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Handgun flops of recent decades

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August 10, 2026, 07:53 AM
dking271
Handgun flops of recent decades
Here are two I would add to the list that I have actually shot…

Kimber Mako R7 - my father bought one of these and while the trigger is pretty sweet and it has functioned perfectly, it is ugly as sin. Looks like a Glock and Hi Point had a bastard child!

Canik METE MC9 - Not a Canik fan in general but have a bunch of respect for the line. This one however is a massive POS. My lefty shooting buddy purchased one of these and it has been a complete POS since day one. Sent it back for a re-spring job and it still chokes on ammo. He’s also too cheap to really test the gun with enough HP self defense ammo, so we don’t know if that will be any better than the ball ammo he shoots. He’s determined to make this his CCW gun and has a holster on order for it where the holster maker had to buy the mold.


_________________________
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last” - Winston Churchil
August 10, 2026, 08:06 AM
Dawes
A lot of the Turkish guns have a reputation for being strongly sprung, and have issues with 115 grain ammo.
August 10, 2026, 08:30 AM
ThankGod4Sig
quote:
Originally posted by iron chef:


Glock 49 - a hundred or so fans constantly lobbied for a long-slide G19. Glock finally appeased them. After those fans bought their G49s, no one else cared anymore. Don't hold your breath for a Gen6 G49.



I have one, I bought it at a Range USA here in Ohio. $499 on sale. Didnt really want one but for that cheap and then went to AIMSurplus and bought a cheap Glock 45 and have 3 guns in one now.


BTW There is a Glock 49 Gen 6


Gen 6 Glock 49 COA


"da evil Count Glockula."-Para
August 10, 2026, 08:59 AM
FenderBender
quote:
Originally posted by iron chef:


Glock 25 & 28 - I can't remember ever seeing these in shops after their initial release. I don't know if there was ever demand for these .380s to begin with.



Weren't sold in the US as they cannot meet the '68 rules. they were very popular overseas.


_____________________________________________
Proverbs 3:31 "Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."
August 10, 2026, 09:29 AM
cmparrish
quote:
Originally posted by FenderBender:
quote:
Originally posted by iron chef:


Glock 25 & 28 - I can't remember ever seeing these in shops after their initial release. I don't know if there was ever demand for these .380s to begin with.



Weren't sold in the US as they cannot meet the '68 rules. they were very popular overseas.


GLOCK eventually moved production to the US so they could sell the 25 and 28 in the US market. Still not very popular though.
August 10, 2026, 09:34 AM
Il Cattivo
Sadly, the SIG P225A1. Great little pistols.
August 10, 2026, 09:59 AM
HRK
Had a P250 it was good until it wasn't, had to go back to Sig who "fixed" it but I couldn't trust it, found another in the used case and bought it for $199. Still like the platform and have it simply because that was the first model Sig I bought.

P290, a failure, difficult to use in several ways including takedown which was worse than a Ruger MK3.
August 10, 2026, 10:23 AM
jhe888
quote:
Originally posted by Nick:
Let’s not forget the Glock “45GAP”


Not a bad gun, but a pointless round.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
August 10, 2026, 10:31 AM
TigerDore
The P250 was the first handgun I ever purchased, and I truly did not know what I was doing. It was double-action only, which made it very slow to me. When I took it to the range for my first lesson, my instructor let me use his pistols as well as mine. He had several different kinds, which included a 226, a Kahr(his personal EDC favorite) and a couple of Glocks.

My P250 felt like a total clunker in relation. I didn't keep it long. I moved on to HK and the Sig P938, which all were vastly better for me.



.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TigerDore,
August 10, 2026, 12:48 PM
Beanhead
No one mentioned the Arsenal Strike one. This originally was the pistol that toted having one of 'lowest bore axis' of any pistol. Supposedly adopted by Russian Special Forces. They came out with a better version that Arsenal pro came out with.

I bought one. Shot it. Yes, it was a little flatter shooting than typical pistol but nothing really ground breaking. Sold it a few months later. Not sure if they are still making it.
August 10, 2026, 01:21 PM
Dawes
Some guns, such as the Ruger American pistol, aren't necessarily bad guns. They just get lost in the sea of polymer 9mm's and soon drop off the radar.
August 10, 2026, 01:28 PM
iron chef
quote:
Originally posted by ThankGod4Sig:
BTW There is a Glock 49 Gen 6

Gen 6 Glock 49 COA
That's interesting, but I think the fact that it's not meant for the North American market supports my argument that it was a flop here.

quote:
Originally posted by dking271:
Canik METE MC9
Your friend may have a lemon, but the MC9 line is doing just fine. It's doing so well that Canik discontinued their TP9 Elite Subcompact line.

quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
The HK P2000 line had some moderate success...

