When purchasing a firearm, evaluate several vital factors, including the gun’s size, safety features, reliability, and accuracy. Affordability is another important consideration, but opting for a cheaper firearm often means compromising on these other critical aspects. It’s essential to balance cost and quality to ensure you’re making a sound investment. With that in mind, here are some of the worst guns in America that you should think twice about before buying.
Colt revolving rifles
These were early repeating rifles made by Colt’s Manufacturing Company. These rifles were susceptible to chain fire issues. Due to the revolving cylinder design, it often sprayed lead splinters into the user’s wrist and hand. This rifle has a complicated loading process as percussion caps and compressing cartridges with a plunger must be placed. Also, it is less accurate and has a limited range due to its design.
The Chauchat
Named after Colonel Louis Chauchat, this rifle was the standard machine rifle or light machine gun of the French Army during World War I. The 8mm Lebe version, was widely used by the American Expeditionary Forces, and was officially designated as Automatic Rifle, Model 1915 (Chauchat).
To speed up production, the construction was simplified and quality was compromised. The magazines were a major issue as they caused about 75% of the stoppages. Since the rifle was made of thin metal and was open at one side, mud and dust entered, causing malfunctions. The design of this firearm was an issue in muddy trenches as the exposed magazines and low-quality parts caused it to malfunction.
Colt 2000
The Colt 2000 was an American company’s response to the Austrian Glock pistol. Although it was developed by the inventor of the original AR-15 rifle, Reed Knight Jr. and Eugene Stoner, it was a big failure. The design was good, with a frame made of polymer, a metal slide, and a magazine that could hold 15 bullets. However, in reality, the gun had several issues- it often got jammed, was inaccurate, and had safety issues. This gun was supposed to rule 21st-century handguns but only lasted four years in the US market.
Colt 1855
Another Colt series, the Colt 1855, is considered as one of the worst guns ever made. About 150 years ago, Colt tried to make cylinder rifles similar to the Cimarron and the Circuit Judge with the Colt Model 1855, but it wasn’t successful. The gun had several issues, like burning powder and hot gases escaping from the cylinder gap, which was so close to the shooter’s face that it was quite disturbing.
Street Sweeper
Armsel Striker, known as Street Sweeper in the US, was produced by Cobray. The gun could hold 12 rounds of 12 gauge. However, it was not very fast at firing, in fact, even a carbon-fouled Remington 1100 could shoot faster. It also took a long time to reload. The gun was declared a National Firearms Act (NFA) item as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) ruled it wasn’t suitable for hunting or sports purposes.
Mossberg 500 Cruiser
The Mossberg 500 Cruiser comes in 6-shot or 8-shot configurations that fit with a traditional pistol grip. This pistol grip version has been criticized for its poor handling and difficulty controlling recoil. Users also reported several other issues, like jams, light primer strikes, and bad springs in the trigger pack.
KEL-TEC PF-9
KEL-TEC PF-9 was designed to be an affordable 9mm pistol, however, it had several drawbacks. The small size of the gun makes it hard for people with larger hands to shoot. The trigger had many issues, like the possibility of breaking the trigger access pin, the trigger not resetting, the spring not having enough tension and the hammer not striking properly. Also, its recoil is bad.
Smith & Wesson CSX
There are two main issues with this model- the trigger and slide bite issues. The false reset of trigger affected its reliability and performance. Also, the slide movement can cause discomfort or injure the user’s hand after shooting a few hundred rounds.
Diamond Back DB 380
It is a polymer-framed sub-compact handgun. Over time, users might face several failures such as the striker won’t reset properly, and there could be reliability issues with trigger.
28 Remington R51
The Remington R51 had a great concept, as the pistol had a different action compared to the standard Browning locking action. However, it had serious design flaws. Although the design looked appealing, it had reliability problems—it would fail to feed, eject, and extract. The worst issue is that it had safety concerns. It could fire out of battery, i.e., it could fire before the slide was fully closed.
