worst rifle ever!

[Jasongar8]

A couple spring to mind.

The Chauchat. Funnily enough another French failure....

The original SA80, the L85A1 IW, is one of the worst I've ever been forced to deal with. Unreliable to the point of literally falling apart in use. Nice idea behind the SUSAT sight, but they fogged up at anything above 1% humidity. We were issued with these original versions during Basic Training & mine got me so much punishment detail it's not even funny. I actually broke my Leiutenant's thumb during an inspection because the bolt handle sheared off & I accidentally hit him with it.

The newer A2 version, however, is a dream & I'd love to own one now

While I don't have any first hand experience with a Chauchat, it has a horrible reputation. I saw one for sale last week at the machine gun shoot for like $6k. It had a sign under it that said, "This gun is a piece of crap. Unless you can perform miracles, it will never run right."

[TMF]

I wouldn't go so far as to say "Worst gun ever made" buuuut I'm inclined to sympathize with Mike on this. A very well built rifle, that's why I can't say "Worst" but it's entirely too short to make good use of such a cartridge. Weight, while not feather weight, is still a bit light to handle such a cartridge. Flash in low light is ridiculous or impressive depending on your point of view. Accuracy, while not too bad, is still nowhere near what the cartridge is capable of. I will say half the accuracy woes of the M44 are operator induced, but my God! Flinching is to be expected.

This reasoning is why out of about a half dozen or so I have owned... the last one I sold will be the last one I ever own.

Mine was a "just for fun" purchase when I was younger. I got it at an auction for 80 bucks and just wanted it because of the hammer and sickle stamped on the receiver (mine is a russian). I took it out back with some ammo that came with it and when I fired a 3 foot flame came out the end (daytime). I've never shot past 50 meters and probably never will. I just like having it in the collection and occasionally take it out for family and friends for a good shoulder bruising muzzle flash action.

[whiskey]

Ultra Light Handi Rifle. I bought a UL handi in .243. It wouldn't shoot minute of paper plate at 50 yards. I tried playing with it, doing the helpful hints I found on the net, brough a dozen different rounds to test, only shot 1 round every 15 minutes, changed scopes and mounts.... it still wouldn't shoot for crap. So I sold it and bought a UL Handi in .223. I figured I had just gotten a lemon with .243. Wrong. The .223 had the same crappy results. Being a stubborn fool, I tried even harder to get the .223 to shoot. It wouldn't.

[gregintenn]

AR-15.

[Caster]

AR-15.

Yeah you better stay hid under that chair too!

[Mike.357]

Handi Rifle is on the list too. I don't own one but a friend does. The stock is shaped in such a manner thatt I can't get a sight picture.

[mk19]

Mosin Nagant M44. I hated it so much I sold it. Some time passed and I forgot how much I hated it so I got another. The bad memories came right back. Traded it away. I will not go down that road again.

I'd have to agree, the M44 is just a bad design, I had one (ofcourse had to get rid of it) to be so called somewhat accurate you have to have the bayonet open, if not it shoots to the left. Top ten worst rifle.

[Caster]

I found the M44 to have one GREAT utility that few others have. I used to carry mine to the range whether I wanted to shoot it or not. Then, should any yayhoos of dubious personal character/quality take up residence at a bench adjacent to me, whip out the M44 and more often than not, they'd find another place to haunt.

[Guest GunTroll]

I found the M44 to have one GREAT utility that few others have. I used to carry mine to the range whether I wanted to shoot it or not. Then, should any yayhoos of dubious personal character/quality take up residence at a bench adjacent to me, whip out the M44 and more often than not, they'd find another place to haunt.

Good tactic. Funny, they probably thought the same of you.....while walking away.

[Caster]

Good tactic. Funny, they probably thought the same of you.....while walking away.

I can all but guarantee you being right;)

[Ramjo]

French MAS comes to mind.....wait ANY French rifle comes to mind.

This.

Edited October 22, 2011 by Ramjo

[Ramjo]

I found the M44 to have one GREAT utility that few others have. I used to carry mine to the range whether I wanted to shoot it or not. Then, should any yayhoos of dubious personal character/quality take up residence at a bench adjacent to me, whip out the M44 and more often than not, they'd find another place to haunt.

Yeah if that bayonet don't scare them off, the blast and concussion will. Oh and since the rest of you don't like M44s, I would be glad to take one off someones hands.

[Guest pfries]

Any of them in "your" Safe because they are not in "Mine"....

As far as the M44 goes I can knock pop cans at 100 yards with mine and for what the rifle was made for that was plenty accurate.

