Just got my new Pardini SP New
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 5:44 pm
I just picked up my Pardini SP New from my FFL today. Haven't shot it yet, so all I can remark on so far are the cosmetic changes from my older SP, but they do seem worth outlining. In a word, the SP New is a much prettier gun.
This picture shows, left to right, my old SP (with the red dot), the SP New (with the grip from my HP) and the grip that actually came on the SP New. (Larry and I made a mistake about what size grips I had on my existing guns, so he’s sending me a larger one.)
The finish on the SP was a dull black; the SP New is a polished black. The stripes on the side of the SP are from machining a bright finish on some raised areas of the casting but are kind of rough in appearance; on the SP New, the stripes are made by machining into receiver and are much more elegant in appearance and by touch when you lay your finger alongside the gun. The barrel shroud on the SP New is much larger (probably to accommodate the 6 rather than 4 weights) and has a beautiful polished alloy finish on the sides (which unfortunately, doesn't show up so well in the picture.)
The SP New now uses a trigger shoe and there’s a cutout in the receiver above the trigger that allows you to see, e.g., the trigger stop screw setting. The trigger feel is very similar, though it’s possible the SP New is a tiny bit more crisp. (But this could be the difference between a brand new gun and one I’ve been shooting for 6 years.) The grip on SP New is smooth around the trigger area.
The magazine is dimensionally and cosmetically the same but Larry tells me they’re made of a slightly different steel alloy. (SP magazines are supposed to work in the SP New but Larry says he’s had some reports of problems.) Unlike the SP, it’s not possible to remove the chamber plug without first removing the magazine.
This picture is of the SP New in its case with all the rest of the paraphernalia that comes with it.
The case it comes in is the same on the outside, but instead of waffle foam inside, it now has cutouts. In general, I think cutouts are nicer, but there are two disadvantages I can see. If you intend to mount a red-dot, obviously, it’s not going to fit. (Thankfully, I bought this gun specifically because I intend to shoot it iron sights only so I could leave my red dot on my SP.) Also, they’ve chosen to do the cutout with the ejection port down, so you can’t see there’s a chamber plug in the gun without lifting it out of the case. (But Larry points out that if you know the gun, you can just look at the position of the slide to see that it’s not in battery.) I assume the reason for doing the cutout with the ejection port down was to make it easier to get your fingers on the back edge of the grip to lift it out.
The black tube contains a cleaning kit. The thing in the clear plastic wrap is a spare magazine. The triangular plastic bag contains a spare firing pin and various hex and spline wrenches. You now also get a bunch of Pardini stickers and a couple cloth Pardini patches you didn't use to get.
This picture shows, left to right, my old SP (with the red dot), the SP New (with the grip from my HP) and the grip that actually came on the SP New. (Larry and I made a mistake about what size grips I had on my existing guns, so he’s sending me a larger one.)
The finish on the SP was a dull black; the SP New is a polished black. The stripes on the side of the SP are from machining a bright finish on some raised areas of the casting but are kind of rough in appearance; on the SP New, the stripes are made by machining into receiver and are much more elegant in appearance and by touch when you lay your finger alongside the gun. The barrel shroud on the SP New is much larger (probably to accommodate the 6 rather than 4 weights) and has a beautiful polished alloy finish on the sides (which unfortunately, doesn't show up so well in the picture.)
The SP New now uses a trigger shoe and there’s a cutout in the receiver above the trigger that allows you to see, e.g., the trigger stop screw setting. The trigger feel is very similar, though it’s possible the SP New is a tiny bit more crisp. (But this could be the difference between a brand new gun and one I’ve been shooting for 6 years.) The grip on SP New is smooth around the trigger area.
The magazine is dimensionally and cosmetically the same but Larry tells me they’re made of a slightly different steel alloy. (SP magazines are supposed to work in the SP New but Larry says he’s had some reports of problems.) Unlike the SP, it’s not possible to remove the chamber plug without first removing the magazine.
This picture is of the SP New in its case with all the rest of the paraphernalia that comes with it.
The case it comes in is the same on the outside, but instead of waffle foam inside, it now has cutouts. In general, I think cutouts are nicer, but there are two disadvantages I can see. If you intend to mount a red-dot, obviously, it’s not going to fit. (Thankfully, I bought this gun specifically because I intend to shoot it iron sights only so I could leave my red dot on my SP.) Also, they’ve chosen to do the cutout with the ejection port down, so you can’t see there’s a chamber plug in the gun without lifting it out of the case. (But Larry points out that if you know the gun, you can just look at the position of the slide to see that it’s not in battery.) I assume the reason for doing the cutout with the ejection port down was to make it easier to get your fingers on the back edge of the grip to lift it out.
The black tube contains a cleaning kit. The thing in the clear plastic wrap is a spare magazine. The triangular plastic bag contains a spare firing pin and various hex and spline wrenches. You now also get a bunch of Pardini stickers and a couple cloth Pardini patches you didn't use to get.