Ill start: Canik. In my case the Rival and the MeteSF. Throw stones, speak harshly, I can take it. The Mete SF provides a much better price / performance ratio out of the box than any glock of any generation Ive ever owned, and Ive shot & carried Glocks for 2 decades competitively and personally. Im no master, but Im not dogass with one either.
My Mete SF is approaching 4k rounds with zero issues of varying loads including defensive. Only thing Ive changed is the sights and backstrap. I never had a CZp10 series or walther so maybe its same same, but comparing to what I have owned (glocks, m&ps, czp09, steyrs) it is a much better option.
My Rival Darkside is a game gun, ported, Sprinco setup, TF brass backstrap, & with a bunch of crap on it; too easy to shoot but also 100% reliable. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a gun made in Turkey of all places would be in my rotation, but alas, welcome to modern manufacturing capabilities and legacy companies dying on their laurels.
There’s a bit of a Generational thing here, so to put it in perspective I’m collecting Social Security.
Back in my day the most common Handgun for Cops at the time was a S&W model 19, a few Guys would carry 1911’s but none of the “Old Timers” trusted them. So I fired a lot of Revolvers and 1911’s.
Then I went off to the Army. As a Tanker the 1911 was my primary personal weapon and all was right with the World. Then we got M9’s which bothered me, but I figured WTF, honestly when will I need to shoot someone with my pistol?
When I retired Glocks were the going thing and it looked odd and felt even stranger in my hand, but I could shoot the heck out of it, like a laser beam.
Who would have thought?
Always thought they were kind of the redneck SKS of US guns, but they are kind of fun. Once you shitcan the after market mags and stick to factory only mags they become reliable.
Century Arms WASR. I bought one because I was kinda bored and I liked it so much I bought an Arsenal SGL21 and then an SGL31. Within a few years they multiplied. I like the simplicity of the design.
Glock G21. Way back when I went to another PD they issued the G21, mine was a 2nd generation. I remember when I first handled it I thought there was no way this big, blocky, ugly gun would work for me. Well, I ended up acing the qual course from the first time and thereafter. That thing shot like a dream and I eventually bought one, too. I still shoot it better than any other SD handgun.
Kimber Talkeetna .375H&H… my bolt gun snob friends said to sell it immediately after I won it in a raffle. They said it would be unreliable and inaccurate. Two grizzly bears and a bison later and it is one of my favorite rifles. I did a weird thing and topped it with a Steiner P4XI and that optic is just about perfect for a short range big boomer rifle.
Probably my Springfield M1A. For a while I really bought into all the M1A/M14 hate, and didn’t have any interest in them. But we got one in at work, and I played with it a bit, and then started doing more research into them, and finally ended up buying one. Figured I’d mostly grab it for collecting/Living History purposes, but it has become one of my favorites to shoot. Very pleasant; enough “oomph” to make you know you’ve shot a .308, but not so much that’s a pain or uncomfortable. Very much a product of it’s time, but the whole 50s/early 60s/Pentomic Vibe is cool.
A .45ACP 1911. I always considered them geezer weapons, of questionable reliability, and ‘the .45acp is the best round in the universe’ bullshit talk was irritating. However, they are fun as **** to shoot and ridiculously accurate with plain old iron sights.
I was in the 6th grade when I got my first vintage 1911, loved them ever since. Only problem I have had was trying to rack the slide AND keep it pointed in a safe direction when I was 12 years old. Shooting it was a breeze. Was the first gun I loved more than my Luger. My grandfather told me how they had to be able to field strip them in the dark back in WWII and that weekend I was in my closet with the light turned out breaking it down and putting it back together.
AK-47. When you absolutely, positively, got to kill every mother****er in the room…Accept no substitutes.
Nice! I’ve heard good things about PSAs AKs. I got an old SGL-21 that I bust out of the safe and dust off every now and again. Good stuff. I want that $5/box dumpster-grade ammo back, though…
AR. Too much controversy and attracts too much attention. Now I have more than a few, in different calibers and configurations.
Still don’t want to touch an AK. I grew up in a communist country. That gun gives me bad dreams. Sorry didn’t mean to offense other owners. It is my own problem. SKS is fine. It fought the Nazis, even briefly.
Long long ago, a trooper buddy of mine who knew I was a gun nut and incurable tinkerer brought me about 60% of a Tec-9. Said I could rebuild it if I liked. Well, I got parts from another and a part or two I had to build, but I rebuilt that thing just to see if I could do it. Then I got a magazine for it and started to test it and I’ll be darned if I didn’t thoroughly enjoy that thing. I miss it. Wish I’d have kept it. Never had one issue with reliability out of it.
I had an Interdynamics KG-9 (open bolt) that a gun shop in south florida stole from me. I took it there initially looking to consign it. They tried to tell me ATF confiscated it during a compliance inspection. I asked to see the paperwork related to the seizure and then the story got really, really fuzzy. Then it became they somehow misplaced it and / or an employee might have stolen it. I called the police and was told because there was no evidence it was still in their possession, they didn’t book it in and since it hadn’t been sold yet I wasn’t given a receipt, only a generic consignment form. I contacted ATF who didn’t even bother to meet me in person but simply took my information for their investigation which I’m sure never happened.
Eventually all I got was a store credit for $400 which was pointless as the place had everything marked up far above retail. I think I used it all on ammo. This would have been about 1994 so no internet to complain to. I called the BBB and was told they had many complaints against them but also did nothing.
Basically just got an education that even a gun store that has been there for 20 years will steal your shit and try and bluff you.
I love My Mini-14. I know they get a lot of hate from the AR guys but I had some real shitty M16A2’s that soured me on the AR platform when I got out. I like AR’s fine now but I still enjoy my Mini (16in 581 barrel) and in the folding Samson A-team stock it’s a nice little package .
For pistols my Ruger SR45. I bought it cause it was cheap and the 10rd mag/grip fits my hand well. It doesn’t have the best trigger but it goes bang everytime. Downside is major lack of sights that didn’t cost a fortune and holsters. It’s slightly bigger than the SR9/40 so they don’t work.
I have a 1981 Mini-14. We shot it about 7 years ago. It was very enjoyable to shoot. I have 3-4 factory mags which is enough for the rare occasion that I bring it out. Probably due for another trip out when the weather cools down again.