Are Tec 9's as bad as their reputation?

[hometheaterman]

So for some reason I just think the Tec 9's are just one awesome looking gun. However, almost every time I read something someone has said about one it's been negative. From a quality standpoint are they really that bad of guns? Anyone here had any personal experience with them?

[drail]

They are junk for the gang bangers. Save your money. If "awesome looking" is an important factor to you in a gun buy an M60.

[SilentHitz]

Bad rep. is deserved in this case. Plastic, not polymer, but plastic you can cut with a pocket knife...it only gets worse when you open it up. Stamped sheet metal parts reside where there should be machined parts.

With even mild use, the pins holding it together will wear oblong holes in the plastic frame. If you like that type pistol, get a Cobray M11-9...much better quality for just a little more cash. I have a M11 that has had thousands of rounds through it since I bought it 20 years ago...it needs refinishing from years of heavy use, but still runs perfect.

[stantonizm]

I bought one one time because it was cool looking and I got a deal. It would jam every round or two unless you forcefully held the mag in. Then a small part broke in it (can't remember which one). I tried to replace it but ended up not being able to get it put back together. Sold it for a big loss as a bag of parts.

[varoadking]

Tec 9's are just one awesome looking gun.

:confused:

THIS is an awesome looking gun:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/varoadking/TTP7M8.jpg

[michael t]

News Report I read said a Tec 9:barf: was what the bad guy was trying to use in the Time Square shooting It lived up to its rep and Jammed :D
Their junk Thank goodness in this case.

[S&W Kinda Guy]

to michael t

he had a mac 10 not a tec 9 :o

[sleeper614]

my brother bought one and that thing jamed all the time. he sold it about 3 months later

[BLUEZ4U]

aka = jam-o-matic

[44 AMP]

Not because I particularly wanted it or was interested in it, but help out a friend who needed some cash. A cool looking, but not very useful gun for anything other then casual plinking.

It did jam some. Runs better if kept wet. Poor (but functional) design executed with cheap materials. I disliked the safety (the cocking handle is pushed "in" for safe). Weight is, of course, much more than most handguns. Balance for holding the gun and actually usuing the miserable sight is very poor. Hip shooting is much more comfortable. It has a trigger better than most of the Daisy BB guns I've met, I'll say that for it.;)

Felt recoil (one handed shooting) is light, and less than a Cobray or similar design. This is because those designs use a vertical grip close to the center of the gun, and the weight of the bolt moving adds to the felt recoil.

The Cobray is all metal, but the mags are plastic. The Tec 9 is half plastic, but the mags are metal. If you've got 9mm to burn (and in the days those guns came out, we did:() keep them lubed, download the mags a couple rounds and don't "limp wrist" them. They should work.

If they don't, then we are all right, and they are crap guns like everybody says. If you could only have one "handgun" for home protection, and couldn't afford more, I would choose one over a pocket .22 or .25acp. I would choose almost anything over those. A cheap DA .38 is an improvement over the mouse gun for that.

The up side? Tec 9 shoots 9mm. May feed hollowpoints. Size not a tremendous drawback inside the house. And Impressive as hell to look at (from the business end). Real good odds that if the gun is seen, it won't need to be used.

The Down side? Lots. Balky function, poor trigger, crap sights, horrid ergonomics, durability issues. Bulky and badly balanced and on top of it all, the gun's image in the eyes of non shooters and juries. If you do keep one for home protection, I hope you never have to actually use it in gravest extreme. The opinions in the aftermath will be less favorable than if you had used virtually any other gun. Good Luck in court.

As a plinker and range toy, they are a fun way to blast away your wallet. When they work. 9mm is still the cheapest, compared to every other centerfire, but it costs more than it used to. This is a gun to fill your 'wants", you should use other guns to fill your "needs". But a Tec 9 or Cobray M11/9 is still better than no gun at all if you have a "need".

Not recommended for CCW, by the way.:D

[kalstrand]

My experience mirrors many of the others. A buddy used to have one and no matter what we tried we couldn't get the thing to run more than 2 or 3 shots without a jam.