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Antifa protesters burn the American flag in Portland, Oregon (2020) Immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93 back in 2001, you couldn't buy a United States flag in the Nashville area. The same story played out across the country. Store shelves were wiped clean of them as the people united together as one nation and proudly displayed the Red, White and Blue everywhere. Flags flew from homes, businesses, construction sites, fire trucks. Remember when a fire department could put the flag or a flag sticker on their trucks and not be crucified for it by anti-American activists or gutless politicians? You couldn't drive a mile without seeing flags that clipped onto your car's roll-up windows and slid onto your car's radio antennas. Ingenious folks rigged up ways to hoist our country's colors from flag poles secured in pickup truck beds and from trailer hitch receivers. Many of those things found second-life and now get sold to fly college and pro ball team flags at tailgating parties. 19 years ago you couldn't find an American flag to burn. And if you did, you would have needed to go into hiding for your own safety because a multi-cultural, multiracial crowd of people who loved this country would have kicked your ass for it. It didn't matter what color your skin was back then. Briefly, gloriously, we were just Americans. The fact that we have forgotten so much, become so divided, and that a whole generation of lost kids has been taught to actively hate our country since 9/11/01 causes me immeasurable pause. I realize that our society has the attention span of a toddler, but it saddens me that we have fallen so far, so fast.

I just finished a roof over my back deck. Almost all of the lumber came from a man that lives a few miles from my home and has a sawmill. Rough cut and to real dimensions. His 2x4’s 6’s etc measure 2”x 4” and 6”. They were almost half the price of the crap they sell at Lowes. Country living does have advantages.

Things have changed. In over 20 years in this house I never felt the need to carry at home. But I did when the protests were going on here. My own personal rules for the use of deadly force were always pretty tight. But knowing now that charges are race based, I’ve even tightened them up more. Staying out of jail, but being financially devastated by a DA run amok is not something I see as a win. We need changes in the deadly force laws here, and across the country.

Finished up my AR10 build tonight. Although I originally wanted a 308, had to settle with a 6.5 Creed chambering. I like how it turned out . Shes a heavy heifer but the 20" pipe should produce a decent accuracy.

In preparation for our eventual move to the new 4.5 series of the forum software, I had to make some upgrades and tweaks to TGO today. The most noticeable one will probably be that the "tagging" system used most prominently in the Trading Post forums has been changed to a new software. Tags are the little colored prefixes in front of the posts that say whether the item is for sale, trade, free, wanted, or if the ad is closed. The reason for this change is that the previous software we used had been discontinued and the author was no longer supporting it. Unfortunately this very useful part of TGO isn't part of the default forum software installation, so we rely on these little plug-ins to bring the feature to you. I am also trying to see if I can diminish or hide the black "trading post" tag behind each listing. I think it's annoying. Another change with this upgrade is that the list of tags isn't being shown on the forum home page now. I am trying to see if we can get that feature back or if I've just misconfigured it somehow. They used to show where the red square is in this screenshot. The nice thing about them being there was that you could click a tag, say the "for sale" tag as an example, and it would show you all of the posts inside the forum that used that tag. You can still do that once inside the forum by clicking on any of the tags shown at the start of a post, but that's also kind of annoying. More to come on this as I work through the new plug-in and communicate with its author.

Hey folks. I appreciate the kindness but it's all good and this post was meant to be about the drastic shift in our country's culture since 2001.

Here is a great target I've trained with for years, it gives you a pretty good idea of what and where to aim for. Level IV plates are great, and can stop most rifle rounds in conjunction with Level IIIA soft body armor, but as with everything, your mileage may vary. As was said above, be prepared to get injured by the kinetic energy, bullet spalding or pieces of the plate itself. Quick medical aid is vital but I'd keep a trauma kit handy, aid may not be able to get to you in time, self or buddy aid may be all you can get, so I'd brush up on your first aid skills too.

Remember these times friends and stock the hell up when prices come back to reality so you won’t be searching the next time (there’s always a next time).

It is not just what people see in a picture like this one. It is what we are seeing everyday in the news about buildings being burned down and people being killed by money, and power. People with money are determined to destroy this country. The rich people are flying trouble makers all over the country to instigate violence in cities across America. I have heard law enforcement say they know who these people are that are being flown around yet they have not arrested any of them. Why you say? Because they are being protected by judges who have also been bought by the rich guys and law enforcement can't get warrants as long as they are destroying towns controlled by Democrats. I am hoping that the rein of the Democratic Party is put to a stop in November so our nation can begin to fix itself once again......JMHO

I now carry 3 mags for what it's worth; 49 rounds total. After seeing Kyle Rittenhouse defend himself against the first guy... then to be chased by a crowd and attacked by several others after shots had already been fired... Some of these people are really dumb. So dumb in fact they'll chase after someone who just used his firearm, and then attack that person again. I'd rather have too much than too little since 2020 is a flaming dumpster fire.

