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The real badasses in Spec Ops are trained to fire “any” gun, in case they have to use what’s available. So much for “beware of the man with one gun.” Unless you’re talking about one gun at a time. Anyway, how many weapons systems can you handle, sequentially? What’s your favorite (i.e. go to) firearm type: semi-auto rifle, pump shotgun, revolver, what?

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36 COMMENTS

  2. Any handgun: 9mm and 1911 in the house
    Bolt action and semi-automatic rifle: Savage MK II, Savage Model 64, Remington 700 chambered in 270 and 308
    I can handle a shotgun but don’t have one.

    Favorite is the Mk II

  3. I guess my familiarity with weapons is limited to revolvers, semi-autos, any shotgun and some rifles.

  4. Generally, unless it’s a real oddball design I can figure it out pretty quick and start getting lead downrange. Rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers… I’ve dealt with them all. Though I won’t claim to be any sort of “expert” with any of them.

    Pistols are my favorite “go to” firearms, and I’ve fired or at least handled most of the major designs out there. 1911s, Glocks, Sigs, HKs, the list goes on… Once you’re familiar with pistols in general, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what and where the major controls are on a specific pistol.

    Certainly if I’m in a life or death situation and I have to figure out how to use a strange pistol as quickly as possible in order to save my life, I might be in trouble… But then again, I’m not a Spec Ops guy.

  5. I can honestly say I am proficient with most any weapon that is reasonably available in North America. Of course, I’ve had over 40 years to try them all. That’s part of the fun of firearms: studying all the different ideas over the years, learning their pros and cons. When I was younger I used to keep a logbook of everything I fired but over time it grew redundant.

  6. I feel confident saying that I could figure out the basic workings of any conventional firearm. They all run off the same couple of physical principles and therefore they all share some common features. There just aren’t that many different types of actions.

    Proficiency is another thing though. I prefer semi-auto rifles, being most familiar with AR and M-14/Mini-14 actions. Handgun wise I’m intimately familiar with my H&K USPs and 1911A1s.

  7. M60A1 Tank-105mm main gun,m60 E2,M2 HMG M16A1, M16A2,M4 M9,M92/96 variations, M93R,M90-Two,Helwan Brigadier 1911a1 Sig225/226/P210 Star 30M,PD 45 Walther P5, PP, PPK, P38,TPH,P99O H&K VP70Z,P7,P9,USP,MP 5 variations,UMP,G3 Browning High Power, BDA most S&W pistols and revolvers most Ruger pistols and revolvers Glock 17/19/20/21/21 SF/22/23/26/27/30 Makarov,Tokarev,Tokagypt Colt pistols/revolvers Uzi/Mini Uzi M14 Mini 14 FN FAL/LAR M1/M2 Carbine AK 47/AKM/AK 74/RPK/RPD/Galil M60 variations M240 M249 SKS M1903 SVD M79 M203 Ithaca 37 Win. ’97 Mossberg 500/590 Remington 870/1100/11-87 Ruger SR556(6.8 SPC) Beretta CX4 Storm 9mm-92 variation Most Taurus pistols/revolvers Marlin 1895G in .45-70 Favorite: Ruger SR556 in 6.8SPC, Ithaca 37, Beretta 90-TWO, S&W 340PD

  8. “Anyway, how many weapons systems can you handle, sequentially? What’s your favorite (i.e. go to) firearm type: semi-auto rifle, pump shotgun, revolver, what?”

    Sequentially or proficiently (as in clearing malfunctions reflexively without thought)?

    Sequentially, probably most anything though I have zero experience with belt fed anything, and little experience with full auto weapons (controlling 2 – 3 round bursts for instance).

    Proficiently, on the other hand takes time and practice with each system. Chamber checks on DA autos for instance were frustrating to say the least until someone showed me the proper technique. Removing an En-block clip from a Garand has never been reflexive for me (lefty with little interest in the M1). That goes for reloading the M1 as well (My thumb hurts thinking about it). Malfunction drills between pump and auto shotguns are slightly different. And some semi-auto shotguns can be manipulated differently making swapping slugs for buckshot easier or harder depending on system.

