Pardini 45 any opinions

[Brian James]

I wonder if anyone has any feels about the Pardini 45, I'm looking at it as an option to shoot the NRA 2700.

I've attached a link to the pistols

Thanks

BJ

http://www.pardini.it/schede_dinamic_eng.html

[GOVTMODEL]

The trigger is wonderful, the grip is a bit fat, and the bridge style scope mount is a bit high. Very accurate, though.

[Brian James]

Thanks, does it qaulify for the NRA events as well IPSC? I'm a bulls eye shooter, who is looking to buy a fun gun to compete with the guys at the gun club with. So I'm looking at 45 as means of shooting the NRA 2700 and shoot IPSC when the mood takes me.

BL

[GOVTMODEL]

NRA Conventional Pistol Rule 3 is quite broad-

"3.3 Any .45 Caliber Semiautomatic Pistol or Revolver - Any .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol or revolver; barrel length, including cylinders, not more than 10 inches. trigger pull for revolvers not less than 2 1/2 pounds, .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol trigger pull not less than 3 1/2 pounds. Sights may be adjustable but not over 10 inches apart measured from the apex of the rear sight to the apex of the front sight. All standard safety features of guns must operate properly. Any sights, including telescopic, are permitted with the exception of those sights which project an image on the target. Any sighting device programmed to activate the firing mechanism is prohibited"

so, yes it is allowable in Conventional Pistol competition.

[F. Paul in Denver]

Brian,

I've been shooting the GT45 in 2700's for three years now and have about 10,000 rounds thru it

The advantages to the gun:

It is ready to shoot right out of the box - you dont need to wait a year for a gunsmith to build one for you or do a trigger job or an "accurizing job."

Superb trigger and is easily user adjustable in many different ways - weight, length of pull, crisp or long or short rolling.

Recoil with wad loads is very light. This is a six incher so the extra weight out front probably accounts for this.

Subjectively speaking, the gun's balance is excellent.

Reliability on mine has been flawless.

Excellent iron sights similar in size and appearance to BoMars

Low bore axis - this is just a matter of personal preference

Much easier to field strip and clean than the 1911


Disadvantages:

You need to have a really big hand - it's a double stacker with a thick grip.

Finding custom or anatomical grips for it is difficult\expensive and will make the grip even bigger.

Spare parts are readily available but not nearly as easy to find or as inexpensive as a 1911. After 10,000 rounds, I havent needed any parts.

I dont think Ransom rest inserts are available for the GT45

Pardini does not provide an accuracy guarantee like you can get with some 1911's




I originally got my GT45 to use as a temp gun when I learned that my 1911 would take more than a year to build. Two years after getting my 1911, I still prefer to shoot the GT45.


If you get one, contact me at paul@figlialaw.com and I'll be happy to share my reload recipe with you.

A well built 1911 is an excellent choice for the 2700. It's just that is isn't the ONLY choice. The GT45 is an alternative which will shoot just as well.


Good luck with your decision.

Paul

[F. Paul in Denver]

One additional note:

My GT45 has a habit of ejecting brass almost straight up or straight up and back. If you havent invested in a brass catcher yet, save your bucks until you see how yours ejects.

I have experimented with different loads, replaced and made several modifications to the ejector without success. Personally, this would not have been a deal breaker for me if I had to make the decision again today.

F. Paul

[SteveT]

I don't really have anything to add, except to back up what is said above, so you have 3 data points.

No problems, but I have not shot it as much as Paul.

I don't shoot it as well as I shoot a 1911, but I am quite sure it is me and not the gun. I wish I had Ransom Rest inserts to prove it to myself.

The grip is big and square, which is OK for my and my long fingers, but small hands may have trouble. The square-ness of the grip is more of a problem for me than the size.

Steve T

[Mike T.]

Brian,
If you plan to use the gun for IPSC also, be aware of a problem I had:
The two magazines that came with my gun, worked fine. I then ordered three additional magazines (Pardini, not some third-party). None of the three new mags would hold the slide back after the last round. The magazine follower was riding up over the slide stop and the magazine had to be pried from the gun. It would not drop free. I returned the magazines and it was six months before I got them back. Of the returned three, one still would not hold the slide back. I had such frustration with the dealer (you know, II/NS on Ingram in TO) that I gave up on getting the mag replaced. The problem might be that the slide-stop is a tad too short.
Mind you, in IPSC, one is not supposed to run the gun "dry", so the sticking mag shouldn't occur :-) But I can't seem to count to 10 under the stress of a match. So, until I solve the problem, I'm using the Pardini for Bullseye - and, as others have noted, a fine gun it is for that purpose. (BTW, mine is the 6-inch version.)
Mike T.

[Scott H.]

Initially, not having a big hand, I took Don Nygord's advice, and took the grip panels off, and wrapped the grip frame in skateboard tape. That worked acceptably well. BUT, then Rink started offering a replacement grip. it's excellent. Also, I chose to mount a Docter sight on mine, which is used for 2700's, instead of going with the frame mount. Works pretty well.

Accuracy is excellent, btw, just as it came from the box.

