Wonder how many opinion posts are pure B.S.?

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The opinion I value most is my own, once it is formed from experience. The informed opinion of others can occasionally be of use, but I find it usually isn't.
 
This is why I'm not worried about the credibility of Internet opinions:

I don't buy into most of them. I don't give out credibility automatically, a guy has to earn it soundly.

Reading internet opinions is like reading the comics in the Sunday paper: Entertaining, and maybe based on a scrap of reality, but not really factual.

Except a limited number of good members who offer their excellent knowledge and expertise on a regular basis (and they are easy to spot) I have this picture of most internet posters:

Some are post-adolescent teenagers, but most in mid-40's or 50's
Living at Mom's or Grandma's house
Sitting at computer all day in the upstairs bedroom
Wearing nothing but underwear
Haven't brushed teeth yet today.


That is the mental picture I get when I read opinions on all sorts of forums including guns, race cars, home improvement, politics, computing, conservation, hiking and camping, fishing (of course), and so on. It's the reason I'm not really worried about online credibility: They don't have any unless they demonstrate it soundly.
 
See here, I was happy to keep my shots minute of man at 10 yards, making nice pattern on a pie plate, and only taking a few shots to knock the soda crackers (saltines) to bits, But they were stale and could withstand a few .22s.

Now I guess I'll have to claim that I was putting them in the same 1" hole at 100m
 
hardworker said:
Opinions are worth exactly what you pay for them
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Opinions derived from experience, what are those worth?

Regarding the OP, I sense a familiar tone in your rhetoric, it of course centers around your derisive use of the word, "noob!" The tone is angry....

I've purchased multiple pistols that were highly problematic, defective even. Ruger's come to mind, as I'm sure thats what the OP is referencing in his rant. Curiously these very same "why on earth would you ever buy three of them" crowd never pipes in with why on earth they'd buy them at all after getting burned in one recall after another?

The truth is that no manufacturer turns out a lemon with every effort, yet some have clearly established themselves as much more likely to deliver one or more to market then do other's! BTW I've had far more broken 1911's from Colt's them broken Ruger 45 auto's, but I wouldn't(and I don't)hesitate to buy another Colt 1911 if the desire comes over me.....
 
howlnmad says: This thread is one that makes me want to start another asking "What is the opinion of Hi-Point firearms?". That's when you get the best BS.
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This is true on both sides of the argument... One size says they are the best, and the other side says they are junk... and... when Justin did the side by side comparison one side still said they are the best, and the other side said... they may be reliable, and they may be accurate but they are still junk.

That is why when it comes to opinions regarding a guns performance, I will look at Justin as an expert because I know he actually puts the effort in and does not make opinions based on looks and hearsay.

BS abound.
 
Anyone who agrees with my well reasoned and well thought out opinion rates anywhere from smart to brilliant. Any one who disagrees with my well thought out and well-reasoned opinion is not nearly as smart as they could be by a long shot. Seriously there does appear to be an awful lot of armchair experts on the Internet, and with all opinions especially any I offer they should be looked at with a jaundice eye.
 
Forums like these are great because there is a ton you can learn from the experience of others, but you have to be careful because at the end of the day you dont know the source. And firearm loyalty can be a funny thing - you'll have guys who wont let there hands touch anything but a Glock or a 1911 and they'll defend their personal choice of firearm to the grave. And those who are unhappy speak the loudest and most often, so sometimes the opinions you get can be skewed. But overall I think THR is one of the best firearm related forums - lots of great regulars here and the information I've learned here has helped out a lot.
 
Yes, opinions derived from experience are more than worthless, but on the internet it's hard to weed out the people who talk from experience from those who talk from reading the internet.

For example, look at how many people bash hi point. Yes, I've owned them. Yes, they're cheap. They are indeed butt-ugly, but from my experience they're not that bad at what they were designed to do, which was get the bullet from A to B. The majority of people who actually own them don't have anything bad to say about the function of the gun, yet the internet is full of people who despise them.
 
hardworker said:
Yes, opinions derived from experience are more than worthless, but on the internet it's hard to weed out the people who talk from experience from those who talk from reading the internet.

For example, look at how many people bash hi point. Yes, I've owned them. Yes, they're cheap. They are indeed butt-ugly, but from my experience they're not that bad at what they were designed to do, which was get the bullet from A to B. The majority of people who actually own them don't have anything bad to say about the function of the gun, yet the internet is full of people who despise them.
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Opinions based upon experience are worthless? That is an oxymoron.....
 
Wonder how many opinion posts are pure B.S.?
There's so many posts with noob's asking: "I'm thinking of this gun" or "I just bought this gun", "WHAT DO YOU THINK?" I read so many of the responses, and wonder how much B.S. some of these people are full of.

You'll read 8 people in a row say how a particular gun in question is good, reliable, a good value, etc... Then, you'll have one person say how he bought 3 of these brands (Different models), and that they are all "UNRELIABLE". Sorry, but a) I think they are full of B.S. for making such a claim; and b) If the brand was Sooooo bad, why did they buy up to 3 of them???

