New Pardini first impressions

First topic message reminder :

Ok.  The new Pardini finally arrived, and I have shot enough different guns to kind of give it a review although I may be adding stuff in the next few weeks.  

First thing I did was try and mount the scope with the machined Pardini rings.  They got a lot of nerve calling that divot on the sides of the dust cover, a “European dove tail”  I’m going to assume that some lock tight will need to be applied to the ring screws.   Will be doing that today.  

Been a long time since I shot a gun with the magazine forward of the trigger.  It went well.  Used left over CCI SV.  Gun functioned perfectly.  However, the mag has some very sharp corners.  Felt like I needed to knock those down a bit to avoid cutting myself.  

I found the balance on the gun and the weight to be pretty perfect with just the irons.  When I put the scope on it seemed just a tad heavy.  And just a bit muzzle heavy. 
Not that I can’t shoot it, just cuts down my loiter time on the target.  Been lifting weights to correct that problem.  
I was wondering about the possibility of having Vladimir machine a base of one of the micro knock offs.  Don’t feel like springing for an aimpoint with their insane prices.  Does anyone have any suggestions of a scope that has a base that could be machined to fit that European dovetail?

Regardless I will be calling Pardini and asking these questions Monday.

The factory grip was ok.  Kinda ugly compared to the rest of the gun.  I can live with it, but i can see why people buy the Rink.  Or a Horton.  That may be coming.  

All in all I like the gun.  Will give it a few more days of just 22 before I switch the barrel and see how 32 goes.

Wobbley wrote:The Romeo 5 comes with the mount that fits a Picatinny.  Some models have a low and a high mount included, and I seem to recall seeing one with a high mount only.

I understand that.  The question is:   will it fit directly onto the Kodiak mount, if I remove the base?

Schaumannk wrote:Ok.   Let me get some clarification here.   If I buy either the Sig Romeo or the Primary Arms,  I can remove the base, then  the scope itself will fit on the Kodiak mount? 
I don’t have to buy an additional Aimpoint base?  I think I have one in my Gun parts drawer anyway.

Yes. All of these micro sights have removable interchangeable bases (mounts) which are typically attached with 4 screws. I will post some photos in a moment.

Schaumannk wrote:

Wobbley wrote:The Romeo 5 comes with the mount that fits a Picatinny.  Some models have a low and a high mount included, and I seem to recall seeing one with a high mount only.

I understand that.  The question is:   will it fit directly onto the Kodiak mount, if I remove the base?

I would call KC at KC Kustom.  He would be able to answer any of your questions.  He's also a very very nice guy and may also have an Aimpoint laying around that he wants to sell.  I'm pretty sure that he's an official Aimpoint dealer.

I happen to have several sights on my bench today and needed to move the sight on my SP22. I tried the standard Romeo 5 OEM low rise mount and the Aimpoint LCP (quick change) mount, neither of them will fit on the Pardini micro-grooves without some filing/sanding of the mounts - the "teeth" are too rounded to "bite" the groove, but I'm sure that they could be made to fit.

The Kodiak Machine mount is the way to go. Here it is located so that you can still get to the trigger adjustment port at the top rear of the frame.

Comparing the H1 on a Kodiak and the Romeo on the SIG base.

Showing the bolt pattern

The H1 with the 39mm riser and QR LCP mount attached with 4 long screws. Short screws are included to eliminate the 39mm riser.

Romeo 5 on the Kodiak mount. I know that the SIG STS sights have identical bolt pattern. I'm told that the Primary Arms and other "clones" are the same.

Other view of the Romeo.

Schaumannk wrote:Ok.   Let me get some clarification here.   If I buy either the Sig Romeo or the Primary Arms,  I can remove the base, then  the scope itself will fit on the Kodiak mount? 
I don’t have to buy an additional Aimpoint base?  I think I have one in my Gun parts drawer anyway.

Correct.  The kodiak is awesome

I have about 7500 rounds through my new Pardini SP that arrived in February.

I bought the Champion's package since I needed a dot and rings anyway.

I did loctite the rings on, and they have not moved a bit.

Those rings work perfectly.

Romeo 52001 is the cheapest option that comes with high and low mounts. Correct, sight itself screws to the base (mount). Try their low mount first, if cannot fit then get Kodiak mount or do some smithing to the mount to sharpen the teeth. Here is a link with list of dots with Aimpoint base mount (and some others). 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/optics-info.com/footprints-on-red-dot-sights/amp/

Cost wise for each manufacturer: Base models are red dots, then red dots with 65moa circle and in some instances crosshairs, then solar panel, then higher water resistance rating and stronger aluminum, then titanium (Holosun).  Aimpoint is in the range of its own with great reliability but not much in terms of bells and whistles. Sig Romeo 5 base model or Holosun 403 (supposedly same thing as Holosun made optics for Sigs, but that is debated to death) are your cheapest sturdiest optics. Primary arms is slightly cheaper, but by what, like $30, that is insignificant and you get a "daughter" optic. Get a Romeo 5 or Holosun 403, gunsmith base that comes with it, get carbon shades and smith them = good robust solution on the budget and still cheaper than the Ultradot alone. If cannot smith, then get the dot + Kodiak + PE shades = still much cheaper than the Aimpoint.

