The gun that surprised you the most

[Stainless44]

I once bought a S&W 625-3 at an auction along with a bunch of other guns. My plan was to immediately sell it as I couldn't think of a single reason to have a revolver chambered in .45 ACP...and what a pain it would be to have to use moon-clips.

Dang...was I EVER wrong. After shooting it once, it became one of my favorite guns. I love the .45 ACP in a revolver because I don't have to chase my brass everywhere.

My son was probably 10 when I got the gun and it instantly became his favorite gun in the collection. I've never been so wrong about a gun in my life...it was a huge positive surprise.

What's your story? What gun surprised you the most...positive or negative?

 

[Skye]

The .45 auto was my biggest surprise.

Shot .22 competition rifle for many years and wanted to go to pistol because I could no longer get into the four positions.

A friend who was a lifetime pistol master mentored my and told me He could get me ready for pistol competition in one year.

At years end, he sold me a National Match .45 (predecessor of the Gold Cup) and I found out how accurate a .45 really is.

Skye

 

[Seraphim]

An old Astra model 600D I picked up because it was cheap in a pawn shop. Looked nice and shot great. Pointed perfectly and naturally for me.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the early 70's my older brother bought a Ruger Blackhawk in 357. He was shooting it off the back deck, the surprise was it shaved lead every shot! He got rid of it and got another same problem. I heard that they got better so in the early 80's I bought a Super Blackhawk in 45 Colt, it never shaved lead, but couldn't hit a barn from inside. So I went with S&W 25's and 625's and have been happy with everything but the cost. Ivan

 

[Hillbilly77]

My 29 surprised me.
I didn't ever care about owning a .44 magnum, and I'm not supposed to like shrouded extractors, either.

Somehow, when I saw this gun for sale, I just couldn't help myself - I fell in love with it.

I added the scope & the Kuracs shortly after buying it, and now it's near the top of the list of my favorites.

I can't wait until hunting season this fall.....

 

[yashua-p]

I have shot the Astra 400 in 9MM Largo since the late 60s. Bought my first from Walter Craig for $17. Excellent. My greatest surprise has been the S&W 329PD. Even with the wood stocks, I find it a pleasure to shoot I never take it to the range with more than fifty rounds, though.

regards

yashua

 

[wrhk33]

I have two. Around 1989 I got a used HK P-7. I never liked the looks of them but for some reason I thought I would give it a try. It became one of my favorites. It is a gun you have to try, most love it or hate it.

Around 1993 I saw a S&W 625 on the cover of a gun magazine. I was not into revolvers at the time but thought it was really odd that someone would want one in 45 ACP. Why??? I don't get it. Well fast forward about 20 years, I picked one up. I love it. Since I don't reload I really like the price of the ammo compared to 44 special/mag., and 45 Colt. The 45ACP has so many self defense loads and you don't have to worry about them feeding in the revolver like you do in a semi auto.

 

[rwsmith]

My 3rd gen.....

The first few mags sprayed wildly over the range. I even hit the target holder. I was thinking, "What an awful gun." Well, the next few mags I got the hang of the DA trigger and convinced myself that I had a real peach and now I wouldn't trade it in for everything.

Most disappointing gun. I got a Kel Tec P-11 mostly because the price was right and I was nearly broke, but I needed something to carry or have in the car. It's is the most UN-fun gun I ever fired. I believe it will do the intended job but training with it is a total bear. I'm not going to trade it in (soon) but a Shield, Sig, Kahr..about anything would be nicer shooting than the Kel Tec. The Kel Tec only weights like 12 oz.
,

 

[walnutred]

Two come to mind mainly because they fit their intended uses so well. First is a KAHR CW40 that I bought when I wanted something with more punch than the 380 I was carrying. It has served that roll well.

The other is a 10/22TD that I bought as a behind the seat gun. Over the years I've owned a couplefirearms that I'd bought for that roll but they never really worked for me. A H&R snake charmer, Springfield M6 22Hornet/410, a couple Charter M7s, to name a few. This Ruger works well in that roll though.

