Cypher, Cypher X, & Cypher SP
The modern-named Cypher represents an over-under series advertised as reliable, functional, and hardworking. The 3-inch chambered shotgun uses 28-inch ventilated rib barrels, auto ejectors, fiber-optic front sight, and a deluxe-grade, oil-finished, checkered Turkish walnut stock set.
The extended, color-coded CT-5X choke tubes are an upgrade over previous models.
The standard Cypher uses a solid frame receiver and steel mono-block barrel construction, while the Cypher X features a lighter-weight aluminum mono-block setup. The Cypher SP is the 12-gauge sporting model with adjustable comb and ported barrels. Like earlier models, the Cyphers use a top tang safety that doubles as a barrel selector. The silver-receivered Cypher shows off a top section bearing repeated Cypher wording, granting this scattergun one of the most unique looks in the TriStar portfolio.
In a welcome move, the Cypher will be available at once in all the major diameters, with 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges, and .410 bore launching simultaneously. Retail costs on both the Cypher and Cypher X are the same, starting at $960 up to $975, bore-dependent. MSRP on the Cypher SP is slightly higher at $1,025. Like other TriStar arms, the Cypher family is backed with the company’s five-year mechanical warranty.
Trinity II & Trinity II LT
Following the lovely and successful Trinity over-under shotgun comes the second-generation Trinity II. The standard Trinity II is built with a solid frame, sealed actions, self-adjusting locking lugs, and steel mono-block barrels. The II LT, meanwhile, uses a weight-saving aluminum alloy frame. Otherwise, the lineup shares the same features.
Stocks are checkered Turkish walnut. There’s a single selective trigger, chrome-lined barrels, acid-etched receiver, dual extractors, and attractive 24K gold inlay.
The shotgun ships with five Beretta/Benelli Mobil-style choke tubes. Like the original, the Trinity II lineup is available in all common gauges: 12, 16, 20, 28, and .410, each with a 28-inch barrel and 14.25-inch length of pull. Retail price is set from $855 to $870, depending on bore.
Phoenix
We fell for TriStar’s charming Bristol side-by-side (SxS) shotgun in recent years, but for 2024, it’s all about the latest SxS Phoenix. Available in two gauges (12 and 20) along with a case-colored receiver, the double scattergun is a looker for its relatively low price point. There’s a brass front bead, single trigger, high gloss select-grade Turkish walnut stocks, and set of five Beretta-style choke tubes.
Both bores wear 28-inch barrels and the same compact 13-inch LOP that makes the Phoenix feel like a handy field gun. TriStar describes the Phoenix as a side by side with “competition-grade craftsmanship at field grade pricing.” MSRP is set at $795, making it one of the lower-priced SxS buys on the market.
The three newbies join other recent additions to the ever-expanding TriStar shotgun arsenal. Though we’ve yet to get these guns in the field, the company has launched the inertia-driven Matrix, gas-operated Viper G2 Pro, and camo O/U Hunter Mag II in the last turn of the calendar. The models join TriStar’s full catalog of other scatterguns with target, hunting, home defense, and sporting applications. TriStar is an importer of Turkish-built firearms, with a U.S. base in Kansas City, Missouri.
