Folks are always debating which shotguns are the best. We don't see much about which shotguns are the worst, because most of the truly bad shotguns, such as the Winchester Model 11, are long out of circulation. But here's my list of lemons, in no particular order, of shotguns you might still see for sale in a modern gun shop:
1. The Winchester Model 1200/1300/1400/1500 series. What makes these so bad is they bear a famous brand name, they look good and handle well. Millions were sold. Every part is made as cheaply as it could possibly be made and still work for a while. When a part breaks, they are no longer made, and the replacement part (if you can find one) is just as cheap as the one that broke. The problem with these shotguns was the engineered in cheapness, and none escaped being bad.
2. The last production of the Stevens Model 67. Made for over thirty years, here's an example of a decently made utility grade pump shotgun that was subjected to cost cutting over the years until by their death in the late 1980's Wal Mart was having to ship over half of the production back as defective as they came out of the box. Stay away folks!
3. The Japanese "Auto Pointers". These were shoddy Japanese Auto Five knock offs that were crudely made in little factories in Japan in the sixties and seventies. None of the parts are standard. Total junk.
4. All Turkish made over and under shotguns without limitation as to brand or price. The Turks can make some good meerschaum pipes, and maybe a Turkish semi auto or pump shotgun might work, but each and every Turkish made over and under I've sever seen eventualy quit working. Most of the trouble is from broken firing pins. But some of them have trigger problems, and one I've seen have a loose fitted locking bolt. I believe that ever one of them is bound to fail.
5. Any shotgun made in China. The average yearly wage of a Chinese factory worker has crept up over the years to about twenty dollars a week. Making shotguns with Communist Chinese labor produces nothing but crude junk. Most of the Chinese made guns I've seen had obvious function problems when brand new, and age is not going to improve them. And just think how little such a company would care about anything other than selling you the shotgun.
And what's your list?
1. The Winchester Model 1200/1300/1400/1500 series. What makes these so bad is they bear a famous brand name, they look good and handle well. Millions were sold. Every part is made as cheaply as it could possibly be made and still work for a while. When a part breaks, they are no longer made, and the replacement part (if you can find one) is just as cheap as the one that broke. The problem with these shotguns was the engineered in cheapness, and none escaped being bad.
2. The last production of the Stevens Model 67. Made for over thirty years, here's an example of a decently made utility grade pump shotgun that was subjected to cost cutting over the years until by their death in the late 1980's Wal Mart was having to ship over half of the production back as defective as they came out of the box. Stay away folks!
3. The Japanese "Auto Pointers". These were shoddy Japanese Auto Five knock offs that were crudely made in little factories in Japan in the sixties and seventies. None of the parts are standard. Total junk.
4. All Turkish made over and under shotguns without limitation as to brand or price. The Turks can make some good meerschaum pipes, and maybe a Turkish semi auto or pump shotgun might work, but each and every Turkish made over and under I've sever seen eventualy quit working. Most of the trouble is from broken firing pins. But some of them have trigger problems, and one I've seen have a loose fitted locking bolt. I believe that ever one of them is bound to fail.
5. Any shotgun made in China. The average yearly wage of a Chinese factory worker has crept up over the years to about twenty dollars a week. Making shotguns with Communist Chinese labor produces nothing but crude junk. Most of the Chinese made guns I've seen had obvious function problems when brand new, and age is not going to improve them. And just think how little such a company would care about anything other than selling you the shotgun.
And what's your list?
