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Some of you may remember THIS THREAD from last fall. It was asked who would be the TGO test subject and buy one. Well i'm your sucker volunteer. So now I'm gonna tell you all about it. Here's a link to the manufactures web page with all the details. Extar EP9 Also note that the price is $419. That's pretty cheap for a gun like this. That's also why they're so popular. First off, the thing is kind of hard to get a hold of. They restock on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:00pm Mountain Time. And you better be there then because these sell out real quick! I talking the whole inventory is gone in less than an hour. It took six months, but I finally happened to catch it at the right time and ordered one. The website also mentions that it takes 1 to 2 weeks for shipment. Believe it! It was two weeks exactly from the time I ordered until I had it in my hands. I have no idea why it takes so long, but it does. Here's how it comes in the box. You might note that the brace was already on it when it arrived. All the info says it comes separate and the web site even includes instructions for putting it on. Oh well, I ain't gonna argue about it. Here it is after I added a few things: First impressions: Its a neat little pistol. Compact, light weight and it even looks kinda cool. It handles very well. The trigger is a bit heavy at just over 7 pounds. However, it breaks very clean and crisp. Once I got used to it, I could handle it quite well. Of course that's easy enough to fix. But I think I'm gonna leave it as it is. Magazine issues: The gun comes with one Magpul 17 round Glock magazine. It works perfectly, no problems there at all. However I also ordered 4 Glock factory extended magazines for it. two 24 round and two 32 round. They had issues. all the mags fit ok, but none of them wound drop free when released. They were just a little too tight. I ended up having to sand the sides down a bit in order to get them to drop free. I remember in one of the You-tube reviews I saw that that guy mentioned that he had to do that too. Not really a big deal, but it was irritating to have to do it. Since I don't own any Glock pistols to try, I can't say if the regular pistol mags work or not. It may just be an issue with the extended versions. When shooting the gun I also discovered that it is entirely possible to shove the mag in too far when inserting the mag on an open bolt. When this happens, the bolt hangs up on the back of the mag when trying to close. This only happens if you shove the mag in very hard. Plastic on plastic I guess? Anyway, I learned to insert the mag and then give it a slight downward pull as as it seated. Again, not a big deal but irritating until you get the hang of it. maybe the gun just needs a little break in time? IDK? Range Report: Ok. so I took it out today and shot it. I started shooting off the bench at the 25/50 yard range. I needed to sight it in and I wanted to shoot some groups. Overall performance was good. Here's a few targets. Bear in mind that I'm a shaky, half blind old man. A younger shooter and a better trigger would probably get better groups. MALFUNCTION!: It seems that one of my reloads was out of specs. It wouldn't go all the way into the chamber. When that big, heavy bolt rammed into it, the cartridge got stuck big time! It wouldn't fire because the bolt was slightly out of battery. OTOH, the extractor had a death grip on the cartridge and I couldn't get the bolt open to clear it. I ended up having to separate the upper and lower receivers and putting a wooden dowel down the barrel and hammering the stuck cartridge loose. But this was the fault of a bad round, not the gun. After getting it sighted in and shooting groups, I then moved over to the Action Shooting range. I had a bay set up with 7 steel round plates, 1 popper and I added three IDPA cardboard targets. From there it was all run and gun! I'd put in a magazine and start banging steel as fast as I could go. I got good hits every single time and was able to stay in the A zone on the cardboard consistently. The little gun performed like a champ! All in all, I put 500 rounds through this thing today. Except for the malfunction already mentioned, it fed and fired everything I put in it. Factory ammo, my reloads, FMJs, HPs and LRN. But be warned, this little sucker will burn through a whole lot of ammo real quick! One more little item to mention. When you start dumping 32 round magazines through this thing, the handguard tends to get hot! And that little quarter inch exposed section of the barrel nut behind the handguard gets real hot! I'm thinking it will be a good idea to add some sort of forward grip to this thing. Not sure if I want to go straight or angled? Opinions here would be welcome. Final thoughts: Ok, so I got one. Now what? Honestly, I don't know why I bought it? Looks cool and sorta appeals to the inner operator in all of us. But does it really serve any real purpose that my current handguns and rifles don't already fill? I just don't know. If the S should ever HTF. I know what I'll be grabbing and this ain't it. Granted, for what it is and at its price, its a darn good little gun. Yeah, it has a couple of little quirks, but nothing bad enough to say don't buy. I enjoyed shooting it as it is a lot of fun. But somehow I get the feeling that I'm just gonna play with it for a while and eventually send it on down the road. I'm gettin' a little bit too old to be playing at being an operator.

