# Useless Firearms Features....



## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

1."Forward Assist"on AR15/M16-STUPID/REALLY DUMB....if your round won't chamber because of a really dirty/corroded(if not chrome plated)chamber and you slam it in----how is it going to extract????Not my original thought,both Stoner/Sullivan were vehemently against it but overruled by DOD.

2."Cooling Jacket" on a Lewis Gun.....Totally useless for it's intended purpose,did nothing but add weight.

3."Crossbolt Safeties"...on lever action rifles???If you "need" a safety-tang mount.

4."Blish Lock"...on Thompsons...useless,did nothing...when they produced M1As(WWII),no blish lock...

5."Muzzle Brakes" on .22s-REALLY...not talking FS here.

6.STUPID babblings about safety,blah,blah,blah on the BARREL of your firearm....

Anyone else??


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## joejeep92 (Oct 11, 2010)

Key lock on Taurus handguns.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

I hate number 6 especially...really detracts from the fit and finish.

number 1 I have used before...but not very often...mostly just a tight fitting reload.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I'm not a big fan of forend pistol grips or red dot sights. I seem to do just as well with irons vs red dots, plus they weigh less, might be more durable, and don't take batteries.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

The forward assist isnt just because the chamber may be dirty, but the bolt closing on a fresh magazine. I've used them once or twice. When firing, no big issue, when closing the bolt on a fresh magazine, especially one that was loaded to full capacity, they can be useful. I believe it was standard form to push the cocking handle on M-1 Garands also when chambering the first round just to be sure the bolt closed all the way. I have no problem with having a forward assist on an AR type. In cold weather its more noticable with chambering issues.

Muzzle widgets. I dislike them immensly for the most part. They tend to make the sound much more pronounced to the shooter. In higher powered sporters, I really really dislike them. They're bad enough on the smaller caliber military type guns, and generally not needed for anything I've ever done.

Smooth triggers. A fad that somehow got going years ago. Most seem to think they will get a blister if they dont have a smooth trigger. I've shot 1000 rds a day through a Smith, and never got a blister. The best shooter I know of today, Jerry Miculek, doesn't use one, nor did Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, Ad Toperwein, Ed McGivern, or anyone else in the legend status of the shooting game. I want the grooved trigger. One day I may have bloody or sweaty hands and I certainly don't want my trigger finger slipping around on the trigger when I really really need to get a clean pull. I've swapped out a couple smooth triggers on Smiths for grooved ones.


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## AdamfromNW (Apr 16, 2012)

7. The magazine safety on a Browning Hi-Power, it makes the trigger pull gritty and uncomfortable. On the other hand if you get in to a hand to hand fight with some guy and he grabs your gun before you shoot him and your then struggling over the gun and you manage to release the magazine and he gets the gun from you... then you are safe because he can't shoot you with the chambered round. Who thinks this stuff up?


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

Hate muzzle brakes. You just need to learn to shoot a rifle. We would shoot high power silhouette with a .308, sometimes 100 rounds a day.

Bob


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## tgmr05 (Aug 27, 2007)

Magazine safeties, where you cannot fire a round without magazine inserted...

Any key lock internal to the firearm, ala smith and wesson, ruger, taurus, remington, etc.... 

Extra, add on, loaded chamber indicators....especially when made of plastic..hello ruger


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

some shotguns that have a magazine disconect , that only allows you to fire 2 shots then a button must be pressed to load any more even tho the round is right there in the tube magazine waiting to load 

i knew a guy with a berretta shotgun that had this mess he would fire the first shot , then the second then line up for the third just to realize it wasn't loaded 
he brought that deer hunting a few times , i thought he was going to wrap that pretty gun around a tree the first time he lined up that 3rd shot just to find it wasn't loaded 

apparently is was some BS to make is sound like a double barrel and required in some European countries where the Beretta was also marketed 

my brother had one on a Turkish 12ga , dumbest thing ever the gun only holds 5 if i want 5 i want them as i need them not as the gun wants to let me push a button to get more rounds


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

The magazine cut-off on military US Krags, M1903 Springfields, and M1917 Enfields.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I am generally okay with safeties, but I absolutly hated the self setting safety on a friends over under skeet gun. Both of us watched several clays sail away as we were trying to get the safety off.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

Cabin Fever said:


> The magazine cut-off on military US Krags, M1903 Springfields, and M1917 Enfields.




They served a purpose in their day (trench warfare), but I dont have much use for them.

The 1917's didnt have a magazine cutoff. Not sure about the Krag, I havent messed with them all that much.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Malamute said:


> They served a purpose in their day (trench warfare), but I dont have much use for them.
> 
> The 1917's didnt have a magazine cutoff. Not sure about the Krag, I havent messed with them all that much.


Yes, they served a purpose....to conserve ammunition.