 

[CajunBass]

I've got two. Someone else mentioned the Kel-Tec P-11. I can't say I was disapointed with it, but man that thing kicked like a mule. After 50 rounds my arm would tingle for a week. It was a reliable gun though and small enough to conceal most anywhere.

When I first started to read these "gun boards" it seemed every other day someone would ask about a gun called a "Hi-Point." Most people said they were junk because they were cheap...yada, yada, yada. I remember there was one guy on another board who said he had owned dozens of them and none of them worked (why would keep buying them then?). I mean it was his life's mission to rip Hi-Point. The only thing I could think of was the guy who owned the company must have taken his milk money in school, or stolen his prom date or something.

However, a few people who said they had one of the guns said they were decent and actually worked. I decided to see for myself

So I bought a Hi-Point 9mm. It was sort of big and ugly, but that silly thing just shot and shot and kept shooting. I don't know if I was surprised or not. I kept that thing for years, probably put more rounds through it than any other single gun I ever owned that wasn't a 22 and I had a total of four malfunctions (jams) with it. Those four all came out of one box of reloaded ammo. With factory ammo, it was perfect.

I finally sold it for almost what I paid for it.

 

[joeintexas]

I have always said I have no use for plastic guns, give me a nice 686 or a 3rd gen smith and I was happy. Well I finally broke down and picked up an M&P 45 acp. I am impressed! Grips and shoots like it was made for my hand. I guess old dogs can learn new tricks.

 

[islamoradamark]

when i first shot the 45 acp s&w revolver i thought it was going to kick to my surprise it did not, now its one of my favorite to shoot

 

[oneflycowboy]

Rock Island Armory TCM

This gun has been excellent. I have over 400 rounds through it without a single malfunction. The trigger was really good right out of the box as well.

 

[Smith357]

The one that really surprised me was my 1st 3rd Gen S&W, a 4506.
I believe everyone needs a full sized combat .45 acp pistol in their stable and have tried 1911s, Glocks and the M&P line but none of them really worked for me.

I had read all the hoopla about 3rd gens and figured it was just fan boy love, turns out all the hoopla is true. While the 4506 is a beast of a pistol weighing in at 41oz empty, it fits my hand, has a very good trigger with a smooth DA pull and a crisp SA pull. This duty pistol is accurate enough to be a target gun, and very reliable, it really does feed empty cases. I am a convert and will now be keeping an eye out for more 3rd gen single stacks.

 

[mstem]

About a year ago my wife bought me a S&W MP9. That gun has the worst trigger in the history of guns!!!!!!!!!! I called S&W about it & they said for $129.00 they would "fix it". I aks the customer no service guy just why in the Hell am I going to pay S&W $129.00 to fix a s%*$$y trigger that should have never left the factory like that to begin with? If my wife hadn't of given it to me as a gift I would have traded it in on a good gun!!!!

 

[cmort666]

My Savage 112BVSS.

I had originally wanted a 110FP Sniper in .30-06, but they stopped making them. I had to special order the 112BVSS through a [then] local gun store. It was the only heavy barreled .30-06 I could find at the time.

I had a rail for a handstop inlet into the fore end. I've also had an inclined scope base and bases for target iron sights installed. I added a Canjar single set trigger.

I have been simply amazed at the 600 yard accuracy of this rifle.

I never use anything but IMR4350 and Sierra 200gr. Match Kings. I trickle and weigh every charge.

I've been VERY satisfied with my 600 yard results. It's fully the equal of any Remington or Winchester I've seen.

I've never had the opportunity to shoot it at 1,000 yards, but I expect I'd get similar results.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Buying a S&W Highway Patrolman turned me into a revolver fan for life.

 

[MOONDAWG]

After a gun show 1993 I bought a new in the box Chinese made NORINCO 1911 for the princely sum of $299 as a truck gun.

It's bluing ran from blue to black and back to plum purple depending on what part of the gun you were looking at.

It had exterior tool marks and a safety that took a crow bar and two orangutans to engage.

But man was it a tack driver. It out shot every other 1911 in my stable regardless of the the Colt, SIG or Springfield monikers.

