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Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 1:38 pm
by AndyC1911
Purchased new via GunBroker - I hate buying shotguns online but the dearth of examples to fondle in real life gave me little option.
The Enhanced, compared to the Standard 555 model, comes with ejectors, engraved receiver and a slightly higher grade of wood - it's also a rebranded shotgun, known in the UK as the KOFS Sceptre XSE - and very popular there.
Now KOFS is a Turkish gun-maker and reviews are very positive - I sure went down a rabbit-hole trying to sort out the local importer names from the actual manufacturers. Interestingly the same shotgun is also known here as the ATI Cavalry - the engraving is different but the gun is the same (and cheaper).
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 2:01 pm
by puma guy
AndyC1911 wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 1:38 pm
Purchased new via GunBroker - I hate buying shotguns online but the dearth of examples to fondle in real life gave me little option.
The Enhanced, compared to the Standard 555 model, comes with ejectors, engraved receiver and a slightly higher grade of wood - it's also a rebranded shotgun, known in the UK as the KOFS Sceptre XSE - and very popular there.
Now KOFS is a Turkish gun-maker and reviews are very positive - I sure went down a rabbit-hole trying to sort out the local importer names from the actual manufacturers. Interestingly the same shotgun is also known here as the ATI Cavalry - the engraving is different but the gun is the same (and cheaper).
Nice that it has a scaled receiver. The Turks are making some quality guns now a days.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:57 pm
by AndyC1911
Here's what I found so far about Turkish O/U shotguns:
Yildiz and KOFS seem to be the 2 brands that are well-respected - and Khan Arms almost universally hated. Panzer and Merak seem to have little market-share and info on their quality is scant.
Mossberg Gold Reserve (26") - extended chokes - almost certainly Khan Arms
Mossberg Silver Reserve II - Khan Arms
Tristar Trinity LT (28") - 5-yr warranty - Khan Arms
Charles Daly/Chiappa 930.218 model (26") - short LOP 13.9" - Merak Arms
Stevens 555 Enhanced (26") - rebranded KOFS Sceptre XSE
ATI Cavalry SXE/SVE - ATIGKOF410SVE (26") - KOFS (same as Sceptre XSE but diff engraving)
ATI Crusader Sport SGD - ATIG410CRS26 (26") - extended chokes (CRS likely indicates Panzer Arms)
Yildiz SPZ ME (26") - everyone seems to love them (but sole retailer is Academy who rarely have them in stock).
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 9:29 pm
by K.Mooneyham
AndyC1911 wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:57 pm
Here's what I found so far about Turkish O/U shotguns:
Yildiz and KOFS seem to be the 2 brands that are well-respected - and Khan Arms almost universally hated. Panzer and Merak seem to have little market-share and info on their quality is scant.
Mossberg Gold Reserve (26") - extended chokes - almost certainly Khan Arms
Mossberg Silver Reserve II - Khan Arms
Tristar Trinity LT (28") - 5-yr warranty - Khan Arms
Charles Daly/Chiappa 930.218 model (26") - short LOP 13.9" - Merak Arms
Stevens 555 Enhanced (26") - rebranded KOFS Sceptre XSE
ATI Cavalry SXE/SVE - ATIGKOF410SVE (26") - KOFS (same as Sceptre XSE but diff engraving)
ATI Crusader Sport SGD - ATIG410CRS26 (26") - extended chokes (CRS likely indicates Panzer Arms)
Yildiz SPZ ME (26") - everyone seems to love them (but sole retailer is Academy who rarely have them in stock).
I have a Yildiz Elegant A3T SxS 12 gauge. Haven't fired it a lot yet, but it seems to function rather well, solidly built, tight lockup, and reasonably nice looking for what I paid for it. Wish I had gotten the ejector model, but they simply didn't have that in stock when I bought this one. I had a Tristar O/U some years back, and I did NOT like it. It was TOO light, felt sort of flimsy, and really let you know you had fired it unless you were using only light target loads.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 11:53 pm
by AndyC1911
I was wanting the Elegant when I bought my Yildiz sxs 410 6 or so years ago, but Academy wouldn't/couldn't order one for me.
Ejectors - nice for hunting (and dare I say HD) but in my case, specifically for .410 as a reloader, I will just be catching my cases on ejection.
puma guy wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 2:01 pm
Nice that it has a scaled receiver. The Turks are making some quality guns now a days.
Yes - nice to have a true 410-sized receiver and not, like, a big honking 20-ga receiver with .410 barrels.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:38 pm
by AndyC1911
She arrived with pretty wood:
Dimensions:
LOP: 14.5"
Drop at comb: 1.25"
Drop at face: 1.5"
Drop at heel: 2.0"
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 5:49 pm
by puma guy
AndyC1911 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:38 pm
She arrived with pretty wood:
She's pretty alright! Attractive engraving, too.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:09 pm
by cmgee67
What do these run?
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:06 pm
by AndyC1911
Depends where you can find them, but that was around $800 all in - tax, shipping, etc, etc.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2022 10:22 pm
by cmgee67
Appreciate the information
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 2:12 pm
by AndyC1911
Just another pic because she's pretty - got a .410 Shotkam adapter and mounted it, ready to shoot some clays:
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 2:18 pm
by puma guy
AndyC1911 wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 2:12 pm
Just another pic because she's pretty - got a .410 Shotkam adapter and mounted it, ready to shoot some clays:
Cool! I like the Schnabel forend. Looking forward to your videos.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:38 pm
by LDB415
AndyC1911 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:38 pm
She arrived with pretty wood:
Dimensions:
LOP: 14.5"
Drop at comb: 1.25"
Drop at face: 1.5"
Drop at heel: 2.0"
That is a beautiful piece of wood.
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 4:02 pm
by puma guy
LDB415 wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:38 pm
AndyC1911 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:38 pm
She arrived with pretty wood:
Dimensions:
LOP: 14.5"
Drop at comb: 1.25"
Drop at face: 1.5"
Drop at heel: 2.0"
That is a beautiful piece of wood.
Almost Purdy!
Re: Savage Stevens 555 Enhanced .410 shotgun chosen
Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:47 pm
by AndyC1911
puma guy wrote: Mon Mar 14, 2022 4:02 pm
Almost Purdy!
I see what you did there
