My bad experience with ?

[eagleridge357]

I'd like to start a thread which has a topic I've not seen anywhere before. It may fall flat or it may soar high. So be it. This thread will deal with negative comments about firearms you have had a bad experience with. No made-up stories, no below-the-belt-punches, just REAL ACTUAL negative experiences you have had with a firearm. You may also color the comment with any related talk you wish to make, such as "I'll never buy one of these F.... things again", or " I should have known better" or "So much for #### guns", or "flush this one down the sewer" or whatever. If you want to say anything positive, start your own thread. haha

I'd like to start by giving a comment about a handgun I bought years ago; I was caught up with the promo material of the Kel Tec CNC company regarding their high praise for the CNC machining and design of their pocket lightweight, the Kel Tec PF9. This was after the original design was revised, including some minor changes to the internals. I shot mine for about a year, using regular factory loads. I actually liked the feel of the grip and the lightweight, easy way it handled, but after a while, it began to mis-feed and the mag started to kinda rattle whenever it was fired.

After about 50 or 60 rds one day at the range, the extractor caught a casing and would not let it go. I unloaded, tried to rack and shake the casing out, but the extractor insisted on keeping it's kill for itself. Found out later that the extractor had bent and jammed itself between the frame wall and the casing. Tried to straighten it, then it snapped and fell on the floor. Strange because after that I read an artcle in G&A reporting on a "shootout" with five 9mm pocket guns, and learned the PF9's brother, the P11 had won praises from the writer saying after something like 8,000 rds without cleaning, it beat all the others by not having one single misfeed or any other problem.

I had to think I got a lemon because the design and production of these two pistols is very similar, using similar parts, metals, assembly, etc. Oh well, I may buy another sometime, but until then, I'll stick with the guns and manufacturers that are still working OK for me.

 

[Catskillkid]

Two issues that come to mind for me:

1) The very first Mini-14 I bought I had issues with. Worked well one summer. I cleaned and put it away for the winter and next spring out she comes again. Then I notice that after about 5 rounds the trigger mechanism starts falling out of the stock. It'll snap back in but once again, after every 5 rounds it starts to fall out again. I say what the hell is this shit. Go online and find that if you don't follow Ruger's instructions correctly (keep the safety on when you go to detach the trigger mechanism) something like this could happen. To Ruger's credit I sent it back to them, they couldn't fix the problem, so they sent me a brand new rifle and I never had the problem since. Of course I've been very careful to keep the safety on while cleaning. Still, kind of design flaw if you ask me.

2) My very first pistol (well technically first one I bought on my own...I inherited my first actual pistol) I had issues with. Went to a bunch of gun stores, looked at Glocks, looked at Berettas, looked at S&W's etc. Was thinking about a Glock 9mm (probably G19) and then go to a gun shop and the guy behind the counter convinced m to buy the Sig P250. Now I liked the P250. It felt good in my hand (still does as far as ergonomics go) and it looked nice. So somewhat impulsively I bought it. After the amendment process is over I go and pick it up, bring it home and find that I ABSOLUTELY HATE THE DOUBLE ACTION ONLY TRIGGER! Even after shooting well over 100 rounds through it I couldn't hit shit. No such problem with the ancient .22 that I inherited from Grandpa so it wasn't me...it was definitely the gun. To add insult to injury the extractor kept throwing brass right back into my face. I always wear shooting glasses so it wasn't too much of a problem but God Damn it is annoying to have an empty shell casing hit your glasses each and every shot. Go online afterwards and find a lot of folks have same problem as me. For what it's worth I still have the gun, I've gotten a little better with it over the years but still don't like it compared to any other my other guns (and I've gotten more Sigs since then). I keep thinking about selling it but hold out hope that I can trade it for a new P320 someday. That and it's there to remind me not to impulse buy anymore. For the record, I still haven't learned my lesson in that arena (see below).

