New England Firearms Pardner / Handi Rifle Single Shots

The NEF Pardner single shot is probably the most popular of the single shot guns out there.  The same basic design is manufactured and sold by H&R, and New England.  The NEF and H&R are really the same gun made in the same place, but with different names.

There really isn't much to one of these.  The standard shotgun receiver will accept barrels from .410 to 12 gauge.  The only thing that changes is the barrel and maybe the forearm.  That makes one of these little gems one of the most cost effective guns you can buy.  The barrel program from NEF requires that you send your receiver to them for fitting. However, I was able to fit an older H&R barrel to my NEF with no issues whatsoever.









There is also the handi rifle.  These are same receiver, but hollowed out and with a different firing pin arrangement.  Rifles can accept shot shell barrels, but not vice versa.  (Rim fire guns will only accept rim fire barrels for obvious reasons.)  I have fired Handi rifles in .223 and .17hmr.  Both were very slick guns.  Outfitted with a good scope, these things are tack drivers.  The 17hmr was particularly nice, with a barrel diameter of a 12 gauge it was a heavy beast.

There are a myriad of different configurations available to suit every need.  The thing I like most about them is that they put a well built rifle or shotgun of various calibers within reach of most shooters.  The lack of a follow up shot may or may not be a problem for you, but there is no arguing with their accuracy, dependability, or affordability.

Tactical stock set

Shotgun only frame on left.  Rifle on right

http://www.hr1871.com/support/accessoryprogram.asp

MAKAROV PM

IJ-70 Makarov in .380 acp with target sight and pierce grip.  One need only change the barrel to make it 9x18

The Makarov PM, commonly know as the Makarov or Mak, was the cold war counterpart to our 1911.  It was introduced in the early 1950s as a replacement for the Tokarev pistol and Nagant revolver.  It is a simple, straight blow back, design that borrows heavily from the Walther pp and ppk.  While Nikolai Makarov borrowed much from the Walthers, he did not produce a copy.  The Makarov PM is it's own animal.

For clarification purposes you must know that there are several other pistols chambered for the 9x18 Makarov round.  They may or may not be similar to the PM, but they are not Makarov pistols.

I could go on and on about the history and inner workings of this little pistol, but that may be reinventing the wheel.  Wikipedia does a good job of outlining the gun's history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarov_pistol

My Makarov experience started in 2002 when I bought my Baikal IJ-70.  The IJ-70 is simply a standard Makarov PM with the fixed rear sight removed and replaced by an adjustable "target" sight.  The reason for this is the stupidity of gun laws in the United States.  To import newly manufactured pistols into our country the gun had to have a "sporting" purpose.  Hence the target sight.  I say stupid because the screw that holds the sight on has very small threads and is easily backed out under the Mak's strong recoil. Once backed out, I have often found that it is stripped.  To remedy the situation I installed a fixed replacement sight from Gun parts warehouse http://www.gunpartswarehouse.com/pistol-parts/makarov-pistol/ij-70-fixed-rear-sight.html. Unfortunately, this did not stop the screw from backing out and stripping.  (They sell new screws too).  Red locktite is the best thing I've found, but they still come loose.  All because the feds think a gun is less deadly if it has a target sight on it.  If I ever find a standard slide at a decent price, I'll replace it.  Surplus Maks have a standard sight dovetailed into the slide as the designer intended.  I have since re installed the target sight. 

Other than the federally mandated problem, I love my Mak.  It is unbelievably reliable, accurate, and a ton of fun.  The recoil is snappy to say the least.  There is really no discernible difference between the recoil of the Mak and that of a standard size .45 ACP.  Yes, this little gun has bite.  A pearce  grip is worth it's weight in gold and really changes the feel of the gun for the better.  I highly recommend them.

Some of the IJ-70s came chambered in.380 acp, while the good ones :) are chambered in 9x18 Makarov. The only difference is the barrel. 9x18 ammo is generally available at smaller gun shops or through mail order.  No, Wal-Mart does not carry it.  The Russian brown bear and silver bear are pretty hot loads with steel cases.  Many manufacturers have a listing for it, but  availability can be spotty and American makers want an arm and a leg for the stuff.

I started to hand load for 9x18 within a year of buying the gun.  I use 9mm luger brass that I pick up off the range.  I simply trim 1 millimeter off the length and run it through the dies.  No big deal.  I was loading Hornady's xtp hollow points years back.  Awesome bullets, but a little hard to find right now.  I'm currently loading 95 grain hard cast lead from Rim Rock Bullets.  Also very good quality and much cheaper. In general, hard cast is a good way to go for target and plinking.  

The best upgrades are the grips, a Wolf recoil spring, and perhaps an East German main spring.  I have added all these to mine and think each one has it's advantages.        

Shown cocked.  The single action trigger is crisp and relatively light at 5.5 pounds, the double action not so much.

An open letter to potential concealed carry instructors

As a resident of one of the most gun restrictive states in the union, I have been anxiously awaiting the day when I can legally carry a pistol outside the home for protection.  As all of us in Illinois know, the state has resisted allowing citizens to carry concealed or otherwise for years.  The new carry law that was passed is far from ideal.  Probably the biggest example of that is the 16 hour training requirement.  That's far beyond what is required in other states and has been heavily criticized as overly burdensome.

The State Police have been charged with setting up the training and have now started the process of approving people who want to offer the 16 hour course.  My fear is two fold.  Number one, that these classes will be so full and so few and far between that people will have a very difficult time getting into a class.  And second, that there will be significant price gouging by some who qualify to teach these classes.  The state is already charging $150 for the privilege of the card.  Then we have to pay someone for the class.  Now, I have no problem with a charge for these classes.  I mean the paper costs something and the lights have to be turned on.  But, when people start talking hundreds of dollars for a class that takes 2 days it starts to make me think that people are wanting to take advantage of the situation.  So, please everyone, if you are qualified to teach the class, don't charge more than is reasonable.  Doing otherwise just denies a large part of the population the right to defend themselves.  Sound good?