New Tristar TEC-12 Innards

[tyler2you]

Well, I had been looking for a semi-auto 12 gauge for fun and HD for a while, but never could convince myself that a M2/M4 was worth north of $1K. I tried a VersaMax Tactical and a 930 SPX, but ended up selling them both due to various issues (weight and lack of a PG option on the VM and reliability issues with the 930).

I was browsing the aisles at my local Academy Sports last week and saw an interesting looking semi on the shelf with a "Hot Price" of $500. It was a Tristar TEC-12. I had heard of the Tristar brand before from various forums, but hadn't seen one in person. It looked decent, so I went home to do some research. It's apparently loosely based on the Benelli M3 as the patent has run out on that design. There's not too much out there in the way of reviews on this gun yet except this one which was mainly positive: http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/12/gun-review-the-tristar-semi-autopump-tec-12/ A couple of posters on other forums questioned the quality of guns coming out of Turkey, but nobody seemed to have any firsthand experience. I've been an early adopter before and it usually doesn't work out well, but I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet and decided to give this one a go.

I took it home and read the manual, cleaned and lubed it, got familiar with the hybrid operation and took it to the range. I ran 15 rounds of 3 inch 00 Buck through it in semi-auto without a hitch. Sights seemed to be close enough that I was hitting cans at 25 yards. I also ran some WM Federal Value Pack 2 3/4 #7 1/2 rounds through it in both semi and pump mode. I had one round that didn't fully chamber in semi mode. No issues in pump mode. I also ran 2 rifled slugs through it in semi that worked as advertised. Overall, I'm very pleased with the gun and am looking forward to running a lot more rounds through it to get comfortable with it's reliability. It seems well made compared to some of the other guns I've seen coming out of Turkey (Charles Daly, Stevens/Savage). It's marked as having come out of the Arthemis Factory.

I decided to strip it down and take some pics so others can see what the build quality looks like. Sorry about the poor quality of a couple of the pictures.

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[tyler2you]

More Pics

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[williejc]

I have a CZ clone imported by TriStar but made by a different Turkish manufacturer. I like the pistol. I'm not sure about TriStar's customer service record, and if you were to need parts for your shotgun, I do know that TriStar will only sell them to a gunsmith. My opinion is that many importers operate out of a small office and may or may not stock parts. If you have issues with your shotgun, Academy will "send it back or off" to somebody.

I feel sure that you'll enjoy your new shotgun. Keep in mind, though, that my CZ clone and your shotgun are priced so that they can be marketed through box stores. Thus, they are mass merchandized items, and as such, cost cutting measures were made in their manufacture. Without any doubt, quality standards were lowered to some extent to allow for the "cheap" retail price. My clone today sells for less than $350 at Academy. I think that it's a neat pistol. However, I'd never tell a young man to buy one if it'll be his only handgun. I'd advise him to save up and buy a Glock, or Smith, or Walther, or HK.
So why did I buy it? I bought it to play with.

Shoot the hell out of your shotgun and let us know how it does. Please don't be offended if few here have nice things to say about the TriStar. Many of these guys are cops, serious competitors, soldiers, ex-grunts, or industry professionals and hold their weapons to very high standards. My CZ clone and your shotgun would please few of them.

[tyler2you]

Please don't be offended if few here have nice things to say about the TriStar.

No worries. I'm ex military and LE as well, but live a lower risk lifestyle today. I bought it mostly to play with too. I've got a pre-ban Colt AR-15, Belgian FAL, Dan Wesson 1911s, 2 Custom Remington 700s, and a well tested S&W M&P 45 that sits on my nightstand. For whatever reason though, I enjoy playing with bargain firearms as well. As I mentioned in my original post, I've been an early adopter (Kel-Tec RFB, KSG, PMR-30, Diamondback DB-9, Rohrbaugh R9, Tavor, etc.). Most have been duds, but it's always a learning experience.

I'd still put this Tristar up against the Remington Express guns and my particular Mossberg 930 as far fit and finish goes.

And, maybe it's a misconception on my part, but I don't understand why a shotgun can command a price that's nearly the same as a custom bolt action gun. They just seem to have much coarser tolerances and look to be much easier to manufacture.

[williejc]

One review on the TriStar pump/auto hybrid pointed out that in the pump or manual mode the bolt is not locked in the forward position when a round is chambered. Thus pulling back on the fore end will retract the bolt(and shell). Is there a dis-connector to prevent firing if the bolt is retracted? The review said that the importer suggests that only light loads be used in the manual mode. If the review is accurate, then I see no use for the manual feature. Law enforcement agencies won't be buying the hybrid, and the average Joe won't be shooting bean bags or other non lethal ammo.

[tyler2you]

Is there a dis-connector to prevent firing if the bolt is retracted? The review said that the importer suggests that only light loads be used in the manual mode. If the review is accurate, then I see no use for the manual feature. Law enforcement agencies won't be buying the hybrid, and the average Joe won't be shooting bean bags or other non lethal ammo.

I assume this is the review you are referring to: http://www.guns.com/review/2013/11/13/gun-review-tristar-tec-12-semiautopump-video/

There is no disconnector per se as you would find on a 1911 to prevent firing out of battery. However, the bolt design works similar to an AR in that as the bolt unlocks and comes out of battery, it also moves forward in the carrier. The firing pin doesn't protrude far enough to exit the bolt face unless the bolt is locked in the receiver. The review was correct that you could have a very loud click occur if you pulled the forearm back far enough to unlock the bolt in a defensive situation. Not really an issue I'm worried about as the gun will be loaded with full power loads in semi mode for my purposes.

The pump mode is useful for low power 2 3/4" loads like the Winchester AAs that you can buy in bulk at Wal Mart. I don't think Tristar ever intended to sell these to LE agencies. Probably geared more towards the average Joe that wanted a M3, but wouldn't/couldn't swing the price

Here are a few more observations after a bit more time with the gun:

The "pluses"
- Decent ghost ring sights
- Very acceptable trigger feel and pull weight
- Removable external choke (Benelli)
- Semi action is smooth
- Stock and grip feel solid enough
- Light weight at around 7.5 lbs
- Good sling swivels fore and aft
- Internals appear to be well machined
- Good initial reliability

The "minuses"
- Pump action is a bit "sticky" at the rear of its range
- Magazine tube appears to be pressed in and is crimped at the end (922r concerns aside, it doesn't look like there's an easy way to add an extension)
- Bolt knob is on the small side
- Turkish gun "stigma" and unproven track record
- Lack of current aftermarket accessories
- Rubber stock pad is on the hard side
- Length of pull is on the long side (at least for me at 6 ft with fairly long arms)