Stop the Bleed Knowing how to patch holes is as important (if not more so) than making them.

I have my own 9/11 that I spend this morning remembering each year. My 22-month old daughter passed away this day in 2002. I get around to talking about the other 9/11 after I've focused on remembering her for a while.

I'm sure most everyone here knows this date in history but I wanted to mention it in Remembrance for all that died on this day on 9/11/2001.

Put them irons on it Bruthah..! Remember, the ole timers used em... This setup will probably shoot as far as ya can see... Ya wont need 20 rounds... Admirin leroy...

I have a few, fun to shoot, more fun to watch kids shoot. The look on their face is priceless!

I did that the last time we went through all of this crap. And the time after that. And the time after that. Before the 2008 election of Hussein. After Sandy Hook. After the San Bernardino Muslim shooters. After the Pulse nightclub shooting. After Parkland..... Now I don't care what happens, I'm set. Just under 100 pounds of rimfire for starters. If my house catches fire, you'll hear about it on Fox and CNN. And they'll see the smoke from L.A.

Got a guy on my local forum that does t shirts. I sent him this. If he does it, I’m gonna buy one!

"Better to have and not need, than need and not have" I'm now 68 years old [an old man], and I don't recognize the nation I grew up in. This will most likely turn into another long rant. We live in a dangerous world, and it's getting more dangerous by the day. Lawlessness, protests and rioting is breaking out in many places; some of our local, city, state governments, federal representatives and citizenry are supporting and condoning those organizations illegal actions and not being prosecuted. When the police arrest these criminals, the DA'S and prosecutor's are refusing to charge them. Jails are being emptied via this purported pandemic. Law enforcement officers are quitting and retiring by the groves in protest, as well as blue flu and refusing to do certain things. Major efforts are under way to de-fund a variety of police departments and services, on and on... I have never seen more hate, intolerance and division in my lifetime, it's everywhere and no one is exempt. All this in addition to the regular crimes of opportunity, home invasions, murders, drug cartels / addicts and the mentally ill we have contended with. We're all aware of the hate crimes committed nationally and in Tennessee, of churches, synagogues, mosques and places of worship in the recent past. I'm a member of a small country Baptist church. Attending last Sunday evening service, I noticed a picture on the bulletin board as I walked through the foyer; I wondered what that was all about? Before service began, our Pastor had that picture in hand and told us all about it. The Pastor had picked up some church material from our district office, and given the picture and what's happening. Some guy is making his rounds around our area, barging in to worship services and disrupting them; yelling everyone of you is going to Hell. This person was identified by the police and has a long history of mental illness and violent behavior. The police are currently trying to locate him. This in addition to all the previous mentions. With this covid-19 scare going on, church attendance has been drastically reduced as it is. With the few people their last Sunday evening; was a young lady with her two children, and she asked a question that was and has been on everyone's mind; she asked, "do we have any church security?" Well, our new Pastor fumbled around and hee hawed and sort of danced around the question. Our congregation has legitimate safety concerns. Our Pastor is relatively new, replacing our previous Pastor, and not knowing the history of this question brought up and acted upon several years ago. He basically said; before service begins the doors are locked and someone was at the door to monitor it, and let late arrivals in. Then a brief mention was made by me that there were a few folks in the congregation that had HCP'S and carried in church. I didn't mention I was one of them. In the past the pastors and congregation have encouraged and supported its members to be legally armed, and it's still the attitude and in force. During that string of church shootings in Tennessee, Texas and elsewhere, our member were very concerned and afraid, and rightfully so. We adopted the policy to lock and secure the doors when service began, and had a volunteer to monitor and open the door for late comers and monitor who entered if they were strangers. We installed eight Harbor Freight security camera's; of which four cameras have already failed, and the two people who knew how to operate the system and software are no longer with us. We invited at that time our county Sheriff, Monty Belew, who since just retired, to come and give us a security inspection and advice. Many churches in our area did the same thing. He came with several of his deputies and gave us some pointers to improve on, and we had a question and answer session [but he's not a lawyer]. I posed the question of "church security teams", his thoughts and the legalities thereof. He cautioned that if we formally adopted a "church security team" we could find ourselves in hot water, legality issues and lawsuit's as an organization, should this security team have to act in one way or another. Being a small church, we cannot afford too much, and loss of a civil suit would most likely close our doors. It was more or less realized that it was up to the individual alone, to decide what if anything they were going to do security wise. With a new Pastor, new members and attendees, and length of time its been since the preceding, we need to revisit and update everyone's security concerns. Schools and churches are soft targets for cowards as we all know. Security team training and qualifications, aside from legal matters: I'm a combat veteran with 20 years of military service. In my military tenure I qualified expert with rifle and pistol. I'm a lifelong hunter. I'm a member of the local county gun club and shoot frequent rifle and pistol matches and continually practice, a former IDPA Range officer and current USPSA Range Officer. I'm better than average in competition shoots and scores. All that to say; that my training, experience and background are perishable and doesn't translate to squat pertaining to qualifications, skill and ability, to participate in a security detail; especially with my age and associated physical restrictions. These other church members that CCW to church are about my age also. In the years I've lived in this area, I've never seen one of them at any of the ranges around here or at the local gun shops? I can't help but to wonder, if they even know the four rules for safe gun handling, do any practice or train at all? What would it be like if anything were to occur; what would they do and how? What would I do, and how? Which lead me back to, "better to have and not need, than need and not have". I attend church to worship my Lord and Savior and dress in a respectful and honoring manner. I won't go to church dressed and equipped like G.I. Joe, but I think in my case it might be prudent to make a couple of changes in my church and EDC gear. Past practice has been most of the time, but not all, going to town, church or short errands; just grabbing my selected EDC pistol and nothing else, maybe sticking it in the console because I'm lazy and in a hurry. I very seldom carry my smart phone anywhere, because it's a hassle and an inconvenience and I always leave it on the kitchen table and walk out. Our little country church does not have any phone at all. What if any emergency occurred and I needed to call someone? Am I lazy or what? I don't know how many times I wished I had a pen and little note pad to write down something so I wouldn't forget, a phone number or information to retrieve later. The last thing I ever want to do is have to draw my weapon, and worse yet use it. Is it as or more likely another option might be more suitable and prudent to use rather than a firearm? I can think of a number of scenario's where pepper spray might be more appropriate and lessen any criminal and civil liabilities. It at least gives another option to escape or gain control? So, the changes I'm going to make are: In addition to always remembering to take and have my firearm on me everywhere I go, and not leaving it home for short trips, to my mailbox 200 yards away, etc. [trouble finds you and it's fast and never expected]. To be prepared for a worst case scenario and have a spare magazine in my pocket, vest or mag carrier. I'm undecided about carrying a small backup weapon, unless or until society and lawlessness gets worse. Start to carry my cell phone everywhere I go for emergencies [would also be an excellent tool for video evidence and documentation]. And lastly a decent CCW vest that covers my IWB or OWB holster, looks nice and not tactical, that holds my phone, pen & small tablet and some gizmos. I'd like to hear your thoughts if your EDC has changed from last year, and why. For those of you who attend church; I'd like to know how you handle church security if any? Your thoughts, plans and actions with the aftermath of legal and civil proceedings resulting from any confrontations and actions taken in the event that force is used in your church?