When I lived in the UK I used to review products every once and a while, so I thought I might start doing it once more. I like writing every know and again and in doing so I just might help a couple of people along the way! Price - approx $100 Product Name - ALPHA LITE 18 INCH REALTREE AP HD HUNTING BOOT Gender - MEN'S Color - REAL TREE AP HD Height - 18" Insulation 7.0 MM NEOPRENE Midsole - RUBBER Outsole - ALPHA LITE Shank - FIBERGLASS Toe - PLAIN TOE Upper - RUBBER CLAD NEOPRENE Waterproof - YES Weight - 5.5 LBS Bootie - NYLON FABRIC Boots are a difficult thing to review, as everybody's requirements for a boot are so different. A lot of the time, choosing your footwear depends on the environment you are shooting in. I have found this to be true to my expense as I now own 5 pairs of boots for the different environments I shoot in. Just recently I have acquired some farm land to shoot on, the only one problem, when it's rained, the land there gets very marshy and sodden, mix that up with some horse manure and as you can imagine, you can get in a bit of a mess. I went and got myself some Lacrosse Alpha Lite 18 Inch Real Tree Boots. Lacrosse have been in the business of making boots since 1897. They are pretty good at it by now and if you ever visit their website you may come across their moto which pretty much sums up what they are trying to achieve with their range of products. We make products for blue-collar folks and blue-collar folks only. Period! The boots are big, no doubt about it. The box in which they arrived was huge, the biggest shoe box I have ever seen. The box itself is very well presented and sturdy. Protecting your purchase inside are various bits of paper and cardboard to ensure the boots are not knocked out of shape during transit. Let me talk a little bit about the technology that is used in the Alpha series boot Cam-loc Buckle for customized fit. Back gusset for any calf size. Scent-free waterproof exterior. 3.5 mm insulating neoprene layer. Moisture-wicking fleece lining for added warmth and comfort Thick cushioning and insulating EVA midsole for extra comfort. Strong, lightweight fiberglass shank for arch support and rigidity. Rugged, aggressive rubber outsole for traction in all conditions. Warm, scent-free, waterproof and lightweight Alpha Technology. What started as a way to combine the warmth of neoprene with the best features of a rubber-boot now stands as one of the most significant advancements in hunting technology since Grandpa showed up in camp with a new heart ticker. Not only does the rubber-over-3.5mm neoprene Alpha technology make for waterproof, ultra-light and scent-free ankle-fit boots, they are also as comfortable as any dinner involving gravy. And because so much of a successful hunt comes down to stealth, a sport-chassis outsole cradles the foot for fail-safe stability on uneven terrain, while an EVA midsole cushions the foot on every one of the 1,562,894 steps it takes you to fill your tag. Alpha Technology gives you: Insulating, scent-free and waterproof rubber-over-3.5mm neoprene. Warm, soft, moisture-wicking luxury from the fleece lining. The lightweight cushion and superior traction from the rugged Sport Chassis outsole. In other words, about the closest you can get to a 4 x 4 on your feet. The explanation above was taken direct from the LaCrosse website. I have left it all in for a reason. Its actually all true. Some boots boast to be both water proof, warm, silent etc etc, these actually are. In fact, in terms of comfort they are without a doubt he most comfortable boots I have worn. Comfort in boots are particularly important to me. I have a condition called plantar fasciitis. In layman's terms it means the plate in the bottom of my foot is damaged and will take a very long time to heal. It took me away from walking long distances for a long time, but, with these boots I am able to walk considerable distances without pain. In fact, if I could get away with wearing them to work, I would. As the land I shoot on is sometimes marshy, having the benefit of water proof boots is a must. Gore-Tex is used by Lacrosse to achieve this. For those who are unsure how Gore-Tex work's, let me explain. Gore-Tex works a lot like your skin. It allows moisture to escape, but doesn't let water in because it's a wafer-thin membrane made from billions of tiny pores that let the water vapor (or sweat) to escape. The great thing is, the pores are too small for liquid water to penetrate so your feet stay warm, dry and above all, comfortable. They are also scent free. Lacrosse use their own system called Hyper-dri which is a highly engineered, waterproof, breathable yet scent-free barrier that lines an entire boot for 100% protection. And while it does a great job keeping water out, Hyper-dri also absorbs moisture and transfers it away from your feet, keeping your feet warm, comfortable and dry enough to stick it out and finish the job. No matter how wet things get. The boots come with a Cam-loc buckle system. This enables you to custom fit the boot to any size leg/calf. In the winter you are going to be using some fairly thick clothing. My winter camo is bulky, and because I am wondering around marsh land I want my pants to be tucked in my boots. The Cam-loc system allows you to do this. I can tuck my pants in, then fasten the buckle for a tight, yet comfortable fit. I have mentioned the boots are waterproof earlier on in the review. They are excellent. I have walked through streams, through fresh manure, laid down all day in damp grass. At no point has any water entered the boot, my feet have remained dry and most importantly warm at all times. They are amazing as when you look and feel them you don't get a lot of confidence in them working. I must reiterate. They do work. The sole is rubber and therefore is very flexible, has amazing grip and is so easy to clean. Covered in mud when I get home I simply point a hose at the boots and in about 2 mins all remnants of mud and dirt has come off. In fact I cant even remember having to scrub them. The mud just falls off. The grip is amazing and I can climb up fairly steep and wet inclines without slipping at all. One thing to remember about these boots. They do not have metal toe caps, so you do not want to be letting a truck or tractor drive over your feet. The toe caps are by no means weak, they are in fact very sturdy, just bare in mind though that they are not steel. The boots come with a 1 year warranty which covers the boots to be free of defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase, with the following exceptions: GORE-TEX® Sporting footwear has a one-year warranty against leakage. GORE-TEX® footwear designed or worn for occupational purposes have a 180-day warranty against leakage. Other LaCrosse waterproof systems used have a six-month warranty against leakage. Sporting waders have a one-year warranty against leakage. Waders designed or worn for occupational purposes have a 120-day warranty against leakage. To sum up my experience with the boots: Very comfortable, even with the foot condition I have. To me personally this is the most important thing to me concerning footwear. Completely waterproof. Have not had in an ounce of water since day one. Outstanding grip. In the wet these boots perform amazingly, even in thick mud. Value for money is superb, Its hard to beat the quality you are getting coupled with the price you pay. All in all then I would recommend these boots to anyone.

