The Only Semi Auto I Like

[pythagorean]

is the Smith and Wesson 41.
If I could find one that worked every time with SV ammunition I would never again look into the semi automatic pistol unless it was a Luger P-08.

I found the SW 41 two years ago. I found the Luger just now.

Now I will sell all my automatic handguns.

I will keep all of my revolvers from Colt SAA to Smith or Colt DA.

In my opinion the centerfire autos lack durability, time, proficiency, and accuracy.

I got the Luger from the Third Reich and it works. I got the SW 41 that works every time.

I never had a Browning or Springfield or Colt or Kimber brand that worked in auto every time.

Now I want to keep two autos that have shown me they work:

1. SW 41
2. WWII German Army Military Luger P-08.

The rest are history for dependability.

Anyone else find themselves disgusted with the automatic selection and find one or two that worked to disregard the rest?

What I am saying here is that I have had problems with most semi autos.
I love the semi in anything that works every time. My time has proven to find one that works is hard; from centerfire to rimfire.

The rimfire I wanted to work every time is the SW 41. The centerfire I wanted to work every time was the 1911 (.45 ACP) or Browning HP (9mm) or CZ-75 (original or "b") and in the meantime I have fired most automatic pistols known (and owned) to find out the auto action is very sensitive to say the least.
I hear about those who never had a problem with a particular gun or brand of gun in semi. I find out these exceptions belong to people who got lucky or found something that worked from the start.
I was never lucky. The SW 41 and all the rest were experiments in finding function.
The P-08 Luger seemed to be the least reliable until, as I found with the SW 41, the ONE that works every time.
No jams no hiccups no failures in a range session.
Now:
Let us consider the ramifications of the reliability of the automatic and what you have found ONLY if you have had extensive experience.

[AZAK]

I have had many different revolvers and pistols over the years, and I have had difficulties and challenges in both camps.

Since you are addressing "autos" I can say that I have had most work with out major "challenges". I have also had to visit gunsmiths, and sent some back to the manufacturer.

I personally have grown to like the 1911 design more and more over the years. And have had to send one NIB Commander straight back to Colt for four different "issues" right out of the gate, have had a Colt Officers worked on several times including a "reliability package", and one Delta Elite plunger tube re-staked.

Did this "sour me" to 1911s or Colts? No. We are discussing "tools" here. Tools need maintenance and also acquire wear and tear. Your (insert brand and model here) is not going to go bang each and every time indefinitely. At some point something is going to wear, break, and just plain not work quite right; if you really do use it to any large degree over a long period of time, and especially if you do not maintain it properly.

Granted, some will last much longer, be more accurate, have fewer failures than others. Part of the nature of us non-perfect human beings.

About those three Colts that I mentioned before, they are now my most reliable semis, and I use them as my EDCs. But (Behold the Underlying Truth), if I have to have one of them "worked on" again in the future... such is life.

[LockedBreech]

My PX4 has never jammed with eight types of ammo and three different gun lubes, from freezing winter conditions to hundred degree heat. If that is not reliable enough for the end user, I should seriously refine my definition of reliability.

[hemiram]

I've had some really horrible experiences with some, mostly expensive autos, it hasn't turned me against them at all. I have several guns that appear to be as reliable as any semiauto can be. They will never be as reliable as a decent revolver, IMO, but they can come close.

Really bad:

Colt Combat Commander. Shame on Colt for letting it out the door. Junk!
AMT Hardballer Longslide. Yikes.
AMT Back Up .380DA Incredibly high trigger pull. Unreliable to boot.
Walther PPK. Looked great, wouldn't shoot more than a couple shots in a row.
Browning HP. Not the worst, but it jammed way more than I could ever live with, and there were an awful lot of tool marks inside it. FN quality? Sure...
Erma Werk PPK type .380. Crunchy trigger and super touchy on ammo. If you got a good mag, with the right ammo it was ok, otherwise, it was a crap shoot if it would fire more one or two shots before jamming.
FTL Auto-Nine .22. Incredibly bad.

And there were a bunch of small .22 and .380 pistols that didn't work. Some cheap, some expensive, all bad. In fact almost all the new guns I bought for a couple years were disasters, including revolvers..


Great, about as perfect as they get:

FEG P9R, crunchy trigger, and the trigger cut my finger, but it shot anything.
Astra A-75 in 9mm and .40. A great little gun!
Astra A-100 in 9mm. Shoots anything.
Astra A-80 and A-90, fantastic. I've never had a problem with any Astra gun, even ones that have looked like they were dipped in acid. I have friends who call them all kinds of bad things, but a couple of them have been embarrassed when their guns that cost 3X as much can't outshoot them, in reliability and accuracy.
Star Model 31M. Too bad Star and Astra are basically out of business.
EAA Witness fullsized .45. I had to sell it to pay bills.
Bernardelli P-018 compact. A very nice all steel gun, sold to pay bills.
Browning BDA and Beretta 84. I had to sell those too, but I just got an 84 again.
Beretta 92FS.

