seen my first one.

[runfiverun]

had another one of littlegirls friends at the range, her first time shooting.
as we pulled up i looked over to the 22 range as there was a car over there i didn't recognize.

guy walk up to it in full khaki's [tan not issue] and fishin vest.
totin what might have been an AR under a bunch of grips and lights and sights.
i think there was even a cup holder.

he looked us over and seemed proud of his tacticool rifle and slung on mag holders.
he did have some nice jump boots though [made me wonder which box mine were stored in]
and was eyeballin the rifles we were pulling out of the bronco.
that or he was checkin littlegirl and her friend out [both blonde 18 yr olds]
his eyes did get quite big when the Armalite AR-30 come out of the back seat.

i decided to go over to the range he was on after he left and double check my first impressions while the girls hung targets.
that and i wanted some more 22 brass.
as i got closer i could see the 22lr brass under the shooting awning but no 223 brass.
nothing new as most everybody around here reloads or knows someone that does.
thought maybe my first impressions were a bit off till i looked down range and seen the glitter of new brass 15 feet from the 25 yd berm.
to be fair there was some 5' further back.
i did get 80 pieces of shiney new brass and the 8x11 paper on the stand did have some holes in it, i didn't count but there looked to be 15.

so did i see the real version here? or just a phase going into or outta the full tacticool guy?

p.s. he wasn't wearing a low slung black strapped pistol....

[oneokie]

Couldn't have been a mall ninja if he was dressed in khaki's.

[MT Gianni]

Out of County Plates?, Out of State? New Monsanto Engineer?

[Certaindeaf]

His camo was obviously worthless.

[stubshaft]

Yup, you saw one!

I was at the range last Thursday and one of them had his black gun tricked out with all of the latest garbage. I watched (he was trying to shoot prone right next to my bench) as he went through 50 rounds and didn't hit the paper once. Rather than give him some pointers (since he was obviously he was in tune with the latest and greatest), I watched him finally get on target and shoot a great nine inch group at fifty yards. Gotta love those shoot-n-see targets, everyone on the line is able to see your abilities with them.

[clodhopper]

Well obivously, it's silly to confine ALL your shots to the paper when training for the next zombie invasion.
You know those zombies are moving targets!

[Certaindeaf]

The .22 is the new .308.. kerpew!

Then there's the airsoft action.. anyway, I guess there's no law against it.

[runfiverun]

i didn't check the plates other than they were idaho.
but the forester looking ride he had,was a bit clean for this time of year.
and a cream color, hmmm he may have been an engineer.
i'm not complaining as this is the first rifle brass i have gotten in over a year,
and it worked out nicely.
as i was sorting out all the pmc brass from my pile of once fired, so i just threw his in there too.
we got plenty of ar's in the area, they just are kinda got out about once or twice a year a magazine run through them and cleaned/oiled.
nothing fancy,just regular got it if i need it and i ain't wastin the ammo,type guns.

[x101airborne]

I like those guys shooting 9 inch groups at 50 yards and all the cool stuff on their weapons.
1. You can see em coming a mile away with those ultra brite lights on their weapons waving around.
2. They usually store more ammo than they shoot, so there is a supplimental supply in bad times.
3. When I can rapid fire offhand at 100 yards and get 4 - 5 inch groups out of my ar, I am confident who will win that fight.
And hey, like you said.... Good source of free brass.

[Don Purcell]

Just proves you can't buy ability, trigger time is the best investment.

[Love Life]

I love when people turn a good solid battle ready rifle into an overweight monstrosity.

I loved the part about the cup holder!!

[walltube]

"i think there was even a cup holder."

Thank you! I needed a lift today. LMAO!

[Certaindeaf]

Did he say "dudicles", TEOTWAWKI, "your mileage may vary", "price point" and WROL?

[Ickisrulz]

Yes, there are people out there that are shooting because they like the looks of the ARs with all kinds of accessories on them. That's probably what got them into the sport. Don't we all want to get more people interested in shooting? Well, all of them except the mall ninja types, right?

Dressing up like a soldier for a day on the range makes about as much sense to me as the Cowboy Shooting crowd that dress up for a day at the range. But to each his own.

[ErikO]

I think I saw a 'Tactical Beverage Recepticle, side rail mounted' for sale on the EE @ ARFCOM a few days ago for $69.95.

Shame I have no plans on putting more than maybe one rail on my AR. It would be good to have a spare bottle of coffee handy.

