Tactical vs. "Mall Ninja"

Mall ninja is someone with a really nice gun that's been fired once or twice, maybe never fired. Frequently carry 3 ccws with 3 mags for each, 2 tactical knives, 2 flashlights. Those that have a ccw badge are on a level all their own.
Taticool is the word for guns. It's defined as any gun with more stuff on it than mine.

Just google Gecko45 and you'll be busy learning about mall ninjas for hours!

for me, the distinction between 'tactical' and 'Mall ninja" is pretty simply


Tactical- make your gun/ equip./ tactics suit the situation at hand.....and be done with it.

Mall ninja- make your gear look cool....but ultimately useless for the situation at hand.

example:
putting a flashlight on your HD gun....tactical
putting a light/ laser/ thermal scope/ another light/ a toaster/ red dot on your HD gun......mall ninja

using a leg drop holster in a situation where accessing your waist would be difficult or uncomfortable (IE. in a car, sitting,no room on belt, ect )......tactical
using a legdrop holster because you think it looks cool, even though it may not be the best holster for the job...........mall ninja

Tactical Is a mindset.

You can be an overweight 97 year old with a single shot 375 h&h mag and be more tactical then any and every mall ninja.

My most "tactical" accessory on a firearm is a set of night sights on my Glock. I wouldn't call anyone a mall ninja, there's plenty of room for all gun owners. If Call of Duty or other video games (which I occasionally play) gets someone interested in firearms, then I count that as a win.

Being a mall ninja isn't just about how many super cool tactical accessories you have. It's more about having a drastic imbalance between the amount of tactical gear one has and very limited tactical knowledge or abilities

In my opinion, it's tactical if there is a good chance of it actually being used. A man with 3 extra mags on his belt, a laser, a light, an aimpoint with magnifier, and a set of canted buis... In Iraq, tactical... In Wasilla, AK... mall ninja

Flashlights blind your friends as well as your enemies. Lasers are for shooting at things that don't shoot back. The only accessory that makes sense is training.

tac·ti·calAdjective/ˈtaktikəl/
1. Of, relating to, or constituting tactics.

I think the word 'tactical' has more or less lost meaning now that the industry has latched onto it as a buzz word to promote sales. By definition anything could be a 'tactical' accessory to a firearm if it is used for a particular tactic: i.e. a side saddle on a shotgun for reloading on the move.

I personally believe 'mall ninja' starts when you start hanging things on the gun and making modifications that have no application for you. Adding things like expensive optics and flashlights when they have no purpose.

I see nothing..
I see something?
no.. nothing

my 14yr old likes gadgets on his gun, I only want a scope. (only because I'm old & blind)

If you hang gear on your firearms for specific reasons such as a Pistol or Carbine with a light and or Laser and *Train* with those as they are on those those firearms (Low light training with a flashlight, train with the laser on, etc) Then you are tactical in mindset, as well as your general behavior, situational awareness.. things like that. If you buy it to one up your buddies, or as others have noted, never use the darn thing or do it to just make yourself feel cool (you know if you are in this last group) then you may be a mall ninja.

the OP might think we are not taking his thread seriously..
we're sorry Mygrguns, it's saturday night and we are stuck at home

sansone said:

the OP might think we are not taking his thread seriously..
we're sorry Mygrguns, it's saturday night and we are stuck at home

Click to expand...

True, that. It's s-o-o-o-o-o boring here all alone.

Sorry, OP!!

ETA #1: FWIW, I was trying to use humor to illustrate a point. I'm sorry if it was diffuse/blurry. And I certainly didn't intend to appear disrespectful. The point is that "Mall Ninjas" are tacti-kewl cuz it's kewl with no "real" purpose other than adding gadgets. But true minimal/logical tactical accessorizing for a given location/situation for a real purpose/goal is not only "okay" but preferable.

ETA #2: I like a small light/laser combo for a night stand pistol along with an extended magazine. I also like a .410 or 20ga shotgun with the same. But that's just me.

