Our Tactical Gun Culture

[NW Backpacker]

Was there some incident involving semi-autos that caused Clinton/congress to pass the AWB?

As previously stated, the black rifle/pistol craze is probably driven by fear that they will ban them, and the reality that our country is not as safe as it was a few decades ago, so it's possible we'll actually need them some day.

How expensive did ARs get during the AWB? Some folks may be buying them as investments in case they ban them again - that might work if private transfers remain legal.

 

[gmerkt]

Part of the price we pay for cheap, imported mainstream clothing is reduced quality. We can't expect that the low price is all related to labor. So in that sense, if "tactical" clothing is of a higher quality, bully for us. Those Propper brand (and others) replica BDU's are fairly well made, I've noted offshore sources of manufacture, however. I had one pair of trousers with the bellows pockets sewn on wrong. But others have been very robust. I don't wear any BDU trousers anymore; I'm between sizes and the larger size is just a ridiculous fit.

Mostly what I wear now are Dickies work trousers. Foreign-made yes, but they seem to hold up well over time. I have gray pairs that go on and on, the knees get real faded but don't wear through. I have to thrown them out due to fading more than any other reason. One pair the cuffs started to fray.

Talk about wearing like iron. I've no idea of the fabric composition, but I have a couple of former East German Army shirts that I wear outside on the property for working. I've had those since the late 1990's and they still aren't completely worn out. Talk about pockets, those have a hidden pistol pocket in one of the front breast panels.

I've looked at the current US Army ACU shirts. Actually, I believe there are a couple of different designs now. The one with the stand-up collar, nicht für mich. I hate stand-up collars. The velcro patch surfaces, don't need those. The big, fat zipper, I think I like buttons better. Side pockets, if I can't put my hands in them comfortably, I don't like them. Some designs (like flight jackets) put them up too high.

Boots. I'm too old to wear boots. If the Red Chinese land at Picnic Point, I'm going to have to render myself into combat without boots. Wool felt clogs, more likely. I have rubber Welly boots that I wear outside for tromping around on my property.

 

[Member 34319]

I approve of all things tactical!

 

[CLT65]

Why do ordinary citizens want to go tactical? Because only a few of them can live the real life; the remainder must be satisfied with mimicry and fantasy.

Ain't it the truth! But I guess it's really no different from how many of us have racing stickers on our vehicles, how we wear team shirts and hats, or expensive basketball shoes. No harm in dreaming about the things we like.

 

[Kruel J]

Oakleys, 5.11 pants, polo shirt with a oen pocket on the sleeve, Salomons with neon shoe strings, beards, and plastic guns. Its where we are at today.

Yeahbut, that makes you a better shot no?

 

[Velzey]

The tactical culture really cracks me up( some Of them). Shooting cardboard targets that are 20' in front of them. As of lately Ive seen guys shooting their steel plates less than 5' in front of them. They have 100,000 plus Instagram followers.
They wear everything tactical.


Then on the other hand I see a little old man come in here and he drags in his paper plate target. 300 yards and he is putting them within 1.5". With his all stock Remington 700 .270 with weaver rings and a wood stock.....the horror
Has his 1970's era Leupold fixed power 6x scope...
He says hey can you put a new barrel on? My groups have opened up from .750 to 1.5" at 300 yards...

 

[Kruel J]

The tactical culture really cracks me up( some Of them). Shooting cardboard targets that are 20' in front of them. As of lately Ive seen guys shooting their steel plates less than 5' in front of them. They have 100,000 plus Instagram followers.
They wear everything tactical.


Then on the other hand I see a little old man come in here and he drags in his paper plate target. 300 yards and he is putting them within 1.5". With his all stock Remington 700 .270 with weaver rings and a wood stock.....the horror
Has his 1970's era Leupold fixed power 6x scope...
He says hey can you put a new barrel on? My groups have opened up from .750 to 1.5" at 300 yards...

Love it!

 

[titsonritz]

When a Democrat tells you that you don't need something, that means you need to acquire at LEAST three of them.

One is none, two is one, three is glee.

I've said it a thousands times and I'll say it again, those left-wing commie a-holes have no one to blame but themselves for my current interest in these types of weapon and training with them everychance I get. I had zero interest in bump stock but I think I'm going to get one, anything else you want tell me I can't have?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Love it! I I scored one such rifle, dude was pizzed that his Winchester hand me down didn't shoot good ( he thought) so he sold it to me super cheap. A few hours at the range and the loading bench saw that rifle tighten to less then 1/2 inch in no time and less cost then a half way decent scope! Showed him a target and he was pizzed! I find today's rifles are better then most shooters are capable of shooting, even the el'cheapo's tend to shoot well, so whats the excuse?

Here is one that shoots lights out, and it needs work!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I've got some tactical guns....
True they are a bit older than most....






These are just a few of what was once the cutting edge of "tactical" firearms...
They are also still very fun to shoot and lethal if the need arises.

Would they be my first choice for heading into a firefight...Nope
But I wouldn't just curl up and wait to die , 'cause it was the only gun I had either.

Tactical should be how you do things , not the things themselves.
Andy

 

[nwslopoke]

Is it tactical or better? My first AK was Rambo'd out and weighed almost 11 lbs. Most econo built ARs now weigh less than 7lbs and are uber reliable. Black rifles look like they do because millions made has revealed what works. (edited from phone's auto correct)

 

[CLT65]

Then on the other hand I see a little old man come in here and he drags in his paper plate target. 300 yards and he is putting them within 1.5". With his all stock Remington 700 .270 with weaver rings and a wood stock.....the horror
Has his 1970's era Leupold fixed power 6x scope...
He says hey can you put a new barrel on? My groups have opened up from .750 to 1.5" at 300 yards...