    I can honestly say i’m proficient with most polymer semi-auto handguns, any AR system, the M1A, my semi-auto shotgun (Rem 11/87) and a host of others. Proficient enough that i look for my front sight when dreaming. lol 🙂

    But proficiency for every system, every make and model? Nope, but i’m sure the fundamentals I’ve learned will carry me over if i ever need to know.

    • + 1 on your thoughts on sequentially vs. proficiently. Given a few minutes, I can get almost anything to throw lead, but battle proficiency – I don’t think so.

      While failure drills for most auto-loading pistols are similar safeties, mag releases, action differences, and recoil characteristics can take awhile to get used to. So in proficiency terms that leaves me Glocks, 1911s, most Sigs, Beretta 90s and drop barrels, pre-M&P Smiths, Ruger .22s, and a few Kel-Tecs (not a bad list, but a long way from anything!)

      I think the same can be said for something as simple as a revolver. Many follow the classic S&W DA form (at least you can load them and deal with the long DA trigger). But that leaves hundreds of SAA, break-tops, crane-less and odd-ball guns out there.

  9. I’m proficient with my .308 and 1911. I’m okay with my .380. My snubbie .357 is my gun of last resort.

    I’m also proficient with my .22 rifle.

    At one time I was good with an 870, but don’t own it any more.

  10. Very proficient with all of my sidearms; most of which are semi-auto’s (Glock, H&K, Beretta); S&W 666 wheel gun is my go to gun for bump in the night activities. But, the 666 is only meant to give me time to get to my 12 gauge pump.

    Also have plenty of trigger time on my Bushmaster and several L/R bolt guns.

  11. I can and do shoot every gun I own…. with proficiency. You can use your imagination as to what type of firearms that includes.

  12. Greetings:

    I served in Viet Nam with the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles”, and at that time, EVERY trooper in that unit, regardless of their job assignment, was required to be familiar with EVERY weapon used in the field by the Airborne Infantry, including all of the machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, mines, plastic explosive, and dynamite.

    We were also familiarized with the booby traps devised by the enemy.

    We were forbidden to use AK-47s or SKS rifles because of the confusion it would cause, and the possibility of accidentally shooting our own troops.

    That was because the sounds of enemy weapons was distinct from our own, and even the tracer ammunition was different, with ours being red, and theirs being green.

    When initially assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, regardless of job assignment, EVERY trooper was required to participate in a helicopter combat assault on an enemy position, perform a combat foot patrol, including a river crossing, and do perimeter guard duty.

    When on foot patrol, our orders were to carry the weapon at the “ready” position (hip level), with a round chambered and the safety off, but with our finger off the trigger.

    Even when standing guard duty on base camp, we never carried that weapon in the sling arms position.

    Even in base camp, we slept with our weapon, our gas mask, our web gear, our flak vest, and our steel pot.

    Over the passing years, as a soldier and a civilian police officer, I’ve owned or used, both on duty and in recreation, numerous revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, and shotguns of various calibres and gauges.

    Thank you.

    John Robert Mallernee
    Armed Forces Retirement Home
    Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

  13. I would like to add that the video leading this blog item is beyond stupid. It makes me uncomfortable to see serious gun people gravitating toward or identifying with material of this caliber. It leads one to suspect you might find something realistic or admirable or imitable about it. No, it’s complete nonsense with no correlation to reality.

    It’s your website and you can do what you want, but I don’t think the video belongs anywhere near a site that aspires to be about real people using real guns. From my perspective, it damages TTAG’s credibility significantly.

    • Trouble with you lefties is that you have no sense of humor. It was supposed to be stupid.

  14. I know how to use pretty much every gun available to the civilians of the United States of America.
    My go to gun: S&W M&P 15.

