About that title…when I say ‘haters,’ I don’t mean anti-gun folks, but rather folks who might dislike a specific genre of gun. For example, plenty of deluded people dislike shotguns for some reason. I doubt they actually hate them, but to be fair, the Disliker’s Guide to Guns doesn’t really roll off the tongue. My objective here is to get shooters to try different kinds of firearms they might dislike by introducing standout options that just might change minds.
Hate Shotguns? Try The Ironhorse Sentry 12
Since we’ve already mentioned shotguns, let’s start there. A lot of folks dislike the standard tube-fed, pump-action shotguns, and it’s easy to see why. In an era ruled by America’s favorite rifle, the AR-15, the standard shotgun feels archaic to some. We can’t negate every negative aspect of a shotgun, but we can make them a little easier to handle for shooters used to AR-15-style rifles.
The Ironhorse Sentry 12 takes pump shotguns to new levels. This pump action design features an AR-like layout with an inline stock design that helps manage recoil and improve control.
The Sentry 12 is a box magazine-fed design, and while mag-fed shotguns can have their eccentricities, the Sentry 12 simulates the AR well enough to make reloads an easy transition. The safety is AR-like, and the gun features ambidextrous controls for ease of use for everyone.
There’s lots of rail space for accessories and the platform itself features some interesting modularity. If you ever want to go the NFA route, the barrel can be easily removed and swapped for a shorter option. It’s theoretically possible to swap stocks, although Ironhorse hasn’t produced any other stocks just yet. The included stock has a good standard length of pull that’s short and sweet.
Hate Revolvers? Try the Taurus 692
The Taurus 692, including a recently released an Executive Grade version, is perfect if you just can’t seem to get behind revolvers. The complaint I hear a lot from folks raised on semi-automatics is that the price of entry for revolvers is too high. Revolvers are generally more expensive, revolver ammo is too, and they find it tough to justify the expense.
Taurus defies that with a worthy, more affordable option. The Taurus of today is leaps and bounds better than the Taurus of yesteryear, but they’ve kept the lower price points.
The 692 cuts ammo costs by offering you the option of shooting both .357 Magnum and .38 Special as well as coming with an additional cylinder for 9mm. That cuts the price needed to feed the revolver substantially and opens you up to the massive, less costly market of 9mm cartridges.
The 692 comes with adjustable sights and, if you’re anything like me, having a rear sight on a revolver makes a huge difference. I just can’t get used to those trench-style rear sights on smaller frame wheelguns. The 692 also has a ported barrel for reduced recoil, seven-round cylinders, and a hefty medium frame that soaks up recoil.
Hate Bolt Guns? Try The Mossberg MVP Patrol
It can be tough for some to justify a bolt-action rifle in a world where affordable ARs dominate. There are lots of good 1 MOA AR-15 rifles out there now. Yet, there is still a lot of charm and satisfaction to shooting a bolt gun. If you’re getting into a new type of rifle and are used to ARs, then price likely matters. With all of that in mind, the Mossberg MVP Patrol series in 5.56 and 300 Blackout makes for a great bolt gun.
Mossberg’s MVP lineup is all about affordability while keeping things American-made. The Patrol lineup brings a feature set we don’t commonly see with bolt-action rifles, including AR-15 magazine compatibility.
The rifle has a set of iron sights, which is relatively rare on bolt guns these days. It’s also optics-ready and has a threaded barrel for modern muzzle devices (read: suppressors).
The rifle can use very common and affordable ammo and magazines. It’s ready right out of the box and is both light and handy. The gun may not feature the slickest action, but it’s a fun bolt gun option for someone not used to manual repeaters.
Hate Pocket Pistols? Try The KelTec P32
Oh boy, do I hate most pocket pistols? My first experience with a pocket pistol was with the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard in .380 ACP and I had nothing but disdain for the gun. The crappy sights, heavy trigger, and fairly punishing recoil made it a gun I didn’t keep for long. After that experience, I ditched pocket pistols until I discovered the .32 ACP and the KelTec P32.
The P32 is a micro-sized, super flat and easy-shooting pocket pistol. The trigger is still long, and the sights are still pathetic (it’s a mouse gun, after all), but the lack of recoil makes the gun easy to handle.
I took the time to learn how to work the double-action trigger and make use of those small sights because the gun didn’t beat my hand up like a meat tenderizer with every shot.
The P32 proved to be simple to carry, easy to handle ,and fun to shoot. It holds eight rounds with one in the pipe and seven in the mag. At 6.6 ounces it drops into my pocket and disappears. The P32 is everything a pocket pistol should be without the nasty recoil.
Hate PCCs? Try a CMMG Banshee or Resolute
Pistol-caliber carbines get a lot of hate. Why would someone choose a 9mm carbine that often has more recoil than a 5.56 rifle? The absolute ton of PCCs that use a direct blowback action has led to a lot of folks simply not getting PCCs. It’s understandable. What if you could shoot a 9mm rifle without any excess recoil?
The CMMG Banshee and Resolute series use the radial delayed blowback system CMMG uses to such good effect. Unlike a blowback system, a heavy buffer and bolt aren’t required, and the gun has hardly any recoil.
It’s light shooting, light weight, and a ton of fun. They come in both SIG and GLOCK pattern magazine designs and have all the modern features you’d expect from an AR platform rifle.
The Banshee and Resolute series differ by size. Banshees are micro-sized guns and Resolutes are full-sized rifles. Both are capable weapons and are true subguns with proper subgun-like recoil. If 5.56 is too much to handle, then the 9mm radial delayed guns are probably perfect.
The Hater’s Guide to Guns
I came up with these five based on the genres people seem to dislike or shy away from. These guns offer a different experience than your typical counterparts and tend to be a good bit of fun. But let’s turn it over to the audience now. Do you have any suggestions? Any guns that stand out and might entice folks to try a new genre? Let us know in the comments section below.
Mossberg also makes a Scout in .308/7.62 that uses M-14/Ar-10 mags. They are a nice rifle once you get used to the trigger and the bolt operation which smoothes quickly.
If I find something utterly repulses me it is a good idea to learn as much as I can about it. Learning why it gets my goat is part of it but knowing how it can be done better or why it cannot is way more useful.
Surprised bullpups didn’t make the list
Expense/limited numbers? They do fall under this topic very often for their limited visibility.
I have been commenting on firearm websites for several years and this is the first time that I came to simply say, “Nice article.”
I like the premise of the article as well as the proposals.
I will further say that I am Taurus a revolver fan. They are solid firearms which work well. Their best feature: they typically cost something like 50% to 70% of the price of “big name” manufacturers.