3) Yeah, I said two but I have one more. I'm a poor fuck. Don't got two nickles to scrap together. Already have way too many guns (especially handguns). So what did I do a few weeks ago? I bought a Smith and Wesson 686 with a 6-inch barrel. Can't conceal it. Probably not going to hunt with it (already got rifles and shotguns for that). So what is it good for? Ok this last one is a slight against myself and not the hardware but you get the idea.

 

[Glenn B]

I had an RG 25 Auto, two S&W Model 66 revolvers and a Marlin Camp 9 that I think were all junk. I wrote them up in a blog post just over three years ago; if you want you can read about them here: BALLSEYE'S BOOMERS: What Was The Worst Gun You Have Ever Owned...

 

[eagleridge357]

Two issues that come to mind for me:

1) The very first Mini-14 I bought I had issues with. Worked well one summer. I cleaned and put it away for the winter and next spring out she comes again. Then I notice that after about 5 rounds the trigger mechanism starts falling out of the stock. It'll snap back in but once again, after every 5 rounds it starts to fall out again. I say what the hell is this shit. Go online and find that if you don't follow Ruger's instructions correctly (keep the safety on when you go to detach the trigger mechanism) something like this could happen. To Ruger's credit I sent it back to them, they couldn't fix the problem, so they sent me a brand new rifle and I never had the problem since. Of course I've been very careful to keep the safety on while cleaning. Still, kind of design flaw if you ask me.

2) My very first pistol (well technically first one I bought on my own...I inherited my first actual pistol) I had issues with. Went to a bunch of gun stores, looked at Glocks, looked at Berettas, looked at S&W's etc. Was thinking about a Glock 9mm (probably G19) and then go to a gun shop and the guy behind the counter convinced m to buy the Sig P250. Now I liked the P250. It felt good in my hand (still does as far as ergonomics go) and it looked nice. So somewhat impulsively I bought it. After the amendment process is over I go and pick it up, bring it home and find that I ABSOLUTELY HATE THE DOUBLE ACTION ONLY TRIGGER! Even after shooting well over 100 rounds through it I couldn't hit shit. No such problem with the ancient .22 that I inherited from Grandpa so it wasn't me...it was definitely the gun. To add insult to injury the extractor kept throwing brass right back into my face. I always wear shooting glasses so it wasn't too much of a problem but God Damn it is annoying to have an empty shell casing hit your glasses each and every shot. Go online afterwards and find a lot of folks have same problem as me. For what it's worth I still have the gun, I've gotten a little better with it over the years but still don't like it compared to any other my other guns (and I've gotten more Sigs since then). I keep thinking about selling it but hold out hope that I can trade it for a new P320 someday. That and it's there to remind me not to impulse buy anymore. For the record, I still haven't learned my lesson in that arena (see below).

3) Yeah, I said two but I have one more. I'm a poor fuck. Don't got two nickles to scrap together. Already have way too many guns (especially handguns). So what did I do a few weeks ago? I bought a Smith and Wesson 686 with a 6-inch barrel. Can't conceal it. Probably not going to hunt with it (already got rifles and shotguns for that). So what is it good for? Ok this last one is a slight against myself and not the hardware but you get the idea.

Erratic brass flipping seems to be a common complaint. Seems the smaller the pistol, the farther and more erratic the brass flips. You could almost say the pistol is over-compensating for it's small size, just like a small punk would do. My PF9 also was a brass flipper. The guy in the next bay told me to stop throwing brass at him. Seriously. As for the 686. I will buy it and put your misery to an end. Long barrel wheelies are mercilessly torturous. I will save you.

 

[eagleridge357]

I had an RG 25 Auto, two S&W Model 66 revolvers and a Marlin Camp 9 that I think were all junk. I wrote them up in a blog post just over three years ago; if you want you can read about them here: BALLSEYE'S BOOMERS: What Was The Worst Gun You Have Ever Owned...

That's a great write-up. I never would have expected that of the model 66. Marlin, maybe, although I have heard one or two other minor issues with the camp 9. Isn't that the one with a buffer issue?

