Mil-Spec
By Robb Manning
Introduction
It has been such a pleasure for me to write my concealed carry column,Everyday Carry, that I wanted to get in on more action. I’ve been pleading with Mr. Dick Ellis since I started writing for him, to let me write a column dealing with tactical firearms and gear. He finally gave me the go-ahead, so here it is, Mil-Spec.
I toiled for days looking for a catchy title, I thought about High-Speed, Low-Drag and a couple of others, but Mil-Spec really stuck. Mil-Spec sums up most everything this column will discuss -- all the topics will center around military and law enforcement tools: Firearms, knives, gear, etc.
“What is ‘Mil-Spec’?” you might ask. Military Specifications. For every item the military uses, it sets out the minimum specifications, or standards, that the item must meet before it is accepted for service. This term has been severely overused -- and dare I say even sometimes erroneously used -- in recent years, with the American gun culture’s love of everything tactical.
Why a tactical column? America is at an all-time high in its love affair with everything and anything tactical. It’s at the shooting range and it’s in the hunting fields and woods. Americans have always been fascinated by all things military, and in this day and age we have more access to that equipment than ever before.
What this also means, is that as more Americans are becoming pro-active with their own safety and self-defense, they are attending shooting schools. Most of these schools use tactical gear, and/or teach tactical methods. In other words, the methods you are taught come from battlefield experience or from law enforcement.
So, stay tuned and keep an eye out for On Wisconsin Outdoor’s new tactical column, Mil-Spec.