Code of Conduct

1. Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years of age to use Loadout Combat Lab. Our content relates to firearms, ammunition, and accessories. By creating an account or submitting any content, you confirm that you meet this age requirement. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that we have reason to believe belong to minors.

2. Respect and Civil Discourse

Loadout Combat Lab serves a diverse community that spans veterans, hunters, competitive shooters, new gun owners, and professionals across many fields. Treat every member with the same respect you would expect in person.

• No personal attacks. Criticize ideas, not people. Disagreeing with someone's loadout recommendation is fine. Insulting the person is not.
• No harassment or threats. Any communication that could reasonably make another person fear for their safety is prohibited and may be reported to law enforcement.
• No racism, bigotry, or hate speech. Content that demeans individuals or groups on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic has no place here.
• No NSFW or sexually explicit content. This is a gear and price comparison platform, not a social media site. Keep all submitted content appropriate for a professional firearms retail environment.
• No trolling. Deliberately inflammatory, off-topic, or provocative content intended to derail discussion is prohibited.

3. Prohibited Content and Behavior

3a. Spam and Manipulation

• No spam. Do not post repetitive, irrelevant, or promotional content. Do not use automated tools to submit reviews, ratings, or comments.
• No vote manipulation. Do not create multiple accounts to upvote your own content, downvote competitors, or otherwise manipulate community signals.
• No impersonation. Do not impersonate other users, industry professionals, law enforcement, military personnel, or Loadout Combat Lab staff. Do not create a false impression about the source of your reviews or opinions.

3b. Counterfeit and Unsafe Gear

This rule is non-negotiable and safety-critical. Counterfeit body armor, ballistic plates, and other protective equipment have caused real deaths. Users who would stake their lives — or the lives of law enforcement and military personnel — on this gear deserve accurate information.

• Do not promote, recommend, link to, or facilitate the purchase of counterfeit tactical or protective equipment of any kind.
• Do not misrepresent the ballistic protection rating, NIJ certification status, or material composition of any product.
• Do not endorse “budget alternatives” to safety-critical gear without clearly disclosing the difference in certification and testing standards.
• If you discover a listing on Loadout Combat Lab that appears to be counterfeit or misrepresented, please report it immediately via our contact page.

3c. Illegal Modifications and NFA Items

Discussion of legal NFA items (suppressed firearms, short-barreled rifles, and machine guns registered before 1986) is permitted in appropriate contexts. The following are strictly prohibited:

• No discussion of auto sears, switch conversions, forced reset triggers under active ATF guidance, or any device intended to convert a semi-automatic firearm to fire automatically without proper NFA registration.
• No instructions for creating unregistered short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), or unregistered suppressors.
• No instructions for removing or altering serial numbers, defeating safety mechanisms, or performing modifications prohibited under federal, state, or local law.
• No discussion of “solvent trap kits” or similar items in contexts that suggest or imply their use as unregistered suppressors.

3d. ITAR and Controlled Technical Data

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) control the export of defense-related articles and technical data. Loadout Combat Lab is a consumer price comparison site, not a defense contractor platform. The following are prohibited:

• No sharing of technical data, schematics, drawings, or manufacturing specifications for items controlled under the U.S. Munitions List (USML).
• No sharing of export-controlled information related to weapons systems, fire control systems, night vision technology, or similar defense articles.
• If you are unsure whether information you wish to share is ITAR-controlled, do not post it. Consult with a qualified attorney before sharing.

4. Safety First

Firearms are dangerous tools. Responsible ownership and use are fundamental values of this community.

• Do not recommend configurations, modifications, or techniques that could result in injury, death, or property damage. This includes barrel timing issues, overpressure handload data, compromised gas system setups, or incompatible parts combinations.
• Always follow the four fundamental rules of firearm safety in any advice or demonstration you discuss on this platform.
• When discussing ammunition selection, be accurate about pressure ratings, compatibility, and any known issues with specific lot numbers or manufacturers.
• If you observe content on this platform that presents an imminent safety risk, contact us immediately via the contact page.

5. Reviews and Accuracy

Our community depends on honest, accurate product reviews. The value of Loadout Combat Lab is directly tied to the trustworthiness of its content.

• Only review products you have personally purchased and used. Do not submit reviews based on second-hand accounts, marketing materials, or assumptions.
• Disclose any material relationship with a retailer or manufacturer. If you received a product for free, at a discount, or in exchange for a review, you must say so.
• Do not submit fake reviews of any kind — positive or negative. Both artificially inflate or suppress product ratings and harm users who rely on them.
• Price reports must be accurate at the time of submission. Do not report prices you cannot verify.

6. Enforcement

Loadout Combat Lab staff have full discretion to enforce this Code of Conduct. Enforcement actions may include content removal, warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent ban depending on the severity and frequency of violations.

• Staff decisions are final. We do not relitigate moderation decisions in public or via repeated support tickets. If you believe an action was taken in error, contact us once, clearly, with relevant context.
• Ban evasion is a permanent ban. If your account is banned and you create a new account to continue participating, that account will also be banned.
• To report a violation, use the report function on the content in question or visit our contact page. We review all reports, though we may not respond to every one individually.

7. Changes to This Code

We may update this Code of Conduct at any time. Significant changes will be noted at the top of this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of Loadout Combat Lab after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Code.