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To the Gear-Head, it is
everything.....to the warrior, it is
secondary!
A gear head are
those who seem to always be fiddling with gizmos, attachments, special
upgrades, or making custom modifications. They buy just about everything
for their guns that's black and endorsed by anyone who claims to be a SEAL,
Ranger, SWAT, Recon, Sniper, or internationally famous for running their
mouth. They like to show off their wares and claim you will shoot better,
fight better and survive better if you use what they
use.
They most often speak in exacting words
of complex meaning to describe the advantage of their latest acclaimed black
accessories with almost a love and affection most would relate to their
favorite retriever and bird dog. They subscribe to the theory, there is
not a gun ever made which could not be improved with aftermarket tactical
improvements, and they are out to prove
it.
They can also be identified by their
overwhelming faith in a specific brand of gun and will at every opportunity
degrade your choice of gun if you do not agree! Most of the gear heads I
run into are just lost in the cool factor of almost anything tactically
black!
I personally know some gear heads who
are excellent warriors. Why? Simple....they make their gear number
2 (as in secondary!). They are always aware someone, sometime, could in
fact design, manufacture and distribute something that actually does give the
warrior an advantage.
There is an abundance of
gear available which essentially does the same thing and provides the same end
results. We select our choice because they provide the best advantage for
us personally, for a variety of reasons. Then there are those gear items
which are just not of any value to any warrior. Why they are invented and
why they exist is a good question, but regardless there seems to be more gizmos
available than the common sense to use
them.
Seems to me any gear I use has to either
do something that can not be done without it, improve doing something as making
it faster or providing an economy of motion, or perhaps overcome a
drawback. A knife is one of those gear items I carry because without it I
can not cut. A heads up sight on my carbine is a good gizmo because it
offers a way for me to make more accurate hits. A 30 round magazine is
more desirable to me than a 20 round. And, a Clark custom mag well for a
1911 is an improvement over the original almost perfect Browning
design.
But how about some other
examples....let's say the "Plug"! I don’t claim to be the Glock God
by any stretch of the imagination. And, although some have surmised
differently, Glocks aren’t my favorite gun. However, I have many
thousands of rounds launched in Glocks, have carried Glocks both during
training and security operations and pretty much have tested these guns in some
very demanding field operational environments. With that said, I can tell
you from first hand experience….there is a very good reason the gaping
hole in the bottom of the grip just behind the magazine channel is best left
open. That reason precludes filling it up with a
“Plug”!!
If the magazine gets
stuck, and you are injured or for whatever reason you find yourself having
extraordinary difficulty withdrawing the magazine, the opening in the grip can
be used to allow a better grip with your thumb, or any finger, or even other
inventive means to withdraw the magazine, but not if the grip hole has been
plugged with a useless piece of tactical black plastic gizmo called the
“Plug”!!
How about the infamous
“Mag Pull”? Now here is an item I’m not sure why was ever
invented, I suppose like a lot of other add-ons available, to solve a problem
we never had!! Well, some had the problem, but the problem didn’t
need to be solved with another gizmo. The problem called for
training. Or the problem called for modifying the pouch for which the
magazines are carried.
What’s a Mag
Pull? The original product of the Magpul Company is a rubber magazine cap
for M-16 type metal magazines with a loop, which allows the operator to use
this loop to apply force to withdraw the magazine in stressful
situations. I think that is a fair description. Is it useful?
Does it do what is claimed? Can it be an advantage is some
situations? The answer is “yes” to all three questions.
But, does it provide that much advantage over learning how to manipulate the
magazine properly? I doubt it, and from my experience, has actually
presented more of a hindrance in manipulation than a
benefit.
Sometimes the decisions we make to
equip our gun with a gizmo makes perfect logical sense and is well accepted
within the community, yet the way we use it defies the logic for which we based
our decision. Many operators of AR-15 type guns select a Red Dot type
sight which offers them an advantage of faster target acquisition and more
accuracy……sounds good to me. I love the ability to be fast and
accurate. But, because these type heads-up display sights run on
batteries, which can go dead, and/or have electronics which can fail, a set of
good old fashion iron sights are also left on the
gun.
The operator uses any one of the many
sight mounts so the iron sights and red dot sight can be used in conjunction,
which is referred to as “co-witness”. You actually look through
the rear iron peep sight and can see the red dot which is perched on top of the
front iron post sight. The red dot provides the quick reference to use
for sighting most of the time and if the red dot goes out, the operator is left
looking through the iron rear sight and already is lined up with the iron post
front sight. Great idea, a back-up sight that’s instantly available
if the primary sight batteries fail or circuitry
falters.
This to me seems to be worth the
extra weight of two sights, adding very little more bulk and lessens the
complexity of switching from one sight to the other, and is instantly
available, as they are constantly used in
conjunction.
But wait! Here is the
stumble. Many operators use fold-down iron sights, and some of them
actually fold down the iron sights when they are using the red dot!! In
fact, most people I see using this co-witness sight arrangement, seldom ever,
after the initial sight-in zeroing, use the iron sights as they are always
folded down.
Is it possible the red dot sight
would go out during combat and the operator would actually notice it and have
time to manually flip-up the rear and front fold-down iron sights and get back
into battle? Of course, there is always that possibility and in that
situation we could say we were very lucky and the iron sights were
useful. But using them in this fashion is only half of the logic for
making a decision to co-witness iron and electronic sights. We should
train to use them both and be glad we did when the little red light goes out,
or we forgot to turn it on….oops……and we need a shot right now,
not seconds later!!
