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It was an honor to meet wade195(Doug) today. He is very much a gentleman a pleasure to talk with. We had a short but nice visit. It's always nice to be able to meet another TGO member and get to shake their hand. My Son In Law saw me looking at the Ruger rifle the other day and asked me if I was planning on doing some deer hunting and I said I don't own a deer rifle so guess not and he said would you go if you had one and I said I might go down to Ronnies (my sons place) cause he has about 4 nice ladder stands up and about an hour later my Tommy(SNL) came back and a laid the funds down for me to buy the rifle and told me Merry Christmas. So Doug was nice enough to bring it to me today and I am now the proud owner of a great 243 and enough ammo to hunt with................

Not sure if this qualifies for this thread as I don't have any pics to add and I technically wasn't the one doing the shooting, but I would be remiss not to mention a shooting event that occurred this weekend at Strategic Edge in Chapel Hill. Strategic Edge hosted a group called A Soldier's Child Foundation which is comprised of Gold Star kids of various ages (there were 9-20year olds at the range) that come together from around the country and hang out together and participate in various outdoor activities. I had honestly never heard of the group before this, but it's worth reading up on. They are out of Murfreesboro as best I can tell and have a lot of their gatherings based out of the Deer Run Camp. Anyway, seeing these kids come out to the range, some of whom had never shot before, was truely awesome! They shot everything from .22 pistols, ARs, recurve bows, shotguns, all the way up to a bolt action .50 cal! I think the joy on their faces was equally matched by that of the range members that brought their own guns and ammo out for the kids to shoot. There were some truely amazing guns on the line, and the kids got to shoot as much or as little as they wanted. There were several that even hit the 1000yrd target with the .50 and a couple long range rigs. While the kids may or may not have realized that they were experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity that many firearms enthusiasts would have paid dearly for, it was sobering to contemplate the sacrifice and loss that these kids and their families had experienced. As you can imagine there were certainly some underlying emotions at play, probably just as much for the volunteers that participated. I'm just glad to know that there are organizations out there like A Soldier's Child that are trying to enrich and brighten the lives of these youth that we all owe a dept of gratitude for.

My wife worked security in the military for 23 years and she owns no less than 6 of her own so.....

Not much money in brass these days. Probably the only thing that will raise the price is a democrat in the White House.

No one takes pics so we can shield the guilty among us.

What a blessing my wife is. I'd come home from a gun show, she'd ask how many I bought, if I said 2 or 3 she'd say, lousy show. I truly am a blessed man.

All Glock lovers are wrong.

The best one is the one that the shooter performs best with, and is most comfortable using. Whether for sport, protection, or whatever, a handgun should act and feel like an extension of your body. If you are not comfortable with it, it's not the best one for you. Now if you're equally comfortable with multiple pistols and have a specific use in mind, there is room to debate the technical features or other merits of a particular platform, but it's a bit like asking "Ford or Chevy". That being said, the poster hasn't shared their reason for asking. When I got my permit and decided to carry, I went to my LGS and tried everything in the rental case (they had an indoor range at this store). I'm a big fan of German engineering and Glock carries a well earned reputation. However I shot my best group with the M&P, and it felt good in my hands. I use an M&P 9C for my EDC (v 1.0 mind you... don't have the cake for a 2.0 right now).

Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm I have owned a variety of M&P semi-autos since they started producing them back in 2005. I bought my first M&P, a full-size .40SW, from Guns & Leather 12 years ago when the pistol first came out and quickly followed it with an M&P 40c and then several other versions joined them over the years. The 40c and the 9c were never really a favorite of mine as they seemed to suffer from the same things that the Glock 26 and 27 sub-compacts did. Namely, they weren't small enough to really be a pocket gun but they weren't large enough to be very versatile either. Just like with Glock, if I was going to carry a double-stack 9mm, I was going to go for the Glock 19 instead of the 26 and with the M&P it meant the full-size 9mm. The M&P Shield was a huge step in the right direction for Smith & Wesson for those who wanted a slim 9mm for deep concealment. It also really put the spotlight on the fact that the 9c was, in my opinion at least, really not good enough at any one thing to make it a compelling option. If only S&W would just listen to their customers and build something exactly the same size as the Glock 19/23. We just wanted them to give us 15rds of 9mm in a package slightly shorter in the slide and grip than the full-size. Apparently someone at S&W has finally listened. The new M2.0 Compact scratches all of the itches in all the right ways. It is as if Smith and Wesson's lawyers finally relaxed and gave the engineers the green light to go ahead and build a better Glock 19 than Glock does. And boy did they get it right. And they kind of snuck it in on everyone. The M2.0 Compact version really doesn't seem to have received the fanfare or enjoyed the publicity blitz that its full size brother did. The release wasn't timed to coincide with any of the major industry shows. The internet wasn't ablaze with rumors of the new gun until it had essentially been announced by S&W. I only saw the "leaked" promotional slick for the new gun maybe 48 hours before the company published it officially. And yet the paradox seems to be that the lack of hoopla over the gun is significantly the inverse of just how good it is. The new M&P Compact no longer occupies a weirdly confusing spot in Smith & Wesson's lineup. It no longer tries to follow in the equally awkward footsteps of the Glock 26/27 platform. Instead, it has taken the Glock 19/23 platform squarely in its sights and blown the center out of that target with a better option. The new Compact gives a platform that is perfect for concealed carry, with superior ergonomics, a better feel and a sexier look than its Austrian competitor. And, just as the Glock 19/23 will fit into a holster made for the larger 17/22, the new M2.0 compact fits even better into holsters made for the larger M&P full-size. Carrying the M2.0 Compact in a TT Gunleather "Mike's Special" leather inside the waistband holster made for my M&P 9mm Full-size yields an extremely comfortable and potent concealment package. The shorter Compact fits the longer gun's holster as if it were made for it. The slide is only 1/4" shorter at the muzzle but otherwise identical in dimension to the larger gun. The trigger guard is exactly the same size. The grip is of course shorter in length at the cost of giving up two rounds of 9mm, but 15 rounds is hardly inadequate and the shorter grip deftly avoids printing against a t-shirt when concealed. So, how does it shoot? It was no problem at all to keep the first two magazines (30 rounds) that I ever fired from the gun inside the head kill zone of a man-sized target at 15 yards. The pace of fire was slower at first but I quickly ramped up the speed to my normal cadence for defensive shooting (2-3 rounds in rapid succession) with only marginal widening of the pattern. I found the trigger's break to be crisp and predictable. I haven't measured the pull yet with my Lyman gauge but i expect that it is somewhere between 4.5lbs and 5.5lbs based on the way it felt. I haven't bothered to check to see what S&W specs it at despite the ease of finding such information with Google. The trigger reset is no more exciting than any other M&P that I have ever owned. For those who like the extremely tactile reset of the Glock pistols, you won't find the M2.0's reset to be quite as audible or authoritative. It's a little on the limp and soggy side, but I've never found that to be a bother or to hamper my ability to shoot the M&P platform quickly and reliably. I tend to subscribe to Rob Latham's philosophy that if you "ride" the trigger you will find it hard to pick up an unfamiliar gun and cycle it reliably. As a result I've spent the past 20 years learning to keep my grip firm and sight-picture correct rather than relying on riding the trigger's reset to keep my groups small. Your mileage might vary and the soft reset may drive you nuts, but Apex Tactical Specialities has all of the trigger and ignition parts you need to make your M&P feel a little more Glock-like if that is what you are after. Another thing that I noticed with the M2.0 Compact is that, with mine at least, the slide lock seems to have been improved by S&W so that lefties can finally release it with their dominant hand's thumb and not pull a hernia in the process. I am not a lefty so I am at a disadvantage any time I try to do lefty-things, but the slide lock lever is no trouble for me to manipulate with my thumb left-handed. My hands are built like that of an ogre with shorter, stronger fingers, but I still think that almost any lefty will be able to release the slide with the lock lever and that it will only get easier as the gun breaks in. Final thoughts... None of us ever buy a handgun with the idea in mind that we are going to publicly tell the world how big of a mistake we made. I have read many glowing reviews of handguns only to follow up with the author's writings later to see that they had parted way with that new wunderpistol once the honeymoon was over. I guess it is just human nature to want everyone else to think that we always make good choices and aren't careless with our money. That being said, I have bought some real turds over the years. I have spent money on guns that were nowhere near as good as the magazine pundits or YouTube pimps said that they were. I've taken new guns to the range and immediately knew that I had made a serious mistake, and already had an idea of how I was going to sell them before I ever got through the second magazine of ammo. HOWEVER. This isn't one of them. Hands down, the M&P M2.0 Compact is a winner. It's riding my hip right now in that TT Gunleather IWB holster. It is replacing my Glock 19 for daily carry. It is going to cause a lot of other guns in my library to spend lonely days in the safe. It is really that good. I found it to be incredibly accurate and flat shooting. The size is perfect. The texture on the grip is perfect. The trigger feels just fine to me. The only thing I changed, and I did it immediately as I do with almost every handgun for which they are made, was to install a set of Ameriglo Pro i-Dot sights with orange outlined tritium front dot and simplistic black rear sight. In this case, the rear has the U-shaped notch that I prefer and a single dimmed tritium dot. Perhaps the most powerful statement that I can make about the new Compact is that I will be buying at least one more of them to have as a backup. And I am probably going to sell some other guns that I won't be shooting anymore.

