Practical firearms discussion: what to avoid

In the united states there is an overwhelming abundance of firearms of all types and configurations available for ownership by the general public. But not all firearms are created with an equal standard of quality, as it is simply not a possibility.

It is quite easy to recommend good firearms for serious use, be it hunting, sport, self defense, or other purposes. But what about firearms that should be avoided?

In the experience of yourself, what are some firearms that would be recommended against owning or even using, and why is such a recommendation made?

 

You get what you pay for. Stay away from cheap crap. Pretty simple.

 

Oh yeah, 01, 03, 07 FFL firearms dealer, 07 manufacturer, class 2 NFA dealer,,, for decades. Again, stay away from cheap crap.

 

It's not for me to say what to use or not use. I always recommend to customers to go to a range, rent a few guns and find out what you're comfortable with.

I myself, prefer single action revolvers and semi-auto pistols over DAO and striker fired pistols. I particularly dislike Glocks, the only gun that has ever slide bit me.

 

Regardless of firearms brands/models, I would say that any gun that you plan to use for self defense should have at least 200-300 rounds put through it before trusting it.

 

most of the guns made today work as intended. some brands are better for some popular uses as opposed to others. For example, the steel framed CZ family of pistols tend to dominate USPSA and Steel events due to their weight. Glocks and SW M&Ps are popular police sidearms due to their weight and capacity. Kahrs are good carry guns but need 300+ rounds to break them in. Glocks and MPs don't.

 

A well tuned SP-01 is so fun to shoot, especially with low velocity hand loads. Thanks, Cajun Gun Works and Dillon Precision.

 

If not more, and of those, that practiced with the same ammo as those intended to be carried for SD.
I normally don’t blanked discount any gun; most can be used for specific range of tasks, even cheap tackle box guns. But for certain tasks some are better than others, some are more forgiving of neglect than others, easier on the budget for some, some more manageable for diffferent shooters than others, etc. Why I don’t own one gun. However, I am still trying to acquire that Hollywood smart gun, the one that doesn’t miss even when not aimed by good guys, always misses for bad guys, and has a small, bottomless mag or endless cylinders and can take down any game in the world.

 

Amen to that! I often find myself aghast in conversations when someone says, "Oh, I've never shot this gun! I just carry it for defense..."

 

I'm one of those guys who is a traditionalist in what I like, but I also appreciate utilitarian, solid performance in my self-defense guns.

I grew up on DA revolvers and still have a deeply-held affection for them. I shoot them well under stress. A well-tuned S&W 65 K-frame .357 is about the best all-around carry gun I've ever used.

I love the 1911; but have had to accept that it can be a temperamental pistol that's more maintenance intensive than others. That said, I do still have a couple in my personal battery that are proven and trusted performers.

When it comes to modern striker fired, polymer pistols I've tried most... and keep coming back to the Glocks. Ugly, utilitarian... but dependable as hell. I've had a couple tuned to fit me, and they've never failed.

 

Well I just happen to be looking for a new carry gun to replace my S&W 411. Looking seriously at a Sig P227.

 

Can it be explained why some manufacturer has not produced a semi-automatic handgun that has the same appearance of the 1911, but it built with a modern internal design that alleviates these issues pertaining to maintenance and sensitivity? How hard could such ultimately be?

 

Single action only CZ-75/SP-01

 

I own lots of these-Czechmate (race gun) CTS (top of the line Limited Gun) Shadow II (stock Gun) SP-01-Home protection pistol. etc. the single action only versions include the CTS (custom shop) the TS (my wife shoots this) the new TS enhanced (just got) etc. have you seen this yet

https://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1UFHUD001&name=Hudson+H9+9MM+Handgun&groupid=11137

 

The Hudson H9 is one I am very much intrigued by. Been hesitant to get into a brand new design, first run pistol by a fledgling company; I tend to let it be out for a couple of years while they get the bugs out. I'm optimistic though; while some people have had problems with early production H9s the overall reports are positive. Interested in getting my hands on the new lightweight model they're going to be releasing.

 

Hi-Point makes a very affordible pistol, and has an unlimited lifetime warranty- you can break it on purpose and they'll still fix it for free (+shipping). It grips comfortably, shoots good, and is solid (tho quite heavy).

...and I still dont recomend it. The springs start wearing out after about 50 rds, which isn't worth the hassle of constantly shipping it off for replacement.

