Why does half of the gun community want to be "tactical"?

[Joe in fla]

What is the deal with so many people all the sudden wanting to be mall-rangers and live the "tactical" lifestyle? Honestly most of these wanna be G.I. Joes .....

I think you answered your own question. It's finally become cool to be a soldier again instead of them being spit at as so many of my generation were. I've noticed that the Tacti-Cool movement seems to largely be people that were never in the service AND never got to play "war" as children. Don't get me wrong, I love my ARs and other black guns but as a vet I've had enough of war and the military lifestyle including wearing uniforms and wearing heavy boots and carrying tons of equipment and all the rest and I have no desire to repeat it unnecessarily in civilian life!

Re-enactors are something else all together. They are people that enjoy history and want to share it with others and are willing to spend their time and money buying vintage military uniforms, equipment, vehicles, etc and to use their time in putting on shows that the public enjoys. I know a number of re-enactors and none of them are into the Tacti-Cool scene and none would even think about wearing a quasi-military uniform out in public except at their events. Most of them aren't even particularly interested in black guns, only the older, vintage military ones.

X-GI Joe but current M-37 owner.

 

[Geckgo]

It's no different from people that take up cycling and buy all the "race equipment" like the whole speedo set, race helmet, and buy the most expensive 10 speed they can get. All for a few laps around the neighborhood once a week.

Or the Joggers...

Or Yoga people, 150 bucks for a 2'x3' floor mat??? Really????

Or my personal favorite, "the gangstas," every time I see them I either bust up laughing or get an itch to mess with them.

People have weird "styles", some want to dress up like punk rockers from the 80s, and some are obsessed with the navy SEALS. What's the point here? I really don't have one.

 

[Joe in fla]

Do they make tactical toilet paper yet?

Yes! As a matter of fact they do! It's even camo colored! Funny, the real stuff that I used was always white just like regular TP.

 

[lizziedog1]

Dressing up like a soldier doesn't make you a soldier anymore then dressing up like Aaron Rodgers makes you a Super Bowl MVP.

I think that we do have to be careful about the image we present. I have seen guys at the range that scare me. I can imagine what they do to the nonshooting public.

 

[Creature]

And what does a "responsible gun owner" wear?

 

[lizziedog1]

And what does a "responsible gun owner" wear?

Clothes that make him look like he has a multi-digit IQ.

 

[mcdonl]

I think that we do have to be careful about the image we present. I have seen guys at the range that scare me. I can imagine what they do to the nonshooting public.

I think you may be surprised what the general public thinks of them. All of the "haters" on here feel the way they do because these people are different than you and some people just struggle coming to terms with people who are different. But, to the outsider they may look at someone in 5.11 pants, a shoot me first vest and drop down leg holster and say... wow, look at them. They know their stuff... They may also say, look at that other clown wearing khakis and a polo shirt... what a wannabe....

In the EMS world, we have "whackers" - They wear every device known to man on their belts, the dress in uniform all the time, wear their portable when they are 3 towns away from their response area.... And, every now-and-again I get one on my bus.

You know what, when we respond to a call... everyone looks to them as the professional and are usually surprised when I am the one who cares for them.

Your view of the gecko may differ than the view of those from the outside. Maybe *YOU* are giving shooting the bad name, not the tacti-cool shooter.

 

[Vyacheslav]

what does half the gun community care what other people do with the guns that they paid for? some of you really have too much time on your hands

 

[TechBrute]

Why should we care? Some of these tactical goofballs don't do much to improve our standing in the nonshooting community. Some of these guys could be used as poster children for the Brady Bunch. Maybe we shouldn't care about the image we project, but come on, some shooters do not help our cause.

Tell you what, since you seem to be pretty judgmental of other people (based on your posts), why don't you go ahead and post in detail how people need to act to win your approval, then we'll all lose sleep over it.

It's people that complain about other gun owners that give gun owners a bad name. Here we are on a shooting forum, and you're whining about the way people act, or dress, or choose guns (you really haven't even clarified what it is you really have a problem with).

More people have problems with the GUNS than the way people portray a gun owner. People don't say, "I want to outlaw guns because people are tactical", they have a problem with THE GUNS! We could all fit your image of the perfect gun owner (shivvvvver) and people would still have a problems with THE GUNS!

Oh, and welcome to THR. We like to talk about guns sometimes, between all the whining and judgment, so feel free to join in.

