[albanian]

Have you ever been to the range and saw someone with a certain type of handgun that seemed to prove to you that the guy was serious about shooting?

I was at a Bullseye match and I saw a guy shooting an old K-38 and I had this feeling of respect for him even though I didn't know if he could shoot or not. I suspect he could with a gun like that. Everyone else had Contenders or high dollar 1911s or 8" bbl SS GP-100s. This guy had a 6" blued K-38 that balanced like a dream. I talked to him and I tried to buy it but he wouldn't sell.:evil:

[timothy75]

I supose any gun they shoot well, be it a Jennings or HK.

[Phenom]

War relic USGI 1911s:p

[BrennanKG]

The safely handled one.



B.

[BrennanKG]

In truth, I'm always impressed when I see people who can shoot glocks accurately past ten yards. I always had a hard time with the trigger on mine.


B.

[GEM]

Any gun pointed at you demands respect. Otherwise, I respect the person rather than the gun. If you ask what gun is cool - is that respect? :D

[psyopspec]

War relic USGI 1911s

I was admiring one of these at the range, and the shooter let me run a mag through it. Afterward he told me it was his grandfather's WWII sidearm and had been carried in Europe. Hadn't been fired in something like seven years, and he'd recently inherited it. The young man seemed like the type that would take care of a priceless gift like that. I automatically respected both him and his late grandpa.

Oh yeah, no problems with that old Colt in 200 rounds that afternoon.:)

[Nathan Williams]

The kind that dont sweep me.

[KC&97TA]

a few months back at the local combat match, I watched a guy put 6 rounds on 3 targets at 15 yards in a time of 2.95 sec ... with a S&W 686 Revolver :what:

I've watched guys with custom made $3k 1911's make fools out of them selfs, and stool in awe, watching a friend act with sygrical accuracy out of a SA GI 1911, ended up makeing him a great deal on that gun ;)

I've had to listen to a fool want 100 yrd groups with smooth bore shotgun, and I've taugh civilians to hit at 600 yrds with an AR-15

But there is one Gun that has impressed me :evil:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2159/dscn1475cy4.jpg

Originial web site: http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=149269

[1911 guy]

If I see a handgun that shows honest wear and use, the operator is acting safely and efficiently, I figure I'd rather show a little courtesy and respect than want to tangle with him/her. I've seen jovial old men with nearly worn-out revolvers and pistols that are lightning fast and more accurate than they have a right to be. One that comes to mind has a DRAWER FULL (read 8 or ten) identical colt pistols he practices with...shooting dragonflies in the swamp behind his house.

[usp9]

I tend to be more impressed with the skill of the shooter than the tool being used...but then there was this guy that walked in with an American 180...cool, and that fellow with the full auto suppressed 10/22, or the MP5 I saw the other day. But I digress. I guess I notice full auto and skilled shooters.

[Geno]

A 1911 with the bluing well-worn, and more so if it is a genuine Colt, or some other whose creation was contracted for, and having returned from active-service, “over there”. If we see this same on most revolvers, rifles or shotguns, we cringe and think of it bearer, “Holy crap, you possibly be a lower form of life for treating a firearm like that?!”

But, when we see a WWI or WWII, a Korean War or Vietnam era 1911, bluing well-worn, it engenders a warm assurance, tantamount to the Hartmann briefcase carried for years, building up its beautiful and seductive patina. It’s like a classy, elegant lady in an evening gown, with a just a touch of gray in her hair, sipping a French Merlot, versus a wino sprawled in a gutter, sucking discarded cigarette butts and guzzling Boones Farm.

It’s true; there are certain matters in life that exude class, and yet others that are simply ordinary:

Exudes Class versus Simply Ordinary:

Burl wood Pipe versus Cigarette
Macanudo Cigar versus Backwoods Smokes
Patina leather versus Vinyl binder
French Merlot versus Boones Farm
Blue-worn 1911 versus Neglected any pistol
Blue-worn M1 versus Neglected any rifle



http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/Doc2005/CommandRespect2.jpg

Doc2005

[The Silver Bullet 1719]

Browning Hi-Powers

One of the most underappreciated autoloader by todays standards. When I actually see someone with one at the range, I'm impressed.

