What is the worst rifle you have ever owned?

[elmerfudd555]

336 Marlin in 444. Kicked like a damn mule, was heavy and not all that powerful. Traded it for a number 1 in 270 and it was my second worst POS. Wouldn't hold zero for more than one day. Traded it for a new A Bolt in 7mm-08 and never looked back.

 

[IdaRam]

Custom Shop Remington 700 in .416 Rem Mag. I bought it for $900 with a Leupold 2.5 - 8 Vari-X III at a gun show about 15 years ago. Thought I found the deal of century, this thing looked brand new! It turns out the guy was dumping it off for a reason. Several of them actually.
First thing I discovered was the mag floor plate wouldn't open. No way, no how, the dang thing wasn't coming open. My bad, in my haste to buy the gun I didn't even drop the floor plate. A dremel tool to the stock fixed the problem.
Next issue, gun wouldn't shoot worth a damn. Upon further inspection of the bore I found a groove across all the lands about an inch and a half down from the muzzle. I guess the reamer had caught a chip or something and left a nice radial groove that shaved copper off each bullet as it passed. Hard to see in a clean bore, but it sure showed up after firing. Great... What to do? Don't really want to shorten the barrel by a couple inches
The gun sat in my safe for 10 years kind of forgotten about. Then I got a wild hair and decided I should build a 7mm STW. So I got a nice cut rifled barrel from Rock Creek and started my STW project. The threads and face of that action were so out of whack I couldn't believe it. I have never seen an action with that much runout in the threads. Wasn't sure I was even going to be able to true them up. And this is a Custom Shop gun???
In the end I wound up with a pretty nice rifle that shoots and functions well. I've taken bear, mule deer and moose with it and I like the rifle pretty well now, but it certainly diminished my desire to buy another Remington 700. It really bums me out to see the overall quality of rifles being produced by most manufacturers today. Sigh... Remington is not alone in letting sub standard crap out the door that should never see the light of day

 

[Velo Dog]

Custom Shop Remington 700 in .416 Rem Mag. I bought it for $900 with a Leupold 2.5 - 8 Vari-X III at a gun show about 15 years ago. Thought I found the deal of century, this thing looked brand new! It turns out the guy was dumping it off for a reason. Several of them actually.
First thing I discovered was the mag floor plate wouldn't open. No way, no how, the dang thing wasn't coming open. My bad, in my haste to buy the gun I didn't even drop the floor plate. A dremel tool to the stock fixed the problem.
Next issue, gun wouldn't shoot worth a damn. Upon further inspection of the bore I found a groove across all the lands about an inch and a half down from the muzzle. I guess the reamer had caught a chip or something and left a nice radial groove that shaved copper off each bullet as it passed. Hard to see in a clean bore, but it sure showed up after firing. Great... What to do? Don't really want to shorten the barrel by a couple inches
The gun sat in my safe for 10 years kind of forgotten about. Then I got a wild hair and decided I should build a 7mm STW. So I got a nice cut rifled barrel from Rock Creek and started my STW project. The threads and face of that action were so out of whack I couldn't believe it. I have never seen an action with that much runout in the threads. Wasn't sure I was even going to be able to true them up. And this is a Custom Shop gun???
In the end I wound up with a pretty nice rifle that shoots and functions well. I've taken bear, mule deer and moose with it and I like the rifle pretty well now, but it certainly diminished my desire to buy another Remington 700. It really bums me out to see the overall quality of rifles being produced by most manufacturers today. Sigh... Remington is not alone in letting sub standard crap out the door that should never see the light of day

I agree with you.
Furthermore, call me a grouchy old man but, I feel that Remington began their tail spin down toward the rocks when they quit making the model 721 and 722 series, in favor of their flashier looking Model 700 series.
I have owned several of both and still have one Model 700 but, once I get this one sold, I will never own another 700.
These were never my favorite design but, I did used to like them very much.
Now my tastes are changing.
Might get another 721 or 722 again (underline "might") but never again the pimped-out, aluminum floor plate, plastic coated stock (or plastic stock these days) 700.
(Neither will I buy another so called "Custom Shop" rifle from CZ either, for the reasons I have ranted much about in this thread, as well as the past "CZ In .500 Jeffery Doesn't Feed" thread.
These companies need to rename their "Custom Shop" products perhaps to: "Reaming Shop" products.

 

[Timt]

One of my previous dream rifles turned out to be a real pos...
Sako TRG 42 in 338LM...
Brand new rifle of the new model with all the upgrades and all the extras. Was happy as anything with the rifle when I picked it up. Had to wait two weeks to get some ammo for it and another week to have time to go out and shoot it.

Load up the magazine and push it into place. I shoot the first three rounds and zero the scope, all three rounds are touching in a nice three clover pattern.

I fire a quick 5 round group and reload the magazine, when I go to put it back into the rifle I notice that the safety won't engage and is stuck rock solid into place.
I head back home and call the dealer up and he tells me to come back in with the rifle and he will send it over to Sako.

