The 8 worst guns ever made

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In "The World's Worst Weapons," Martin Dougherty details the long history of overambitious, underachieving weapons that failed to hit their mark.

From brass-knuckle-knife-revolvers to rocket-propelled ammunition, we've described the eight worst guns ever produced.

8. Sten gun MK II

Imperial War Museums via Wikimedia Commons

Unfortunately the Sten gun MK II tended to misfire frequently, and there were reports of the gun's bullets bouncing off of targets.

"At a time when Britain faced invasion and vast numbers of weapons were needed, the Sten was quick and easy to put together, and it was a lot better than nothing," Dougherty wrote.

Country: United Kingdom

Entered service: 1940

Type: Submachine gun

Range: 230 feet

Capacity: 32 rounds

Source: "The World's Worst Weapons"

 

7. The Bazooka

US Army Signal Corps

One glaring problem with the bazooka was the massive flare it created when fired, which both exposed the shooters position and shot dust, debris, and flames back at the soldier firing the weapon. Later versions of the bazooka included a back-blast shield.

"The best thing about the bazooka was that it formed the basis for better weapons that came along later," Dougherty wrote.

Country: United States

Entered service: 1942

Type: Unguided antitank weapon

Range: Under 500 feet

Capacity: Single-shot rocket launcher/ 3.5 pound explosive

Source: "The World's Worst Weapons"

6. LeMat grapeshot revolver

Forgotten Weapons

The LeMat grapeshot revolver is another great idea for the battlefield that suffered from poor execution. Designed as a cavalry weapon late in the US Civil War, the LeMat revolver stored nine pistol rounds in a revolver setup, with an additional barrel and single shotgun shell in the middle.

The user would toggle the movable firing pin to select which round they wanted to fire. While it was a great idea in theory, in practice the guns proved to be poorly made.

Country: United States

Entered service: 1856

Type: Handgun

Range: 164 feet

Capacity: nine rounds

Source: "The World's Worst Weapons"

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