Worst Rifle Ever Made?

[del2les]

In your opinion, what was the "worst" rifle ever made? Lets keep it from 1900 till now.

Please explain why you think it should be considered as the worst. I. e. Poor design, cheap metallurgy, poor accuracy, always failed to feed, eject, etc, or other reasons.

 

[Calvin45]

The Ross rifle of Canadian world war 1 history is pretty infamous…made a good sniper weapon but couldn't take much abuse or the conditions of the trench, and worst of all was not fool proof and was possible to reassemble incorrectly but still able to chamber and fire are round leading to disaster.

It was further complicated by reported dimensional difference between British and Canadian sources of ammunition for the rifle, which in no way reflects on the rifle but contributed to its reputation as dangerous and unreliable.

The thing is, they were in many ways a very well made rifle…but more fit as a sporting rifle or possibly sniper/specialist tool. They were reportedly much more accurate than most ww1 rifles and the .280 Ross as both a long range sniping round and a sporting round was decades ahead of it's time. Too soon in fact to be accepted or appreciated for what it was, and the usual issues of those pioneering cartridges of higher velocity than normal for their time: bullet blow up on heavy game (obviously as a hunting round here)

 

[Calvin45]

As far as more recent developments…everyone had to have their answer to the savage axis in a cheap as possible bolt gun…before the "patriot" model Mossberg's attempts at this (the 4x4 for example) have to be some of the most hideous and cheap feeling pieces out there!!!

And marketing gimmicks more than anything…oh cool, a spiral fluted bolt…if you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I made one out of Copper tubbing the seemed like it was the same size as a 22LR. I made a CURVED Barrel to shoot around corners, Then I taped the copper barrel with the 22LR to the end of my Daisy BB Gun. Had it lined up to where the BB would hit the 22LF, Ingnite it and the lead bullet would fly down the curved barrel an shoot. Thought I could get a Patten with the Government for our Troops to shoot around corners!
The CIA stole my idea and now have Top Security submachine guns that shoot around corners.
Just another one of my great Ideas!!!! Started out as the Worst firearm to a Top Secret invention!

 

[3chester]

Old country Gunsmith had an empty wooden nail keg in the corner of his shop. If an old rig had an obsolete part broken or seriously rusted, it might end up in the keg. Rusted or neglected for too long, might end up in the keg. When some well behaved kid, was tagging along with his Grandpa, that kid, might get a pick of a really bad rifle, for free. Rifle or shotgun got,kind of a 2nd life. The gunsmith also, had a wooden barrel with K-31's for $125, pick of the litter, the old days.

 

[Rosebud]

How many of you guys remember Pat McManus, humor writer for outdoor life. He wrote that he and his friend crazy Eddie Muldoon made a cannon our of PVC pipe attached to a baby carriage. Loaded it with black powder and a croquet ball for ammunition. Eddie was wearing his coonskin hat when it was touched off on the local golf course. When the police arrived he asked if the boys where smoking. Their reply was, if you had been here sooner you would have seen us on fire. The cop looked down on Eddie's coonskin hat and said, sorry about your dog. I miss reading Pat's columns. Have several of his books.

 

[Panhandlin Pat]

HR/NEF single shots with synthetic stocks. Was my first rifle, later in life I realized it had killed my confidence. Most inaccurate rifle I've ever shot, and sometimes the ejector would hang hindering any chance for a follow up shot. A few years ago (when H&R were still selling rifles) I found a wood forend and bedded it to the barrel and the receiver. It now shoots 1.5" groups at 100, in a vertical string. Still cuss that rifle in my dreams, it cost me alot of critters.

 

[Pilsner]

My current most hated (kinda the same as worst right?) rifle is a borrowed Ruger RPR.
During a long range class the folding stock hinge pin decided to leave the rifle and it literally came apart into two pieces attached somewhat by opposite ends of the sling. That was after a half day of misfeeds, gritty bolt throw, and an adjustable cheek riser that wouldn't stay put. If it was mine I'd have thrown it in the pond.
It's no longer called the RPR it's the TFR- That F@cking Ruger!

We used a bent nail and some electrical tape to put it back together for the rest of class.

On the plus side when it did function it was wonderfully accurate.

 

[CogburnR]

Ruger M77.

"Please explain why you think it should be considered as the worst. I. e. Poor design, cheap metallurgy, poor accuracy, always failed to feed, eject, etc, or other reasons."

All of the above plus a crappy trigger.

 

[CMP70306]

My vote is any of the cheap savages, I sighted one in for a guy once that had such a flimsy stock and a heavy trigger that as I pulled the trigger I could feel the stock flex at the grip and watch the crosshairs get pulled down off the target before the shot broke. I kind of got it sighted in to be minute of deer at 100 as that's about the best it would do.

 

[Pauleye]

The only reason to get a cheap Savage is to part it out and make the gun you want..Just like a Jeep

 

[Raudy707]

Savage Axis, stock is trash, the finish starts to rust the moment it leaves the box. Never been a fan of Savage's but this one takes the cake for the biggest pile of dung I've ever had the displeasure of shooting. My Grandpa's cheap $75 Remington 788 is 10x the rifle.

 

[B-LOT Banga]

Remington model 770…. It was accurate 270 Winchester (1/2" @ 100) with factory winchester brand 130 silver tips. If you yank the bolt back it would come right out the back! It would drop the magazine after some shots, damage the bullets while feeding, fail to eject 1/3 the time and the sling swivel would pop out while carrying from the forearm. I gave it away once I was done with the 10 boxes of ammo I bought with the rifle. Luckily it was an inexpensive lesson.

 

[Hard rock]

I'm not sure of the age of the 6.5 ITALIAN CARCANO but in my opinion it is the most inaccurate rifle ever made and considered the most humane military rifle ever too hit the battle ground because of its inaccuracy, that was LEE HARVEYS OSWALD , WEAPON OF CHOICE