[jon_in_wv]

I'm impressed by what they do with what they have. If a guy is shooting well with a customized 1911 I'm less impressed than the guy who is doing the same thing with a Snub nose .38. I like two see the interface between man and tool that works together well. I watched to old guys on the range one day who had thier rifles mounted in rests and did little more than lean forward and pull the trigger to take the shot. Didn't take much skill to do that. If a guy walked up and lied down prone, and took the same shot, I would have much higher respect for that. I respect the fact they were out shooting though!

[Essex County]

No doubt about it. Anyone carrying a cocked and locked 1911 in an open holster...Essex

[redneckdan]

usually the shooter. I'm impressed by people who carry a weapon, know how to use it and don't brag about it. Most of these select few will gladdly talk to you about weaponry and tactics and their lifes story...if you ask them. I dislike the people who "strut" and are full of bull. This type pretends to be the be all/know all of all things tactical, and they just seem to have an arrogant attitude.

[steveracer]

I really like seeing a guy(girl) at the range, gunshop, restaurant, whatever, with a single action pistol carried cocked and locked. They fall into the category of "pistoleer" in my rolodex of profiles in my head.
The other is N-frame magnums. I met a guy last year whose daily rig was a Smith and Wesson mountain gun in .44mag, carrid IWB in some custom leather. I just assumed he was a serious handgunner.
I could be wrong about these, but I can't help it, there's a reason that stereotypes exist.
When I see a Ruger semi-auto in a nylon belt holster, I think "there's a new guy, who hasn't yet discovered an inexpensive semi that isn't so blocky it needs to be crew-served. I should talk to him."

[MCgunner]

Guns don't impress me so much as good shooters. Ain't the tool, it's the person behind it.

[Black Majik]

Guns don't impress me so much as good shooters. Ain't the tool, it's the person behind it.

Precisely. It's the shooter, not the arrow.

Though, I respect all guns, there are some that catch my attention more than others.

Old steel guns with honest wear, such as 1911s, hi-powers, old S&W M-19,27,28,29 etc... Something that stands out from the rest of the wondernines, or fantastic plastic. Everyone these days has a XD, Glock, HK, SIG, CZ etc...

An old gun demands respect. If the person shooting can shoot it really well... well he just gained more respect.


Gotta admit though, people that bring big bore pistols or revolvers to an indoor range, I can't help but just roll my eyes... :rolleyes:

[mattw]

A bare bones 1911 or 1911A1. No bells or whistles, no huge sights, no mag funnels.

[Nathan Williams]

Gotta admit though, people that bring big bore pistols or revolvers to an indoor range, I can't help but just roll my eyes...


Hey we gotta shoot them somewhere right.

[Black Majik]

Hey we gotta shoot them somewhere right.

Yup, of course.

But I just can't help to think that they bring in these monster of a gun to make the biggest BOOM. Most of the guns bring them to show off their gun, shoot a few rounds then call it a day.

Anyways... that's what the outdoor range is for. :)

[albanian]

"I really like seeing a guy(girl) at the range, gunshop, restaurant, whatever, with a single action pistol carried cocked and locked. They fall into the category of "pistoleer" in my rolodex of profiles in my head."

I have the opposite reaction. When I see people like this, I think they are posers until proven otherwise. It is like the yuppy on the Harly Davidson. Maybe that is just my opinion but 1911s that I see people with always seem to be brand new and loaded with as many option as can be. Often it is a Kimber loaded something and the shooter is average at best. If I saw someone with a well worn 1911, that would be a different story. When it is a new Kimber, I am not impressed.

I know it is always the shooter that impresses you more than the gun but first impression is what gun they have. Before you get a chance to see what they can do with it, what gun do you think a good shooter would have? That is my question. What gun makes you think the shooter is the real deal even before you know it or not? What gun would a poser never have?

