Savage Arms 555 20 Gauge Over/under Shotgun Review
T here is a big difference between cheap guns and inexpensive guns. With modernistic computerized machinery, specially when used in a country with moderate wages like Turkey, it now is possible to produce low-cost shotguns of a quality level incommunicable just a decade or two ago. The Stevens 555 over/nether is a perfect case. Information technology is fabricated by KOFS, Ltd., in Isparta, Turkey, and imported by Savage Arms.
The 555 comes in two grades: the basic grade, which costs $692, and the 555 Enhanced, which is $863. The basic gun has extractors, apparently walnut and an unengraved black receiver, while the 555 Enhanced has upgraded wood, an engraved silverish receiver and ejectors. The bones gun was introduced in 2014; the 555 Enhanced is new. Our review gun is the Enhanced model, which is mechanically identical to the basic gun except for the extractors/ejectors.
Minimalist by design and in materials, the aluminum receiver weighs about i pound less than i built of steel. The hammers swivel on the lesser tang, and the sears hang from the elevation. Though basic, it functions just fine. Photograph by Bruce Buck
The 555 replaces the weighty Savage 512. Like the previous gun, the 555 comes in 12, xx, 28 and .410. Intended equally an upland gun, the 555 avoids the common problem of inexpensive guns beingness overweight by using an aluminum receiver and forend metallic. Our 28" 12-estimate Enhanced was listed equally weighing vi pounds even but actually weighed a hair more than 6 pounds 5 ounces. Like compulsive dieters, manufacturers about always fib on weight. For a 12-approximate O/U to deport in the field, that weight is very prissy indeed.
The aluminum receiver is the reason for the gun'due south light weight. The receiver design is typical of many Italian guns in that it has replaceable steel hinge stubs, like Berettas, and a unmarried, broad sliding lock engaging a slot at the lesser of the monoblock, like Brownings. The monoblock besides has ii fixed lugs that engage cutouts in the bottom of the receiver, though that is steel confronting aluminum, and so it will wear. As with most other aluminum-receiver shotguns, there is a reinforcing steel strip inletted vertically into the continuing breech that encompasses the firing-pin holes. Other than a removable floorplate, the receiver is 1 solid slice of metal, ensuring that there is no flex between the top and lesser receiver tangs. The entire receiver weighs 1 pound 1 ounce, near a pound less than i made of steel.
The interior of the activeness is basic but a footling different. The hammers hinge on the lesser tang, while the sears hang from the peak. The trigger is mechanical, and there is no inertia block. The selective connector between the aluminum trigger blade and the steel sears is held in place past an oddly curved roll spring, but it works and reliably engages the 2nd sear. The butt selector/rubber on the pinnacle tang is like to Browning'south. The selective ejectors on the Enhanced model are standard stuff and cock on closing.
The forend iron isn't fe. Information technology'southward aluminum. That ways the wear articulation between the receiver and forend is soft metallic on soft metallic. But the forend cocking stud is steel, as is the forend latch. Also, what really counts is that the monoblock is solid bandage steel, as are the receiver hinge stubs that engage it.
The barrels themselves are pretty conventional—which is a skillful matter—and 28" is the simply length offered in 12 gauge. In that location are vented side ribs and a vented top rib that is an untapered ¼" wide, flat and unobtrusive, as the rib on a game gun should be. There is a small brass dewdrop upwardly front and nothing cluttering upward the middle. The barrel outside finish is a matte black—over again not out of place on a field gun.
The barrels are 4140 chrome-moly steel, and the bores are chrome-lined. The chambers are 3", to satisfy the masochists out there who want to shoot heavy shells in a lightweight gun. Diameter diameters were .723" on the bottom and .726" on the height. Yeah, it would be squeamish to have them both the same, but .003" difference doesn't thing in the real world.
The gun comes with five 2", affluent-mounted screw chokes. They are in the style of Beretta MobilChokes just are not interchangeable with them. The dimensions on our gear up of chokes were Cylinder, .722"; Improved Cylinder, .723"; Modified, .714"; Improved Modified, .695"; and Full, .684". Notation that the IC and M are considerably more open than is customary. Choke designations are marked by notches on the front end lip, so that you lot can run into what you have installed without removing them. The choke wrench is one of those apartment stamped $.25 that y'all would expect on a gun of this price.