[ErikO]

Yes, there are people out there that are shooting because they like the looks of the ARs with all kinds of accessories on them. That's probably what got them into the sport. Don't we all want to get more people interested in shooting? Well, all of them except the mall ninja types, right?

Dressing up like a soldier for a day on the range makes about as much sense to me as the Cowboy Shooting crowd that dress up for a day at the range. But to each his own.

I can see the value of a vertical offhand grip in front of the magwell that may or may not have a QAB light or laser. Beyond that, not so much. The only real accesory mounts are the lug and M203 cutouts. lol

Most of the CAS folks I know wear their daily clothes to the range. Then again, they look like extras on hold for Black Bart's Gang most of the time anyway. ;)

[Ickisrulz]

I can see the value of a vertical offhand grip in front of the magwell that may or may not have a QAB light or laser. Beyond that, not so much. The only real accesory mounts are the lug and M203 cutouts. lol

Most of the CAS folks I know wear their daily clothes to the range. Then again, they look like extras on hold for Black Bart's Gang most of the time anyway. ;)

The point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter if we see value in their purchases. It matters that they're getting out there and doing some shooting. Shooters need to band together to a certain extent.

[Love Life]

Now Now Ickis. You remember what happened when you said the same thing about Zombie targets?

[Ickisrulz]

Now Now Ickis. You remember what happened when you said the same thing about Zombie targets?

I remember. I hate seeing new shooters looked down on by the older guys. The more people we have out enjoying the sport the better it will be for all of us. It doesn't matter if they're shooting ARs, muzzleloaders, or even if they are uppity trap/skeet shooters.:D

Getting the young people away from the computers and video games out onto the range is good. We should be there to help point them in the right direction if they'll take our advice.

[Love Life]

Agreed.

Although the super tricked out AR is always a joy to see. If they go high dollar all the way they can end up with the accessories being worth more than the gun. Way more.

I don't own an AR beacuse I find them boring, but if I did it would be the standard with iron sights.

I don't often shoot ARs, but when I do I prefer Knights Armament. (said with accent of the most interesting man in the world)

[Ickisrulz]

Agreed.

Although the super tricked out AR is always a joy to see. If they go high dollar all the way they can end up with the accessories being worth more than the gun. Way more.

I don't own an AR beacuse I find them boring, but if I did it would be the standard with iron sights.

I don't often shoot ARs, but when I do I prefer Knights Armament. (said with accent of the most interesting man in the world)

I never liked shooting the M16s while I was in the USAF. I think mainly because they were worn out and the magazines should have been tossed long ago. But I bought one a few years ago and have enjoyed it. Now I have two (20" and a midlength). I have no rails or lights, but I do have an Aimpoint on the midlength.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Come on, guys, the AR-15 is like a Barbie Doll for guys. Buy the basic one and 'accessorize' to your heart's content.

dale in Louisiana
(who has an AR-15 (CMP match legal). And a Garand. And an 03-A3. and a Ross Mk III, etc...)

[Rangefinder]

Yup---you saw "Tacticool" at its finest. I haven't seen one in quite a while, thankfully. The last time wasn't even quite officially a total tacticool representative--probably just a pledge trying to get his black ribbon. I hit a local shooting match about a year and a half ago competing in "hunting rifle" and "varmint rifle" class. For varmint I used my heavy barrel 6mm Remi custom (which I should add is actually set up for 1000 meter, so on that tiny little 100yd range it was a real PITA to compensate elevation for!!!). Squeaked out a .640 5-shot though, holding about 14" low of center to put rounds on paper.

THEN, up rolls a rattle-can cameo Toyota fully equipped with a spare tire on the roof and a snorkle air intake! Out jumps a circus clown with BDU bottoms, a Jack Danials Tee-shirt, boonie hat (forest pattern when the BDU bottoms were Desert "cookie"...) and you guessed it--a heavy barreled AR flat-top with every bell and whistle known the the Mall Ninja elite. No radio or high-tech tricked out spotter team though--hense the pledge status. WOW! I was..... scared??!

He didn't beat me. He didn't even put all five on paper. But he sure was TACTICOOL!!

LOL

[starmac]

I have never spent much time at a range, but if I went these guys everybody is talking about would probably think my muzzy looked silly to them. lol
I have never found a use for the tactical guns, but that is just my preference, each to his own.
Who knows if a lot of guys get them and deck them all out with the latest and greatest, but never learn to shoot them, maybe they will get so cheap, even I will trade for one. lol

[thx997303]

I own much of that tactical stuff.

I play with it occasionally, but don't need it for anything really.

Left over from the army.

