Why do people poo-poo "black" as a tactical color option?

zippygaloo · #1 12-26-08, 02:50

My AR is totally black. I still want to purchase a few other items but am on the fence about colors. I originally wanted to do a complete black gun (accessories and all). Why do people poo-poo "black" as a tactical color option. Is there something I should know.

Iraqgunz · #2 12-26-08, 04:12

Zippy,

Dare to be different.

BTW- Is your avatar meant to imply that rob_s is a clown? Just curious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippygaloo

My AR is totally black. I still want to purchase a few other items but am on the fence about colors. I originally wanted to do a complete black gun (accessories and all). Why do people poo-poo "black" as a tactical color option. Is there something I should know. Can you help me decide? Keep in mind I'm in the Pacific Northwest.

Iraq Ninja · #3 12-26-08, 04:53

Black is often too dark as a tactical color, even at night. It became popular many years ago for SWAT, but most people now consider it a poor choice.

Uniforms and color are often used today not to hide the user, but to identify them as being part of a unit or organization. This is often important in building clearing ops or any dynamic situation in which you need to quickly ID the good and bad guys. But, most of us want to blend in, so black is not a good choice.

It still may be a cool color, but cool and tactical don't always go well together.

Black guns are easily identified as being real guns by the general public. A krylon painted camouflage gun may buy you that moment of hesitation that you need. Heck, a blue or pink gun may do the same

bkb0000 · #4 12-26-08, 06:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iraq Ninja

Heck, a blue or pink gun may do the same

my wife's AR is red. you seen the duracoat colors? i'd sport a lime green 1911.

Saginaw79 · #5 12-26-08, 07:58

Its too dark even for night and is used for shock value, plus through NODs it tends to stand out.

Black rifles also get very hot in sunlight, especially in the desert etc;, hell even here in Florida on a summers day they can get so hot they are hard to handle just from sunlight

But its your rifle, you wanna black one, do it. I just prefer FDE

Misc Ex-Member · #6 12-26-08, 08:03

Black is very high contrast, even at night.

Black gets hot and holds the heat longer than a lighter color.

Black requires more effort to paint over than a lighter color.

Submariner · #7 12-26-08, 08:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Katar

Black is very high contrast, even at night.

Black gets hot and holds the heat longer than a lighter color.

Black requires more effort to paint over than a lighter color.

Making black a target indicator for most observation devices, including the Mk. 1 Mod. 0 eyeball.

markm · #8 12-26-08, 08:46

Black and OD are horrible desert camo... especially at night.

That said... my guns are black, and my gear is OD.

Littlelebowski · #9 12-26-08, 08:48

Who cares? It's a weapon. Try doing a few fire team rushes and tell me what color your weapon is afterwards (hint: the color of the dirt beneath you). People over think this stuff way, way too much. Every unit I was in while serving as an active duty Marine grunt had the "gear queers." I'd trade 2 gear queers for one guy that can PT, go without sleep, and knows his tactics. It's not the gear, it's you.

markm · #10 12-26-08, 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

It's not the gear, it's you.

That's heavy, man!

Robb Jensen · #11 12-26-08, 09:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by markm

Black and OD are horrible desert camo... especially at night.

That said... my guns are black, and my gear is OD.

Old School Cool!

Littlelebowski · #12 12-26-08, 09:12

I don't argue the benefit of the different colors available for our weapons and gear but I think there is too much obsessing over trivial things like these and not enough on PT. I know a lot of people with nice, expensive packs they could not possibly load their SHTF loadout into and hike 25 miles with.

Misc Ex-Member · #13 12-26-08, 09:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

I don't argue the benefit of the different colors available for our weapons and gear but I think there is too much obsessing over trivial things like these and not enough on PT. I know a lot of people with nice, expensive packs they could not possibly load their SHTF loadout into and hike 25 miles with.

While I would tend to agree with you, that does not change the fact that new weapons submissions are pretty much all coming out standard in FDE.

markm · #14 12-26-08, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

I don't argue the benefit of the different colors available for our weapons and gear but I think there is too much obsessing over trivial things like these and not enough on PT. I know a lot of people with nice, expensive packs they could not possibly load their SHTF loadout into and hike 25 miles with.

I totally agree. That was the one thing that disgusted me about the other site... and the first AZ gathering/shoot!

I was stunned at all the fat goofballs that showed up. I don't go to those things anymore.

That said... obsessing on gear and toys is what we do in between actual shooting. Otherwise we wouldn't have much to post about on the forum.

RAM Engineer · #15 12-26-08, 09:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

Who cares? It's a weapon. Try doing a few fire team rushes and tell me what color your weapon is afterwards (hint: the color of the dirt beneath you). People over think this stuff way, way too much. Every unit I was in while serving as an active duty Marine grunt had the "gear queers." I'd trade 2 gear queers for one guy that can PT, go without sleep, and knows his tactics. It's not the gear, it's you.

Yeah, but this isn't PT.net, insomnia.net, or tactics.net...it's m4carbine.net!

Littlelebowski · #16 12-26-08, 09:24

I know, RAM Engineer. Time for me to get off the soapbox.

Robb Jensen · #17 12-26-08, 09:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

I don't argue the benefit of the different colors available for our weapons and gear but I think there is too much obsessing over trivial things like these and not enough on PT. I know a lot of people with nice, expensive packs they could not possibly load their SHTF loadout into and hike 25 miles with.

Black is 'slimming', it makes your butt not appear big!

RogerinTPA · #18 12-26-08, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

I don't argue the benefit of the different colors available for our weapons and gear but I think there is too much obsessing over trivial things like these and not enough on PT. I know a lot of people with nice, expensive packs they could not possibly load their SHTF loadout into and hike 25 miles with.

Out of the ball park on that one. I have 2 FDE and 1 FG, but at the end of the day, who really cares? Dare to be different. If you like black, I say go for it.

Iraq Ninja · #19 12-26-08, 09:32

PT is the not so obvious factor that many forget, along with the mindset to put the metal on the target when needed.

My gear choices are dictated by my situation. Over here, black is often associated with Security Contractors, by both the good guys and the bad guys. I don't want to be seen as one. Too much bad press these days. I want to look like the military if anything. Thus, coyote tan is the choice for me, along with a krylon painted rifle.

Gutshot John · #20 12-26-08, 09:33

Like the dude said "sometimes you get the bar..." I agree with everything lB said.

1. There is an oft-stated belief that there is no "black" in nature. While technically true, what the human eye sees as black is an entirely different thing. Having hunted in the dense eastern woodlands, black is a commonly "seen" color.

2. The purpose of Camo is not to blend colors into the background, but rather break up the shape to look like anything other than what it is. A solid black rifle, silhouettes exactly as a solid black rifle. Throw in some bits of surrounding color, and at a distance, the black doesn't give the same silhouette.

3. Still FDE is a decidedly better base-color pick.

All that said having a black rifle isn't exactly like painting a bull's eye on your forehead if you've done everything else you can to prepare...like PT.