What exactly is "tactical" anyway

[Tim Whittaker]

I don't quite understand, what makes a shotgun tactical. Could a Rem. 870 with pimp-gold Krylon, a clear stock with goldfish in it, and a mini disco ball light for the front bead be considered a "tactical" 12 bore? BTW I promise to cut back on the caffine by 50%. ..........Whit

 

[Al Thompson]

Sure! For security in a disco.........

Tactical used to mean - as used (or suitable for use) by some well regarded unit, police or military. Now it seems to mean "add 20% to the retail price".....

 

[444]

The first time I ever heard the term used was in the military. I was never given a definition, but I assumed it meant that we were trying to assume a posture similar to combat. I didn't put that very well; an example would be a "tactical road march" where you walk off to the sides of the roads in two columns with about a 10 meter spacing between men. As opposed to walking down the road rout stepping in formation. Another example would be a "tactical bivouac" where you are out in the field sleeping in a fox hole as opposed to an "administrative bivouac" where you were out in the field sleeping in your shelter half.
I believe now the term has become a marketing buzz word in the firearms (and related markets) market place for anything that is supposed to be made to look "combat".
Websters definition:
1 : of or relating to combat tactics : as a (1) : of or occurring at the battlefront <tactical defense> <tactical first strike> (2) : using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront <tactical missiles> b of an air force : of, relating to, or designed for air attack in close support of friendly ground forces

 

[Ledbetter]

It means:

black
textured
expensive and sometimes
heavy.

Now where can I get one of those 870's with the goldfish?

Regards.

 

[C.R.Sam]

$

 

[Opie-IN]

Here yah go

The one on the right is Tactical.

 

[Tim Whittaker]

I have to agree with you, Erick. I went to the local, Mall Ninja infested, public range this week, and I overheard a few patrons talking about their "tactical" Loudenberger shotguns, I went over to take a look and one fellow asked if he could shoot my 870 PM. He fired 6 rounds and asked how it was that my SG was so much lighter than his. I picked up his 870, that thing had to weigh 12 lbs. I made mention of the great number of accessories he had hanging off of it. To which his reply was "that's what makes it a tactical SG". To each his own I guess. ....Whit

 

[Ledbetter]

That crayon thing

really made me laugh.

 

[Dave McC]

"Tactical" is like the ads announcing "New and Improved" whatever, utterly meaningless.

As for that Disco 870....

A gunsmith who has done work for me for more than 20 years, had a yen for a Pimp Pistol back around the time Afros and leisure suits were in vogue.

He took a Lightweight Commander in 45ACP and shortened the frame and magazine by one rounds' worth, preceding the Officer's Model by a decade or two.

A little goldplating on small parts like the trigger,bushing,mag latch,hammer, safety,etc, set off the lustrous blue of the slide and frame.

One grip panel was Mother of Pearl, the other clear plexiglass so one could count cartridges left in the shortened,gold plated magazine through the slot cut for just that purpose.

This was the most garish handgun seen this side of Hopalong Cassidy's silver sixguns. It also shot like a house afire, was utterly reliable and had a sweet trigger from all that gold plating filling up all the little irregularities in the base metal.Beauty is as beauty does.

TTBOMK, he still carries it daily.

 

[Mannlicher]

"Tactical" is to a Mall Ninja wannabee, what camo underware is to the hunting set. Flashlights, special attachment rails, laser sights, black synthetic stocks, porting, and all the rest, are gimicks.

 

[easymoney]

Tactical is just a buzz word these days- go to ebay and type "tactical" in the search- absolutely ridiculous!

 

[HKguy9]

Tactical, out.

Urban, in.

 

[twix]

Very prudent observation SkunkaB. Here we come through the streets of Baghdad. Hope the Chiefs have figured out a "tactical" way around or through this...

 

[KSFreeman]

Then, when you couldn't bring yourself to say "fighting."

Now, what Mannlicher sez.

 

[twix]

If you are talking to me Mr. Freeman, it was a play on words- tactical/tactful.Rather not have to see Americans "fighting" in Baghdad. Have "fought" myself in the service of the USA.

 

[jimsbowies]

Mall-ninja super death ray

Supersonic, ultrasonic, subsonic, absolute and tonic...lazer, laser, lazik, mall-ninja super death ray bullet/gun, painted black with big red sights that terrify your opponent into surrender when they see the dot on their chest....huge capacity (100 or so rounds) with mercury infused, platinum-titanium plated super black talon claws of death bullets.....now THAT'S tactical....

Oops...a fashion to separate you from your MONEY......

 

[BigG]

Tackytical means doing less work for the manufacturer, putting a cheap rough finish on the piece and upgrading the price about 20% over similar non tackytical models.

In military parlance, tactical means how to attain a specific objective or win a particular battle. Strategy means how to win the war.

Of course, nobody who uses those words to describe their product ever read a book.

 

[gburner]

Tactical...the newest, blackest, sleekest, heaviest, photon charged, irridium sighted, alpaca leather strapped, onyx pistol gripped, oxygen free titanium welded, molybdinum framed, double barreled, semi-automatic, pump shotgun which hurls depleted plutonium slugs 100 yds. downrange at 6000 fps. with all the accuracy of a sooper soaker fired at point blank range.

Testicle...what you have to pay to get one.

 

[ZeusOne]

Please accept my apologies for being so uninformed, but what is a "Mall Ninja"?

 

[labgrade]

Have a bud who lost his camo-finsihed Mini-Mag flashlight. We couldn't find it in daylight ....

Couldn't have laughed more. A camo flashlight!? Really.

"tactical" is what works.

& most likely, what works best is a standard set-up used by someone who has actually used the gun a bit enough to become proficient with it.

My "tactical shotguns" (& rifles, BTW) are all but totally stock.

Identify & shoot anything within 1/2 second, or so ... repeatably, as needed - "tactical" enough for me.

"Tactical" is as any hunt show is ...