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Hey guys. I got some good news to report - I'm officially a college graduate as of yesterday.   I took my leave from the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Athens yesterday, with my Machinist I diploma in hand. After 20 months of turning handles within the walls of Machine Tool Technology, I am now certified.   It's a pretty proud moment for everyone around me, and myself as well. When I started the course in January 2013, I never thought I would even make it this far; but I have, in what seems like a few days' time in retrospect, 20 months has cruised on by.   But it paid off. I graduated with honors (my grade average has never been below 97; for the past year it has been 100 across the board) and perfect attendance for all 20 months.   It was a pretty emotional event, in a way, last night. The yearly ceremony was held at Athens Middle School. It was tough to go through, knowing that I had to move on from several very close friends and co-students, as well as my instructor; but through the magic of email and transportation, it is not good-bye so much as, until next time.   Now I await my next move - getting into a good job. I already have a good lead; I hope it leads to something great. I want to become a top-class machinist, and a hard-working American's American like the great folks here on TGO.   Anyway, hey, thanks for hearing my spiel, fellas.

You guys were RIGHT and I am a dumb arse!  No one at the church knew anything if my wife's surgery. I called the church today and the pastor is coming by this afternoon. He is going to get a volunteer to come by and stay with her while I work. Talk about foot prints in the sand! I want to thank you guys for your replies and prayers.

With the opening of a new BPS here in Bristol, one of my son's friends applied for and was offered a position.  The last day of training, they were reviewing store policies, and the new employees were advised that they cannot store an otherwise legally-owned firearm in their vehicle while parked at the BPS - to do so will be grounds for immediate dismissal.  He questioned his understanding of the policy, and was told that he did understand it correctly - and that this was BPS's corporate policy.  He politely handed his "uniforms" back to the manager and told them that he would not be taking the position.   Hopefully, the Cabela's that is building a store just 6 miles up the road will have a bit more common sense.

  Try a different tour guide and you'll hear that the locals did it because Yankee tourists kept getting their heads stuck in them.  :)

Did you notify anyone at the church of your wife's condition. Sometimes we take it for granted that they know of our problems. You may want to give them a call. Just saying

I believe the problem is associated the use of 125gr bullets. I have heard of this load is also notorious for flame cutting on the top strap on some revolvers as well. I have shot MANY rounds of 125gr and not experienced this in my Rugers, but this was before I heard of the issue. In the Smith gun it was believed the cracking was caused by the thinned forcing cone. Example below take notice of the flat on the bottom. If you want an explanation of why this is thought to be happening. See post #6 in the link below. I'd copy it, but want the author to get credit for it. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=455649

*You're My GT score was a hell of a lot higher than 110. I wasn't a grunt for a lack of options. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What am I preparing for?     The Defender's Creed John Farnam I accept and understand that human predators exist. Criminal or terrorist, they take advantage of our civilized society to prey upon the weak. They represent evil and must be confronted and defeated. I believe that self-defense is a moral imperative, and that illegitimate force and illegal violence must be met with righteous indignation and superior violence. I will not rely on others for the security of myself, my family and my community. I proudly proclaim that I run with a like-minded pack. I do not amble through life with the mind-numbed herd. I will train with my chosen weapons, maintain them and carry them in a condition of readiness at all times. I will be mentally prepared and physically equipped to effectively respond to an attack or emergency. I will constantly test myself against realistic standards to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I will turn weakness into strength. I will seek to learn new skills and techniques, and then teach what I have learned to other members of the pack. Be it with firearm or blade, empty hand or blunt object, I will hit my enemies hard, fast and true. I will live a quiet and unobtrusive life, but I will develop and retain the capacity for swift and decisive violence. I recognize that I am the modern equivalent of the traditional Minuteman, and that I may be called to service at any time against heavily armed enemies. I will respond effectively. I accept that I am a pariah among some of my countrymen, and a quaint anachronism to others. I will not hold their ignorance against them. I will win, or die trying. I swear this creed before God, my family and my fellow citizens.

Worse case scenario, it won't be a handgun I'm carrying.

I am bacon powered also!   :rofl:

That looks great!! Nice restor on a old 500.

i would start them off with a single shot 22 to age 12 from age 9 and then she would only move up if she learned it all. Boys the same way. 22 single shot rifle and maybe a 4.10 shotgun in single shot.............jmho

This should not have happened. 

I get too many feather puffs with the el cheapos. Last year I ran the AA Heavy Targets the first part of season and killed a high percentage of birds. I ran out and switched to low brass cheapos and got too many fly offs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What DaveTN said. Still, it's pretty awesome to meet the UPS man and have him hand you a box if firearms.  :up:   Plus you get dealer pricing at some websites. Brownell's does that for us. I know there are others, but that's the only one I've used.

Just like automotive painting, its all about the preparation.  Having the right tool helps.  I've probably over 3k in tools and equipment to get started.  It is applied with HPLV spray gun and oven cured.  

His name is Ben and he is a good smith and reasonable too.

The Lebanon Gun Shop on Hartman Drive has a gunsmith on site. I've never employed him for any work, but have spoken with him, and he seems like a nice guy.