[SteveT]

I chose to mount a Docter sight on mine, which is used for 2700's, instead of going with the frame mount. Works pretty well.

Do you adjust between 50 and 25 yards? How is the Docter in that adjustment? Does it have "clicks"?

Steve T

[Brian James]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. No one locally knew anything about this pistol and now I have a fair amount of confidence that I could purchase this pistol blindly (which is what we often have to do in Canada).

Happy Holidays

Brian

[dhurt]

I love my GT45, and will likely get rid of my 1911's. The Pardini was a godsend for me because I have never liked the grip angle of the Colts. I have a Doctor on mine, and I like it, except they don't have clicks. When adjusting you have to loosen two screws, adjust via a screwdriver fitted with a visual aide(wheel), and retighten the two screws. I have recently gone to holding a little low on the 25 yd line with no apparent problems. I am getting the same mid- high 90's as with adjusting the dot. No, they are'nt all 100's, but in comparison to my 1911 scores, I will live with it.

[sparky]

For IPSC and bullseye, I think you would be much better off with a 1911-design based pistol for a number of reasons:

1. Cost...they're fairly pricey...which isn't always a deal-breaker until you consider some of its faults.

2. Availability of the gun. As there's only one importer in the US, they're hard to get.

3. Availability of spare parts (like magazines) and accessories because of the single importer situation.

4. Cost of spare parts and accessories.

5. Knowledge base. Few people are very knowledgeable about them; if something goes wrong, your only choice would be to figure it out yourself or send it back to the importer. With a 1911-based gun, there are websites dedicated to it, several very knowledgeable forums full of people, and several gunsmiths in just about every state.

With all of the disadvantages, why bother with one over a good 1911-based design? Unless you're like a previous poster and have a fundamental problem with it, like grip angle, or reach to certain parts, etc., I don't see why you would go with something else.

[Scott H.]

I have to take issue with the "GT45 is pricey" 'problem." A stock Springfield Armory 45 is signigigantly cheaper than a pardini 45, ....but, by the time you get done bringing it up to the accuracy and reliability of the pardini as it comes from the box, I doubt that there's much of a savings, if any.

[Guest]

Likewise with the assertion of limited "availability" - I believe Larry's guns at www.larrrysguns.com has them readily available for shipment.

[The Outfitter]

To Sparky:

The popularity of the Pardini semiautos is growing fast in Europe. They feature a good and fully adjustable trigger, a low boreline, and a good balance.
They, regrettably, also feature an alloy frame, on which the all steel slide assembly is riding.
Steel against aluminum. Not good. The contact areas have a hard, but very thin chemical surface "lining". Untill this layer er worn through the gun is accurate. But from when the wear through stage is reached wear accellerates.
The factory used to advice full dismantling and careful relubricating of the frame/slide rails every 50 to 100 rounds. With good reason.

I am looking forward to see an all-steel version of these wellmade Pardini semis.

[mikeschroeder]

To Sparky:
...
The factory used to advice full dismantling and careful relubricating of the frame/slide rails every 50 to 100 rounds. With good reason.

I am looking forward to see an all-steel version of these wellmade Pardini semis.

Hi

The first sentence would tend to make this gun unacceptable for Bullseye where you shoot 180 rounds of .45 ACP each match. There wouldn't be time to dismantle during the match (usually). If you shoot three different guns, then it would work.

Mike

[Scott H.]

I've used mine exclusively in bullseye for 2 years now, and am well satisfied.

[sparky]

Guest - If you think one (1) importer having some in stock qualifies as readily available, we have two VERY different views on the definition.

The Outfitter - I didn't even think of the alloy frame...that would be a no-go from the start for IPSC. Considering your average local match might run you 100-150 rounds, and big state, area, and national level matches can run up to several hundred, disassembling for cleaning every 50-100 rounds isn't practical. Heck, you can have individual stages that might require 30 rounds or so.

[Rittig]

The Outfitter - I didn't even think of the alloy frame...that would be a no-go from the start for IPSC. Considering your average local match might run you 100-150 rounds, and big state, area, and national level matches can run up to several hundred, disassembling for cleaning every 50-100 rounds isn't practical.

Here in europe, Pardini has a solid reputation for building very high quality (and very adjustable) guns at reasonable prices. I shoot a Pardini SP for olympic shooting (.22 lr). I shoot STI 2011 for IPSC, but a number of my fellow IPSC shooters love their Pardini GT's.
For IPSC a 6" gun is a no-no in Standard (Limited), it's simply too long according to the rules. But both the 5" and 6" versions are very good guns if you can handle the grip size.

Wear is not really a problem if you field strip and lube the gun after each outing - but lubing after each 100 rounds is NOT nescessary, Pardini is just being over-cautious in writing that.
The balance of the GT is great, but really, a STI/SVI with long dustcover is just as good. The main advantage of the Pardini for IPSC (and certainly for most other disciplines) is the adjustment possibillities! The main disadvantage is the mags, in 9mm they only hold 16 rounds compared to a tweaked 2011 that holds 21 rounds.

I highly reccommend the pistol.

Claus Rittig, Denmark