Question Of The Month. (July 2019) (Worst Gun Mod.)

[carbinemike]

Howdy,
This is a monthly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the questions may have a poll, and some will not. Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer and vote in the polls...

What was the worst modification that you ever made to a gun?

 

[Water Monkey]

Added weight in my OU stock. Split my stock on the 40th something shot. It was an expensive lesson. FML.

 

[CaddmannQ]

Cheapo Walmart scope. I thought I was going nuts with that thing.
Never were the settings repeatable.

 

[Pawpaw]

I put a Kushnapup <link> bullpup conversion on a Saiga 20 gauge. I hate it. Imagine a shotgun with 90% of the weight behind the pistol grip. Handling it is clumsy as hell until you finally get it on your shoulder. And then there's the lack of a real trigger guard.

One of these days I need to put it back to it's original configuration, but my GAS quotient for the job is at sub-zero right now.

 

[John A.]

I put a Kushnapup <link> bullpup conversion on a Saiga 20 gauge. I hate it. Imagine a shotgun with 90% of the weight behind the pistol grip. Handling it is clumsy as hell until you finally get it on your shoulder. And then there's the lack of a real trigger guard.

One of these days I need to put it back to it's original configuration, but my GAS quotient for the job is at sub-zero right now.

In the spirit of disclosure, I did similar to an SKS. The bullpup stock and the SKS was a great combination and I have no issues with the quality of the stuff.

But magazine changes are more than painfully slow. It's probably the last gun that I would want to use for anything besides back yard plinking and having fun. For that, it's a fun gun. But I wouldn't want to use it for anything other.

I like the bullpup design. I just hate that the mag changes are so slow.

 

[ripjack13]

I filed the connector on my saiga12 drum mag, and it doesnt fit now. So I had to buy a new drum. But I still have the other one. Just in case....

 

[Tom396]

I tried the 15 round Pro Mag magazines in my Hi Point 4095 carbine. I shouldn't have. Better to have just left well enough alone. Take care. Tom Worthington

 

[carbinemike]

I bought non Browing magazines for my 9mm Hi-Power. They were half price from the Browning mags. They would not feed pretty much anything. I removed the aluminum follower and smoothed the edges and polished it but it was no better.

 

[MikeD]

Cheap 33 round no name brand Glock Mag that will only hold 20ish rounds.

Close second would be the plastic mag extension tube for my 870. The threads were in a metal insert set into the end of the tube. They were not square and it never did feed properly without catching the follower;

 

[meanstreak]

I pretty much just leave all of mine the way I buy them. They seem to work best that way.

 

[Scoop]

What was the worst modification that you ever made to a gun?

Since this is the ONLY mod I've made to my guns it will have to qualify as the BEST and the Worst [but not bad]. ​

The Knoxx Sidewinder Conversion Kit w/ 10 round drum and 6 round box magazines for M500A.

Sometime in early 2003 I saw this ad in a gun mag or online. I was shooting 3-gun with a unmodified M500A 20" bbl.
I ordered it and waited until it shipped 11/29/2004... almost 2 years. Knoxx kept delaying it due to "quality control issues." The said they wanted to get it right before sending it to the customers. I did want them to get it right of course, but it made me impatient.

I started to assemble the unit, but I had to call the factory on Dec 13 to advise them that the "Magazine tube on Sidewinder kit was delivered damaged. Threads on magazine feed tube dented and out of round." Knoxx gave me an RMA# to ship the damaged part back to them and they replaced it w/ a good one.
This time I took the whole kit to my gunsmith [PD armorer] because I wanted to make sure that my clumsy handling would not be the cause of any damage during assembly. The kit went together really well in competent hands.

Performance:
First I'll note that I am not a great 3-gun shooter and I shoot w/ guns that are not "optimized" for competition. I used a 1947 M1 Garand from DCM and a 1946 stock Colt 1911 w/ stock 7-rounders. But I sure had as much fun as anybody else. Everybody wanted to shoot that M1 after the match!

Anyhoo, I only got to use the Knoxx/Mossy in 3 actual matches because I moved to a place that didn't have 3-gun matches.

I found the best way to manage the ammo was load the 10-round drum for the first shots and reload if needed with the 6-round boxes. Only one mag change was need because the stages didn't require more than 17 rounds out of a SG. I carried the box mags in an old WWII gas mask case.
The kit actually did deliver ammo smoothly.

Disadvantage is that I cannot easily swap barrels. It's not convertible.

Back in 2003 the kit cost $190 for early purchasers. Included forearm and grip, mag receiver, mounting hardware, and one 10-round drum mag. We early purchasers got a free 6-round box mag. Cost of extra mags was $90 for drums and $50 for boxes. I bought one of each.

I wish I had been able to use it for more matches. Most fun was being able to show off my "weird" guns at the matches.

I still have it installed. I don't regret the purchase. I wanted to sell it at one time. Got an offer at my price and changed my mind. He understood.

Knoxx does not sell these anymore, but I think I saw somebody else making a kit that will use the Knoxx mags.
…

 

[Bobster]

A late friend of mine bought a complete metal trigger housing/assembly for a 10/22 direct from Ruger. This was back in the 90s so I think metal was all they offered at the time. Think he paid $30-$40 for it.

He took his old assembly, removed the hammer which I think had some nubs that contacted the disconnector and ground the nubs down. Put it back in the gun, stuffed in a banana mag and pulled the trigger. First mag ran about halfway, 15rds or so before it jammed. The next mag only made it 10rds before it had a FTF. It then turned into a 5rd "burst" before it would malfunction and need to be cleared. Swapped in the new trigger group, removed the modded part from the old group and disposed of it (the part).

Thinking back about it, maybe it could have been doable with a weighted bolt, lighter recoil spring or something. It did have a plastic "buffer" pin in it.

 

[Daryll]

Back in the late 90's/early 00's I used to go regularly to a range/gunshop to compete in practical matches.

On a couple of occasions I overheard the gunsmith saying that he'd looked at modifying the 10/22 trigger group, and making the middle position of the safety a "fire selector" switch to make it "rock and roll"...

I don't know if he ever did it... its not the sort of thing you publically announce..!!