What is the worst gun you actually purchased?

Skans · October 28, 2011, 09:07 AM

I want to know about bad, or undesirable guns, people have actually made a conscious decision to purchase at one point in their lives, but found that gun to be a real "dog". This does not include guns that you inherited, were gifted to you, or that you found on a street corner. Nor does it include guns that were never actually purchased - i.e. involved a genuine parting with money or other valuables.

Why was the gun a dog, and what did you do with it?

oneounceload · October 28, 2011, 09:55 AM

Ruger 10/22
jammed with every brand of ammo and had the accuracy of a slingshot.

Glenn E. Meyer · October 28, 2011, 09:59 AM

Taurus PT-22 - never ran. Jammed in very frightening ways!

Plenty of so-so's have passed thorugh my hands but that was the worst.

Toney · October 28, 2011, 10:12 AM

One of them rossi three barrel guns.

Dino. · October 28, 2011, 10:15 AM

Davis .380
Pot metal POS.

Carry_24/7 · October 28, 2011, 10:22 AM

Taurus 740 Slim.

It runs like a champ, no malfunctions with any ammo. I just can't shoot it worth a darn, the trigger is awful, the sights are the cheapest/worst ever, and it kicks like a mule.

It's fun trying to get the hang of it though....but it's not happening.

lamarw · October 28, 2011, 10:28 AM

Bersa Thunder .380

I heard so many great things about it on this and other forums to the point I just had to have one.

Sent it back for warranty repair within the first 30 days of ownership.

It works fine now, but I have never had a problem with any of my Sigs or Berettas. All of my rifles and shotguns, both new and used when purchased, have never given me a problem.

Count me lucky even with the Bersa as it is a solid gun now. I shoot mostly reloads in all my weapons except for the rimfires (.22, .22 magnum and .17 HMR).

Willie Lowman · October 28, 2011, 10:28 AM

Smith & Wesson 915. Gun had accuracy from the bench like a birdshot pattern from one of my cylinder bore shotguns. The gun was also terribly prone to jamming after 100 rounds. After 150 it pretty much wouldn't work. Clean it to a shine and it would be good for another 100 rounds.

Junk in the purest sense of the word. I sold it for what I had in it. This was in the depths of the AWB and 9mms that came with four 15 round mags were a seeming prize. My heart goes out to the guy that wound up with that POS.

Tuzo · October 28, 2011, 10:30 AM

A Ruger Security Six with 6" barrel. Functioned flawlessly but, for some reason that may include grips and grip angle, simply did not feel right. This contributed to poor accuracy. My Ruger GP 100 with the same length barrel was a pleasure to hold and shoot.

Dino. · October 28, 2011, 11:56 AM

I'd also include my Walther P22.
Has great ergonomics and "cool factor" but won't hit the broad side of a barn.

TxFlyFish · October 28, 2011, 12:02 PM

Custom Benelli M2 by a very highly regarded smith as recommended in brian enos forum. Damaged finish, broken ring, and crooked controls, I sold the 2500 gun for a huge loss

MLeake · October 28, 2011, 12:30 PM

Argentinian made HiPower clone that I bought in 1994. Smooth sides, instead of the sharp taper the actual HiPower has, but otherwise very similar. However, it was a jam-o-matic, even with FMJ. Got it for a low price, but I got what I paid for, too...

TheNocturnus · October 28, 2011, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Taurus PT-22 - never ran. Jammed in very frightening ways!

So did the one I bought, could never get through 1 magazine without jamming. Also bought a PT111 that the ejector broke on.

I bought a Cobra CB38 Derringer on impulse and that thing was terrible. As a hold out gun you would die of old age while you were getting it ready to fire. I have learned my lesson and will never buy another "Cheap" gun.

My BUG is a Taurus model 85 that has had zero problems but it worries me because it is a Taurus. I want to trade up asap.

**44 AMP** · October 28, 2011, 12:51 PM

Llama Commanche .357

worst I ever actaully purchased. I've had worse guns, but didn't buy them!

ltc444 · October 28, 2011, 01:04 PM

Colt trooper MK II. Never able to sight it in. Allways shot low and Right.

Mini 14. Jammed every 2nd round. Sold it at a loose. Ruger replaced it.

Remington XP-100 just didnot like it.

geetarman · October 28, 2011, 01:10 PM

Ruger MKIII.

I have NEVER been so obsessed with destroying a gun. Went to the factory twice and when it started jamming again, I took a Dremel tool and destroyed the gun.

