High(er) end or Brand name firearm disappointments.

Status
Not open for further replies.
.38 Special said:
Oh - one more. I have a Pedersoli Gibbs long range percussion rifle. It is the "Deluxe" model with upgraded wood, extensive hand engraving, and all the bells and whistles. It is a fantastic rifle in nearly every way, with very nice wood, excellent engraving, and tremendous accuracy. The checkering, though, looks like it was done by a drunken child. Especially on the forearm there isn't a straight line to be found. (The picture looks like there is a problem with my cell phone. There isn't. The borders really do look like that!)

View attachment 977197

Because everything else about the rifle is great - and because accuracy was the primary concern with the purchase, and it has that in spades - I'm not especially upset about it. In fact, now that the pain of the cost is forgotten, the checkering is actually kind of funny to me.
Click to expand...
I bought a Heym-Ruger falling block back in 79. Superb rifle, Canjar trigger, great engraving. The checkering could have been done by my dog it was so bad. I have had 40 years of hunting pleasure from that rifle so really can't complain.
 
I'm still new at being a firearms owner , but I've been pretty satisfied with the ones I have purchased. I haven't bought anything that has had a big price tag on it , and I'm finding that I enjoy my reasonable priced guns. I've been fortunate to be able to shoot some guns that I see being sold with huge price tags because my girlfriends father owns the majority of them out there , his are nice and in very good condition , but I don't see what makes them worth the price that people ask for them.
I will say that my favorite piece this far is my Dan Wesson 15-2 (Monson) w/ 6" barrel , been impressed with my very cheap CanikTP9SF (especially the trigger), and really like my RIA Ultra Tac 1911 as well.
 
Only have had one "higher end" in my book and it didn't disappoint.

Can't really think of a gun that's disappointed be other than the Beretta APX, and even then it was a fine gun I got for a great price, it just didn't fill the role (CCW) I had wanted and ended up buying the Glock 19 anyway.
 
I've had a few disappointing firearms but I'm not sure that they qualify as "high end".

1. I had a beautiful Sako in 22-250 with a varmint weight barrel and beautiful wood. I couldn't get it to group anything less that 1-1/2 inch. I tried different scope rings, different scopes, free floated the barrel and bedded the action. Recrowned the barrel, cut the barrel off and re-threaded and re-chambered it. The bore looked great with a bore scope. I tried dozens of different bullets and different loads. I sold it at a gun show. The guy that bought it thought 1-1/2 inch groups were great! I mentioned that a few times!

2. A Ruger Blackhawk 45 convertible that on a good day would keep all 6 shots on a dinner plate at 50 ft. Both cylinders, different loads, ect! I sent it off to Ruger and it was returned with a test target. A group shot with a machine rest was about dinner plate size at 50ft! Its gone!

3. A S&W model 59. No surprises here! One malfunction per magazine. I tried different loads, different bullets, factory ammo. Its gone!

4. A Browning Hi-Power --- Maybe the only Hi-Power in existence that was not dependable. Browning was not any help. It was a beautiful pistol. Once again, different bullets, factory ammo, polished the ramp, ect. Its gone!

Probably a few more that I'm forgetting.
 
lightman said:
4. A Browning Hi-Power --- Maybe the only Hi-Power in existence that was not dependable. Browning was not any help. It was a beautiful pistol. Once again, different bullets, factory ammo,
Click to expand...

Mine has had a few issues over the years with reliability over the years, but mostly I've blamed the mags (rightly or wrongly). Mine also has pretty poor accuracy with 147 grain ammo.
 
re.: Ruger revolvers. I absolutely adore my Blackhawks, but the Redhawk I bought leaves me cold. I suppose in my case already being a Smith & Wesson owner ruined the Redhawk for me. I'll be looking to trade it in on a Super Blackhawk Hunter when they're back in production. The Ruger SAs I can't say enough good about, they're fantastic.
 
My worst was a Para LDA...absolutely the worst as far as reliability, that I’ve ever owned. It was a great idea, and maybe I just had a lemon, but for upwards of $1K, I was very disappointed. The CS was terrible too, until I got ahold of Travis Tomasie (sp?) He was there sponsored shooter, and he got me a brand new my choice, any handgun they made, in return for my lemon. I’m not really sure how that one shot, or worked...I just didn’t want another chance, so I goy the most expensive one, and traded it in NIB at the dealer that transferred it for me.
 
mlankton said:
re.: Ruger revolvers. I absolutely adore my Blackhawks, but the Redhawk I bought leaves me cold. I suppose in my case already being a Smith & Wesson owner ruined the Redhawk for me. I'll be looking to trade it in on a Super Blackhawk Hunter when they're back in production. The Ruger SAs I can't say enough good about, they're fantastic.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my GP 100 and Redhawk weren't as slick as some nice Smith's, but mine had good triggers, were reliable, and the Redhawk served me well in AK with ammo that a Smith wouldn't like all that well.

But I did replace them with Vaqueros once I moved out of bear country, still have a Blackhawk in .45 LC on my short list.
 
ms6852 said:
I've shot my cheap pre- accutrigger Savage rifle against customs costing thousands more and I won't say my rifle out shot that rifle but I know I out shot that shooter with his super dooper rifle that he may never know its true accuracy as he could not shoot.
Click to expand...

I've found the same with most of my savage rifles, my m11 in 223 is the least accurate that I've owned so far but it's still moa or close with my handloads.

I've had 2 rugers an m77 and a gp 100. The m77 was a 90's rifle when accuracy was hit or miss, mine missed, heavy gritty trigger, kind of soured me, but would likely try out the American line. My gp 100 was a nice pistol, 357 mag, 6" barrel, was pretty accurate, had no problems at all with the gun, but I liked my s&w 586 dcm 357, 6" better.
 
mlankton said:
The Ruger SAs I can't say enough good about, they're fantastic.
Click to expand...

