What's the worst shotgun you've ever owned...

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The worst shotgun an individual can own is not necessarily the worst over all for everyone.

An individual gun may be a lemon even if the make and model are considered good, better or even best guns.

On the other hand there are models inferior to most other models, where an individual gun may actually be a keeper.

I have a S&W 916 (S&W bought the last inventory of Noble's Model 66 and tweeked a few minor parts of the design as an easy way to enter the shotgun market; Numrich Gun Parts Corp lists their replacement parts like an aluminum safety switch as "for S&W 916, 916A, 916T and Noble 66"). It's still shooting after 35 years and one replacement firing pin. It is not a great shotgun but not the worst either. Although I did have harsh words when the firing pin broke.

I bought a cheap Chinese clone of the Ithaca 37 that was robust but crude on all but one point: the threading on the action tube for the nut that held the forearm in place would not hold the nut under recoil. The forearm would slide forward and neither Loctite or nailpolish would anchor the nut. I decided to make the action tube-forearm a semi permanent assembly with JB Weld and peening the end of the action tube over the front of the nut, allowing the epoxy 48 hours to set before reassembly of the unitized slide assembly to the gun. While I won't recommend any gun that takes 10 hours of end-user tweeking, after putting hundreds of rounds through that gun to get it to break again and failing to get it to break, I have more confidence in it than in any untested pig-in-a-poke from a better maker. It is still the worst shotgun out-of-box that I ever bought.
 
I think I have read most all post in here and I think I win. A glenfield model 50 20 ga. bolt action shot gun given to me by my grand father who was not a hunter. He gave it to me for Christmas when I was about 12 (i was a big duck hunter with my dad). I AM LEFT HANDED!!!
This POS with 2 round mag(2 ROUND MAG!) would jam every cock. I would have been fastesr load a single crack barrel with the extra shells wedged in my forarm fingers than this pile of dog dung!!!
 

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Worst Shotgun?

I have never had much in the way of bad luck with a shotgun. I can do pretty well with anything. I personally believe its 95% shooter. You can't buy the ability...it either comes pretty naturally or you spend countless hours learning it.
 
Remington 870 Express.... extremely unreliability and a complete rust magnet no matter what I would try.
 
I think I have read most all post in here and I think I win. A glenfield model 50 20 ga. bolt action shot gun given to me by my grand father who was not a hunter. He gave it to me for Christmas when I was about 12 (i was a big duck hunter with my dad). I AM LEFT HANDED!!!
This POS with 2 round mag(2 ROUND MAG!) would jam every cock. I would have been fastesr load a single crack barrel with the extra shells wedged in my forarm fingers than this pile of dog dung!!!
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Had to laugh at this one as I inherited a Mossberg 195 (Same style/type)... Although mine will feed those 2 rounds it is quite the eye sore. So I would list it here....
 
High Standard- Flight King Deluxe-What a POS that was! Sold it to the first guy who offered cash. That was back in 1972. I bought an Ithaca 37 and still have it! Bob
 
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High Standard Shadow from Japan. Bought from dealer. Only got a couple rounds off in between bolt jamming open or closed. Its in pieces.
 
Hmm...I currently own six shotguns and they are a Remington 870 Police,Winchester 1200 Defender, Mossberg 500,Maverick 88,NEF Pardner,and a recently aquired old Mossberg 385 bolt action.
I have owned even more than that in my life time but in all honesty I have never owned one that I considered junk or a dog.
None have ever broke in the field or failed to operate or fire.
Including my Mossbergs.
 
VeeArDoubleyouSee said:
Why so much hate for the Mossberg 500?
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I dunno! It's been used for years and years by police, military & vast numbers of sportsmen. It does have kind of a tinny feel compared to some others, and fit and finish are on the rough and ready side, are but based on my experience and what I've heard from others, it's a good shooter. :confused:
 
I'll go with the 500 as well. I've owned 2 and both would drop a shell out of the magazine after being fired. I miss a lot of ducks because of those 2 guns. Traded both for a Pardner Pump and couldn't be happier.
 
While it may shock quite a few folks, the worst one I ever had was a Remington 11-87. Beautiful gun. Just never could get it to fire more than 3 rounds without a jam. Worked on it until the cows came home. Replaced damn near everything on it. Finally traded it in on a Beretta 390 (the so called "Wal Mart" gun) for $300.00 difference and have never had a single failure of any kind on the Beretta.

