Weatherby comes with two gas pistons (rings), one for lighter loads and one for heavy. The light will handle the loads you are wondering about. It has a good, dependable track record and Weatherby's customer service is great if you ever need it. Even if they are made in the same factory, they are to different specs of the importer. IMO the Weatherby is worth the money. Zero problems with mine. I prefer the Standard Invector style chokes on the Weatherby but, if you already have a 20 ga that uses Mobil chokes, you would have extra chokes for the Tri Star.

 

Don't have any experience with the TriStar but have been extremely pleased with the SA-08 I bought for my daughter a number of years ago. It has a wood stock, the newer ones are synthetic.

 

I bought the TriStar Two Stock Synthetic Combo Youth Model. I bought it so that my significant other (hate to say Girl Friend at my age), my daughter and any youngster I take to the club, could use it. It comes with a second full size butt stock as well as a 2" barrel extension, to give the longer barrel and balance when using the full size stock. In that configuration I can use it as a rain gun as well as lender for full size adults. If I had a grandson (maybe my Grand Daughter will take it up), then it would be good for someone small to Grow Into.
For $441.00 (Buds) I think it was a pretty good deal.

A friend has a TriStar in 12 gauge and had to have the gas port drilled out in order to shoot light target loads. TriStar was very helpful telling him what to do.

The 20 gauge claimed to be able to shot everything from 3 inch magnums down to light target loads, which I was suspect of, but when I got to the range the first day, I fired one box of heavy loads through the gun (Which is printed as a recommendation right on the inside of the box) and then switched to 20 gauge No. 9 Gun Clubs and the only thing that changed was how far it threw the spent shells.

I am very impressed for the price and no need to change gas rings etc.

Bob

 

I have the full size Weatherby 20 gauge sa 08 and love it when I'm not having cycling problems, mostly with Winchester super targets. Recoil isn't bad for such a light gun and they are well made. Customer service is good too with open ended warranty. Switching Pistons is easy and probably only needs to be done when you go from targets to hunting loads. Takes 60 seconds and my mother in law could do it.

 

I would reccomend the Tristar. Great value, great Warranty. I have yet to see a problem with one of these guns.

 

I would like to get my son a 20ga semi-auto shotgun and I have looked at the following two models. One is a Weatherby and the other is a Tristar. When I was looking at them in person they both read "Made in Turkey" and other than markings appear identical. Does anyone know if they are made by the same company? I've heard that the Weatherby comes with 2 bolts, one for heavy and one for light loads, yet I don't see that listed anywhere online. Does anyone have insight on the bolts? I was also wondering if either one of these would be able to shoot lighter dove/quail loads without cycling issues. Is the Weatherby worth $150 more than the Tristar? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
http://www.tristararms.com/products/rap ... tor-youth/

http://www.weatherby.com/products/shotg ... mpact.html

While it is neither of the guns you asked about, I have a couple Mossberg SA-20's which are also essentially identical guns to the Tristar and Weatherby. They all come from the same consortium in Turkey.

The SA-20 comes with only one gas piston for all loads and both of mine, plus a friends, will cycle 3/4oz handloads down to around 1150-1200fps with no trouble.

The Tristars I have seen and shot (a Viper G2 Silver 28 and a Viper G2 Sporting in 28) were very nice guns with beautiful wood. Both worked perfectly with both factory and handloads. I wish Mossberg would offer wood on the SA-20 but I'm going to look into a set of wood furniture from Tristar or Weatherby for mine.

I cant say if the Weatherby is worth more than the Tristar but the Tristar models I have seen are lacking for nothing.

 

Today marks the 3rd year I will have owned and used my Weatherby 20g sa, it is a solid performer so far and I may end up with 1 in a 12g as my grandson just passed his hunters safety coarse and is now saying how much he likes a 20g . You can get a problem child in any brand but for the most part guns go bang when they should and you will find ammo that just wont perform either in function or patterns. I bought the synthetic but have been eyeballing the nice wood stocks so if/when it will be wood stock this next time only because I have a choice . good luck on which ever way you swing