Some guns look good on the rack, feel decent in the hand, and even check the boxes on paper—but fall flat when you take them to the range. Whether it’s garbage triggers, clunky actions, or patterns that look like buckshot when they shouldn’t, these are the ones that disappointed me fast. I’ve owned each of these at some point, and while I wanted to like them, they all ended up in the trade pile sooner than later. You live, you shoot, you learn.
Remington 770
The Remington 770 was supposed to be a budget bolt gun, but it shoots like something tossed together at the last minute. The bolt is rough, the trigger is worse, and the plastic stock flexes every time you try to get a solid cheek weld. I never trusted it to hold zero for long.
I’ve shot plenty of affordable rifles, but this one felt sloppy from the start. Accuracy was hit or miss—mostly miss. I gave it more chances than I should’ve, but it never improved. It’s a rifle that looks decent on paper and shoots like regret.
KelTec P11
The P11 is one of the worst triggers I’ve ever dealt with in a handgun. It’s heavy, long, and gritty to the point where it throws off your aim every single time. I picked it up hoping for a budget carry option, but it didn’t last long.
It’s small and concealable, sure, but I couldn’t hit anything consistently with it. Add in the harsh recoil for a 9mm and uncomfortable grip, and it’s not something you’ll want to practice with. I sold it after one range day and didn’t look back.
Mossberg Blaze
I bought the Blaze thinking it’d be a fun little .22 to plink with, but it turned out to be unreliable and frustrating. Feeding issues were constant, even with good ammo, and the trigger was spongy and unpredictable. Accuracy wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t matter if it wouldn’t cycle right.
The plastic stock felt cheap and hollow, and the mag design was awkward at best. Every time I took it out, I ended up wishing I’d brought literally anything else. There are way better rimfire rifles in the same price range.
S&W Sigma 9VE
The Sigma 9VE is one of those guns that feels okay in the hand—until you squeeze the trigger. It’s heavy and gritty, and makes every shot feel like a struggle. I wanted to give it a chance, but I could never get consistent groups out of it.
It’s built like a Glock knockoff, but it doesn’t shoot like one. Follow-up shots were slow, and the reset was nearly nonexistent. I know some folks swear by theirs, but mine ended up in a trade bin pretty quick.
Rossi Circuit Judge
The idea of a revolving rifle that shoots .45 Colt and .410 is neat in theory. In practice, the Circuit Judge is awkward, underpowered with shot shells, and clunky with everything else. The cylinder gap blast is no joke, either—it’ll pepper your hand if you’re not careful.
Accuracy was mediocre, and the trigger was worse. Shooting it felt like trying to wrangle a design that didn’t know what it wanted to be. I really tried to like it, but I hated pulling the trigger every time I did.
Century Arms C39v2
I picked up a C39v2 thinking it’d be a solid American-made AK. What I got was a heavy, front-heavy rifle with poor accuracy and inconsistent reliability. The milled receiver adds weight but didn’t do anything to improve how it shot.
The trigger was okay, but the accuracy was nowhere near where it should’ve been. I had feed issues early on, and the finish wore quicker than expected. It looked cool, but functionally, it let me down. I sold it off and went back to import AKs.
Taurus PT145 Millennium Pro
This was one of those early .45 ACP compacts that seemed great for the price—until you fired it. The recoil was snappy, the grip was too short, and the trigger had a strange reset that never felt consistent. It was hard to shoot accurately.
I had failure-to-feed issues with several brands of ammo, and the slide would occasionally fail to lock back. After a few range trips, I gave up on it entirely. It’s one of those guns where you learn quick that saving money isn’t always worth it.
ATI Omni Hybrid AR
The Omni Hybrid is a polymer AR lower and upper combo that feels weird from the start. Mine had flex around the buffer tube, and the trigger felt like I was stepping on a sponge. Groups were all over the place, no matter the ammo.
It ran okay with some mags, but the overall feel was cheap and unstable. The polymer parts might save weight, but at the cost of long-term reliability and consistent performance. I sold it off fast and stuck with forged receivers after that.
Chiappa M1-22
I wanted to love the M1-style .22 from Chiappa—it looked sharp and had cool retro vibes. But it ran like junk. The mags were unreliable, the action was sluggish, and feeding issues were constant. Even with high-velocity ammo, it would choke every few rounds.
Accuracy was average, but I couldn’t get through a full mag without a jam. That gets old fast. If you want a classic look with reliable .22 performance, look somewhere else. This one was all looks and no follow-through.
Ruger P95
The P95 is built like a tank—and shoots like one too. It’s bulky, heavy, and the trigger feels dated. The double-action pull is long and heavy, and even in single-action, I had trouble getting solid groups without effort. It was never fun to shoot.
It functioned fine, but the ergonomics were outdated and awkward. I kept trying to like it, but after every trip to the range, I’d leave frustrated. Eventually, I realized I was never going to enjoy shooting it and moved on to something more practical.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
