Author Topic: Worst handguns?  (Read 3897 times)

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Offline Skeeterbaymac

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Worst handguns?
« Reply #30 on: March 16, 2006, 09:47:49 AM »
I am with you on the mustang Old Griz.  I always wanted one also but I ran into several folks that had them and dumped them, for the same complaints that are on this thread.  They look nice and handle well and I still debate it for a few minutes when I see one in a shop.  

  RUGER's?  I can not go along with them being unreliable and junk. I own over two dozen Rugers, both rifles and revolvers and have not gotten a clinker yet. My luck is not that good if they made junk I would have gotten it by now!

 Not one has ever been a problem or needed to go back to the factory for anything. I have a first year production flat top that has been shot so much there are faint finger groove marks wore into the grips and grip frame, still shoots as good as it did new and has never had any work done on it.  I will admit that many out of the box ruger M-77 are, maybe not as accurate as the majority of Remington 700's.  But they are extremley durable and rugged and well within MOA of deer/bear/moose. The only complaint I can find about a Ruger is that the last few years or so they have gotten a little sloppy with their fit and finish. I have found flaws in the finish on several new blackhawks. The grip fit  leaves a lot to be desired. Oh and I have gotten two that had rough machining marks in the chambers of the cylinders.  But they shoot fine and did not interfer in the working of the gun or chambering of a round.

  I mean really they are a working man's gun made to outlast him and for a price he can afford!  I only hope that Ruger's management in the years to come remember the values of Bill Sr and do not get into the profit margin game!   :D

Offline Skeeterbaymac

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« Reply #31 on: March 16, 2006, 09:50:02 AM »
I am with you on the mustang Old Griz.  I always wanted one also but I ran into several folks that had them and dumped them, for the same complaints that are on this thread.  They look nice and handle well and I still debate it for a few minutes when I see one in a shop.  

  RUGER's?  I can not go along with them being unreliable and junk. I own over two dozen Rugers, both rifles and revolvers and have not gotten a clinker yet. My luck is not that good if they made junk I would have gotten it by now!

 Not one has ever been a problem or needed to go back to the factory for anything. I have a first year production flat top that has been shot so much there are faint finger groove marks wore into the grips and grip frame, still shoots as good as it did new and has never had any work done on it.  I will admit that many out of the box ruger M-77 are, maybe not as accurate as the majority of Remington 700's.  But they are extremley durable and rugged and well within MOA of deer/bear/moose. The only complaint I can find about a Ruger is that the last few years or so they have gotten a little sloppy with their fit and finish. I have found flaws in the finish on several new blackhawks. The grip fit  leaves a lot to be desired. Oh and I have gotten two that had rough machining marks in the chambers of the cylinders.  But they shoot fine and did not interfer in the working of the gun or chambering of a round.

  I mean really they are a working man's gun made to outlast him and for a price he can afford!  I only hope that Ruger's management in the years to come remember the values of Bill Sr and do not get into the profit margin game!   :D

Offline Old Griz

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« Reply #32 on: March 16, 2006, 05:00:35 PM »
:cb2: I had a poor lady in the lane next to me one day, and she had a Jennings. I don't know what caliber, but she couldn't get more than three shots in a row without it jamming on her. Plus, she was all over the paper. I shudder to think how many didn't hit the paper! I talked to her and showed her what the sight picture was, and let her shoot my S&W M19 with .38s in it. She did fine and really liked the S&W. Of course, anything would have been better than that Jennings. Her son gave it to her. Guess he didn't like his mom. I explained how she (new to firearms) would be better off with a revolver than an automatic. Also, how much a good handgun would cost (new and used) and gave her a few examples of what to look for. She saw what a hemorrhoid that Jennings was. I hope it convinced her.
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Offline papajohn428

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« Reply #33 on: March 18, 2006, 05:00:51 PM »
Jennings/Bryco, in ANY caliber, never seen one that could get thru a magazine without jamming.  And past five feet, good luck hitting anything.
I'm convinced that at three feet, pointing it at a bad guy's navel, you'd miss him.

