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Posted: 5/17/2005 12:44:52 PM EDT
[#1]
I'm also curious on the definition.... Simple carbine setup with backup inline sights, a FF tube with foregrip, and an optic..... Is that bling? Or does the price matter? Or the make? Or is "bling" shiny? |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 1:21:03 PM EDT
[#2]
A decked out AR without a trained shooter behind it is just a fucking poser.
A simple AR without a trained shooter behind it is a broke poser. A simple AR or one that is decked out, WITH a trained shooter is a good thing. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 1:44:37 PM EDT
[#3]
Again, to each his own, whether you are:
1. A professional who uses his/her ARs every day 2. An ex Soldier/cop/security contractor who now has ARs in his/her collection because he/she knows them like nothing else, and still enjoys them. 3. A new AR owner who has his/hers decked out/plain jane for fun and never shoots them, but still enjoys having them. 4. A new AR owner who has his/hers decked out/plain jane for fun, shoots them/trains with them and enjoys having them. 5. A long time AR owner/collector/builder who has tried it all and shoots/trains with it. 6. An avid collector who maintains all his/her ARs as safe queens, and enjoys collecting/investing in them but doesn't shoot them. 7. An AR vendor/manufacturer/designer who also enjoys shooting his/her ARs and/or training with them. I am #2, but I don't think my reason for having them is any more important than anyone elses, except perhaps #1s. And of course the potential is always there for anyone to use their ARs for self defense, if need be. I was just commenting on the current trends, not trying to imply that these trends are better or worse. As for the definition of "bling" well that is different for everyone. For example, I am of the opinion that any laser on a rifle is "Bling" unless you are either lasing a target for an airstrike or plan to spar with Darth Vader. (No SCTexas jokes, please  )But that's just me. Different for everyone. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 3:09:41 PM EDT
[#4]
That type R carbine is sweet!!!
 For me its about function over form. Right now my Bushy M4 looks like a regualar M4. Sticking w/ fat handguards and the stock M4 stock. Only mods I have done are swapping car handguards to M4's, a Hogue grip and in a couple of days I'll replace the A2 FH with a phantom 5C2. No doodads for me. Only thing I might do later on is a red dot or fixed power scope. No rails, lasers, flashlights, light sabers or type R stickers
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Posted: 5/17/2005 3:48:03 PM EDT
[#5]
If you do both, you are a rarity around here. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 3:54:34 PM EDT
[#6]
I think some just buy the bling, i started to get hooked into it but than I reeled myself back and bought a new stock, new pistol grip. I figure I need to play with the open sights and buy ammo to train with instead of worrying about getting an acog or something else.
I fall into number 1 but I still need to train. They day you stop training is the day you start dying. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 3:55:31 PM EDT
[#7]
Also keep in mind that a lot of this so-called "Bling" is new to the market and so people are buying things that didn't exist before. Whether they have a real use will be seen over time in which ones survive the "post ban era" market.
My "go to" gun would probably qualify as bling to some, but I don't see anything there that does not have a practical use, and it's all scratched to hell anyway so it's certainly not about looks. A light is a must have, you can go less or more money, but it's a necessity. Red dot optics to me are becoming a necessity given the speed advantage they give. if you agree with that then you have to agree that a BUIS is a necessity in case of optic failure. The latest sling technology has come a very long way in the last few months and I'd also consider that a necessity. So, maybe the answer to your poll is in typical Arfcom fashion "BOTH" 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:06:00 PM EDT
[#8]
Yes, too concerned with looks.
Just like the "Stag" logo (Here we go again) Maybe some people don't like the logo, it is not one of my favorites, but it really is not about looks. Everything has to be "cool", "tactical", "USGI Issue", etc. It reminds me of the people that buy a BMW not because they love the way it handles, the power, or they think it is a great car. Or like "Snap On" tools. It's not that it's that much better than a Craftsman, they buy it because it is a status symbol. Personally, I say if you want it, go for it. But if you are just trying to impress someone else...... forget it and buy more ammo!!! Now, all the Beemer, Snap on, and Stag guys can flame me (I just bought a Stag lower BTW, excellent stuff!!!) |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:09:20 PM EDT
[#9]
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:16:54 PM EDT
[#10]
So for that to be true, wouldn't this statement also be true? The less optics or gear you have makes you have more ability than many people? I'm just trying to figure this logic out. So what does my AR setups say about how well I can them ?   
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:18:50 PM EDT
[#11]
I prefer reliability,skill with the rifle and functionality tops over looks.I like them simple the less crap the better.