NEVER be another one in this house. I kept the barrel as a reminder. . .

Geetarman

Dino. · October 28, 2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Ruger MKIII.

I have NEVER been so obsessed with destroying a gun. Went to the factory twice and when it started jamming again, I took a Dremel tool and destroyed the gun.

NEVER be another one in this house. I kept the barrel as a reminder. . .

Geetarman

Hilarious.

The Ruger MKIII was my first handgun.
Mine ran fine but I felt your frustration the first time I ever tried to break it down and clean it.
What a PITA!

Mike38 · October 28, 2011, 01:41 PM

I am embarrassed to admit this, but maybe it will help someone out down the road. About 15 years ago I bought a Lorcin L9M. Biggest POS I ever bought. When it didn’t jam, you couldn’t hit a barn with it unless you threw it. I think I paid $120 or so for it. I gave it to my father with strict rules never to rely on it for self defense. When he passed away, I got it back. Sat in my gun room for 3 or 4 years. I took it to a gun show last fall and sold it for $50. I sold it to a dealer so no one could come back on me for a refund. I do not miss it.

Any more, as a general rule, if a center fire pistol costs less then $500 new, I pretty much stay away from them. You do get what you pay for.

B. Lahey · October 28, 2011, 01:47 PM

Allied Armament PPSh41: slamfires, mechanical hangfires, unreliable, missing at least two critical parts when it left the factory, and they couldn't fix it.

Followed closely by my Kahr Thompson, which malfunctioned in many of the same ways as the PPSh, but was not quite as dangerously defective. That one couldn't be fixed either.

bacardisteve · October 28, 2011, 02:54 PM

I got a tube feed marlin 22lr years ago that was a total pos. Sent to factory twice but it still wouldnt cycle rounds. Traded it for a mossberg 500.

Then there was the winchester m70 black shadow I had in 270wsm. Darn thing shot 4 moa with a very nice zeiss scope. Traded that for a savage 11 in same caliber.

RickB · October 28, 2011, 03:40 PM

I don't think it's a dog, but the S&W Thunder Ranch Model 22 that I bought four or five years ago, shot a foot low and six inches right, at 25 yards.
And it wasn't just my gun; they developed a corrected front sight and would pay shipping both ways to replace the sight with a shorter one. I decided to file mine down for a perfect zero, and shortly thereafter noticed a large crack in the trigger, emanating downward from inside the frame. To their credit, S&W replaced the trigger, but still.
I sent it back yet again, because there appeared to be a problem with the timing. A ring around the cylinder is apparently now standard on S&W DA revolvers, as even the guns pictured on the website have rings, but mine had little peck marks half-way between the locking notches, from where the cylinder stop was rising early in the cycle. They replaced the cylinder, but I don't know if they actually fixed it. I still have the gun, and still shoot it.

DELL6380 · October 28, 2011, 03:46 PM

I have disliked a bunch of guns over the years but only had two I ever regretted buying to the point that I got rid of them out of frustration.

The first was a Hi-Point. I bought it just to see what it was like. I had friends that owned them and said they were great... Well that was a mistake.

The other was a Glock 27. Never liked it. Felt ok when I first held it but after a couple of hundred rounds I started to dislike the grip. Angle just doesn't feel natural and I was never able to just point and shoot because of it. Sold it with less than a 1000 rounds and never looked at Glocks again.

Shadi Khalil · October 28, 2011, 03:47 PM

Taurus - 605, 617, 651,650

Kimber - Ultra and Pro Carry

the worst of the batch was the 617.

Onward Allusion · October 28, 2011, 04:05 PM

I don't think many would remember this one. The RamLine Exactor from the late 80's or early 90's.

It looked like a gray space gun and was made entirely out of polymer. The barrel had a steel liner and the receiver was steel. The thing came with a 15 round magazine and I think 20 round mags were also available for it. The gun was so off balanced that I couldn't hit diddly with it. It also could not run a mag all the way through. I don't think I ever got it to feed an entire mag without jamming or misfiring. If I recall, the gun needed an Allen Wrench to field strip. It's been so long that it's pretty fuzzy. The crazy thing is that some people want it as a collectible!

Kimbertron · October 28, 2011, 04:05 PM

I bought a charter arms bulldog .44 special. Two of the chambers in the cylinder were slightly smaller and could not be loaded. When i got it back from the manufacturer a month later i enjoyed it for about 40 rounds until the cylinder jammed and i could not fire it anymore.

