That Operator Hatin' Thread got me to thinking....

[Tommy C]

I figure it like this. Most (I know, I'm generalizing) folks dressed out in operator gear at a public range are city folks that weren't raised around firearms. Not to matter, though. They have discovered firearms a little later in life, but these guys finally got the chance to go shooting, & they really like it. They eat, sleep, & breathe guns, optics, ammo, & anything that goes with shooting sports. Range trips, gun shows, books, magazines, internet forums, these guys have enthusiasm off the charts for it all. But don't be hatin' on these serious hobby type shooters because they could be the true enthusiast among us; they really love guns.

Because these folks love their hobby & their guns so much, this group is much more politically active than country boys like me that grew up with guns around. I feel that guns are ok & are a part of life, but I don't love 'em. Folks like me are part to blame because we took the freedoms of the 2nd amendment for granted & didn't open our eyes or care enough to see that the gov was taking our freedoms one increment at a time. It sounded ok to lots of complacent gun owners in the 60's & 70's when laws were being passed with words like Safe Handgun Roster. Hey, that sounds great, right? Who in their right mind wants an unsafe gun. If it can save only 1 life! Never dawned on us at the time the gov was using the roster to keep handguns out of the hands of minorities & the poor. And who needs an AR or AK? Just the soldier of fortune types. Every hunter knows a 30.06 or 270 model 70 Winchester is a better deer rifle.

Too much ground was lost before shooters back then finally started to figure out the true motives behind these legislators & these laws that had innocent titles that took our freedoms bit by bit. I think people are more aware, & are waking up to acknowledge that the 2nd amendment is about much more than hunting or target shooting. My opinion is the newer shooter/serious hobby types that love guns & are politically aware are folks we should welcome to our fold. They may dress different, be younger, but we need their enthusiasm, numbers, & dollars if we have any hope for our cause.

[2nd Mass]

Well said OP.

Many of the active gun owners I know that are politically active (writing, emailing, contributing financially) and always brining new people to the range are the younger minorities often with tactical gear. Often times the people they bring astonish me. They bring young libs from major lib colleges and professions and they get them to wake up mentally. They're some of the greatest guys I know and the best chance to spread the word and turn the state around. They often give me hope and inspire me to be more vocal and do more.

It amazes me how much more active they sometimes are in the cause vs. gun owners that grew up with firearms. To them it's something they care for deeply and they don't give a **** what libtards think of them so they are even more vocal in public. Not obscene or aggressive in the slightest but are more then willing to speak their mind. Hell, the coffee shop I go to in LA regularly has guys wearing 5.11 pants or camo in the middle of libtard central. They're not worried about anyone calling them out because they'll speak up for themselves and the rest of the community.

[CK_32]

Man you must have been in deep thought to come up with that one lol I agree 100% tho.


The only thing I have against the operator type, only saying this because I was the one who started that other thread is, I don't like the focus being on militarization and out killing each other. When first time shooters go to the range and feel like they just entered a swat/military combat facility because everyone is running drills and mag dumping kinda fuels the anti mind set of these things are only for killing and military. It can be very overwhelming and intimidating like we saw in the Anti's shoot guns for the first time video posted not long ago. Their instructor (tactical Carlos) was too focused on being tactical and intimidating to realize he turned them off in fear than took them in and showed them the safer softer side of firearm ownership.

I was one of the ones who grew up shooting pop cans and shot guns at trees to enjoy and remember the older days of just killing time and shooting stuff to keep busy, not train and be ready for battle every time I touch my firearms. Not to mention as I said above it's almost impossible to go to a shoot and just, we'll shoot these days because there is always one guy in the group who feels the need to turn the calm relaxing shoot trip and making it battle ready by talking everyone into shooting combat drills and taking over the shoot and making it from outdoor calm relaxation and fun, to high speed training. Again taking over the firearm community which once was just about out doors and laid back good ol boy shooting to every where you look it's like your in SWAT training and everyone is training to kill for SHTF and Self defense just like the antis love to preach and use against us for this are tools of killing and not tools of hobby.