My AR has iron sights and a foreward grip, nothing more.

Was shooting a basketball sized rock at 200 yards with it today, didn't miss much either.

[geargnasher]

I saw a pair of them last year at my local range. They were wearing black and drove a Honda. Nothing against black or Hondas, but you have to cross fifteen cattle guards and about five miles of rutted two track to get there, not many shiny cars show up. In pairs they are particularly annoying, clinging to each other in that nervous "we look like we know what we're doing, right?" sort of way. What was really amusing is one of them was about 75lbs overweight and they were both wearing the unmistakable "nerd pallor". Not very intimidating even in full SWAT gear. I think that was the first time either of them had seen sunshine in months, they wore their Oakleys even as dusk approached. I wanted to ask them how many layers of aluminum foil they used inside their black tactical ball caps. Both were shooting prone from beside the benches and couldn't hit the 2x4 target backers at 100 yards. I'm glad they ventured out from their parent's basements, perhaps they might one day successfully integrate themselves into society!

Gear

[badbob454]

[QUOTE=x101airborne;1650550]I like those guys shooting 9 inch groups at 50 yards and all the cool stuff on their weapons.

3. When I can rapid fire offhand at 100 yards and get 4 - 5 inch groups out of my ar, I am confident who will win that fight.

i think i need more practice my rapid fires are @ 2 ft groups , how rapid are we talking 1 shot per sec , i can come closer maybe 8'' group? if not , i need to send more lead down range and get ready for the zombies , or the better gunners :bigsmyl2:

[wv109323]

I must have run into his cousin or next of kin at my last range visit. In my case it was husband and wife. She shot 30 rounds of .223 from a rest at 25 yards and hit the 12" target 24 of 30 times. She was as happy as a coon in a cornfield. Pure estatic.
They had a S&W 40 caliber pistol with a 250 round pack of ammo. After about 10 minutes I heard him say to his wife" You see now why I did not want to get just 50 rounds of pistol ammo."

[Chamfered]

A cup holder..... now that is an accessory that makes sense. I think I would mount it on the port side just ahead of the buffer tube. This would allow for the use of standard length straws. It will go nice with the bayonet mount hot dog roaster I'm working on. I can get a hotdog nicely blackened in less than 200 rnds. W748 imparts the best flavor. :kidding:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Love Life,

one of these days you are going to go in for your annual, and the eye chart lower levels are going to get blurry. Then you will begin to understand why the US Military forces have flat top M4's with optics. You can't hit and kill what you can't identify thru your sights.

Rich

[runfiverun]

i got a scope on one of my ar's.
it has the full buttstock and regular handguards.
it wears the scope when doing some testing but the rest of the time,it's got the sight on it.
i can see the usefulness of an acog or a dot, and would have loved to have had one on my colt with the sproing in the stock.
heck i'd like one now,but i'll have to stick to the glow in the dark front sight.
so you can see i got no problems with the ar dudes.
i had never seen the tacticool look before and wasn't sure.
i'm sure when i was 19 i had a tacticool look everyday, but so did everybody else around me, everybody.

[geargnasher]

Nothing wrong with the tacticool look, except when there's 30 lbs of flab hanging over the duty belt!

Gear

[Love Life]

Love Life,

one of these days you are going to go in for your annual, and the eye chart lower levels are going to get blurry. Then you will begin to understand why the US Military forces have flat top M4's with optics. You can't hit and kill what you can't identify thru your sights.

Rich

That day has come and gone. I wear eyeglasses. While I will admit the use of the ACOG/RCO on our M16-A4 or M4 service rifles is a force multiplier, it can also be a crutch. I maintain proficiency in both optics and irons.

When I am operating my service rifle has and ACOG/RCO on the top, PEQ-4 and a surfire on the side rails. Underneath is usually a M203 40mm grenade launcher if I can get on. My iron sites are in a pouch on my flack jacket so If the ACOG/RCO ever gives up the ghost I can put those back on. I use them because I am well trained in their use and they give me advantages over the enemy.

So if those help somebody then by all means it is the way to go, and it is really all personal preference when tricking out an AR platform. I would keep mine bare bones though if I owned one, but I don't own one. I prefer the AK-47 platform.

[runfiverun]

i at one time prefered the ak over the ar then i shot an sks and it was much preferred over both.
untill i got my armalite.
then it was a whole different story, a nice trigger,no funny noises,no weird twisting in the hands.
just a nice "sight alignment press whack" tee hee feeling.
then the wife got the same tee hee feeling, which left me looking for another AR.
i found a slightly [not at all] used stag from the obama gun rush at a very good price, now i just need a 300 blackout upper with a 10 twist and cut rifling for launching cast from and life will be good again.