 

[Glenn B]

That's a great write-up. I never would have expected that of the model 66. Marlin, maybe, although I have heard one or two other minor issues with the camp 9. Isn't that the one with a buffer issue?

Such were the Model 66 revolvers we got in that deal. That was back in the early 80s. The Model 66 that I bought years later was a good high quality one.

 

[mosquito]

I had a problem with one of my Ed Brown's. My 1 of 100 limited edition 5" Special Forces in .9mm. The gun had at least one or two FTE's in every single magazine that I put in the gun. It went back to Ed Brown (twice) and they said it was me, it was my ammo, it was the earths gravitational pull, the tides coming in and out blah, blah, blah........everything but a problem with the gun. * I told them that the problem was the extractor and they said: impossible....the extractor is tuned here at the factory. After going back and forth with them for months, I told them that I was going to fix it myself! They told me if I did that, it would void my warranty. To that, I said: "what warranty", you can't fix it. I bought an Aftec self adjusting extractor, installed it and have never had a single failure of any kind, since!

Skeeter

 

[eagleridge357]

I had a problem with one of my Ed Brown's. My 1 of 100 limited edition 5" Special Forces in .9mm. The gun had at least one or two FTE's in every single magazine that I put in the gun. It went back to Ed Brown (twice) and they said it was me, it was my ammo, it was the earths gravitational pull, the tides coming in and out blah, blah, blah........everything but a problem with the gun. * I told them that the problem was the extractor and they said: impossible....the extractor is tuned here at the factory. After going back and forth with them for months, I told them that I was going to fix it myself! They told me if I did that, it would void my warranty. To that, I said: "what warranty", you can't fix it. I bought an Aftec self adjusting extractor, installed it and have never had a single failure of any kind, since!

Skeeter

If you read our warranty and find something there that we have to fix, the warranty is void.

 

[mosquito]

If you read our warranty and find something there that we have to fix, the warranty is void.

Yup, something like that....too funny!

Skeeter

 

[eagleridge357]

Don't know if this can be classified as a "bad" experience, but S&W had a recall (among many recalls) which dealt with replacing the hammer nose and bushing on the model 681. This 357 mag revolver was produced with a hammer nose bushing that allowed primer gases to backgas through the bushing, creating a flash at the hammer nose. Only happened with certain high pressure factory loads, but you would think that S&W would check this kind of thing before a production run. Anyway, problem was fixed in 6 weeks, no charge, but makes you wonder about all those models with the dash and digit after the model number. Engineering changes, but each change seems to reflect a simple oversight or minor change that could have been incorporated in a prior run, instead of re-engineering every time some little thing popped up after production. Doesn't this add to the cost of production? Maybe I'm just nit-picking? Anyway, S&W is still one of my favorites.

 

[Jaywmustang]

Bought a new marlin 336 in 308mx a couple years ago and the damn bolt/lever would pop open when loaded. I could leave in on the shooting table loaded and it would pop open. This rifle would always shoot the first shot about 4-5" away from the bullseye. They rest would be dead on at 100 yards. It would do it hot or cold, clean and dirty bore. Marlin took care of the bolt/lever opening. Just a pain when u buy a new rifle with issues.

 

[Magnus]

My Rock island 1911A1 which I love, has been good to me so far. Only issue I have is that the slide stop is starting to creep out of the gun. I noticed the notch that should ride behind the slide is a little on the small side. I think they may have put a compact slide stop in rather than the midsidized. It hasn't given me any shooting issues so far. I give it a little press till it clicks into place. I'm wondering if one day it may get the correct timing and snag on the slide?

 

[Bushmaster]

Mine was with 870 Express, had two, friend had three. All jammed or tried to double feed. I will still buy the cheapos, but Moss 500. Shame because the 870 was dead accurate for a smooth bore slug gun.

 

[Bushmaster]

Only other bad gun was a dead accurate 22 Hornet center fire, OLDIE, had to use custom mags in order to eject shells, and No Rem shells, different size than Win shells.

