Handiholism getting worse... new Pardner Compact 20Ga

[MacTech]

While I was at my toy store (Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine) today, I took my usual walk through the shotgun aisle, I typically check out two sections, the pump action racks (looking for a decent, reasonably priced Remington Wingmaster 870) and the single shot rack, most of the time the rack is filled with poor condition (rusty, beat up wood) singles, mostly H&R/NEF, but a few Winchesters, Stevens, and Ithacas occasionally show up, as I'm scanning the racks, some tiger-stripey false case hardening catches my eye, I pick up a 20 gauge Topper 152, decent blond-ish pallet wood with a nice grain and character, an original orangy-red H&R vented recoil pad, and bluing that's in reasonably good shape, I'd estimate it at 96-98% of new, the price tag? $75, cheaper even than some of the rougher shape H&R/NEF's on the rack next to it

$75 is about two weeks worth of gas where I live, and I have nothing to show for it at the end of the week(s) except a lighter bank account and more wear-and-tear on my car, at least the Topper holds it's value and I have something to show for my money at the end of the week(s)

So, I put it on 7 day hold, as the store was absolutely packed, I'll be back or it midweek or so, after all, one can never have too many H&R single shots, right?

[gcrank1]

That pattern 'case' coloring is the most attractive to me. If you dont have an H&R 20 you are probably going to like this one.
I expect it has the pistol grip, but there has recently been a refinished one with the wrist straightened that looks really sweet.

[Doublebass73]

That's a great score, Kittery usually has good prices on used Handis.

[MacTech]

I already have a H&R 20 gauge, the TDC, that gun is [Gollum]My Precious!, we loves the TDC, yes we does, Precious, no tricksy Hobbitses will ever get it, it's mine, it belongs to *ME*, Gollum! [/Gollum]

....note to self, *DO NOT* watch the LOTR series before bedtime, it does strange things to you...

That said, I really do like the H&R single shot 20's just a sweet little gun, and the price couldn't be beat either, always good to have backup hardware

Plus, when the inevitable Zombie Uprising occurs (and we all know it *will* ) the shotgun is going to be one of the preferred ways to make dead things deader...

[bikerbeans]

Plus, when the inevitable Zombie Uprising occurs (and we all know it *will* ) the shotgun is going to be one of the preferred ways to make dead things deader...

MT,

I hope Bill Murray comes back as a Zombie, I would love to get in on that action!

BB

[MacTech]

Went back to KTP tonight, took a closer look at the used Topper, and I was not pleased....

with the action closed, there was a tiny bit of "wobble" side to side, there was corrosion around the hammer well and on the flat sides of the action, there was wobble in the stock to receiver interface, and most importantly, there was a gouge down the bottom of the barrel, about 3" long and just ahead of the forcing cone

So, I decided to pass, the other issues I could have lived with and/or fixed, but the gouge down the barrel was enough to make me reject it

So, I decided to go with my backup plan, a new Ilion manufactured 20 gauge Youth model, there's just something that feels "right" about that light, nimble, pointable gun, it's compact, easy to tote, comes to shoulder quickly and easily, it's just a great gun, plus, it's the right size for my 9 year old nephew to use, and to be honest, that's the real reason I got it, to have a shotgun for him to use, as he's expressed interest in trying out the shotgun sports

And even better, I've even managed to work up some pretty cool little "New Shooter Training Shells" on my old Texan 20Ga reloading press

I wanted a shell that was quiet, and had no recoil, something to introduce new/timid shooters to the fun of shotgunning, this is what I developed;

once-fired Winchester AA hull
209 primer
6 grains Unique propellant
Federal one piece wad columns
and the shot cup is filled with some Crosman "heavyweight" .20 gram biodegradable airsoft BB's (around 18-20 depending on how they pack in)

with the Improved Cylinder choke tube in my TDC 20Ga this starter load is good for about 20-25 feet, has enough energy to break a clay target (resting against a styrofoam "Block" archery target) and since the bb's are white, you can actually see them leave the barrel and see the pattern they make as they fly to the target

They have almost no report, and can be used without hearing protection (I still make my nephew wear it though), the thwack of the pellets hitting the target is about as loud as the report, and they have absolutely *no* recoil at all, a .22LR rifle has more recoil...

