Taurus PT-22 in 22LR. caliber. Biggest POS I ever owned. Bought it NIB and had nothing but troubles. Even bought a new magazine to see if that would fix the gun. Sent back to Taurus twice to no avail. Finally traded it in to one of those Police gun buyback programs for $200.00 debit card. Tried different ammo. (FTF, FTE, FTF) Couldn't shoot 2-3 rds. in a row w/o malfunction.
What is the most unreliable semi auto you have shot ?
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Snakum
Member
Kahr CW series, both the 9mm and the .40. Never again.
Snakum
Member
Just browsing thru the list I saw Kimber mentioned a few times. This is interesting. One of the guys who runs in my redneck gun-nut/musician/biker circle bought a brand new 1911 style Kimber something or other that was was the most gorgeous 1911 I've ever seen. Just absolutely flawless finish and beautiful wooden grips. Made me want another 1911. But the thing never got thru a single mag with a malfunction, even after sending it back for FTEs. He's ex mil and had experience with 1911 Colts, as do I. We tore it down and couldn't see anything amiss. Tried other mags. Nothing. The thing just wouldn't feed nor eject reliably.
For what he paid and how long he waited for to get it back after the first trip back to Kimber, and having read so many other posts here and elsewhere about Kimber reliability, I'm a little perplexed by the popularity and the price. Everyone makes a dud sometimes. Even Glocks are not infallible. But the sheer number of complaints about Kimber 1911s lead me to believe the problem is rather widespread and common. Why wouldn't Kimber have addressed these by now?
For what he paid and how long he waited for to get it back after the first trip back to Kimber, and having read so many other posts here and elsewhere about Kimber reliability, I'm a little perplexed by the popularity and the price. Everyone makes a dud sometimes. Even Glocks are not infallible. But the sheer number of complaints about Kimber 1911s lead me to believe the problem is rather widespread and common. Why wouldn't Kimber have addressed these by now?
ol' scratch
Member
A Glock 22 that when ka BOOM while I was standing behind a friend who was shooting it. No reloads, by the way.
A Glock 21. That one ended up being the owners fault. He limp 'wristed' it we found out. It was the only Glock I have ever seen jam. He told me he just bought it to make noise anyway. He bought it as a defensive gun and just wanted to 'scare' people who wanted to cause him harm. Sad really.
A Glock 21. That one ended up being the owners fault. He limp 'wristed' it we found out. It was the only Glock I have ever seen jam. He told me he just bought it to make noise anyway. He bought it as a defensive gun and just wanted to 'scare' people who wanted to cause him harm. Sad really.
ol' scratch
Member
I have a Custom II that has been great. I think one of the biggest problems with them are the Mags. The other is the recoil spring. It needs to be heavier.
Before switching from the Kimber mags, my pistol would screw up. It still won't function with the Kimber Mags. My RIA won't either. I use Wilson Mags--No more problems.
savage1911
Member
I have a kimber pro carry II and have had no problems, but my dad has a cdp II and it had to be sent back to kimber's custom shop to be fixed. Which is odd because cdp stands for CUSTOM defensce pistol? Who knows. He got it back and it runs like a champ. But my base model kimber for about $500 less ran great right out of box. My dad wants to sell and get a Wilson.
My two cents. I think Kimber's really are great, 700-800 dollar guns. The slide, barrel, and major parts are well made. It's the garbage MIM parts that do them in, and yes, the magazines are pure junk.
I have only one Kimber magazine. It runs in my Custom II, but, it jammed my Detonics. The
mouth of the magazine seems to have warped outward, and it locks the gun up.
Wilson mags, no problems.
I think the major problems are when Kimber tries something different, and adds 400-600 dollars on top of the original gun price. People expect them to run like they should for that amount of money. Kimber doesn't test their guns, I guess, like other custom builders, and, they turn out stuff that doesn't work every once in awhile.
I think the vocal nature of the Kimber protests is due to the COST of the guns, and their reliability.
I bought a Custom II to build a .45 Super custom on, and I pretty much replaced everything that counted with Ed Brown parts, most of these forged. Likewise magazines, etc.
1911's have been around for awhile, and, the quality parts are well known. Putting them together in a gun isn't that hard. It's when you try and use mediocre parts, and charge
premium prices that people go through the roof.
I missed Dan Wesson. They now are charging Brown/Wilson like prices for a gun that has all the good stuff in it, and, used to be a couple hundred less then a Kimber Custom.
Guess it gets to a point where what kind of life style you want to live becomes an issue, both for maker and buyer.
I have only one Kimber magazine. It runs in my Custom II, but, it jammed my Detonics. The
mouth of the magazine seems to have warped outward, and it locks the gun up.
Wilson mags, no problems.
I think the major problems are when Kimber tries something different, and adds 400-600 dollars on top of the original gun price. People expect them to run like they should for that amount of money. Kimber doesn't test their guns, I guess, like other custom builders, and, they turn out stuff that doesn't work every once in awhile.
I think the vocal nature of the Kimber protests is due to the COST of the guns, and their reliability.
I bought a Custom II to build a .45 Super custom on, and I pretty much replaced everything that counted with Ed Brown parts, most of these forged. Likewise magazines, etc.
1911's have been around for awhile, and, the quality parts are well known. Putting them together in a gun isn't that hard. It's when you try and use mediocre parts, and charge
premium prices that people go through the roof.
I missed Dan Wesson. They now are charging Brown/Wilson like prices for a gun that has all the good stuff in it, and, used to be a couple hundred less then a Kimber Custom.
Guess it gets to a point where what kind of life style you want to live becomes an issue, both for maker and buyer.
Tomcat47
Member
LLama 45 - Shoot 3 rounds....slide locks about mid stride..hold it, hold it, hold it,....about 3 seconds slide would fall back forward, rack another round in it....then fire 2-3 more shots. and thats the way it worked!