 

[MoMan]

Years ago I bought a used Bernardelli 380. I really liked the feel of the gun and how it fit my hand. The problem was that I was shooting it, I dropped the mag for a reload, and noticed something else hit the bench. I looked down and couldn't believe it was part of the trigger. It just broke off and fell out. I took the gun, and the part to the trigger, and traded it in on something else (can't even remember what I bought!). Needless to say, there was ZERO confidence in that gun after that.

 

[eagleridge357]

Bought a new marlin 336 in 308mx a couple years ago and the damn bolt/lever would pop open when loaded. I could leave in on the shooting table loaded and it would pop open. This rifle would always shoot the first shot about 4-5" away from the bullseye. They rest would be dead on at 100 yards. It would do it hot or cold, clean and dirty bore. Marlin took care of the bolt/lever opening. Just a pain when u buy a new rifle with issues.

That's weird. Badly cammed bolt lug?

 

[eagleridge357]

Years ago I bought a used Bernardelli 380. I really liked the feel of the gun and how it fit my hand. The problem was that I was shooting it, I dropped the mag for a reload, and noticed something else hit the bench. I looked down and couldn't believe it was part of the trigger. It just broke off and fell out. I took the gun, and the part to the trigger, and traded it in on something else (can't even remember what I bought!). Needless to say, there was ZERO confidence in that gun after that.

Now, that one is funny!

 

[Jaywmustang]

I'm not sure. Just said they fixed it on the return paper work. I no longer have the rifle. I don't know much about lever action.

 

[ECU Pirates]

Kel-Tec

First gun when I was 21 was the p-11. Terrible. Then I bought a sub-2k. Also terrible. I will never own another. Both were jam machines.

 

[eagleridge357]

Kel-Tec

First gun when I was 21 was the p-11. Terrible. Then I bought a sub-2k. Also terrible. I will never own another. Both were jam machines.

Kel Tec...love 'em or hate 'em....did you know Kel Tec is one of the largest makers of handguns in the USA? Top 10 I believe

 

[eagleridge357]

I'm not sure. Just said they fixed it on the return paper work. I no longer have the rifle. I don't know much about lever action.

After your post I remembered about 4 yrs ago I had purchased 6 of these models from an estate closing, and 2 of them did seem to have a problem with the lever snapping locked completely, leaving some space between the lever stop and the lever itself. The other four closed snugly against the lever stop so there was no space or movement. That could be related to what you commented on. Sounds like a weak spring or some such thing. At first I thought it was no big deal, but it could signal weak parts somewhere.

 

[nortatoga]

I bought the Kel-Tec PF9 about 10 years ago, hated right from the start! Never shot it much to have any issues, But when I did after the 4th round my trigger finger would start hurting. Worst trigger of any thing I own! I was going to trade it off on my SW Shield but saw they (PF9) were around $200.00 on Gunbroker I figure the dealer would only give me $75 to $100 on it in trade so I kept it.

I use it as a prop at the County Pistol Safety Class as something I recommend not buying ( I like to say weight can be your friend in a pistol! )

 

[swilliams]

For anyone who doesn't remember from the first report... I had a bunch of trouble with my first Remington R1 1911. Feed issues. Every third or fourth round wouldn't feed properly. After talking to you fine folks, I decided it wasn't because I was limp-wristing. Sent it back to Remington, they polished the feed ramp and sent it back. Still had the same issues. Grrrr. To Remington's credit, they replaced the gun after I sent it back the second time, but it makes me think they didn't really look at it the first time. I haven't had any problems since, but I still don't fully trust it yet. It's the last of my three handguns I pick when I want to do some shooting, so I decided to bring it to NJ and stick it in a little safe. (PX-4 is my favorite handgun, but with it's standard cap mags, it stays in PA.)

