Hammerlii sp 20

[dam8]

Any thoughts and experience with this gun? how does it compare to other top guns?( Pardini)

[EdStevens]

I have used an SP-20 for a few years now (the original, not the RRS). I don't have a Pardini, so cannot compare. The Hammerli has certainly got an excellent basic design with a nice low bore axis, light overall weight due to aluminum/plastic construction but still well-balanced and stable in the hand and during timed or rapid fire. The trigger is fully adjustable and sets up nicely for two stages or one, although getting all of the adjustments working together the way you need can be challenging. Sights are excellent, with rear sight adjustable for width and a very clever triangular front sight that can be rotated through three different widths (I do have an issue with even the extended front sight not being high enough for me). I have mine set up for both .22 and .32 with the swappable barrel and receiver system, also nice.

The biggest issue I and two other shooters at my club have had with the Hammerli has been reliability. They have broken a number of times in a number of places. While they have always been fixed, and I personally have only had to have it repaired twice, it is a source of great frustration for the other two owners. One of these is an RRS. I believe that Hammerli has addressed this issue with their current production models, but frankly am not 100% confident that this is the case.

[randy69]

I have used an SP20 since it was sold to the public. It has been a nice pistol, but like the previous post I have had mechanical reliability issues with the pistol. As in the previous posts the mechanical problems where fixed, but the issue I had was the barrel had to be replaced when I had less then 20,000 rds through the barrel. The barrel at the ramp end had expanded so much that the pistol went full auto. The other more serious issues for other shooters have been frames cracking. Frankly, I just don't find the current Hammerli pistols being made today as good a quality as their last generation of pistols. Hammerli has redesigned their pistols for higher mass production and as a result there quality is not what it used to be.

If I had the money know days I would buy a FWB 93. I would even prefer a Pardini over any of the current Hammerli pistols.

[Nicole Hamilton]

I've never owned a Hammerli but it certainly was one of the guns I considered before buying a Pardini SP.

To me, it appeared that the choice was largely a matter of taste regarding grip angle and trigger. The grip on the Pardini is somewhat more vertical than on the Hammerl, meaning you don't turn your wrist down as much. Also, the trigger on the Pardini is a rolling trigger, meaning you'll continue to feel just the tiniest bit of creep in second stage as you increase pressure leading up to the release. The Hammerli felt crisper to me and did not give the same feedback.

As I said, I regard this a matter of taste and suggest that your best bet is to try to both, at least dry-firing them, to see which suits you better.

FWIW, I love my Pardini SP. I have never regretted that choice. I shoot just ordinary Federal Target and Match ammo, clean only once a season and have never had any reliability problems in 6 years.

Good luck with your choice. Hope this was helpful.