Lets kick out 2017 with a bang and shoot pistol caliber carbine's on New Years Eve! 5 stages with a round count of something around 200, pistols are welcome. International Multi Gun scoring will be used, 2 hits anywhere or 1 A zone hit neutralizes target. 9mm, 40 S&W, 38 Super or 45ACP will be the only 4 ammo types that can be used. More details coming in the weeks a head.

This one just came in from Ed Brown and I can’t wait to shoot it. Hopefully I’ll get to the range in the next few weeks. It’s an LS10 in Battle Bronze with a few options.

Went to the range today to make sure both of mine were still sighted in. I am ready to be able reach a little farther than my bow will allow. Cleaning tip: I figured out today that a 28 ga bore snake, while tight, works really well in a .50 cal barrel. Hopefully the weather is not to rainy on Saturday.

Well since winter is not a good time for fishing bait orders so I will still probably sort it out and see what I come up with and it will still be free once I get it done.

Yeah....like brass monkey parts!

Some of us were drawn for Catoosa this weekend.I hadn't been there in about 16 years. I swa 4 deer, none legal. I thought with the 4 point on one side rule being in effect for over 20 years I might see more. I'll be back on my lease this weekend and looking forward to it.

That's impressive. I just upgraded to an iPhone 7 so I guess I need to start practicing your lighting suggestions, thanks.

Last I was on 2meter, (couple years) 146.670 was the active one and 146.910 was active down south Murfreesboro area. Now days, I am mostly on dstar so I can't speak knowledgeably.

Believe it or not those were all taken with an iPhone 7. I just upgraded to an iPhone 8+ through work and it has an even better camera, so I can't wait to try it out soon. The best advice I can give is use natural sunlight and avoid using the flash if at all possible. Early morning, early evening and cloudy days are the best for taking photos. Or, if you can take your photos in a shady area on a bright day, it works well too. I do have a Canon DSLR, but I find myself using it sparingly these days. The cameras in the iPhones have gotten really, really good.

Thanks David. Guess I will have to check one out.

So was mine

Reminded me of talking to my very liberal 1/2 sister in IL!!

Amen! Thanks for sharing. I've often thought of this sort of thing, and how it must affect the children and families left behind. Thanks for sharing the organizations name, I made a donation this morning.

Nike or New Balance, Ford or Chevy, this type of question again......hmmmm There is no such animal. I see this question asked so much and I think it is too vague. Plastic, Chunk of metal, caliber (whole new thread even though the op stated 9 mm) S/A, D/A, size, etc. What do you shoot the best? I truly think you shoot the best with the pistol that you are most comfortable with, most confident with. It is a question that will be repeated. How bout a TGO poll!

I see your point, but I view the .45 as protection and the 9mm as an accessory, like a nice belt or watch

Just saw this thread so I'm making my contribution. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What is “reliable” “performs flawlessly” to you? 50 rounds standing at the range, clean and repeat? Monthly IDPA or USPSA match 200 rounds, clean and repeat? 1000 round handgun class rolling around in the dirt, clean and repeat? 5000 rounds, hasn’t been cleaned since it came out of the box? I have a muzzleloader that’s reliable, goes bang every time, runs flawlessly.... I’ve only fired it once. edit: Have you ever fired a Glock?

I think you made my point. Who's going to look at their friend's gun that he is clearly proud of and talk crap about it? The conversation would likely have gone differently had your Beretta not been the opener. Back in 1987/1988 while the Beretta was in acceptance testing my with the military, several NSW operators were injured due to slides breaking and the back of the slide coming off the gun striking them in the face. As a result NSW as a whole went away from the Berreta and went with the Sig. Non-SOF Navy and the rest of the services went with the Beretta, but only after an engineering change to prevent further injuries. If you remove the left side grip panel of your Beretta you will see a penny sized circle that sits right below the slide. A portion of this circle rides in a slot in the slide and will prevent the rear of the slide from coming of the frame if/when there is a slide breakage, which usually only happened at a very high round count. A round count beyond what most service members and civilian users will reach. If you note, the Brigadier model is substantially reinforced in the troublesome slide area. To be clear, I think the Beretta is a very accurate gun in single action, and I have shot more rounds than I can count through several of them. I have had some malfunctions with them, but as I said it an earlier post, they were environmental related. If they had been even reasonably clean, which was impossible at the time, I have no doubt that they would have performed flawlessly. The Berettas are not my cup of tea, but I would never put down someone that had one, as it will most likely serve them well. Not that my opinion should matter to anyone at all, just as yours does not matter to me, but I am happy that you like your Beretta. With as many options as we have, no one should have a gun they don't like. My only reason for engaging with you at all in this thread was your antagonistic approach and responses. While I don't care about your opinion I do take issue with your attitude which is why I responded in kind.