 

[Farmer17]

CZ75, it is all steel and heavy when loaded with 17 rounds but It has a great feel and great ergonomics so it handles like a lighter gun. It is very accurate and I can clear the plate rack with it faster than any gun I have ever owned, and I have owned over a 100 guns.

 

[JamesArthur60]

My first and only Colt handgun, a Colt Defender 9mm. My first used LEO trade-in a 1996 manufactured Sig Sauer P229 9mm. Both surprised me, since I prefer S&W handguns.

 

[williamlayton]

Got to go with Moodndawg on this one. I, however, did not put up with the poor finish and marks.
Blessings

 

[jasona]

Two guns have surprised, one positive, one negative...

The negative was when the wife and I went to a range and rented their Walther PPK/S in .380. We were looking for a small gun that would be comfortable for her, and figured this might do it, plus she wanted "cool looking." Well, getting slide bit tends to take away the "nice gun" factor...

The positive gun was one I bought mostly because it fell into the category of "cool looking and impressive." A Magnum Research Desert Eagle in .50AE. First time to the range, I figured I was going to get bopped in the head by the recoil, possibly losing control of the gun, so I put one round in. Surprisingly (to me) it actually has significantly less recoil / muzzle climb than you would think (especially from Youtube videos...)

Not a gun to take to the range on a regular basis, not at almost $2/rd, but fun sometimes.

 

[pawngal]

My Mod 66 no dash snubby, didn't have a clue how desirable a gun it was when I bought it, just thought the price was right. I'd never shot anything shorter than 4 inch before so figured I'd have trouble hitting paper of any kind. With just a little range time I shoot it better up to 10 yards than anything else I own.,

My 65 Ladysmith and I don't seem to like each other. Need to work on that.

 

[sheepdawg]

The CZ82 I bought for $219 about three or four years ago. As accurate a small pistol as I have ever owned, holds 13, 9X18 rounds and fits in your hand like it was poured into it. On top of that the trigger is very, very smooth in both DA and SA. I now carry it quite a bit.

.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

About 25 years ago I picked up one of the Russian Makarov service pistols for the price of $75, which included 2 magazines and 2 boxes of 9X18 ammo. Thought that it would be a spare piece to keep locked up in the truck.

Took it to the range and ran through 100 rounds of Russian ball ammo. Functioning was 100%. Accuracy was excellent. Natural "pointer", and out to 10 yards or so I could ventilate multiple silhouette targets easily and repeatedly.

DA trigger pull is quite heavy with some "stacking" as you approach the let-off, but easily mastered with minimal practice. SA trigger pull is not too bad, with longer take-up than we might like. But it is a military pistol intended for combat, not a target gun.

Took it home, stripped it down (very easy to do), and gave everything a good cleaning. I was very impressed with the design and robust qualities of this pistol. With a supply of good CCI or Hornady HP ammo I would not hesitate to use the Makarov as a primary defensive handgun.

I have others I prefer, but the Makarov made a very positive impression. Probably the best $75 gun purchase I ever made.

 

[msinc]

I was most surprised with my first Model 12 Winchester. It was well used and would blow itself open when fired. I got on the internet and started asking about it because it didn't seem right. The only thing {I thought, haha} I knew about Model 12's was just what I had heard from the old timers repeatedly when I was growing up..."you can hold the trigger in and pump the action and it will keep on firing", and "you cant wear that gun out, the more you shoot it the tighter it gets."
That last one was what confused me. On the web I got 26 replies to the question...13 said "no, they aren't supposed to do that." and 13 said "yep, they all do that."
So, I inquired about those AGI dvd's and was told,"yeah, they are good if you want to strip a gun down and clean it, beyond that don't waste your money." So I called the place and asked if the dvd about the Model 12 addressed that issue and she told me that there was a small blurb in there that talked about it. I ordered the dvd and sure enough he did talk a little about how to tell if the gun is worn out and just mentioned that "when they blow their self open you have to get in there and weld up a part..." It did at least answer the question...no, the Model 12 is absolutely not supposed to blow itself open when fired.
Needless to say, I figured out that the action bar was the culprit and now own quite a collection of Model 12's.

