Tactical vs. "Mall Ninja"

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I believe my signature says it all. It is a direct quote from the archived thread at Lonely Machines. The famous Gecko45, king of the mall ninjas, is my personal hero. Warning: do not drink milk while reading the text in that link.

ETA: Back on topic, I would say that one light is good for target ID, one optic is good, a vertical grip is good if it helps you, even one cowitnessing BUIS is good for that one in a trillion situation, but spending triple what the rifle costs on stuff to hang off of it is where I draw the line.
 
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Both terms are ridiculous - however, "tactical" SHOULD refer to software, not hardware.........mall ninja refers to folks in their parents' basement.......(AKA Video Game Commando) -who have zero grasp on reality.

Black plastic, high-capacity does NOT equal "tactical" or "mall-ninja"
 
The weapon of choice for any mall-ninja is of course:

tacticoolAR15.jpg


I mean, the AR-15 platform was designed to be modular, but just because they sell a USB heated blanket, doesn't mean you should buy it.
 
Another analogy would be with cars.

A tactical car would be a beater that has great suspension and drivetrain, superior brakes and electrical system--yet looks like any other beater on the road.

A tacticool car would be black, rims, chrome, glass--very obviously "cool looking" but, might or might not start, might only achieve 50-75% HP per rating, might be hotter than a pizza oven on fire in the Texas sun, too.

A mall-ninja car would be $150 junker with $1500 of "stuff" (and specifically not including paint, or even primer) glommed on it, and the mall-ninja would have endless tales on how the accessories would be $5000 for "ordinary people" and how the "look" is required by various "agencies" for various "reasons" . . . Oh, and could you hook up these jumper cables while I put this third quart of oil in?
 
CapnMac said:
Another analogy would be with cars.

A tactical car would be a beater that has great suspension and drivetrain, superior brakes and electrical system--yet looks like any other beater on the road.

A tacticool car would be black, rims, chrome, glass--very obviously "cool looking" but, might or might not start, might only achieve 50-75% HP per rating, might be hotter than a pizza oven on fire in the Texas sun, too.

A mall-ninja car would be $150 junker with $1500 of "stuff" (and specifically not including paint, or even primer) glommed on it, and the mall-ninja would have endless tales on how the accessories would be $5000 for "ordinary people" and how the "look" is required by various "agencies" for various "reasons" . . . Oh, and could you hook up these jumper cables while I put this third quart of oil in?
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Wh-a-a-a-a?? Why are you disrespecting Batman's (the TV series) Batmobile???
 
I'll come back and read the rest of the posts later, but I'm going to answer the OPs questions.

1. What does "Mall Ninja" mean to you?
To me, a mall ninja is the guy who has no practical or real world knowledge, and way too much time and money on his hands. They buy accessories that doesn't make the firearm any better, just heavier. They can talk a big game, but when it comes right down to it, they make up for their shortcomings by going vastly overboard in whatever niche group they want to be a part of. Previous incarnations of these have been called "Wanna-Be's" and "Poseurs"


2. How many accessories before "Tactical" becomes "Mall Ninja"?

When they become redundant, or never had a use to begin with. Pistol bayonets, for example, to me are a clear sign of a Mall Ninja. Basically, if it isn't issued to the front line GI in the field, it's probably not necessary. If the only operators in the field using a certain accessory are the Delta SEAL Combat Controller Para EOD uber mensch of our forces, donut eater at the range showing off his lastest acquisition is a wanna be.



3. If you use the phrase "Mall Ninja", did you start shooting with un-modified guns?

the first gun I fired was a .22LR of some sort. Then I got into BP a bit. In the military, the most tactical accessory I had was a 2.5 mag ACOG on my M-4. No forward vertical grips, no lazer beemz, not co-witnessing optics. Iron sights and standard handgrips for the most part for this guy. A reflex sight or an ACOG, maybe.
 
Pistol bayonets, for example, to me are a clear sign of a Mall Ninja.
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Hey! I love my pistol bayonet! It makes people do a doubletake every time. Also, it goes through cardboard. I think. Now I have to try it.

Keep in mind that while there is such a thing as a Mall Ninja but at least with me, nine out of ten things I buy in the gun related field are for fun and not for some serious application. Does my wife have a parkerized O/U shotgun with rails and doodads? Yes! But that doesn't mean she takes them seriously. As a matter of fact, they come off at night when it goes next to the bed.

Remember, just as fast as you would like to be judged. that applies to guns, clothing or even age.
 
Nushif, don't get me wrong, I'm considering a pistol bayonet for my Hi Point. those who have them for fun and giggles, not a mall ninja. Those who have them in case they run out of ammo in a fire fight... you be the judge.
 
Another analogy would be with cars.

A tactical car would be a beater that has great suspension and drivetrain, superior brakes and electrical system--yet looks like any other beater on the road.

A tacticool car would be black, rims, chrome, glass--very obviously "cool looking" but, might or might not start, might only achieve 50-75% HP per rating, might be hotter than a pizza oven on fire in the Texas sun, too.

A mall-ninja car would be $150 junker with $1500 of "stuff" (and specifically not including paint, or even primer) glommed on it, and the mall-ninja would have endless tales on how the accessories would be $5000 for "ordinary people" and how the "look" is required by various "agencies" for various "reasons" . . . Oh, and could you hook up these jumper cables while I put this third quart of oil in?
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I like it.

And I definitely prefer tactical, not tacticool.

I would generally refer to ricers who mimic fast and furious cars while actually being slow as hell as the equivalent of tacticool.