Your doing it all wrong. Just recently I purchased several guns at one time. Came home and my wife said so did you buy anything? I said yes, look what I bought for you as I showed her a small frame pistol (she has very small hands). She loved it and thought the others were cool too. Now she does love guns so that helps. Lol

That's a very presumptuous, uninformed, and ignorant comment to make (fake news). Have you actually talked with many military personnel that have routinely had their M9s in the sand and swamps that had great things to say about them? Just because someone is in the military and carries an M9 does not mean it gets used, and certainly does not mean it sees harsh conditions, aside from dust bunny accumulation in a holster. Hell, less than 10-15% of the military even work in harsh conditions, especially in the last 15 years. I think it is telling that the units that have discretionary funding and authority to test, choose, and purchase nonstandard sidearms started going away from the M9 as far back as 2005. While many of their support personnel still carry M9s, the guys getting down and dirty in the sand and swamps have been carrying Glocks for years. Next time you run into SEAL ask them why they won't touch a Beretta and instead use MK25s (Sig226) and Glock 19s. Your trolling skills suck, at least put some effort in.

When she says, "do whatever you want," she doesn't mean do whatever you want.

Well we all know it's .45. Anything less and you're tickling the perp, but a .45 will vaporize at least half their torso.

What is “reliable” “performs flawlessly” to you? 50 rounds standing at the range, clean and repeat? Monthly IDPA or USPSA match 200 rounds, clean and repeat? 1000 round handgun class rolling around in the dirt, clean and repeat? 5000 rounds, hasn’t been cleaned since it came out of the box? I have a muzzleloader that’s reliable, goes bang every time, runs flawlessly.... I’ve only fired it once. edit: Have you ever fired a Glock?

I would not get a plumber for medical advice. Why would I let a sports player influence my politics?

4 girls or guns?

YAAAAWWNN.......did I just wake up? /Pinch...yeah not dreaming.....hmm... This seems like a topic we were talking about with Tungsten, MolonLabe, The Rabbi, Steelharp, Kahrman and others back in 2007 here on TGO. The Glock 19 was then and still is my carry gun. If looks are a primary deciding factor for your firearm then good for you..god bless murica.......if you think the Glock is fugly how about the Chiappa Rhino? Well, I guess the Chiappa was kind of sexy in Margot Robbie's hands in Suicide Squad......but then that was mostly the booty shorts not the gun. The purpose of the Glock for me is a reliable defensive handgun and that they do beautifully......./Yawn okay back to bed.....

That's fairly common with all side mounts. Reason I always used the TWS system, Ultimak, or SLR

I've got one of the Blem AK's. I am having issues with the scope mount on the side of the receiver. The scope mount does not line up over the center of the barrel. I've contacted PSA about this multiple times and sent them pictures last week and they emailed me this week wanting me to send the gun to them for them to look at the issue. The gun itself is really nice with fit and finish wise. Watch the AK operator unions review of the gun if you want more details.

No Followers League. I'm done. For all the reasons mentioned many times. Tired of the Social Protest BS. If I want to see and hear that, I'll watch MSNBC.

It was a beautiful and peaceful morning out at ORSA today... Then some Bastard started sending 5.56 downrange! @jpx2rk Helped me try sighting in my AR @ 200 yds w/ a variety of manufacturers ammo (including WInchester match grade at $1.35 a pop!) Did OK for me, but today helped convince me I need to hand-load for this thing if I want to get tighter groups at that range. Still, for an AR @ 200 yds, I thought it was pretty good (given the shooter... )

A work in progress

No biggie ... soldiers don't drop their weapons ... unless they're French.

So, tomorrow is my birthday, and the wife and I were talking last night, and she says: I was going to get you a gun for your birthday, but you just bought one so now I don't know what to get you!! So, I say you can still get me another gun....................... She says: But don't you have enough guns now? (such a loaded question) LOL So, I explain it to her in terms I think she can understand: You have 8-9 purses, if you run across another nice purse, do you buy it because you NEED it or because you LIKE it (she is a total purse collector) She just looks at me with that WTH blank stare on her face, so I tell her to just get me whatever she likes lol This got me to thinking about a few of the other crazy things she asks. me here are just a few 1: Why do you need more than one box of bullets for your gun? 2: You are a good shot, so why do you need to go to the range so often? 3: Why do you need a holster for EVERY gun you own? 4: Why do you need to clean my gun if I haven't shot it lately? 5: Why do you need so many gun cleaning supplies 6: Why do you need a .45 and a .9mm

If you carried one of those Aiwb... "Yes, that is a gun and I am excited to see you." Leading to Blazing Saddles, "excuse me while I whip this out." Bob, glad you're here!

Regarding #6. She has a point, if you have a .45, why ya' need a 9mm?

I could name an instructor, but... nah.

The glass bowl will be the only bowl they see this year.