A month later the rifle returns and I take the dealer out with me to the shooting range to see if it is fixed. The safety engages as it should from the start but as soon as I fire five rounds down range the problem comes back!

Another round to Sako, this time close to two months with their technical staff and it comes back....

Once again I take the dealer with me and start putting rounds down range. Now it doesn't feed reliably and the same problem with the safety comes back.. At this point I'm swearing and the dealer is in a worse state than me.
We get back to his shop and strip the rifle down to have a good look at what the problem is.
We find out that the only thing they have done is to reset the safety as it gets stuck on a piece of metal that is finished badly.

Five minutes of work with a file to remove the rough edges from the casting and taking the magazine apart and removing excess oil the rifle both feeds like it should and the safety will not hang up and everything works like it should.

Since I feel I can't trust the rifle anymore and I am so unhappy with the communication from Sako it is now sold and I will never own a Sako again.
It's a pity as it was shooting 1/2 moa groups at 450yds.

 

[tarbe]

I would have had a hard time letting that Sako go after finally getting it sorted out!

 

[colorado]

My worst rifle was a Ruger M77 I bought in 1978 in 270. Nothing wrong with it, just wouldn't shoot better than 2". My Rem BDL in 270 shot nickel sized groups at 100 yards, still does so I sold the Ruger and lost a hundred dollars. Really bought it out of curiosity. Bought a Rem XCR II in 2011 in 375 H&H for $600 that wouldn't chamber Remington factory 300g A-Frame ammo. Turned out extractor was too big. Had Kevin Weaver replace the extractor with a Sako extractor, weld the bolt handle on just because I'm paranoid, replace the factory firing pin with a heavier pin and spring, and rechamber it to 375 Weatherby. I have about $1000 into it now and I love the rifle. Shoots sub-MOA, weighs 7 1/4 lbs with Talley QR rings and a Leupold 2-7x Firedot scope. Recoil is mild, gave it to my youngest son.

 

[Waterguy631]

A Mini 14 could never get that thing to even shoot MInute of a barn

 

[BWH]

I don't get the hate for the Mini -14..... I used to bust coyotes with my uncles 30years ago. Now I throw 1" groups @ 100..... I actually own 2 mini 14's & 1 Mini 30.....very solid American product. Guessing just had good luck. I did do trigger jobs......down to about 3-4lbs..... Throw good factory ammo. No cheap shit. I think people use crap ammo & expect a masterpiece down range. Can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

 

[Waterguy631]

No cheap ammo hear I try everything in it also hand loaded for it trying to find a sweetspot no luck could get it to shoot 2 reasonably close together but any more and it looked like a shotgun pattern.

 

[Russel. G. Keith]

Hi Guys.
I used a 378 Weatherby mag *&^&^%*worst piece of dung I have ever used and it truly slapped me about. I could not get rid of it fast enough
I have never touched another Weatherby since nor will I ever.
A true B with an itch if there ever was one.
keep safe
Russel
Truth be told in all likley hood it was the stock design and length of pull that let it down. I dont know but I do know that it is the only rifle that has truly hurt me.

 

[B9.3]

Hi Guys.
I used a 378 Weatherby mag *&^&^%*worst piece of dung I have ever used and it truly slapped me about. I could not get rid of it fast enough
I have never touched another Weatherby since nor will I ever.
A true B with an itch if there ever was one.
keep safe
Russel
Truth be told in all likley hood it was the stock design and length of pull that let it down. I dont know but I do know that it is the only rifle that has truly hurt me.

It surprises me to hear that. I quite enjoyed using the 378 Weatherby. I always believed that gunwriters just kept recycling the original comment regarding recoil. While it is brisk it is not really offensive & does not kick as hard as a 458.. The Weatherby Mark V is a truly beautiful rifle. Slick,smooth & very strong. I have owned 8 of them & would never be without one.
The stock is well designed & very comfortable. My beautiful Winchester Model 70 Safari Express 375 H&H actually seems to kick harder than my Weatherby Mark V Euromark 375 Weatherby Magnum. A rifle I dearly love & trust. So I guess it is each to their own.

 

[Russel. G. Keith]

Hi B9.3
What you say may well be true and perhaps I just ended up with a bad rifle with head spacing problems or what ever.
I have used 458"s ,375 Sako lights and rifle grenades off an FNFAL and others but non have hurt me to the extent that 378 did.
So yes you may well be correct but that is what makes our sport/addiction so much fun and gives us so much to talk/argue about
Have a good one keep safe
Russel

 

[B9.3]

Hi B9.3
What you say may well be true and perhaps I just ended up with a bad rifle with head spacing problems or what ever.
I have used 458"s ,375 Sako lights and rifle grenades off an FNFAL and others but non have hurt me to the extent that 378 did.
So yes you may well be correct but that is what makes our sport/addiction so much fun and gives us so much to talk/argue about
Have a good one keep safe
Russel

It might have been Length of pull or some other factor. Maybe the stock did not suit you..
One of my favourite rifles, my CZ550 American 9.3x62 started feeling uncomfortable because I have Bursitus in my shoulder. However my Weatherby didn't bother me as it had a shorter length of pull & I didn't have to extend my arm as far. I took the Limbsaver pad off it & docked a half inch off the 14" LOP. At 13 1/2" LOP it is perfect. Length of pull definitely made a difference in my case. The bonus is a much quicker full sight picture thro' my Zeiss Victory HT. I agree with you. I enjoy friendly debate & opinions. Some want to argue on different online forums, I'm not one of them. We are all pursuing the same enjoyment & interests.

