[Whaler]

Does anyone have any experience with these guns? I would like to purchase a semi auto for my son.I looked at one at Cabelas today and I liked the way it felt. It was the 20 ga youth viper. It is a lot lighter then the Rem 1100 youth 20 ga. It was only $399. I searched the internet and saw very few reviews. The few I saw were mostly positive. Any one have any info on these guns they could share?

 

[win.1300]

i have a tristar phantom in 12ga. 3". i absolutely love it. shoots good and has been very reliable.

 

[Whaler]

Thanks for the reply. That was another plus for the gun - it could take 2 3/4 or 3" shells.

 

[hunt/fish365]

The only thing I will say on this is that it if memory serves me right a "MADE IN CHINA" gun. It is probably a good gun. I personally just prefer to buy something that is made here.

There are a lot of really good guns that are made overseas. With the exception of double guns I would rather give me money to an american made company. I won't even buy an "international" branded gun of the national makers.

I have been out of decent work long enough. It's almost like the wal-mart deal. "the high cost of low prices". It's one of the few times I have the choice of buying MADE IN USA. If it aint made here I don't buy it if I have a choice.

 

[hunter4095]

most ive met that had them liked them a lot, i never heard any bad things about them.

 

[Whaler]

I hear ya. The gun is made in Turkey. The Rem 1100 youth only took 2 3/4 inch shells and for turkey and waterfowl I would prefer the 3" capability. Plus it had to be 2 lbs heavier. He already has a .22 Crikett, .22 Henry, 20 guage Mossberg pump and a Rem 700 .243 so the TriStar would be his first non USA gun.

 

[hunt/fish365]

I can certainly understand. I was lookin awhile back for a 20 ga auto. The choices were very limited. The 1100 is obviously heavy. I have a 12 gauge 1100 that never gets used as it's heavy.

Not many of the other makes have any available. Mossberg sells one but it is made in Turkey. I would rather give me money to the turks than china, but I couldn't afford a made in USA 20 gauge auto so I just put it on the back burner for now. I have a few other shotguns to get me by.

Why can Turkey make a 6lb 20 gauge auto that retails for $400, and we can't make one here that weighs less that 8lb's for less than $700? I would pay the $700 if it weren't so darn heavey.

 

[jimsdad]

I had a TriStar sxs several years ago and after about 200 rounds the gun would fire whenever the safety was taken off. I believe it was the right barrel that fired. Took it to a gunsmith and he had to reharden a lot of the internal workings. It worked fine after that, I like the way the gun handled and the barrels were nice and long.

 

[win.1300]

The only thing I will say on this is that it if memory serves me right a "MADE IN CHINA"

mine says made in TURKEY.

 

[cmilesjr]

I do not tend to be negative but I personally do not like them. I won one at a DU banquet and sold it shortly after winning it. I never fired mine so to be honest other than the appearnce of being a poor quality gun I have no first hand experience.
My buddy won the same gun I had won at a different banquet and had nothing but problems with it. It would jamb no matter what shells he was using. He returned it several times to be repaired and it came back working fine for about the first 25-50 shells then starting jambing again. We cleaned it so that was not the issue. After several send backs, he just traded it in at a local shop so as to get rid of it.
I, personally would not own one.

 

[SgtUSMC]

I bought a Verona semi-auto a couple years back from Dicks.
Price as around 225. Came with a rifled barrel, field barrel and 4 chokes.
That gun also was made in Turkey, at least most of it was. I think its pretty good quality and I've took alot of game with it.
Cycles both low brass (don't think alot of semi's will) and high brass and shoots 3".
The price being low doesn't always mean its not good.

I say go for it!! I seen one used at Gander the other day. Liked the feel and it was really light. Almost bought it for my son eventho he won't be shooting for another 6-7 years. It felt lighter than the 20ga 870 youth that I have.

 

[Whaler]

We ended up buying one this weekend. We shot ~120 rounds through it on Saturday and it never jammed. Over 100 rounds of low brass trap loads. My son did pretty well with it on the clay birds. Seems like a nice gun for the money.