Have you ever had a rifle you didn't like?

[Nuclear]

Two. The first was a Century L1A1 with the thumbhole stock (actually not bad), no threading/muzzle device thanks to to the AWB and crappy black painted finish. The trigger was ok, but it kicked like a mule, no matter what gas setting I used. Sold it. Second was a Norinco SKS. It had a horrible trigger, shot groups like a shotgun, and the sear was unsafe. Sold that one too, after full disclosure.

 

[.308 Norma]

Are you guys talking about the same model?

Well no, I'm not sure we were talking about the same model. I was talking about the old Ruger Ranch, and that is why I described it as a "M1 Carbine lookalike" - a lot like the Mini-30 7.62X39 I said I had and "hated" (because it shot pie plate sized groups at 100) in my first post in this thread.
However, I don't want one of those Ruger "Ranch" rifles that you describe as "a version of Ruger American Rifle" either. I think they're ugly.

 

[Riomouse911]

About the only rifle that I bought new that I didn’t like was a Browning A-bolt Medallion in .338 Win. I bought it, had it scoped with a Leupold and added two boxes of 200 gr Win PP and two of the 225 gr when I walked out the door.

It was beautiful to look at and sweet to hold.

Shooting it more than one shot per session was like going three rounds with Iron Mike Tyson in his prime.

I sold it years ago to pay the rent when I was between jobs. I believe there were 10 of the 200 gr and at least 25-30 of the 225 gr cartridges I threw in for free.

The other gun I didn’t care for was a used-sporterized Enfield 1917 that had a crappy drill and tap job done on the scope mounting holes and a huge walnut stock that had to have weighed eight pounds by itself. This gun weighed a metric ton... and if I remember right I never even fired it before selling it off.

Stay safe.

 

[Elkins45]

Well no, I'm not sure we were talking about the same model. I was talking about the old Ruger Ranch, and that is why I described it as a "M1 Carbine lookalike" - a lot like the Mini-30 7.62X39 I said I had and "hated" (because it shot pie plate sized groups at 100) in my first post in this thread.
However, I don't want one of those Ruger "Ranch" rifles that you describe as "a version of Ruger American Rifle" either because I think they're ugly.

Mine ejected so violently that in order to shoot it I had to go the far right bench to sight it in. Anyone to the right could easily have been blinded by a flying case, and they usually landed 30 feet away. On a good day it would keep about half of the shots on a sheet of paper at 100 yards. It was the most inaccurate rifle I have ever encountered.

 

[fireside44]

Any commie rifle. Around 30 years ago I bought several AK's and SKS's for kids deer hunting and just to have. Accuracy was horrible with all of them plus they were bulky and too front heavy for kids. Anyone who thinks 8 inches at 100 yards from a bench is acceptable has never been in a gunfight. That is downright stupid, I have been in gunfights. I did have a Saiga that was way better than any of the rest.

"Any commie rifle"....except my saiga. So, not any commie rifle. I have a saiga. Accuracy vs any other decent AK is not really noteworthy, probably can be attributed to them being new in box rather than worn surplus parts kit builds cough, century arms. Anyone who expects to have 2moa accuracy from a run of the mill AK will be disappointed. I suggested under 8 moa was acceptable accuracy from a basic AK because, well, it is. I didn't mean benched, just offhand. I'm pretty sure @saiga308 is the only one around here benching an AK on a regular basis. As for gunfights and an 8 moa rifle, you brought up gunfights. I was simply mentioning my baseline for accurate enough AK, so I'll stand behind what I said. It's not a stoner system.

I bought one for my ten year old. It was front heavy. Time to give the painted on arms a workout. The trigger slaps my finger, sniffle. The sights don't coddle my peepers like a warm bubble bath. The AK isn't a rifle for millennials I guess, lol.

 

[Sniper66]

Yep....Bought a Browning BL-22 brand new. Used it once and hated the way the guts of the trigger mechanism drop every time you drop the lever. Sold it immediately at a loss just to be done with it. The new owner loves it....go figure.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Yep....Bought a Browning BL-22 brand new. Used it once and hated the way the guts of the trigger mechanism drop every time you drop the lever. Sold it immediately at a loss just to be done with it. The new owner loves it....go figure.