 

[fireside44]

It's finally become cool to be a soldier again instead of them being spit at as so many of my generation were. I've noticed that the Tacti-Cool movement seems to largely be people that were never in the service AND never got to play "war" as children.

I dunno, I saw a few young guys who got into "tactical" guns and gear wind up joining the service later. Military gear and mindset became a focus of interest to them. Didn't mean I didn't give them some crap for it at the time though.

Overall, I'd rather get stranded in a seedy neighborhood with a guy who is a little over the top with his military style gear, gun, and garb zealousness than one who never considered protecting their safety or being prepared at all.

 

[fallout mike]

I always put on my ghillie suit at the range whenever I break out my rifle.

 

[fallout mike]

I'm not totally a nut Job though. I taKe it off when I switch to shooting the AK. Then I put on my Russian military gear.

 

[fallout mike]

The clothing is what actually makes u a shooter. I'm surprised you guys haven't figured that out yet.

 

[mrslim]

man you guys are like hungry pitbulls on this subject. I'm about to dam nervous to go out and buy me a tactical shotgun for home defense, or any kind of rifle in fear I will be shunned from society as a wannabe idiot. Now I do agree there are some morons out there but go easy fellows, some of us like a little tactical, and aren't military. That doesn't mean I'm trying to look like rambo.

 

[memphisjim]

seems they always have the now classic 1911 used to be the newfangled tactical pistol
the the browning highpower
heck even the old peacemaker and lever guns were the tactical of there days

 

[Geckgo]

Your view of the gecko may differ than the view of those from the outside.

You're not talking about me are you? If so, I'm a little flattered, I've defended the tacti-cools so well that now I'm one of them. yay me!

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

Remember you should always dress for the job you want
NOT the job you already have.

 

[2WheelsGood]

I think that we do have to be careful about the image we present. I have seen guys at the range that scare me. I can imagine what they do to the nonshooting public.

I see guys at the range that scare me almost every time I go. Rarely are they the ones who look "tactical".

Think about the stories you see on the news every year about a guy who gets killed "cleaning it and it just went off". These aren't the "tactical" guys nearly so much as they are the guy who buys a gun for protection, never learns anything about it, never goes to the range, never buys tactical gear... Do you get my point?

It's kind of ironic. You'd figure the "tactical" guys would be the elitists, but it's actually the other way around.

By the way, if you own a Vette, does that just mean you're a wannabe race car driver?

 

[fallout mike]

Mrslim they aren't talking about guns. They r talking about the guys at the range that are wearing more gear than a navy seal going into the stuff. And the real navy seal at the same range 15 feet from the geared. Up gut is wearing jeans, a polo shirt and has his gear in his range bag.

 

[GCBurner]

Wow, over 90 posts in the first couple of hours, on Valentine's Day.
Sounds like this topic struck a nerve.

I'm happy to let folks shoot what they want. I enjoy watching people enjoying shooting sports, whatever they happen to be using. I like going to the RenFest to watch the Medieval version of tacticool guys shoot longbows and crossbows, and use lances from horseback, too. The catapults, trebuchets, and cannons are kind of neat, too, though I don't have room for any of that stuff in my gun safe.

 

[pockets]

This is the same group of guys that used to live in their moms basement and go to all the star trek conventions

Yep....those pitiful losers like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc.
No wait, Bill & Steve lived in a garage.
We here on THR certainly can be a judgmental bunch, can't we? The high road?

 

[HGUNHNTR]

It's just human nature to want to find an identity--some are just more accepted in our society. I think the same thing when I seem some guy wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, or or a dude wearing harly davidson garb.

 

[fallout mike]

Well pockets, this entire thread was started with the intention of getting people to. Posts their opinions. I gave my opinion on the subject and then you gave your judgemental opinion of my opinion. If you really don't want to be judgemental then u prolly should be careful with what u say in response. I mean everybody can't live on their "own little world"

 

[ny32182]

I've noticed that the people who complain about mall ninjas and over-accessorized AR15's actually outnumber mall ninjas and over-accessorized AR15s by about 50:1. It makes one wonder.

 

[Nushif]

And what does a "responsible gun owner" wear?

I think this kinda is an interesting point.

Because there does seem to be this notion that there is such a thing as "uniform" for the "responsible gun owner."
People own guns. That means everybody.

That doesn't mean we have to approve of them, their practices, their race, their creed, their jokes, their language, their face or their mom. We should be glad that people own guns and like shooting them, instead of throwing around high school rhetoric about star trek conventions and mall ninjas. (By the way ... I go as a Red Shirt.)