The walnut is one of the things for which you pay the extra $171. Compared to the obviously wood on the standard 555, our Enhanced test gun had wood with interesting figure. I'd give it a iii out of five stars. Groovy at all. The finish was depression-luster-oil-like and, as with many current European guns, did non fully make full the grain. Still, information technology looked fine. Checkering was laser-cut in a very-fine-lines-per-inch pattern. Slightly coarser checkering would give a improve grip. Stock dimensions on our gun were: xiv½" length of pull, 1¼" drib at comb and 21⁄8" driblet at heel with slight right-manus bandage and vii° of pitch. This is both a touch college and a fiddling more pitch than most mass-produced guns. The pistol grip was relatively full, non relaxed. The stock had a ¾"-thick, black rubber recoil pad with snaggy, unrounded edges and one of those pointy toes that pokes into the pectorals of muscular shooters. Forest-to-metal fit was a picayune too proud, but it was adequate and gap-free.
In addition to the ejectors and prettier wood, the 555 Enhanced comes with a laser-engraved silvery receiver instead of a plain blued one. The full-coverage acanthus scroll engraving was OK if you don't heed the shiny silver receiver in the field, but the simple black receiver of the plain-grade 555 would have achieved a more classic look. The lesser of the receiver was slightly rounded for a comfortable field deport.
Snap Shot
Make & Model: Stevens 555 Enhanced.
Gauge: 12.
Action: Over/under boxlock.
Metal Finish: Silver receiver with 100% engraving, matte-blackness barrels.
Barrel length: 28".
Weight: 6 pounds v ounces.
Chokes: Five spiral-in, flush-mounted tubes.
Stock: Pistol grip, oil finish, 14½" 10 ane¼" x 21/8".
Accessories: Chokes, choke wrench, choke case, owner'southward manual.
Cost as tested: $863.
The gun comes in a cardboard box complete with the chokes and wrench. That's nigh information technology. The only other accompaniment is the peculiarly uninformative manual, which lacks even a parts diagram. The included warranty is for one twelvemonth.
If I have been a little hard on the gun so far, it's considering I'one thousand comparing information technology to the much more expensive guns normally reviewed here. I also try to signal out where some money has been saved to run into the price. But when it comes to shooting, aught counts except performance. Not cost. Not looks. Not quality.
The Stevens 555 Enhanced is flat out a shooter. I can't annotate on its long-term reliability, considering I don't keep a review gun that long. Only while I tested information technology, information technology was mechanically correct in all respects. Everything worked. Nothing broke. The chokes stayed snug. Butt convergence was good. The ejector timing was a impact off at first, but it corrected itself every bit the gun wore in. The trigger had perfectly nice five¾-pound pulls on both sears, which is just fine for the field. It did have a skillful bit of slop and creep. I'd intendance more nearly that in a target gun, but in field conditions it wouldn't be noticeable.
What actually stood out when shooting the gun was the balance and handling. Shotguns with alloy receivers and standard steel barrels more often than not are nose-heavy. With a lite gun, a fleck of weight up forepart is a good thing as long equally it isn't likewise much. The 555'due south balance was very nice. The residue indicate was well-nigh ½" in front of the hinge. The more important moment of inertia was delightfully moderate. The barrels were quick to motion but had a certain steadiness. While I was able to shoot the gun only at clays, I believe information technology would be marvelous in the field. It certainly handled well for both near and far shots in sporting clays and FITASC. That said, with that aluminum receiver, it is non primarily a high-volume clay-target gun. Information technology'south a hunter.
The lite carry weight would exist most welcome toward the end of a long mean solar day'south pheasant hunt. Recoil shouldn't be an issue, if you are sensible in selecting the ammo. The gun volition function with heavy 3" loads, only you might non. A full-tilt iii" shell will take about three times the recoil of a moderate target load in this gun. Not fun at all. Just more than realistic upland loads should be no trouble. My usual pheasant 12-gauge weighs 7 pounds and is comfortable enough for a day's hunt with 3¼-dram, 1¼-oz loads of No. 5s. The 555 is 10% lighter and should exist just fine.
In all, I was very impressed with the operation of the Stevens 555 Enhanced. The balance was surprisingly skilful and made the gun easy to shoot well. The light weight was noticeable when carrying but not when shooting. The gun functioned properly in all respects. Information technology's non at all bad looking with the upgraded woods. And so there is that $863 retail toll. Even though information technology is inexpensive, it is definitely not cheap.
For more information, contact Savage Artillery, 413-568-7001.
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Source: https://shootingsportsman.com/savage-arms-stevens-555-enhanced/
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