Old blued S&Ws seem to be what I think of when I think of real shooters. You don't see too many Mall Ninjas or Yuppies with K-38s. They will have expensive 1911s or tatical plastic like a H&K or a Glock. There is nothing wrong with those guns by themselves but sometimes the wrong people have them and ruin it for the rest.:evil:

[MartinBrody]

Have you ever been to the range and saw someone with a certain type of handgun that seemed to prove to you that the guy was serious about shooting?

I generally assume someone is serious about shooting when they have a 41 Magnum. I can't explain it, I just do.

[jagdpanzer347]

MartinBrody, I'm not really personaly familiar with the .41 mag, but, isn't that a huge fin in the water behind you?

-jagdpanzer

[bluto]

I've never seen one, but I'd be impressed to see someone shoot a Korth .357 at the range. Otherwise, I'm convinced someone's a serious shooter when they handle their gun safely and shoot it accurately.

[10-Ring]

I respect more someone who can shoot well vs. someone who gets lucky w/ a purchase. I see way to many yahoos buying nice guns but shoot like they learned their technique watching TV :banghead:

[cvb]

no pistol/handgun commands my respect. safety is my primary concern. if id like to oogle nice stuff I go to the beach. admiration, appreciation for old iron, appreciation of the resources and commitment to the hobby-those things run thru my mind. respect is earned.

[The Good]

i think hes looking for some real fun answers that include cool well respected guns. lets change the question to:
given they are safely handling it and shooting it well, what gun makes you feel a sense of respect for another shooter.

obviously you dont respect some moron who doesnt know what hes doing

[TimboKhan]

well, I am like a lot of guys in that the gun doesn't get my respect, its the guy or gal shooting it.

That being said, I was pretty impressed when my best friend shot a Vulcan mini-gun at the Colorado State .50-cal Shooting Association machine-gun shoot a couple of years back. I was a Machinegunner in the USMC, but that was about the most bitchin' display of firepower short of artillery that I have personally witnessed.

[TimboKhan]

Also, now that I think about it, Old guys that want to shoot for money. I figure that they are either old and crazy and will shoot me if I don't go along with them, or they are old and bad ass. Either way, old guys that shoot for money generally draw my respect and/or fear.

[Lucky 7]

An ole' Model 28 really gets my juices flowing :D and my roomies Hi-Power (in his hands, at least) is a thing of wonder. Also anything Cocked and Locked (CZ-75 types mostly. The only guy I know who carries one is the guy in the mirror:rolleyes: ).

Safe and accurate shooters are also on the top of my list.


Regards and Semper Fi!
-L7

[GroovedG19]

Since I don't own any, revolver shooters get my "attention".Respect comes later, if at all.

A few years ago I was at the local shooting range.I was shooting my 9mm glocks and P229 .40S&W.It was just me and another guy on the firing line.This gentleman was shooting all revolvers.

We got to talking about shooting and guns.He said he was considering purchasing a semi-automatic pistol.A first for him.Something in 9mm or .45ACP.I offered him a test drive with my Glocks.He shot my G19 pretty well.He said it was pretty good.

In turn, he let me shoot his old model Dan Wesson .38 with 6 inch barrel.It was a very smooth handling and shooting revolver.Very accurate also.It was my first and only time with a wheelgun.

Maybe I should get a wheelgun.:D

[Mac Attack]

To often I see people at the range with a souped up customized tack driving 1911 with all the bells and whistles. I don't pay much attention to them because quite frankly they are all to common nowadays. I am more impressed when I see a person shooting a USGI 1911 or a standard plain Jane 1911 with the same results as the customs. To me that is impressive!

[Old Dog]

None.
It's the shooter who would "spark respect."
Lots of fools out there with money. Lots of idiots out there driving classic, custom or expensive automobiles, too ... just like all the idiots who can afford classic, custom or expensive firearms that they can never learn to operate or appreciate.