Many of the gear
accessories include a trade off. A folding bipod on your favorite carbine
may provide a means to get into position fast and make more accurate shots
utilizing the steady support of a bipod rest. But is it worth the
extra weight and bulk? Can we train to shoot accurately without the bipod
using our sling and body as additional steady support? Is the KISS (Keep It
Simple Stupid) system best for your fighting style or are you prepared to risk
falling victim to Hick’s Law by equipping your gear with too many
choices?
Hick’s Law basically
states that the more choices a person has to effect a situation, the longer it
will take them to make a choice. This rule obviously doesn’t apply
to all gizmos or gear-head items, but it should always be considered when
selecting what we carry and how we use what we
carry.
Sometimes it is not the gear, as much
as the features and function, the bells and whistles that get the blood flowing
in a gear-head. How about all those slings available for your
carbine? There are 1 point, 2 point, 3 point and other multi-point
slings, all claiming to be super tactical and all available in black to prove
it. Some are great for competition, some are great for SWAT officers
going through the door, some are great for impressing those who have never been
in battle and have no concept of what to
use.
Some are the all-in-one answer to
everything, they have a slide adjuster, they have quick detach, they have
adjustments for standing, kneeling and prone positions. Did I mention
they come in black? They have all the positions for shooting covered, but
lack the one position warriors use the most…..work carry! That is
they are good for a shooting position, but are hazardous to put into and out of
work carry position…..which is pretty much a non-shooting position.
That’s right, warriors spend most of their time working, not
shooting. So if your focus is shooting, you have an excellent sling to
use while at the range, but this isn’t what a warrior needs to fight with,
because fighting also includes many hours of the day and night working.
He needs a simple 2-point sling, very similar to the sling that came with the
gun, just attached at a different point and maybe a little longer for
most.
I have trained with gear-heads who have
actually shed a tear when their gun, holster, or other equipment got a scratch
because they were rolling around in the sand and mud. I have trained with
some who were so material focused, they would shoot a Ruger 9mm, rather than
expose their $2,500 Wilson Combat 1911 to the harsh realities of fight
training, yet proclaim their Wilson to be the ultimate defensive
handgun!
I have trained with folks who arrived
at the range with a Springfield XD, lecturing me how it is the best, who have
problems safely and effectively drawing their gun and then can’t get a
good grip on the grip safety! Why? Because they are hung up on
features, functions, fads, hype and put material equipment before knowledge and
wisdom gained from both experience and
training.
If there are thousands of seemingly
worthless gear out there, then how important is gear?
Well…..”to the warrior, it is secondary!” Which
means exactly that. The importance of gear to the warrior comes before
food, water, shelter, love, hate, or friendship. The selection of
equipment a warrior will use in battle, and carry with him/her for which the
warrior trains to optimize in battle, is secondary only to his will and
determination to win.
The warrior knows
what tools are selected, and how those tools are used, will effect the outcome
of battle. A warrior knows the dependability and method of use of a tool
is just as important as the selection and design of a tool. A warrior
also knows, a tool, is just that, a tool. Once selected, it is most
important to put it to use to test and train. It is important a warrior
select the best tools available within their means, but none of their tools
supersede the importance of them training their minds and bodies, and very
seldom are the warriors in conversation with the gear-heads, unless out of
politeness, they allow themselves to be
cornered!
Warriors and fighters know the
importance of maintaining and standardizing on equipment, as well as, using any
version long enough to become proficient with it. They realize by becoming one
with their tools, they no longer have to think about the various aspects of
function, but rather to deploy to get the effects desired. The warrior
thinks first and mostly, to condition their minds, bodies and spirit in
preparation for battle.
Now, if you have
made it this far, let me ease the sting of what has probably pissed off a lot
of readers. There are hundreds of gizmos, accessories, attachments and
add-ons available, which are quality design, manufacturing, and of value.
Likewise, there are thousands of junk items available for fight students to
trip over and waste their money and time on.
I
respect the Magpul Company and feel they have many quality products. I
hope Magpul is successful and continues to provide inventive and quality
products until the end of time. Although the testing isn’t over, I
think their magazines are perhaps the best plastic available. And, they
have some other products and accessories which may be of benefit. If you
are using the original Mag Pull’s on your M-16 magazines, then maybe you
have made the best choice for you, but certainly they are not a consideration
for my use or any operators in the group I personally train
with.
If you have a Plug in the grip of your
Glock, do yourself a favor…..unload your Glock, walk into the kitchen,
open the cabinet drawer, grab a flat tip screwdriver, then pry out the Plug,
throw the little piece of black plastic away! Your Glock will make a big
sigh of relief expressing pleasure, and if you ever get into one of those
push-come-to-shove deals, you may thank
me.
Don’t ignore the value of
understanding how gear works and can be utilized to advantage, but be careful
of the gear-head pitfall. Don’t get so wrapped up in the tactical
stuff to the point it takes up the majority of your time. Spend your time
and effort training in an operational environment.
If you find
yourself spending more time and money on gear rather than
training.....
....."You may be a
Gear-Head".
If you discover yourself occasionally slipping off to a
room by yourself, whipping out your Super 88 Magnum and petting
it.....
....."You may be a
Gear-Head".
If when you leave your favorite gun shop after
purchasing the latest black gizmo, and before you drive home you have to sit in
your vehicle in the parking lot to open up the box and admire your latest
acquisition.....
....."You may be a
Gear-Head".
(with respect and teasing I
say)......and, if you have the overwhelming desire to lecture me on
the pitfalls of the M-14 in combat in Viet Nam, or you think I have to much
rubber on the grip of my
1911.....
....."well, You may be a
Gear-Head".
In closing........while my wife is still out
shopping, and no one is watching, I need to satisfy my overwhelming sensation
to pet my Kimber 1911 Classic
Royal.....
.....now on that note, eat your
heart out Gear-Heads! |