what then makes a firearm "NOT fun"???

[41mag]

another forum member asked "what makes a gun fun to shoot? "

great information generated there by way of discussion;
made me review what exactly IS the difference between when we
have "fun" and "NO fun" in our various outings?

Here's a few of my own non-fun examples:
1) when the firearm is too awkward, too ponderous, too ill fit or ill designed for me to find a way to mount it suitably for comfortable operation;

2) when the firearm is simply too heavy ++P++ whatever the caliber whatever the owner satisfaction, to achieve acceptable accuracy or comfort in operation;

3) when the mechanical nuances of the firearm remain beyond my ability to adapt to satisfactory use;

4) where various recurring issues prevent adequate string of fire;

5) the above issues preventing development of accuracy and reliable POI downrange;

One example: IMSHA captured my interest 40 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the Super BlackHawk 44 mag, while the RedHawk 44 Mag and S&W 629 models were considerably less so. It was those travails that taught valuable lessons about lead vs jacketed and 'reasonable' vs 'too high' velocity in the search for 200 yard Ram busting. Eventually those lesson of too-hot hand loads/accuracy/barrel leading/ started adding up.

A buddy's long barrel 50 cal was great pleasure for him; I didn't like it for the cylinder full I shot. His 4" shorty 50 cal produced absurd muzzle blast, and nearly crippled me just standing behind him spotting POI. I'm not sure he even hit the large hillside backstop.

Nor did I care for a 450 Bushmaster foisted on me for trial recently. Yes the AR worked well without glitch. Maybe I could adapt with practice....but ?why???

While I don't mind full house 44 mag and hot 45LC now & then, I simply have no real need for them. Nor 454 Casull. They all work too rapidly toward making my flinch return. 30 years ago I thought I enjoyed them, but wondered why my target hit rate was so low.

Similarly the 460 S&W is beyond my current level of enjoyment. Maybe in my elk hunting days that would have be First Choice. Not now.

Mostly these ammo issues are not of mechanical origin, but self inflicted punishment.

So what's your story?

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[Hop Sing]

Hunting rifles and shotguns with glossy finishes that are slippery as heck when wet and shine like mirrors when it's sunny out. Shotguns that don't fit. Hunting rifles that are not comfortable to carry.

 

[Kruel J]

When the firearm is poorly made junk.

 

[AMT]

Excessive FTF and/or FTE. Makes range-time no fun.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I enjoy shooting many different firearms...

About the one only ones that I don't find fun are :
Modern "Inline Muzzleloaders"...
Now these rifles work for sure but what I dislike most about them , ain't so much the rifle itself ...
But the snotty , condescending , "My new tech gun " is far superior , attitude that some of the rifle's owners have towards traditional muzzleloaders and shooters
Now to be fair here....the same can be said of some traditional muzzleloading rifle users....
I just get tired hearing how much better their rifle is than one of mine...over and over and over...

Now the above is not meant to be disparaging of those rifles and those folks that like them and use them...
Simply because I am sure that not everyone who owns such a rifle acts and thinks that way.
If one is the owner of one...use it and enjoy it.

I said the above because of the ones that I have come into contact with who do.
Which happens a lot , Since the beginning of my displays...almost every showing will have someone , who just has to loudly proclaim all the "problems" with a tradition muzzleloader , has been solved with a modern inline rifle.

So again...its not so much the rifles themselves ...but the attitude of some ( Not All ) of the owners.
Andy

 

[oremike]

I don't care for rifles with straight stocks and steel butt plates, they ride up on my collar bone and just plane hurt.

 

[TTSX]

Inconsistent operation is the worst. Shoot 5, malfunction. Shoot 2, malfunction. Shoot 12, malfunction. Etc. I guess it's good "training" but it isn't fun.

 

[Member 5605]

It is a Glock.
When you can't find aftermarket goodies to slap on it.
Heavy recoil
Expensive to shoot or reload
Only comes in full auto or restricted variants

 

[Kruel J]

When the words "Kel-Tec" or "Hi-Point" are stamped on it.

 

[P7M13]

no wood.

 

[Stomper]

another forum member asked "what makes a gun fun to shoot? "

great information generated there by way of discussion;
made me review what exactly IS the difference between when we
have "fun" and "NO fun" in our various outings?

Here's a few of my own non-fun examples:
1) when the firearm is too awkward, too ponderous, too ill fit or ill designed for me to find a way to mount it suitably for comfortable operation;

2) when the firearm is simply too heavy ++P++ whatever the caliber whatever the owner satisfaction, to achieve acceptable accuracy or comfort in operation;

3) when the mechanical nuances of the firearm remain beyond my ability to adapt to satisfactory use;

4) where various recurring issues prevent adequate string of fire;

5) the above issues preventing development of accuracy and reliable POI downrange;

One example: IMSHA captured my interest 40 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the Super BlackHawk 44 mag, while the RedHawk 44 Mag and S&W 629 models were considerably less so. It was those travails that taught valuable lessons about lead vs jacketed and 'reasonable' vs 'too high' velocity in the search for 200 yard Ram busting. Eventually those lesson of too-hot hand loads/accuracy/barrel leading/ started adding up.

