle blast shredded a gun case that I was using as a rest, giving the impression that it was snowing as the bits of stuffing floated back to earth).
While my first experience with a Weatherby was memorable to say the least, I had much better early experiences with Weatherby shotguns. I still remember the Athenas that I saw standing in oak cabinets at the local gun store, and I thought they were the pinnacle of over/under design. A few years later, as a member of my university’s trap and skeet team, I shot Weatherby over/unders frequently since several of my teammates relied on these affordable, smooth-swinging shotguns to win matches. One of my teammates broke 96 out of 100 targets at the Kentucky State Skeet tournament with his Weatherby in the early 2000s, showing that the guns with the Flying W brand could hold their own against higher-priced German and Italian imports.
Weatherby started selling shotguns in 1970 and continues to do so to this day. The History of Weatherby Shotguns Roy Weatherby founded his namesake company in South Gate, California, in 1945. Born in Kansas in 1910, Weatherby later moved to California and landed a lucrative job as an insurance salesman. However, by 1945, Weatherby decided to give up insurance work and open a sporting goods shop. He also began developing his famous line of high-velocity cartridges and corresponding rifles.
Though Weatherby was often known as a “rifle guy,” he had a passion for wingshooting and began selling his first over/under shotgun—the Regency—in 1970. Built by Zoli in Italy, the Regency had the look of a fine Italian shotgun and offered the reliability and performance hunters and shooters had come to expect from the Flying W brand. Weatherby contacted a Japanese company known as KTG to produce the company’s Centurion semiauto and Patrician pump-action shotguns, both of which debuted in 1972.
The Weatherby Regency was a beautiful, well-made over/under shotgun, but there was a problem: the cost of importing Italian guns was increasing dramatically. The Regency sold for $500 when it was introduced in 1970, but by 1977, the cost had risen to $1,000. Additionally, Zoli’s production was not keeping pace with demand, and no customer likes to be told they can’t get the gun they want for a year or more.
Roy Weatherby turned to Nikko Kodensha in Japan to build a more affordable over/under shotgun, and in 1977 Weatherby launched the Japanese Olympian over/under at about half the price of the Italian-made Regency.
By 1980, the Japanese firms that produced the Olympian shotguns both went bankrupt, and Roy Weatherby needed to find a replacement. He eventually turned to SKB, who went on to produce the field-grade Orion and high-end Athena over/under shotguns. The Athena and Orion were slightly different than other over/under designs from competing firms like Browning and Beretta, particularly in that the barrel selector was integrated into the trigger. The Japanese Orion and Athena guns had broad, boxy receivers compared to the more svelte Beretta 686, but these guns shot extremely well and offered excellent durability. Plus, the high-grade Athena guns were as stately as anything else on gun store racks. Weatherby’s marriage with SKB was fortuitous for both brands, and collectors and hunters still seek out the Japanese-built Athena and Orion shotguns.
Weatherby's original semi autos were the 82 Auto, and Model 92. The Weatherby 82 Auto and Model 92 By the late 1970s, hunters wanted semiauto shotguns that could reliably shoot both standard and magnum shotshells. The Centurion could not do that, so Roy Weatherby looked to revamp his semiauto and pump shotgun lines and turned to the firm of KTG in Japan. Having recently restructured following bankruptcy, KTG built the guns to Weatherby’s specifications. The nomenclature was simple: because the guns were introduced in 1982, the semiauto became the 82 Auto, and the pump became known as the Model 92. Both featured fine wood and a distinctive semi-humpback profile, but neither were best-sellers. By 1989, production ceased.
Weatherby Athena and Orion D'Italia shotguns were made in Italy during the early 2000s. Weatherby Athena D'ITalia and Orion D'Italia The Athena and Orion shotguns by SKB remained in production until 2007 when both Japanese guns were discontinued. Since 2005, Weatherby had been offering side-by-side shotguns built by Fausti in Italy. By that time, Ed Weatherby held the reins at the company following his father’s death in 1988, and he decided to have Fausti build the company’s over/under shotguns. Since the side-by-side had been known as the D’Italia, Weatherby decided to call the new over’s unders the D’Italia Orion and D’Italia Athena.
The Fausti Weatherby over/unders were quite different than the earlier SKB models. The Italian guns feature trim boxlock actions with Fausti’s patented “Four Locks” design. Since the gun featured four locking lugs (in place of the standard two) to secure the barrel and receiver, these guns are extremely rugged. The designs shares elements of Boss and Browning Superposed guns, but the Fausti’s action is was trimmer and more svelte.
Following the 82 Auto’s disappearance from the Weatherby catalog in 1989, the company turned to another Italian company—Valtro—to produce their SAS semiauto shotgun. Initially offered for sale starting in 1999, the SAS was discontinued from the Weatherby line in 2007. A year later, Weatherby turned to Turkish company ATA to produce their affordable pump-action PA-08 and semiauto SA-08. Meanwhile, though the D’Italia side-by-sides and over/under guns were undoubtedly well built,they were not selling as well as Weatherby hoped and were discontinued. However, by 2016, Weatherby was once again building Orion over/under shotguns—this time alongside ATA in Turkey.