And as more proof that everyone's experiences are different, Old Griz's luck with the 40 EAA Witness is exactly the opposite of my own.  I bought the first one I ever saw, paid $350 out the door, and the only time it has ever jammed was after 700+ rounds without being cleaned.  I've loaded ammo too long, too short, tried every weird bullet profile I could find, it feeds everything I stuff into it.  In just under 33,000 rounds, it's been as reliable as the morning sun.  It does have one quirk, though.  If I load ammo too hot, with heavy bullets, the recoil will sometimes put on the safety in the middle of the string. My answer to that was too modify my grip so my thumb rests on the safety, so it can't.  Factory ammo has never tied it up, but my hot pin-loads will if I get too frisky with the powder, and overload it.  But as long as I stick with standard-pressure loads, it does fine.  A buddy of mine once looked over the too-long and too-short rounds I was feeding it, and decided if I could find a way to stuff gravel in to the magazine, it'd probably feed that too!

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Offline lovedogs

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« Reply #34 on: March 19, 2006, 09:58:24 AM »
In my experience they all leave a lot to be desired.  But then, I'm a perfectionist.  I like it to all be right.  Over the 50+ yrs. I've been shooting I've finally come to the conclusion that all guns are projects.  You buy them half finished.  Then you begin working the bugs out of them.  Some take more working than others.  The only pistols I've not had to do a thing to were an old '67 vintage H&R top break .22 and a Ruger .22 auto 5 1/2 in. match with bull bbl.  All the rest have taken considerable work to make them right.  I gave up on semi-auto's bigger than .22 caliber years ago.  To me they are all junk and unreliable.  Give me a well-tuned wheel-gun any day!  Prefer the Rugers and Dan Wessons.

Offline kyote

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« Reply #35 on: March 19, 2006, 11:45:43 AM »
the list would be longon the crapo whapo handguns.jennings along with bersa comes to mind real fast gaaaads I can not leave out highpoints..and love dog you are on the money with your thoughts on autos.but.since the times you were tinkering.autos have come a long way in trying to get top reliabilty out of the box and accuracy.I still think a new COLT 1911 needs many hours of gunsmithing and money dumped into it to make it reliable.but these handguns that are coming out for the LE.folks in semi are pretty dang good.most of them.and most autos seem to need 500 rounds through them to break them in.ie:sigs.I have 4 of them.and after 400 plus round at the range.you can see the groups tighten up.and the feel of the working parts goes from a grity feeling and tightness to somthing a lot smoother.most folks over lube a new gun before they shoot it and it does not seat well like that.a dry gun are very lightly oiled is a good way to break em in.
my huntin rifle is safe from confiscation only while my battle rifle protects it.

Offline John R.

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« Reply #36 on: March 24, 2006, 07:28:22 AM »
Hi-Point, Jennings,Bryco, Llama, Grendel,RG,Ravens, and I'm sure there are a few I left out. The old saying "You get what you pay for" is very true when purchasing guns. I would much rather have a quality used gun than a brand new POS. :grin:

Offline jeager106

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« Reply #37 on: March 26, 2006, 02:06:32 AM »
I pretty much agree with everything said about the worse handguns but will take exception to a couple.
The Raven .25 auto is a P.O.S. excuse for a .25 auto, BUT, the suckers work, and work, and work.
I don't think there is any steel in the things so rust is not an issue.
I don't want one, got rid of every one I ever came across but in 22 years of police work I never saw one fail to run in the hands of a gobblin.
Now understand the round wasn't very effective unless a brain shot happened, and it did.

I'm surprised about the negative comments on the Balckhawk.
I have owned many over the years and though my preference runs towards "N" Smiths I have 3 large caliber single action Rugers and they are simply awsome.
My 'around the property' carry is a Security Six .357 with 2 3/4" barrel, fixed sights that are dead on at 25 with 125 grain factory loads.
It's beefy, robust, reliable, accurate and effective.

Ruger centerfire autos are frugly in my opinion but it's just an opinion.
You should have seen some of the wemmin I married and you know how good my opinion is! :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

Offline S.B.

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« Reply #38 on: March 28, 2006, 04:58:23 PM »
This is easy, Taraus.
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