A buddy's long barrel 50 cal was great pleasure for him; I didn't like it for the cylinder full I shot. His 4" shorty 50 cal produced absurd muzzle blast, and nearly crippled me just standing behind him spotting POI. I'm not sure he even hit the large hillside backstop.

Nor did I care for a 450 Bushmaster foisted on me for trial recently. Yes the AR worked well without glitch. Maybe I could adapt with practice....but ?why???

While I don't mind full house 44 mag and hot 45LC now & then, I simply have no real need for them. Nor 454 Casull. They all work too rapidly toward making my flinch return. 30 years ago I thought I enjoyed them, but wondered why my target hit rate was so low.

Similarly the 460 S&W is beyond my current level of enjoyment. Maybe in my elk hunting days that would have be First Choice. Not now.

Mostly these ammo issues are not of mechanical origin, but self inflicted punishment.

So what's your story?

easy answer... when it's loaded and pointed at you.

 

[CamoDeafie]

When the words "COLT LEXXXX"or "Bushmaster" are slapped on it

When there's no uniqueness

When it costs more than the lowest mortgage payments available

When it costs more than my rent

When it's far too light for the caliber (talk about inaccurate and flexibility...)

When the ammo costs more than the gun is worth

When it has to fit between th NFA and GCA1968 rules to be OK and still be "almost an SBR" (yes I'm talking about the "pistol ARs" with 12-14" barrels)

 

[Rickenbacher39]

Shooting a firearm that uses a cartridge the size of my index finger.
I'm old, I don't like pain.

 

[TKO]

I enjoy shooting many different firearms...

About the one only ones that I don't find fun are :
Modern "Inline Muzzleloaders"...
Now these rifles work for sure but what I dislike most about them , ain't so much the rifle itself ...
But the snotty , condescending , "My new tech gun " is far superior , attitude that some of the rifle's owners have towards traditional muzzleloaders and shooters
Now to be fair here....the same can be said of some traditional muzzleloading rifle users....
I just get tired hearing how much better their rifle is than one of mine...over and over and over...

Now the above is not meant to be disparaging of those rifles and those folks that like them and use them...
Simply because I am sure that not everyone who owns such a rifle acts and thinks that way.
If one is the owner of one...use it and enjoy it.

I said the above because of the ones that I have come into contact with who do.
Which happens a lot , Since the beginning of my displays...almost every showing will have someone , who just has to loudly proclaim all the "problems" with a tradition muzzleloader , has been solved with a modern inline rifle.

So again...its not so much the rifles themselves ...but the attitude of some ( Not All ) of the owners.
Andy

 

[TKO]

Andy.....I can't believe people have the "gall" to disparage your flintlocks.
The person wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for those beautiful rifles.
What happened to "if you don't have some nice to say, don't say anything". Rant over.
TKO

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Andy.....I can't believe people have the "gall" to disparage your flintlocks.
The person wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for those beautiful rifles.
What happened to "if you don't have some nice to say, don't say anything". Rant over.
TKO

Some folks do...It gets as I said tiresome at best.
And yeah I do at times wonder just what happened to :
If you can't say something nice...Don't say anything at all.
Andy

 

[kisfish]

FTF drives me crazy. I have one that does that. I also dont like a heavy hunting rifle. By the end of the day your just plain wore out.

 

[CountryGent]

• Guns that are unreliable out of the box. I have zero patience for these now and are dumped ASAP.
• Along the same lines, junk that breaks.
• Guns that don't "fit" well to the shooter. I don't have this as much, but my spouse, this is a real issue.
• I've never been particularly recoil shy, but some of the really powerful hunting/safari rifles can be nasty. Ditto some deliberately gonzo guns (e.g., the Serbu Super Shorty, very light-weight snubs in magnum calibers, etc.).
• It is more a legal thing than a gun thing, but the whole bureaucratic dumpster-fire that is the NFA process to build or buy fun or gonzo firearms.
• Also not a gun thing, but the fact the weather so routinely blows this time a year that it is harder to get up to the home range. (So can't wait for the dry southwest.)
• The fact Hi-Points exist.

 

[mkwerx]

Crappy ergonomics, poor reliability, excessive recoil, excessively expensive ammunition

 

[CountryGent]

excessively expensive ammunition

I'd add to that oddball ammo. It invariably makes logistics a PITA.