Some of these I have repurchased and some will be repurchased.

Wanted

S&W 5906, all SS, and it's a shame S&W don't make them anymore, just plastic crap.
CZ P01,SP01, CZ75 in SS, CZ97B.
H&K P7 squeeze cocker.

And a few more.

I'm done with 1911's. I don't like the grip at all, and they just cost too much.

[Murdock]

In my opinion the centerfire autos lack durability, time, proficiency, and accuracy.

Snore. I'm outta here

[Texsun]

Sweet! That leaves more Sigs for the rest of us! ;)

[TBT]

I must have been lucky. I've never owned an unreliable semi-automatic handgun. My M&P that I currently carry everyday has been 100% as have most of the guns I've owned. Which is a good thing because I really can't stand the way a revolver sits in my hands and I'm not a fan at all of the "double action" trigger or the minimal capacity that wheelguns offer. If they fit you great, but for me, they are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

[headbangerJD]

Man, it sounds like you get followed around by a rain cloud every day. My autos have all been extremely reliable, and throw in the fact that they hold atleast 2x the amount of ammo as a revolver in a similar sized package and you'd be crazy not to own more than one.

[Ichiro]

The only handguns I've fired more than 2,000 rounds through that never failed were 3 Springfield XDs and one Sig 226.

My GP-100 and SP-101 revolvers had to be sent back to the factory before they reached 1,500 rounds, and my two SW J-frames started misfiring before they got to 1,000.

So far, my LCR is the most reliable revolver I've owned at 1,616 rounds and 0 failures.

[Jimmy10mm]

The model 1911 didn't beat the luger in the army trials for no good reason. Glad you've got a good luger but I would think twice before getting rid of all of my CF semi autos . My Glock 23 is ugly as sin dipped in misery but it fires first time every time with a minimum of maintenance no matter what ammo I've fed into it. Come back in a year and if you can still say the same about your luger I'll tip my hat to you and drink to your luck. :)

[ostrobothnian]

Worthless thread.

[EdInk]

Lugers were super reliable.:rolleyes:

Get an XD9, Glock, Sprinfield Armory MilSpec or Ruger Mk Series. All strong reputations for reliablity.

[Hoss Fly]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/hossfly692000/images.jpg

[9x19]

It's a shame you've had such bad luck, but this one's from 1914, and it still runs reliably, and shoots accurately.

Colt USGI 1911

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/pb9x19/CUSGI1911.jpg

[Evyl Robot]

I'm a huge wheelgun fan. I resisted even purchasing a bottom-feeder for a long time. I finally bought a S&W M&P45c (a.k.a. 'plastic crap' according to some) several months ago. I'm impressed. I have not quite gotten to the 1000-round mark, but it has never so much as hiccuped. I've even put crappy ammo through it to see if I could get the thing to fail. It just won't do it. I've had to go in and tighten my mainspring screws on my carry revolvers once or twice - last time I used nail polish on the threads and it's been a while since they last backed out. This plastic pistol has certainly not replaced my beloved revolvers, but it is just one example of the great, accurate, reliable semi-autos out there. Don't give up on them yet!

[curt.45]

with the exceptions being a PPK and a Grendel P10 the only problems with center fire autos I've ever had was due to my own neglect in cleaning them, when the problems start I dissemble them clean them thoroughly and they are just fine again.


so do you have to sell?

[stephen426]

pythagorean,

It sounds like someone is partial to revolvers. I only have one revolver, but I have a dozen semi-autos. All of my semi-autos are very reliable except for an IPSC gun that needs a little work. Besides, most jams can be cleared with a simple rack, tap, bang. I'm sure pretty much any of my carry guns will go thousands of rounds without a hiccup. If it were to hiccup, what would be the chance it would be when I need it? Based on the high degree of reliability and the low chance I would ever need my gun, I'll take my chances.

[FreakGasolineFight]

In my opinion the centerfire autos lack durability, time, proficiency, and accuracy.

Reeeeaaallly.

Well, I'll tell you what. If you really can't stand those oh-so-unreliable, semi-autos, I'll go ahead and take 'em off your hands for you. Free of charge. Just PM me for my preferred FFL. :D

[schmeky]

The OP has never had a good auto. All of my Jennings, Ravens, and AMT's have run for hundreds of thousand of rounds with no routine cleaning or lubrication. :eek:

[WVfishguy]

I remember a time (more than 20 years ago) when semi-autos would not feed hollow point ammo reliably, and I'm talkin' about Walther, HKs, and other brands. (Yes, I took back a couple of HKs because they were unreliable :eek:)

I only trusted revolvers until a few years ago.

