The worst gun you like

[raftman]

Thought it was an interesting/fun question (or series of questions).

Some guns just aren't very good, but that doesn't mean they can't still be enjoyed or appreciated for what they are.

So what are guns you don't think are actually very good but you still enjoy anyways? What makes them bad? And why do you like them despite their shortcomings?

In my case, I'd have to say the Sterling Arms Model 302 (in .22lr, though a .25 version was also made). Why is it so bad? These were not known for their reliability or quality. In particular, they were widely regarded as unsafe to carry with a loaded chamber. It's generally lumped in with pocket pistols from better-known bargain-basement makers like Bryco/Jennings/Lorcin. Sterling Arms has been out of business for decades. From what I'd heard, they were sued out of existence for an accidental death involving one of their pistols and an individual not observing the fundamentals of safe gun handling.

Why do I still like it?

I bought it for next to nothing. It actually works quite well (now that I've replaced the extractor spring). It's quite fun shoot, and cheap to shoot. Unlike other guns of its class, it's actually made from steel rather than pot metal. I'm aware of its limitations and certainly don't carry it or keep it loaded. And lastly, it's a product of gritty, dangerous 1970's New York and it's just so obviously is a product of that place and time. It's like a historic artifact of sorts.

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[Tarawa86]

My Remington Model 7400 in .270.

Cons: I have the full size version so it's heavy, the operating handle will tear your index finger apart without gloves, the accuracy gets wobbly after 10 or so rounds due to barrel heating, and you have to keep it bone dry to avoid malfunctions.

Pros: It's just fun to shoot.

 

[JustShoot]

HAHA,LOL .. Taurus, in general not a good looking or acceptable/reliable quality for a daily CC either . But ...( there is just one ) , I will rotate one into my daily .

That is a , discontinued not made anymore, NOT Gucci Carry - Taurus's 400-$ .. ( gen.2 ) Stainless - PT145 Mill.pro .
for some reason that thing likes me, and I like it, fits my hands perfect and is 100% run reliable, accurate at the action range with .45 round ball . also it just about same carry IWB size as my G26 .
.

 

[GOG]

An Automag Mk III pistol. An absolutely fun gun to shoot when it ran.
I probably spent twice as much getting it to run right as I paid for the pistol.
After it was finally in great shape I took an offer I really couldn't refuse and sent it down the road.

 

[leadcounsel]

Uzi rifle.

Impractical, very bulky and heavy, could buy 3 Glocks for the price.

But really iconic and cool.

 

[Kruel J]

To me, guns are tools. And I really dislike crappy tools. So there's that.

 

[leadcounsel]

HAHA,LOL .. Taurus, in general not a good looking or acceptable/reliable quality for a daily CC either . But ...( there is just one ) , I will rotate one into my daily .

That is a , discontinued not made anymore, NOT Gucci Carry - Taurus's 400-$ .. ( gen.2 ) Stainless - PT145 Mill.pro .
for some reason that thing likes me, and I like it, fits my hands perfect and is 100% run reliable, accurate at the action range with .45 round ball . also it just about same carry IWB size as my G26 .
.

Had a very reliable PT145. But it was under recall so I dumped it back to Taurus. Got a new 1911 in exchange, which I promptly traded off .

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Probably the ruby .32, It is a fun one. Cheap, mine has no finish except a weird patina that makes your hands smell metallic after shooting, but it likely fought the Great war, and the second war. It is a fun, cheap little beast that never fails to put a smile on my face. I would say it is probably the "worst" that I really like. Things I own are generally pretty oddball.

 

[DB is Here]

To me, guns are tools. And I really dislike crappy tools. So there's that.

Exactly, runs like garbage...bye

 

[CountryGent]

Sort of a hard one to answer. To the point of the original post, none. If it runs like trash, it is annoying, or otherwise junky, then it is already long gone. I don't see the point in those kinds of guns.

If one means goofy, off-beat, wacky ones just for fun, oh there are several that bring kind of delight. They're, by definition, not primary defensive or preparedness pieces. But there is no rule you can shoot guns that just brings a smile.

 

[ferret427]

My Grandfather's High Standard Double Nine Deluxe with wood grips, nickel plating, and a dime store tooled leather holster with some kind of plastic flat stitching. No idea how old it is, my guess would be late '50s - '60s. Not a high dollar piece by any stretch of the imagination.

Horrible DA trigger. Nothing about this gun says 'bullseye shooter'. I love to shoot it anyway. Dad tells me Granddad used to hip shoot jackrabbits and other critters on the farm with it in Eastern Colorado.
Dad also has one, but not the deluxe, with white plastic grips and black finish. Someday I will have both to remember them by (I pray that day never comes). Dad's HS DN was the first gun I ever shot (not counting the BB gun I got when I was 4) in second grade.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Hi point 9mm carbine. They are surprisingly fun to shoot and back when they sold for $100 on the second hand market, I used to trade them around.

I actually wouldn't mind adding one of the new 10mm ones to the stable.

 

[raftman]

Sort of a hard one to answer. To the point of the original post, none. If it runs like trash, it is annoying, or otherwise junky, then it is already long gone. I don't see the point in those kinds of guns.

