Gun Expert or Gun guy ?

C

C7AR15

New member
I'm sure that many here are known as a gun guy or even an expert. Family, friends and coworkers know you as the go to gun expert.

What makes someone an Expert ? Maybe just a hobby person ?

In the last 60 years I have owned and shot dozens and dozens of firearms. From shotguns, rifles and handguns. Also reloaded for all these too.
Competitive shooting in IPSC, PPC, Service Pistol, metallic silhouette, precision rifle, trap and sporting clays.

So who are the experts ? Police officers usually just know their Service pistol and some tactics, same as Military. Unless they are really interested in firearms and keep up on current advances.
Who do you consider to be an Expert in firearms ?
 
Depends on the subject. I have different sources for different questions. I don't believe there's any such thing as an "all-around expert" for every gun issue.
 
No one knows that I own guns. I don’t talk about guns. TFL is the only venue that I have any communication about guns aside from the people that live in my house. Nearest people are a heavily forested mile from me.

So I guess I’m a hidden-reclusive hobbyist
 
What makes someone an Expert ?
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That's easy, :D its like being tall. In order to be tall, (in my opinion) you have to be taller than I am.

To be an expert in any given field you have to know more about it than I do.

Simple, nicht wahr? :rolleyes:
 
I believe an expert is somebody with special knowledge and capability who is able to consistently display mastery at a skill and subject.

Interestingly it's entirely possible to have two proven experts disagree on the same subject at the same time under the same conditions.

We are Human After All.

Be on the watch out for the fake expert. The world is full of Tradesmen who blame shoddy worksmanship on their tools.
 
Interestingly it's entirely possible to have two proven experts disagree on the same subject at the same time under the same conditions.
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Especially when they are giving their opinions... :rolleyes:

The thing that determines an expert is what parameters are used.

First is determining the specific area of expertise you're looking for.

General expertise in a field is one thing, specific expertise in a specific area is another.

Expertise at a physical skill is one thing, expertise in academic knowledge is another. Some folks have one or the other, some have both.

So, figure out what area you need an expert in, as a baseline. IF keeping up with current firearms development is your requirement, the guy who can write a book on 1880s firearms but knows little about subcompact polymer frame semi auto pistols, isn't the expert you need.

IF you need to know about 1880s firearms, the guy who specializes in select fire weapons and tactics probably isn't your best choice, for that, either.

What makes some one an expert, to me is their knowledge. and skills in their chosen area of expertise, no matter how they acquired them.
 
The Gun Jesus (Ian McCollum) is a firearms expert. Not just because he's a walking gun encyclopedia, but because he's had more "hands-on" time physically examining and shooting a huge variety of guns, most of which I would be lucky to even see in a museum some day.

Among my friends I'm generally the "gun guy", but I am far from being a gun expert.

BTW, no intent here to offend anyone here, or even Mr. McCollum, calling him the "Gun Jesus" - if we can't joke tongue-in-cheek about things like this, then freedom is lost.
 
There is an unknown, and unknowable number of people out there who would be considered experts, that don't post on forums, don't do U tube (or any other kind of) videos, some don't even own computers. These people are known only to their personal friends and acquaintances, and sometimes, not even then. ;)

I don't claim to be an expert, but I do claim a degree of expertise in some areas that many (most?) people do not have, because of my interests, and experiences.

I've owned at least a couple hundred guns in my life, am set up to reload for over 30 different rifle and pistol cartridges, been doing it since the early 1970s.

I graduated 2nd in my class (and got PFC for it!:D) from the US ARMY Ordnance Center and School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds as a Small Arms Repairman, in 1975. During my military service I handled, inspected and repaired (as needed) several thousand firearms, including nearly everything in service and I had the opportunity to become familiar with the arms of our NATO allies, and our enemies at the time.

I have hands on experience with a lot of different guns, and have owned a number of uncommon, and even a few rare guns, from the early days of cartridge firearms through the present. I know a bit about muzzle loaders, too, but they aren't my strong suit.

There are several people here at TFL who I consider experts in fields I'm not expert in. And there are some who just think they are...:D:rolleyes:

Got a question about something I know about, I'll answer, if I don't know, I'll point you to someone who I think might know. Or, in some cases, I'll do what research I can to give you a valid answer.

Like the old saying "I may not be the best in town, but I'll be the best till the best comes around!". IF you think I'm an expert, I won't argue, I am a bit vain that way, but I don't think I'm an expert, just broadly experienced. As I said before, "experts" know more than I do.
 