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:36:44 PM EDT
[#12]
I was going to say that if you posted this poll twenty years ago you would get the same result. TJ beat me to it 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:38:20 PM EDT
[#13]
This is as far as I go.
 EOTech is as BLINGY as I get right now. One of my next builds is going to be a 20" A2 w/ Gov't profile barrel........I like simplicity. WIZZO |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 4:39:30 PM EDT
[#14]
I think it's the same as any other hobby, like people who trick out their cars. And yes this is a hobby for 99% of the members here, even though you all rationalize the money you spend by saying it's vital life or death equipment needed for when red China invades or whatever.
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:20:27 PM EDT
[#16]
F' Bling, I want somethiong that serves a purpose, not bright colors or bells and whistles.
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:28:12 PM EDT
[#17]
I've been waiting for this topic to come up!!!!!
When it comes to firearms, I am a "minimalist". less "stuff"=less to break/go wrong. All my AR's have iron sights except for one 20" with a Colt 3x up top. What kind of shooting do I do?....mostly 50-100 yards, at a range, in daylight. I dont need lasers, holosights, forward grips, etc......."KISS" is the creedo I like!!! My best friend, who is also an AR-nut, leans towards the other end of the spectrum.....C-mags, rail systems, lasers, etc...etc..... I jokingly tell him he should just coat his AR in glue and roll it around in Raven .25 autos!!!!. Need a flashlight, laser, 100 round mag,forward grip for "self defense/home protection"?........just use the money you'd spend on all that and buy 3ea 18" , pistol gripped Mossburg 12 gauges.....has anyone with all that stuff ever been in a middle of the night , close range shoot-out in a hallway with an AR-15?????...I'll take the 00-buck! If I want a 1000 yard gun, It sure wouldn't be an AR........ Bottom line............to each their own.....guys buying C-mags cant understand me paying 200.00 for Armalite waffle mags.....guys spending 300.00 on rail systems and wild looking collapsable butts would never consider paying the same amount for a set of Green Colt Model 601 furniture.......... I must add, that I have seen some pretty bad-ass looking setups....everyone has the right to build what they want/how they want it! 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:33:02 PM EDT
[#18]
All right, this is the second pic I have seen with your rifles draped over a deer statue. The other one had a lake in the background, but the deer statue looked identical. What the hell is that place, Deer Statue nat'l park or something?
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:53:28 PM EDT
[#19]
Damn deer around here are tired of being scared, I tell ya. They're organizing. Patrolling. God help the deer hunters................... Look at the EVIL look in his eyes  WIZZO BTW, same deer, different angle
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:55:12 PM EDT
[#20]
KISS
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Posted: 5/17/2005 5:55:24 PM EDT
[#21]
Damn right! I shoot quicker and better with my aimpoint than I do looking at a fuzzy front sight post. The Verticle Grip gives me a quicker return to target after recoil and it's just steadier for me. The Magpul stock is rock solid and more portable than an A2 stock. It all adds up to a better shooting experience. But most important, it cools cool. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:00:19 PM EDT
[#22]
Old AR owner; new to forum.
I have a sling on my rifle. A sling is good for carrying, and increased accuracy. The big difference is between sling and no sling, not between plain-Jane old-style mil sling and brand-new 3-point tactical sling. That is a minor difference, although it can be a worthwhile difference in the right situations. I don't have those situations. Sometimes I think about a red-dot sight, but then I think about what I know about batteries, Murphy, and the best-laid plans of mice and men. So I keep practicing with my iron sights, and keep getting better. And I still think about red-dots from time to time. But then I spend my money on ammo, training and practice, so no red-dot. I like the 20" barrel. I find the increase in velocity preferable to any supposed increase in mobility. When I got serious about shooting, I trained to do home-defense with a big old shotgun. My AR is more maneuverable than that. I don't feel handicapped. It's the man, not the machine. I like looking at the tricked-out jobbies that the guys post pix of. Sometimes I like to laugh at 'em, but mostly I like that guys are having fun with firearms. The more people having fun with firearms, the better for all of us. But I do laugh at a lot of them. I voted "yes." |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:01:45 PM EDT
[#23]
I couldn't agree with you more. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:05:48 PM EDT
[#24]
Yea! You tell em! 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:18:30 PM EDT
[#25]
I voted "NO" because I'm a fairly new AR owner. And I usually don't go for Bling and Color, I like basic black myself. Picked up my AR towards the last of the year. I traded some surplus GI Issue items (Flack Vest, Gloves, Gortex Jacket, other stuff) and a Used Range Finder that I bought for $150. Got an Olympic Arms AR. I'm happy the way it is. The only thing I may get for it is more 20rd magazines. It's not going to be my first AR though...next will be a Bushmaster DCM.
