CR - recommended and not recommended semi-autos

[Hokkmike]

I thought would try this here and if it works go to other areas. Many of you have referenced Consumer Reports when buying new and used autos. Perhaps Edmunds also. They have a section on recommended used cars and cars to avoid.

I thought it might be interesting to complile what guns, specifically auto pistols, you would recommend to fellow shooters and what guns you would warn people not to buy.

Of course CR does NOT rate firearms - but we can!

If you make a contribution, when the thread loses steam, I will compile the answer and put up the results.

Here is my contribution:

Recommended - Bersa Thunder 380, Beretta 9000, Ruger P-89, Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911

Not Recommended - Beretta Tomcat, Sigma 40 S&W

Yours?

 

[chupacabrah]

I recommend S&W M&P (9mm) ---it's the only one i have, though!

 

[oweno]

Back in the 60s, 'Consumer Reports' indeed reviewed firearms from time-to-time. I recall a glowing review of that 'nylon' semi-auto .22 cal rifle ... Remington maybe?

 

[Fish828]

i'll second both the bersa thunder .380 and the springfield 1911 and throw in a s&w 910S (inexpensive yet reliable and a good shooter).

 

[Flopsy]

Making recommendations is easy, as there are loads and loads of great ones out there.

Making un-recommendations is probably fewer...in my experience, I do not recommend semi-auto shotguns in general. I have fired 2 combat/special purpose semi-auto shotguns, a Remington and an FN, and they BOTH malfunctioned and left me with a metal stick which would not go bang. I think the problem in both was similar, the shell wouldn't cycle completely and the thing wouldn't fire out of battery. Pumps, never had a problem of any kind.

You could say that if you maintain them properly they won't lock up on you, but one was maintained by an LE agency and the FN was during a product promo at my range, so they always try to make sure those are in tip top shape.

For the record, all of the other FNs fired during that promo, which I believe was every product they have (free test firing promos are great), were outstanding in every respect.

 

[bikerdoc]

Cz 75

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Based on one aspect (cycle reliability, 90% of what constitutes my criteria for a "good" gun) and with the caution that some of my experiences are old and with just one gun out of many, here goes:

Recommended: SIG P-series, Glock, CZ75, Smith & Wesson, Kahr steel-framed

Not recommended: Taurus, Para-Ordnance.

 

[bannockburn]

Hokkmike

Interesting notion, but not always feasible. The problem is that what you have here are mostly anecdotal accounts of various people's experiences with different pistols. There's no testing going on here, no measurements being taken, no guns being shot for accuracy results, no hard data concerning functionality, etc. And no long term data compilation or reliability ratings. So basically what you have here is more like a random poll where someone can say that they had a bad experience with Brand XYZ so they don't recommend it, and then the next poster comes along and writes the exact opposite because Brand XYZ has always been 100% reliable for them. Consumer Reports this isn't.

 

[Evyl Robot]

I think it's a great thread! I would like to get a pistol, but I have no idea what I want. A thread like this will tell me what people like, and what they don't, and why. This is invaluable information to me!

 

[hunterSthompson]

ok here it goes

recommended ruger p345 beretta 9000s s&w sp101 bersa thunder and any glock

now for the no-no's any Taurus only one i have ever fired and was hurt by it. it was a range gun and came apart after the 3erd shot the slde hit me in face not fun range master said it was the 2ed one hes seen do that

 

[bwavec]

I give thumbs up to the HK USP series (both fullsize and compact models and the various "upgrade" models: Elite, Match, Tactical, etc), plus the P2000 & P2000SK and the P30.

With that lineage, I think the HK45 and HK45C will be reliable, solid functioning pistols as well. I hope to be able to get my hands on one of each of them soon.

I had a Baretta 21A and had no trouble with it at all, and was lazy about my care of it and it was a deep concealment pistol for me that saw more than it's fair share of sweat, salt, lint, dust, water, body oils and general funk. And for me it never failed to function when I pulled the trigger. It was a .25 Auto rather than the .22 LR version.