I just bought a Pardner Protector pump, $166 + tax, NIB. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet (darn Ohio weather!) but it seems like a very smooth, solid shotgun. I've run snap caps through it and it just feels "right."
I looked all over for a home defense shotgun. The one Walmart in my area that still sells firearms had a Maverick 88 for $164, but I didn't want a 28-inch barrel for home defense. I also went to three different pawn shops. They had some Rems and Mossbergs, but they were either beat all to hell and/or overpriced.
At almost all the gun shops I visited, none had anything in a comparable price range to the Pardner. Gander Mountain's selection was especially overpriced, not surprising really. That, and their customer service stinks. I'm not asking some gum-popping 19-year old girl about the various benefits and disadvantages of one firearm vs another.
I really don't care if the receiver on my Pardner says Made in China. Practically all my firearms collection is from outside the US. And a lot of us don't have $300-$400, which seems to be the going rate in this area for a basic, Made-in-USA, NIB shotgun. I'll join the "buy American" crowd when the US firearms companies offer comparable quality at comparable prices.