Earlier this year, TriStar Arms of Kansas City, Missouri, announced its new Cypher lineup, an expansion of its over-under shotgun offerings sourced from Turkey. Known for high-quality guns that sell at an affordable price, the new Cypher guns from TriStar are no different. Three Cypher models made their debut at SHOT Show 2024, the basic Cypher, the Cypher X with an aluminum receiver for reduced weight and the Cypher SP sporting gun. All three have common features including a solid metal frame, monobloc barrel design, automatic ejectors, single selective trigger and fiber-optic front sight.
For my review, I chose the Cypher SP sporting 12-gauge model, which is designed for clay target shooting with longer 30-inch barrels that are ported, an adjustable comb buttstock and overall heavier build.
CYPHER SP
TriStar’s new Cypher SP sporting over-under is a feature-rich, 12-gauge scattergun that includes three-inch chambers and steel monobloc barrel construction with automatic ejectors. The 30-inch ported barrels have a top-mounted target rib that’s ventilated, along with an unobtrusive fiber-optic front sight.
As for the receiver, it is made from steel with a blued finish. Receiver decorations are limited to “CYPHER SP” and a red swoop on the left and right sides, along with the TriStar Arms logo circled in red on the bottom of the receiver. Taking the gun out of its cardboard box, I immediately noticed that the wood to metal fit is tight and the build quality is quite good.
The barrel selector and safety are located on the top tang. The safety slides forward to fire and rearward for the safe position. When engaged, the safety blocks the trigger, hammer lever and the hammer, immobilizing the firing mechanism. With the safety rearward in the safe position, barrel selection is performed horizontally by moving the selector to the left or right to select the lower or upper barrel. Regarding the single, mechanical trigger, it is black and is housed in a traditional rounded trigger guard, which is also black in color.
The deluxe Turkish Walnut checkered stock and fore-arm are oil-finished. To raise or lower the cheek riser on the stock, you can use the included wrench to loosen two screws on the side of the comb and adjust it to your preference.
With an overall length of 47½ inches, the length of pull is 14¼ inches and weight is 7¼ pounds. While it’s a bit too heavy to double as an upland gun, the Cypher SP’s heft handles recoil admirably—making it a solid choice for extended sessions on a clay target field.
Five color-coded extended choke tubes and the necessary wrench is also included. The provided CT-5X chokes are Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Skeet.
RANGE TIME
To evaluate the TriStar Cypher SP, I headed to my local sporting clays venue during a heat wave. It was a scorching hot July day that, at 101° F, I later learned was Virginia’s hottest day of the year. Along with the gun, I brought a selection of 12-gauge shotshells, including Winchester’s AA 1⅛-ounce, 1,250 f.p.s. and AA Diamond Grade one-ounce, 1,250 f.p.s. loads, along with Federal’s Hi-Bird 1⅛-ounce, 1,275 f.p.s. load. To stay hydrated on such a sweltering day, I also had Hoist’s IV-level hydration drink in my favorite flavor, Black Cherry.
Out of the box, the Cypher SP is quite stiff, which is a good thing in my opinion. After firing about 100 rounds through the shotgun, it loosened up while maintaining its sturdy feel. Starting from a low 7 o’clock mount, I missed my first bird, but made the next 10. After that, I knew the Cypher SP was a winner. The trigger isn’t too heavy and breaks cleanly. Later, I measured the trigger pull at three pounds, 14 ounces, more than adequate for use in clay target shooting.
The Cypher SP mounts well and is nimble enough to point easily, despite its weight. It’s balanced lightly with a lively swing. Although I wouldn’t characterize it as a soft shooter, recoil went straight back into my shoulder and didn’t feel as spread out like other shotguns in the same class that I’ve fired in the past.
When opening the action after firing, it becomes apparent that the auto ejectors mean business, sending spent hulls out of the Cypher SP with authority. Hulls eject so quickly, it wasn’t until after shooting at a few stations that I figured out how to catch them.
Generally, I prefer a simple bead on clay target guns, but the red fiber-optic sight employed by the Cypher SP wasn’t distracting and contrasted well with the blue sky. The cheek riser worked perfectly for me in its factory configuration, but it would be a simple chore for shooters to adjust it on the fly with the included Allen wrench.
While I only blasted about 300 shells out of the Cypher SP on the sporting clays field, there were no malfunctions of any kind. One thing you can count on with any TriStar Arms shotgun is dependability. I say this not only from past experiences (read my TT-15 review and Bristol side-by-side review), but also from others who use the company’s shotguns as their main guns in clay target shooting sports. Not only that, TriStar’s LR94 .410-bore lever-action shotgun won the 2024 NRA Golden Bullseye Shotgun of the Year award from American Hunter magazine. It’s hard to find a more reliable shotgun for the price.
MSRP is $1,025. Overall, the Cypher SP from TriStar Arms is a best buy for anyone looking for a dedicated sporting over-under 12-gauge. The company’s description of this scattergun on the website is right on the money: “reliable, functional and hardworking.” Additionally, the Cypher SP is backed by TriStar’s five-year mechanical warranty, along with customer support that is renowned for its dedication and responsiveness.
TRISTAR ARMS CYPHER SP SPECIFICATIONS
Learn more at tristararms.com.
All photos by Peter Fountain.
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