And, you're right about the M1917. I have three rifle models with magazine cutoffs. I mistakenly assumed the M1917 was the third one. I should have written the M1903A3. Both of my krags (carbine and rifle) have magazine cutoffs.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

The British Sht Le No 1 Mk III's (Lee Enfield) had a magazine cutoff plate also, it stuck out the side of the action. Most were later removed, being pretty useless for anything but trench warfare.

I believe the theory was to leave a fully loaded magazine, and shoot single rounds for harrasing fire while both sides were hunkered down in the trenches, always leaving the magazine full in case a wave charge came about suddenly. Sounds reasonable in light of their situation in the WWI era but not very practical otherwise. In the Krags case, it may be simply ammo conservation. Repeaters were brand new, and they hadn't quite figured out how to manage ALL that ammo on board all the time!

I'm envious of your Krag carbine I always liked the looks of them. I may one day build a similar looking '03 for a knock around gun.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Malamute said:


> ....I'm envious of your Krag carbine I always liked the looks of them. I may one day build a similar looking '03 for a knock around gun.


There are alot of fake Krag carbines out there that are just cut down Krag rifles. If you are ever in the market for a carbine, make sure you do your homework first so you don't get taken.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

It would be a shooter for me, an altered rifle, so long as it was priced accordingly, would suit me fine. Same for trapdoor Springfields.

My '03 carbine idea is a case in point. Nobody is going to mistake it for a very rare original, its just something I like the looks of, and am not concerned about the exact originality of it, mainly the utility and fun factor of having it and enjoying it.

Point well taken about the fakes though.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm not a fan at all of the Glock safety system... I especially don't like the trigger safety... I mean.. OK. .it makes it a "safer" gun, but I think at times overkill gets worked into the system..


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## Phillip (Feb 6, 2006)

I've had a good deal of experience with the M-16A4 during my time in the military. We really only used the forward assist for brass checks and to make sure the bolt is fully seated after loading the weapon - not completely useless.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Good call on mag cutoff-CF...dumb and useless...but I would love to have a Pederson device and box of ammo$$$$$$$$


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

zant said:


> Good call on mag cutoff-CF...dumb and useless...but I would love to have a Pederson device and box of ammo$$$$$$$$


So, do you already have an '03 Mark I?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

simi-steading said:


> I'm not a fan at all of the Glock safety system... I especially don't like the trigger safety... I mean.. OK. .it makes it a "safer" gun, but I think at times overkill gets worked into the system..


the use of in trigger safeties , help to significantly reduce the length of pull for the trigger and the weight of pull 

lots of DA guns have long heavy trigger pulls and no other safety but the glock or other but the trigger in a trigger designs allow trigger pulls bordering on that of single action for length and pull weight while helping to reduce accidental discharge 

the other internal safeties like a firing pin block allow a gun to be dropped without the risk of discharge , unlike guns that use a firing pin that is not held in place until the trigger is pulled 

is it overkill , it is certainly not needed if a gun is never dropped and always carried in a good holster , but glock also has no problem going bang every time even in some ridiculously bad conditions 

given their history of just plain working I don't think the added internal safeties and trigger in a trigger are hurting them any 

so as long as it works with a dependability beyond that of its competitors that don't have the added components , i don't think it is over kill
or perhaps sometimes overkill is good


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I guess I'm just old fashioned.. I've shot Glocks, and yes they are nice shooting guns, but to me, they feel kinda lifeless. It just feels like you're holding something that goes bang when you squeeze.. I'm a huge 1911 fan, and guns of a similar operation... I do also like single actions... So I guess to me, that's why I kinda feel a Glock is a little over engineered on the safeties, but I do get why they are designed as they are..

Just like the people who think the mag cutoff is kind of wrong... To me, it's great for loading a single round of something different if you want, and keeping the mag full at the same time.. It's also nice to be able to open up your bolt to look and see if it's loaded, without racking in a round after you have looked.. .(I know you can do that too by partially opening a bolt)


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Cabin Fever said:


> So, do you already have an '03 Mark I?


No...but the device w/ammo is worth $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I am not a big glock fan either but you got to respect the go bang every time reliability of them for what it is 

1911 is a beautiful thing but i can see why cops want a go bang every time ,clean rarely wear daily , our city issues smiths and all the cops buy their own glocks their supply of smiths might just last forever if everyone keeps buying their own glock


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

I wasnt much of a grock fan either, but bought one (a 19) for the ex. She didnt like it much, so I started shooting it when ammmo was under $12/100 for 9's. I was quite surprised what it would do. I could hit the 18" plate @ 300 yards pretty regularly after getting the feel for it and the range sorted out with the sights. It shoots better than the 1911 at that range, or in any event, is easier to hit with. I've come to like it more than the 1911, but I have to admit, I never thought the 1911 felt that good in the hand. I carried and used one a fair bit years ago, just never could shoot one as well as a revolver in general, epecially at running small game or airborn targets. The g-19 just feels better in the hand to me. No character, but shoots well and feels good.


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