On the topic of Pardner durability

[balci]

Hi, new member here, I usually don't leave my operatorchan.org for anything, especially not when it comes to guns, but I heard you guys had the most expertise when it came to these guns

I recently, a couple of months ago, bought a NIB H&R Pardner 12 gauge, I have since done quite a few modifications to it to fit my needs. I intend to bring the gun with me to the arctic, Svalbard, off the coast of Norway, where I live, and self-defense against polar bears and rabies-ridden critters is pretty actual, about a half year ago, a group of British tourists were nearly viped out by a pissed bear, all while they were trying to kill it with a malfunctioning firearm.

So whenever I'd find myself far from civilization, I'd need a gun I know will work. I've examined this shotgun, and while it externally looks solid, I'm wondering if the same goes for the internals, I've also heard about transfer bars breaking, and I need to know if this is an issue that has already been worked out in newer guns, similar cases in the near past, stuff like that. If you got any info about other parts breaking, that would be great too.

If my embeded picture works, that's what it currently looks like, 21'' barrel with no choke, for slug hurling, WWII OD green duracoat, and choate furniture, along with a nifty M1 carbine sling. It also has some survival essentials stored in the handguard.

Thanks in advance

-Oddbjørn

[mechanic]

I believe you will find it as reliable as anything made in break action firearms.  There is always a possibility of the transfer bar breaking.  I have 13 H&R shotguns and rifles, have had one to break.
 
Any firearm is subject to malfunction, so in an area with dangerous game, I always carry a revolver for backup.
 
Ben

[balci]

Handgun are very restricted over here, so sadly that isn't an option.

If only it didn't take a workshop to change the parts 

[plumberroy]

Handgun are very restricted over here, so sadly that isn't an option.

If only it didn't take a workshop to change the parts 

A punch, mallet and a couple wood blocks extension and 9/16th socket and a screwdriver will allow most any repair needed new tranfer bar and a spring set  take up very little room  a tarp or towel or jacket spread out to catch small parts . The extension could be drilled to use punch as a tee handle .  print how too's ahead of time to have with you.
They are simple to work on 
Roy

[bikerbeans]

In the FAQs stick thread at the beginning of this board there is a link to the real FAQs.  If you search for repair parts I believe there is a list of extra parts that are good to have around.  Hammer spring, t-bar, t-bar spring, f-pin & spring etc.   The receiver disassembly instructions in the FAQs are very good and the receiver really is fairly simple to disassemble/reassemble.  The slave pin is the big deal as it allows you to drop the trigger group in one piece as opposed to trying to look at drawing and then figure out how to reassemble it.
 
BB

[tacklebury]

I would say that mine have functioned through many winters with no failure personally.  If it were me though and you were going to a bad place, I'd just carry a second shotgun.  Configure both the same and keep one broken down in a protective case.  I use a thumbscrew to put the forend's on-off on my switch barrel, so then it can be kept in a smaller package until needed.  At the price of these guns, it's pretty cheap insurance to have the second if you ask me.    Often, arming a second person to have guards in multiple spots works better anyway. 

[Ol BW]

First off, welcome to our forum.  You have found the right place.
 
I believe that the instances of failure that you might have heard about are minimal compared to the quantity of guns out there.  I do not have any numbers to back up my claim but remember, in any situation you hear far more complaints than you will ever hear praise.  The internet and this forum are no exception.
 
That being said, even if it is 1/10th of a percent, that still will not help you if your looking at an angry polar bear at the other end of that gun and it fails.  The same can be said of any mechanical device. 
 
I do not think you will need to worry about any failures with the gun as long as you take the proper precautions of cleaning, maintenance, frequent visual inspections and practice. 
 
I would consider a back up option if I were you.  Since you cannot carry handguns, what about bear repellent? (Heavy duty pepper spray in a large can)   

[Catshooter45]

My only contribution here is to be a bit careful of how much weight you put into the forearm.  Remember, it is only being held by the welded on stud.  I'm sure a litte weight is no problem, after all the laminated forearms are heavy, but if you fill it too much it could come of during recoil.
 
I would expect the shotgun to serve you well.  If you get the chance, after-action reports are much appreciated.
 
Good luck.
 
 
Cat

[balci]

Thanks for the replies, Just bought some brenekke slugs, I guess I'll try a couple of them and familiarize me with the recoil.

I'll try getting some spare parts for it in the future, Numrich refuses to ship even a simple spring to me unless I got a dealers license, and H&R will only spare parts for repairs in their facilities.

Repellents seem unreliable, and if it isn't illegal, it's strongly discouraged, as many have experienced that even bear mace has only made the animal more fierce and ruthless, as such, the authorities will enforce you to carry a 7.62 or 12 gauge firearm.

It doesn't seem like there has been any malfunctions in the newer shotguns, rather, there was a batch a few years back that suffered from bad transfer bars, that's what it looks like from my investigation however.

Another shotgun isn't a possibility either, you can own one gun in each category, and that's pretty much it. And it may come as a surprise to some, but I actually had to order this gun from a speciality store, the pricetag ended up somewhere around 400 USD, which is what you'd expect here. I always had the possibility of buying a Baikal or something similar, but they seemed pretty shoddy. And the selection of pump actions we have avaiable are extremely poor, my 870 that I got rid of, suffered many malfunctions, and the overall quality was very poor

Needless to say, I'm very OCD about firearm durability, but it has only been reinforced by experiences ranging from a Benelli nova falling apart while hunting, to a H&K 416 becoming a straight-pull action rifle during a combat situation.

Again, thanks for all the input, I've read it all carefully and will take it into consideration when I decide to head out to the arctic sometime this summer

[Jason F]

I am taking my 20+ shotguns and going to norway with a for sale sign. That would be terrible to only own one in every catagory

[bikerbeans]

Again, thanks for all the input, I've read it all carefully and will take it into consideration when I decide to head out to the arctic sometime this summer

balci
 
I hope that allow you a camera and or video recorder.  I would love to see you post about of your time in the arctic and we all love pics here at GBO.    Enjoy your time in the frozen north.
 
BB