Anyone else going through a weird anti-tactical phase?

[AKElroy]

I am sick of black plastic. I am sick of tactical anything. I have been selling & trading stuff lately to buy guns made of actual metal & wood. I am even bidding on an original stock for my 1300 defender, and will be selling the speedfeed stock & forend. Don't know why I ever traded the original---Oh, wait--that's right--I sold it to buy something "Tactical".

Anyone else back to craving nice wood and lustrous blue???

 

[Mt Shooter]

I am old school always like nice wood and a fine blue job. You just dont see it any more.

 

[Broken11b]

Hmm, I wouldnt say anti tactical, I do like my Stockpiles of anti-zombie paraphernalia. But i always have a softspot for old blued metal on a good wooden stock, and i love the way Kentucky rifles look

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

I wouldn't say Anti-tactical in my case. I sold my AR-15 because I needed the money, and I really never did like the sights. Since then times have gotten better and I just haven't wanted anything tactical. Only revolvers

 

[50caliber123]

I can totally relate! In two years time, I have sold all my hi-cap detachable magazine-fed rifles. You just can't have enough magazines! I have mostly fixed-mag guns now. That way, the money goes towards ammo. I choose versatility over uber-tactical.

 

[Tommygunn]

I don't particularly like Glocks from an aesthetic point of view, but I own one, as well as a few other modern guns.
Why?
Aesthetically I like 19th century cap & ball revolvers.
But realistically, today, they are not real defensive weapons.
Glocks and other "black plastic" guns are.

 

[Isher]

Hmmm -

To expand this thread a little bit,

Growing up we hunted in jeans and a good pair of boots

And whatever sweatshirts and jackets

Fit the ticket.

Nowadays, from the catalogs I get,

It'll cost you a couple g's just to get dressed

For hunting.

In short, Tacticool is marketing,

Whether it applies to Mall Ninjas or

Hunting Ninjas.

You have seen the light, Grasshopper.

isher

 

[jbkebert]

I'll take a PBR (pretty brown rifle) any day over a black plastic rifle any day. I got enough of M-4's in the Army.

 

[Kleanbore]

I am sick of black plastic. I am sick of tactical anything. ... Anyone else back to craving nice wood and lustrous blue???

I have for years really disliked "black rifles", and I've never been fond of the appearance of composite stocks on anything else.

But then a friend told me the other day about the way his S&W M&P 15 outshoots his 40XB...

I prefer the appearance of a wood-sided station wagon to a steel "crossover", but no, I don't want to drive one.

 

[DougDubya]

I've been on a revolver kick, and have been eyeing a double-barreled coach gun enviously.

 

[plexreticle]

I've noticed the older I get the less tacticool I've become.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I only bought a black rifle this year, because it had a little horse on it. The other Colt I bought was made in 1927.

I think I'd rather ride horseback than fast rope out of a helicopter.

But I love all my guns.

 

[AKElroy]

I do want my HD and SD guns to be practical and effective, but I am at the point where I want them to have some asthetic value as well. I do carry a G27 as my primary CCW, but a CCW is a tool, and the G27 is a fine tool for carry.

I still see the value in having some tactical options on an HD shotgun, but I am wanting to buck the trend here & do it with nice wood. I lost a bid on a NIB 870 Police w/ high gloss blue & real walnut stocks. Choat makes a high gloss extended mag, and I would still add a side saddle & TLR-2 tac light.
Functional, but retro cool.

 

[solvability]

I shot an inexpensive yet traditional rifle the other day that I liked a lot. The Ikon 30-06 now made by Smith and Wesson - really accurate and pretty too.

I like the real guns for hunting and the tac stuff for my 3 gun and carbine matches - there is a role for both.

 

[WinchesterAA]

I like whatever is light weight, is very useful, and won't break.

A lot of my buddies like to throw all kinds of stuff on their firearms to a point where wrapping it in a sheet and trying to pull it from the sheet takes almost 15 seconds of negotiating the snags before it came be freed from its cover. Nothing I own has sharp edges, or stuff that'll snag on something else. Low profile, discreet, comfortable, when it's slung it won't stab you in any position, and it's always ready to rock.

Won't fail, won't fall apart..

I also like whatever works. If I can hit stuff with it, I love it. If I can't, I don't.

 

[fireman 9731]

I just got a Mosin-Nagant 91/30.

The last purchase before that was a WASR-10.

There is just something about that commie wood and steel look that gives me warm fuzzies.

I enjoy a synthetic stock for ruggedness and weather resistance but I sure don't enjoy looking at them.

There are trade-offs for both of them.

