Monday, February 15, 2016

Towards A Taxonomy of Some Types of the Gun Culture

 I've been thinking, or maybe over-thinking, about this for a while as you might suspect...
And I may or may not have displayed some of these behaviors at one time or another...

@Copyright 2016, D.W. Drang and The Cluemeter.

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Towards A Taxonomy of Some Types of the Gun Culture
Fudd: Primary interest is in killing things (animate or inanimate) for sport, preferably using a gun made of blued steel and wood. Little interest in politics, beyond the politics of his/her preferred game animal.

Gun Store Commando: Often also encountered at gun shows, rarely seen at the range. Has no compunctions about sharing information, which is frequently inaccurate, and usually based on what he read somewhere or something someone he knows or knew claimed happened far, far away. Unless it is merely opinion or prejudice, ditto what he read somewhere, etc., etc.
Fond of "sound bites" like "They all fall to hardball", "God made man, Sam Colt made men equal", "Any caliber will do as long as it starts with a '4'", "ARs shit where they eat", etc.
Refuses to allow himself to be confused by the facts, i.e., just try and convince him that a snub-nosed J Frame-sized .38 Special is a less than ideal firearm for anyone new to pistols, especially the elderly, infirm, or small in stature.

Tactical Timmy: Obsessed with military equipment, nomenclature, terminology, and procedures. Has full sets of camouflage uniforms and load bearing and other gear "as used by xxxx!", where "xxxx" represents the "Flavor Of The Day" in elite military units. Must have latest and greatest gear ascribed to said "FOTD" unit, regardless of whether said gear is actually being used or not.
Obsessed with technical details of weapons and equipment he will never own, or have a practical use for if he owned it.

Unlike the Gun Store Commando, the Tactical Timmy will actually spend time at the range, but due to his insistence on owning all the latest and greatest will likely accomplish little, since he has too much "kit" with him.

Cletus: (Thanks to Tamara Keel for her ground-breaking work on identifying this specimen.)
Owns a gun. Spends as little as possible on ancillary equipment and supplies, like ammunition or holsters. If seen at a range, is apparently more interested in making noise than in safety, precision of shots, or in learning effective gun handling skills.
Like the Gun Store Commando, his decisions are based on myth, lore, and received wisdom. (Or "wisdom"...)
Also like the Gun Store Commando, is regrettably not shy about sharing his "knowledge."
Notes on the Cletii:
  1. Feminine form: Lurleen
  2. The plural form, "Cletii" is often mis-used by those of less than rigorous dedication to accuracy as interchangeable with the singular form, "Cletus".
  3. "Cletus" is a generic name, and also tends to describe a sub-genre; other acceptable forms may take forms such as "T-Bone", "J-Dawg", "Boracho", etc.
  4. There is some dispute as to whether the Cletii are really part of the gun culture, but if you spend enough time at gun shops, shows and ranges, you are sure to encounter them.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Alternatively, F*** Up Disinformation. Not to be confused with FUDD. Closely resembles Gunshow Commando. Acts as authoritative source of information whereas the reality is they only parrot what they have read without verification. Also, disseminates bad information gotten from unreliable source.

Old NFO said...

We always used Tactical 'Tommy', but I agree with them all. :-)