You know what they say about messing with old guys? You never know who you might be messing with; If he's too old and tired to fight, he might just kill you...

 

[808hondacrguy]

Then on the other hand I see a little old man come in here and he drags in his paper plate target. 300 yards and he is putting them within 1.5". With his all stock Remington 700 .270 with weaver rings and a wood stock.....the horror
Has his 1970's era Leupold fixed power 6x scope...
He says hey can you put a new barrel on? My groups have opened up from .750 to 1.5" at 300 yards...

I've always heard, *beware the man with one gun, he knows how to use it".

 

[nehalemguy]

I have owned a Colt AR15 since '87 before it was "cool" (I still have it, too). I suspect this next statement I'm going to make has contributed HUGELY to what your talking about....



When a Democrat tells you that you don't need something, that means you need to acquire at LEAST three of them.

One is none, two is one, three is glee.

Nailed it.....^^^^^^^.

In the late '80s and early '90s I worked the gun counter of one of the largest gun stores in Oregon.

We sold maybe a half dozen AR platforms a year and there were really only three main stream manufacturers.....Colt, Bushmaster, and Olympic. Mini-14s were more popular.

Then Billy Clinton got elected. After that, EVERYONE wanted a black gun.

E

 

[No_Regerts]

Is it tactical or better? My first AK was Rambled out and weighed almost 11 lbs. Most econo built ARs weigh less than 7lbs and are uber reliable. Black rifles look like they do because millions made reveals what works.

For that kind of stuff, yeah stamped metal or forged aluminum and plastic is fine.

But people using a 20x Nightforce scope on a Ruger American (in 6.5 creedmoor no doubt) hunting where shots wont stretch 100 yards? Gimme a break.

 

[Kruel J]

For that kind of stuff, yeah stamped metal or forged aluminum and plastic is fine.

But people using a 20x Nightforce scope on a Ruger American (in 6.5 creedmoor no doubt) hunting where shots wont stretch 100 yards? Gimme a break.

I just laughed out loud. So true.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Hey, some of us may need the optical help, some eyes just don't do well at 100 yrds! If the only optics for out budgets happens to be "tactical" something...then we'll use it.
I make gear. Jumped in with making gear for the venerable SKS clips... found out along the way that there's a market for custom gear (For the Redball magazines for Hi Points....)...even though there's a lot of gear on the market at the moment.

You know it's gone full circle, when you see the USMC gear go back to earth tones (Coyote Brown) from camo.

Really though, MOLLE is AWESOME....because its modular, and there are oodles and oodles of pouches to fit the MOLLE platform, and so many different colors available other than camouflage; like the venerable OD(few different shades, most prominent is the Tactical Tailor color), Coyote Brown/Coyote Tan (there's a few different shades from different companies), Khaki (depends on brand), Ranger Green, Wolf Gray, Foliage Green... And then there's the old style stand by of basic black just like SWAT

Big advantage of Cordura over cotton canvas? light weight and durability, and long lasting. Easily cleaned, and is not as susceptible to mold rot.

And with the emergence of MOLLE gear in hunting camouflage like Mossy Oak Breakup, it seems gear originally designed for military/police use is finding its way into hunting/fishing use.

Yeah, tactical maybe a marketing term and hyped up nowadays..... but there are real, tangible benefits to the designs of the gear and equipment. Of course there are always design dead ends and terrible ideas.... but thats why we have so much to choose from, we aren't stuck to only one color, or one system.


Current tactical gear trend from the front lines... lighter weight fabrics and lower profile gear. 330D-500D fabrics as opposed to old 1000D standard, single layer mags and built in panels or pockets, less MOLLE equipment, elastic webbings or laser cut laminates for gear attachment...

Whether that translate to lighter, better gear for the sportsmen.... I am not sure. Lighter, sure. better? I don't know. It depends on their intended uses.

 

[WAYNO]

The generation of mall ninjas would look awfully silly if they didn't have such a proliferation of tacticool gear to choose from..

 

[Rickenbacher39]

When everything is "tactical" nothing is.
I've seen tactical hats, tactical pants, shirts, scopes, toilet paper, a tactical pen for cripes sakes.
The list is endless. Paint it camo and it's tactical.
My first reaction now when I see the word "tactical" is to laugh.


This message was typed on my tactical keyboard, sitting in my tactical chair
and drinking a tactical rum and coke. How do you like my tactical font?

 

[Boboclown]

For that kind of stuff, yeah stamped metal or forged aluminum and plastic is fine.

But people using a 20x Nightforce scope on a Ruger American (in 6.5 creedmoor no doubt) hunting where shots wont stretch 100 yards? Gimme a break.

Can you even USE 20x at 100 yards? Even 3x is the border for me at that distance.

That aside if its based on needs we'd all just have a pistol and maybe a rifle to hunt with. How many of us have just that? I get what I like. If what I like is considered tactical then oh well, not my job to care what others consider something.

I have a reason to have the things I have. People just happen to have what they have cause they want it. Can't be any simpler. The reasons why may be different, but we may not be all that different when it comes to the why.