Guns you weren’t ready for

[FunYet]

Here’s a potentially interesting topic for discussion.

A few years ago (as a beginning shooter) I bought several guns that were a good idea at the time but quickly turned into “what was I thinking†guns that I traded, sold or exiled to the back of a locker. After some time, practice, and some lessons, I gave some of these guns another try and no longer remember why they gave me problems. In my case these were guns I was not ready for as a novice (I realize everyone’s skills progress at a different rate).

A few examples:

S&W 442/642 – The 2nd gun I bought when I started shooting. I could not get the hang of the small size or the double-action only. I sold it.
After a year and a half of shooting I bought another 642 and it’s now one of my favorites.

NAA mini revolver – I could not hit anything with it. Sold it.
2 years later I got the bug for a mini again, bought one and am now a pretty good shot with it.

My list could go on, but you get the idea.

Anyone else?

 

[P95Carry]

Have to confess ...... never done that! I have been ''ready'' for each and every one!

Some tho do get more use than others ... I'll admit to that.

 

[Valkman]

I bought a S&W 640, and tried to shoot from about 10 yards away and had a hard time hitting anything. I'm used to 1911 style guns and have a M66 that's very accurate but the snubbie was giving me fits! Finally I moved in to 3yds, shot a great group, then back to 5yds then to 7 and 10yds. I had to make it easy on myself to learn to shoot it until I got the hang of it. Other than that, no problems!

 

[priv8ter]

Not me...

Well, it's wasn't too big for me, but the first pistol I owned was an H&K USPf, and it was deffinetaly too big to start my wife out on. I'm not sure the caliber was a bad call, but my wife has big hands, and, a double-stack pistol of any caliber is too much for her to handle comfortably. She almost couldn't reach the trigger on this gun.

greg

 

[stans]

So far, the only gun I have bought and wasn't really ready for was an Auto Ordnance 1911. This was only my third centerfire handgun, bought it in 1988. It had many reliability and accuracy issues that I was not ready to handle.

 

[toolmaker]

TEC-22. What was I thinking? Bought from a co-worker whose wife told him to "get that machinegun out of MY house!!. Sold it for same money at a show.

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

Glock 21C. I had a BHP and a 1911. What was I thinking?

Back of the safe for you Mr. Tupperware.

3 years later: A little practice, and carrying around a 1911 for a while, and Mr. Tupperware made a comeback. I now carry it daily.

I ventured into tiny DAO autochucker land with a PT-111. Oh, the humanity. I still don't know what I was thinking with that foray

Other than that, all the others have been a pleasure.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I was not ready for the chinese 9mm broomhandle mauser. First time at the range it went full auto with a 20 rnd magazine because the lower was for a 45acp and the upper was for a 9mm. It kind of just squirts them out when it is full auto like that!

Needless to say back to the dealer!

 

[sm]

Tokarev Sportarms 213
$109 9mm single stack...pocket full of money and why not? Firing pin broke upon first rd fired.
Dealer gave me a new pistol ..."interesting" little bugger, ran like a top...just never warmed up to it... someone needed a bass boat gun...I sold it.

 

[AirPower]

My first gun was a Ruger P90. What a big brick it was but I sure didn't realize it at the time I bought it. I thought I'd grow to like it but the more I handled it, the less I liked it. So I sold it for the same price a year later without firing one round out of it. I've since grown to appreciate more refined handguns such as 1911. I don't regret it one bit.

 

[Dr.Rob]

My .44 mag vaquero seemed like a lot of pistol when I first got it, but I warmed up to it.

 

[Wakal]

STI full-house Open gun. Darn thing forced me to move up two classes in four months.




Alex

 

[MrMurphy]

Never had that problem.

 

[antediluvianist]

fat grip double-stack .45s

I wasn't ready for my first gun, a hi-cap .45. Should have started with a single-stack. Gave the hi-cap away. Went to slimmer-grip handguns.

Might go back to a fat grip hi-cap .45 in my old age, when I'm paranoid and feel the need for 14 rounds of .45 acp.

 

[UberPhLuBB]

The first gun I bought myself was a Walther P99 in .40 cal. The .40's power combined with a polymer frame were more than I SHOULD have started with. It wasn't anything astonishing that I wasn't capable of dealing with, but because of the recoil I started with, the aim was pretty terrible. I've got a host of guns now and I'm fine with all of them, including the P99, but looking back I think I should have purchased a .22 or 9mm to start with. Oh well.

 

[Mulliga]

Shouldn't have gotten my .30-06 so soon - ammo is so expensive compared to 7.62x39.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I decided to buy a Ruger 10/22 (semi-auto) as my first rifle. In hindsight, I should have gone with a bolt .22LR. I'm having to unlearn many of the bad habits I formed (though ones that I was aware of, and swore I wouldn't make).

 

[Snaps]

My DE .50AE.

I really couldn't afford it when I bought it. I had wanted one in a shiny silver finish since I was about 8. I walked into a gunshop with my credit card in my pocket (big mistake, I almost never do that) and saw one there. Well, 20min later I walked out with the gun and a big number on my CC..


Now I want one of those Smith 500s but I really can't afford that either so I'll keep my cards home when I go looking.

 

[one45auto]

My 6" Ruger GP100 with adjustable sights. It was my first six-inch Magnum and I'd followed the advice of numerous gun writers who lauded that configuration as the one to buy. Even though I'd handled it at the shop and felt that it was too big, I nevertheless took it home anyway ~ thinking that perhaps I'd "grow into it." Big mistake. The gun never suited me and I won't embarrass myself by describing the range results. Suffice it to say that I'm at my best with shorter barrels and fixed sights, so the big Ruger was (to borrow a phrase) too much of a good thing. Nice gun, very sturdy and dependable, but more than my small hands could comfortably manage and so it's been nothing more than a safe king for the past ten years. As a matter of fact the last time it was even out of the case was back in 98' when I showed it to a friend. I'm hoping to trade it one of these days for something that I'll actually shoot. Trouble is, no one else seems to want it either.

 

[pahrumpcaveman]

I got into a big bore handgun kick awhile back and bought a 454 casull . The bigger and faster the better right ? hahah . I was not ready for that , and am still trying to build up my tolerance for that thing with the full house loads . A short session with that and I'm ruined for a few days .

 

[blue86buick]

Didn't realize it until I read it, but WhiteKnight's comment is true for me too. My first gun purchase was a Remington 597, and though I blasted through many bricks of .22 with that, I never got "good" at shooting...I just blasted away. Course, had lots of fun though.

The one I was thinking of was a Bersa .380ACP. Everyone seems to think they're neat little pistols (so do I), and shoot like a laser, but I couldn't hit the inside of a barn with mine. And the cost of .380 bothered me too...so I traded it (plus the 597 and some $$) for a .45.