 

[dacavasi]

Well, I must admit I've come to a somewhat similar conclusion, even after being on a 'black rifle' tear for awhile. When I realized that I can buy a tack-driving bolt-action .308, that will consistently shoot sub M.O.A. groups with a variety of ammo, for about 50-70% less than what the AR-based .308s run, and also afford to scope it appropriately and still end up with $1k leftover in my pocket, I kindof changed my line of thinking. Mag-fed semi-autos have their place, no questions here. But as an example, Savage 111 + decent (Nikon, Bushnell, low-line Leupold, etc..) hunting scope will run you about $600. A decent AR-10, no optics, about $12-1500. Many other examples abound. I can't knock the 'tacticool' and still own 'a few', but money-wise, give me that beautiful walnut and blue steel any day of the week...

 

[dkk73]

I, too, much prefer the aesthetics of the older guns.

The feeling of being sick of tacticool is there, too. There's a lot of posing on the internet, and endless thought and money can be spent on just the right latch extender. It's a bit much. The old gun enthusiasts have almost always been a lot more pleasant to chat with.

I will say this about moving towards the AR platform from the M1A: it's a lot about getting from here to there more cheaply and easily... My 308 AR is far more accurate than my M1A and the ergonomics are better (not for "combat", just to shoot for fun). You can find good sights that don't cost an arm and a leg. Heck, you can actually find parts. It's actually a practical choice for me, and I was originally much opposed to going down this road.

 

[Wildyams]

well.. i still kinda like the tacti cool stuff.. so if anyone wants to sell their AR cheap message me haha

 

[TehK1w1]

I don't have a single gun with plastic furniture, no ARs, AKs, or anything like that(does an SKS count?)
Every once in a while I see a FN FAL or a really nice AR and think how awesome it would be to own it...then I think for a little bit and realize how many less tacticool guns I could buy for the price of a nice AR or other 'tactical' gun.
Heck, for the price of a DSA FAL I could buy a weatherby Mark V, or a ruger 77mk2 w/a zeiss scope, or 3 Marlin lever-actions, or 15 milsurp rifles, etc.

Maybe someday in the future.

 

[Kindrox]

It seems like it is hard to go wrong when you buy a gun that fits an actual need, plastic or no. So I have not been going through any wierd phases!

 

[AStone]

Mostly traditional arms here,
even if recently intrigued by AR's. (See sig line)

Will get one, but not for "tactical" purposes.

It'll just fill a niche in SD.

Main Entry: tac·ti·cal
Pronunciation: \ˈtak-ti-kəl\
Function: adjective
Date: 1570

1 : of or relating to combat tactics: as a (1) : of or occurring at the battlefront <a tactical defense> <a tactical first strike> (2) : using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront <tactical missiles> b of an air force : of, relating to, or designed for air attack in close support of friendly ground forces

 

[coloradokevin]

Form follows function in my mind. Whatever combination of parts presents the best gun for my intended purpose, at a price I'm willing to pay, is usually the one I'll pick!

I like the look of a nice walnut-stocked and blued rifle, but I also like the look of a new-age tactical rifle. Still, I don't buy guns for looks, I buy them for a purpose (whether that is hunting, target shooting, self-defense, work, etc).

As far as "tactical" is concerned, I am really tired of how toys are marketed on guns these days. Everything that goes on my guns has a purpose, and a reason for being there. These days I see a lot of mall ninja types who seem to think that you need to have 10lbs of SLC (scary looking crap) on a rifle to make it effective! Sadly, that attitude isn't just restricted to mall ninjas either... Some of the officers at my department have their guns so loaded down with useless B.S. that I'm amazed they can even manage to carry the thing in the field for more than ten minutes!

Of course, as someone already mentioned in this thread, "tactical" is also infiltrating the ranks of hunters these days. In some circles you'll practically be laughed at if you don't bring an uber-super-ultra magnum rifle for a deer hunt (though I think most old timers laugh at the crowd that subscribes to this philosophy). It also seems like you need to have a few thousand dollars in clothing to go elk hunting, though I've known a few old timers who still hunt in their jeans and flannel shirts (guess they didn't get the memo?).

So, to sum this all up, I guess I'm not tired of "tactical" stuff, I'm just tired of "tacticool" stuff. If it has a justifiable purpose, fine. If not, it isn't worth my time on either end of the equation!

 

[Erik M]

with the single exception of having a 6 position stock on my shotgun, which was purchased that way, I have maintained a position of anti-tacticool for years now.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

If by "anti-tactical" you mean you're tired of black plastic railed junk from cheaper than dirt or useless things like CQB slings or red dots on shotguns, I think we need to get more people into the "anti-tactical" phase

uber-super-ultra magnum rifle for a deer hunt (though I think most old timers laugh at the crowd that subscribes to this philosophy). It also seems like you need to have a few thousand dollars in clothing to go elk hunting, though I've known a few old timers who still hunt in their jeans and flannel shirts (guess they didn't get the memo?).

yeah what the hell, I've noticed that too. All of a sudden a 30-30 is no good for a deer hunt. Need some obscure magnum caliber $3,000 rifle.