What bad guns have you bought, and why?

[ToddG]

Why do people buy bad guns? Instead, let's ask: What bad guns have you bought, and why?

• First pistol I ever bought was a Taurus PT-99. I wanted a P7M8 but couldn't justify the cost. My next choice was a Beretta 92FS, but the Taurus was just like it and was less money even though it had cool tactical adjustable sights. After the second trip to Taurus for repair, I sold it.
• BHP-40. Duane Thomas said it was the greatest combat pistol he'd ever touched and I bought one. Next month, he said the same thing about the HK USP40 and I bought one of those, too. The month after that he said it about a third gun and I stopped reading gun magazines.

[Kyle Reese]

Kimber 1911- Bought in early 2000 when I didn't know any better.

Sig P-226R Elite 9mm - Bought late 2009, shortly after I returned from Iraq. I hadn't heard about Sig's nose dive in quality in my absence.

Romanian Tokarev- Bought with my former C&R, long since sold.

Glock 31- Purchased in the summer of 2003, I sold it after having to buy more than 5 boxes of ammo for it.

Glock 37- Purchased in late 2004 / early 2005. Sold within a week of getting it as I pondered "What's the bloody point of this?"

Others over the past decade that have come and gone.

Hungarian PA 63
Walther PP (Manhurin)
Soviet Makarov
Nagant M1895 revolver
HK P7M8
Beretta 92 INOX
Walther P22 (Blech)
Walther P99
Glock 20
Glock 21
Glock 22
Glock 30
Glock 35
Sig P220
Sig P225
Sig P226 (West German)
Sig P229 .357

[MTechnik]

Beretta Storm Carbine.

It was my first gun of any kind. I bought it because I wanted a gun that could do "anything" and came in an affordable round.

The trigger was bad, but it was a lot of fun. However, it really didn't do any job well. It couldn't shoot from a bench, it isn't a pistol. It did point naturally and make holes with little recoil.

Sold it, got a marlin 39a, because I realized I needed a 22lr.

But then I found it is great if you are hunting rabbits and walking around in inclement weather with it. Which isn't my plan. I was shooting it from a bench. The trigger isn't good and isn't easy to change. The barrel isn't free floated, and to fix that would really bubba up the thing.

So it became cz452. Which I still have. The trigger is adjustable, and modifiable. The barrel is free floated, and it's as nice as I'm going to get without going crazy.

[jslaker]

Sig P-226R Elite 9mm - Bought late 2009, shortly after I returned from Iraq. I hadn't heard about Sig's nose dive in quality in my absence.

I've been quite lucky with my 2007 vintage P226R. Only issues I've had have been user-induced failure to lock back on last round. It's made me wonder if the action job that was done to it before I got my hands on it played a role there.

Glock 37- Purchased in late 2004 / early 2005. Sold within a week of getting it as I pondered "What's the bloody point of this?"

I've yet to figure out what the point of .45 GAP is. I know what the claim is, but the claim is a pretty dumb idea to begin with, IMO.

[Pistol Shooter]

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I bought a Mac 10 back in the mid eighties.

It was very accurate though.

[Kyle Reese]

There's no shame here...

[ToddG]

Didn't I just answer this in another thread?

[Joe in PNG]

• CZ-52- Though it looked kewl, and dang if it wasn't cheap! Broke a trigger spring, and I wound up trading it in for a Winchester 30/30.
• Taurus PT-100 .40cal- Also thought it looked kewl, and also cheap! It worked ok, but man, I don't know what the heck was the deal with the trigger disconnect. Like getting whacked with a thing you get painfully whacked with. Traded for a Sig 229 9mm.
• Glock 27 .40- I got this the same day my CCW arrived. I should have got the 26, but noooo, I wanted all that .40 S&W stopping power goodness. Yeah, and then I shot the thing. Owww oww owww owww. It was a rare day I shot up to 40 rounds through it. Traded it for a S&W Model 15 .38.
• Kel-tec PF-9 9mm- Was looking for a pocket pistol more powerful than my Baby Browning .25. Got this one, shot it, and found something more painful than my old Glock 27. I fired one shot of Winchester White box, and carefully put the gun down. Traded it for a lovely S&W Model 64 snubbie soon after (I love K-frames).

[JodyH]

I haven't really bought any "dogs".
My first pistol was a Ruger P89 then I upgraded to a Berreta 92, then a Glock 17.
All of them ran great, even the Ruger.
I went through a lot of guns as experimental toys, but my serious gun has always been a good gun.
My worst purchase was a Kimber compact 1911 back in the early 90's.
That was my first and last 1911.

[willowofwisp]

Worst purchase ever, A DoubleStar 1911, the gun broke the sear during the first 50 rounds, got the gun back and it was failing to return to battery and the hammer was riding the slide home..I immediately sold it off and replaced it with a Les Baer PII