October 28, 2011, 09:07 AM	#1
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,091	What is the worst gun you actually purchased? I want to know about bad, or undesirable guns, people have actually made a conscious decision to purchase at one point in their lives, but found that gun to be a real "dog". This does not include guns that you inherited, were gifted to you, or that you found on a street corner. Nor does it include guns that were never actually purchased - i.e. involved a genuine parting with money or other valuables. Why was the gun a dog, and what did you do with it?

October 28, 2011, 09:59 AM	#3
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	Taurus PT-22 - never ran. Jammed in very frightening ways! Plenty of so-so's have passed thorugh my hands but that was the worst. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

October 28, 2011, 10:28 AM	#8
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,005	Smith & Wesson 915. Gun had accuracy from the bench like a birdshot pattern from one of my cylinder bore shotguns. The gun was also terribly prone to jamming after 100 rounds. After 150 it pretty much wouldn't work. Clean it to a shine and it would be good for another 100 rounds. Junk in the purest sense of the word. I sold it for what I had in it. This was in the depths of the AWB and 9mms that came with four 15 round mags were a seeming prize. My heart goes out to the guy that wound up with that POS. __________________ "9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens

October 28, 2011, 10:30 AM	#9
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Great gun was my worst A Ruger Security Six with 6" barrel. Functioned flawlessly but, for some reason that may include grips and grip angle, simply did not feel right. This contributed to poor accuracy. My Ruger GP 100 with the same length barrel was a pleasure to hold and shoot.

October 28, 2011, 12:51 PM	#14
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 27,177	Llama Commanche .357 worst I ever actaully purchased. I've had worse guns, but didn't buy them! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

October 28, 2011, 09:55 AM	#2
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Ruger 10/22 jammed with every brand of ammo and had the accuracy of a slingshot.

October 28, 2011, 10:12 AM	#4
Toney Senior Member Join Date: August 17, 2005 Location: Stillwater Oklahoma Posts: 790	One of them rossi three barrel guns.

October 28, 2011, 10:15 AM	#5
Dino. Junior member Join Date: November 2, 2006 Posts: 908	Davis .380 Pot metal POS.

October 28, 2011, 10:22 AM	#6
Carry_24/7 Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2011 Posts: 801	Taurus 740 Slim. It runs like a champ, no malfunctions with any ammo. I just can't shoot it worth a darn, the trigger is awful, the sights are the cheapest/worst ever, and it kicks like a mule. It's fun trying to get the hang of it though....but it's not happening.

October 28, 2011, 10:28 AM	#7
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	Bersa Thunder .380 I heard so many great things about it on this and other forums to the point I just had to have one. Sent it back for warranty repair within the first 30 days of ownership. It works fine now, but I have never had a problem with any of my Sigs or Berettas. All of my rifles and shotguns, both new and used when purchased, have never given me a problem. Count me lucky even with the Bersa as it is a solid gun now. I shoot mostly reloads in all my weapons except for the rimfires (.22, .22 magnum and .17 HMR).

October 28, 2011, 11:56 AM	#10
Dino. Junior member Join Date: November 2, 2006 Posts: 908	I'd also include my Walther P22. Has great ergonomics and "cool factor" but won't hit the broad side of a barn.

October 28, 2011, 12:02 PM	#11
TxFlyFish Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2011 Posts: 1,246	Custom Benelli M2 by a very highly regarded smith as recommended in brian enos forum. Damaged finish, broken ring, and crooked controls, I sold the 2500 gun for a huge loss

October 28, 2011, 12:30 PM	#12
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	Argentinian made HiPower clone that I bought in 1994. Smooth sides, instead of the sharp taper the actual HiPower has, but otherwise very similar. However, it was a jam-o-matic, even with FMJ. Got it for a low price, but I got what I paid for, too...

October 28, 2011, 01:04 PM	#15
ltc444 Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2011 Location: Vernon AZ Posts: 1,195	Colt trooper MK II. Never able to sight it in. Allways shot low and Right. Mini 14. Jammed every 2nd round. Sold it at a loose. Ruger replaced it. Remington XP-100 just didnot like it.

