Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Trusting a gun that broke on you?

I realize guns are simply machine parts and machine parts sometimes fail, but do you trust a rifle that fails you once? Broken extractor? Firing pin issues?

Certain rifle brands that have failed on me more than once (like 2 or 3 times), I'll write them off. Some rifles are notorious for having issues and yet guys still use them. That's on them though.

I bought a couple of broken rifles a 70s M94 top eject and a Parker Hale 1200(both firing pins), put them back together. I also had an ejector break on a Charles Daly mini mauser, put a new one in and it works good as new. I really don't think much about it, and just enjoy it when I shoot them. I've even hunted with the PH quite a bit.

Just bring two rifle on the hunt or if you're hunting with someone use their if yours fails you. Bolt action rifles are not complicated and if a part on the bolt or trigger broke replace it with new part and it should be good to go, I wouldn't sweat it, but if you're concerned just get rid of it.

It depends upon the type of failure, and the history of that particular firearm. If it is deemed to be a fluke, then heck ya I’d continue to use it……once repaired, but not before! 😂 memtb

Rifles are pretty basic devices, really. Mechanical failures are pretty easy to figure out the 'whys' so it doesn't happen again. I've never given a second thought after the cause of the problem was identified and correctly addressed. 'Fixing' a problem multiple times and having the same failures is more about the diagnostics than the failures.

My Mini Mark X in 223 is a good example. When I bought it used, I knew they had a reputation of breaking extractors. When I took it apart, it was pretty clear to see why. I did the modification on the factory extractor and have shot a ton of rounds through it without any problems. At the range one day, a club member saw me shooting it....said he had one that he hadn't fired in 10 years because the extractors kept breaking. He even had a spare extractor that the 'gunsmith' got for him "....for when it breaks again".

He brought it over, I did the tweaks (took about a half hour) and he's been shooting it ever since as his primary walk around 'dog gun for a couple years now.



Good shootin' -Al

If I could pinpoint the problem and repair the broken or malfunctioning part, I would run with it.

I gave up on remington shotguns in the 80's.....

Never an issue with a Ruger,WInchester,Weatherby, Browning ,Tikka and Sako .

Issues with
Winchester- check
Ruger- check
Sako- check
Remington- not yet
Tikka- not yet

The only one I wouldn't have again is the 85 series of Sako.

What about a custom Sako II action that had a broken extractor?

I've just repaired any problems and keep on trucking...

considering how many rounds I send down range, many of my guns function over and over and do just fine...

Replace the extractor and rock on, as long as it wasn't over pressure ammunition causing the failure.

Maybe that’s the rub? The gun was purchased used. First round fire, extractor broken.

I would still replace the extractor and shoot it. You can only control what you feed it, not what the previous owner did.

Kinda like a pickup truck, getter fixt and keep on keeping on.

Now if it’s a woman failure that’s another story. Replace and repeat…

I think I've replaced broken parts on just about every rifle made. None are immune.

Certainly - especially if I have fixed it myself. Not hi-tech, no electronics, no "computer diagnostics", few moving parts.

Do not ask me about "computer-repaired by Dealer" 4-stroke outboards tho...... mine (2012/ 120 hours) has denied me any use for a year and a half now, after half a dozen dealer "fixes" (some due to my my ignorance of 4-strokes). Pulled it off the boat yesterday - no confidence. Brand new motor going on.

Today I noticed what appears to be a half-hidden sensor unplugged - almost certainly by the dealer somewhere in their "computer diagnostics", cuz it wasn't me and it couldn't happen by accident.

totally disgusted and possibly $11K (plus "repairs") poorer for no reason. If I can ascertain the older motor is running, it's gone tho, so I'll get some compensation.

I really, really hate hi-tech crap! Gimme a 1976 2-stroke slick -leaver any day!

Guns are generally within my competence. Sorta. Almost. Sometimes.

The extractor on my 725 SA broke on me a few years back. Who needs it? I used it as a single shot the next year to take a nice caribou. fire, elevate muzzle to vertical, slap the stock a couple times, the brass falls right out, reload. (only needed one round tho).

Numrich Gun Parts (Gun Parts Corp) did their not uncommon thing and sent me some dang thing that no way resembled what I ordered. A 700 extractor from Jack First, which I had been told (innanet, and here, ) would not fit. Did and works perfectly. Had to make a staking tool tho.

All depends on what the failure was. If it’s a safety issue, I would never trust it again.

Curious to the issues? My 870 has easily outshot all my other guns combined and has been flawless. Not doubting your experience, genuinely curious.

If I understood the issue and fixed it then I would trust it. If it was something intermittent and I couldn’t really isolate the issue then I might use the rifle but I would have shoot it a long time without the issue to trust it. Especially if it a safety issue rather than a operational type issue.

Most firearms are relatively simple compared to other devices we use every day. Identify the issue and either fix it or have it fixed. Test to your satisfaction and enjoy it. Exception would be an obvious design flaw most of which will not stay on the market long term. The other issue I see is lack of operator knowledge which is them considered a design flaw I.E. lack of a disconnector on Win 12, 97 and Ithaca 37 shotguns. In pre internet days many WWI and WWII vets considered that as a feature rather than a flaw.