 

[Longwalker]

Not one rifle or shotgun, but several over several years. Remingtons. I just won't consider buying another Remington piece of crap again. The list includes: very rough, creepy triggers, mis-aligned sights cocked several degrees off top dead centre, , scope mount screws off centre, chamber throats too long and too short, bolt stop that was so rough and sticky the bolt would fall out, bad fit and finish, failures to feed, bad magazine followers that would stick, and more. Remington are built to appeal to a budget price shopper and to make the manufacturer money, all else is secondary. Life is too short to put up with any more of their crap.

 

[8x68]

Worst rifle I ever had was a Globe Firearms .303 British. It would only fire when it wanted to or if you "slapped it up side of the head".
I saw it at a gunsmiths shop and though "hey something different" (can't believe I traded a .303 Jungle Carbine for it.....still kicking myself)
Successive trips to the range started to yield interesting stubbornness to want to co-operate with me (an uncanny resemblance to marriage!!!).
I tried to fire it one day and she said no......wait for it.....bang. I was using factory ammo not cheap military stuff. So I though sticky firing mechanism. Cleaned it up. Came back to the range a week later. Squeeze....."click"....SOB was my first thought. Waited the 30 seconds or so before I cleared the action. Here's the fun part....went to pull the bolt back by the bolt handle and ...BANG the gun goes off. Much more non printable words as the bolt slammed my hand into my nose. After the stars and tears were cleared up it was back to the drawing board. Checked firing pin spring, trigger sear, etc and the usual culprits. Went back to the range a bit more apprehensive this time. Loaded a round (thank goodness it didn't fire), squeeze the trigger...."click"...hmmm. I was a bit smarter this time and hit the side of the gun and ...BANG.....BBBBBANG. The mag had five rounds in it. They was all gone!
I thought this is going back to the place I bought it from......but we had to try one more mag. I was brave and put 10 in the mag. Loaded up carefully pushed the bolt forward. No bang. Good I thought. Squeezed the trigger....BBBBBBBBBBang. The other people that were shooting beside me wanted to know why I was shooting a machine gun, and weren't thrilled about being peppered with brass casings. It went back to the store the next day. I guess that's what you get when you buy a $250 semi auto.

 

[Timbo]

Thankfully I've only had 2 firearms that were absolute buckets of pus!! These were:

1) Savage .22 Hornet: it never shot accurately, and the metal work (box magazine and trigger guard) was actually pressed steel. The stock was awkward and the side scope mounts as supplied, never inspired confidence. Crap rifle.

2) Mosberg 12g pump action shotgun: it was always prone to jamming - even with factory ammo! The variable choke was a joke - my mate resorted to holding the gun by the muzzle and "chalk up" - like a pool cue! - before each shot!! Totally useless!

 

[meigsbucks]

T/C TCR 83. The rifle wasn’t bad. Double set triggers, interchangeable barrels (I had .22/250 and 7mm mag barrels) and a forend that detached like a double barrel shotgun. The .22/250 barrel would only do about an inch. The 7 mag would do 1.25 to 1.5” except for the 150gr Rem factory load which would do .8”.
The big problem was the design of the safety. It was a cross bolt at the front of the trigger guard. But in order to disengage it, you had to depress this little button and then slide the safety over. Talk about a safety designed by a lawyer!
One other problem was that the inside of the forearm wasn’t sealed properly and after hunting with it in rain and snow for several days it swelled and shot high causing me to miss a nice Julie. Fortunately I had another rifle along and took a buck the next day. That was an easy fix.
I wish I still had it for collector purposes, however, it was “stollen”.
Second place goes to a Golden Eagle M7000 in .300 Wby mag. It was a sharp looking rifle. in fact it looked similar to a Weatherby and it was very accurate. However, it had rear locking lugs. This proved to be it’s biggest issue. It would stretch cases like you wouldn’t believe. Seldom could I get more than two firings from a piece of brass. I had a gunsmith check headspace. It checked out. It too, went bye bye with the TCR 83 and several other guns.

 

[BnC 04]

Model 700 Rem in 7mm back in my younger days. Best served as a boat oar or tire iron.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

My worst rifle? Russian Mosin.

 

[crs]

I consider myself blessed with never having a really dud rifle, shotgun or pistol.
Bur then, I have not owned very many of them either.
All S& W revolvers and pistols
All Winchester rifles
All Parker shotguns.
The few exceptions to the above were VERY carefully selected and used. Some of those guns required customizing and tuning to best suit my needs and I still own nearly every gun I ever bought. Maybe my expectations are too low?

Boring is it not?