 

I would have to ask why? First, I have tuned 1911’s for many years to be as flawless as any gun. Second, 1911s were built for the FMJ and many issues are resolved using that round rather than the many varieties of other ammo design. Third, there are many manufactures that have tried slight mods that muck up the original designs. However, a couple manufacturers build excellent versions of the 1911... SIG sig comes to mind (despite that many are, I am not a Kimber fan). Fourth, after all these years I am amazed manufacturers haven’t incorporated in their finished products what many gunsmiths do 1911s to increase reliability such as polished throated barrels, better precision faceted ejectors and Fifth, there are many semi auto .45s that accomplish high levels for reliability and maintenance forgiveness and, for me, have excellent ergonomics as does my HK45C for me (as reliable as a Glock with any food). There are many good semi auto designs, each with their own advantages and idiosyncrasies.
Regardless of the design, any pistol can have failures because of pour maintenance and because mechanical parts can fail. Having the training on what to do if one fails should be a part of any regimen.
With most guns, I would say the weakest element is the owner.

however, throw one in your tackle box and lose it in a river not fret over the loss and it serves it’s purpose, not unlike a disposable camera... better than a a stick or nothing.

 

I guess if you dont plan on firing it, it would be a good gun...

 

I had a S&W 645, 45 acp, it had an external extractor, as well as an integral feed ramp (on the barrel) and that gun fed any ammo, I cared to feed it.

The only problems I ever had with 1911s
Were as follows,

1. Defective magazines
2. Extractor issues
3. Ammo feeding problem or sensitivity relayed to bullet type
4. Rare misc. stove pipes with some commercially re-loaded ammo brands.

 

I do not like Hi-Point handguns as they are way too large & Klunky for my needs and aesthetics.

I fail to see Glock handguns as Ugly.

I never saw Sigs as being pretty either, and certainly not prettier than a Glock.

 

Personally, I always have loved those 2nd gen S&Ws. I've owned a couple of 645s and they were always great shooters. I still own a 469 and a 669 that do regular duty as CCW sidearms. My wife stole my 3rd gen 6906...

 

Legitimately manufactured guns are still better than a lone wolf printed gun.

 

I probably work on more 1911’s than any gun...to be fare I have a rep in my area for tuning them for reliability, but many people get referred because they experience FTEs and FTFs and inadvertent slide stop engagement (usually by left handed shooters). Some of those are also caused by limpwristing, something I see with Glocks as well.
Many extractor issues occur because many don’t properly clean them welll in proper maintenance, an issue that can be mitigated by a slight camporing job, or an after market ejector that is better profiled...something that should be done at the factory.

But, regarding mags...they aren’t all equal, some work better than others for a specific gun. Lots can be an issue with mags, followers, poor seating, incorrect feeding angle for a specific gun, etc., some easily fixed, some just cheaper to get a better mag for that gun. There are a few makers of mags, like Chip Mcormic that make excellent mags... and despite my criticism for Kimber, they make good mags. I have a large array that I use for testing in various guns.

Most of the 1911’s I get for repair are compacts. The 1911 was particular to the FMJ round and the slide/recoil spring matchup. CC intended Compacts change the balance and can be finicky depending on the round being used, FMJ’s are still often the test measure, but different rounds can impact the critical cycling timing, mag to feed ramp engagement, bullet to mag lip angle, etc. all more critical in a compact 1911. While it would take a bit to explain why, the cure for FTEs/FTFs can often be as simple as finding the right # spring (Wolff sells multi spring # sets) that can be used to match a spring with different design or manufacture carry rounds, though carrying FMJs only can often solve the issue as well, and I would suggest still makes the .45 a good defensive round.

I can’t count the number of 1911’s I see with tool marks still left on feed ramps or on the ceiling of chambers, that still function with FMJs, but drag on various HPs, TCs, or SWCs. Again, something that can be resolved, but is also one of the most frequent DIYs attempted, thanks to YouTube, where the DIYer has mucked up the feed angle or undercut chamber support creating a potentially dangereous situation. Almost all of these problems can be resolved at the factory and I suspect that it isn’t done to keep cost down...ok for me...I make money.

The 1911 can be an excellent, reliable platform. It was great for what it was intended to do, launch a large cal round nose and drop and assailant better than the smaller lead round nose bullets at the time. It is still good for that, but given modern bullet design, the 9mm can match, if not exceed the performance of the .45, obviating the 45’s advantage. I still carry a .45 with my HK45c, but often mine is loaded with .450 SMC 160gr Barnes TAC-XP (1350 FPS), particularly in the MTNs hiking when I carry that round with 255gr SWC. (A 10mm could easily fill that roll, but I don’t own one).

 

If the 1911 is so finicky, and in need of so much tuning to make them run properly, why do they continue to remain so popular, as to warrant continuous production for one hundred and seven years without interruption?

 

Habit.