Looking for a 20ga semi-auto for some younger kids (11-14) to learn some basic shotgun/3Gun shooting skills.  The Tristar looks a little more "fun" with all the colors, but have no experience with them.  I shoot a Mossberg 930 JMPro in 3Gun Limited and love it.

Anyone have pros/cons/experience with either and want to weigh in?


Tristar Viper G2 Sporting Youth

Mossberg SA-20

I'd go Mossberg because of parts and service.

Your Tristar link it bad, some of those Tristar have the bolt release very close to the loading port which would limit how much you can open up the gun. I'd want to get both in my hands to see how much they can be opened up before making a decision. Just from the photo's the Mossberg appears to have a lot more to work with in that regard.

I use a 20g Tristar Viper G2 for the younger scouts when I teach the shotgun merit badge. I got the combo package which has a youth and adult stock, and a 2" barrel extension. These are awesome to have when there are different size students in the group.
The gun has about 4,000-5,000 rounds through it over the last 2 years and I've had no issues at all.
The finish is not fancy but at that price point I didn't expect it to be and the gun gets heavy use so it doesn't need to look pretty.
For my use case of teaching many different sized youth, it has been perfect and I would recommend it, especially the combo package.

My understanding is the Tristar is built like the Benelli/Beretta platforms. As long as they come with shims to adjust for fit of the shooter, it should be a great choice. I purchased a Beretta field gun for my daughter who shot competitively and we were able to make most adjustment wit the available shims that came with the gun. Good luck!

Same exact gun.