But I agree pro 2A is pro 2A. Even if I don't fully support how they go about it for the reasons above, at least they are on our side and enjoying them selves in one way with firearms just as me and my friends do with ours and we all have interests in the same thing.

[echoThreeOneSix]

I think too, that a lot of people got things twisted with that thread. I'm pretty sure that 99% of us don't actually care what people wear. We'll see them at the range and think, "oh man, that guys crazy" or "that's a little funny" and that's it. Most of us don't spend the rest day angry because a guy was wearing some crazy ****.

I agree with the OP stance. Pro-2A is pro-2a.

[Tommy C]

I think too, that a lot of people got things twisted with that thread. I'm pretty sure that 99% of us don't actually care what people wear. We'll see them at the range and think, "oh man, that guys crazy" or "that's a little funny" and that's it. Most of us don't spend the rest day angry because a guy was wearing some crazy ****.

I agree with the OP stance. Pro-2A is pro-2a.

I'll take that one even further. Last winter I was visiting the bay area & somehow ended up shooting at Targetmasters West with a friend I've known for most of my life. I noticed that the crowd was much younger than us (we are in our mid fifties) but even more obvious to us is the level of enthusiasm these kids had-they really dig this *****. So here we were standing out (and I do mean we had to have stood out. Neither one of us is your typical middle-aged white guy. We are both 6'1", 220lb construction workers in descent shape. My friend has a flat top, & I have a ponytail down to the middle of my back) in this younger crowd with a lot of Asian kids & it was us that were the strange ones that day. No one laughed at us, or for that matter stared at us. They were just into shooting & taking videos of their friends doing the same.

[Tommy C]

Man you must have been in deep thought to come up with that one lol I agree 100% tho.


The only thing I have against the operator type, only saying this because I was the one who started that other thread is, I don't like the focus being on militarization and out killing each other. When first time shooters go to the range and feel like they just entered a swat/military combat facility because everyone is running drills and mag dumping kinda fuels the anti mind set of these things are only for killing and military. It can be very overwhelming and intimidating like we saw in the Anti's shoot guns for the first time video posted not long ago. Their instructor (tactical Carlos) was too focused on being tactical and intimidating to realize he turned them off in fear than took them in and showed them the safer softer side of firearm ownership.

.

Yeah, I saw that Tactical Carlos/lib video & I agree with you, CK. My first thought, great, by the time Carlos finishes with them, they will really hate guns. Teach 'em how to swim before you throw 'em in the deep end.

[Rosereader]

I'm young and I bring people to the range. My favorites are females, but it's much easier to bring male neophytes into the game.


I wear a leather jacket and usually the T-shirt from one of my preferred charity organizations. I do own a shotshell bandoleer but I cant get it through my head how it is actually helpful compared to a pouch/dump bag/ammo box full of shells.

[Dano3467]

Good write up OP...& will agree with you...

[Bansh88]

I'm still trying to figure out what everyones definition of "range" is.

If you're shooting any kind of military type rifle, AK, AR... You should be training with proper equipment. Yes, (gasp) a chest rig and sling would be nesccessary. As these are not hunting or target rifles.

I dont see it any different than holstering your pistol or having mags on a belt.

But once again, if you're only shooting indoors at a faciltiy with every Tom, Dick and Harry, you are very limited as to what you can do. In which case, I feel sorry for you.

[dyson]

I'm a city folk, I don't wear a chestrig, but I've fished at Pine Flat Dam

[kcjr1125]

OP holds a pretty good point. I have to admit that when i first got into guns i wanted to be so tactical. I bought a 500 spx shotgun and i remember i asked the salesperson to find me a tactical shotgun, then the SIG 556 PAtrol Swat looked so cool to me. I am fairly new to guns and have matured from wanting to be a ninja to wanting to focus more now on fundamentals and getting solid groupings.

