Guns you love, but thought you’d hate
- Thread starter vanfunk
- Start date
doubleh
Member
I have never purchased a gun I expected to hate. Seems kind of pointless to do that. I will admit that I grew to hate a few guns that I originally thought would be just dandy.
CapnMac
Member
Two stand out for me.
The S&W knock-off of the Swedish-K. Stock was awful; it was clunky; but, mine, at least, ran reliably. Almost boring, actually.
The other was the M3A3. There's near nothing pretty nor nice about the M3 family. Ergonomics? Yeah, not a thing in 1943. But, with decent mags (a different struggle of its own) a fun not-quite Carbine in 45acp (and likely the perfect 45acp barrel length).
Ross Mk III was far nicer than all the fuddlore claimed otherwise--this was a pleasant surprise. Now, I did not try to use it in the mud of Flanders--so, maybe not fair.
Astra 400 changed my opinion (defeating more fuddlore) on Spanish pistols.
But, my biases are my own; others differ.
The S&W knock-off of the Swedish-K. Stock was awful; it was clunky; but, mine, at least, ran reliably. Almost boring, actually.
The other was the M3A3. There's near nothing pretty nor nice about the M3 family. Ergonomics? Yeah, not a thing in 1943. But, with decent mags (a different struggle of its own) a fun not-quite Carbine in 45acp (and likely the perfect 45acp barrel length).
Ross Mk III was far nicer than all the fuddlore claimed otherwise--this was a pleasant surprise. Now, I did not try to use it in the mud of Flanders--so, maybe not fair.
Astra 400 changed my opinion (defeating more fuddlore) on Spanish pistols.
But, my biases are my own; others differ.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Spl. Didn't think I'd hate it, but bought it sort of on a whim. Really like it.
For me it was a semi automatic shotgun, never liked them. I was a pump guy. Then one day a friend asked me to help him sight in a Benelli M3 with an el chepo reflex sight. Well what can I say, the sight fell apart, literally but I fell in love with the M3. So now I own a Benelli M3 tactical and it's sooooo much fun!
Riomouse911
Member
I can say that I have bought several guns over the years I thought I would like, but found out after shooting them that I didn’t. Those get to be expensive, disappointing mistakes sometimes.
But, I can’t say that I have ever bought a gun that I thought I wouldn’t like. I guess if I thought I might not like it, I spent that money on something I thought I would like.
Stay safe.
But, I can’t say that I have ever bought a gun that I thought I wouldn’t like. I guess if I thought I might not like it, I spent that money on something I thought I would like.
Stay safe.
Old Dog
Member
I guess for me, the opposite is true. There's plenty of guns I bought that I thought I'd love... but ending up hating.
I actually liked the M3A1 and found it easy to shoot. It definitely wasn't ergonomic and it was heavy for what it was but it always worked and was quite accurate with short bursts when using the shoulder stock. A lot of us got upset when the Army made us turn our M3A1s and 1911s in for the M9 and promise of getting the M4.
I definitely preferred the Swedish K over the S&W Model 76. I shot both while in the Army. That was one of the advantages of working with certain units that had all the good stuff in their arms rooms.
As far as Glocks go, I never liked them until I picked up a Gen 5 Glock. Finger grooves just don't fit my hands.
I have very little into the Romanian M69 since a guy brought it in to pawn and never came back for it. The Romanian M69 is truly a diamond in the rough. I also got in a Marlin Model 70 with a 25 round ProMag magazine. I figured the mag was junk but that really surprised me in that it functions flawlessly.
I definitely preferred the Swedish K over the S&W Model 76. I shot both while in the Army. That was one of the advantages of working with certain units that had all the good stuff in their arms rooms.
As far as Glocks go, I never liked them until I picked up a Gen 5 Glock. Finger grooves just don't fit my hands.
I have very little into the Romanian M69 since a guy brought it in to pawn and never came back for it. The Romanian M69 is truly a diamond in the rough. I also got in a Marlin Model 70 with a 25 round ProMag magazine. I figured the mag was junk but that really surprised me in that it functions flawlessly.
Dragonfly
Member
Mine’s sort of the opposite. This is going back to 1990 when my Dad and I were competing in our handgun club matches and I’d just upgraded my CZ75 to a S&W 5906 while my Dad had replaced his CZ with a Glock 17—which was unheard of back then around these parts. I was getting middling scores with my S&W when my Dad suggested I try his Glock. Yuck! It felt awful in my hand, and the trigger pull compared to the 5906 was a joke. But, I tried a few rounds through it (and hated how it recoiled) but was astonished at how well it shot for me. The 5906 was soon sold and I haven’t been Glockless since ( my current Glocks are a G31C in .357 SIG and a G37 in .45GAP…I’m a sucker for oddball calibres). As for how Glocks feel in my hand now? When I pick one of mine up now, after firing tens of thousands of rounds through multiple models, it feels like an extension of myself…there’s no handgun I’d rely on more than a Glock.