I've owned something like 7 Ruger SA's... they ALL have had problems. I'm down to a single .45 Colt Vaquero, I've had the cylinder throats reamed, but accuracy still isn't that good... it is what it is.
 
I' ve purchased and been disappointed with two Kimber 1911 pistols - one full-size and the other an Officer's model. Neither ever functioned 100%. The Officer's model had a habit of throwing brass into your forehead - with authority! Perhaps I just got too bad examples. Nevertheless, I'm not impressed with Kimber - especially at their price point.

I owned a Norinco 1911 and should have never sold it. I also had RIA that ran like a sewing machine for at least 1k rds before I traded it.
I now have a Series 70 Colt that will be with me to the end.
 
mlankton said:
I absolutely adore my Blackhawks, but the Redhawk I bought leaves me cold. I suppose in my case already being a Smith & Wesson owner ruined the Redhawk for me.
Click to expand...
Maybe, but I'm the same way about Ruger Blackhawks/Super Blackhawks vs Ruger DA revolvers, and I've owned a bunch of each. That is, I've tried to get to like the Redhawks I've had for a while over the years, but I never really did. Heck, for that matter I don't even really like the old Security Six I have. It's okay functionally (that is it works), but I mostly just keep it around because I know decent Security Sixes are hard to come by anymore. The truth is, I traded off several Security Sixes of various barrel lengths back when Ruger was still building them. I'd buy one thinking I'd like it, and after a month or two of not liking it, trade it for one with a different length barrel.
 
tarosean said:
Just about everything named in the thread has been mass-produced on an assembly line. I dont consider that high end.
Click to expand...

Actually, almost all Colt's were hand made to a certain degree up through the 1970's. Especially all the revolvers. it was after this, and the UAW strike that quality suffered.

I believe that "High End" is sadly over rated.

For example, the S and W air weight is simply an attempt to be as good as the Colt Detective Special. And in my opinion the S and W comes mighty darn close. Smooth trigger and light for about a $100.00 cheaper. The difference here is, you can't get a Detective Special anymore. So there really isn't anything to compare the S and W to. Except maybe Charter Arms. Which makes a decent pistol about $200 cheaper than the S and W.

It seems to me that Kimber is probably considered the Ferrari of the 1911 world. Having been on the Army Shooting Team and won many a contest using the venerable 1911, I can tell you that the Kimber is over rated.

On the Shooting Team, we were allowed to take our "issue" weapons and work with military armorers to hand make our pistols. I beat a lot of Europeans with fancy "high end" pistols with my government 1911. The big difference is that I hand fit and crafted every part to my style.

While I have no doubt Kimber is a fine weapon, it isn't fine for everyone. I just don't see how any "out of the box" firearm could make that much difference.

I have some guns in my collection that I absolutely love to shoot, but when I go out, rarely take them. For some reason it is my trusty, well worn, Ruger Blackhawk in .45 ACP, and .45 LC that ends up in the truck.
 
I bought a 629 and 617 new a couple years back and expected the triggers to be like my old Smiths...not. Both went out for work and came home with good triggers. I bought a 77-22 the year they came out. It’s always been a minute of squirrel shooter and that never bothered me too much until I started shooting really accurate rifles. I’ll still keep it though, it’s a pretty good looker and will feed me if I need it to:)
 
Charlie98 said:
That's OK... my issue is with EVERY Ruger revolver I've ever owned. I really wonder how they stay in business.
Click to expand...
I am really surprised at that. I had back to back bad S&W 686’s years ago, and went back to Ruger, having owned at least 4 Security Sixes, a pair of Speed Sixes, multiple GP-100’s and an SP-101, and can honestly say they all met or exceeded my expectations. I had a couple Super Blackhawks, too. Also great.
My 22/45 seems to have a short feed ramp and chokes on CCI Mini-Mag hollow points, though.
 
The Savage 110 Hog Hunter was my disappointment. I can't believe that Savage would put sights like that on one of their guns. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Haven't seen anything that atrocious since the Nylon 66. The trigger on my new Vanguard would have to be on the list. It will come in as the second worst trigger in my safe. The first was a P40 Keltec. You pull the trigger like you are choking a chicken with both hands.

I almost forgot the Kimber Hunter that I had in 257 Roberts. Two inch groups don't cut it at my house.
 
Rocky boots. Had 2 pair and both soles split all the way across right under the ball of the foot. Rocky replace the first pair but then the second pair sp!it in the same spot. Those were the last rocky boots I ever bought.
 
9x56MS

I know that feeling all too well with Rocky boots! When I first started buying them they were a quality boot with great build quality on the outside and solid waterproofing on the inside. Then after a few years I started to notice that they didn't fit as well, like the tongue would be way off the center line of the boot and the insides felt cramped and poorly finished. Think I will check out Thorogood boots this time and see if they're built any better than Rocky boots are now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

38-45 Special
  • Locked
Favorite budget firearm manufacturer?
2 3 4
Replies
88
Views
4K
Scott S
Scott S
lsudave
  • Locked
Any reviews of these new/unknown ammo brands?
Replies
17
Views
3K
lsudave
lsudave
C
Disappointing day at the range
Replies
24
Views
1K
film495
F
M
  • Locked
Should I name the deadbeat gun dealers?
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
Black Majik
B
Trey Veston
  • Locked
  • Poll
Acceptable turn-around times on repair/replacement of firearms/accessories?
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
entropy
entropy
Back
Top