Stigma

[giggitygiggity]

What role does stigma play with respect to you and your firearms? For instance, have you ever bought a gun, shot it, experienced a malfunction(s) (fixable by either the user or the manufacturer), and then had the gun perform flawlessly since, but still didn't fully trust it because of its history of issue? Let's say a pistol jammed once every 50 rounds. You notified the manufacturer, sent it in for servicing, and ever since it returned, it has been 100%. Would you still have a negative stigma associated with that gun?

How about manufacturers? Some manufacturers have lots of QC issues which are improved as the company grows and matures. However, I am certain that some people may avoid certain manufacturers based on their earlier issues.

This is all purely subjective and will be different for each person. However, I'm curious to see how much stigma impacts your relationship with firearms.

 

[AlexanderA]

From your thread title, I thought this was about the social stigma that attaches to gun ownership.

 

[Tommygunn]

In terms of guns, a few years ago I bought a Century C308. A cheap .308 semiauto, like a PTR 91 I think. For no reason it jammed up. One time it cycled (empty without mag) but the next time the actuator just WOULD NOT cycle. Sent it to Century, they got it to cycle, but sent it back with a snarky note saying the customer should learn to assemble rifle correctly.
I had never disassembled it.
I also have never fired it. I do not trust it. A .308 caliber rifle .... uh, no I don't wanna risk a ka-boom .... .... maybe I'm being too careful.
But then I have a perfectly good M1A and a DPMS LR308 so it's not like I don't have a good .308 caliber longarm....

The C308 was a multi hundred dollar lesson.

 

[fxvr5]

guns typically malfunction for a reason. if the cause is identified and corrected and runs reliably after that, there is no reason to not trust it.

 

[Tommygunn]

guns typically malfunction for a reason. if the cause is identified and corrected and runs reliably after that, there is no reason to not trust it.

The factory did not provide a reason save one I knew was false ......

 

[cheygriz]

Not with guns, but with manufacturers.

I had a lot of trouble with Ruger back in the 1980s, and the hair still stands up on my neck when I think of buying a Ruger. (add to that, Bill Ruger selling us out on Clinton's AWB)

CCI had some TERRIBLE QC issues with primers st that time, and I experienced several dead primers in every box of 100 for a while. They stepped up and corrected the problem fairly quickly, but even today, I will buy CCI primers only if no others are available. Not logical, but a gut level reaction.

 

[FL-NC]

As someone who worked in a LGS, there are guns that have stigma attached to them from my experiences of seeing the problems the owners have had with them. Especially when its the same manufacturer over and over.

 

[bersaguy]

Taurus is one of those manufacturers infamous for hit or miss QC. I have a TCP that had to go on vacation back to Miami. When I first got it, it was very picky about ammo, then one day the hammer just stopped traveling all the way to the rear. I sent it in, and when I got it back 3 months later...it was great. Eats everything now, took a while to trust it again, but it's been 3 years and no issues

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Taurus is the only one that has a personal stigma for me. Had two semi's with issues that got sent down the road.

My wife has one that runs well.

I will not bad mouth the brand but I will not buy another.

 

[Zerodefect]

Depends on the reason it failed. I've seen some poorly built 1911's that were 100% reliable, but extremely ripe to fail when needed the most. In a day of CNC precision down to a millionth of an inch, there's no excuse for low quality 1911's. It's up to the end user to detail strip the pistol and inspect it.

So yeah, I won't carry improper pistols.

 

[ontarget]

I had the mag release fall out of my EDC at the range, dropping the mag while I was shooting. The factory fixed it but I have not carried it since. It's fine at the range but I no longer trust my life to it. Replaced it with a Ruger LC9s and never looked back.

 

[kozak6]

I'm prejudiced against the zinc junkers (excluding Hi Point). I've been too suspicious to buy one, but I got to fire a couple of various buddy's guns.

I tried to shoot a Phoenix Arms HP22 on more than a few outings. It was impressively bad every time. Light strikes, all the different failures to eject and extract you can think of, and severe accuracy problems. It might choke on every single round in the magazine, and wouldn't hit anywhere near the target when it actually fired. Most people have moderately good luck with theirs, but the one I shot was so bad you might as well just throw the rounds downrange and call it a day. Buyback fodder as far as I'm concerned, even if he got it fixed.