One can have the same gun and be either a mall ninja or someone who is proficient (I hesitate to use the word tactical) and it is more than mindset. The mall ninja thinks the uber gun will save him, the person who is proficient knows it is merely a tool that he can use to help him save himself.

back on topic..
I have gone out back after yotes with flashlight in one hand, rifle in other.
Did notice the difficulty in supporting rifle with flashlight in hand.
maybe a brrl-mounted light would be ok I guess

I have to admit that I look up and read about Gecko45 from time to time when I need a good chuckle ! Kevin

MyGreenGuns said:

Coulda been worse for my first thread. Was kinda expecting a bunch of ppl making fun of me for not 'knowing' already. Instead I get ninjas! I just got back from shooting (+1 to backyard ranges!) It seems the phrase is about the shooter and not the gun, so in a weird way I got my answer.

That gun at the LGS I mentioned has 3 flashlights, 2 lasers, a scope, red dot, bi-pod, (PEZ dispenser), and all kinds of goofy stuff on it. I was laughing at it with my bro and asked the gunsmith about it. Before he could answer some 18ish kid came in and was all excited saying "Thats my DREAM gun". After the kid walked away, the GS told me, "thats someone who knows nothing of firearms. Thats why we put it up there."

I built that shot gun up in the first month I had it. I'm so used to it now, a stock 870 feels funny to me.

Click to expand...

MGG... You're on THR now. There are no AH's here and those who do pop up are put back in line. THR is the best place to be for firearm discussion. I guaran-gall-darn-tee it!!

THR ? those gun-nuts..
where's the mall, I got my camo pants on baby

We honestly really ask folks to refrain from directing any of these negative stereotypes at anyone here on THR. They can be hurtful and needlessly confrontational in situations where tact and gentle suggestions would be far more helpful to someone than ridicule and scorn.

Having said that, other posters have it right when they say that "Mall Ninja" describes a certain set of character traits a person might have (or claim to have, as a joke -- in the case of the original Mall Ninja : http://lonelymachines.org/mall-ninjas/).

The idea is a play on the common dual theme of folks with a leeeetle bit of authority taking themselves waaaay too seriously (a 'la the classic mall guard) and folks who have authority issues enjoying the opportunity to confound and lampoon them.

One of the side themes of the Mall Ninja genre is absurd levels of over-accessorization for the task at hand -- or for any reasonably conceivably realistic task which might arise.

Mall Ninja = going to the shooting range in full camo/vest/magpouch/legdrop holster/ using a gun with laser, scope, buis, and "tactical boots and gloves" and only shoot at a target from the brench.

Tactical = going to the range with your CCW/HD/Range/Hunting weapon and "practice" your shooting skills in regular clouth

Tactical
__________
It is essentially knowing how to act and having your gun set up properly for it. Accesories and modifications are alright, but try not to exceed your gun's unloaded weight with add ons.

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Mall Ninja
__________
Pharisaical tacticality. It is being too tactical for the sake of coolness. It is about the person and not the weapon. A mall ninja would purchase an AR with 4 picatinny rails, put a holographic sight, a laser sight, muzzle break, foregrip, shotgun, and a light on it just because it would be cool. It is more than trying too hard to be tactical, it is being absurdly tactical with an addition of an extreme cool overdose. A heavily tricked out AR15 is tactical. The person using it is probably being excessive, but not mall ninja. It becomes mall ninja when at least 70% of their stuff is like this. Look up Gecko45 for a good example of a mall ninja. Mall ninjas also tend to make just about everything else tactical. BDU's to the range, black spec ops style clothes, camouflage everywhere, stories about being a Navy SEAL, Sniper, Ranger, Green Beret, Delta Force, or anything glamorous along those lines.

I am not a mall ninja. I am not really tactical either. I can do some tactical stuff like use guns in close quarters and clear my house, although admittedly, I'm not really qualified to do either. I began shooting with unmodified guns and I was educated on the more old school battle rifles and shotguns. I've never liked the modern tactical guns. I have some friends who are at the tactical side of things. We never see how the other came to their conclusion.

P.S.: A gun that is mall ninja style tricked out is called tacticool. A failure at this, or going even further is called tacticlol.

ADDENDUM: A soldier, marine, or what have you who uses accessorized and modified guns in their job is not a mall ninja. You only become a mall ninja when you don't need what you're using and you take ti to rediculous extremes. You'll know it when you see it.