If I am about to write a review or give an opinion on a particular gun; and I've seen an overwhelming amount of POSITIVE feedback; and I think my experience has been negative; the first thing I need to do is "QUESTION MY SITUATION". Chances are, it isn't the gun, if I appear to be the only one or one of very few with an issue. I saw a guy buy 3 of the SAME MODEL gun, and return all 3, because they didn't feed right. He was so mad by the 3rd one, he didn't want to return it. He sold ME the $350 gun for $100. Once I explained to him was limp-wristing was, and about breaking in a pistol properly, he got even angrier. Not because he felt stupid, but because he actually thought I was B.S.ing him to rationalize now owning a POS. Well, I took him to the range, and made him fire the gun. He had 3 of 12 round fail to eject or feed properly. He shot 3 magazines, and had 3, then 1, then 2 fail in each magazine. I fired 3 magazines (Same magazines), without 1 fail to eject or fail to feed.

Point is, there's a lot of people who give opinions, and speak/write on the forums like they are authorities and know what they are talking about. Especially when they mention: "I've had 3 of these" or "I've shot them many times". And yet, it's obvious from the overwhelming positive reports, that this person doesn't know what they are talking about. They should at least humble themselves a little and say something like: "I see a lot of positive opinions, but honestly, I've had problems with that brand. Maybe it's me and that gun, or maybe I bought from a bad batch". Stop telling people to RUN away from such a gun, or that you wouldn't trust your family's life on one.

Basically, this post is for all the new viewers, posters, lurkers.... Take the opinions of posters with a grain of salt. Wait til you have a large sampling of opinions before making a decision. Just because you read it on the internet, doesn't make it true. Buying a gun is a very important decision. Especially if it's going to be used for self/family defense. Don't be swayed towards or away from a gun without getting a lot of opinions and read reviews.
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You may be getting a little too much caffeine. Lighten up.

If everything on the web was thoughtful and made sense it would be boring.
 
Also, most people don't honestly put enough rounds through a particular model to really get a good grasp on how said guns function.
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I agree with this.

Opinions on firearms are based on many factors beyond price and functionality. Some are based on other folks opinions. If you really like Glocks, you will likely recommend them. This has nothing to do with whether the buyer would agree with you. There aren't many here who have the breath of knowledge to review a particular firearm and make suggestions that include comparisons to many other firearms.

I give recommendations based on my experience. I think that is what most posters want and I doubt they want to read a book on the subject. Experience with a particlar gun will vary.
 
Since I have been a member here,I have learned who I can trust and who I just ignore. Threads like this one just stengthen that position.
 
I figure anybody who agrees with me is a highly intelligent, experienced shooter, who really knows his stuff.

Anyone who doesn't, doesn't know beans from apple butter.
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I've know this to be true for decades. :D
 
I prefer to do the testing of a particular firearm myself. If I'm interested in it, I'll look around and see what the general consensus is. Things like the Century Arms Polish Tantal... various reviews saved me from making this mistake, or at least going into the purchase with my eyes open to some barrel/keyholing issues that were widely reported.

But when buying name brand stuff from SA, HK, Sig, Beretta, Colt, S&W, Kahr, etc. I typically prefer to just buy the gun if I'm interested and figure out if it's worth it or not myself.

Often times I'll post video reviews online. I caught a malfunction of a FNH FNP .45 Tactical on video and posted it. I didn't remove it nor will I claim "I've never had a malfunction with the pistol" as some do even though they've had one or more. But when I do encounter a failure, I dig in as to what might have caused it (another video I posted for the FNP .45).

Not everyone is so honest or objective though.

So as another poster said, take the advice for what it's worth (and what you paid for it).
 
Sam1911 said:
See, this presumes that all reviews are given the same merit -- and that just isn't so.

One review that is constructed well -- explains the test criteria, the goals of the shooter, the experience level of the shooter, the accuracy he/she was able to achieve vs. their accuracy with other guns, what exactly broke, jammed, or failed, and what the manufacturer said and did to fix it -- wipes out about a dozen contrary reviews.

Stuff like ...
"Danged gun is a piece of crap!"
"XYZ -R- deh GR8EST!"
"XYZs SUCK!"
"Me an my cuzint couldn't hit nuthin with it noways."
"A (insert common service arm) isn't anywhere NEAR as accurate or reliable as (insert other common service arm)!"
... and other brief, drive-by, fluff commentary might as well not even appear on the screen for as much credence as I can give them.

But a review that has some meat to it, uses proper grammar and more-or-less recognizable spelling, expresses cohesive thoughts, and doesn't run to absurd claims or emotional extremes will get my attention.

In other words, convince me you understand shooting and mechanical principles, that you had reasonable expectations of what the gun should and shouldn't do, that you were able to observe and describe clearly what was especially good or bad about the gun, and that you're not a hotheaded nut with an axe to grind, and I'll be about 10 times more likely to accept your review.

And two things I really do wish people would understand: 1) Honest, intelligent people can have contrary experiences with the same item. 2) Expressing an emotional adherence to the ultimate truth of your opinion makes your argument look weak and you look silly. The more viciously and bitterly you argue, the less likely others are to come around to your point of view.
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Sam, yours is one opinion I always value!
 
And two things I really do wish people would understand: 1) Honest, intelligent people can have contrary experiences with the same item. 2) Expressing an emotional adherence to the ultimate truth of your opinion makes your argument look weak and you look silly. The more viciously and bitterly you argue, the less likely others are to come around to your point of view.
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But a review that has some meat to it, uses proper grammar and more-or-less recognizable spelling, expresses cohesive thoughts, and doesn't run to absurd claims or emotional extremes will get my attention.
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Sound principles for evaluating an opinion. I prefer opinions based on facts, experience, or a proven record rather than some emotional extremist rant. Also, it helps with credibility if the person giving their opinion sounds like they have some education and/or intelligence.

I wish more people would use these principles when it comes to religious leaders and especially now days to politics.
 
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