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:22:31 PM EDT
[#26]
Who cares?
I use mine. When it's all f'd up looking, i'll spray it with duracoat. It's a hammer/pick/shovel. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:41:40 PM EDT
[#27]
I just like to shoot. No bling for me.
 Edit: 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:44:11 PM EDT
[#28]
Villafuego, you're my hero. Does it have an IPOD and a bottle opener?
I hate gizmos, but that thing is so obscene it fills me with <3 you win the thread, hands down. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:47:47 PM EDT
[#29]
Caught myself wanting magpul XT rail covers because my KAC rail covers didnt look good anymore with my new stock....
 Stopped that before it started.... My AR15 started as a barebones AWB compliant A2 /w M4 barrel. Got good with A2 sites, then swapped for an A3 upper about 10 months later. Added the collapsable stock cus I could. My rifle was unusable for about a month. Wanted an Eotech, but got a good deal on an ACOG. Eventually I got a rail setup, because shooting with a vert grip was more comfortable. Got an extremely good deal on that too. Was gonna get a YHM, but scored a used KAC M4 RAS for a little over what it woulda cost for the YHM. People say my rifle has "bling," but it's a tool. I never used to think that when I oiled it up and cleaned it after every shooting or put it gently into it's case at night and was always careful when letting people hold it or shoot it. Got over that a few months ago when I got the RAS. The rifle felt good, it worked good. It looked used now with over 3k rounds through it. The original shine had worn off, and the only thing original on it was the lower reciever and parts kit. It's abused, but it'd run to hell and back if needed. Hell with "bling," mine has character. |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:50:52 PM EDT
[#30]
jeez.. Can we all just get along? I like the glue and raven 25 joke. I voted yes. I was that guy with all the side mounted gizmos, and then I realized it was alot like the glow in the dark jesus stickers you see at the christian stores. There is a basic need for a good rile / There is a basic need for a good belief system. Then you get it and rather than gain knowledge and skill you burry it in junk and superstition. Yes there may be a day I need my acog. But the flashlight, the laser, the phantom FS, the duracote, and the two extra rounds in my pistolgrip trapdoor will never see action.
I would rather have a good rifle, That I know how to move and reload in a given situation, than all the gizmos that distract fom its basic purpose. It is a rifle, it has a limited range, and alone you are not an army, only a target. So if you spend all your time stroking your ego, and wondering where you can get the latest and greatest acccessory for the SHTF situation that reads like a jedi saga, then that is where I part ways. But if you are like me and you wonder what is it all about, then here it is: Get a rifle that you have fun with, and shoot. Care for them like they are tools, and own them as a weapon. Would you knife fight with a swiss army knife? Only if you were a child.... 
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Posted: 5/17/2005 6:53:29 PM EDT
[#31]
I didn't vote yet but I can say that ALL types of gun owners are geting picky about receiver finish. You should see the M14 threads going about LRB, Springfield, Name your Favorate Recever, finish complaints.
As far as AR types, both of mine are M1S kits on Stag receivers. Other than keeping them wiped down with Strike Hold CLP I don't worry about the finish. http://www.ramairfreight.com/jon/M4/AR As far as Bling goes, I save that for my M14 types! http://home.nc.rr.com/johnnyreb/Images/Group1000.JPG |
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Posted: 5/17/2005 8:22:44 PM EDT
[#32]
WOW that's some nice wood on those M14 types! |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 3:35:41 AM EDT
[#33]
I swear it's not mine!!!!!! It was posted on here a while back......I saved that pic in "anticipation" of this thread!!!! |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 3:51:33 AM EDT
[#34]
I don't know thebeekeeper1, I think maybe that the sling is too make up for lack of arm strength with some logic used here.
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Posted: 5/18/2005 4:05:05 AM EDT
[#35]
I think that alot of the "bling" stuff, actually started out having a purpose, and may still have a good purpose in many cases.