[Mason]

This is gonna stir up some stink but I hate the 10/22 platform. I have two of them and shot MANY others over the years. They are unreliable, feel cheap,overpriced,overrated, and frankly have no personality. I have paid a lot less money for Marlin model 60's and 795's that shoot group better and actually feed out of the box. I know everyone loves the Ruger 10/22 because they have such a great aftermarket selection but come on why spend more than you paid for the gun in accessories just to make it shoot. Come on guys get something with character or something that groups and feeds.

[I_Like_Pie]

This is gonna stir up some stink but I hate the 10/22 platform. I have two of them and shot MANY others over the years. They are unreliable, feel cheap,overpriced,overrated, and frankly have no personality. I have paid a lot less money for Marlin model 60's and 795's that shoot group better and actually feed out of the box. I know everyone loves the Ruger 10/22 because they have such a great aftermarket selection but come on why spend more than you paid for the gun in accessories just to make it shoot. Come on guys get something with character or something that groups and feeds.

Slow friday huh? There is a difference in what one person hates vs.what is generally panned. the 10/22 if far from the bottom of anyone's list who has generally owned a large amount of firearms. I have never seen one that wouldn't do 1" at 50 yards or better.

However reality isn't very relevant for some.

I believe the proper description of such a person is...contrarian

[Mason]

What's with the name calling? I have owned a respectable number of 22 rifles and as stated, my luck with the 10/22 left me scratching my head. I have not shot one that can get through a factory 10 round magazine without some kind of failure. Your experiance may vary.

[I_Like_Pie]

Contrarian is an adjective in this context. Referring to your previous post...it means basically "This is gonna stir up some stink"

It is not name calling. "Troll" would be name calling. Not contrarian. There is a difference.

[Jonnin]

What's with the name calling? I have owned a respectable number of 22 rifles and as stated, my luck with the 10/22 left me scratching my head. I have not shot one that can get through a factory 10 round magazine without some kind of failure. Your experiance may vary.

The mags and fit for them vary a lot. Wife *had* to have the darn pink tatical solutions 10/22 and it would ONLY work with the 10 rounder that came with it, finally bought an official ruger brand 25 round mag that worked but what a hassle. They do not seem to have a true feed ramp, but rely on the mag to fit just so, and if the mag does not fit just so, it causes no end of problems.

[turkeydad]

I love how the French MAS and the Chauchat were referenced so quickly. .only the military savants that brought the world The Maginot Line could produce such effective hardware. . "Oui Oui Pierre. .those pesky Germans will never try to take our truffles again! Oh, merci Jean-Claude. . Im sure they will never figure out you can just drive around this thing. . now give me a big kiss. . "

[roverboy]

I gotta agree with GunTroll on the Rem. 770. The Rem. 710 ain't that great either. Mossberg didn't build a gem with the 100ATR either. I understand that companies want to build affordable rifles that will sell in our crappy economy but, some of them are just junk. I had a Mossberg 100 ATR that I sent back to them 3 times for a broke extractor. I guess I probably only shot it a total of about 200 times. I sold it for a lot less than I had in it and was still glad to get rid of it.

[Guest GunTroll]

Contrarian is an adjective in this context. Referring to your previous post...it means basically "This is gonna stir up some stink"

It is not name calling. "Troll" would be name calling. Not contrarian. There is a difference.

Hey now!

[QuietDan]

Ultra Light Handi Rifle. I bought a UL handi in .243. It wouldn't shoot minute of paper plate at 50 yards. I tried playing with it, doing the helpful hints I found on the net, brough a dozen different rounds to test, only shot 1 round every 15 minutes, changed scopes and mounts.... it still wouldn't shoot for crap. So I sold it and bought a UL Handi in .223. I figured I had just gotten a lemon with .243. Wrong. The .223 had the same crappy results. Being a stubborn fool, I tried even harder to get the .223 to shoot. It wouldn't.

Nothing personal, but I've got a pair of Handi Rifles, one in .223 and one in .308. I like em just fine, and the .308 especially shoots well. They're so simple and straightforward there just isn't a lot to go wrong with them.

If you still have the .223, have you considered an exorcist?

[K191145]

Mosin Nagant M44. I hated it so much I sold it. Some time passed and I forgot how much I hated it so I got another. The bad memories came right back. Traded it away. I will not go down that road again.

I have the Polish M44, it has the smoothest finish, best bluing and smoothest action of any Mosin Nagant I have ever shot. It is what it is, a carbine military rifle so it can't be compared to a modern hunting rifle but it was the best $75 I ever spent. I haven't shot it enough to really try to dial it in or adjust the front site but I can hit a paper plate at 100 yards so I can kill a deer with it if I have no scoped Rem700. I haven't had a rifle I hated or could call a worst rifle and my M44 was cheap and is fun to shoot so it's far from a worst rifle to me.

[IggyBcool]

Just curious, what is wrong with the Rem 770?

[bajabuc]

Springfield Trapdoor in 45/70 ask anyone of Custers men.