Home Forums Reloading 16 Gauge Society Anyone have a tristar G2 viper in 16ga?

Just curious if anyone here has a Tristar Viper G2 in 16ga what your overall opinion is about it?

While I don't have the extra cash to run out and get one, I have a few guns I could probably trade around with and get one that way.

But, I'm unsure what to expect from one and would like to hear honest reviews from someone that may have one. Seems like a lot of folks like to spout a lot of stuff they have no first hand experience with just because they're made from turkey. I think may people don't stop long enough to think that just because one manufacturer in Turkey that may not be all that great, doesn't mean none of them are. I have several different turkish guns (shotgun and pistol) and I can say that I'm not terribly disappointed in any of them. On the contrary, a few of them are all time favorites so I have enough time behind turkish guns to know they're not all bad.

But I would appreciate it if anyone had one that they've been able to put through its' paces that would mind to give it to me straight. It will be used for hunting mainly. I don't care about the name on the side of it. Just that it works properly.

Thanks in advance.

I have been on a bit of a 16-gauge kick this year and purchased my Tristar Viper G2 16-gauge this past summer after reading multiple reviews and shooting two rounds of skeet with a friend's 28-gauge version. I ordered it from Grab a gun as I couldn't find it locally and the wood was OK. I followed the instructions and put a box of high brass (Rio 7.5 1-1/8 oz. @ 1330fps) to get things going and then switched over to 1 oz loads of #8 and shot one round of skeet and two rounds of sporting clays using IC and Modified choke tubes. The gun fits me well and I have not used any of the stock shims that were included. The gun is supposedly built on a 16-gauge frame but having compared it side by side with a 20-gauge gun it looks the same (just the MKI eyeball, no measurements). So far, I have used it for clays and one dove shoot down in SC for total of ten boxes of factory ammunition (Rio, Federal and Fiocchi) through the gun with no issues.

The gun is light weight, points well and is a joy to shoot. I know that one flat of shells is not a definitive test but so far, I am pleased with the Tristar Viper G2 in 16 gauge.

I did reach out to Tristar Customer Service and purchase an Improved Modified choke tube for the gun; this transaction was smooth and effortless. The choke tube arrived 7 days after I placed the order.

In a perfect world the only thing I would change would be nicer wood on the gun but isn't that always the case?

Looking forward to using it on some pheasants in the near future.

StarchedCover

Thank you very much for your honest and candid response. It's very appreciated and helpful. Now I'm leaning more towards getting one.

Especially in knowing that I could buy other chokes. While the 3 it comes with, will cover almost every aspect that I would use it for, it's good to know there are others available. At least for the time being. With 16 gauge, you have to kinda strike when the iron is hot.

I've owned semi's in 12 gauge and appreciate that they are generally less recoil than their pump and single shot counterparts. I'm not what you would call recoil sensitive, but with age and more health problems, I will say that I notice it more now than I used to when I was still 10 feet tall and bullet proof. If I can soften it some, may help keep me hunting another few seasons.

I've owned other guns that were imported by tristar and I've been overall content and happy with them in general. Sounds like after a case of shells, yours hasn't spontaneously combusted yet (lol) so that's promising.

Since you have one, is there any way you could check how deep the chamber is? I'm seeing 3" chamber listed on multiple sites that have them in stock, but I'm having a hard time believing that. Would be kinda neat if it's true, but I'm very skeptical of that claim. I would be prone to believe that's more of a misprint so I'm expecting the chamber would be cut for 2-3/4" shells.

That's not a deal breaker for me either way since I don't even know of a source for 3" 16 gauge hulls, but at the same time, would still be nice. If it's not too much trouble to ask.

johna1,
To answer your question, the gun is chambered for 2 3/4-inch 16-gauge ammunition.

Thank you.

That's really what I expected, but I've seen more than a few that stated it had a 3" chamber.

Thanks again!!

StarchedCover

From your report and description of the wood, I take it you have the plain Viper G2, and not the bronze?

Really wanting to see the G2 Pro. Supposedly available in 16ga and w/larger bolt handle and release.

I've got a Viper Bronze G2 in 20 guage. I bought mine sight unseen from Bud's and added their $29 'lifetime warranty'. If it fails and they can't get it fixed, the purchase price is allowed against anyhting they sell.

My wood is very plain.

I like the gun just fine.

The triggers are way heavy. Like 7.5#. I put the mCarbo spring in it that gets good reviews, and it took it down a whole 1/2 #. There is a place you can send the trigger group to, Precision Sports or some such, and they'll send it back to you in a week or so with 4# or so triggers for $75 or so.

The main spring in mine broke after 500 rounds? Maybe that is foreshadowing of the future durability? Tri-Star had a replacement to me either the next day or the day after (actually to my brother in law who was borrowing it for my niece to use on a pheasant hunt).

I'm tempted to buy one in 28 guage.

Used it one day on a SD pheasant hunt a few weeks back.


My boy holding it after I used it on a dove hunt in September.


Weight on my non calibrated kitchen scale showing of the plain wood.

I'm still very much wanting one of these.

By mainspring, were you refering to the hammer spring, or the spring underneath of the forend that deals with the bolt cycling?

The spring under the fore-end that cycles the bolt, whatever you that technically would be called. It was broke in two, gun still functioned fine.

Wow. That was an odd failure. Especially if the gun was still functioning, even more odd. But, thank you for mentioning that.

I have an old turkish charles daly semiauto that was chambered for 3-1/2" magnums. So, as anyone would expect, when trying to shoot 2-3/4" handicap skeet loads, the gun wouldn't cycle.

But changing the main spring underneath of the handguard to one that was lighter, did allow it to work with them. So, thank goodness for replacement springs.

I had one and didn’t have good luck with it. It would cycle just fine but I’d have to rack the bolt every time to get it to pick up a shell. Got it back after 8 months (it was “lost” for 4 months at their shop) with the same issue and sent it back again. 4 months later they finally sent me a new one. It stayed at the gun store and was traded for something else. Some people have had good luck with them and really like them but after that year long ordeal I don’t think I’ll get another one.

Good info. I was on the fence and undecided whether to buy one or not. I like the bronze version except for the glossy wood. Cycling/feeding issues are a turn-off too.

I'll pass and search for a reasonably priced Rem 1100 - if there is such a thing.

I have one and am very happy with it. I recently took it on a bird hunt and it performed without any problems at all. Nice light weight was a joy to carry all day.

I removed the glow bead and had to shorten the LOP to fit me. It also has stock shim that I used to get a good fit. Can't beat all that for the price. I can buy three for the price of one Browning Sweet Sixteen.

Who do you guys recommend to order from. And do they have a ph. number .