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I bought a $99 H&R Pardner 20 Gauge Pump Shotgun hoping it would be good, as in "cheap but good". Not "good" like a high end shotgun, don't mean it like that.
UnionMillsNW posted a link in the great deals section, so I convinced myself I needed another shotgun and bought it. After all, 99 bucks? if it is even half way decent, it is a deal.
Link >> H&R Pardner Pump Shotgun - Item# 1300097
Observations so far:
Factory capacity with plug is 2 in the mag and one in the chamber. I was able to increase that to 7 rounds total, six in the tube and one in the chamber. That is pretty cool.
I was able to get 6 rounds in the mag tube by removing the plug and also removing the plastic end plug that has the serrations on it that gives the clicky feeling when unscrewing the mag cap.
Is that bad? kind of , because the serrations now will not be there to keep the cap from unscrewing. The same thing would happen if I ad a mag tube extension though.
I think I'll drill and tap a small set screw into the side of the mag cap. Or, make up some type of keeper system that will screw into the lug that drops down from the barrel and goes around the mag tube. The keeper will engage the serrations on the outside of the cap when I tighten it down.
I decided to "not" ad a mag extension because I want to use that space under the end of the barrel to ad a laser, or a laser/light combo like the streamlight tlr-4 by making a clamp that fits around the barrel. I want to ad taller AR style sights so the top of the clamp will be the sight and the bottom will be a rail so the streamlight will fit.
I am also going to remove the vented rib on top of the barrel. They got it crooked on the back end of the barrel when they soldered it on so that bugs me, it's gotta go and losing that weight will be good. That will leave space for a flash hider/muzzle break to be made for the end of the barrel for the full on tactical look. I just need to come up with a design that does not look too dorky. I'll mill vents in the top only to try and suppress muzzle jump. I don't want it to look like I stole the muzzle break off a 50 cal machine gun.
I would also like to cut the end of the barrel off and get rid of the screw in choke. Probably won't do that though. Looked and can not find a open or improved cylinder choke tube. If I cut the barrel back about 1/4 inch I could silver solder the flash hider on the choke tube. Seen those for other shotguns. I'm going to look into Boring out that choke tube to try and open it up to Cylinder size. Probably a bad idea to try and mess with it. A tube that thin is actually pretty fragile.
Stock upgrade, later, I'm going to ad a knoxx type stock. I found some cheap Chinese "knoxx knockoff" stocks [ebay] that actually have good reviews and are made for the rem 870 that should bolt right on to this gun.
In keeping with the low cost theme, I think I am going to order one of these and hope it is as good as the reviewers say.
I have a Mossberg 500 already built like this but I need a upstairs shotgun as the mossberg is the "downstairs" shotgun.
Bonus, this H&R 20 gauge seems significantly lighter then the mossberg so my wife will be able to handle it better.
I will weigh them both when done to see what the actual difference is.
Going to take this shotgun out and bust off a cheap box of #6 shot just to get a feel for it some time soon.
Robert
UnionMillsNW posted a link in the great deals section, so I convinced myself I needed another shotgun and bought it. After all, 99 bucks? if it is even half way decent, it is a deal.
Link >> H&R Pardner Pump Shotgun - Item# 1300097
Observations so far:
Factory capacity with plug is 2 in the mag and one in the chamber. I was able to increase that to 7 rounds total, six in the tube and one in the chamber. That is pretty cool.
I was able to get 6 rounds in the mag tube by removing the plug and also removing the plastic end plug that has the serrations on it that gives the clicky feeling when unscrewing the mag cap.
Is that bad? kind of , because the serrations now will not be there to keep the cap from unscrewing. The same thing would happen if I ad a mag tube extension though.
I think I'll drill and tap a small set screw into the side of the mag cap. Or, make up some type of keeper system that will screw into the lug that drops down from the barrel and goes around the mag tube. The keeper will engage the serrations on the outside of the cap when I tighten it down.
I decided to "not" ad a mag extension because I want to use that space under the end of the barrel to ad a laser, or a laser/light combo like the streamlight tlr-4 by making a clamp that fits around the barrel. I want to ad taller AR style sights so the top of the clamp will be the sight and the bottom will be a rail so the streamlight will fit.
I am also going to remove the vented rib on top of the barrel. They got it crooked on the back end of the barrel when they soldered it on so that bugs me, it's gotta go and losing that weight will be good. That will leave space for a flash hider/muzzle break to be made for the end of the barrel for the full on tactical look. I just need to come up with a design that does not look too dorky. I'll mill vents in the top only to try and suppress muzzle jump. I don't want it to look like I stole the muzzle break off a 50 cal machine gun.
I would also like to cut the end of the barrel off and get rid of the screw in choke. Probably won't do that though. Looked and can not find a open or improved cylinder choke tube. If I cut the barrel back about 1/4 inch I could silver solder the flash hider on the choke tube. Seen those for other shotguns. I'm going to look into Boring out that choke tube to try and open it up to Cylinder size. Probably a bad idea to try and mess with it. A tube that thin is actually pretty fragile.
Stock upgrade, later, I'm going to ad a knoxx type stock. I found some cheap Chinese "knoxx knockoff" stocks [ebay] that actually have good reviews and are made for the rem 870 that should bolt right on to this gun.
In keeping with the low cost theme, I think I am going to order one of these and hope it is as good as the reviewers say.
I have a Mossberg 500 already built like this but I need a upstairs shotgun as the mossberg is the "downstairs" shotgun.
Bonus, this H&R 20 gauge seems significantly lighter then the mossberg so my wife will be able to handle it better.
I will weigh them both when done to see what the actual difference is.
Going to take this shotgun out and bust off a cheap box of #6 shot just to get a feel for it some time soon.
Robert
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