On this week's #SundayGunday, we check out the Honcho, a handheld pump shotgun made by Chiappa USA. It’s a handful, and it’s supposed to be. With its short barrel this pump gun can come in handy in camp or at home for anything that may go bump in the night. It’s just the kind of unit that is gaining popularity among gun owners looking to add, shall we say, a problem solver to their collection. And let’s face it, besides all that this gun is a hoot to shoot. Just grip it and rip it.
The Honcho is built on an aluminum receiver with bottom feed and side eject. It comes chambered in either 12 gauge, like our test unit, or 20 gauge. Controls every experienced shotgunner is accustomed to seeing include a single-action trigger, a manual safety at the back of the trigger guard and a slide release alongside the front of the trigger guard. Steel components are used everywhere they’re needed, of course, and especially to make the barrel—so no worries about a lightweight build that can’t take the pressure—this gun should stand up to years of use. All metalwork is black anodized.
That steel barrel is awfully short, just 14.5 inches on our test unit. At the muzzle you’ll find a brass bead sight, but really, who’s gonna use it? This little problem solver is meant to be picked up, racked and fired from the hip. A model with an 18.5-inch barrel also is available but either way the magazine tube hold five rounds, so total capacity is five-plus-one. We won’t lie—we like the shorty barrel as it produces a gun measuring only 27 inches long overall, making the Honcho easier to pack and stow just about anywhere: in a backpack, in a truck box, in a compartment on a boat or alongside your cot in the tent in deer camp. Of course that convenience means it’s also quick to come to hand when needed.
The stock and forearm of our unit are made of walnut. The pistol grip is a bird’s-head design, which makes the gun fairly comfortable to grip—something that could come in handy if you plan to fire six rounds and run the gun dry.
The MSRP of the Chiappa Honcho with a 14.5-inch barrel is $380, but we’ve seen retail prices even lower than that, and in fact Chiappa USA lists the MSRP of units with black polymer furniture for only $335.
It’s lightweight, compact, easy to handle and built in the USA. Learn more about the Honcho at chiappausa.com. And to ensure your right to continue to buy, keep and bear arms like this, be sure to join the NRA.