I might have to bump the propellant charge up a tad for the Youth model 20 to compensate for it's tighter integral Modified choke, maybe 6.2-6.5 grains, but I want to keep the powder load low to keep the noise level down

I'm even planning to try setting up a little game of "Can Skeet", one person tosses an empty aluminum can in the air, and the other person shoots it with my NSTS loads

I imagine the Youth 20 will be a tad louder due to the shorter barrel (and slightly larger powder charge) but it'll still be dramatically quieter than a standard 20Ga shotshell

[bikerbeans]

MT,

Another fun shotgun load, 12 ga only I think, is a .69 paint ball in a shot cup with just a 209 primer, no powder.   I shoot these inside my old barn during the winter after I loose all my plastic 38 spc training bullets.   Use a gun you don't care about because you will have orange paint seeping out of the action for a while.

BB

[MacTech]

Just had an informal test of my NSTS against a shaken up can of soda....

Shell; 20Ga NSTS shell loaded with 6 grains of Unique and 16 .20 gram Airsoft BB's
Firearm; H&R Topper Deluxe Classic 20Ga single shot, 28" barrel with Improved Cyl. choke tube
Distance; 20 feet
Target; shaken-up can of Diet Sunkist orange soda

One round fired
Results?




Thus proving that just because they're airsoft BB's, it doesn't make them "safe", when hit, the can looked like it *exploded*, and jumped about a foot in the air and ended up about 1.5 feet back from the target stand

the entrance hole is the large ragged hole in the front, the exit hole is the tear to the rear

[Matt3357]

Love the idea of the airsoft load.  That would be great for teaching your nephew.  I'll have to keep that one under my hat.

Matt

[MacTech]

Logan just tried out the NSTS load on a can of soda himself, let's just say I think he's hooked on shotguns now <evil grin>, he was able to hold up my TDC 20Ga on his own and safely get a shot off, it'd be too heavy for him for a full game of trap (that'd be what the Pardner Compact is for), but for popping soda cans with a decent rest in between shooting sessions he's okay with it, and quite safe with it too

We started off popping open refilled VitaminWater bottles with my Bengamin 392 .22 pellet rifle, he experienced how the rifle is more accurate at a distance, but also easier to miss the target with unless you're dead on, I then used one of my NSTS loads from the same distance and knocked the bottle over (the NSTS are very safe, they can't penetrate a VitaminWater bottle and the pellets don't ricochet), we went and inspected the pattern, then shot from closer, so he could see the pattern tighten up, he instantly understood (on his own) why clay games are shot with shotguns and why they're so useful for bird hunting

after a bit more fun with the pellet rifle and Logan's Daisy Red Ryder, we ended our shooting session with what I'm setting up to be the traditional "Soda (can) Pop", over the past few shooting sessions we have ended it with each one of us shooting a shaken up can of either store-brand diet soda or plain seltzer water (whatever is cheapest that week), the first time we started this "Grande Finale" we used my pellet rifle, the next time, we discovered Logan's BB gun creates a rather nice "soda fountain" effect on a shaken can (so does my Benjy 392 with one pump of air in it, the smaller BB based fountain sprays longer though) and this time we finished the shaken cans off with the TDC 20 gauge

I figure it's a nice, memorable way to end the shooting session and not turn the shooting a shaken can into something mundane, limiting ourselves to one can per person keeps it fun and memorable, *and* gives Logan something to look forward to as he *really* loves poppin' those soda cans (as do I, even though I'm 40 years old, popping a soda can with *any* gun still is fun to me, I love it just as much as Logan does, guess I'm still a kid at heart myself