It is amazing to me the amount of gun snobbery I see on this forum sometimes, and nowhere is it more apparent than with the AR platform. It seems AR owners are worse than even Colt and 1911 fans! The thing I don't get is why? The AR arguments tossed about on this board don't even make sense! The Bushmaster bashing thread is a classic example.
It breaks down like this:
Off chart guy: "I have a BM and it is rock solid and accurate".
Chart guy: "Well, it doesn't meet the mil-spec definitions as outlined by the chart. Get a real gun, buy a Colt."
Off chart guy: "What's the big deal with the chart?"
Chart guy: "If it doesn't meet all the specs on the chart, it is unreliable and crap. It will not survive a carbine course and is a poor combat gun".
...and that's where they lose me. Is the true measure of an AR only that it meets the specs set forth in the chart? If so, the opinion of the AR snobbery must be that the AR's primary civilian purpose is to be a dedicated battle rifle and must reach the chart's specs to achieve maximum reliability. The laughable thing about that is that the AR isn't even the best choice from the list of dedicated battle rifles! The AK meets that task much better with a better round and you don't have to carry lube and meticulously maintain the gun to make it through your beloved carbine scenario! Stop bashing one AR and praising another...go to a real battle rifle...the AK!
See how ridiculous it is? The snobbery turns people off, especially new gun owners and keeps them from joining a community of firearms owners that can help protect our gun rights and just enjoy shooting together. If you want to spend top of the line money on your AR, cool, but don't bash someone who realizes he has less than a .5% of ever using it as a battle rifle. Accept that some people want a plinker. Some want a coyote gun. Some want a cool looking customizable gun. There are tons of other interests in the AR that the good old mil-spec isn't necessarily the best design for, not even including the new piston systems if you want a true battle AR rifle.
Honestly, this is the kind of attitude that keeps gun owners on the back burners as kooks and really hurts the case that gun owners are good folks with a common interest.
It breaks down like this:
Off chart guy: "I have a BM and it is rock solid and accurate".
Chart guy: "Well, it doesn't meet the mil-spec definitions as outlined by the chart. Get a real gun, buy a Colt."
Off chart guy: "What's the big deal with the chart?"
Chart guy: "If it doesn't meet all the specs on the chart, it is unreliable and crap. It will not survive a carbine course and is a poor combat gun".
...and that's where they lose me. Is the true measure of an AR only that it meets the specs set forth in the chart? If so, the opinion of the AR snobbery must be that the AR's primary civilian purpose is to be a dedicated battle rifle and must reach the chart's specs to achieve maximum reliability. The laughable thing about that is that the AR isn't even the best choice from the list of dedicated battle rifles! The AK meets that task much better with a better round and you don't have to carry lube and meticulously maintain the gun to make it through your beloved carbine scenario! Stop bashing one AR and praising another...go to a real battle rifle...the AK!
See how ridiculous it is? The snobbery turns people off, especially new gun owners and keeps them from joining a community of firearms owners that can help protect our gun rights and just enjoy shooting together. If you want to spend top of the line money on your AR, cool, but don't bash someone who realizes he has less than a .5% of ever using it as a battle rifle. Accept that some people want a plinker. Some want a coyote gun. Some want a cool looking customizable gun. There are tons of other interests in the AR that the good old mil-spec isn't necessarily the best design for, not even including the new piston systems if you want a true battle AR rifle.
Honestly, this is the kind of attitude that keeps gun owners on the back burners as kooks and really hurts the case that gun owners are good folks with a common interest.