[firestar]

How many of you have "range reports" from watching someone at the range? We can only buy and shoot a certain number of guns so to get additional info we have to keep our eyes open at the range to check out other people's guns that we may have been thinking about getting.

My most recent vicarious range report comes from last Sunday when I was at the range next to a guy that had a Walther P-22. I didn't talk to him, I just watched him shoot his gun for a while so my info is very limited.

He had a jam about every 1-3 shots! That thing was a jam-o-matic! I don't think I will be buying one of those anytime soon. It looked new and I don't know what type of ammo he was using but several months ago I saw a different guy at the same range that was having problems with his Walther P-22 also. I can read the writing on the wall enough to not waste my money on one of those.

[Snowdog]

It's difficults to get an accurate understanding of a firearm if you don't have all the facts. Was this a firearm that was maintained and kept clean? Was it going through a break-in period? Was it worn out or damaged through use or neglect? Was decent/proper ammunition used? Had the firearm ever been used as a hammer, prybar, etc ?

For example, one of my initial assessments of the Charles Daly 1911 was a poor one due to once witnessing multiple failures-to-feed experienced by a shooter in a lane next to me. In retrospect, maybe I never really gave this particular company a fair shake, as I also remember the fellow banging the rear of the slide on the table, trying to get a round to feed. He also used the base of his magazine to hammer out the slide release during a field stripping session, damaging the finish, I'm sure, as he was really going to town on it. An individual such as this might also not care much to clean and maintain his firearms in the first place.

[Nick96]

firestar,

I too have made such observations at the range. Please, no flames - but the most consistantly unreliable handguns I've seen are Colt 1911 designs. Not only that, but the two examples I've personally used did not function reliably. This certainly flys in the face of popular opinion. No doubt these can be reliable arms with proper work, ammo and care. But to me, a handgun is first and foremost a tool. And if it doesn't work reliabily out of the box, or with whatever ammo is designed to be used in it - I have little interest in it.

[WonderNine]

He had a jam about every 1-3 shots! That thing was a jam-o-matic! I don't think I will be buying one of those anytime soon.

He probably had some weak/crappy .22lr ammo. There's alot of old/underpowered .22 long rifle ammo out there.

When I shoot .22 longs (not lr's) through my Marlin 60 I have to cycle it everytime. But it wasn't designed to work with longs, only true .lr's have the power to cycle the action.

[firestar]

My main point is that if you keep your eyes open at the range, you can find some info that will help you find a good gun or avoid a bad gun.

The two times I have seen people with Walther P22s, they had problems, that is all the info I need to stay away from that gun for a while. It may be a great gun but with all the .22s out there, I don't feel the need to buy something that hasn't earned its reputation yet.

Also, most of the AK-47 type rifles I have seen at the range have jammed. This goes against the common "knowledge" about them being ultra reliable. I should have learned from these occurances but I believed the hype and bought an SAR-1, it has jammed on several occasions just like the ones at the range.

Reading up on things is good but seeing stuff with your own eyes or better yet, experiencing things yourself has its place in your understanding of guns also. There are some things that I believe because the only info has come from reports I have read and there are some things I "know" because I have seen them.

I know stock G.I. issue 1911s are innaccurate compared to a good modern auto like a Beretta 92 or even a Glock. I know this becasue I have shot several and seen MANY more of them shot and they just don't cut the mustard.