Tripscape wrote:Romeo 52001 is the cheapest option that comes with high and low mounts. Correct, sight itself screws to the base (mount). Try their low mount first, if cannot fit then get Kodiak mount or do some smithing to the mount to sharpen the teeth. Here is a link with list of dots with Aimpoint base mount (and some others). 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/optics-info.com/footprints-on-red-dot-sights/amp/

Cost wise for each manufacturer: Base models are red dots, then red dots with 65moa circle and in some instances crosshairs, then solar panel, then higher water resistance rating and stronger aluminum, then titanium (Holosun).  Aimpoint is in the range of its own with great reliability but not much in terms of bells and whistles. Sig Romeo 5 base model or Holosun 403 (supposedly same thing as Holosun made optics for Sigs, but that is debated to death) are your cheapest sturdiest optics. Primary arms is slightly cheaper, but by what, like $30, that is insignificant and you get a "daughter" optic. Get a Romeo 5 or Holosun 403, gunsmith base that comes with it, get carbon shades and smith them = good robust solution on the budget and still cheaper than the Ultradot alone. If cannot smith, then get the dot + Kodiak + PE shades = still much cheaper than the Aimpoint.

Thank you .  Still wondering about which carbon shades or tubes will fit the Sig Romeo.  I notice there are two different ones on KC Crawford’s web site designed for the Aimpoint.    I ordered the Sig Romeo and the Kodiak base.

Schaumannk wrote:

Tripscape wrote:Romeo 52001 is the cheapest option that comes with high and low mounts. Correct, sight itself screws to the base (mount). Try their low mount first, if cannot fit then get Kodiak mount or do some smithing to the mount to sharpen the teeth. Here is a link with list of dots with Aimpoint base mount (and some others). 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/optics-info.com/footprints-on-red-dot-sights/amp/

Cost wise for each manufacturer: Base models are red dots, then red dots with 65moa circle and in some instances crosshairs, then solar panel, then higher water resistance rating and stronger aluminum, then titanium (Holosun).  Aimpoint is in the range of its own with great reliability but not much in terms of bells and whistles. Sig Romeo 5 base model or Holosun 403 (supposedly same thing as Holosun made optics for Sigs, but that is debated to death) are your cheapest sturdiest optics. Primary arms is slightly cheaper, but by what, like $30, that is insignificant and you get a "daughter" optic. Get a Romeo 5 or Holosun 403, gunsmith base that comes with it, get carbon shades and smith them = good robust solution on the budget and still cheaper than the Ultradot alone. If cannot smith, then get the dot + Kodiak + PE shades = still much cheaper than the Aimpoint.

Thank you .  Still wondering about which carbon shades or tubes will fit the Sig Romeo.  I notice there are two different ones on KC Crawford’s web site designed for the Aimpoint.    I ordered the Sig Romeo and the Kodiak base.

Call KC.  I was too chicken to press the shades on my Aimpoint (a team member damaged his in the process) and sent it down to KC, who pressed them on and shipped everything back up to me.  Great guy!

If you decide to use rings, after mounting them check to be sure the underside of the rings clear the handles on the bolt.  Check both the 22 and 32 uppers.  There is some slack allowing the bolt to rotate a bit, and mine were contacting the underside of the rings on one side.  I had to relieve the rings a little bit.  If not dealt with it can cause alibis.

Dr.Don wrote:If you decide to use rings, after mounting them check to be sure the underside of the rings clear the handles on the bolt.  Check both the 22 and 32 uppers.  There is some slack allowing the bolt to rotate a bit, and mine were contacting the underside of the rings on one side.  I had to relieve the rings a little bit.  If not dealt with it can cause alibis.

I was wondering about that.   I am a left handed shooter so I decided to mount the rings so the screws were on the right.  I think I have the rings set back far enough to clear the bolt, as there didn’t seem to be any malfunctions at all with the 22 barrel in the gun. For balance I tried to put them as far back as possible.   I will also check it with the 32.  I will load 32 starting tomorrow, and go out and test the loads on Tuesday.  

 I have experienced the rings trapping brass and causing malfunctions on a Hammerli 208, if they weren’t positioned just so.  I have also had certain grips interfere with functions of certain guns and magazines as well.