Gun Snobs...Assemble!!!

[Karl-just-Karl]

Fun video. Reminds me of ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. Most of you have probably read the first half of that at one time or another. Somewhere in there, while he’s riding along over thinking the meaning of ‘Quality’, he touches on the idea of quality delivering the expected experience or something like that.

His definition of a high quality object is in it’s ability to deliver on the expected experience. In other words, if you don’t pay much, and don’t expect a lot, a cheaper item can deliver on it’s promise better than an item costing much more, meaning that the quality of a budget item can sometimes make you happier than a top dollar item that delivers a similar experience.

It's been a long time since I read that, finished it too. I only know two other people that have read it. That probably makes us book snobs. Anyway...

One of my take-aways was that there is quality/value in knowing what you have (despite its price), being able to understand the nuances, appreciate the subtleties, realize the abilities within yourself to service, maintain, understand and utilize a thing versus being someone that can afford a BMW and not know how to change the oil.

Quality as a value can really only be defined by an individual based upon one's own unique experiences and sense of self, or lack thereof (no shade throwing, just the definition of a personal characteristic).

 

[88E30M50]

It's been a long time since I read that, finished it too. I only know two other people that have read it. That probably makes us book snobs. Anyway...

One of my take-aways was that there is quality/value in knowing what you have (despite its price), being able to understand the nuances, appreciate the subtleties, realize the abilities within yourself to service, maintain, understand and utilize a thing versus being someone that can afford a BMW and not know how to change the oil.

Quality as a value can really only be defined by an individual based upon one's own unique experiences and sense of self, or lack thereof (no shade throwing, just the definition of a personal characteristic).

I’ve known several people that have gotten through the first half of the book but get bogged down after that. It’s a good read and really opened my eyes up to a different way of thinking. It is also somewhat of a celebration of having a deep level of knowledge regarding things that you depend on and being able to work on them. My favorite sections were regarding adjusting tappets in a parking lot and getting the chain guard welded. But, I digress...

My personal definition of quality is based on the ability to deliver on expectations. My old RIA Compact 1911 was a quality piece given that it always went bang when I pulled the trigger. But, I sold it because my expectations rose above what I wanted with that gun. I bought an Ed Brown compact 1911 and that one was sold because it did not deliver 6 times the experience as I had with the RIA. Was it quality? Of course. Was it quality as measured by my expectations? Harder to say on that one. I now own mostly DW 1911s and they deliver on my expectations perfectly. Quality? I’d say yes based on my values.

CM has had DW 1911s and is not overly impressed with them because his expectations and needs are different than mine. CM might have a different perspective on quality because they did not deliver on his expectations as well as they might have. If we compared parts side by side between a CM worked 1911 and a factory DW, it would be hard to find a difference. A tool steel sear is a tool steel sear. But, when fit up in the way CM does, it makes a difference in the feel of a gun that CM can detect which delivers better on his expectations.

 

[Karl-just-Karl]

With apologies for the existential thread-jacking.

I have a Rossi .357 snub-nosed pistol that was the first handgun I ever bought. It doesn't have the quality that many people would appreciate, but I won't ever sell it. Why? My own irrational experience.

I bought a CX4 Storm on a whim. It has performed flawlessly. I liked it so much I went ahead and did all the upgrades from Sierra Papa because I was so tickled pink by the thing. It is probably one of my most "appreciated" guns in my collection. Just a weird thing based upon my lack of expectations and personal experience.

I have other far more expensive firearms in my collection, but why give so much admiration to something that it just an "thing"? Should it be due to other's opinions of my possessions? This seems like fallacy from the start. Why should the opinion of someone who is not me, does not share my experiences and not even likely closely related to me hold sway over my choices and opinions? Should I be afraid of the other monkeys in the troop flinging poo at me? I hope we have moved far beyond that social evolution but sometimes I wonder how far.

What emptiness can there be to a person whose self worth is tied to their possessions or what they can afford? What vulnerabilities/fragility must someone's ego have that one must constantly be aware that the state of their being is repeatedly trampled upon by upgrades, planned obsolescence and the "new" model?

When is a person for their own reasons allowed to value things and assign a personal value to them? Why do we shame others for their choices and feel shame returned to us? How do we overcome the isolated feeling of being an individual without individualism being overcome by group-think?

Yeah, we're screwed. As long as America continues down the path of mass-consumer, social media, fantasy entertainment, whatever feels good based dictates of what is cool, we're screwed.

So buy you're DD, WC, LB. To those that believe that is the only thing that is important, I hope they are also decked out in LL Bean or Eddie Bauer and their shotgun is H&H...because everything else is crap!

Run what you can afford, practice with what you have, be able and willing to defend yourself when the moment comes.

May God bless America and His mercy be on us all!

That was kind of fun!

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I want to be a gun snob. I’m sitting here, smoking my $8 cigar, drinking a bit of mid level bourbon, sitting surrounded by $3 Tiki torches and carrying the best gun that $399 can buy. I think I’m in the club.

Fun video. Reminds me of ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. Most of you have probably read the first half of that at one time or another. Somewhere in there, while he’s riding along over thinking the meaning of ‘Quality’, he touches on the idea of quality delivering the expected experience or something like that.

