Consumerism and the AR15 - Are we here to shoot or to buy?

[Vegas]

My core AR's haven't changed much in the last three years since I settled on what I like. My two most used guns have *shock* keymod rails, not new hotness rails. My oldest upper has a C4 which is going nowhere.

As far as the FF vs plastic handguards debate, I prefer a longer reach for comfort and recoil control.

One thing that happened in the last couple of years for me was a consolidation of handguns. Those I sold off were used to upgrade my reloading and other gear.

[ozarkpugs]

This may have been covered if so sorry but how many bolt action / lever action / pump action guns are y'all hoarding from your pre modern rifle days ? You know in case they outlaw ARs / MSR type evil guns we will have something to fight with to get our rights back . I would imagine most middle aged AR owners have more non ARs than ARs .I would also think you can look in someone's gun cabinet and guess their age group. Rifles have evolved , the guns people shot 150 years ago are just relic's and antiques now . To me the AR is a modern sporting rifle and nothing else . Would I prefer it to non AR 15/ MSR platforms if I had to go to battle ? Yes . Would I refuse to go to battle if I had to use another older type platform? No. My older hunting rifles would suffice and the left knows it . The best thing about the AR platform is it has gotten non hunting people into the shooting sports . That is great for hunters , target shooters or weekend contractors alike . I definitely don't shoot my MSR / defense / SHTF guns enough but I hardly ever shoot the old timers guns at all any more .

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[Hmac]

I’ve gotten rid of four in the last year. There was not a stellar return. I maybe lost a couple bennies between the four, however.

Still not sure I would realize an actual advantage to a KAC.

I've never understood the hushed reverence with which M4C speaks of of Knight's Armament. I'm sure it's a good rifle, but I agree with Mark M...I already have 4 good rifles and can't even see the need for that fleet of firearms, let alone adding yet another of questionable supriority that does exactly the same thing. Bragging rights don't interest me as much as functionality and reliability.

[26 Inf]

Uh huh.....Silver Anniversary next February.

I wasn't talking about you. (ETA: after reading the posts I see how it seemed that way.)

If I was addressing you I would have said something clever about folks who haven't done their part by having kids bitching about the changing demographics of America.

[khc3]

OPs problem isn't guns, owning too many or too few of them.

It's more a life problem.

I dunno, I think someone once said an unexamined life ain’t worth living.

But Euro is looking at it from his perspective. People with other circumstances might see it a little differently. Like some have said, time is more valuable than money, and the half-day spent shooting rifles for me often feels like more of a selfish expenditure than going online and buying some gun parts. I deal with that by incorporating it with time with my son, shooting our .22 precision bolt guns, but between work, family, & civic responsibilities, I feel guilty sometimes taking that half-day out of the weekend to go to the rifle range. I force myself to do it, to have some “me time,” and I’m lucky to have an indoor range about 2 mins from my house. I can get some quality pistol practice in in an hour, usually at least once a week.

I like Euro’s posts; I disagree with his conclusions sometimes, but I don’t doubt his sincerity.

[RobertTheTexan]

I dunno, I think someone once said an unexamined life ain’t worth living.

But Euro is looking at it from his perspective. People with other circumstances might see it a little differently. Like some have said, time is more valuable than money, and the half-day spent shooting rifles for me often feels like more of a selfish expenditure than going online and buying some gun parts. I deal with that by incorporating it with time with my son, shooting our .22 precision bolt guns, but between work, family, & civic responsibilities, I feel guilty sometimes taking that half-day out of the weekend to go to the rifle range. I force myself to do it, to have some “me time,” and I’m lucky to have an indoor range about 2 mins from my house. I can get some quality pistol practice in in an hour, usually at least once a week.

I like Euro’s posts; I disagree with his conclusions sometimes, but I don’t doubt his sincerity.

I get your point from the “time” perspective, however where my viewpoint differs is that I don’t only shoot for “me” time. I consider it a civic responsibility to be proficient I the use of my firearms. Am I having “me” time while doing that? Usually, unless it’s 16 degrees and sleeting or 107 degrees in the summer. Then I would admit it’s not as much fun, and at that point I feel I’m more fulfilling my civic duty.

Then again as the saying goes, “A bad day at the range is better than a good day at work. (Or playing tennis or watching golf )
I too have an indoor range within 10 minutes of where I live and sometimes I’ll go there during lunch or take a late lunch, where I’m often the only one there. Especially when I’m working from home. However 99% of my range time is conducted in the back 40 of a cow pasture - just to say that range time isn’t usually bench shooting my firearms, but I have the freedom to do more focused training.


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[Eurodriver]

I like Euro’s posts; I disagree with his conclusions sometimes, but I don’t doubt his sincerity.

Thanks man. That means a lot.

[ABNAK]

I wasn't talking about you. (ETA: after reading the posts I see how it seemed that way.)

If I was addressing you I would have said something clever about folks who haven't done their part by having kids bitching about the changing demographics of America.

Yeah yeah.....

[Travelingchild]

Easter sale, notifications "Sale , Sale , Sale"

Purchased? NOTHING...

Heading to the Range noonish...

[Pi3]

Are we here to shoot or to buy? Yes. Both. Euro struck a nerve it appears.
The two American guilty pleasures are sports & shopping. This hobby is a perfect storm of both.
Shopping has become entertainment.