MrChicken
Member
NAA Mini 22lr/22magnum. I used to just laugh at the thought of somebody buying one, let alone carrying it.
The stiff trigger and tiny size make it a challenge to shoot and the long and tedious reload force you to slow down. The cylinder also gets too hot handle unless you slow down.
First reaction is that it is an unshootable POS but then you really focus on fundamentals and you start ringing steel at 10 yards. Now it's fun to shoot!
Speer and Hornady make a self defense round that expands and penetrates enough for 22mag to make it into a self defense round out of a mini, even if it's only as a last ditch effort.
The stiff trigger and tiny size make it a challenge to shoot and the long and tedious reload force you to slow down. The cylinder also gets too hot handle unless you slow down.
First reaction is that it is an unshootable POS but then you really focus on fundamentals and you start ringing steel at 10 yards. Now it's fun to shoot!
Speer and Hornady make a self defense round that expands and penetrates enough for 22mag to make it into a self defense round out of a mini, even if it's only as a last ditch effort.
tark
Member
I always KNEW that ARs were crap. Junk. A plastic and aluminum toy. I was glad that I was never issued one while in the Army.
Then, in 1985, I actually got to shoot one for the first time. It was a Colt H-BAR. It was slick and smooth. The fire controls were perfectly placed. It shot dime sized groups at a hundred yards.
Instant love...
Then, in 1985, I actually got to shoot one for the first time. It was a Colt H-BAR. It was slick and smooth. The fire controls were perfectly placed. It shot dime sized groups at a hundred yards.
Instant love...
9x56MS
Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2021
- Messages
- 887
I have heard tell of some size groups but have never fired an AR that could come close at a hundred yards. They are built more for minute of man.
Mark_Mark
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2021
- Messages
- 18,000
Tangfolio 10mm all steel. ate everything i feed it and very accurate!
Remington 870 Express, $170 Walmart black friday special. Trap field, hit 23-24 constantly and that’s from very low ready
HK VP70Z High cap mag, very slim and carryable, and eats EVERYTHING 9mm amm made on earth. Very cool sounds when shooting and super fast cycle rate
Remington 870 Express, $170 Walmart black friday special. Trap field, hit 23-24 constantly and that’s from very low ready
HK VP70Z High cap mag, very slim and carryable, and eats EVERYTHING 9mm amm made on earth. Very cool sounds when shooting and super fast cycle rate
bassjam
Member
I'm another AR15 vote. The gun just didn't sing to me, I always wanted at Mini14 instead but I waited until they were expensive. One of my buddy's brothers was in Force Recon and complained how the guns jammed with a "spec of dust" as he said. But I decided it was my civic duty to own one, and prices got low enough that I justified picking up a M&P Sport.
And I still didn't like it. Odd foward heavy balance, that obnoxious "SPROINGGGGGG" with every shot, and the short sight radious just didnt' make it a gun I took out of the safe that often. But sometime around 2018 I decided to try building an AR15, proably out of boredom. And I've found I really like the platform when I can pick and choose what I want on it. My favorite is an A4-ish build and literally everyone I've let shoot that gun absolutely loves it. I say "ish" because it has a semi-pencil barrel which makes it so light and handy. Second favorite is a .22lr with a target barrel and rifle length stock. I've had guys ask me why the heck I'm on the rifle range and not the 100yard rimfire range, until I start ringing the steel plates at 200 yards, and am hitting smaller plates than they are with their bolt action center fire guns.
And I still didn't like it. Odd foward heavy balance, that obnoxious "SPROINGGGGGG" with every shot, and the short sight radious just didnt' make it a gun I took out of the safe that often. But sometime around 2018 I decided to try building an AR15, proably out of boredom. And I've found I really like the platform when I can pick and choose what I want on it. My favorite is an A4-ish build and literally everyone I've let shoot that gun absolutely loves it. I say "ish" because it has a semi-pencil barrel which makes it so light and handy. Second favorite is a .22lr with a target barrel and rifle length stock. I've had guys ask me why the heck I'm on the rifle range and not the 100yard rimfire range, until I start ringing the steel plates at 200 yards, and am hitting smaller plates than they are with their bolt action center fire guns.
lysanderxiii
Member
I never met a gun I didn't like.
There are some that wouldn't be my first choice for personal protection, but that doesn't mean I dislike them . . .