His definition of a high quality object is in it’s ability to deliver on the expected experience. In other words, if you don’t pay much, and don’t expect a lot, a cheaper item can deliver on it’s promise better than an item costing much more, meaning that the quality of a budget item can sometimes make you happier than a top dollar item that delivers a similar experience.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve read that book and I might be wrong. I don’t know. Would my experience here in the back yard be better if the bourbon cost $200 a bottle instead of $50 and the cigar cost $20 instead of $8? Probably not.

$8 cigar....heh pleb

 

[russc2542]

I'm guilty of being a gun snob....sort of. I see certain firearms and accessories kinda like I see certain grocery items. Some things are good for me that are lower cost and usable but other things I won't skimp on. Toilet paper is one example of something I won't buy cheap. Quality costs buts sometimes you get diminishing returns also. I evaluate the cost to value ratio. Examples: I feel that I get the best value from a used $1200 bushnell elite tactical optic as opposed to a $3500 S&B. I know the S&B is a better optic, but not at 3x the cost. Take bolt action guns for example, I'd never buy an AI at $4k or more cause I can get almost the same performance from a Tikka T3x Tac A1 for $1500. The reverse is true also in that I believe that a Tikka CTR is worth 2x the cost of a Ruger American.

Up to a point, that's not snobbery. Cheap TP is masochism on a magnitude little else can match.

 

[churchmouse]

With apologies for the existential thread-jacking.

I have a Rossi .357 snub-nosed pistol that was the first handgun I ever bought. It doesn't have the quality that many people would appreciate, but I won't ever sell it. Why? My own irrational experience.

I bought a CX4 Storm on a whim. It has performed flawlessly. I liked it so much I went ahead and did all the upgrades from Sierra Papa because I was so tickled pink by the thing. It is probably one of my most "appreciated" guns in my collection. Just a weird thing based upon my lack of expectations and personal experience.

I have other far more expensive firearms in my collection, but why give so much admiration to something that it just an "thing"? Should it be due to other's opinions of my possessions? This seems like fallacy from the start. Why should the opinion of someone who is not me, does not share my experiences and not even likely closely related to me hold sway over my choices and opinions? Should I be afraid of the other monkeys in the troop flinging poo at me? I hope we have moved far beyond that social evolution but sometimes I wonder how far.

What emptiness can there be to a person whose self worth is tied to their possessions or what they can afford? What vulnerabilities/fragility must someone's ego have that one must constantly be aware that the state of their being is repeatedly trampled upon by upgrades, planned obsolescence and the "new" model?

When is a person for their own reasons allowed to value things and assign a personal value to them? Why do we shame others for their choices and feel shame returned to us? How do we overcome the isolated feeling of being an individual without individualism being overcome by group-think?

Yeah, we're screwed. As long as America continues down the path of mass-consumer, social media, fantasy entertainment, whatever feels good based dictates of what is cool, we're screwed.

So buy you're DD, WC, LB. To those that believe that is the only thing that is important, I hope they are also decked out in LL Bean or Eddie Bauer and their shotgun is H&H...because everything else is crap!

Run what you can afford, practice with what you have, be able and willing to defend yourself when the moment comes.

May God bless America and His mercy be on us all!

That was kind of fun!

OK. In perspective here.
When I buy a gun or about anything that is in the Hobby/passion category I full well intend to re-engineer/refine it. Everything.
The only 2 guns in my safe left untouched are the 2 S&W wheel guns recently purchased. But they will be going down to see the Boss Hoss this fall if he is still doing his magic.

This pic is of the DW A2 and what I consider to be the worlds most expensive SA Champion. Both have been seriously modified past the as built. This is my passion. Yes I am well upside down in all of them but re-sale is not why I do this. Not anymore.

This pic is the same Champion in its 3rd iteration. Go figure.

Does this make me a gun snob.......
Nope. But I do not have much appreciation for entry level 1911's anymore. Or CZ's.

 

[Vendetta]

He nailed that at the end. Johnny Walker Blue and AR15.com. This guy gets me. Although the arfcom part is more out of irony.

 

[Karl-just-Karl]

Does this make me a gun snob.......
Nope. But I do not have much appreciation for entry level 1911's anymore. Or CZ's.

Since I have already went into the deep end I might as well swim around a little more.

I do not believe that having little appreciation for budget, entry level, cheaper, lower priced things makes anybody a snob. Putting someone down because that is what THEY have makes one a snob.

Being able to afford top quality brand names and the best gear doesn't make someone a snob. Thinking that it makes YOU superior because you have the financial resources to acquire such things makes one a snob.

It all comes down to the us and them game.

IMHO

 

[churchmouse]

Since I have already went into the deep end I might as well swim around a little more.

I do not believe that having little appreciation for budget, entry level, cheaper, lower priced things makes anybody a snob. Putting someone down because that is what THEY have makes one a snob.

Being able to afford top quality brand names and the best gear doesn't make someone a snob. Thinking that it makes YOU superior because you have the financial resources to acquire such things makes one a snob.

It all comes down to the us and them game.

IMHO

Bingo.
I work my tail off to achieve this.
Family/bills/essentials 1st and always.

All of this is just extra.

 

[Leadeye]

I'll go out on a limb here and see if this qualifies for old school gun snobbery.

 

[churchmouse]

I'll go out on a limb here and see if this qualifies for old school gun snobbery.

You exist on a plan all to yourself sir...

 

[Ballstater98]

Blue Label is overrated IMHO. His credibility is shot up here.

 

[88E30M50]

I'll go out on a limb here and see if this qualifies for old school gun snobbery.

Probably does. Emphasis on the ‘old’ though.