October 28, 2011, 01:10 PM	#16
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	Ruger MKIII. I have NEVER been so obsessed with destroying a gun. Went to the factory twice and when it started jamming again, I took a Dremel tool and destroyed the gun. NEVER be another one in this house. I kept the barrel as a reminder. . . Geetarman

October 28, 2011, 01:41 PM	#18
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,664	I am embarrassed to admit this, but maybe it will help someone out down the road. About 15 years ago I bought a Lorcin L9M. Biggest POS I ever bought. When it didn’t jam, you couldn’t hit a barn with it unless you threw it. I think I paid $120 or so for it. I gave it to my father with strict rules never to rely on it for self defense. When he passed away, I got it back. Sat in my gun room for 3 or 4 years. I took it to a gun show last fall and sold it for $50. I sold it to a dealer so no one could come back on me for a refund. I do not miss it. Any more, as a general rule, if a center fire pistol costs less then $500 new, I pretty much stay away from them. You do get what you pay for.

October 28, 2011, 01:47 PM	#19
B. Lahey Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,857	Allied Armament PPSh41: slamfires, mechanical hangfires, unreliable, missing at least two critical parts when it left the factory, and they couldn't fix it. Followed closely by my Kahr Thompson, which malfunctioned in many of the same ways as the PPSh, but was not quite as dangerously defective. That one couldn't be fixed either. __________________ "A human being is primarily a bag for putting food into; the other functions and faculties may be more godlike, but in point of time they come afterwards." -George Orwell

October 28, 2011, 02:54 PM	#20
bacardisteve Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2006 Location: West virginia Posts: 650	I got a tube feed marlin 22lr years ago that was a total pos. Sent to factory twice but it still wouldnt cycle rounds. Traded it for a mossberg 500. Then there was the winchester m70 black shadow I had in 270wsm. Darn thing shot 4 moa with a very nice zeiss scope. Traded that for a savage 11 in same caliber. __________________ Kill em all and let God sort em out! USAF

October 28, 2011, 03:40 PM	#21
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,449	I don't think it's a dog, but the S&W Thunder Ranch Model 22 that I bought four or five years ago, shot a foot low and six inches right, at 25 yards. And it wasn't just my gun; they developed a corrected front sight and would pay shipping both ways to replace the sight with a shorter one. I decided to file mine down for a perfect zero, and shortly thereafter noticed a large crack in the trigger, emanating downward from inside the frame. To their credit, S&W replaced the trigger, but still. I sent it back yet again, because there appeared to be a problem with the timing. A ring around the cylinder is apparently now standard on S&W DA revolvers, as even the guns pictured on the website have rings, but mine had little peck marks half-way between the locking notches, from where the cylinder stop was rising early in the cycle. They replaced the cylinder, but I don't know if they actually fixed it. I still have the gun, and still shoot it.

October 28, 2011, 03:46 PM	#22
DELL6380 Member Join Date: October 20, 2011 Posts: 40	I have disliked a bunch of guns over the years but only had two I ever regretted buying to the point that I got rid of them out of frustration. The first was a Hi-Point. I bought it just to see what it was like. I had friends that owned them and said they were great... Well that was a mistake. The other was a Glock 27. Never liked it. Felt ok when I first held it but after a couple of hundred rounds I started to dislike the grip. Angle just doesn't feel natural and I was never able to just point and shoot because of it. Sold it with less than a 1000 rounds and never looked at Glocks again. Last edited by DELL6380; October 29, 2011 at 02:41 PM.

October 28, 2011, 03:47 PM	#23
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	Taurus - 605, 617, 651,650 Kimber - Ultra and Pro Carry the worst of the batch was the 617.

October 28, 2011, 04:05 PM	#24
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,132	I don't think many would remember this one. The RamLine Exactor from the late 80's or early 90's. It looked like a gray space gun and was made entirely out of polymer. The barrel had a steel liner and the receiver was steel. The thing came with a 15 round magazine and I think 20 round mags were also available for it. The gun was so off balanced that I couldn't hit diddly with it. It also could not run a mag all the way through. I don't think I ever got it to feed an entire mag without jamming or misfiring. If I recall, the gun needed an Allen Wrench to field strip. It's been so long that it's pretty fuzzy. The crazy thing is that some people want it as a collectible! __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

October 28, 2011, 04:05 PM	#25
Kimbertron Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2011 Location: Middle of nowhere Posts: 287	I bought a charter arms bulldog .44 special. Two of the chambers in the cylinder were slightly smaller and could not be loaded. When i got it back from the manufacturer a month later i enjoyed it for about 40 rounds until the cylinder jammed and i could not fire it anymore.

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