Guns you used to hate, but now LOVE!

[SharpsDressedMan]

It just occured to me that I used to hate the little Colt .25, back in the days when my friend's dad would let us take his out to shoot (44 years ago). It cost too much for ammo, was hard to shoot accurately, and seemed worthless. Now I have a beaut, and it is just darn fun to try to hit things with it, sometimes outshooting my bigger guns, or outshooting my shooting buddies with it. Anyone else have a gun that they never wanted anything to do with, but now find addictive, seductive, or otherwise interesting?

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[Mot45acp]

Glocks.

I refused to like em. I dont want plastic. I want an all steel 1911. But after 6 name brand 1911's (3 of which were over $1000) that were not reliable, I was sick of donating money to companies that could not produce a reliable platform on a 100 year old design.

Enter my first sip of Kool-Aid. I tried to make my G17 jam. I dont like Glocks and am looking for a reason to get rid of it. Bad ammo, limp wristing to the point I almost dropped it. 1500 rounds with out even lubing it let alone cleaning.

Then the G17 spawns a G26 for CCW. The only way I ever got a malfunction is trying the Scherer brand 31 round mags. Well now I got two guns that feed off the same ammo and mags. I am all about consolidation and things that just "gel" together. Enter the Kel-Tec Sub2000 set up for G17 mags. But thats another thread.

Well Santa wife brings a G30 SF for Christmas. It has become my winter CCW and nightstand gun wearing a M6. Well the beauty of Glocks shine with the ability of compacts being capable of using full size mags. So I buy 8 G21 SF mags to go with it. Can you guess what I'm after next?

All in all I went from "I wont ever own a Glock" to being the epitome of a Glock fan boy.

In my opinion they are the AK-47 of the pistol world. They are ugly, souless, but dammit they go bang every time. I have had more failures out of Smith and Wesson revolvers than my Glocks. I dont own any more 1911s. Ive had my heart and my wallet broken way to many times. I am not saying one is better than the other. I am just saying what works for me.

The other thing is .380. "I wont carry anything less than 9mm." But the lil LCP is starting to worm its way into m heart. I am trying to resist but, it is so easy to just slip in a pocket and forget its there.

 

[DFW1911]

Smith & Wesson autos. The early models didn't do much for me. As they started releasing newer models and I became more familiar I really started liking them.

The 1006 really won me over (some will say this IS an early model!)

Thanks,
DFW1911

 

[blitzen]

I used to hate the M16A2. It shot fine, it ran fine, I just hated cleaning it for what seemed like hours on end only to have an armorer hand it back for more cleaning. Now, 25 years later I like the AR platform just fine. I can clean it when I want to, if I want to and to my standards.

 

[lions]

I have a similar story to Mot45acp, I used to hate glocks.
I never really had a reason, I was just drinking the hater-ade.
Then I shot one, then I bought one.
Now I'm a fanboy.

 

[Al LaVodka]

Rossi M971-Comp

Thought they were useless, the ugliest, stupidest, and must be the poorest made things in the world. A gimmick. A solution looking for a problem. And it wasn't blue -- ugh! Then it won handgun of the year. Rossi started giving lifetime warranties. I handled one. This wasn't your grandfather's Rossi. This was VERY well made -- even the old chatter marks were gone -- and what a nice trigger and sweet letoff!

I ended up looking at, handling, buying and CARRYING it for a particular duty. It has even been with me in the Lower 48 backwoods for up-to bear.

LOL

Basically a 6-shot 2.5" heavy-barreled .357 Mag. K-Frame with an integral 3/4" compensator all in stainless steel.

Al

 

[cerberus65]

I kept telling myself that I didn't want or need a 1911. I didn't want a gun with a grip safety. I didn't want to spend that much money on a gun. I didn't need a .45. Then I shot my brother's. That made me decide to rent the Nighthawk Custom that my local range has in its rental case. .45 even shot great out of a Glock. I finally gave in. Now I have several. Besides S&W revolvers, 1911s are my favorite gun.

 

[fireside44]

Basically a 6-shot 2.5" heavy-barreled .357 Mag. K-Frame with an integral 3/4" compensator all in stainless steel.

It's beautiful.

How's the trigger?

 

[more forty fives]

I hated Kimber then I got a deal on one I could not turn down.Shot it love it!
Never thought I would say that.Still hate S&W owned a bunch still hate them
I tried !

 

[eddism]

Smith & Wesson Model 63. 22LR back then didnt register as a meaninful round for trail blazing. But a brick of ammo back then cost about what lunch at mickyd's does and you could plink all day. You could carry it all day and it was ez to forget you had it on. But, up jump a rattler and with all that practice he was a fine start for a new belt.

In today's world, this gun is highly sought after. Being its durability, accuracy and light weight of a J frame. Along with the price of ammo; etal.
I nominate it for recognition. As S&W hadn't made them for around 10yrs or longer.

 

[jojo200517]

I used to never really like the AK because I thought it was a commie gun, but I sure love mine better than any AR platform I have ever shot.

But, up jump a rattler and with all that practice he was a fine start for a new belt.

Aww crap you gonna get torn a new one about shooting snakes by the PETA people, one thread got closed because of this the other day.

 

[Oro]

Any revolver.

When I was a kid, I thought the only cool gun was an auto and you had to be mildly fuddle-brained to still be using a revolver. I bought one in my mid-20's for my first ex-wife to learn to shoot with. Now I understand the versatility and practicality of them for a working gun, and own several more revolvers than I do autos now.

Plus their pretty.

 

[LiveLife]

+1 for Glocks. When I first saw them I couldn't believe why anybody would make a plastic gun. Besides, it had wrong grip angle, plastic sights and funky trigger.

