Nostalgia/comfort/experience versus new tech guns

[Sanch]

As I’m getting into my 40s I realize lately my sense of logic is leaning towards nostalgia and comfort and avoiding new things. For example my first shotgun was a 590 and I look at 1301s and think they’re super neato but I don’t really want one. Even if I had unlimited money I don’t have unlimited time and I barely shoot my 590 as is so now I’d have to maintain proficiency in two separate shotgun systems. No bueno.

My first glock was a gen 3 and I skipped 4 because I heard bad things and didn’t see the need and now people are saying gen 5 is a huge improvement but I don’t really wanna sell mine and change.

I learnt shooting AR with iron sights and adopted aim points as soon as they came down in price and were reliable but when it comes to pistol red dots, I tense up a bit and don’t wanna. I’m not sure if it’s because I was younger when I got the aimpoint in my AR and now I’m older and more resistant to change or my vision still let’s me see irons just fine, or if I logically see the tradeoffs for red dots on pistols and am correctly concerned it’s not worth the money, the effort, the added bulk and weight to carry, the added battery maintenance. Lots of respectable folk like red dots on pistols so my assumption is I’m wrong.

I look at newish guns like the skorpion smg and think, meh, whatever, it looks cool but I don’t really want to deal with buying 20 spare mags, some spare parts, learning how to use it, zeroing it with different ammo types, dry firing it, taking it to the range, adding an optic, adding a light, adding a sling. Jeez I’m tired just typing it.

I think about skills I lack like rimfire precision shooting, center fire precision shooting, 50 and 100 yard handgun shooting and that excites me but the new guns I’ve lost interest in.maybe I’m burnt out because I can’t just go into something lightly, it becomes a consuming project with dozens of spare mags, parts, accessories, zeroing, learning offsets, etc and to be honest I don’t train with the guns I already have enough.

So here’s why I’m posting this. For advice on how do I know if I’m becoming an old fuddy duddy that is the equivalent of a 80 year man in the year 1920 carrying flintlock revolvers into combat? Or, no offense intended, the 50 year old officers in the 1980s that still carried revolvers. Yes, I realize most of them could outshoot some of their younger semi-auto wielding rookie cops but even the best revolver enthusiast will admit semi autos are better than revolvers for LE duty work.

I’m sure both of those two example men were hesitant to change, and they would have their excuses/ reasons. And they probably could outshoot their younger counterparts with newer tech guns. But maybe my hesitance to switching to gen 5 glocks and 1301s is just be becoming old and resistant to change.

How do we handle this as we age? Maybe the upgrade from gen 3 to gen 5 glock and 590 to 1301 isn’t world shattering. Not like the upgrade from flintlock to centerfiered guns. But I’ll probably] be on this planet and looking at new gun technology for another 30 or more years, God-willing, Cervaza-sickness willing and Democrats-willing if they haven’t banned guns yet. So as I ave and get resistant to change how do I know if I’m making the right choice or if my instincts are failing me for nostalgia or comfort reasons?

[OlongJohnson]

You've come to understand and actually internalized @Clusterfrack's statement that new guns are an expensive, time-consuming pain in the ass.

Nothing wrong with that.

[peterb]

Can you do what you want to do with what you've got?

Are you comfortable and competent with what you've got?

Is what you've got reliable and serviceable?

If yes, don't waste time worrying about the latest new thing you "should" have.

[YVK]

How do we handle this as we age?

We realize that, while we have everything we need for our purposes, we're mortal and if there's something we wanna try in life, we have less time than we think.

[rob_s]

I kind of think of these things like a rubberband. You can plant your flag in guns and gear from one particular year, but time will continue to move forward. That gun and gear will slowly get less and less competitive over time, and the longer you wait the harder the stretch. This is true of other hobbies and associated equipment as well.

If not “competing” in terms of gun games, then maybe it doesn’t matter. You get all nostalgic and decide to cross-draw carry a Model 19 revolver, it isn’t very likely that (a) you’re actually going to get into a gunfight or (b) that your choice of gun and carry position are going to affect the outcome. More important is whether you know how to use it.

Classes can become a challenge, to a certain degree. If you decided that the A-team was your go to for guns and gear selection and invested heavily in the Ruger Mini-14, when you get to a carbine class where everyone else is shooting ARs there may be some techniques being taught that are particular to that platform, and you’ll also lose the benefit of being able to rely on fellow students for advice or spare parts.

I will say this, as someone that has jumped in and out of competition shooting, particularly carbine, over the years... there is a great amount of satisfaction to be had in showing up with old-busted, finding all the shooters are running new-hotness, and beating most of the field.

[2xAGM114]

I’ll probably] be on this planet and looking at new gun technology for another 30 or more years, God-willing, Cervaza-sickness willing and Democrats-willing if they haven’t banned guns yet. So as I ave and get resistant to change how do I know if I’m making the right choice or if my instincts are failing me for nostalgia or comfort reasons?

The underlying factor is that life experience has taught us that "the new hotness" (gun, car, iPhone, whatever) is only new for a time, and there will always be something newer that comes after it. You've mastered a manual of arms that accomplishes what you need it to, reliably and without fanfare. The same life experience tells us that instead of spending money and time on another new flashy trend, mastering the one that we have now and that works makes us better, more consistent, and experienced shooters. Your instincts aren't failing, they're prevailing.

In a nutshell, that's wisdom.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/artic...ed-as-you-age/

[NH Shooter]

I showed up at a Rob Pincus training about 10 years with my factory-tuned S&W 5906. Of course everyone else was using a Tupperware pistol (mostly Glocks) and Mr. Pincus made an immediate comment on my gear selection. I shoot the heavy, all-metal throw-back as well as any other pistol I've owned so keeping up was not an issue. In fact, it was quite gratifying that at the end Mr. Pincus acknowledged my competence with it.

I carry a PPS Classic because it's lighter and smaller, I can shoot it well and I do not get upset over the wear and tear it suffers. The 5906 remains a showroom-condition safe queen, mostly because I want to preserve it. I remain tempted though to place an order for a Milt Sparks 55BN, just because.

[Rosco Benson]

Sometimes you just want something. Even if it doesn't fill a rational need. After decades of shooting, I decided to get a Colt SAA last year. I cannot give any rationale for getting it. It doesn't do anything better...or even as well...as other stuff I have.

I just plain wanted it.

[NH Shooter]

I remain tempted though to place an order for a Milt Sparks 55BN, just because.

Order placed. :-)

Brown cowhide, FBI cant, 15 - 20 weeks.

[Totem Polar]

Once you have your "tools," everything else is just a want. I bought way more single-action revolvers than I have polymer over the last 5 years or so. DA revolvers too, come to think of it.