Gas is cheaper than bacon. Bacon tastes better than gas.

Congrats!   Here's a question that will enter your mind once you start working...   Are all machine shop owners assholes, or are all assholes machine shop owners?    :lol:     Stay diligent to keep your skills fresh.  Modern CNC equipment can quickly turn a machinist into a machine operator. 

Awfully harsh and judgmental thing to say about a young man trying to secure employment.    I know when I worked at Walmart and Sears they both had the same policy and I broke them daily at each store I just didn't tell anyone.  The policy isn't in place because the business is anti.  They put the policy in place because it is a liability to the company if an employee was ever to shoot a customer be it accidentally, on purpose, or while taking down an active shooter.  The employee, in the eyes of the courts is an agent of the company so it sets the company up for an easy lawsuit. 

Things that make you go . . . hmmmmmm . . . . ‘Guns Are Welcome’: One Restaurant Bucked a Trend — Here’s What Happened Next Jul. 19, 2014 11:23am Zach Noble As many restaurants, including Starbucks, Sonic and Chili’s, tell customers to leave their guns at home, one restaurant in East Tennessee took a different approach — and gained quite a few customers. Sharma Floyd, owner of Shiloh Brew and Chew, adopted a gun-friendly policy after she read about other restaurants banning firearms, WBIR-TV reported. “[The other restaurant] had put up a sign that said ‘No Weapons Allowed’ and they were robbed at gunpoint two days later,” Floyd recounted. “That got me thinking.” She posted a “Guns are Welcome” sign on the front door of her establishment about a month ago, and since then, she says business has really picked up. Image source: screengrab via WBIR-TV “I can honestly say I’ve gotten way more support than the one person who really gave me a lot of grief over it,” said Floyd. ”I have had so many customers take pictures of the sign, ask to meet me in person, and thank me.” Floyd says she keeps some safety precautions in mind — for instance, she won’t serve beer to customers who are carrying firearms — and so far the policy seems to be doing nothing but good things for her business. “There have been as many as eight people in here at one time who I know for a fact had guns,” Floyd said. “And no one would have known it except I know them personally. They’re law abiding, god fearing, Christian people. And that’s what I stand on. That’s what my restaurant is based on. ” http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/19/guns-are-welcome-one-restaurant-bucks-a-trend-and-sees-dramatic-results/

I really like that with the pachmayer furniture. Looks great.

I'll stick to my Kahr PM9 for pocket carry. I need a pocket hoster with mag holder like Oh Shoot has.

Beautiful, slim, well made, but a .380 when you could have a 9mm, and it has a horrendous double action trigger pull.  I've had several, even had one worked on to ease the DA pull and still decided it wasn't worth it.   IF I have to pocket carry I carry the DB9 that I got my wife to carry.  Apparrently we got the only one that actually works, at least from forum posts.  I don't shoot reloads in it at all, mostly round nose hollow points and have had zero problems.   Cherokee Slim

  I miss D&T Arms.

Well sure, them southerners will get their heads stuck in the darnest places. :rofl:

Are you tired of ugly, dull edges? Or maybe you're sick of going to the gun shows with a sack full of knives to be sharpened at $5 or more dollars a piece. Maybe you just wanna be the envy of your friends with mirror polished, straight razor sharp, hair popping edges? I'm gonna show you how to take a mediocre edge to mirror polished and hair popping in just a few min. for about $20 worth of material. The first thing you need to do is run to walmart and pick up a few things. You will need: 220 grit sand paper (optional) 400 grit sand paper 600 or 800 grit sand paper Mothers aluminum polish Mouse pad Super glue Cedar clothes hangers Rubber bands My total on this was $20.73 at Walmart. You can do it cheaper if you have some or all of this stuff in the shop. So gather your materials The first step is to super glue the mouse pad to the cedar coat hanger board, material side down, rubber side up. Any good flat board of appropriate size will work. Then trim to size. Now add your 220/400 grit sand paper and secure with rubber bands. It is easier if you trim it to fit, but you don't have too. Use 220 if you are reprofiling a very bad edge, or 400 if the edge is already in decent shape. These are the edges we are starting with. The bowie is already belt sanded to 320 grit. The case is my work knife and hasn't been sharpened in 2 months Now, with a draw stroke motion, drag the knife edge across the sand paper. You will need to find what angle and pressure works for you. I use a low angle and moderate pressure for mine. I draw mine 45 strokes per side. This gives me a count so my edge stays even. You can color the edge with a sharpie to make sure you hit the whole edge when you first start to help you find your perfect angle and pressure. Added by Broomhead BTW, if you use wet/dry sand paper, add some type of oil to it, I use 3-in-1. It'll create a slurry which will, A. Keep the paper from clogging up so fast by floating the metal shavings, B. Increase the effectiveness of your work by reusing the released grit, C. Make your strokes smoother for fewer errant scratch marks before continuing on to the next higher grit, and D. Keep your blade oiled. When the oil starts to get too thick, wipe the blade and add a little more oil. If the paper seems to stop cutting, replace it and add more oil. I doubt you'll need to do either for a knife or two, but you might need to if you're doing a lot.<br /><br />Also, gently wipe your blade with a paper towel, shop rag, etc, before moving onto the next higher grit so you won't scratch your nicely sanded blade halfway through that higher grit and have to redo your hard work. Next swap out for the 600 or 800 grit sand paper and do the same thing. A 600 will have a more aggressive bite while 800 will make a cleaner slice. Another 45 strokes and you should have a sharp workable edge. But its still not to the standards we are looking for. My phone died so I dont have pictures of this edge. Now if you are like me, you may not have an appropriate piece of leather. If you do, use that for the next step. If not, use the box your sand paper came in. Trim it to fit the mouse board and mount it with the rubber bands undied/un colored side up. Add a finger full of the mothers in streaks. Now strop with light to moderate pressure. I use 30 strokes per side. This will make a mirror polished hair popping edge. Now test out your edge and enjoy the results. I hope you have all enjoyed and learned something from this little tidbit of info. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I would love to see some comments if this has helped you out, and I'll be happy to try out and add any suggestions you might have to the write up.