Often, I just don't think that it all needs to be mounted on the rifle at all times. For example, a weaponlight can be very nice in certain situations, but it doesn't need to be on the gun when you are doing daylight duty. That's what QD mounts are for. If the minimal items are attached on the gun, for the task at hand, then it doesn't make the rifle too heavy, and can add very useful functions to the gun. I think that some/many/all of the photos we see are the guns "all dressed up with everything" but that doesn't necessarily mean that these guns are fully decked-out like this at all times, but maybe just for the photo to show what accessories he's got. I have 3 different optics, but I only have one mounted at any given time. Etc. Having alot of gear options is not necessarily a bad thing, and doesn't mean anything about the training level of the operator, except that if he has any skill at all with all the options, he has a fair amount of training in. My feeling is that the gun should be configured to give the best function possible for the given mission requirements, and be reconfigured when the mission requirements change. No added "bling" that is not needed for the task. But keeping simple, just for simple's sake, when some things like optics and lights and stuff can be useful and even necessary sometimes, is like giving yourself a handicap when you don't have to. Keep the gear that you need for various situations, and mount only what you need for what you are doing. That keeps the gun as simple and lightweight as possible for any given situation, and provides the technology advantage you might want for the situation. I think that is a sensible approach. |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 4:16:16 AM EDT
[#36]
Yeah and handguards are to make up for the lack of being able to hold onto a hot barrel...  |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 5:35:17 AM EDT
[#37]
I started out with a A2 carbine & went to flat top with all the bling blings.
Now days Im into A1 rifles and carbines, Back to Kiss. I use Colt bolt & carrier and a H buffer in my carbines,rifle & carbines are chrome lined. Colt M4 handguards.   TG |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 6:01:38 AM EDT
[#38]
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:01:34 AM EDT
[#39]
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:28:46 AM EDT
[#40]
Bling bling! Johnny_reb I hate you
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:35:40 AM EDT
[#41]
I think all the old timers are P/Oed because the technology has finally arrived so that it is economical to manuacture and sell to the public quality accessories. Ya, you could shoot paper 50-100 with iron sights consistantly. But it IS much easier with an Aimpoint or similar. This is why the military uses them. You want to tape mags together or have a Redimag? If tunnel rats in Viet Nam could have had a Surefire forend, I think they would have like one.
I don't think there is such thing as too much, within reason. If it helps you shoot/perform better, use it. You need to train with your equipment for it to be functional. A long range scope mounted on a CQB rifle is not as functional a a rifle with hard sights. A CQB rifle with an EOTech is better than hard sights, IMHO. 
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:44:09 AM EDT
[#42]
If it's all blinged out and sits in the safe except for the occasional 100rds/year, then it is just bling. If it has bling ehancements and you train with/compete with/use the rifle, and it makes you a better shot then it would be hard to argue the bling factor.
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:53:50 AM EDT
[#43]
I don't consider an Aimpoint/Eotech/ACOG to be BLING at all. |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 7:59:33 AM EDT
[#44]
I guess I'm wierd I shoot irons MORE accurately than with my EoTech at all distances, but the Eotech is WAY faster. |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 8:26:13 AM EDT
[#45]
I like to see fancy ARs on POS stained carpets and walls. Cheap furniture, cheap apartments, cheap bedspreads. Before spending money on AR extras why not invest in your house/apartment a little? Would keep the wife happy and for some might actually get them date (with a female)! Seriously, I find myself looking at where the AR is photgraphed more than the AR.
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Posted: 5/18/2005 8:48:11 AM EDT
[#46]
I get really edgy when topics like this come up. Its just too easy to start talking about "need" and when you do that, you end up imposing your idea of what a "need" is on somebody else. That happens to be exactly what the anti-gunners do. Let's be serious, how many of us "need" any accessories on our ARs? How many of us "need" an AR period? Yes, there are some soldiers here and some cops, but the vast majority of us are just here as a hobby. We own them, accessorize them, shoot them, train with them, scratch them, baby them, paint them, sell them, buy them and trade them for fun, not out of "need."
I have my opinions of what is "needed" on an AR. So what? Sara Brady has her ideas as well. I may consider lasers as bling and something nobody needs on a rifle, but Sara probably considers my Surefire M500 to be on the same level. I'll just keep my mouth shut about what is needed on other people's rifles and consentrate on what works for me. |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 10:47:18 AM EDT
[#47]
I've been thinking about adding a Hogue grip to my 16' A2.......now I'm wondering if this will be too excessive........................Essex
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Posted: 5/18/2005 10:55:05 AM EDT
[#48]
It's YOUR rifle to be used by YOU as YOU see fit. Screw anyone else's opinion. Helpful advice and suggestions are one thing--and the heart of this board--but in the end it is YOUR rifle to do with as YOU see fit. ETA: I would say your 16' barrel is a bit excessive--but that's just my opinion. 
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Posted: 5/18/2005 11:21:45 AM EDT
[#49]
That pretty much sums it up... |
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Posted: 5/18/2005 11:37:40 AM EDT
[#50]
 Guys the point of this thread was not to judge anyone or criticize. It was to comment on and discuss current trends of AR ownership. Please refrain from insulting specific groups of AR owners or I will ask the mods to delete or lock this thread. Please lets keep this civil. Thanks |
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