My Z28 ran 11's in the 1/4 mile, but if you saw it parked (engine OFF) you couldn't tell it from a stock V6. :)

blackz11rksmalleredited.gif


I take the same approach with my firearms, but accessories there are a lot harder to hide. :(
 
Warp said:
I like it.

And I definitely prefer tactical, not tacticool.

I would generally refer to ricers who mimic fast and furious cars while actually being slow as hell as the equivalent of tacticool.

My Z28 ran 11's in the 1/4 mile, but if you saw it parked (engine OFF) you couldn't tell it from a stock V6. :)

blackz11rksmalleredited.gif


I take the same approach with my firearms, but accessories there are a lot harder to hide. :(
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How do you feel about a 2000 pound Datsun Z with a V8... not a tame V8 either? It has no tactical value but it's fun as heck!! :)
 
Warp said:
Better be an LS series V8...:)
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Nope... just an old series 1 350 CID SBC with a decent build... maybe 425HP/375tq. I do have a series 1 400 SBC block that I want to bore/stroke to 431 CID but no money for that kind of fun right now.

Okay... saw the reference to tactical cars and had to talk about the old Datsun. Back on topic.:)
 
Why are you disrespecting Batman's (the TV series) Batmobile??
Click to expand...

Would not dream of it. Batmobile had chrome, cool red trim, provable performance, and was kept in a roadworthy status by Alfred.

That '83 Yugo repaired with Kia parts, and the "high performance" rear wing held on with drywall screws--the one illegally parked by the mall's Security Office entry door, that's would be different.

To borrow a pithy saying from a gearhead acquaintance--the actual speed of a vehicle is inversely proportional to the number of "bolt-on" accessories visible. Further, the skill of a given (non-professional) driver is inversely proportionate to the number of "driver skills" decals on the rear window.
 
A person with the word "Tactical" or some tacticool buzzword emblazoned on their gear is probably a mall ninja.

A person with a $2K AR with $3K worth of optics who can't hold a 5" group at 15yds is probably a mall ninja. Bonus points for resting the vertical foregrip on the table. Blatantly unsafe gun handling seals the deal.
 
The world would be a better place if the autocensor caught "mall ninja". Seems we can't have a civilized, adult discussion about vertical foregrips, weaponlights or anything else but a basic AR in the A2 configuration without hearing "mall ninja". Fact is, there's a lot of utility in such things, if you have a use for them. Which I do. Fact is, when you need to blast critters at night, a vertical foregrip, weaponlight and illuminated reticle scope or red dot sight is simply the best tool for the job. Not to mention being just plain fun to shoot.
 
Here's how I look at it...

There's people like me that have an AR with a laser, bipod, foregrip, red dot site on it. I did this for fun, and because I wanted one over the top gun, with the rest of my guns being stock.

Then there's mall ninjas who have that AR, probably with more, and think that it makes them an 'operator', ready to go into a war zone and think because the accessories on their gun weigh more than the gun fully loaded, that they'd somehow be the baddest guy in that part of the world.
 
My first gun was a Winchester 1890 in .22 short, and you would not believe how much duct tape it took to hold the Starlight scope on in a way that maintained zero.

Gecko45 was a special kind of Troll.
 
I don't think anyone is lambasting the vertical grip, weapon light and illuminated optics. But there is such a thing as overkill. A vertical grip plus an angled fore grip with any array of optics and a bi-pod all on a compact M-4gery SBR with supressor is my definition of overkill. Those who spend a lot of money on stuff to bolt to their rifle but can't shoot the darn thing... mall ninja. In many cases, less is more. One optic is fine. One light/ laser is fine. A vert grip is neat, albeit not really necessary.

If all that stuff floats your boat, it's your money, stimulate the economy. Me, I prefer simple. Sure I'll have an optic. I'll probably have a weapon light. Maybe even a vertical grip. Pretty positive I'll have a multi-position stock with a 16" barrel.

What I won't have is the option of a red laser and a green laser. I won't have a 2.5x optic mounted on one rail, a 3-9x optic on another and a co-witnessing optic jutting off somewhere else. I'll have a weapon light, no more, possibly less. If I need to fire from a bi-pod, I'll put on on for that purpose.

Gear costs money. Ammo costs money. I'd rather spend money on ammo and shoot the gun rather than spend money on gear and have a bad ass looking EBR that never gets used because I can't afford ammo, or the hernia surgery lugging it to and from the range.


ETA: More so than the gear or lack thereof, it is the attitude that makes a mall ninja. If the only combat these so-called operators have seen is on a screen in the basement, or fighting over the last beer or slice of pizza, they are not an operator. Having seen combat myself, I know some of these MN's would wet their pull ups at the first sign of violence. Wicked cool gear does not a warrior make.
 
Another analogy would be with cars.

A tactical car would be a beater that has great suspension and drivetrain, superior brakes and electrical system--yet looks like any other beater on the road.

A tacticool car would be black, rims, chrome, glass--very obviously "cool looking" but, might or might not start, might only achieve 50-75% HP per rating, might be hotter than a pizza oven on fire in the Texas sun, too.

A mall-ninja car would be $150 junker with $1500 of "stuff" (and specifically not including paint, or even primer) glommed on it, and the mall-ninja would have endless tales on how the accessories would be $5000 for "ordinary people" and how the "look" is required by various "agencies" for various "reasons" . . . Oh, and could you hook up these jumper cables while I put this third quart of oil in?
Click to expand...

Reminds me of those used cars like a 93 Honda Civic sporting some kind of expensive muffler system that probably cost more than the car itself.
 
Thanks for the link to the "Shrine"...That is the funniest thing I have read in a long time.

I have no weapons that can even accommodate a light. I have thought about getting a Gen 4 G19 so I can have a lighted gun for night duty.
 
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