There are some that wouldn't be my first choice for personal protection, but that doesn't mean I dislike them . . .
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
For years I wouldn’t touch a Glock. I believed every BS article and rumor that was negative about them. When it came to semiauto pistols I was a diehard 1911 guy through and through.
Then in 2005 I was invited to shoot an IDPA match. My new friend loaned me a Glock 17. I used it because I promised him I would keep an open mind about Glocks.
I have owned Glocks ever since. I like them very much.
Then in 2005 I was invited to shoot an IDPA match. My new friend loaned me a Glock 17. I used it because I promised him I would keep an open mind about Glocks.
I have owned Glocks ever since. I like them very much.
Charlie98
Member
My first toe-dip into poly pistols... was a used Kahr CW9. I was looking for a replacement for my then-current carry piece, a Colt Gov't .380, and thought I should give the ever popular poly pistols a look. I was at my FFL, and he had a used CW9 for sale, relatively cheap... so I said this would be a good chance to test drive a poly pistol, before I decided I didn't like them. That was really my intention... to buy it, run a few mags through it, decide I didn't like poly pistols... or even striker-fired pistols, dump the junker at the next gun show, and move on with my life. Wrong.
What I found was a very compact pistol that was comfortable to shoot, had ergos similar to the 1911, was accurate and reliable, at a cost that wouldn't have me crying if it was lost in a shoot The CW9 filled the inside straight I was hoping for...
After proving itself at the indoor range, I took a case of ammo with me to the NV desert to put the pistol through it's paces... that was over 10 years ago, and our honeymoon continues. Since then, I have bought about 8 CW9's... some were sub-par and were moved on down the line, some were given as gifts, and I still have 3 in carry rotation. I've had one stolen out of my truck, which validated my thoughts on losing a pistol for some reason... although I did get the pistol back, it took 7 years while Dallas County prosecuted the crime. I've dabbled with other Kahr variations, including a CM9, a PM9, a P45, and a CW45, but the very sweet spot in the Kahr lineup is the CW9 (and similar sized pistols.) A K9 is on my To Do List, if I can ever find one that isn't a zillion dollars.
From an impulse buy for nefarious reasons... to a pistol I live with every day...
What I found was a very compact pistol that was comfortable to shoot, had ergos similar to the 1911, was accurate and reliable, at a cost that wouldn't have me crying if it was lost in a shoot The CW9 filled the inside straight I was hoping for...
After proving itself at the indoor range, I took a case of ammo with me to the NV desert to put the pistol through it's paces... that was over 10 years ago, and our honeymoon continues. Since then, I have bought about 8 CW9's... some were sub-par and were moved on down the line, some were given as gifts, and I still have 3 in carry rotation. I've had one stolen out of my truck, which validated my thoughts on losing a pistol for some reason... although I did get the pistol back, it took 7 years while Dallas County prosecuted the crime. I've dabbled with other Kahr variations, including a CM9, a PM9, a P45, and a CW45, but the very sweet spot in the Kahr lineup is the CW9 (and similar sized pistols.) A K9 is on my To Do List, if I can ever find one that isn't a zillion dollars.
From an impulse buy for nefarious reasons... to a pistol I live with every day...
Mark_Mark
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2021
- Messages
- 18,000
S&W .460 magnum with full house loads!
thought it was going to jump out my hand and go into warp space. 1st shot! gripped it so hard thought I was going to run out of blood flow.
Then! BOOM !!! WOOWEEE! Let’s do it again. That comp really tames the beast. All BARK NO BIT
thought it was going to jump out my hand and go into warp space. 1st shot! gripped it so hard thought I was going to run out of blood flow.
Then! BOOM !!! WOOWEEE! Let’s do it again. That comp really tames the beast. All BARK NO BIT
armoredman
Member
Another one, but not me - my son. When my ex and I divorced, she left everything behind I ever gave her, including her CZ 2075 RAMI, the first one that ever came across the Mississippi River back in the day. Now my boy likes plastic fantastic, carried a CZ P-10S, (can't complain, I carry a P-10C!), and the alloy framed, DA/SA nature of the RAMI left him feeling pretty off about the whole thing...until he fired it.
Did I mention Day Boy doesn't shoot handguns closer than 25 yards, calls that "cheating"?
That 3/4 IDPA steel target is at 100 yards.
He hit 6 out of ten times, with a pistol he had never shot before. Friday, we went out to the local range for some pistol work, (draw from concealment practice, that type of thing), and I proceeded to make a B-27 look like a shotgun hit it at 10 yards...and that little snot put the steel out to 50 yards. With the RAMI. And hit is every single time. Two wanna be LARPS at the other end of the range came over, convinced that it MUST be much easier than it looked and asked to shoot a couple rounds...I gave them three chances each, and only one guy hit it. Da Boy was shrugging his shoulders - he does NOT understand why everyone can't do it. On the other hand, he now loves that RAMI, though he won't carry it!