The real shame was that the Remington fit me perfectly (390 does too), and I shot it very well.

Oh, well. I am a die hard 390 fan now. I have two of them.
 
I didn't own it, but I was looking to buy it; a Stoeger Condor. I took it out to the range to try it out and it would fire both barrels at the same time, every so often. I called Benelli and they said it was a known issue but that I would have to send it back to them and pay them to repair it. A local gunsmith said it was a known issue and that Benelli wouldn't make the repair parts available to gunsmiths, so it would have to go back through their factory or he might be able to machine out the parts needed.

Whatever, it wasn't worth a penny to me at that point, so it went back to the seller and was forgotten until I read this thread.
 
Well, I'm glad I've made a few good choices in shotguns. The Citori's been only mentioned once so far and their only gripe was the fit of the stock. Didn't say anything negative about reliability. The 870 express's come finished a little rough from the factory but most of their issues can be fixed with a quick chamber hone of the barrel. I have a Browning auto five that keeps giving me problems with double feeding. This is probably going to a gunsmith soon. My worst shotgun that I can think of is an old Weatherby mod. 82 semiauto that I've had all kinds of feeding problems with as well. My shotguns spend more time getting shot in trap and skeet games than in actual hunting. This type of activity can put some wear and tear on semi's especially when you go through 300 plus rounds in a day all the time. A good quality over/under like a Browning Citori or a Beretta can take all this in stride with few mechanical breakdowns or malfunctions.
 
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Probably my worst was an 870 Wingmaster. Couldn't stand the thing. I shoot left handed, though, and it was the ergos I hated. Also, I'd jammed it up several times in cold weather when the load gate/shell elevator pinched my cold numbed thumb and I yanked it out before the shell had clicked in. I can't say it was a BAD shotgun, it worked, I just didn't like it for personal reasons.

I've been using Mossbergs since 1980 when new rules made me retire my SxS from duck hunting (steel shot). I really didn't want a Browning, rather expensive to go tossing in salt water. That happens more often that I'd like to admit when I'm stumbling in the mud through the salt marsh I hunt. The 500 takes this abuse in stride, though, and works fantastic for me. The first one I traded for, a "Revelation M310". It was working fine, but in 1990 I decided I wanted a new camo one and I've been using that one ever since. I love that thing, the tang safety, the shell elevator design. The gun now fits me (shimmed the stock) and it's an extension of my body. I really like it, have no gripes. The 870 fanboys seem to dis the mossy to make them look smart, reminds me a lot of Smith and Wesson fanboys. But, hell, this is the internet..........
 
Remington 870 Express.... extremely unreliability and a complete rust magnet no matter what I would try.
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Yeah, the express is a rust magnet down here in the salt marsh. Most folks that hunt ducks and geese with 'em just spray paint 'em. Cheap gun, not to worry about the crappy finish. Camo dip is an effective way to keep the rust monster away, why I like it more'n any hunting reason, but it'd be more expensive than a can of rustoleum start of every season. :D
 
Stevens 311 16gauge. It would not shoot a good pattern, would not shoot where you aimed it, and took about three shots to each squirrel/rabbit. I had a Baikal 20 that would never miss, sold it to buy the Stevens. What an idiot.
 
mossberg 930. Maybe I got a lemon but that durn thing would only shoot birdshot and only worked with an 18" barrel
 
I bought an H&R 12 ga. about 35 years ago, $39.00 I believe, I bought it for a HD piece. I cut the barrel down, took it out with a clay thrower and some light loads to see how it would work. My younger brother went with me, we took turns throwing/shooting. This ol' shotgun has a 3" chamber, we'd been shooting 2 3/4" light loads, when my brother's turn came up, I slipped a 3" mag into the chamber, told him it was loaded and waited for the command to throw. When command given, the bird took off and BOOM, he looked at me and said,"Should'a held that one a little tighter." That sucker kicks like 14 kinds of mules! Best shotgun I ever had was one my Pop gave me, a Steven's model 57 pump, that had the tightest choke of any shotgun I've ever seen.
 
My 870 Marine Magnum. Hands down. For some reason, it is ridiculously fun to shoot and eats all of my ammo faster than I can buy more. :cuss:
 
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