What qualifies as a range commando???

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Am I a range commando?
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Someone seeing me roll up at the range dressed like this could very well think I am a mall ninja/range commando and I wouldn't blame them. Without context anyone at the range with tactical gear could be a RC.

In the end, if you are honest about your intentions and who you are, not pretending to be something you are not, I would find it hard to label you a range commando or a mall ninja.

I like the hat!
 
As long as people are having fun and not putting bullets in my direction, who cares? They can wear bunny suit for all I care........I go to the range to shoot MY GUNS, not to investigate what other people are wearing and shooting, or what they think of what I am wearing.

I will give you my sks to shoot at any range in the lower main land in a bunny suit......

Heck, lets make it into a CGN fund raiser.......

We can all wear bunny suits, I think I'm gonna go pink.....:D
 
Personally I'd say it has more to do with attitude than anything else.

...Read into that what you will.

I agree.

Being ex-military, I like to get "doll'd up" with my MOLLE plate carrier, thigh rig, kevlar helmet, etc. I think if TSHTF hardcore, it'll be important to have a tactical rig setup and to be comfortable enough with it that you can use it as intended.

I think the "range commandos" are the ones who strut around acting like they're God's gift to the world of tactical shooting and that their way is the only way.

When I taught new recruits in the field when it came to personal kit and FFO, my philosophy was to show them things that worked for me and not force them to do something that didn't work for them. If they found something that worked better than what I showed them, I adopted it myself.

You become inflexible if you start believing you do something "just because." I think it shows a lot of personal insecurity for guys who think this way, and honestly now that I'm out of the Forces, I think there are too many incompetent leaders with that mindset.

It's nice being a civvy now, because when I run into guys like that, I just take what they have to say with a grain of salt.
 
Gear should be tailored towards the mission, if you are fighting your kit there is a problem.

On one end of the spectrum we have the guy who has so much s**t on his vest that he looks like the Michelin man, and has his AR decked out with cheap airsoft rails, fakepoint, a 20 dollar sealcommando brand flashlight and a crummy nylon holster strapped around his knee, on the other end of the spectrum we have the guy who throws mags in his pockets and never does any practical shooting besides static shooting at the benchrest.

If I am doing drills with my AR I will wear my fragvest, plates, camelback, my own chestrig, sometimes my helmet.

Alot of issued load bearing kit, ie the issued "tactical vest" is fine for running around with no armor on with five mags of blanks and sockies and chocky bars stuffed in the pockets, but once you throw on a fragvest with plates and a realistic load out its useless (hey much like the smallpack and new ruck). Its a pos that is too bulky for what it carries. Ya im bitter :D Ive been much happier wearing my Hellcat mk3 (which carries much more ammo then the issued vest without the bulk) and RAID pack.

On an AR all you realistically need is: a vickers sling, surefire, BUIS, optic, rail system, vertical grip and an IR Laser;). You should not be running with irons only as they are slower and difficult to shoot with on the move and don't allow you to discriminate targets at a distance.

If I am just doing a fun shoot ie plinking away with my Ruger 1022 or ruger mk2, or enjoying my milsurps I don't wear any kit at all.

For hunting im not battling hordes of killer rabbits and rabid deer so simply dropping mags in my smock/parka is sufficient.

If I were a civilian shooter training for zombies/home defense or just looking for something practical to shoot with I would probably wear a manbag or a simple molle belt with a few mag pouches, med kit, dump bag, and a holster. But that's just me, if you are comfortable and efficient with a chest rig/vest then go right ahead.
 
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Read this and you will understand what a mall ninja is.

h ttp://lonelymachines.org/mall-ninjas/

LOL!!!!!
Damn you :p I had to read the whole thing! My wife was watching TV and kept asking what I was laughing at... till finally she came over and read some and started laughing too.

From now on, whenever I hear/read "Mall Ninja", that guy will come to mind.
 
Why all the negative and judgemental comments on how people look and dress? I do not judge if you look like a fudd trailer trash, or judge if you look like a cowboy wannabe.

Mind your own business and focus on your own shooting, I can care less to worry about how you look and dress.

The people who are checking me out need focus more on the target they are aiming at.
 
Why all the negative and judgemental comments on how people look and dress? I do not judge if you look like a fudd trailer trash, or judge if you look like a cowboy wannabe.

Mind your own business and focus on your own shooting, I can care less to worry about how you look and dress.

The people who are checking me out need focus more on the target they are aiming at.

Wow, I have to agree with you. Some of these comments sound more like jelous women judging each other solely on the way one looks. Do not make this a snobby elitist sport. Using your imagination or have a limited budget should not be looked down upon, in the end we all just shoot firearms for our own reasons.

My advise is to enjoy yourself anyway you want. As for the negetive people stop being so vain.
 