However, every semi I've dealt with in the past five years has functioned flawlessly. The only exception is a Bersa Thunder 40 which had a few failures to feed.

But the Bersa is the "lowest rent" gun I've purchased. Among the others which always worked were a Walther P99, & PSP; Stoegar Cougar; Steyr M40; S&W Sigma, and Springfield XDm.

If you keep your eyes and ears open, you'll learn which semi-autos have problems. I avoid ALL guns with a bad rep, so I'm never disappointed.

[pythagorean]

I see I have started a thread here without giving proper and appropriate information aside from finding the auto handgun that works a hard one to find.

Right now I have the SW 41 from 2008 manufacture that works after selling my first 41 (from 1983) to find another after that. The 41 can be a functional problem! It was when SW started laser etching them around 1991 or so.

In the 1911 and Browning Hi Power I had one from 1979 that worked all the time but I had sold it with its fixed tiny sights. Finding another that worked all the time was a bit hard until the "assembled in Portugal" came stamped on the gun.

In the 1911 all I ever messed with was Colt. My first one was a worker, a Combat Commander. I liked it but I sold it. Since then finding a 1911 that worked liked that was unsuccessful, going through Springfield and Colt. A Kimber came out (the custom) that worked but I sold it. Many Colts and Springfields later did not show reliability. The Kimbers did back then.

I do have another auto that works all the time but I forgot to mention it, the CZ 52. I've had them before and they always worked but some were not accurate. The one I have now is.

The CZ 75 is basically reliable and I have had many of those!

In the Glock I have no experience at all. I cannot buy one of those for personal feelings about what a handgun should be made of and how it should feel in the hand or hands. You Glock lovers can have a field day with me.

I've had SIGS including the 210. The 210 was reliable but I could shoot better with the CZ-75 or Browning Hi Power or Beretta M9.

In the P-38 the one I had worked all the time but the trigger was horrible and so was my accuracy.

In the Luger P-08 I found myself in interesting territory with either the .30 Luger or the 9mm. I had malfunction problems but I think it was the magazine that came with the Luger which was never the original but beat up.

However, in accuracy every one of those Lugers astounded me. I am aiming at bottle caps, mind you, laying flat at 15 yards and they are not a problem to hit.

In the Walther PP/PPK/PPKS in .380/.32/.22 I have found .22s and .380s to be unreliable. Even a couple .32s I had were unreliable.

I have a Manurhin in .32 auto that works all the time with silver tips and FMCs in three different magazines; a Manurhin France magazine, and two Walther magazines (one stainless and one blued).

I won't sell the Manurhin because I love the Walther design when it works.

I've had numerous .22 LR handguns in auto. The .22 LR in auto I feel is a special problem depending upon ammunition and the actual handgun one ends up with.

I always wanted an SW 41 that worked every time with standard velocity match or regular 40gr solids. Okay. So my 2008 model is the one.

I still have my Browning Hi Power that works every time. I still have my Manurhin and my Colt 01918. They all work.

But now I am feeling I only need two autos that work and they are the Luger and the SW 41!

Yes, in the auto world I am less faithful and making decisions.

My first handgun was a Blackhawk and it worked every time. I think that is my problem.
I think I need to keep the Manurhin Walther. It's a French Walther that beat out the German or SW Houlton or Interarms competition.

[stevieboy]

Well, I consider myself primarily a revolver guy. I own a lot of them and only two semiautos at present. The semis are a S & W 1911 and a CZ 75B SA. These two guns function flawlessly for me, so much so that my revolvers tend to languish these days. I had a lot of trepidations about semis before I bought my first one. I'd read a lot of scary stories about malfunctions, problems with field stripping, etc. To my delight, I've had no problems whatsoever with the two that I now have and I surely will acquire more, and soon.

[schmeky]

My CZ-75 in .40 has been 100% with everything I have fed it. I have tried to find something that will make it choke. My reloads have varied from 135 - 220gn bullets, HP's, SWC's, TC, FMJ, and some factory loads.

It's amazing. I would not hesitate to use it to defend my family.

I ran my CZ-97B for 1,000 rounds using a LSWC handload w/o cleaning and it never missed a beat (this was documented on a forum); It was filthy when I got to that last round, but would still feed and chamber smoothly.

I bought a NIB CZ-40B (discontinued now) in .40 from CDNN for an incredible price of $289.00 plus shipping, and it too has never failed in anyway.

My Les Baer Monolith has never missed a beat.

My Kimber Custom Classic will feed a mag full of empty brass and will shoot reliably until I run out of ammo.

There are plenty of solid, reliable, semis out there.