If one means goofy, off-beat, wacky ones just for fun, oh there are several that bring kind of delight. They're, by definition, not primary defensive or preparedness pieces. But there is no rule you can shoot guns that just brings a smile.

I suppose I intended to leave what constitutes a "bad" gun somewhat open to interpretation. For example, something might be bad by the standards of today but could have been fairly innovative at the time, such many early self-loaders. Or perhaps something could be poor for its original intended purpose but otherwise ok, such as my Sterling which was a very poor defensive weapon (small caliber, unsafe to carry with a loaded chamber) but fairly fun to plink away with. Heck, if one really wanted to stretch definitions, someone might consider the Madsen M47 a bad gun, despite its actual excellent quality, because to introduce a bolt action front line infantry rifle in 1947 is a terrible idea.

 

[jbett98]

A 20 gauge bolt action shotgun. What a stupid idea. I could never get it to feed right. I bought it from a member here and I don't hold it against him, as he told me the mag was junk, but I was going to prove him wrong. If any firearm deserves to be thrown off a bridge, that one certainly was.

 

[Tarawa86]

A 20 gauge bolt action shotgun. What a stupid idea. I could never get it to feed right. I bought it from a member here and I don't hold it against him, as he told me the mag was junk, but I was going to prove him wrong. If any firearm deserves to be thrown off a bridge, that one certainly was.

Was it fun to shoot when it did work? It sounds like a fun gun to shoot for some reason.

 

[orygun]

SKS. I don't have it anymore, traded it to a member who since passed away. (trying to remember his handle, but coming up blank).
The stock was too short for me. Unless I found a special mag it wasn't good for hunting. Hunting ammo was expensive and hard to come by.

But that sure was a fun gun to plink with. I think my wife still misses it.

 

[jbett98]

Was it fun to shoot when it did work? It sounds like a fun gun to shoot for some reason.

Whacking your thumb with a hammer would be more fun then trying to get a shell up into the chamber.
That piece of junk had more ways to jamb then a Jennings 22.

 

[P7M13]

Remington R51 Gen 2

Cons:​

• Very finicky about ammunition choice. Choose wrong ammo, you get an occasional FTF. Choose really incompatible ammo, it's a single shot jam-o-matic.
• Reviled by the press in reviews. Supposedly the field strip is complex and very difficult. I call BS. The people who did those reviews should be questioned on their mechanical abilities.
• Seven round single stack magazine
• Finding magazines is a PITA

Pros:​

• Very accurate, naturally pointing gun
• Striker fire trigger very good
• With right ammo, zero failures
• Compact, light and comfortable. One of my preferred carry guns.
• Doesn't get very dirty
• Very durable - had a KB in one, and after complete disassembly, inspection and reassembly, ready for test fire. (thought it had bent the feed ramp, but that was black powder residue making it look bent.)
• Inexpensive (used). Have two, think I might get a third.

TNW ASR carbine (ASR = Aero Survival Rifle)
Effing POS from the word go in terms of feed problems, a blast to shoot, and very accurate.
Crudely machined - looks like it was made on a drill press converted to a mill.
The side charging lever will give you blood blisters like crazy, both pulling back and releasing the lever
The problem is in the design of the bolt, which allows the case on extraction to pop out from under the extractor, and results in a FTE quite frequently. I hold onto it because I'm going to fix the ejection problem and will have a great take-down PCC for backpacking.

 

[CLT65]

I'd have to say mine is a KelTek Sub2000. Terrible ergonomics, terrible sights, horrendous trigger, but it is fun to shoot, and it folds up into such a compact little package. I'm not impressed with the overall quality, so I'd hate to have to depend on it if it was all I had, but it really is fun to blast away with at the range.

To me, guns are tools. And I really dislike crappy tools. So there's that.

I've come to realize that we all have different perspectives and interests. A good friend of my is very practical when it comes to guns. He's a hunter, and if it's not a quality hunting rifle, it's just so much junk, in his opinion. An old WWI Mauser? Heavy, clunky old junk; toss it in a river. Cap and ball revolver? Dirty and slow, belongs in a museum. ARs and AKs? He's not interested at all, wouldn't take one if it was given to him. To him, a gun is a tool for hunting, and absolutely nothing more. Beyond that he's just not interested at all.

I know other guys who are seriously into competition. Their guns are strictly tools the same way golf clubs are to the golfer. To those focused on self-defense, it's a serious piece of gear. To each their own.

My interests are eclectic. I don't hunt, haven't hunted in decades, just not my thing. I don't compete, again just not my thing. I have guns useful for self defense, but that's not my prime interest in firearms either. I just like old guns, tinkering, reloading, and recreational shooting. I don't mind cheap, "crappy" guns occasionally, so long as they work reliably enough to enjoy at the range.

 

[No_Regerts]

Remington 700 in 223. Has a 1 in 12 twist barrel and it took a while to get it to feed anywhere near properly. Still shoots itty bitty groups.

Any 1 in 10 twist 243. It should be a 1 in 8 twist.