Best and Worst Purchases

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Pep in CA

New member
Thinking over my firearms purchases, I have arrived at clear favorites for best and worst purchases. Admittedly, I'm rather new to firearms so I have a short list, but I am indeed certain of my best and worst purchases.

Let's start with my worst purchase: My Marlin 60 rifle. Yeah, it shoots straight, is very popular, and is very affordable. That's why I bought it, and for those things it is a good gun and worth the money. But I wish I would have researched more and spent more on a CZ 452/455 training rifle instead. Twice the price but 10X the quality for a training rifle.

My best purchase: My current ammo stockpile. There is no greater feeling of security than having a stockpile of ammo at your disposal. Actually, the reason I bought my current stockpile is the new CA laws restricting ammo purchases, but I grin every time I look at it. Woohoo!

What are your best and worst firearms purchases? I hope you share.
 
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shootniron

New member
Honestly, worst purchases have been 2 new Taurus revolvers...both have been junk.

My best purchase was a new Ruger Mkll in about 1986 or 1987...still my favorite handgun.
 
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TruthTellers

New member
Best: Glock 35.

Worst: used H&R 732 I just got this week. :( It's getting returned.

Unsure: Marlin XT-22. Not sure if it's the ammo, me, the scope, or the gun, but it spits out 2-3 inch groups at 25 yards... from a rest.
 
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FrankenMauser

New member
Best: Marlin 882SS, .22 WMR (circa 1998). It may not be the best rifle, and it pales in comparison to the amount of meat put in the freezer by some centerfire rifles; but it's one of my favorite rifles, has taken a substantial amount of small game, and I got it dirt-cheap, brand-new.

Honorable mention: Ruger M77, .270 Win, SS/laminate. Ridiculous accuracy/precision for a mass-market rifle, and one of my highest-ranking "freezer-fillers".



Worst: Cobra derringers.
All of them are garbage. ...Even the one that I still own.

Honorable mention for "worst": Taurus. All of them.
(Not an internet opinion -- an opinion based on experience and frustration!)
 
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Gunplummer

New member
Worst: probably any parts gun I bought "Cheap" because it could be saved.

I don't know about best. Once and a while I just stumble on something. I just won an auction that I placed a bid on because it seemed low after a couple days. I came home today and saw I had won it. Came in about $300 under going price.
 
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ligonierbill

New member
Worst: Turkish Mauser that was "sporterized". Figured to rebarrel, etc, but it had been improperly drilled for a scope, ruining the receiver. Good news is I didn't pay much and was able to part it out and use some.

Best: Luckily, I have a lot more candidates, but I have to pick a 1913 Colt Army Special in .41 Long Colt. Price seemed high then, but I haven't seen one near as nice at any price. Gorgeous blue. Not new, but looks it.
 
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Skans

Active member
Handguns: Worst - Taurus PT99. Best - Sig X-Five

Overall best for appreciation in value - tie between AC556 and semi-auto FN FNC.
 
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Eazyeach

New member
Best: WC Beretta brigadier tactical. Silky smooth and far more accurate than me.

Worst: I don't really have a "worst" purchase as far as quality goes. Stick to the name brands and generally you'll get a good gun. I have a worst in terms of price. Late night gunbroker blunder: S&W M19. Love the gun, it's silly accurate and beautiful. But I overpaid big time. Spent about $150 too much.
 
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pelo801

New member
BEST for me would be a tie between a Royal Scot's Guard edition PPK that I picked up for $600 and a S&W 1086 that I got for $500. Neither was a screaming deal, but I dont think the OP necessarily meant best deal. But as far as joy of shooting, I have a 5.5" Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt that sure is one that goes every trip to the range.

WORST. I used to have an Intratec Cat 9 that was gawd awful to shoot in every way. But it's funny, because I actually wish I still had it, if nothing more than for a novelty. I also had two Taurus revolvers that were new when I got them. Both shot high and to the left.
 
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TJB101

New member
Best: Remington 783 - .243 -- for the price from CAbella's, plus rebate it was an awesome deal and a decent rifle.

Wost: HiPoint 995TS ... wish I waited and bought a different carbine. Don't get me wrong it eats anything I put into it and decent groups at 50 yards but it's the ugliest thing on the planet :eek:
 
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PolarFBear

New member
Worst - AMT DAO .45 (twice). The first one was purchased new, against the advice of my LGS owner. Never could get it to "run". The second one was used and ran OK. But it, too, went down the road.

