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Can anybody explain exactly what "Tactical" means?

"Tactical" is just a marketing buzzword which I assume is meant to appeal to people of a certain mindset.
In military firearms it basically means modular weapons that have the facility to fit certain attachments (usually via a Picatinny rail) for specific purposes or operations, so I guess you might call the ability to fit a bipod, IR lamp, night sight, etc to an air rifle "tactical", if you're prepared to stretch the true definition of the term until it squeaks ?
Personally I remain unimpressed, especially after seeing an ad on YT for a "Tactical hoodie". I mean, seriously ?
 
Tactical guns usually have multiple points for attaching extras, weatherproof and more hard wearing than traditional. They could also be shorter for close quarter ''tactical'' combat and usually adopt the tactical black, tan or camo look. What's not to like 🤔
 
Les said:
Every second airgun seems to be "tactical" these days, but the only difference I can see is that it usually has a black plastic stock.
So .... just what, exactly, makes a gun 'tactical'? Shrug tt
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The 'Tactical' is a similar word to 'thermal' e.g. thermal socks, thermal vests, thermal gloves... a word simply to describe a style of product or a product with a distinctive attribute, however dubious that might be.
I have a 'tactical' air rifle bought purely for its tacticality i.e. practical design form which suits the way I use it - a robust structure (chassis) rather than a conventional wooden stock prone to scratching, dinging, absorbing water, inability to add extras, etc.
 
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one thing it means is if a armed response team show up due to someone reporting to the police the herd shots or see you with a rifle ,i think you have a better chance of getting shot
 
For it to be tactical, it's got to have tactical written on it. If it doesn't say tactical it's not tactical. Even if I put my tactical rifle in a nice walnut stock with plaited leather sling and red rubber butt pad with white spacers it would still be tactical. Tacticool, now that's a different matter entirely, I got one of them an all!

1a-tactical.webp
 
Dunno what you mean 🤔

Oh ok. I do like a bit of tactical. To mean it's just means it's has a more military look and has more accessory rails etc. More easily personalised that a standard wood stock (which i also have and love). Variety is the spice of life after all.
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I was on the verge of buying a 'tactical' at the knock down, out of this world, never to be repeated bargain price of [INSERT RANDOM 4 DIGIT NUMBER]. Decided to keep my existing rifle and get a camo t-shirt instead. Saved a packet 😉
 
I think they call anything that can say “looks even in in the slightest military” is the Tactical look. Especially it if has picatinny rails all over that you can hand all sorts of things you don’t need onto it.

And any guns that are made of plastic (or polymer) defiantly seem to get the tactical tag.

I have an epic 2 and they advertise those as tactical due to it being rather minimalist and having a folding stock (that will never get folded) defiantly not something that you would want to run round with being tactical as its quite heavy.
 
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‘Tactical’ is how I describe my approach to buying hobby stuff…

As an example, I ‘tactically’ built a new rifle rack with more slots than I currently have rifles, and when the wife remarked on the open slots I ‘tactically’ interpreted it as approval to fill said slots…
 
Kola said:
‘Tactical’ is how I describe my approach to buying hobby stuff…

As an example, I ‘tactically’ built a new rifle rack with more slots than I currently have rifles, and when the wife remarked on the open slots I ‘tactically’ interpreted it as approval to fill said slots…
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This is why I always have empty gun cases. Wife will never look in them.
 
Buzzword to sell stuff

Some previous buzzwords- a couple of decades ago it was turbo, in the 50s it was atomic, at the turn of the 19th to 20th c it was electric.
 
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