What, Exactly Is "Tactical"

[Treo]

When I was in the army(13B20) all my "tactical gear" was old , beat up ,& green ( except for my M-16A2) .The term "technically & tactically profficient" got thrown around a bit, but no one could actually define it. I allways said technically profcient was doing your job well & tactically proffiecient was doing your job well when somebody's shooting at you. I also frequently observed that every piece of equipment the army issued me was designed to be used by an idiot who was being shot at. So that's pretty much my experience W/ "tactical" would any body care to clarify the term for me ? In keeping W/ the handguns,autoloaders title of this subforum , my wife owns a .380 Llama , it's painted black & has "combat" sights on it ( It's also a piece of ( insert non HR expletive of choice) but that's another thread) is IT "Tactical" or maybe even "Tacti-cool" ?
Mods feel free to move this thread as you see fit .

 

[Hauptmann]

"Tactical": To have more junk on a firearm than you actually need which justifies a price increase of about 20%.

 

[SDC]

It's a word that lets snake-oil salesmen put a 30% mark-up on the latest shlock they think they have a chance of convincing someone to buy.

 

[98C5]

It's pronounced..."tacticool"

 

[strangelittleman]

It's a sales phrase that's used to ensnare Walter Mitty types into paying too much for gear they will never use, other than to prance & pose around with while in their mother's basement , oops, er I mean the "man cave" while playing videos on-line and trying to convince themselves that they really could pull-off the silver screen exploits of Jack Bauer, James Bond, Rambo and XXX.
The same goes for the sales gimmick, "Operator". Now if you'll excuse me I just threw up on my monitor.....

 

[biscuitninja]

^^^

-bix

 

[98C5]

Tactical is used to DEATH when describing a firearm. All it needs is a light/laser rail and it's considered 'tactical".

 

[w_houle]

I have always thought that "tactical equipment" as equipment that enhanced the end users proficiency. Such equipment would make those with lesser ability able to perform better. Laser sights would mean the end user would know where the bullet would go rather than having to use other pesky sights
I think the notion is crap, but thats what I think is the driving thought behind it

 

[Chipperman]

Tactical= black, expensive, and in most cases superfluous.

 

[Wolfman_556]

Yep it's a sales gimmick.


"Tactical" to me by the actual intention of the word indicates something to be used in a dangerous situation... which to my line of thought says I want something as simple and basic (and reliable) as possible instead of something with all sorts of silly unnecessary doodads all over it.

 

[ccmdfd]

Somewhere out there there's a picture of a "tactical poser". A guy wearing all of the important tacticool gear, but who's by no means a tactical kind of guy.

 

[Chipperman]

There are LOTS of those pics.

 

[Eric F]

I have officialy banned the following terms when buying a firearm
tatical.........anything added from over sice op handle to sights to lights
sniper.............. has a scope and possibly a bipod
counter sniper.............see above
assault............political term
and the best one yet pratical-tatical.............see tatical plus two tone polymer coated.

basicaly anything that is purchased as a new "tatical" whatever you can but the base model and add the stuff to make it "tatical" for roughly atleast $100 less