I have always found lever guns that over-expose themselves in cocking to be exceptionally disconcerting. Can not abide one.

Todd.

 

[Dibbs]

Is the list supposed to be in chronological or alphabetical order ?

The Noreen. Originally selling for 1700$, it sat through Mose's mumps, and eventually dropped to 1200$, so I "saved" 500$, or so I thought. Finicky with ammo, the designer threw the muzzle brake on, AFTER the gas system was adjusted, and tightened it down, with the AMAZING JAWS FROM HELL ! After a movement from Congress, in order to remove that useless muzzle break, suddenly the gas system started functioning perfectly.
Finicky about ammo, loose gas block, clunky, sticky action, mag springs I wouldn't wish on Hitler. It's a safe queen I stuck a scope on, which I like equally well, and
every year or so, I revive the "BN-36 Project", to see if I can possibly get it to cycle two mags, dependably, THIS year. Should have just bought a nice Garand.

The next to very last 580 numbered mini-14 with a pencil barrel. They also staked the sight poorly, with this fun little Patience Test. Doesn't Ruger test these
rifles, in order to ascertain if they can actually HIT anything? ANOTHER fun little annual " project" safe queen, which has yet to produce a viable group, at 50 yards.

The 6.5mm Carcano, now, admittedly, mine was a bit used and abused, when I got it, but obviously none of the designers of this rifle had ever been involved with the military concept of trench warfare. What MORON designs a carbine with a gaping hole, in the bottom of the receiver, for mud to get into, and who's the
idiot, in the Italian Army, who decided this glory hole was a good idea, for a 20th century Battle Rifle? Between this little inherent deformity, and the balky, dick-nosed, slow loading ammo, it's no surprise the Italians aren't considered particularly adept at combat.

 

[Poper]

the biggest POS that I have owned. A 6.5 Carcano that wouldn't keep 3 shots on a Sunday newspaper at 50 yards. It didn't stay long.

I had one, too. Even handloading for it was a lost cause. It would keyhole at 50 yards and a 7 inch group at 50 was a good load. I have a hard time believing the gain twist in those rifles did anything good for them. I was tickled pink when it sold on GB for $20 more than I paid for it.


And they say Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy with one... Yeah, sure.....

 

[H&Hhunter]

The most consistently finicky rifles I’ve ever owned were any and all Weatherby Mark V’s. Ive had three, one of which, a .257 Wthby, was not too bad. All of the others were finicky with accuracy and reliability. A buddy has got one right now in 6.5-300. It is a total PITA.

Most consistently inaccurate have been any centerfire rifle built by Ruger. While I’ve had a couple gems, more often than not I expect to have accuracy issues with a M-77 or a Number 1.

Least trust worthy is the Remington 700. I know, it may have never happened to you. But through guiding and just being around people I’ve seen multiple 700’s do the fire on safety release thing. I won’t own one, I won’t allow my kids to have one and I prefer not to have one around me in the field. In fact I witnessed another one do it last elk season.

Winchester Model 70’s can be hit or miss on accuracy and quality depending on when they were built. But I know most the tricks to fixing their accuracy issues. I did have a New Haven stainless classic in .375 H&H and another in .300 WSM that were complete turds and went back to the factory. In both cases Winchester replaced the rifles.

When I get a rifle all tuned up and shooting the way I like and up to my standards I tend to stick with it.

 

[d2wing]

"Any commie rifle"....except my saiga. So, not any commie rifle. I have a saiga. Accuracy vs any other decent AK is not really noteworthy, probably can be attributed to them being new in box rather than worn surplus parts kit builds cough, century arms. Anyone who expects to have 2moa accuracy from a run of the mill AK will be disappointed. I suggested under 8 moa was acceptable accuracy from a basic AK because, well, it is. I didn't mean benched, just offhand. I'm pretty sure @saiga308 is the only one around here benching an AK on a regular basis. As for gunfights and an 8 moa rifle, you brought up gunfights. I was simply mentioning my baseline for accurate enough AK, so I'll stand behind what I said. It's not a stoner system.

I bought one for my ten year old. It was front heavy. Time to give the painted on arms a workout. The trigger slaps my finger, sniffle. The sights don't coddle my peepers like a warm bubble bath. The AK isn't a rifle for millennials I guess, lol.