 

[walkinghorse]

Charter Arms Police Bulldog 2", .38 special, bought sometime in the early 80's. Saw one on the cover of Massad Ayoob's 'In Gravest Extreme'. Learned a lot from the book that is still applicable, and even more from the CA.
Put a set of Pachmayer compacts on it, and from snake shot to 158 lead SWCHP covered everything I needed. Still does, and has never failed to do what I asked of it.
Winchester 101 20 ga., field grade, bought in 1971. Shooting left handed, the tang safety was a godsend, and used it for many years on Texas quail, doves, and rattlesnakes with my Dad,, Ca. quail and chukar, S.D. pheasants, as I moved around chasing construction, it served well in many states. Son now uses it on pheasants and grouse in Mn., pheasants in S.D. Hopefully someday, by my grandson, completing my cycle of life.

 

[tomtheturner]

This is kinda like Cmort666's story. Many moons ago I decided that I wanted an accurate center fire rifle, a "sniper" rifle, so to say.

I really wasn't absolutely sure what I wanted, but was thinking the traditional Remington, or Winchester in .308, or maybe 30/06.

I went to my LGS where I had been doing business regularly. They had a CZ 550 American HB in .308 with a beautiful curly Turkish walnut stock. This was before CZ was really known, and they didn't even have an office in the US yet. It had been on display for a long time, covered with dust, and he couldn't sell it. I started asking about him ordering me a Remington, and an old guy, probably younger than my age now, started telling me about the CZ. He had a stable of Rems & Winchesters, and told me he had bought a .308 CZ about a year earlier, and that out of the box it was a tack driver. Didn't need a Timney trigger, or anything else. I was really hesitant to go with a brand I didn't know. Then the LGS owner made me a deal on the rifle that I just couldn't refuse. Less than half the price of a Remington at that time. I bought it.

Up until recently I have not had a place to shoot over 100 yds, but the first time out I worked up three different loads with three different bullets. First two loads made about 1", or so groups at 100yds from a sandbag. The third load with BLC-2 powder, and Nosler's Ballistic Silvertip bullet, put all three bullets through the same hole leaving a tiny little cloverleaf. It continued to do it over and over. I was real lucky to find a load that it liked the first time out.

Boy, talk about one happy camper!! I have another CZ 550 in .243 now with a matching curly Turkish walnut stock. It is just as accurate as the .308. I should mention that I do have decent optics on both rifles. Spent much more than the rifle for the .308, but on the .243 I really have a pretty modest scope.

They are both a pure joy to shoot, and with the set trigger that CZ puts on these they can make an average shooter look pretty good. I sure am glad that the "old guy" hanging around the store took the time to fill me in.

It is sighted in at two hundred yds now, and the last time that I got to go hunting with it I nailed a wild hog "way out there" not sure of the range, first shot right where it counted.

Yep, there is just nothing like being "pleasantly surprised."

 

[Grayfox]

About 15 years ago I picked up a Rossi 62A .22 pump dirt cheap. The plan was to take it to the next gun show and use it for trading material. But then I shot it. Not only is it extremely accurate, but its down right fun! I still have it.

I'll also echo the comments on the Norinco 1911. I bought one of these cheap a year or so back with the intention of reselling it. It looks plumb awful, but will shoot right up there with my Colts and Springfields.

 

[Arik]

The one that surprised me the most was a used Sig P220. Bought it about 6 months ago. It was an old police gun, heavy finish wear, which I really don't care about as long as the price is right. ...and it was. Under $400 OTD. I take it to the range and at 10 yards this thing is like a sniper rifle. Just shooting the X with boring consistency regardless of ammo. Wolf, Winchester, Gold Dots, Remington, whatever. ...all in the X and to the point where I wasn't even trying. I think if I shoot it with my back to the target I'll still hit the X. It out shot my Springfield TRP 1911 and my S&W 4566 to a noticeable degree. The only issue, which is not a problem for me, is that with Wolf ammo the mag will only hold 4 rounds. Not sure why, maybe the steel case is a little too thick. Either way I only use that ammo at the range.