Tactical guns are fun and remind me of my time in the USMC as an armorer. I would spend countless hours on the range and was able to shoot large quantities of tax payer funded 5.56 and x51. I was truly blessed to have this MOS. That said, I own many AR15s, 10s and AK variants. I will hunt pigs with my AR 10 but the rest are for casual shooting or keeping meth-heads at bay.
When I was growing up, I would have given anything to own something like an AR-15, what young man wouldn't want one? I had to settle for Grandpa's .410 bolt action squirrel slayer but that thing was awesome too! I can still remember being on Parris Island and shooting the M16 for the first time. It was amazing and despite being hazed into oblivion by the DI's it was the best part of boot camp for me.
Now at my 30s, I prefer bolt action rifles and handloading for them. I am all for walnut/blued guns, but haven't really seen any new off the shelf production rifles that didn't scream mass produced garbage. Most of them have that freedom arms, .gov employee quality bluing done to them. Sad!
Maybe a new production Win 70 featherweight has good, deep bluing? All I see at the LGS these days in the new rifle section is $3-400 garbage rods.