I am not sure what you mean as it sounds like nonsense. You might be happy with a rifle like that. But I assure you that I am an actual combat veteran AK accuracy is not acceptable to me for any reason.

 

[Captcurt]

t.


And they say Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy with one... Yeah, sure.....

Google James Files. His account made more sense than anything The Warren Commission ever came up with.

 

[silicosys4]

Winchester M70 stainless classic in .300winmag. Nice looking gun, was MOA accurate the few times I've shot it, but I hate that thing. I think i've shot maybe 10 rounds out of it in the 8 years i've owned it. It just sits in the safe collecting dust, but I can't bring myself to sell it. I have a .375 H&H that I love to shoot but that .300 just hurts. Its like being punched in the shoulder by someone who knows how to punch.

 

[Ignition Override]

The sights on my Yugo Mauser didn't grow on me at all, nor the fact that one needed to aim about 6-8" low at 100 yards. I'm well aware of the "combat sights" in older rifles.

The additional need to clean the bore and bolt face (corrosive primers) upon returning home always got old.
Buying overpriced US-made ammo was not going to happen.

 

[fireside44]

I am not sure what you mean as it sounds like nonsense. You might be happy with a rifle like that. But I assure you that I am an actual combat veteran AK accuracy is not acceptable to me for any reason.

i can head to the ak files and find half a dozen combat vets who will disagree with you.

 

[Picher]

Two of the worst guns I've owned were Savage O/Us...one in .22LR/20 Gauge and the other in .357 mag/20 gauge. The first had lousy iron sights and the 20 gauge barrel choke patterned so tightly that it blew up about anything it hit within 40 yards! The .357/20 had a more usable choke, but the weld at the muzzle broke, making the .357 mag inaccurate. Both were much heavier than they needed to be, so hunting wasn't fun.

 

[American_Fusilier]

I had Savage MK II without the Accutrigger, and I had a Ruger 10/22 Takedown for a while. I did not like either of them.

The Savage left much to be desired, though it came with a x4 weaver scope, I only got it because I got it dirt cheap. The trigger was horrible as you might expect. I ended up selling it because I wanted a 10/22. Well, I got a 10/22, and man did that thing jam. Failure to feeds like you wouldn't believe... I sold that, and now I have the prefect 22: the Thompson Center TCR-22.

Ironically, now I'd like to the Savage MK II FVSR, but that has a bull (and threaded) barrel, a bigger bolt handle, and most importantly, the Accutrigger.

 

[jmorris]

Lots of them but I have lots more I like.

 

[American_Fusilier]

I also had a RAS47 AK for a while, but I didn't like the metallurgy problems they were having with the bolt carriers. It was a really nice rifle fit and finish wise, but I plan on doing some serious training with mine, and I wanted an AK that would last, so I sold RAS47, and bought a Zastava M70 n-pap. Aside from the lack of aftermarket furniture, it's been a great rifle

 

[SwampWolf]

I've had a couple of rifles over the years that I didn't love but I liked them all. Actually, I've never met any gun that I didn't like in one way or another.

 

[d2wing]

i can head to the ak files and find half a dozen combat vets who will disagree with you.

Yeah, It's a good thing you keyboard hero's will never know. Count your blessings.

 

[fireside44]

Yeah, It's a good thing you keyboard hero's will never know. Count your blessings.

Youre right until another combat vet disagrees with you. Enjoy till then!

 

[d2wing]

Youre right until another combat vet disagrees with you. Enjoy till then!

No I am right. I know what I know, nothing you or anyone says affects that.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

d2wing & fireside44....

You guys are on the verge of hurting a very enjoyable thread.

I know because I've inadvertently allowed myself to be in the same position recently.

Anyhow - to point.

I looked next to me and it occurred to me that I am sitting right beside a rifle that I REALLY didn't like... Right up unitl I came to understand the gun itself. My SU-16 by Keltec.

It has since become the rifle I most greatly hate to love.

So, do I really *like* it or dislike it. Like that family member you would NEVER associate with were it not for the blood connection and yet must (grudgingly?) admit that you *love*.

Todd.

 

[d2wing]

Sorry I shouldn't respond.