Did I mention Day Boy doesn't shoot handguns closer than 25 yards, calls that "cheating"?
That 3/4 IDPA steel target is at 100 yards.
He hit 6 out of ten times, with a pistol he had never shot before. Friday, we went out to the local range for some pistol work, (draw from concealment practice, that type of thing), and I proceeded to make a B-27 look like a shotgun hit it at 10 yards...and that little snot put the steel out to 50 yards. With the RAMI. And hit is every single time. Two wanna be LARPS at the other end of the range came over, convinced that it MUST be much easier than it looked and asked to shoot a couple rounds...I gave them three chances each, and only one guy hit it. Da Boy was shrugging his shoulders - he does NOT understand why everyone can't do it. On the other hand, he now loves that RAMI, though he won't carry it!
WestKentucky
Member
While it normally goes the other way, I can name a few that have been pleasant surprises.
I generally don’t like the super popular stuff. Glock in particular sets me off in a few directions of being put off, but then my wife decided she wanted a purse gun and it became the brand new hottest gun on the market g42. I loved it too.
A buddy had a beat to death 10/22 and he got into money trouble. For $100 I couldn’t say no and leave him unable to pay bills. I bought it just to keep him afloat. Then I found a few used butler creek mags, a hogue overmolded stock, and a magazine release extension. About that time he got his feet back under him and bought the gun back. I have had a handful of them but they keep disappearing before I really get to fall in love with one.
Around 2006 I stopped at a pawn shop just trying to kill a few minutes while my friends took care of a couple errands across the street. They had 1 gun and the owner clearly didn’t care for the fact that somebody took it in. $50 later I owned a hi-point cf380. That gun was a serious shooter and it didn’t care what ammo it ate, it just spit bullets out like I was pointing my finger. That one went to a very good friend of mine who had just lost her husband.
Ruger standard 9 shot. The gun is a whole alphabet of abbreviations not generally accepted here, especially when you take it apart for a general cleaning for the first time or two. I distinctly remember questioning its lineage and who it was the son of, as well as accusing it of having an oedipus complex multiple times. But when the gun is right, it’s just stinkin right. Gave it to dad for Father’s Day right out of college. He had gone out of his way to help me through tough spots so when I heard a few of my uncles and cousins talking about Ruger 22s as a sort of recent family tradition I made it happen with a surprisingly affordable example I found at whittakers.
I generally don’t like the super popular stuff. Glock in particular sets me off in a few directions of being put off, but then my wife decided she wanted a purse gun and it became the brand new hottest gun on the market g42. I loved it too.
A buddy had a beat to death 10/22 and he got into money trouble. For $100 I couldn’t say no and leave him unable to pay bills. I bought it just to keep him afloat. Then I found a few used butler creek mags, a hogue overmolded stock, and a magazine release extension. About that time he got his feet back under him and bought the gun back. I have had a handful of them but they keep disappearing before I really get to fall in love with one.
Around 2006 I stopped at a pawn shop just trying to kill a few minutes while my friends took care of a couple errands across the street. They had 1 gun and the owner clearly didn’t care for the fact that somebody took it in. $50 later I owned a hi-point cf380. That gun was a serious shooter and it didn’t care what ammo it ate, it just spit bullets out like I was pointing my finger. That one went to a very good friend of mine who had just lost her husband.
Ruger standard 9 shot. The gun is a whole alphabet of abbreviations not generally accepted here, especially when you take it apart for a general cleaning for the first time or two. I distinctly remember questioning its lineage and who it was the son of, as well as accusing it of having an oedipus complex multiple times. But when the gun is right, it’s just stinkin right. Gave it to dad for Father’s Day right out of college. He had gone out of his way to help me through tough spots so when I heard a few of my uncles and cousins talking about Ruger 22s as a sort of recent family tradition I made it happen with a surprisingly affordable example I found at whittakers.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
@Charlie98, a Kahr P9 is a favorite and a regular in my carry rotation. Definitely underappreciated in the market.
Charlie98
Member
I had a P45 for a bit, besides it's functioning woes, it wasn't a bad pistol, nor is my PM9... but they don't do anything more or less than my C-series poly Kahrs. Granted, I've not had a P9... that very well may be Utopia in the hand! If I was going to drop the coin for a P9, I might as well go all the way and get a K9. I've found 2 kinds of people... those that own a K9 and think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and those that have owned a K9, sold it, and now regret it.