I have no need for such boots at this time but you should review everything. Very well done.

Thank you for the review @Grayfox54 ! Now I gotta figure what what I can sell 'cause I obviously need one of these.

Indeed. And don't forget the AOW.

Maybe 'We have our flag waving'?

Reviews are great, they help us not end up with the box o' stuff!

Current configuration... NEW: Arc Division SPARC-M mini comp. Prior to NRAAM, I stripped off the Primary Machine comp, replaced the Silencerco barrel with an Agency Arms barrel, and swapped the Surefire X300UA light for a smaller Streamlight TLR7 light. That was my carry gun for the entire week of NRAAM travels and 12+ hours of walking on the exhibit hall each day. I have a new slide coming for one of my other Glock 19's to spruce it up a little and make it ready for an RMR, so I decided to go ahead and trick this Gen 4 back out to full kit. The SPARC-M compensator is short enough that I can toss the TLR7 back on this gun and carry it in a much smaller holster, should I want to. I figure it'll stay like it is for home defense and maybe occasional carry when I know that I can get away with something a little bulkier.

Yep. I think personally it is the whole reason angled foregrips came about. This is old, but I think is still the current rule. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/open-letter/all-ffls-may2006-open-letter-adding-vertical-fore-grip-handgun/download&ved=2ahUKEwj40f-lvIjiAhVSdt8KHUrBAeYQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1pWneRexYb6T7KC_VKk7bt

We had 10 ft cables give to us. But no way to hook them to the welder so I went and bought connectors, and it will weld with stick. Going to be a few days, need to get some argon, and then on to the tig test. The water cooler for the TIG does work.

They did, at infancy and obviously at puberty

I'll take two!

Man, I pick these up everytime I'm in there. Can't have too many of these around the house!!! And most of the time they are FREE!!!

I went out looking for a cheap but reliable gun for my mother that would be reliable and such for a home defense gun for the house. I was looking for the Ruger P-Series and revolvers and such. Then I pulled in to my favorite gun shop. They usually only carry 7-10 used guns. I found a Glock 17 Gen 3 in awesome shape for an awesome price ! After detail stripping it , it seemed like new. Hardly any "smilies"on the top of the barrel. Plus it has 2 regular mags plus a factory Glock 33 rd mag. I am a happy camper ! $328 for it all . The Gen 3 guns are so great. Seeing how others are buying cheaper quality guns , I figured I couldn't go wrong with a good ole G17 . I think I'll keep the 33 rd mag for myself . Mom don't need that .

You are as bad as me!