How about when the court accepts a witness who by training, experience, education, training, skills or certification as an expert. In court the opposition brings in their "expert" and then case becomes a battle between experts before the trier(s) of fact.

There can also be experts on a particular firearm. I consider Ian Skennerton an expert on UK firearms. The guys at the K98kForum the experts on the K98k sniper rifle. There's an expert on Mosin-Nagant rifles (and I didn't get his book) and there's even one on the Finnish Mosin-Nagant. There are experts on the longrifle and on the iron-mounted Southern rifle. DeWitt Bailey is probably the expert on the British military muzzle loading firearm. Bill Adams and Joseph Bilby are probably the experts on small arms of the Civil War. I may boast that I'm the expert on the blackpowder sharpshooter and the WW II sniper (but not the WW I or post WW II sniper).

You get the idea.

BTW, if you're old enough, you'll remember the North American Trade School (or something like that) where the student enrolled in a correspondence course to become a "Gun Pro." They taught you gunsmithing by USPS.
 
How about when the court accepts a witness who by training, experience, education, training, skills or certification as an expert. In court the opposition brings in their "expert" and then case becomes a battle between experts before the trier(s) of fact.
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Realizing, of course that it is scripted fiction, I've always found the court room "battle of experts" in the movie My Cousin Vinny to be both entertaining and an amusing depiction of what can happen.

In particular, the part where Miss Vito is put to voir dire by the prosecutor. She has no paper proof of her expertise, no diploma from any school or training course, but is clearly expert in her field, and is accepted by the court, as such, and it is literally her expertise that proves the defendants innocent.

and, yes I remember the trade school correspondence course, friend of mine took it. I went over the study material they provided, and as I recall, it was about as good as any "non hands on" training could be.

I think it fair to consider most of the old time gunwriters to have been experts in their fields, and some were even decently amusing writers.
Though not everyone found the styles used as amusing as I did. :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for chipping in

Thanks to those who offered up some wisdom on this topic.

The Firing Line is a good group, civil, humorous and informative
 
I’m the expert! What are we talking about?

Actually, this is funny because the people who I find in teaching or expert roles are generally pretty knowledgeable, but often lack true expertise. I believe that comes from truly deep study of a subject.
 
44 AMP said:
Realizing, of course that it is scripted fiction, I've always found the court room "battle of experts" in the movie My Cousin Vinny to be both entertaining and an amusing depiction of what can happen....

and, yes I remember the trade school correspondence course, friend of mine took it. I went over the study material they provided, and as I recall, it was about as good as any "non hands on" training could be.

I think it fair to consider most of the old time gunwriters to have been experts in their fields, and some were even decently amusing writers.
Though not everyone found the styles used as amusing as I did.
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I've yet to see that flick.

Regarding that trade school, people learn to a varying degree three different ways: audio, visual and kinesthetic. It takes a gifted person to pick up a book and read lessons and be able to perform the task without any feedback from a physical instructor. I and my classmates were constantly consulting with our instructors who knew how to fix or cover our mistakes.

Getting into gunwriting is not easy-peasy. Editor has to like your style and the public especially has to like your style. In the '70s I got tired of Elmer Keith and his it has to be a magnum or you're a whimp. Mel Tappan was a honest guy who admitted to developing tendinitis from shooting too many big bores (I always kept that in mind). Some writers became almost predictable in what they were going to say.

Nathan said:

I’m the expert! What are we talking about?
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I'm not sure, I'll have to consult somebody.
 
Sierra Bullets called their staff ballisticians.

At one point in time some guy was some sort of shop flunkey at the gunshop at Colonial Willamsburg. He took one (museum?) class at Harvard and and loved to do the talking while the gunsmith and his apprentice made guns. When asked what his job in the shop was, he said he was the, "academian." Gunsmith George Suiter laughed and said, "He sweeps our floor."
 
Gary ya gotta stream My cousin Vinny! Great movie.
An earlier poster beat me to it, Ex-Spurt is a drip under pressure. I can't recall the author of this one, I can sure appreciate it.
If you don't think too good, don't think too much.
 
I would consider the curators at the Firearms Museum in the Cody Museum of the West to be firearm experts along with the curators at the Rock Island Arsenal, providing you are only referring to the knowledge of makes, models and history of the firearm and not how to use. The how to use is completely different than the fore mentioned.
 
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