January 22, 2020
By Guns & Ammo Staff
With renewed interest, the .410 is beloved by many sportsmen. It was often a young hunter’s first or second long gun. The light recoil combined with a lightweight platform makes a .410 quick handling while tracking rabbits, squirrels or fowl. It became a fond memory as young shooters graduated to a 20 or 12 gauge, and rifles. Nostalgia deserves part credit for the ongoing interest in .410s, but the new Tristar Viper G2 Bronze offers handsome reliability and the option to chamber a 3-inch shell in a sub-6-pound, value-rich semiautomatic.
At dealers, G&A staff found a basic black Viper G2 model selling for as little as $460 and $480, while the distinguished Viper G2 Bronze model was typically tagged between $585 and $690.
Though made and imported from Turkey, the G2 displays a lot of Italian style in its gunmaking and operation. The Viper G2 is gas operated and complete with impressively figured Turkish walnut. The barrel is chrome lined and topped with a 5mm straight-sided rib complete with a red fiber-optic sight. The shotgun is also supplied with an Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full choke tubes, and a shim kit to regulate drop and cast.
We had no failures to report after shooting thousands of 2 ¾- and 3-inch shells through several samples in the field and on various skeet and sporting clay ranges. The Viper G2 had no hiccups while ejecting 3-inch hunting loads.
The option to chamber 3-inch shells is a plus for the Viper G2, but we found ammunition to be more expensive than 12- and 20-gauge loads, and hard to find. The Viper G2 Bronze won’t likely be your first .410, but we think that you’ll love this autoloader just as much.
TriStar Viper G2 Bronze
- Type: Gas piston operated, semiautomatic
- Chamber: .410; 2 ¾- and 3-inch shells
- Capacity: 5+1 rds.; shot plug incl.
- Barrel: 28 in.; chrome lined
- Overall Length: 48.5 in.
- Weight: 5 lbs., 10.2 oz. (tested)
- Stock: Turkish walnut; shims incl.
- Grips: Cut checkering
- Length of Pull: 14.75 in.
- Finish: Blued (steel); Cerakote
- Trigger: 6 lbs., 12 oz. (tested)
- Sights: Fiber optic, red (front)
- MSRP: $800
- Importer: TriStar Arms, Inc., 816-421-1400, tristararms.com
BUY IT NOW! Log on to galleryofguns.com, select this firearm, pay a deposit and it will be at your local gun store in two days. When purchased from galleryofguns.com, Davidson’s guarantees to repair or replace this firearm for life.
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