Just so : practice > gun make

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chriske

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I noticed that a lot of American shooters are very enyhousiastic about the M1 Garand rifle & the 1911-A1 pistol (some about the M 16 & the Beretta 9's, but this could largely be a matter of age/generation)., while a lot of shooters over here feel exactly the same about the F.A.L. & the Browning HP.
Fine guns, all, no doubt.
On the other hand I can't help but wonder if what these people are amazed by might perhaps not rather be the level of their own achievement after due & proper instruction & training instead of the -supposed- superiority of one weapon over the other ?
Any thoughts ?
 
I can't speak for everyone but I know several people that like the AR's and use them for farm guns because they don't have all the pretty wood and polished iron.

Keep them in a truck or tractor and they survive that kind of abuse just fine.
 
Yes, training and practice are much more important than the make/model of gun. Pretty much any gun of decent quality will do the job if one can manage it well and if one has properly trained and practiced with it.

It is of course important that the gun suit the individual. With my small hands and short trigger finger, I do poorly with large double action revolvers or double action auto-loaders. However, I can manage a 1911, a BHP or my H&K P7M8 quite well.

But once someone has found a type of gun he can manage properly, being able to use it effectively is a matter of training and practice.
 
might perhaps not rather be the level of their own achievement after due & proper instruction & training instead of the -supposed- superiority of one weapon over the other ?
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Exactly. Training trumps technology (as long as there's not too much of a disparity in tech) any day.

The fairer comparison is the M14 to the FAL. I own both and own both 1911s and BHPs.

Mindset is more important than skill set and skills are more important than the tool.
 
On the other hand I can't help but wonder if what these people are amazed by might perhaps not rather be the level of their own achievement after due & proper instruction & training instead of the -supposed- superiority of one weapon over the other ?
Click to expand...

While training is important, I think the right gun is important also. I'm not saying that any gun is superior to another, merely that each person is different and therefore may perform better with one gun than another, probably largely due to the way different guns fit different hands.

I did some training and spent a few years shooting a Glock 19. I thought I shot it pretty well, keeping all rounds center of mass. I had shot a 1911 when younger, but the first time I picked one up as an adult I grouped the first 3 rounds on the X ring. I had never done this with my 19. For me, it would have taken a lot more training (and perhaps it never would have gotten there) to get me to shoot that accurately with the Glock.

I have seen others take that same model 19 and put several rounds through the X ring. For some reason, I didn't really shoot it that well. I experienced the same issue with the HK P2000 I carried for duty. I shot it decently well, and we spent literally weeks and thousands of rounds training with it, but I never shot it as accurately as my 1911.

Finding a gun that fits your hand is important as well.
 
I agree with both sides. A trained marksmen with a crappy rifle will outshoot me any day but he won't outshoot another marksmen with a superior rifle.

Both play an important part but I do feel that training is most important then good equipment.

I have rountinely outshot guys with my AK verse their AR and my Glock verse thier highdollar 1911. I believe it's because I have practiced alot with both and don't rely on the gun to do all the work. These same guns were given to people who know what their doing and put me to shame so the gun was capable but the operator was'nt.
 
I agree

So many [esp. young] guys in my business want the newest rifle, with the best Aimpoint red dot, 3x magnifier, bipod, blah....blah...blah.... but you give the same guy a standard with iron sights and they can't even put them on the paper!!!
 
I know in my case the fascination lies in the fact that the Garand, M1 carbine, and 1911 were the tools that were used to win WWII. To simply hold one of these veterans and think about what thy might have been through is what does it for me. They also have neat stories from an industrial/production standpoint.

Oh, yeah, and they also seem to shoot real well...:)
 
I agree completely. You can have fantastic hardware, but without decent software, you have a poor system.
 
I agree with all of your points, but I have to say that when it all comes down to it, yes, I would rather have an AR15 than a Garand for combat. I would rather have an FN High Power than a 1911. Training is what matters the most. Period. Weapons will evolve and you can be much more effective with more modern and high tech guns, but you have to know how to use them.

Additionally, I would say that the same principles of combat carry over from an M1 Garand to the M16. Accuracy and speed are the determining factors; magazine capacity is just an improvement. It is never a subsitute.
 
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