What's the worst "money pit" gun?

For me, I've spent more money upgrading my m4 style ar 15 than any other gun. I probably spent half the value of the gun changing out parts for what I wanted to begin with. If I could have built one from the start, I would have.

By far, the AR-15.

It's pretty easy to spend $3,000 to make a $600 gun a $3,600 gun.
Worth about $1,000 in resale, or $600 on trade-in.

The only other gun I can think of are 1911 pistols.

And Winchester Model 12 Trap guns back in the day.

Guys would drop $1,000's of dollars in exhibition grade, custom fitted wood, checkering, ribs, choke honing, etc.

And still shoot 23 scores the next weekend!!

rc

10-22

In no particular order: 1911, Ruger Mk2/mk3, 10/22, AR15.

I wouldn't call the AR-15 a money pit even though there's probably more ways to blow money on them than any other gun on the market. If you dump $2k on parts to put on a $700 rifle and decide to sell the rifle, there's still a chance that you can sell the extra parts and restore the rifle to original without taking too big of a hit.

My way of thinking is that "money pit" is something that you pour money into and you're not likely to get any of that money back if you sell it. That's why I voted for the SKS. You can take those rifles, dump $1K into accessories/upgrades, and be lucky if you get $100 of that $1k back. A lot of people buy them just as "truck guns" and don't care how much you spent on upgrades. And the people that want to upgrade them probably don't want the upgrades that you have. And all of those upgrades probably aren't going to make it more accurate or more useful.

Money pit

My HK G3 That I purchased new in the packing material at a surplus store in TX in the mid 80's inspired a friend to purchase a clone. His is the money pit. over $2,000 since his original purchase. My HK just keeps throwing the brass 20 plus feet.

1) AR15
2) 1911
3) Ruger 10/22

Beretta pistols. They keep breeding in my safe.

The 1911, not the AR15.

Parts are parts - but with the 1911 they have to be fitted, which means they won't likely fit another 1911 straight across. You can do that with the AR15, it usually requires no change at all. If anything the AR15 is the antithesis of the 1911, it rarely if ever needs hand fitting. It truly does go together with parts from opposite ends of the country and diverse makers.

You try that with the 1911, and nothing works right. It takes skilled, knowledgeable, experienced hand fitting, because the 1911 was designed and is still built with such poor standards in blueprinting that almost NONE of the critical parts work right the first time.

Think, pre 64 Winchester. Yeah, the one that nearly drove them into bankruptcy.

For every part you buy for a 1911 you also have serious expense in labor to install it. Not the AR15, and that is where most are wrong about it. Nobody has to spend $150 with gunsmith to install a new trigger in an AR. If you can do that and get exactly the pull you wanted with the 1911 then your burnt offerings on the altar of your local gun range just may have been acceptable.

I suspect you could assemble half a dozen working AR's in the time it takes to just check what is needed to be done to get a pile of 1911 parts working. And every operation on the 1911 requires finessing the fit in measurements of thousandths.

I won't even begin to compare the finishing of an 80% lower. That's another exponential step up in costs. And the cost of acquisition of those parts is another hurdle - barrels seem to be running slightly lower on the low end, otherwise, head to head, and it would be really nice to buy a forged aluminum 1911 lower for $50, wouldn't it?

Think about that. 1911 frames aren't that much harder to forge and machine in quantity. I don't see AR frames being machined in halves and brazed together. I also don't see a lot of AR's being imported from Turkey or the Phillipines with Colt markings, yet we get 1911's rollmarked in factories for major name Brands who tout superlative excellence.

Nope, AR's aren't huge money pits, it's the 1911 and how the industry has jacked up buyer standards to the point that only a tightly fitted competition grade pistol that can't operate consistently in third world conditions is appreciated. 1911's are the Escalade of 4WD today, they share the main feature and size, but the majority of the expensive ones can't really do the job nor would anyone even attempt it. Yet their fans are incapable of admitting it. AR's aren't the money pit when 1911's at twice the price sell because the public lines up to buy the sizzle, not the steak.

Can you buy an AR manufactured from meteorite? You can a 1911. A dual action AR side by side? You can a 1911.

The 1911 was a huge money pit long before the AR and continues to lead the pack. Some of the first mods to AR's were adding 1911 grips. At least that didn't take a gunsmith to do it.

My first gun. Before that, I didn't spend any money on guns.

I would say in common usage plain jane 1911 and AR15 "project guns". 1911's are probably worse because many a hobbyist realize after dumping $ on parts that in order for them to work right they have to use a legit gunsmith or else dump a lot more $ on specialized tools and obtain new knowledge. This results in many poorly assembled and/or butchered 1911s. Outside of common usage, I would say modifications on shotguns for 3 gun comp.

I'd have to say a tie between the AR platform and the 10/22. both are ridiculously easy to get so upside down in them you'd swear you got married.

I voted for the 10/22, but its easy to put more into a Mosin 91-30 (trigger work or drop in, stock, scope mount/scope, bent bolt etc) than was originally paid for it and after sinking money into it you still only have a mosin. (I like mosins but still its a sows ear into a silk purse situation)

Thanks for including the T/C Contender on the list, WestKentucky. Not many here on THR own one I suspect.

Mosins and mausers. They gang-up and wreak havoc upon ones wallet as they reproduce.

Matt

The leggo of firearms has to be the AR15. I have a box of take off parts that are a nickel on the dollar to resell. Then again the rimfires are pretty expensive if you like to shoot them. $$$

As brass expenses go; the AK's fling it far and yonder making reloading them pretty expensive.

Contenders are high on the list but only as much as your level of self control. I'm still looking for a 17 Fireball barrel. grrrr

where where where???

The M1A, especially if one let's themselves be obsessed with Original USGI bits and pieces and spares (oh my!) and Genuwhine Forged receivers.
ultra high snob value though

Most of my guns are stock, but I have mounted a red dot on my AR. It seems people dump a lot of money into long range center fire rifles.

Skribs said:

My first gun. Before that, I didn't spend any money on guns.

Click to expand...

Ditto. The dollar amount spent since prior to my first acquisition has increased by ∞%.

Anything that has the words "one thousand yards" attached to it.

I voted AR15 since someone else convinced me would be possible to buy a lower and build a complete rifle for less than it would cost to purchase one already assembled.

I'm still searching for a way to do that

Not that I'm complaining, since I expect assembling my own will be an interesting project (link to the sticky).

How could it not be an AR?

Upgrades and alterations are so readily available and easy to integrate.

One seems to believe one needs dozens of magazines and cases of ammo.

It has it's own fashion trends which change yearly or as news clips and magazine covers of "Contractor Chic" evolve.

Hell's bells, for fun I even had a cup holder and boat compass on one!

THen, there's the collateral fiscal damage of feeling you have to dress-up to your AR and even the effects upon vehicle accessories or decorations.

Now way anything else can compete. Hands down it's the AR for money pit.


Todd.