Every gunsmith has a bench full of projects they’re eager to finish—and a few they wish they could shove off on somebody else. You can probably guess which ones we’re talking about. Some rifles are nightmares right out of the box, with tolerance stacking, strange designs, or parts that were never made to come apart. Others are newer but made with such cheap materials or inconsistent specs that even the basics—like mounting an optic—turn into full-blown projects. Whether it’s poor design, proprietary parts, or a reputation for being thankless work, these are the rifles that make smiths sigh before they even pick up a tool.
Remington 742 / 7400
If you’ve ever heard a gunsmith groan when you walk in with a Remington 742, you’re not imagining things. These old semi-autos have earned a reputation for galling bolt rails, cracked receivers, and cycling issues that never really go away. The design wasn’t built for longevity, and once things start to wear, they get worse in a hurry. The 7400 didn’t fix much either. They’re tough to clean, tougher to diagnose, and you’re usually throwing good money after bad trying to make them reliable. Most smiths would rather not touch them at all unless it’s for parts salvage.
Browning BLR
The BLR looks great on the rack and shoulders well, but it’s an absolute headache to work on. The rack-and-pinion lever action doesn’t lend itself to easy disassembly, and everything inside is tucked in tighter than it should be. Tuning or servicing the trigger group is a chore, and even a routine deep clean can turn into a puzzle. Parts aren’t exactly cheap or easy to come by either. A lot of smiths will take one look and politely suggest you live with the issues unless it’s something simple. They’re not impossible, but they’re rarely worth the time.
Winchester Model 100
The Model 100 is another semi-auto that was a neat idea when it launched but hasn’t aged well. Known for cracking firing pins—so much so that there was a recall—this rifle has other gremlins hiding under the hood too. Disassembly takes time and finesse, and the parts aren’t as tough as they need to be. Add in the risk of headspace issues and worn gas system components, and you’ve got a rifle that’s more work than reward. Most smiths don’t keep parts on hand and would rather not dig into one unless you’re dead set on the repair.
Century Arms C308
You might find the C308 tempting because of the price, but don’t expect your local gunsmith to be thrilled about working on it. These rifles are a mashup of CETME and H&K design cues with varying levels of parts compatibility and finish quality. Welds can be sloppy, bolt gap might be way off, and component fit is often inconsistent. Even basic tuning turns into a guessing game unless the smith has seen a dozen of them already. Most will tell you straight up—they’ll work on it, but there’s no guarantee it’ll ever feel or shoot right.
Rossi Model 92
The Rossi 92 has become a budget option for lever-gun fans, but it’s not a gunsmith’s favorite. The internal parts are often rough from the factory, and tuning the action isn’t a simple file-and-polish job. Many need aftermarket spring kits, careful hand-fitting, and even then, you’re stuck with inconsistent metallurgy and mystery tolerances. Some smiths specialize in smoothing these out, but most would rather steer clear unless you’re willing to spend more than the rifle’s worth. A slick-running 92 is possible, but you won’t find many professionals excited to get it there.
Remington 770
This one gets eye rolls for good reason. The 770 was meant as an affordable bolt-action hunting rifle, but cost-cutting shows in every corner. Press-fit barrels, plastic parts where they shouldn’t be, and zero modularity make even basic upgrades a hassle. You can’t easily rebarrel it, the trigger’s not user-serviceable, and bedding the stock? Don’t bother. If you bring a 770 to a gunsmith asking for customization or accuracy tuning, don’t be surprised if they tell you to put that money toward a better rifle. Most smiths will do basic maintenance and send it back, nothing more.
FN FS2000
The FS2000 might look like it came out of a sci-fi movie, but most gunsmiths would rather it stayed there. It’s a bullpup with a forward-ejecting system that’s tricky to access and even trickier to service. Field stripping isn’t too bad, but getting into the guts for anything deeper can be a mess. The parts layout is compact, proprietary, and not exactly intuitive. Even finding spare components can be a challenge. Most gunsmiths simply haven’t worked on enough of them to feel confident cracking one open. And when things go wrong, they often go deep.
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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