I think there is a fine distinction between mall ninja and range commando. Mall ninja's may not actually own or shoot guns for real, let alone even having been to a live fire range. Range commandos, well..at least they have rounds downrange, and understand the lethality and all seriousness and responsibility that comes with shooting guns. So...if range commandos have every MOLLE realestate covered up, and their rail has attached to it, flashlight, visible IR, RDS, 3x magnifiier, BUIS, 3 pt sling, rail covers, the latest in polycarbonate craze, tac holsters, leg pouches, dump pouches, helmets, whatever...as long as they are responsible down range, then... I don't give a hoot. Someimtes I am that guy, sometimes I'm not. Either way, I don't judge those who choose to be... Unless you are super skinny, and have no muscles and pasty white, and should bulk up a little, OR, you are friggin obese to the point, that going down to the hundred yard line to check your targets makes you breathe funny. if you are going to play or be the part of the 'commando' at least have the body type of one.
 
Wow, I have to agree with you. Some of these comments sound more like jelous women judging each other solely on the way one looks. Do not make this a snobby elitist sport. Using your imagination or have a limited budget should not be looked down upon, in the end we all just shoot firearms for our own reasons.

My advise is to enjoy yourself anyway you want. As for the negetive people stop being so vain.


DOn't you know, us tactical types are the most vain and picky bunch out of the shooting world. have you ever tried to match coyote brown with desert tan with FDE !?!?!?!?!?! Good God MAN!!!!!!!
 
I think there is a fine distinction between mall ninja and range commando. Mall ninja's may not actually own or shoot guns for real, let alone even having been to a live fire range. Range commandos, well..at least they have rounds downrange, and understand the lethality and all seriousness and responsibility that comes with shooting guns. So...if range commandos have every MOLLE realestate covered up, and their rail has attached to it, flashlight, visible IR, RDS, 3x magnifiier, BUIS, 3 pt sling, rail covers, the latest in polycarbonate craze, tac holsters, leg pouches, dump pouches, helmets, whatever...as long as they are responsible down range, then... I don't give a hoot. Someimtes I am that guy, sometimes I'm not. Either way, I don't judge those who choose to be... Unless you are super skinny, and have no muscles and pasty white, and should bulk up a little, OR, you are friggin obese to the point, that going down to the hundred yard line to check your targets makes you breathe funny. if you are going to play or be the part of the 'commando' at least have the body type of one.

Some commandos are super skinny and some are chunky.
 
I agree.

Being ex-military, I like to get "doll'd up" with my MOLLE plate carrier, thigh rig, kevlar helmet, etc. I think if TSHTF hardcore, it'll be important to have a tactical rig setup and to be comfortable enough with it that you can use it as intended.

I think the "range commandos" are the ones who strut around acting like they're God's gift to the world of tactical shooting and that their way is the only way.

When I taught new recruits in the field when it came to personal kit and FFO, my philosophy was to show them things that worked for me and not force them to do something that didn't work for them. If they found something that worked better than what I showed them, I adopted it myself.

You become inflexible if you start believing you do something "just because." I think it shows a lot of personal insecurity for guys who think this way, and honestly now that I'm out of the Forces, I think there are too many incompetent leaders with that mindset.

It's nice being a civvy now, because when I run into guys like that, I just take what they have to say with a grain of salt.

Servicemen have earned that right and should almost never be criticized considering their experience.

Personally I could care less, as said previously...it's the mentality that kind of sets the tone.
 
We spent way too much time to justify to ourselves and other people what we wear and how we spend money.

Why do you wear running shoes to go to Tim Horton's.....are you a marathon runner? Do you even run? Do you run back in high school??? Walking around doesn't count....poser!!!

You don't need to be a MIL/LE, or ex-MIL/LE to justify wearing your favourite web gear to the range. As long as you don't wear cadpat with a maple leaf on the shoulder, all is fair game.
 
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We spent way too much time to justify to ourselves and other people what we wear and how we spend money.

Why do you wear running shoes to go to Tim Horton's.....are you a marathon runner? Do you even run? Do you run back in high school??? Walking around doesn't count....poser!!!

You don't need to be a MIL/LE, or ex-MIL/LE to justify wearing your favourite web gear to the range. As long as you don't wear cadpat with a maple leaf on the shoulder, all is fair game.

LMAO!!! @

".....are you a marathon runner? Do you even run? Do you run back in high school??? Walking around doesn't count....poser!!!".

Too true. If you are someone who wears the gear for work and you see someone who is out there with a messed up Molle configuration, or accessories that are counter productive to their shooting, maybe give them a few tips on what they're doing wrong. It is OK to laugh your ass off on the way back to the truck though.

Too many people are worried about the next man these days. Some are worse than women when criticizing another man's choice of dress. Not meant to be ###ist, just saying. :ban:
 
Is that you in this video by any chance? No offense but I would be embarrased to show up dressed like that - I didn't know they made tactical track suits. Is this combat training for the purpose of having the enemy die of laughter :D

[youtube]ZTG5pdOOZRo[/youtube]

[youtube]1IPSq2ACYP0[/youtube]


Ummmm.....I don't think so..........I don't post videos of myself on the internet, although I'm sure I wouldn't measure up to a skilled operator like you.
 
Whatever you wear (cargos, MOLLE, that little red strapless number, Multicam, etc.) is your concern, or whomever dressed you, and not mine.

The only thing that bothers me is when somebody tries to pass themself off as an 'operator' of some sort.
Even then, believe what you need to, just don't do anything to compromise my safety.
 
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