Worst rifle you ever bought

[Clam]

Sako 85’s. Won’t extract, when they do, they hit the scope and/or flip right back into the action.

Apparently some function properly, mine don’t.

 

[Tommie]

A Remington 597 22LR. It jammed with 6 different manufacturer’s magazines and hated just about every kind of ammo I fed it. I cleaned it and even sent it back to Remington twice and each time they said it functioned perfectly…..then I’d take it out to shoot and by round 3 or 4 it would jam.
Best part was even when I single fed it ammo, and shot off a nice rest, that gun would shoot 1.0”+ 5 shot groups at 50 yards with no wind. It was comically inaccurate. I could easily outshoot it at 25 yards with my 8 yr olds Red Ryder BB gun (and NO, I’m not exaggerating). Total POS.
Dave

I won a 597 in a Ducks Unlimited raffle. As it turned out I didn’t own a .22 autoloader at the time and I first thought this would be a great way to fill the void. Then I took time to look the thing over. OMG what a POS. Put it back in the box, took it to my LGS and traded it for $100 worth of reloading components. He wouldn’t give me a higher value and honestly I still think I got the better end of the deal. That was the only gun I ever owned that never got shot.

 

[Explorer1]

Odd combo??

Actually a very well liked combo for those of us who were active in perusing rabbits and squirrels.

 

[Kookie]

A very expensive fully optioned Cooper JSR was the most complete POS that I ever owned.

First trip to the range and it wouldn’t extract any fired cases. Also couldn‘t get it sighted in at 50 yds. It shot over a foot low with an high end scope at full elevation. Cooper had me send it back at my expense (big $$$) and had the rifle in their shop for almost 7 months before it was returned with a note that they replaced the receiver and the barrel.

Something like this should never happen with a rifle that costs several thousand $$$. I concluded that those small group test targets that come with their rifles are a complete farce because the issues with this rifle would have been obvious if in fact it was actually test fired.

The whole experience really soured me Cooper … crap QC and customer service. I never fired that rifle after I got it back and sold it at a substantial $$$ loss.

 

[snert]

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 pedaling 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.

Now THAT is some serious prose!

 

[SixFive]

Not sure about the worst rifle I ever bought (maybe Ruger mini 14s) but I know one of the worst rifles EVER MADE, The Remington 742 Semi, absolute GARBAGE. Back when I was in the business we would not even take them in to work on, we referred to them as the Remington 740fuckme2s. They worked right up until they did not and then they never did again. This was due to a upper dovetail rail that was soft and eventually gets burrs, dings and stuff and then its trash!

 

[SixFive]

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 pedaling 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.

Yes, yes, and yes! Why are they so popular? They are CRAP Accuracy wise. Over the years I have done deals and ended up with many of them always thinking I would get the good one, there is NO GOOD ONE. Just for kicks long ago I tried to make accurate a Mini 14, lots of machine work, barrel replacement etc. Put about an additional $800 in it not counting my machine work labor. What did I get? I got a $1500 rifle that still did not shoot better than an AR15. Dagum A-Team made them popular LOL!

 

[JSH]

Model 7 in 350 magnum. Easy on the eye, light weight and slender. But boy howdy was it a beast when it was time to play, almost vicious recoil.
Damned if that don’t sound like my first girlfriend, lol.

 

[mongo chicago]

Actually there are several. 1- Remington Police Special in .308. Never grouped. There was no gap between the barrel and stock. It was supposed to be free floated but wasn't. 2- Springfield Armory M1A in .308. Mal functioned continuously. Went back to the factory 4 times. They finally replaced it after the fourth trip, but I was so fed up I sold the replacement even though it worked fine. 3- Armalite AR10. Another one that made 3 trips back to the factory. Finally discovered they drilled the holes that hold the upper and lower together off center. They finally replaced it. New one functioned fine but also dumped it. 4- Christian Arms 22 lr. A malfunctioning piece of junk. Also sent it back 3 times and they could not make it function. The 22 lr. bolt action has been around for over 100 years, and C.A. can't make one that works. Dumped it and got a Bergara and have been happy ever since.

 

[okie]

I have tried a handfull of Rugers, every one of them would qualify.

LOL. For many years of my life I took abuse from the Most devout Ruger fan in the world. Ronnie Burke. He even published a Model 77 book! He is no longer with us and I sure wish he was still here to harass me!!

 

[moondog]

RimX 22. I'm hesitant to post but there it is.
The Extractor is a poor design, fragile as glass, the firing pin doesn't have enough fall. I know others have had great luck with them but more have issues. Great mags, well made action, just too many reliability issues. There is a fix coming, but not from Zermatt. My Gen 1 Vudoo is still my favorite. Flame on.

 

[30378]

Weatherby Vanguard in 300 Weatherby. Shot like a shotgun.

 

[dhenry132]

Back many years ago when Gibsons had the gun for sale in barrels. I bought a 7.7 Japanese Arisaka. Thing would not hit a refrigerator box at 50 yards. Sometime later, during my fishing, I placed it in the bottom of Hubbard Creek Lake.

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[Coyotefurharvester]

Worse rifle I ever purchased, only because I have never fired it. Knight KP-1, 45/70. I found a new scope mount and have ammo. Only firearm I have purchased and not fired. I keep it because the state hints at a straight wall cartridge firearm deer exception in the shotgun zone, may take it with as a backup elk rifle.

 

[FNSafari]

Worst...a Thompson Center compass rifle in 7mm-08. Good riddance to them!!

 

[dryhumor]

I had one that would shoot a pretty good group.

You just had to aim in the grass about 20 feet in front of the target.

 

[br1111]

Model 7 in 350 magnum. Easy on the eye, light weight and slender. But boy howdy was it a beast when it was time to play, almost vicious recoil.
Damned if that don’t sound like my first girlfriend, lol.

I would have kept her lol!

 

[redrockranger]

Anything RUGER............

 

[JohnHenry]

Another vote for the Ruger Mini-14. Accuracy sucked and after a couple hundred rounds it spontaneously converted to a full automatic occasionally. Sold it to a dealer at a gun show with full disclosure.

 

[CaptainMal]

Ruger #1 in 6mm Rem.

I did it ALL to that rifle. From front end spring bedding changes to back to trigger and ??? Best thing for it would be to drive it into the ground and tie the dog to it.