I actually used to be a pretty strong anti gun person myself. most of it though stemmed from a fear of guns. You see i shot myself when i was 3 years old with my pops 357 magnum in the leg when i was 3 years old and almost lost my leg which infuriated me and turned me into those "who needs guns?" "gun owners are cowards, they should just duke it out with their fists" etc etc. kind of guys.

Now that i own 10+ guns in the span of a couple years i can say i am pretty active in the political side of things, ive joined the NRA, ive donated to groups who fight the good fight and when we win some battles it almost brings tears to my eyes knowing the great 2nd amendment can be restored to its full glory

[TacticalThug]

I'm a young minority and I bring people to the range all the time, focus on fun and friendly competition is how I turnem into shooters.

We have to make guns and gun culture appeal to the newer generations. I know many of you don't like COD shooters but these kids love it and when you tellem you can buy that python/cz/ak from black ops 2 in real life in the future they eat it up

[CK_32]

OP holds a pretty good point. I have to admit that when i first got into guns i wanted to be so tactical. I bought a 500 spx shotgun and i remember i asked the salesperson to find me a tactical shotgun, then the SIG 556 PAtrol Swat looked so cool to me. I am fairly new to guns and have matured from wanting to be a ninja to wanting to focus more now on fundamentals and getting solid groupings.

I have to admit I was the same way, you have no idea how long I called my first gun (Rem 700) my "sniper rifle. Me and all my friends coincidentally got into firearms all at the same time just before the Magpul boom and when that came out oh man we were all about it and oh man send me that video for Facebook! Then I finally looked at my group of friends and what we were doing and thought of how retarded and wanna be we were. I think that's where my "hate" comes from, is just remembering how ignorant of a mindset I had when I was in that phase and hoping WROL would happen so we could look/be awesome and use our guns and be that killing squad that dominates the city. And that the guys in or out of it are just at different stages of their shooting careers and see things differently. Like I said I was already into that phase and luckily got out of it quickly. Childish COD fantasy IMO and I think many yet can't admit that, but I can't be mad because I couldn't either until I realized one day, wow we don't look that cool. Were just super wanna be. Some guys may realize this a few years from now or never will.

[Tommy C]

I have to admit I was the same way, you have no idea how long I called my first gun (Rem 700) my "sniper rifle. Me and all my friends coincidentally got into firearms all at the same time just before the Magpul boom and when that came out oh man we were all about it and oh man send me that video for Facebook! Then I finally looked at my group of friends and what we were doing and thought of how retarded and wanna be we were. I think that's where my "hate" comes from, is just remembering how ignorant of a mindset I had when I was in that phase and hoping WROL would happen so we could look/be awesome and use our guns and be that killing squad that dominates the city. And that the guys in or out of it are just at different stages of their shooting careers and see things differently. Like I said I was already into that phase and luckily got out of it quickly. Childish COD fantasy IMO and I think many yet can't admit that, but I can't be mad because I couldn't either until I realized one day, wow we don't look that cool. Were just super wanna be. Some guys may realize this a few years from now or never will.

Everything we have ever done in life started with a first time. Us older guys were young once, too, and we look back at our first experiences and laugh, cringe, or both. I thought I knew everything worth knowing when I was 18-21, now I feel like I'm ignorant about many things. When you see someone that looks like a newby at the range, see if you can help them out instead of laughing at him. Not everyone had a father that taught them how to shoot. Every new shooter that joins our ranks is a potential pro 2nd amendment voter and we as a group need them.

[biglou]

Whatever it takes to get people to be involved in shooting sports and to vote is what matters. I shoot mostly on private land or weekdays on public ranges so I don't see the tacticool operators much. If I do see a ninja I can care less. Wear what you want, not my business or money. The only thing I watch and care about is if Mr. Tacticool becomes tactifool and starts acting in a unsafe manner on the range.