Best - so far Colt Magnum Carry .357. Bought it for under $400. Value now? Four figures! Now to valuable to shoot. Second best is either the Sig P220 or my brand new FDE Glock 19 gen 4: and I am not a Glock fan.
 
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Spur0701

New member
Worst: A Calico M100 in 22.......read an article on them and just had to have one but it was a real pain to load mags (which cost out the butt for extras) and it never really ran consistently, especially considering the price I paid. On the bright side I sold it and the extra drums for a profit.

Best: Walther P99 in 9mm.......bought new in 99 as my duty carry and at least 25K rounds later it's still going strong.
 
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Evan Thomas

New member
Best: CZ452 in .22lr. Such a pleasure to shoot.

Other best, although it's an air rifle -- Beeman R7. Dang, those things are SWEET!

Worst: Mossberg 500 12 ga. Nothing wrong with it for what it was, it just always felt sloppy to me and I could never warm up to it. The good news was that I bought it at a really good sale price and sold it for only about $20 less...
 
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Hal

New member
Best - S&W M29 4" barrel.
Runner up - Colt Commander- a gift from my wife.

Worst - none- IMHO, there is no such thing. If you get something you don't care for, sell or trade it away and move on. Life's way too short to hang into things you don't like.
 
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osbornk

New member
Titled wrong

From the answers so far, it should be the most and least favorite purchases. I have several of the worst purchases and they have been reliable and accurate. My favorite purchases depend on what I am going to do that day. My favorite handgun to shoot is my RIA 1911 in 9mm even though I have several others that are my favorite for different uses. My favorite rifle might be my Henry lever action or my Mossberg Blaze 47 or even my Marlin 60, depending on how I feel that day. My favorite shortgun is usually my Mossberg 500 field/deer combo because it is amazingly flexible. Depending on what I need it for, it has 4 different chokes plus a rifled slub barrel with rifle sights that makes it almost an elephant gun.

A worst purchase as titled would be an inaccurate, unreliable or dangerous gun of which I have none of.
 
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Rangerrich99

New member
Worst: tie between Tula steel-cased .223 rem ammo; turned my otherwise reliable Ruger SR556E into a jam-o-matic, and HSM target ammo. Consistently had at least 5 failures to fire per box and had to be the dirtiest ammo I've ever shot.

Best: there are a lot of ways to try to determine 'best,' but for this thread I'll make 'pleasure to shoot,' the critical factor in my choice today. With that in mind, I'd have to say my SIG P229 .40 S&W/.357 sig. Fits my hands really well, points well, soft shooting even with full bore defensive ammo, ridiculously accurate, and very reliable. And its looks have even grown on me a little, clunky as they are. And as I said, it's a pure pleasure to shoot.
 
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psyfly

New member
Worst was a Jennings .22. Probably, I don't need to say more.


Best was a new-in-the-box High Standard Citation for, if I remember correctly, about $ 80.00 at the local furniture store. I had saved up the money, (two weeks pay for my then 16 year-old self), to buy a new Browning SA .22 rifle, but the High Standard caught my eye on the way to the Sears store. It remains my best purchase even though a burglar took it more than 20 years ago.
 
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5whiskey

New member
I have a bunch of bests. Best overall value? RIA 1911. No stoppages or failures out of the two that I've had. Best deal I've gotten? Probably a Ruger Security Six that I'm all in about $300.00 on, purchased a few years ago and in great shape and could probably quickly sell it for $400.00 these days. Best rifle??? Semi: CMMG AR, Bolt: Savage 110. Best Milsurp? Yugo 24/47, numbers matching, for $170.00 after shipping and transfer fees in 2009... easily a $300.00 rifle now since it's numbers matching.

Not that I would sell any of my good guns unless feeding my kids depended on it.

Worst: I couldn't pick one best, but I can pick a worst. Easily, hands down, Armalite M15. Worst put together AR15 I've ever touched. Yes, the worst. And I've touched a good many of them, both in the military, in law enforcement, and civilian sporting uses.
 
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xcc_rider

New member
My worst? An Excam TA-38 derringer. They have a history of only firing from the top barrel and no matter what I do (including making some parts) I can't get it to work right. As of now the barrels are a paperweight on my reloading bench.

My best? My 45 ACP 1911 Commander. Tried and true, reliable, familiar and comfortable.
The type of gun you can rely on when needed. To me that's the best gun.
 
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