Leanwolf:
Clint Smith had taken Taylor's place. Cooper owned GUNSITE long after Taylor left and started his own shooting school.
True. I hadn't intended to imply that Chuck Taylor occupied those positions throughout Jeff Cooper's ownership. I can see how it might have seemed so.
MadMagyar:
One of my points is this. Mas has been in print for at least four decades. During this time he has written extensively and at times appears to contradict himself in certain areas. If you want specific examples, I will list a few of them verbatim right out of the articles. One that stands out in my mind is the "cocked-n-locked" debate.
He certainly has the right to change his mind or evolve through decades of experience on certain subjects, in this case, ammo or write views aimed at a specific audience, LEO's civilians, military, etc.
There's no point there. Your first paragraph says that Ayoob has been published for more than four decades and that during those forty-something years he "at times appears to contradict himself in certain areas." Your second paragraph says that he "has the right to change his mind or evolve through decades of experience on certain subjects." So?
The implication that there's something amiss in a process that's highly desirable and worth admiring is puzzling. What Massad Ayoob has been doing for those more than four decades is what an intelligent person does and should do. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. said that the M1 Garand was "The greatest battle implement ever devised." Were Patton to have survived World War II and remained current with developments since then, it's unlikely that he would express that same opinion today--or throughout the intervening decades. No matter how many Internet warriors might accuse Patton of inconsistency or whatever the implicit indictment being urged against Ayoob, the reality is that people who know what they're doing change all the time and people who don't have a clue can't understand why. They engage in petty bickering and become expert at that tedious sport, but really who cares. There's no inherent interest in mosquito races narrated by other mosquitoes except to still other mosquitoes in the audience.
The Tourist:
As I stated, this is a debate, you're allowed to have an opposing viewpoint.
As for this one, if memory serves me, a magazine published Ayoob's and Taylor's opinion on hollowpoint/FMJ ammo many years ago. Ayoob also debated "aimed fire" vs. "point shooting."
In another forum I debated serrated blades against plain edges.
My point is that we all have opinions. We come here to discuss them, thrash them around, learn something and hopefully have some fun.
As far as I'm concerned you're allowed to have any viewpoint you want. Me too. But I don't see much "fun" in watching people who read something somewhere claim they know more than than those with something real to offer.
I don't recall whether I read that magazine article you mentioned, so I would feel foolish trying to debate it with you. But I was there when Massad Ayoob and Chuck Taylor discussed those topics and others. They were two professionals, respectful of each other's ideas, and although they didn't always agree each of them knew he was talking to the real thing. What struck me was that neither of them used his brother-in-law, a retired cop, his hairdresser, or some magazine articles they thought they once read as support for what they were saying. I knew they were the real thing too. So did the rest of that small group who participated. Their questions were real too, and so were the responses.
We do indeed all have opinions. And on the Internet all opinions are equally good except for opinions that question their nature, evidence, competence, or tone. Such opinions are not good because they sort of spoil the pastime.
None of that bothers me and it's why I tend to ignore threads like this one. What does bother me is when people bash their betters or actually have the gall to slander them, and it bothers me most when their targets are people I like and respect. That's not my idea of "fun." The title of this thread--"Massad Ayoob Strikes again"--was so inflamatory that it caught my attention. I really like and respect him. Denizens of the Internet twist and distort such simple statements. That's sad.
ArchAngelCD:
In your
opinion Massad Ayoob is "in the tank to the ammo companies"? You got
my opinion.