I had a similar experience with the Bryco. The difference is that the Bryco was unpleasant to shoot and would reliably fire the first round in the magazine right to point of aim every time. Then, it might choke on every remaining round. It also would experience every kind of failure to extract and eject you can think of. Additionally, it was subject to striker follow (made me pretty nervous), or might half field strip itself upon firing. Even if it was fixed, it's unpleasant to shoot and probably not drop safe (or maybe even safe in general). I'm done with it.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I had an FNP45 that had a lot of issues. Even though I fixed it the failure was so bad I could never trust it again.

 

[frankmako]

I pickup a used kel tec pf9 when they first came out. I was the third or forth owner. The person that sold me the pistol told me all the problems. I send the gun back to kel tec for a new slide. I also got many new parts that I put in myself. Kel tec send me a new plastic frame. In other words the pistol was heavy redone. At first the pistol would not a full mag without a problem. I got the pistol to fire six mags as fast as I could fire/load without problem. But I still don't trust the pistol.

 

[Kaybee]

“Taurus Revolvers are Crap”

Back in the 80s I heard Bad things about Taurus by just about everyone I knew that was knowledgeable about firearms. I held that with me and would never own one even for free.

No offense to Taurus fans, there was no internet back then so never heard from anyone that was happy with theirs.

 

[Riomouse911]

I’m like that with vehicular objects (cars, trucks, boats) as well as mechanical ones (guns, tools, etc.) A breakdown in a vehicle always keeps me on some sort of edge every time I drive it, just like mystery stoppages will make me suspect a firearm unless I can pinpoint the issue, rectify it and then test it to be sure all is kosher.

Faith in the tools that you stake your life on is very important, and not having faith in the firearm you take out when it’s on the line isn’t good. You’ll need every bit of your wits to observe, process and react in a deadly threat situation, there’s no extra time or free mental bandwidth to be worrying about your gun working properly.

This is one reason that I clean and inspect my carry and duty guns after each range session. It allows me to check for broken, worn or missing parts as well as ensures all is loaded and lubricated properly when it’s reholstered.

My Glock 34 was having an occasional failure to feed when I was shooting in a tournament in Oct. I figured out it was mag related, and sets of new Wolff +10 springs were ordered and replaced in all 14 of the Glock 17/34 mags I own. Since then, 100% reliability so my faith in the G34 to perform is restored.

Stay safe!

 

[Jessesky]

Haha I thought this was about the load data publisher from ammoguide.com

 

[entropy]

The Sigma has a stigma. So much of one it's nickname is the Smegma.

 

[Dibbs]

Para 1911s come with the world's crappiest mag springs. Make an otherwise flawlessly
operating pistol near worthless. Once I replaced my mag springs with Wolff springs the gun runs
perfect. But I still hesitate to trust that gun for CC.

 

[Elkins45]

The factory did not provide a reason save one I knew was false ......

Maybe it was already assembled incorrectly when you bought it?

The Sigma has a stigma. So much of one it's nickname is the Smegma.

Does this extend to the current version that isn’t called the Sigma anymore? I think it’s called SD9V or something like that.

 

[Tommygunn]

Maybe it was already assembled incorrectly when you bought it?........

Maybe .... but I don't know why it cycled initially, but then jammed. I guess that doesn't mean it couldn't have been assembled incorrectly from the factory though. I can't rule anything out.
I can say my dealings with Century on this left me very frustrated and distrustful of the weapon.

 

[entropy]

Does this extend to the current version that isn’t called the Sigma anymore? I think it’s called SD9V or something like that.

No, they fixed the trigger problems the Smegma had. But they had to change the name to get people to buy the gun again.

 

[Fiv3r]

I had a RIA Officer model that had to go back twice due to the pin walking out under recoil. They finally fixed it, but I was kinda meh on the gun by then. They even tuned and fluffed and buffed it for me, but I sold it to put money down on a G21.

I still like RIA products and have purchased several. I'd like to get a plain jane GI in 2019 or maybe a 10mm, but I don't think I'd buy an officer model again.

 

[HOWARD J]

I purchased new around 87 a Colt Delta Elite 10 mm
Using factory rounds the gun broke a slide stop around 100 rds.--scared the hell out of me I traded it for a Ruger 45 & never looked back. I had a Lee 10mm die set which I threw in the trash.

 

[Browning]

Short answer : Yes.

Long answer : Yes, I've owned guns that malfunctioned repeatedly right out of the gate that I no longer trusted even after I got them fixed. Call it superstition or whatever you like, I'm not taking a chance that they'll malfunction again when I need them.