TargetTalk

If you had to choose between a Pardini MP90S and an IJ35 HV, which would you go for and why? ( Considering only performance and not cosmetic or finish quality. Both guns slightly used but well kept).
I understand that both have different attributes and balance, but does one have an intrinsic advantage over the other ?

Thanks !

I think this MP90S is manufactured and sold under the label of Benelli instead of Pardini.

Either, the Benelli or the Baikal should provide you with many years of happy service. I'd suggest you to try them both dry firing and live firing then deciding which one to buy afterwards. I'm confident it's easier to get spare parts for the Benelli though.

I don't have first hand experience with any of them but I know proud users of them both.

My mistake ! Benelli MP90S not Pardini.
I would love to try them out, but I am buying at some distance and nobody where I shoot has either.
Yes, its probably easier to get parts for the MP90S than the IJ35, however at this stage I am more concerned with pure performance potential.
I have heard some encouraging reports of the adaptability ( trigger and grip) of the IJ35.
I have not handled either pistol. The Benelli has the forward mounted mag and this, for me is an unknown quantity. I tried out a friend's GSP and found it to be too barrel heavy for my liking; Also the grip angle was not raked enough. I really dont know if the Benelli has similar handling so thats why I am asking for a more learned opinion.

Just my opinion:

The Benelli MP90S (not the MP95E) is clearly a better-made gun overall than the IZH, in just about every respect. In addition, the Benelli grip angle is much more raked than the angle of the GSP, whereas the IZH grip angle is probably about the same as the GSP. From what you have said, the only negative about the Benelli for you might be the forward balance.

HTH,
FredB

In my humble opinion, a well balanced pistol with a raked grip will come together with muzzle heaviness. I guess you'd like this. Or in other words, a pistol with a more vertical grip will have a relatively lightweight muzzle--which is why I guess many people doesn't like the GSP, because it's a vertical grip with a heavy muzzle.

Thank you for your help guys.
Since my first post I tried out the GSP once more and its not that I do not like this pistol, its just that rthe overall impression I get is of the muzzle, lagging behind during the final lift to point of aim.

So I will probably consider the Benelli over the IJ35. In the meantime a used Pardini has come up; it has a minimum of 10,000 shots under its belt though......

it has a minimum of 10,000 shots under its belt though

This isn't a significant amount of shots, but it's true that Pardini pistols are made with rather soft alloys... I wouldn't buy it because of the soft alloys even in new in bag condition.

Well, the Pardini might be a better performer, but if I am buying second-hand I suppose that build and durability have to be taken into consideration; In this case, at the end of the day budget and availability rule.

I have a Benelli MP90S and a Pardini SP New. Both are very nice pistols. The ergonomics of the Benelli suit me better than the Pardini, but I'm shooting the Pardini because my daughter is now shooting the Benelli.

Even though the Pardini has an alloy frame, the design is such that all of the wear & tear is on steel parts. My wife has an older Pardini SP, and it has close to 10,000 rounds through it. It is still pretty much as good as new. I haven't even changed the recoil spring on it. The Benelli has two to three times as many rounds through it, and although it shoots fine, it shows definite wear on the frame where the slide rubs it. The frame may be steel, but it isn't very hard steel.

I would rate the long term durability of the two as similar, with a possible advantage to the Pardini. The Pardini IS muzzle heavy and has a steeper rake on the grip than the Benelli, at least as it comes from the factory. The SP New has barrel weights that can be removed, and aftermarket grips can help with the angle.

The Benelli has two to three times as many rounds through it, and although it shoots fine, it shows definite wear on the frame where the slide rubs it.

Could you, please, show us some pictures of that wear at the 30,000 round mark ?

Do you think the wear on your Benelli pistol currently affects its reliability or that it may affect its reliability anytime soon?

Not strictly related to wear, but how does the Benelli trigger compare to the one on your Pardini SP New?

I put over 30,000 rounds through a Pardini SP that I bought secondhand in 1991 and sold about 10 years ago to another shooter. It has long since moved away, so I can't provide pictures. Will a description suffice?

Wear on functional (not cosmetic) areas was as follows:
1. Minor rub marks on the barrel where the slide (bolt) rode over it.
2. A circular indent on the rear face of the barrel where the hole for the recoil spring guide hit it.
3. Minor rub marks on the recoil spring guide.
4. An indent on the bottom front face of the slide from bumping the slide stop.
5. Shiny lines on the bottom of the slide where it rode over the magazine lips.
6. A shiny area on the lower rear surface of the slide where it rode over the hammer.
7. A bright spot on the rear surface of the firing pin.
8. And of course the blue was worn off the top of the magazine lips.

That's it. The last time I saw the pistol it still functioned perfectly with RWS Target ammunition, and that was about 10,000 rounds after I sold it. 40,000+ rounds with no significant wear! It should put to rest any silliness about "soft" metallurgy from Pardini.

Could you, please, show us some pictures of that wear at the 30,000 round mark ?

Do you think the wear on your Benelli pistol currently affects its reliability or that it may affect its reliability anytime soon?

Not strictly related to wear, but how does the Benelli trigger compare to the one on your Pardini SP New?

It may be a while before I can take a photo, but I can describe it. The Benelli slide is guided by a pair of arms that stick out in front. These ride in grooves cut in each side of the barrel. The slide is constantly being pressed upward by the rounds in the magazine, so there is pressure on the underside of the top of each groove. The slide is finished with hard chrome, with a slight matte finish. The frame is worn where the top of the arms on the slide rub on the underside of the grooves. At this point, I would say the metal is worn down by 3 or 4 thousandths of an inch. There is a visible step where the wear pattern ends, and the unworn frame begins.

Eventually, the wear might allow the slide to rise enough to affect functioning, but it will take a LOT of rounds. I suspect it could be repaired by welding up the worn area, and re-milling the slots. I seem to recall seeing a chromed Benelli, in which case the chrome on chrome would reduce the wear. I think that is the MP95. The current MP90S seems to have much wider slide arms, so they may have addressed this problem in the latest version. Mine is close to 15 years old now.

The triggers on both pistols are fully adjustable for a variety of parameters. When I gave my Benelli to my daughter to shoot, I adjusted the trigger to be very similar to the trigger on her mother's Pardini, which she had shot and liked. The trigger designs have some similarities. The second stage is controlled on both by a large screw with an inner ball and spring, for example. I don't think there is enough of a difference for most shooters to notice.