Contra-AR -- Weird?

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I own several rifles of various calibers, but I have resisted buying an AR. I've shot them many times throughout my military and civilian experiences, but I don't own one for personal use. It's an excellent rifle (not debating the piston vs. DI here), but they're so commonplace that I can't quite part with whatever cash I have to be in the AR Club (just my opinion, of course). Every flyer I get from Bass or Gander Mtn. or Field and Stream all show the same thing...AR's. When I mention to my shooting buddies that I don't own one, they simply cannot believe it. They look at me like I have two heads or something.

I have always been the type to go against the flow, so perhaps this just another reflection of my personality or perhaps I'm just weird. Anyway, just curious how many others feel the same way?
 
A lot of folks own ARs.

A lot of folks don't own ARs.

Doesn't seem to be a thing worth worrying about either way.

I'd stop mentioning to your shooting buddies that you don't own one.
I'd stop spending brain power on figuring out what it means that you do or don't own one.

It is a tool. It isn't your identity. It isn't your personality. It isn't your humanity. It's a minor possession. What does it mean that you don't own a toaster?

What have you accomplished? Who have you helped? Who loves you and who do you love? Have you made a difference to someone somewhere? Those things might be important, perhaps. What you own isn't. :cool:
 
A lot of folks own ARs.

A lot of folks don't own ARs.

Doesn't seem to be a thing worth worrying about either way.

I'd stop mentioning to your shooting buddies that you don't own one.
I'd stop spending brain power on figuring out what it means that you do or don't own one.

It is a tool. It isn't your identity. It isn't your personality. It isn't your humanity. It's a minor possession. What does it mean that you don't own a toaster?

What have you accomplished? Who have you helped? Who loves you and who do you love? Have you made a difference to someone somewhere? Those things might be important, perhaps. What you own isn't.
Exactly!
 
I bought my first AR only two years ago. I hardly ever shoot it. Nothing wrong with it, but I like big heavy bolt action WWII era rifles much more. ARs are boring to me. Nice to have one for SHTF scenarios though.
 
I had quite a few bad experiences with completely wrung-out converted M16's when I was in ROTC in the early 80's. I swore then I would never own an AR.

Never say never...
 
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I opened this thread thinking about this Contra. Bonus points for 1st person to give me the codes for extra lives!
 

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Sounds like a great reason to buy an AK!
Yep, I have one of those. And an SKS. :)

Thanks for all of the input, folks. Don't worry -- people aren't beating me up for my lunch money or picking me last for dodgeball because I don't have an AR. ;) Because the rifle is so ubiquitous, I started to wonder if I was missing something. As Sam and other mentioned, it's a tool, which as it stands now, is not one that I need. Hunting? Got that in spades. Plinking? Ditto. Marksmanship/high-power? Covered.

I suppose I was suffering from AR fatigue by seeing them in every flyer and every sale email I receive. I might be odd in other ways, but not having an AR isn't one of them. :)
 
I opened this thread thinking about this Contra. Bonus points for 1st person to give me the codes for extra lives!
Up up down down left right left right B A select start. If I remember correctly. It's been a long time since I used it. Lol.
 
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I am not enamored with AR's, but I own one in case TSHTF. I also have a mini 14 that I like much better. I guess that I am old school, a dinosaur according to my children, but I much prefer a bolt action. I have some of those too, in calibers from .22lr to .308 Winchester. It seems that I am going retro because the last four guns I have acquired have been muzzleloaders........Robin ;)
 
Yeah, I don't want to start and AK vs. AR discussion, but now I can understand why you don't want an AR since you already have the AK and SKS. I got all three and love them all dearly, but I could live with just one of them as my fun gun.
 
I opened this thread thinking about this Contra. Bonus points for 1st person to give me the codes for extra lives!

That's exactly what I was thinking!
And for bonus points the Super Contra code was Right, Left, Down, Up, A, B, Start.
I had them both, still do actually.

Why can't someone make a real spreader!!!!:what:
 
Why can't someone make a real spreader!!!!

The closest thing I have is an 18.5" M590A1 with a cylinder bore. ;)

And for the record, Konami's Contra was the first thing I thought about when I saw this thread as well!!

spread-gun-contra.jpg
 
It's very simple: If you like the AR, buy one. Don't not buy it because it's popular. If you don't like the AR, don't buy one. Who cares what anyone else thinks?

For me personally, it is an incredibly fun gun. I've built ten of them, all completely different from one another, aside from 8 of the 10 being 5.56. From the SBR and the 4-1/2 lb featherweight to the 22" bull barrel at 16 pounds and the .308, they all just "do it" for me. Doesn't detract from the other weapons I own, although the ARs get shot the most by a huge margin.

Conversely, I am not an AK guy. I have owned 4, sold/traded all of them. Just couldn't force myself to like the platform, despite it's merits.

As they say, to each his own.
 
I'm an advocate of the utility and versatility of the AR

However...

It's a free country and everyone is entitled to their own opinion shaped by their own experiences. Unlike obamacare, nobody can force you to buy a rifle you don't want or like.
 
Bought my first one in 1992. I liked the cheap ammo but now the prices are no longer cheap. So I reload and reload and reload some more.
 
A lot of folks own ARs.

A lot of folks don't own ARs.

Doesn't seem to be a thing worth worrying about either way.

I'd stop mentioning to your shooting buddies that you don't own one.
I'd stop spending brain power on figuring out what it means that you do or don't own one.

It is a tool. It isn't your identity. It isn't your personality. It isn't your humanity. It's a minor possession. What does it mean that you don't own a toaster?

What have you accomplished? Who have you helped? Who loves you and who do you love? Have you made a difference to someone somewhere? Those things might be important, perhaps. What you own isn't. :cool:
you don't own a toaster??
 
I've had a dozen different AR's and only put maybe a couple thousand rounds through all of them, total. Is that weird? Yes, I suppose so.;)
 
you don't own a toaster??
Some of us just rub two pieces of bread together really fast. Some of us build a machine, to burn our toast; a gloriously complex and arcane device known to but a few, that only works right some of the time, but grants wings to ten angels with each successful firing (accompanied by cloud-burst :D)

I realized long ago I'm very contrARian in my gun tastes; it's not that I'm out to rub cool stuff in others' faces (merely a side effect, I swear) but I enjoy hunting for and learning about stuff that isn't neatly laid out for you ahead of time. The notion of watching a step-by-step How to Build (read: assemble) an AR Youtube video and following along sounds like the most soul-crushing experience imaginable to me. Following Ian's video detailing the process of assembly/reassembly for the Hotchkiss Portative to make sense of the parts kit in hand was entertaining, and ripping apart a crappy R51 down to pins and needles was extremely fun.

Tokarev? No, give me a CZ52. SHTF rifle? Nay to both AR, AK, and SKS, I'll take a VZ58 thank you. 1911? I'll do you one better and take a 1912 (Steyr). My first 9mm was a P35 Hi Power (somehow considered obscure) precisely so I could avoid a 1911, and the first modern pistol apart from the five-seven was the R51 (you can't qualify for CCW in Texas with the 5.7x28 ;)).

Weird guns give you a better bang for your buck if the goal is to enjoy the design/engineering aspects of firearms. If the goal is to convert money to noise and hone your dexterity, your tastes will become dull, bland, and boring, much like the nutrient-poor diet of a vegetarian :neener:. For those inventively-minded, odd guns serve a crucial purpose as inspiration, so often containing brilliant ideas or methods that were hamstrung by bone-headed or patent-forced flaws that prevented their original success.

TCB
 
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