10 years later, I was convinced and now G22/G27 are match guns. Who would have thought...

If you asked me in late 80's that I would replace my match 1911 with a Glock, I would have said, No ******* way.

 

[welldoya]

I'll second (or third) Glock. I read all the good things that people had to say about them. Everytime I went to a gunshow, I picked one up. I tried to like them but they felt like a brick in my hand. Just couldn't make myself buy one. Then one day a good deal on a brand new G19 fell into my lap so I bought it. I love the gun. Never had a failure of any kind, easy to take apart and clean. Just an all-around great pistol.

 

[Boba Fett]

Glock here too.

I've always respected Glock for their durability and so forth, but I just couldn't stand how they felt in my hand.

The new Glocks with replaceable backplates and rougher "checkering" really feel pretty good. I need to shoot one to be completely sold, but I think a Glock may be in my future...

 

[cottonmouth]

Fixed sight S&W revolvers. When I first got into Smiths I thought a fixed sight model was about the worst you do.

J.B.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Any .40 caliber handgun. When they came out I thought they were a perfect solution to a nonexistent problem. Upon further contemplation, I like the combination of magazine capacity and stopping power. Some say it's overrated, but I find it to be a legitimate point.

 

[TimboKhan]

Any 9mm handgun, an opinion that developed after I was shot. I have come around, and these days it is pretty much my favorite round to shoot, and I believe that with the proper bullet choice it will do just about anything I could reasonably want it to do.

Also, Glocks. Like others have said it wasn't that I hated them outright, I just didn't like them personally. Two things changed my mind: First, the whole grip angle argument is largely ridiculous. I switch grip angles all the time between my guns and can shoot them all just fine. Second, I actually spent quite a bit of time shooting one, and while I still think the trigger guard is too small for my fat finger, the fact is that I liked it.

 

[riceboy72]

I'll say revolvers. I learned how to shoot on a S&W 686 and was HORRIBLE at it. The Deputy who trained me seriously had no idea where my shots were landing the first few times I shot the revolver as I'd fire 18 shots but we'd only find 10 on paper. I was 19 at the time and while the other Cadets were excited to go shoot, I despised it.

That was then, this is now. I look back at those days and laugh, and recently came across a few of the old 686's that the County put up for sale. What was once a pain in my side I now see as a beautifully made revolver and I'm trying to track one down for purchase. I tote a 642 in the summer, and am looking for a decent woods gun and will get an SP101 before backpacking season hits. There's just something bittersweet about a revolver now that I failed to recognize before. I also see and respect the challenge and skill involved in good revolver shooting, especially with the snubs. Sure, semiautos seem to dominate the handgun world, but there's a place and always will be for revolvers.

 

[mgregg85]

I used to hate the AR-15/M16, I believed all the Vietnam era hype about it being an unreliable piece of underpowered junk. Now I've shot them and just built one for myself, I love it.

I also used to hate revolvers, thought they were outdated. I only own 4 revolvers now but I really love shooting them. I have sold my P3AT and i'm searching for a good deal on a j-frame .357 mag for carry use.

 

[oldfool]

AMT AutoMag II in 22WMR

it was awfully cute, followed me home
did not shoot like my target pistolas, so I got a tad peevish about it
finally discovered it hits real well offhand at typical DA revolver range, and is just plain a lot of fun... what's not to love about fun ??

 

[Vonderek]

Not that I ever hated them, but I hated reading about them: the 1911. I finally stopped reading gun rags because I was sick and tired of the 1911-of-the-month. Finally I succumbed and bought one, then another...
While not state of the art and prone to finickyness, I love em now.

 

[bannockburn]

I used to think the same thing about Glocks, or any handgun for that matter that deviated from all steel construction and wooden grips or stocks. Just wasn't a "real" gun in my mind. Didn't even care for Colts or S&Ws that were built out of aluminum alloy; I didn't think they would hold together over the long run, versus their all steel brethren.

Then I bought a Colt AR-15; wanted an example of our then current service rifle and had to say I was impressed by the quality of the materials used in its construction. Got me thinking that maybe there were other alternatives out there that could take the place of my old traditional favorites.

My next foray into the "less than 100% steel and wood" realm of firearms was an H&K P9S in .45ACP. At the time extremely high tech with aluminum alloy and polymer components being used. Now I was hooked; I began looking at anything new on the market, especially if it was really revolutionary in its concept, design, and construction. Handled one of the first Glock Model 17s in the area. Liked it and bought one three months later.

Still like and enjoy my old traditional favorites, like 1911s and single action revolvers, but also get the same pleasure and satisfaction from all of the new high tech guns out there as well.

 

[MCgunner]

I don't really "hate" guns of any kind. I might hate the guy pointing one at me, but not the gun. I have some I don't own for various reasons. One is the 1911. I prefer DA guns as they work like my beloved revolvers. I don't carry single actions. I had a couple of 1911s that worked with ball, but were ammo picky. Now that I have all the guns I can justify a need for, I may pick up another 1911, though, just to have one again. It was a good gun for action games like pins, if nothing else.

I actually have more fun shooting .22s or cap and ball guns. I've been shooting both for longer than I have centerfire handguns. I never seem to get tired of it. My ROA is particularly fun, and then there's my Ruger Mk 2. I have 7 Rugers.

 

[woad_yurt]

For some reason, I had a dislike for the 9MM caliber. I don't know why but I did, probably because it was so well liked by multitudes. Then I tried a Star MOD 30MI. Holy crap, did my opinion change. It's still my only 9MM but, if I had to choose one handgun for a really crazy situation, that'd be it.