Around that same time, Weatherby also introduced their first inertia-operated semiauto shotgun, the Element, which was also made in Turkey by ATA. Capitalizing on the popularity of inertia-operated semiauto shotguns, Weatherby began offering the robust Element at a price which was considerably lower than the cost of competing Italian inertia guns. I remember testing one of the very first Element shotguns following the gun’s 2015 release and found it to be very well-built and beautiful (as you might expect from any Weatherby) at a simply unbeatable price. In 2019, another Italian-made shotgun returned to the Weatherby lineup, the inertia-driven 18i.
The Current Lineup of Weatherby Shotguns Over the last few years, Weatherby has continued to expand and revamp their shotgun lineup. The 18i is no longer in production, replaced by another Italian autoloading gun—the SORIX. Like the 18i, the SORIX is made in Italy, and it relies on an inertia-operated action to cycle shotshells.
Weatherby SORIX The SORIX I remember the moment I first saw the SORIX prior to its 2024 launch. Weatherby’s Tyler Grethen ushered me behind the booth at the annual Dallas Safari Club show that year and uncased the new gun.
“It’s called the SORIX,” he said. He also told me that the company had been testing the guns on waterfowl hunts in Arkansas and other states, and despite hard days and heavy use, the SORIX simply would not quit. But the first thing I noticed about the early production gun was the channel cut into the left side of the receiver. Grethen then demonstrated how the gun’s charging handle could be swapped to the left side. The safety is also reversible, so the gun accommodates both left and right-handed shooters.
Simplicity is at the heart of the inertia-operated semiauto shotgun design, and the SORIX has just a handful of moving parts. So long as you keep these guns lightly lubricated and wipe away the accumulation of gunk and debris that builds up in the action over the course of normal use, you can make these guns run reliably for years. Oversized controls are popular on modern autoloading shotguns, and the SORIX is equipped with a large slammer button and hourglass-shaped bolt handle that makes the gun easy to operate with gloved hands. 12-gauge models handle 3 and 3.5-inch shells while the 20-gauge model is chambered for loads up to 3-inches, although both will handle lighter loads. I tested both guns at a shooting range near Weatherby’s Sheridan, Wyoming headquarters this year and neither hiccupped during 100-round testing. The receivers come with a Cerakote finish and Storm, Midnight Marsh, and Slough color patterns are available. Prices for the SORIX range from $1,649 to $1,699.
Weatherby Element II The Element II The Element also received a refresh in 2025 and is now the Element II. The basic DNA of the gun remains largely the same: it’s still a reliable inertia-operated gun that will last for years, and it’s still made by ATA, the brand that Weatherby has relied on for years and one of the companies that is setting the standard for Turkish shotgun manufacturing. Today’s Element II is offered in Upland, Waterfowler, Tungsten, and Synthetic versions in addition to an Upland Compact model. The two Upland versions come with fine Turkish walnut stocks while the other guns are equipped with durable synthetic stocks. The Tungsten model features a Cerakote receiver and barrel finish that contrasts the polymer stock. All Element II shotguns feature modern touches like soft-touch combs and oversized controls. Both 12 and 20-gauge versions are available with prices ranging from $749 to $899.
Weatherby Orion Over/Under Orion Shotgun Options The Orion family of over/under shotguns has grown to include Compact, Sporting, and matte versions. The rugged boxlock action has proven to be very durable, and the Orion guns continue to offer features that are rarely found on guns in this price range, including auto ejectors and premium wood and metal finishes. ATA does an outstanding job building these guns and I’ve enjoyed shooting the models that I have tested. In fact, I carry the matte 20-gauge version in the field while I’m hunting upland game and it has never failed to impress me. The sporting model offers the best combination of premium parts and features a reasonable price point, and I believe it’s very likely the best option for serious sporting clays shooters who are seeking an affordable, reliable over/under.
But the Orion line no longer includes just over/unders. There’s also a side-by-side version with two articulated triggers, a straight grip stock, and a swamped rib. Available in 12, 20, and 28 gauge, and .410, the Orion side-by side is great fun to shoot, especially the trim sub-gauge versions. The editorial team from Gun Dog had the opportunity to spend time breaking clays with the .410 model in Colorado and everyone left the course with a soft spot for that smooth-handling little .410 double. The Orion side-by-side has an MSRP of $1,099 while the over/unders range from $1,199 to $1,399 depending upon model.
Weatherby has offered some fantastic shotguns over the years, and as partial as I am to the old SKB over/unders and Fausti-made guns, I must admit that the modern Weatherby lineup offers the best value of any Flying W shotguns ever. The SORIX, Element II, and Orion lines are here to stay simply because they are excellent shotguns that hold up well to heavy use, and they are priced affordably. Weatherby has been building shotguns for over five decades, but there’s never been a better time to buy one than right now.