Jennings .22 - Stingers make the slide fly through the air in two pieces!
Jennings .22 - Stingers make the slide fly through the air in two pieces!
vanguard7
Member
a phoenix arms 25 auto. 3 safetys then a ftf.
thehootman
member
- Joined
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Kimbers are the biggest POS to ever have been made. They took a bad design from Browning and made it even worse.
larryh1108
Member
LoL, a funny way of looking for attention. Makes me wonder if you're old enough to own a handgun
savage1911
Member
I think the name hooterman says it all.
Interesting old thread.
Do people with unreliable semi-autos try a change in ammo? I read a couple of comments about 70's Browning Hi-Powers not being reliable with hollow points, for instance. Mine won't chamber 147g or exposed lead rounds even once, so I don't use them - Remington 115g HP have the jacket wrapped into the cavity and so they work 100%. Does that make my HP "reliable" or "unreliable?" I guess it depends upon whether you want it to "feed everything including jagged rocks," or just want to be sure the piece will fire when expected with ammunition with which I've practiced.
The only unsatisfactory autos I've owned were Seventies Colt Commanders, but even they were pretty reliable; I just couldn't take having empties ejected into my face.
Do people with unreliable semi-autos try a change in ammo? I read a couple of comments about 70's Browning Hi-Powers not being reliable with hollow points, for instance. Mine won't chamber 147g or exposed lead rounds even once, so I don't use them - Remington 115g HP have the jacket wrapped into the cavity and so they work 100%. Does that make my HP "reliable" or "unreliable?" I guess it depends upon whether you want it to "feed everything including jagged rocks," or just want to be sure the piece will fire when expected with ammunition with which I've practiced.
The only unsatisfactory autos I've owned were Seventies Colt Commanders, but even they were pretty reliable; I just couldn't take having empties ejected into my face.
PUT'CHA
Member
auto gone bad
I just thought that I would put-in my 5 cents. I once had a star 45, it went south when the slide came-off at the range..
I just thought that I would put-in my 5 cents. I once had a star 45, it went south when the slide came-off at the range..
easyrider604
Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2008
- Messages
- 735
Vega 1911. I bought it because it looked good, at a time when stainless 1911s were rare. It would fail-to-chamber, fail-to-eject, fail to cycle on even military hardball and with any magazine. Had a good gunsmith go over it and still it remained a Total and Complete POS. Glad I got rid of it.
Customtrigger
Member
This is a good question, because I had to think hard, so here I go.
I have two specimens: 1. Glock 23 and 2. S&W .22lr.
The Smith had to be repaired around the 400 round marker and with the Glock, I could not hit the broad side of a barn!
However, I have not experienced severe unreliability with an auto loading pistol. At least not yet. Revolvers and long guns I am good to go.
I have two specimens: 1. Glock 23 and 2. S&W .22lr.
The Smith had to be repaired around the 400 round marker and with the Glock, I could not hit the broad side of a barn!
However, I have not experienced severe unreliability with an auto loading pistol. At least not yet. Revolvers and long guns I am good to go.
Honestly: a local sheriff deputy's duty Glock 22, .40cal.
Jammed almost every shot. The deputy stated he only cleaned it once in awhile, the last time was a "year or so ago", even though he practices at the sherrff's range every week. I don't know how he can trust his life to it... He knows it jams and yet he doesn't clean it.
Jammed almost every shot. The deputy stated he only cleaned it once in awhile, the last time was a "year or so ago", even though he practices at the sherrff's range every week. I don't know how he can trust his life to it... He knows it jams and yet he doesn't clean it.
SpaceFrank
Member
From reading several pages of this thread, the only thing I can say is this: if your gun is
1. From a generally reputable manufacturer (not Jennings, Bryco, etc.)
2. Performing as badly as most internet complaints seem to indicate, and
3. You have tried multiple types of ammunition, cleaned the gun thoroughly, and gotten instruction on proper shooting technique, then
You probably were unlucky and just got a Friday gun that you need to send back under the warranty before you swear far and wide never to buy a product from that company ever again. As has thankfully been stated many times before, every manufacturer makes a lemon sometimes. Some more than others. Some early designs also take a few runs before they work the kinks out, unfortunately due to lack of mfr. testing.
1. From a generally reputable manufacturer (not Jennings, Bryco, etc.)
2. Performing as badly as most internet complaints seem to indicate, and
3. You have tried multiple types of ammunition, cleaned the gun thoroughly, and gotten instruction on proper shooting technique, then
You probably were unlucky and just got a Friday gun that you need to send back under the warranty before you swear far and wide never to buy a product from that company ever again. As has thankfully been stated many times before, every manufacturer makes a lemon sometimes. Some more than others. Some early designs also take a few runs before they work the kinks out, unfortunately due to lack of mfr. testing.
The Beretta M9 that I had to qualify with a few years ago. Failure to feed every 2-3 rounds. I still shot expert that day, but I'm glad I never had to carry that POS in the real world.
A close second goes to a 10/22 I once owned. At least one FTF or FTE in every magazine, factory mags included. I sold it (after telling the buyer about my problems with it, of course).
R
A close second goes to a 10/22 I once owned. At least one FTF or FTE in every magazine, factory mags included. I sold it (after telling the buyer about my problems with it, of course).
R
magnumman44
Member
Any AMT!!!
My H&R pardner was a POS when I first bought it. Shells would get stuck in the chamber and the feed latch was out of spec so at random times it would fail to chamber a round when racked. I sent it back and 1 month later it came back and works 100% now. They polished the chamber and replaced the feed latch (as I recommended). It sucks getting a lemon, but sometimes they really can fix it.
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