[albanian]

I will say it again for those that can't seem to read:

"I know it is always the shooter that impresses you more than the gun but first impression is what gun they have. Before you get a chance to see what they can do with it, what gun do you think a good shooter would have? That is my question. What gun makes you think the shooter is the real deal even before you know it or not? What gun would a poser never have?"

Also, "The Good" had it right in his post.

"i think hes looking for some real fun answers that include cool well respected guns. lets change the question to:
given they are safely handling it and shooting it well, what gun makes you feel a sense of respect for another shooter.

obviously you dont respect some moron who doesnt know what hes doing"

I know that it is the shooter that gets your respect not the gun, blah, blah and blah. I can't believe how many people can't seem to actually read a post. They sort of read it and then they feel they know what the question is based on a few words and they spit out an answer. I see this alot. It is almost like people are trained to answer a question based on a few buzz words and they are not really thinking. I don't bother to respond to mundane questions like "what is the best 9mm" or "which is better for CCW, 9mm or .45acp" I also don't tend to ask these newbie questions. I am beyond that and I expect more out of the THR members as well.

For those that got the point, YOU have gained my repect. For those that didn't, I look at YOU like you claim to look at the moran at the range with a high dollar gun that he can't shoot.

One more type of gun that gets my attention is someone shooting pretty much any old target gun like a Hi Standard Supermatic. I saw a guy with an old Hamden Supermatic the other day and I had to start a conversation with him. I don't normally do this as I like to mind my own business but sometimes, I just have to ask the guy about a gun. I want to know how he came about owning a really great gun like that. It is not by luck that someone is shooting a Hamden Supermatic, they know a little about guns when they have something like that.

[Stevie-Ray]

I haven't yet, but if I saw somebody shooting an American Derringer in .45-70, I would be impressed.

Especially if he didn't scream.

OTT, the Bullseye shooters with the .22s with optical sights one-holing targets one-handed, have always impressed me.

[rbernie]

CZ75
P7
S&W 41
Colt Woodsman

[usmccpl]

I respect all weapons,the one you dont respect is the one that will kill you. But the one that I gave the most respect to was an AK handled by a kid no older than 10 that was aimed at me in Iraq 3 years ago.






one shot one kill

[kahr404life]

RPG, Russian type, with fuzzy dice hanging off the grip.:scrutiny:

[Kor]

If I saw a shooter with a high-dollar custom-carry pistol, like a Wilson Combat, Les Baer, Ed Brown, Nowlin(et cetera, ad nauseam...), customized either lightly or heavily, but obviously not stock out of the box...that showed moderate to high amounts of holster/carry wear. That's the only sort of gun that might even remotely clue me, in the absence of any other empirical data, that its owner was someone to be reckoned with.

Let's face it, ANY old doofus/duffer/hack can buy ANY kind of gun, regardless of make, model, or price, as long as they have enough cash or credit. A gun with a steep price tag, multiple gun-rag writeups, or a half-dozen websites dedicated to singing its praises proves nothing per se about the guy who purchased it. Likewise, it says nothing about the guy's shooting ability if said gun is kept in pristine, like-new condition; again, it doesn't take a whole lot of skill to keep a gun immaculately clean and scratch-free, especially if you only shoot it once or twice a year and keep it in a cushy-soft pistol case.

However...if you've got somebody who: A) Has enough training and experience to know exactly what they want in a carry gun, and B) Is willing to shell out the bucks to have a gun built exactly the way they want it to be set up, and C) Practices with, and carries, said gun so often and so regularly that the finish is worn down on the edges/corners, the grips are nicked and scratched, the frame-checkering is dented and dinged in places, maybe there's even an 'idiot-scratch' on the frame(but NO rust or other signs of neglect), and D) has prioritized the regular, daily use and carry of their perfected carry gun over superficial cosmetics, and thus is not willing to be parted from the gun long enough to have it refinished and prettified - well, that's the kind of gun that would make me more inclined to respect its owner.

[Manedwolf]

Nope.

