Cursed guns that shouldn't have been made

The Colt Model 1855 revolving carbine was an ambitious attempt to enhance the firepower of the U.S. Cavalry with a rifle that incorporated a revolving chamber. However, the design was flawed due to the percussion cap ammunition producing excessive hot gases that would often cause the remaining rounds in the cylinder to discharge prematurely, leading to dangerous 'cook-off' incidents. Despite its adoption by the U.S. Army, the weapon was unpopular among soldiers and had a short service life, with only around 4,400 units made, marking it as one of the worst firearm designs in history.

The Mars pistol, manufactured by Webley, was a product of Mr. Hugh Gabott Fairfax's design, aiming to create a self-loading pistol. Unfortunately, the pistol was heavy, complex, and resembled a small cannon. Its unorthodox features, such as a steel finger covering the top cartridge and a complicated rotating mechanism, made it difficult to use. The recoil was severe, and the gun was often kicked back into the shooter's face, leading to it being dubbed the most powerful pistol in the world at the time but also one of the most unpleasant to use. The Mars pistol was ultimately rejected by both the War Office and the Royal Navy, with only 70 units made before the designer went bankrupt.

The Glisenti Model 1910 was an Italian pistol designed to replace the outdated Bodeo service revolver. It was chambered for a weaker 7.65 mm cartridge but was found to be too feeble for the standard 9x19mm Parabellum round, leading to the receiver exploding under the power of the round. A special cartridge with reduced stopping power was introduced to mitigate this issue. The model was known for its weak frame and a plate on the side that often opened during firing. Despite being accepted into service, it was not favored by Italian officers and was used as a second-grade weapon throughout World War II.

The Gyrojet pistol, developed by MBA Associates, was a unique and unconventional firearm that fired rocket-propelled bullets instead of traditional inert projectiles. It featured a futuristic look and a unique firing mechanism that allowed for a lighter construction with almost no recoil. However, the pistol was plagued by high ammunition costs, poor accuracy, and a significant drop in velocity once the rocket propellant was exhausted. Despite its innovative concept, the Gyrojet was impractical and was never adopted for service by the American armed forces, with only a limited market presence in 1965.

The Nambu Type 94 was a pistol used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It was notorious for its poor design and extremely low quality, which worsened as the war industry became overstretched. The pistol was ineffective beyond close range and was extremely unreliable, often misfiring and posing a danger to its user. It was known as the 'suicide special' or 'surrender pistol' due to the risk of accidental discharge. Despite these issues, the Nambu Type 94 remained in use until the end of the war, with about 70,000 units produced by 1945.

The Italian Army during World War II was characterized by a mix of high-quality and low-quality armaments. The Glisenti M1910 was a standard pistol that remained in service until the end of WWII, despite being considered second-rate. The Beretta M1934 was the most common Italian Army pistol, known for its quality and lighter weight. The Carcano M1891 was an outdated rifle, while the Beretta M1938 submachine gun was one of the best of the war, praised for its quality and reliability. However, the Breda M1930 light machine gun was poorly received due to its numerous flaws, including violent recoil, jamming issues, and a complex magazine system. The Fiat-Revelli M1914/35 was another machine gun with a low rate of fire and oil and dirt issues. The Breda M1937 was the best Italian machine gun of the war, despite its case extraction problems. Italian soldiers also used three models of the Modelo 35 hand grenade, which were offensive grenades with an impact fuse, known for their reliability.

The FP-45 Liberator was a simple, single-shot pistol produced during World War II with the intention of arming resistance fighters in occupied Europe. It was designed to be easily concealed and used at close range, with a smoothbore barrel that limited its effective range to about 13 feet. The Liberator fired powerful .45 ACP ammunition and was manufactured in large numbers, with one million units produced in just 11 weeks. However, the weapon was never used on the scale intended, and after the war, most were discarded or melted down. The Liberator was delivered in a card box with 10 rounds, a wooden dowel for reloading, and an instruction manual. Its production was simple and cost-effective, earning it the nickname 'the Woolworth pistol.'

The Chauchat M1915 CSRG was the standard light machine gun of the French Army during World War I. It was designed in 1907 and was the most widely manufactured automatic weapon of the war, with around 262,000 units produced. However, the gun was notorious for its unreliability in the muddy trenches, with dirt easily entering the open-sided magazine and causing the mechanism to clog. The long recoil system made the weapon's recoil violent, and the loose bipod sights often resulted in inaccurate shooting. The American Expeditionary Force also used the Chauchat, but due to its numerous issues, it was often discarded by U.S. soldiers, making it one of the worst machine guns of the war and, according to some, the worst ever fielded in the history of warfare.