[shooter93]

Lamar....I could give you a better answer if you had included pics......of the girls....lol. I couldn't resisit Lamar, you should know that by now.

[Dutch4122]

I run in to them occasionally at the Gun Club rifle/handgun range. I don't say much to them; but I do keep an eye on them for safetys sake. Most break out their AR's at the 25 yard pistol range and put up the Shoot 'n See targets. I don't think I have seen one yet shooting through iron sights. Some do seem to make sight adjustments to their optics; although I don't think they realize that by sighting in "dead on" at 25 yards with the distance from the center axis of the bore to the crosshairs or dot they are raising the point of impact dramatically out at 100 yards! As a matter of fact, I have seen AR's thus sighted shoot nearly 2 feet high on a 100 yard range! Can you say "aim center mass at a man and shoot right over his head." [smilie=l:

I just stay at the 100 yard end of the firing line content to punch holes in the black of the TQ-4 target with my 70-100+ year old turnbolt battle rifles. When I get a chance to go down and switch targets I will bring the fired target back and hold it up as if I'm examining it. Usually they see a group that is much smaller at 100 yards without a scope than their "group" shot at 25 yards with an optic sight. At that point they usually pack up and leave; or put the AR away and start practicing their rapid fire at 3 yards with their pistol.

Just like everything else in life; anybody who thinks they have to dress the part ain't the real deal.

[btroj]

Club I belong to once had a group show up in a van. The story was that the van pretty much stopped, guys piled out, and rounds were heading down range. The guys in the club referred to them as "a van full of idiots", I am sure that was pretty accurate. Wonder if they wore black?

I see more mall ninjas at the indoor range than at the gun club. Indoor range is a for profit, public operation. The club is by membership only. Seems our mall ninjas don't pay club dues. I am ok with that.

[runfiverun]

scott:
:bigsmyl2:

[maglvr]

"Shame I have no plans on putting more than maybe one rail on my AR. It would be good to have a spare bottle of coffee handy."

Now there's a million dollar idea! a line of stocks with insulated 16 oz. flask built in!
and 32 oz for the EXTENDED RECON model ;)

[Punisher422]

The sad part is that there really are cup holders and I-phone mounts for guns. The I-phone mount is somewhat understandable because you can get ballistics programs for it. The cupholder is another story.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/07/gun-accessories/

Some of these accesories are legitimate, and others just make you shake your head.

[x101airborne]

I dont remember who asked about my rapid fire, but my opinion of rapid fire is one round about every second or a little faster depending on how much I am convulsing that day. When shooting hogs in a group and I am in the zone, I can get up to 5 rounds off in just under 4 seconds by shooting at the lowest animal and then as recoil brings the muzzle up to the next, squeeze again. At the end of 5 shots, I usually stop, drop back down to the lowest running target and go again. My dad and wife say it sounds like a slow full auto. But I do practice at one round a second.

What do you guys think of a supplimental photo contest (a parody, of course) of all the stuff you can put on a rifle. Not just an AR, but ANY rifle. Of course, you would need a cup holder in the photo. Beverage of Choice optional. I would throw in 5 bucks for the best dressed picked by the mods......

[runfiverun]

i would hate it, someone would show that stupid tacticool mossburg 464 with the collapsible stock and picatinny rails.
i still see it's image burned into my retinas occasionally when i blink. [shudder]
the stock i like for kids,and others with different l.o.p. requirememnts.
but did they have to go out of thier way to make it look like an M-4 stock?
and that side by side with picatinny's and 1911-13 [whatever number that is] rails? come on.
the worst part is you can't even get zombie ammo for either one.
so then what are ya gonna do?

[troy_mclure]

its funny, in my area(at a private members only range) you are more likely to see an ar on the bench than anything else. there is a special section set aside for ar, and other auto loading rifles. i get more concerned looks when i bring out my front stuffers than my heavy barrel, big scoped ar i built.
and if some of the ar guys wear silly clothes, its no worse than the skeet/clays guys with their pressed slacks, and funny vests.

[thx997303]

Was it this guy R5R?

http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll331/thx997303/100_5633.jpg

I believe that's a tactical trunk monkey.

[runfiverun]

jeremy:
if you add about 7-8 more things to the rifle and remove the hair off the top of the monkey.
that's pretty close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8OkBQ-CQ9Q&feature=related
this is the trunk monkey i need.

