Gun Review: H&R Pardner Pump Shotgun

The H&R Pardner Pump is an inexpensive shotgun that appears to have filled a need for reliable pump action shotgun at an affordable price. One primary drawback of the Pardner Pump that I will mention up front is that it is made in China. Between myself and my immediate family members we own about 10 different Harrington & Richardson or New England Firearms shotguns, rifles, and revolvers that were all made in America, so the Pardner Pump being made in China was quite a surprise. Being made in China is a deal breaker for some so I wanted to mention it up front.
The H&R Pardner Pump is chambered for both 12 and 20 gauges in a number of variations. What first caught my eye was the low price for a pump shotgun that had real wood instead of a synthetic stock. The Pardner Pump is offered in a number of variations including wood stocks, synthetic stocks, camo stock, smooth barrel, rifled barrel, as well as shortened defense / police models. The Pardner Pump has 3 inch chambers, screw in chokes, and a 5 shot magazine.

Many may find that the H&R Pardner Pump has a familiar look to it and for good reason. The H&R Pardner Pump is a near copy of the classic Remington 870. The Remington and H&R 1871 brands are both owned by Freedom Group (Freedom-Group.com). Regardless of the corporate intrigue, the H&R Pardner Pump looks and functions like Remington 870 yet the basic models retail for under $200 in most areas. I test fired a H&R Pardner Pump 20 gauge over a two day period. There were no functioning problems, though the action was a bit stiff. The gun had only had a few boxes of shells or so worked through it so the assumption is that it will become smoother over time though the stiffness was of no real concern. Informal patterning found the point of impact to be a bit to the right of the point of aim but not a significant amount. For small game hunting the pattern was more than sufficient with each given choke for a dead on aim. The vent ribbed model provided a good sighting platform and the gun pointed well. Oddly, the Pardner Pump does not accept Remington choke tubes, but rather those for Winchester or Mossberg.

The H&R Pardner Pump appears to be a solid shotgun at an affordable price. For those new to the shooting and hunting sports or those who simply want a solid gun at a good value the H&R Pardner Pump would make a great choice.