Nice find. I picked one up from AIM when they had a batch of C&R eligible High Power pistols recently. It's not WWII era like the one you picked up, but I think I'll keep it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'll bring you some 124 gr ammo!!!

Try using decent ammo.  That UMC 115gr is the weakest 9mm on the market.  Also use a new magazine with a strong spring.  If it's still causing problems, then it's probably the extractor.   Extractors for those older HPs are getting hard to find.  You might want to remove it and give it and the channel it fits into a really good cleaning.  75 years of gunk can cause problems.  A new set of springs is always a good idea for these older pistols.   Clean it up, but do not reblue it or replace the original grips if you want to keep it's collector value.   It's rare to find a HP that doesn't function well with decent ammo if it's clean.  Enjoy!

  Same with school property, only permit holders exempt.   - OS

If I recall properly, the law just states you can't be prosecuted for it; especially now that no permit is required to have a handgun in a vehicle. However, an employer can still fire you for any reason they choose.

best thing to do is keep it to yourself.  Always. Don't ask and don't tell. I guess if I did not need the job I might walk away,  but then if I did not need the job why would I care if down the road I got fired for having a gun in my car?

It has fed everything just fine, LSWCs,Jacketed and Plated. Not one problem. I like this gun, it is big and runs like a champ.

I'm more worried about ball cancer than I am about meeting AQ outside of their stomping grounds. Of course they'll try to attack us again and probably succeed to some degree, but the chances of being a direct victim or being in a position to intervene is about as likely as Jennifer Anniston showing up at my door to service me and make a sammich. Not saying that I don't fantasize about that happening, and keep hope alive that it does, I'm just realistic about the odds. I carry because it is my duty to protect my family, and a firearm is more effective than a broadsword, although not nearly as fashionable. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope, that means you are on the wrong end of the fight.

  Good stuff. However, i doubt your exhaust fumes are quite as pleasing.... 

I carry a Glock 19 in Afghanistan. Working 12-16 hour days, 6-7 days a week. Primarily working in and out of bearcats. Never once seen a Glock bend, break or do whatever. I have broken a glock and my TL at the time broke his within a week of mine breaking. So, that sucked. But thats another story. Also, I carry a Glock 19 daily when I'm home in the states. Never had an issue with the polymer here either.   You have nothing to worry about with getting in and out of vehicles with your Glock.  

DING! DING! DING! And we have the answer.

I vote Hornady dies. 1. They come with the best lock rings. 2. Seating die has the bullet guide which helps make sure the bullet is straight, and does a great job helping to avoid pinched fingers! 3. They now have a taper crimp option instead of the roll crimp - just bought .45ACP dies a few weeks back, has an adjustment for seating depth and crimp and very simple to set up. That being said, half of my dies are RCBS. Only Lee dies I own are an universal decapper and two bullet sizing dies.

Your immediate actions seem correct from your accounting.  Possibly being a little better witness with details may be helpful in this circumstance.  That of course means sticking around if needed.  Let's play 'what if'  an employee had been stabbed...etc.  The information you provided may be crucial in follow-up arrests.

I agree with everything except you getting in your car and riding off.  I would have at least stayed long enough to make sure you weren't needed as a witness.

Why would you get flamed for a well thought out post such as this? :up:

I think carrying either way should be up to the individual.....not the government. That being said I prefer not  to broadcast to the entire world that I'm armed. Like so many other things in life I feel it's nobody's business.

I used to carry IWB but the water kept dripping, now it's OWB only. Super Soaker Gen III are easier to conceal now :rofl:

I like open carry about as much as threads about open carry. :ugh: They are both usually done to stir up #### and see how bad you can make it stink.

About a couple hundred pounds less than a cop

  It was hard to find the right holster for it. It does have a little better penatration than the 9mm and a little more stopping power than the .45.

[quote name="joe45" post="1158667" timestamp="1402698517"]OK got it. Let the games begin ;)[/quote] I went ahead and gave you five to start with. Looks like TrickyNicky sucks because someone offset my 5 star with 1 star. I'm off to ruin Oh Shoot's rating. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk