Worst rifle you ever bought

[LHSmith]

You should have been buying lottery tickets instead of firearms then with luck like that.

Or, possibly that I am not attracted to cheap junk.

 

[snert]

Ruger 77/22 Hornet. Pretty. Attractive. But wouldn't hit a coffee can at 50 yards consistently. Absolute POS.
Browning BL22. Pretty. Cool. Wouldn't shoot a 4 inch group at 25 yards.

HR HAndi rifle 17HMR. Cheap. consistent 1 1/2 inch gun at 50 yards. Sucks.

 

[DShortt]

Or, possibly that I am not attracted to cheap junk.

I'll give you that. Some of us have to make financial considerations others don't need to consider either. But I've seen plenty of expensive rifles that didn't shoot well and just as many cheap ones that did.

I'd still consider yourself lucky unless all you ever bought were customs.

 

[Knotwild]

Kimber 22 hornet. It was fairly accurate, but the barrel shot out in 200 rounds. Returned it via a friend's gunshop and Kimber put a new barrel on it. 200 more rounds, barrel gone again. Sent it back and Kimber re-barreled it, but my friend requested they send the old barrel back. He then had a guy who was a mettalurgist at the Navy yard in Charleston check it out. The steel was of a type used in rimfire barrels. That's how I learned Kimber isn't exactly how they portray themselves.

 

[Krogen]

A Ruger No. 1 chambered in 300 Weatherby. I suffer from an infatuation with the No. 1 and have several that shoot well. Some of them, though, are just possessed I think. That No.1 in 300 Weatherby was one of them. It didn't shoot groups; it patterned. Nothing I fed it shot well. It must have had some 12GA DNA in its blood. As if that wasn't enough, it kicked like a PO'd mule. Nothing good to say about that rifle at all.

A buddy wanted it in the worst way. I warned him, but he still lusted over it. I traded it to him for his Model 70 in 300 Winchester. The Model 70 shot well and didn't hurt nearly so much; a nice rifle. It might have been the stock design. The cartridge isn't that much milder. I dunno. But Charley was happy even though I think I got the better part of the deal.

 

[jcm800]

Worst was a Rem 673 350 mag. Looked like a monkey took the receiver to a belt sander. Grouped 3" on a good day. Had a few Ruger revolvers with poor QC that got sent back during the 90's.

 

[danny]

I found an absolutely pristine looking Chilean Mauser on a rack. Bought it, took it home and borescoped it. The inside of the barrel looks so bad, I’m wondering if it’s safe to shoot. Lesson learned, but I’ve bought a bunch of old Mausers with great barrels. I guess I was due a lemon.

You didnt peer down the bore before handing over money??

Danny

 

[rwj]

Rem 700 in .243 with a Tupperware stock. We all started somewhere… got less than 500 rounds before accuracy/precision went south. Ditched everything except the action. It’s hiding in a dark drawer somewhere…

 

[anschuter2013]

My worst rifle purchase(s) was a Ruger Mini 14. I've owned 3 of them because I thought the first was a lemon, and it was. Then I decided to give it another chance...twice. Ruger Mini 14's are the most efficient device made that turns cash into noise with no other redeeming qualities. Quite simply, junk garbage trash crap shitshow. 6" groups at 100 yards if you were lucky on a good day. Awful excuse for a firearm. I have no idea why they can still get away peddling such a poor excuse for a rifle. How anyone or any business can take an inherently accurate cartridge and turn out a bona-fide turd takes real effort. To this day, if anyone offered me a FREE Mini-14, I would counter offer with a pretty penny for them to keep it.

 

[joshb]

You didnt peer down the bore before handing over money??

Danny

Of course I did! All I had was my naked eye. Next time, I’ll have a borescope!

 

[DShortt]

You didnt peer down the bore before handing over money??

Danny

I've got a borescope image somewhere if I can find it. Never seen anything like it.

Haven't found anyone else who ever has, either.

Here ya go. About 2/3 of the way toward the muzzle. If you can see something like that with your naked eye you're a marvel.

 

[rr2030]

6.5 Italian Carcano. Lee Harvey Oswald was a magician. My cycle rate with that rifle was 3 rounds in one minute. Thats when slamming the metal but against a rail road rail produced a case ejection. I gave it away to a friend that welded the muzzle shut and the bolt closed producing a fine toy rifle for his son.

 

[rockhound78]

MIne was a T/C '83 single shot in 308win. Comparing the barrel to a Savage would be like comparing a Savage to a Bartlein. Pulled the barrel out of the monoblock and made a muzzle brake or two out of the barrel stub.

 

[Jpete]

Ruger M77 Varmint in 22-250 it shot patterns. Bedded, recrowned, firing pin and spring replaced, free floated barrel and it would not group. I probably burned out the throat trying so many loads. I drug it to the gun show and sold it, I could not even look the guy in the face.

 

[jpjulian]

My first shotgun was a 12 ga. pump I bought at Montgomery Ward. It absolutely would not extract a spent shell. Took it back to the store and exchanged it for another of the same mode.. . Same thing. It would not extract a spent shell. Took it back and got my money back. Didn't own another shotgun until I got a Beretta 686 Sporting.

 

[abishai]

I would have to say the savage B-mag.
I ordered 1 up sight unseen. The LGS owner called
to let me know when it came in and called it a piece of crap.
I have seen plenty of rifles with a tupperware stock.
This one had a tupperware barrel too.

 

[pilediver]

The worst rifle for me was a Remington 788 in 22-250, see, that accurate , exciting rifle caused me to fall in love with varmint hunting and predator reduction service for the farm.
Do you have any idea how much money I could have saved if it'd been a lemon and turned me away from the shooting sport?

 

[Dave M.]

Savage 22lr over 20 gauge.

Odd combo??

 

[Dave M.]

The worst rifle for me was a Remington 788 in 22-250, see, that accurate , exciting rifle caused me to fall in love with varmint hunting and predator reduction service for the farm.
Do you have any idea how much money I could have saved if it'd been a lemon and turned me away from the shooting sport?

I think you will see lots of Rem 788’s in this list. I had one and it’s one of only 3 guns I ever sold in my life. You couldn’t hit a pie plate more than 3 out 5 times at 100 yards. Lol

 

[nakneker]

Odd combo??

My uncle had one growing up, PIA, it had problems with the selector switch. Neat idea, poor execution.