  15. My 1911’s are my favorite and I stay away from Cujo’s house! I am familiar with any normal rifle, pistol, revolver and shotgun we see in the USA.

    • Ha! It’s the Iroquois in me-I’m making sure the government doesn’t take my land…

      • Cujo:

        So, you have Iroquois blood?

        Well, here’s a bit of trivia for you.

        Almost everybody incorrectly refers to the UH-1 helicopter as a “Huey”.

        The official nickname of the UH-1 helicopter is the “Iroquois”.

        But, alas, I don’t know of anyone other than myself who ever calls it that.

        Thank you.

        John Robert Mallernee
        Armed Forces Retirement Home
        Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

          • We should talk sometime,sir. I’m on face book, Michael J Perrine , no picture , (original) hometown is Hopkins SC

  16. I think I could comfortably handle any gun you put in my hands, proficiently is another story though.

    I am definitely proficient with most handguns, closely followed by Modern Sporting Rifles with which I am gaining proficiency every time I hit the range.

  17. Just 5 at the moment. PX4, CX4, Five-seveN, PS90, and .32NAA Guardian.

    Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a far away land I was qualified on an M-2, Colt .45 ACP, a Colt .38 revolver (5″ or 6″ barrel. I can’t remember, but I do recall the truly awful trigger pull and the burning debris that flew out of the sides! I’ve despised revolvers ever since that one.) M-16, M-16A1, and a truly beautiful Browning .308 with a fixed 6X scope.

  18. Thanks to gun days with coworkers I’m familiar with most everything available on the civilian market. Also familiar with the M203, SAW, and M60

    What I would say I’m proficient with are Military (M16A1 and A2, M9), my bolt action rifles (Mossberg 30.06, Lee Enfield Mk4No1 .303, SKS 7.62×39, Marlin .22 mag, and Remington .22lr), Mossberg shot guns (pump and O/U 12ga), semi auto rifle (Remington 30.06), pistols (Tarus 24/7 .45acp, Ruger P89 9mm), revolvers (Colt Official Police .38 special, Ruger Single Six .22 lr/.22 mag, Taurus .357 mag), Flintlock rifle .45, and a percussion .54 Hawken style rifle.

  19. Any semi auto handgun or revolver
    Most semi auto rifles/shotguns
    Bolt action rifles
    Pump action shotguns/rifles

  20. I have yet to meet a gun I couldn’t at least make go bang, some just may take a few seconds more to figure out than others.

    Now proper maintenance of some designs can get a bit weird. Modern machine guns tend to trip me up with all the little bits inside.

  21. Could quickly figure out and make it go bang: Most any semi-auto handgun, revolver, pump gun, lever action gun or break action gun. Other models would be ARs, FAL, basics of an AK, M14, G36 variants, Model 1917 bolt action, MP5 series and an HK GMG that I played with at SHOT.

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  23. I stumbled on your website recently and I like it alot. I’m a little tired of product review sites that have only that. Highlighting subjects that make people think about their responsible gun ownership is definitely valuable.

    Despite the many weapons that some may list, the real skill involved is being able to pick up a weapon system that you have never seen or fired before and be able to operate the thing. “Those special ops guys” train with all sorts of stuff. Anything from weapons commonly used by US Military (M4, M9, and various open bolt weapons) to typical weapons carried by the enemy we usually fight these days (AK-47, PKM) and lots in between. They also train weapon system concepts. You should be able to expect America’s tip of the spear to have spent so much time on the range with so many different weapons systems that the knowledge gained of how different types of systems function will span the vast majority of weapon types despite differences in manufacturer or “little knob/button/lever” placement. This level of proficiency requires range time concurrent with the job of a special operator. Civilians just don’t fire 50,000 rounds or more (sometimes lots more) in a year unless it is your job to do so.

    Back to the posed question (proficiency vice know how to shoot):

    Work – M4, M9, and a whole bunch of other stuff

    Home – 1911, P3AT (I like my pocket rocket)

    RLTW,
    Mike

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