[hiram1]

trigger time is the best investment.not paste on parts just the gun as it came to you clean.

[thx997303]

That would be one handy trunk monkey.

The helmet, goggles, and FLC with pouches are leftovers from the Army.

I thought I was being a mall ninja for adding the vertical foregrip and the plan for a spot to put my tacticool flashlight that I keep on my house gun.

7-8 more things would get heavy. :holysheep

[runfiverun]

be careful with those foregrips if you pull in tightly with them,
they have a tendency to start pulling down on everything else causing problems.
i like mine plain, but that's also how i learned how to use them.

[thx997303]

Agreed.

I actually use what they call the "thumb break method".

Basically you grip the handguard with your thumb, index, and middle fingers, while gripping the foregrip with your ring and pinky fingers.

It puts the force on the handguard so you aren't pulling the barrel and causing accuracy issues, gives a more repeatable grip (of arguable importance, but feels good to me), and for me, it's very comfortable.

[geargnasher]

The vertical foregrip also makes the Slide Fire stock work MUCH better, more controllable, especially on short bursts.

Gear

[thx997303]

See, now you're really goin tacticool there.

I've not seen the point in attempting to replicate full auto. Not really that useful in my opinion.

[runfiverun]

it is if you need to cross an open street, and you only got three other guy's with you.

[Rockydog]

I posted this on another site so some of you may have seen it before. It's a bit long but it's all true. RD

I was at the range all alone shooting my 8mm Mauser. Trying some new loads. Keep in mind this is a club range with no RO and locked gate entry. Up rolls this rusted out Mustang II. Three guys roll out and start digging in the trunk. Out comes 3 ARs and two Glock 9mms. These guys are dressed in camo sweatpants, bloused over black high top tennies, and t-shirts or sweatshirts. They drag out a couple of plastic ammo cans and proceed to load AR magazines for 15 -20 minutes. Then they drag out these stick magazines that are about a foot long and proceed to load 2 for each Glock. In the meantime Mr Glockless heads out to the 20 yd pistol boards and proceeds to put up 3 combat silhouette targets (On our just replaced Blandex backer boards BTW) with the bad guy squinting down a revolver at you. They lay all 3 ARs and the two Glocks on the pistol shooting bench and back away about two paces. They turn and face the bench and one asks. "Gentlemen, are we ready"?
The Reply "Yes, Sir"
"Gentlemen, assume your positions"
They all stride to the line and pick up the ARs, slap in a mag, and aim at the target.
"Gentlemen, On my Command.....Fire"
They instantly pound out 2 30 round mags apiece and then pick up the glocks and one guy burns through the two mags in his nonstop while the other guy shares his and they do a stick apiece. Then they lay down the Glocks and the leader barks. "Gentlemen clear your weapons". After which they pounded each other on the back and high fived about all their excellent shooting. Mr 2 sticks is ******** about burning his finger on his Glock. All I knew was that they blew holes about 8" in diameter in the target and the formerly new backer board at 20 yards. And the whole thing might have lasted two minutes.

By now I'm really trying hard not to laugh out loud. There was a guy there earlier shooting with his grandsons. They were exploding potatoes with a .243 under the 100 yard target. They had to leave and I told them not to worry about the potatoes that I'd clean them up as I was going down to pull a bunch of targets anyway. I told these three jokers that I was having a hard time hitting the potatoes and wondered if they wanted to try. Oh yeah! They'd show me how to do it. All of theses ARs had some type of optic sight on them but it took two of them 6-8 shots apiece to hit a baking sized potato and the third one never did hit one before he ran out of ammo in spite of his buddies coaching him about "walking the impacts up too the target". In disgust he cased his gun and tossed it in the trunk with the others right behind him. They left, chatting away about their wonderful performance, so cool, yada, yada, yada. Never pulled the targets, never policed their brass etc. I came out the winner with nearly 200 pieces of once fired Winchester brass. For that I gladly pulled their targets. Mall ninjas??? Yup there's few in WI. too.

In contrast I was out there about a week later and a young guy with 3 buddies rolls up with a single AR and a 22 rifle. They were about the same age as the guys the week before. They came up and asked what I was shooting and asked permission to post some targets. Voluntarily presented me with his family membership card "in case I wondered if he was a member" .Addressing me as sir etc. One of them was obviously the leader and was coaching the others as they shot. Turns out he was in a High School ROTC program and was trying to get the others to commit to the same. Very nice kids, all clean cut and well mannered. All thinking about service to the country. What a difference. RD