How gucci is your gun?

  I get a good laugh every time I pickup a gun magazine or see certain peoples weapons. Specifically their M4 variants. I love seeing some base level AR with a cheap rail, light and laser combo, a grip with a bi-pod falling out of it's bottom and some scope with 20 sun shades stuck on the end. Really? What are you going to do with that thing? Duct tape it the top of some half track and invade Poland? Both make about the same amount of since. People throw so much junk on their guns they almost become crew served weapons, you need a whole fire team just to help haul the darn thing around.

  Every once in a while some gun writer will might mention this but for the most part their job is to sell product. The magazine is not paid for off the shelf of some store or by your subscription, it is the marketing that pays the wages and for the production. You can't turn a page without seeing two pages worth of adds. When it comes down to it and you ask any operator that has some common sense (not all do) be it law enforcement or military they will tell you less is more. If you don't use it take it off. METT-TC will determine what you want to have with you.  Basically, if you are not clearing dark rooms in buildings you probably don't need that two pound 500 lumen disco ball hanging on your gun. I am not saying don't have a flash light, just don't keep it on your gun.

  I come from the military point of view and have seen people in the military do some really stupid stuff. I saw one fellow while going through some training in Iraq constantly hold his mag well no matter what shooting position he was in. This is not a bad thing to do, use what works for you. The problem is when you have a fore grip on your gun like he did and he never used it. The instructors thought the same thing and several days into training he get chewed out because they repeatedly told him to use it or take it off.

  Optics. Those wonderful little buggers we can't get enough of. Too much is not a good thing on an AR when it comes to optics. Most engagements happen within 300 meters, more like 100 meters (in war that is). You don't need some 10X optic to shoot 100, 200, 300 or even 500 meters. With a properly sighted in Aimpoint I can consistently drop all the targets on a pop up range out to the 300 meter mark and farther. That is without any sort of magnification. Again I am not saying having something like a 4x ACOG wouldn't be useful, I really like them, but why stick a huge spotting scope on a gun that doesn't need it. Do I even need to go into the logic behind having a light on your gun for building clearing when you have a 10+ power scope on your gun? All I have to say is I wont be in that building with you.

  When we deploy everyone is issued several items for their weapon. I will not go to great detail but most has to do with night vision and infrared lasers. I personally never had a use for them. Night vision yes, but never mounted on my gun, it comes with a mount but is not meant to be used that way. The M68 is a both eyes open sight. You have your night vision on your left eye (or your non-dominant eye) and you look through your sight with your right eye. Both pictures come together and guess what, that little red dot is right on your target. You maintain the ability to look around without your weapon shoved in your face all the time and you can still fire accurately if the need arises.

  War and armed confrontations have changed a lot in the last 30 years so have our tactics. Our biggest worry in America right now is the active shooter scenario. These require fast response often with little or possibly no backup near by. You have to get to the shooter and stop the action. You and hopefully a small team will need to be highly maneuverable and fast. The last thing you want is cumbersome gear and extra junk to slow you down. Grab your rifle and get in the fight. I just hope it is equipped for the job at hand.

  The best illustration of the point I am trying to make came from some cartoonist for the military.
There are two soldiers in the drawing. One is holding his M4 with more gadgets than you ever knew existed on it. The other soldier sees him and says, "wow that is sweet, where do you work?" The one holding the gun replies "I work in supply"

I will look for this cartoon and add it to this post if I find it.