Because I've seen people come to the range with a $2000 race gun with a scope the size of the Hubble on it, and then proceed to hit someone else's target.

It's the shooter, not the gun.

[Croyance]

None. Money buys many things, but not skill.
Even training needs serious practice time to be meaningful.
A gun with honest wear could have been bought used. Certainly where my revolvers came from.

[Zen21Tao]

With me its more how they shoot than what they shoot. When I am at the local indoor handgun range I tend to frown on those that put up a silhouette, send it down to the far end of their lane, then just blast away at it. I have much more respect for a serious shooter that puts up a smaller target at about 7 to 15 yards and shoots tight groups.

Similarly, at the rifle range I tend to have more respect for a shooter that fires a few groupings on a target then switches it out for a new target over someone that just rapid fires at a single target all day.

[EdLaver]

There are a couple that come to mind that I have seen at the range that seriously got my attention:

Desert Eagle .50AE (of course)
Smith & Wesson S&W 500
Sig 226 Blackwater
Wildey Magnum .475 w/ 10in barrel (I was envious along with amazed!)

[TonyB]

Old guy with a snubby 38 that knows how to use it.......
no respect...young tactical dork w/ latest black auto w/ high cap. mags that can't shoot the damn thing.
then there's me....middle aged dork w/ snubby 38 and black tactical auto,who can shoot both reasonably well.......:uhoh:

[Lonestar.45]

Guns in and of themselves don't command respect from me (unless their pointed at me, of course). It's the person behind them.


HOWEVER, when I see an older fellow at the skeet range with any sort of custom .410......that's a different story.

[psychophipps]

None, in all honesty. A fancy weapon just means they blew more money on it. I've seen yahoos tearing up the countryside with tricked out G3s and AR-15s who couldn't hit the green side of a red barn. You show me a shooter cutting center more often than not and taking care of their weapon and you'll see me show some respect.

Reminds me of the first time my Dad and I went to the range with my P97DC...
I was going through the second magazine of the first box of WWB we bought for the pistols maiden voyage. Zero issues, of course, but some guy with a stainless Kimber shining on his hip walked over to give his two cents on our taste in firearms.
I was reloading the magazines when he stepped up and said, "Like the caliber, hate the gun." I looked up at him and ask him why he felt that way so he replied, "It's ugly."
So I finished loading the magazine and handed it over to him with a gesture to go ahead and shoot it. He steps up, and starts firing slow at first but getting off good double-taps by the 8th round as he gets used to the weapon. Good stance and he was obviously familiar with the basic safety rules when he set it down still locked open with the magazine out of it.
"So? What did you think?" I asked as my Dad called for a cold range while he walked out to get the target. The guy yakked a bit about how the trigger was long and a bit stiff but smooth enough. Soft recoil for the weight, etc.
By then my Dad was back and showed us the nice, tight pattern the guy had fired. He smiled a bit and said, "Nice group" with both of us nodding in return.
"So it was reliable for you?" I asked him then. He nodded. "And accurate enough?" The guy smiled a bit bigger and nodded again. "And is combat handgunning a f**king dog show?"
His grin faded into a confused look. "What? Of course not!"
I smiled (probably a bit nastily) at this point and said (probably rather snidely), "Then I don't give a flying f**k what it looks like as long as it works when I need it to."
He went back to his own lane with his Kimber winking in the sunlight.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

[jeepmor]

The actions of the shooter spark respect no matter what the lead slinger. Primarily safety, a smile and watchful eye on the location of others at the range, and of course good target hitting capabilities.

I particularly respect the social shooters who bring others with them. We chat, look at each others firearms, compare targets, etc. I particularly respect the adult shooters bringing the kids and seeing conscious safety practices.

And yes, anyone that hits a golf ball at 100+ yards gets a "nice shot" hoot.

jeepmor

[lawboy]

ANY gun sparks my respect. It is the gun you don't respect that will kill you.
What sparks my disrespect is ANYONE with a gun in their possession who fails to evidence an understanding of that fact.