Springfield XD
Springfield XD is often compared to Glock, but it is not as reliable as Glock. Its grip safety can be problematic for people with small or weak hands, which can impact the overall usability and shooting experience for some users.
Sig Sauer P320
Sig Sauer P320 has drop safety issues. It would go off if hit with a force or fell on the ground. Although Sig did a recall and replaced the triggers, it still had problems as it would still go off. Also, the trigger didn’t have manual safety.
Desert Eagle 50 AE
The size and weight are large and heavy, making it difficult to conceal. The recoil can be hard to handle, which makes controlling the gun and firing follow-up shots challenging. The magazine capacity is not that great. It has reliability issues. It is expensive, both the purchase price and also the cost of ammo.
POF Tombstone
Although the design is visually appealing, it has several issues. The foremost concern being reliability issues. It isn’t cheap, so when you are spending your hard-earned money, you would expect better performance and dependability, which this gun fails to deliver.
Beretta Nano
Although this is a compact pistol, it has several flaws. Beretta Nano is widely criticized for its reliability issues. Users complained about problems like jamming and failure to feed. This gun’s design may be appealing and easy to carry, but its small size and heavy trigger pull make it challenging to shoot accurately, especially for those with larger hands. Also, the lack of a substantial grip area can make the gun challenging.
Rock Island M 200
It’s an affordable revolver with a visually impressive design. However, it is not reliable and may pose safety issues. The cylinder is not perfectly lined up with the bore, which can lead to catastrophic failure if it is too far off.
Remington RP9
It is a problematic handgun with a flawed design. It has a large slide, and its heavy nose can be troublesome to balance and handle. It is known for being unreliable and has issues with trigger slap, which can make a shooter uncomfortable.
The Deringer
Although it is a great carry gun due to its compact size and good design, it has several disadvantages. First, the Deringer holds only two rounds, and second, the bullets exit the barrel at a slower speed. Reloading is slow and complicated. Lastly, the gun is difficult to hold and aim accurately.
Bersa Thunder
Although it is a unique and popular compact gun, it has several disadvantages. Its double-action trigger pull is heavy, making it hard to hold the grip and difficult to aim accurately, especially for those with weaker hands. It has limited magazine capacity and has reliability issues, like failures to feed and eject.
Heizer Defense Pocket AR/AK
These compact pistols have several drawbacks. Using rifle cartridges in such a short barrel might lead to poor performance. The noise, recoil, and muzzle flash can be overwhelming, making the user experience uncomfortable.
Walther P22
It is a semi-automatic pistol, which is popular among shooting sports. However, it received several complaints about its build quality and reliability. Some of the issues reported by users are slide cracking, failure to feed and inconsistent performance.
Charter Arms Undercover
It is a compact, five-shot revolver designed for concealed carry. However, it faced criticism because of its build quality and mechanical issues. Due to the revolver’s short barrel and fixed sights, its reliability and accuracy were challenging.
Kahr CW9
It is a compact semi-automatic pistol with a longer barrel and a grip that fits comfortably in the hand. However, the main drawback is its heavy and gritty trigger pull. Some users also had issues with reliability and accuracy.
Ruger LC9
Ruger LC9 is a recoil operated, semi-automatic pistol. Although it had safety features, it faced criticism because of its heavy and gritty trigger pull, which affected accuracy. Users also reported reliability issues.
USFA (Single Action Revolver)
U.S. Fire Arms Manufacturing Company (USFA) was founded in 2003 by Douglas Donnelly. This company has apparently made a few models, most of which are similar to each other. Although this company was praised, its reputation declined since it ceased its production in 2006. The major issue with this gun was said to be its poor design. Although it’s historically accurate and can be used as a collection, the design isn’t practical and safe. Other disadvantages are: they are expensive; they are limited to a small market and finding replacement parts is difficult.
