Most unpleasant firearm you ever shot?

[CountryGent]

Bet you'll be the reigning champ of this thread if you end up with the BFR 30/30 you desire.*

*no experience with the BFR except I saw one once in 45/70 at a ffl in Safford, AZ. Still not interested. View attachment 758301

From what I've read the BFR is in .30/30 is spunky, but not all that bad, even compared to the really big boomers out of a revolver. But who knows. Regardless, it is on the list to acquire to pair with one of my favorites, the Winchester 94. (I've even had a fleeting thought of Form 1ing it and rigging up some kind of skeleton stock. But I'm pretty much done with stamp collecting for the foreseeable future.)

Regardless, it still can't be as thunderous, and most unpleasant, as the Serbu Super Shorty we have in the battery:



It is a 12-gauge (2¾ and 3") with a 6½ barrel. Recoil is harsh to the point I've only shot it with gloves on, the fireball could make it double as a flare gun, and it is very loud. (Parenthetically, the two guys on In Range TV mentioned they had an acquaintance that accidently shot a 3" shell from one of these and it resulted in a bleeding forehead and a knocked out tooth. Doesn't sound like fun.)

But the Serbu isn't a serious gun and never was meant to be. Off the top of my head, other than that one of course, a few unpleasant incidents:

• An H&R single-shot in 10-gauge (3½") was not fun to shoot. Oh, I was a big fan of the big 10, and enjoyed the Ithaca Mag-10 for years, as well as a couple doubles. But that single, not happening again.
• A POS NIB Jennings my father had. It was the only handgun that, while using factory loads for said, literally, went to pieces in my hand. I wasn't harmed, but the gun was a goner.
• The model escapes me, but one of my brothers had a very lightweight bolt-action in 7㎜ Remington Magnum that I hunted with on one bleak, cold, miserable winter day in my adolescence. The combination of the cartridge, the light gun, and a very underweight fellow resulted in a sore shoulder I still recall to this day.

There are, I'm sure others, but those come to mind. Cheers.

 

[hawmanai]

2" Dan Wesson 44 Mag with hot handloads.

Concussion with face peppered by muzzle blast.

Lightweight H&R 12 guage pump with poor stock design is also unpleasant

 

[Quirt Evans]

Pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight in .264 Winchester Magnum.

Yeah, everybody thinks about the pre-64s as being the Holy Grail.
But they have poorly designed stocks for any caliber, and too light of weight for the heavy calibers.
The newer ones made in Portugal have a properly shaped stock for better recoil control.

 

[wired]

Yeah, everybody thinks about the pre-64s as being the Holy Grail.
But they have poorly designed stocks for any caliber, and too light of weight for the heavy calibers.
The newer ones made in Portugal have a properly shaped stock for better recoil control.

I have a Pre 64 300 H&H Magnum that was my grandfathers moose gun. Ive shot it 4 times. About the same power as a 300 win mag . Miserable gun to shoot.

 

[doobee8]

Glock 23. Couldn't hit a dang thing with it unless i had a full mag. The G21 & G22 were good for me though. Can't figure out why i shot the g23 so poorly.

The thing vibrates so violently in the hands, its very disruptive to your focus. Stings your hands.

 

[wired]

The thing vibrates so violently in the hands, its very disruptive to your focus. Stings your hands.

I have one. Really packs a punch with Underwood 40. I love that gun.

 

[sobo]

This one...

 

[awshoot]

My Tikka T3 Lite .300 WSM... before I put the Boyd's stock and Witt Machine muzzle brake on it.

Turned it from a Psychotic-Mule-with-a-Vendetta to a low-recoiling Target-Never-Leaves-the-Scope fun shooter. My aging shoulder appreciates the difference!

I need to try a muzzle brake -- I have a CZ in 300 WSM and a bad elbow. Trying to work up a load for that thing took me out of action for 6 months several years ago -- could barely grip a cup of coffee. It's been a safe queen since -- sort of afraid to have that elbow trip happen again.

Did you get the clamp-on brake? Any regrets about it?

 

[mrblond]

back in the day, a buddy had a 10 gauge with a pistol grip, shot it once..

 

[P7M13]

This one...

I really like my 44 Mag Blackhawk with a 6-1/2" barrel.

back in the day, a buddy had a 10 gauge with a pistol grip, shot it once..

How long did it take to get the cast off?

 

[Alexx1401]

Worst had to be a 2inch 5 shot .357. Had wood grips and it was painful to shoot to the ears and the hand. The guy later put some rubber grips which helped some but the damn blast out of it. I could not imagine what it would be like without protection for the ears. Close second had to be the original AMT Back Up in .380. Neat little pistol design for the day. Problem was the trigger. Never checked mine (had 2) but they had to break at like 20 pounds
Everyone who every tried it would at first be just sure the damn safety was still on.

 

[nwwoodsman]

Thompson Contender pistol chambered in 45-70. Shot it once. Never again.

 

[papersoldier]

Lever action Marlin in .450 Marlin. I bought the gun years ago specifically for bear defense on an extended Alaska trip. I sighted it in with about 10 (painful) rounds, took it on the trip and then immediately sold it when I got back.

At least it was nice to be able to tell someone for once exactly how many rounds had been put through a gun I was selling !

 

[Alexx1401]

Thompson Contender pistol chambered in 45-70. Shot it once. Never again.

I bet! OUCH! I did get to shoot one of those in 30-30 one time shortly after they hit. I was leery at first. Watched the owner shoot it so had to try. It was shockinly "OK" but then it had a long barrel and a fancy grip. Never saw someone shoot one with a cannon on top like the 45-70 but damn, that had to be one hell of a thing to fire!

 

[Dirty Cary]

45 lc in a judge 335 gr grizzly load, one cylinder and I don't want any more.. Notice gloves

 

[sobo]

45 lc in a judge 335 gr grizzly load, one cylinder and I don't want any more.. Notice gloves

I gots me wunna d'ose. I should up the powder in it and see if I hate it after that.

 

[edzz]

.45 ACP AMT BackUp. Fired first shot, stopped and looked at it to see if it had blown-up. Finished the magazine, packed it up and sold it. My .357 model 60 is pleasant by comparison.

 

[Dirty Cary]

I gots me wunna d'ose. I should up the powder in it and see if I hate it after that.

I can shoot it all day with regular 230 45lc, even 410 pdx. But 335 gr +p not so fun.
Fun to hand a friend when we go shooting..

 

[mrblond]

How long did it take to get the cast off?

nothing broken, by my right wrist was bubblegummed for a week or more

 

[John Gault]

3 rounds thru a S&W 329PD with Buffalo bore 44 mag ammo and back in the box it went until I found some 44 Special ammo.
Currently getting set to try loading my own something " in between" loads using magnum brass....