The Savage (Model 11) is headed to the gunsmith later this week. Twice now, a hard bump has caused the damn thing to fire. Scary. (And, of course, I couldn't stop myself from pointing out to my significant other that this is why you always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. We've argued about that one on two separate occasions now, but that's a topic for another thread.) It might have something to do with the Accu-Trigger, but I'll let you know once I get it back. Not sending it back to Savage because I want it in hand before deer hunt.

 

[ECU Pirates]

For anyone who doesn't remember from the first report... I had a bunch of trouble with my first Remington R1 1911. Feed issues. Every third or fourth round wouldn't feed properly. After talking to you fine folks, I decided it wasn't because I was limp-wristing. Sent it back to Remington, they polished the feed ramp and sent it back. Still had the same issues. Grrrr. To Remington's credit, they replaced the gun after I sent it back the second time, but it makes me think they didn't really look at it the first time. I haven't had any problems since, but I still don't fully trust it yet. It's the last of my three handguns I pick when I want to do some shooting, so I decided to bring it to NJ and stick it in a little safe. (PX-4 is my favorite handgun, but with it's standard cap mags, it stays in PA.)

The Savage (Model 11) is headed to the gunsmith later this week. Twice now, a hard bump has caused the damn thing to fire. Scary. (And, of course, I couldn't stop myself from pointing out to my significant other that this is why you always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. We've argued about that one on two separate occasions now, but that's a topic for another thread.) It might have something to do with the Accu-Trigger, but I'll let you know once I get it back. Not sending it back to Savage because I want it in hand before deer hunt.

Wow never heard of that issue with a savage before. Sounds like a Remington. I would not bring that hunting until it's fixed. What is there to argue about when it comes to pointing in a safe direction?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ECU Pirates]

Kel Tec...love 'em or hate 'em....did you know Kel Tec is one of the largest makers of handguns in the USA? Top 10 I believe

I hate them and I'm not surprised about the sales numbers. Cheap sells I guess.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Calculon]

A few years ago I picked up a Marlin 795 .22LR. It got such great reviews everywhere and I liked the detachable mags being different from Ruger's 10/22 rotary mags.

Thing was a jam-o-matic. Couldn't get more than 3 or 4 rounds through it without it choking on brass. Took it down a couple times to deep clean it then lubed it up and went to range. No change. Sent it back to Marlin 2 times and it never improved. Fortunately Marlin finally agreed to take it back and refund my money. Must have gotten a lemon.

 

[GOPerfect]

The only issue I had was with a Sig P250. It was chambered in 40 and was the sub-compact model. I was pretty exited to bring it home and try it out.

The first time I took it shooting, I thought it was broken. I did not do enough research on the gun prior to making the purchase. The trigger is sooooooooooooooooooooooo long, takes away from the enjoyment of shooting. I could not wait to dump it.

 

[swilliams]

Wow never heard of that issue with a savage before. Sounds like a Remington. I would not bring that hunting until it's fixed. What is there to argue about when it comes to pointing in a safe direction?

Taking the Savage in some time this week. Probably Friday. As for the arguing... twice, with the husband and the muzzle sweep. He says, "It's not loaded." And there's the argument. He doesn't like to be corrected, particularly by me, so that only makes it worse.

 

[ECU Pirates]

Taking the Savage in some time this week. Probably Friday. As for the arguing... twice, with the husband and the muzzle sweep. He says, "It's not loaded." And there's the argument. He doesn't like to be corrected, particularly by me, so that only makes it worse.

Wow tell him to stop doing it and he won't be corrected. No such thing as unloaded Mr. swilliams

 

[Glenn B]

Mine was with 870 Express, had two, friend had three. All jammed or tried to double feed. I will still buy the cheapos, but Moss 500. Shame because the 870 was dead accurate for a smooth bore slug gun.

During the course of my Remington 870 shooting history spanning about 36 years nd including about 20 years as a certified instructor (yes using Remington 870s almost exclusively in that training) I have seen many Remington 870s (Express or better models) jam. I would say that at least 95% or more of the jams that I have seen were caused by shooter error attributed to the user not racking the slide properly.