So while it may have fallen short of HK's overly hopeful sales projections, calling it a "flop" is a stretch, especially compared to just about every other guns mentioned so far.
Flop is relative & subjective. I have a P2000 and like it, but I think it fell way short of HK's expectations. It was supposed to be the successor to the USP Compact but never came close to developing a similar following. Then the P30 & VP9/40 lines came out, and everyone forgot about the P2000.

When I see used P2000s at stores and online, they sit & sit...
P2000 is like the big summer movie that the studio hoped would gross over $1 billion in ticket sales and launch a new franchise. Instead it makes enough to break even, reviews aren't negative, and the film is quickly forgotten. So failure or flop might be too strong a word, but no one cares to see it again either.

In the last production years of the P2000, around 2020-24, I don't think the majority employees at HK were even aware the P2000 was still part of their catalog.
August 10, 2026, 03:03 PM
9mmepiphany
quote:
Originally posted by jhe888:
quote:
Originally posted by Nick:
Let’s not forget the Glock “45GAP”


Not a bad gun, but a pointless round.

Let's not be hasty.

The 45GAP works really well in moonclip in a S&W M-25 for competition. The shorter cartridges load more easily and the SPP take less force to set off




No, Daoism isn't a religion



August 10, 2026, 03:19 PM
MacGyver
quote:
Originally posted by Beanhead:
No one mentioned the Arsenal Strike one. This originally was the pistol that toted having one of 'lowest bore axis' of any pistol. Supposedly adopted by Russian Special Forces. They came out with a better version that Arsenal pro came out with.

I bought one. Shot it. Yes, it was a little flatter shooting than typical pistol but nothing really ground breaking. Sold it a few months later. Not sure if they are still making it.

They’re still making them. The story behind those is actually really interesting. The Arsenal Strike One is made in Italy while the Archon Type B (mechanically the exact same thing) is made in Germany by the other owner of the patent.
August 10, 2026, 06:04 PM
Opus Dei
Boberg XR9/Bond Arms Bullpup 9.
August 10, 2026, 06:29 PM
TigerDore
quote:
Originally posted by iron chef:
Flop is relative & subjective. I have a P2000 and like it...

My P2000SK was one of my earliest purchases and I am still very fond of it. I shoot it well and I like the way it feels. But I am also in the bottom 10% of the membership here with regard to gun knowledge and experience.


.
August 10, 2026, 06:54 PM
Mars_Attacks
I am very fond of my P250.


____________________________

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August 10, 2026, 08:39 PM
FenderBender
quote:
Originally posted by cmparrish:
quote:
Originally posted by FenderBender:
quote:
Originally posted by iron chef:


Glock 25 & 28 - I can't remember ever seeing these in shops after their initial release. I don't know if there was ever demand for these .380s to begin with.



Weren't sold in the US as they cannot meet the '68 rules. they were very popular overseas.


GLOCK eventually moved production to the US so they could sell the 25 and 28 in the US market. Still not very popular though.


It seems they did a small one off run for Talo of each, the size (G19 & G26) made it less than attractive after 25 years of international sales and the introduction and nearly 10 years of the G42 here.


_____________________________________________
Proverbs 3:31 "Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."
August 10, 2026, 10:56 PM
SigSentry
quote:
Originally posted by Dawes:
Some guns, such as the Ruger American pistol, aren't necessarily bad guns. They just get lost in the sea of polymer 9mm's and soon drop off the radar.


From what I recall, the shape of the "beaver tail" in the frame was not comfortable for many people".

It's surprising that in the 10-15 years, design and manufacturing advances have prevented most potential "flops" from ever seeing daylight apart from a few wacky 22s.

However. I believe the top prize goes to the Taurus Curve. Undisputed train wreck but still has collectors I guess.
August 10, 2026, 11:23 PM
cee_Kamp
Let us not forget the Magnum Research Lone Eagle pistol. Yes, those fine gun people that brought us the Desert Eagle pistol.
It is my understanding that they bought the design from another company. Probably a company that had failed.

The Lone Eagle was a single shot long range / hunting pistol. With a rotary artillery / cannon type breech.
The composite grip / frame had a steel cylindrical rod inside, and when "cocked" it was locked in the forward position.
When the trigger was pulled, the cylindrical rod was "fired" to the rear towards the shooter, then the rod hit a metal energy transfer piece (direction change) which then activated the firing pin.
Mine refused to ignite primers when outside in the cold. I suspect the Lone Eagle firearm "lock time" was measured in minutes vs microseconds.

I bought the new "second design" polymer composite grip / frame and it still refused to fire when outside in the cold winter deer hunting climate.
Sold it /traded it away when it wouldn't do what it was designed to do. Oh, mine was chambered in 30-06 Springfield.
I have replaced it with a Thompson-Center Encore single shot pistol in 30-06, and that will do exactly what it is supposed to do. Even when out in the cold.

It's those pesky details, neglecting to test your product in the climatic conditions they were allegedly designed for operation in.



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