@Dennis1209 -- I am a member of my church's safety team. We take an "all hazards" approach, meaning we try to be ready to deal with any manner of emergency. Be it a medical issue (the most likely scenario), or a weather disaster, a disruptive visitor or attendee, a domestic squabble (especially involving child custody) and of course the aggressive human actor. Our church carries insurance especially for the safety team and those of us that go armed are held to the same standards as Tennessee's Armed Guard program as far as proficiency with sidearms and regularity of qualification in controlled, administered drills. We choose to push ourselves far beyond that standard in terms of proficiency. My weekly "load out" for church has become close to what an undercover police officer might carry, albeit without body armor and handcuffs. I do carry a handgun, concealed, two spare magazines, a knife, a flashlight, a tourniquet, an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) with gunshot / blowout supplies, my smartphone and a two-way radio with earpiece. This is honestly pretty standard for the members of my team. Our church is fairly casual, and all of this hides pretty easily under a button-up, untucked fishing / camp shirt and inside the pockets of camp/cargo pants or jeans. The best advice that I can give you is two things: 1.) Your church should have an organized approach to safety and your primary objective regarding bad human actors should be to keep the threat outside the church. 2.) I would contact Ken Alexandrow at Agape Tactical here in the Franklin, TN area. He and his team do church security consulting and training and he can clear away any myths or misconceptions that you and your church leadership might have heard from well-intentioned but badly informed people in the past. https://agapetactical.com/services/church-security-planning/ Finally, you are right to be asking these questions and to be concerned about the safety of your congregation. This world will only become increasingly hostile to followers of Jesus Christ.

Yes prayers said for all that lost loved ones or friends on 9/11. David sorry for your loss. This is actually a happy day in our family, our only son married his bride on 9-11-99. Let us all pray for this great country that God has so richly blessed. This country was founded on Christian principles and somehow as a country we have lost our way. Man has messed this country up so much, only God can heal it.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending time on my wife’s uncle’s ranch about 90 miles west of San Antonio in the hill country. Middle of nowhere, cellphones don’t work, closest store is 20 miles away. No one around. That part of Texas is heaven.

In fact I am fleeing a Communist state but you can still shoot on your own property here if you're outside city limits. I was looking in TX and there are LOTS of restrictions on properties even if you have good place to shoot. Property advertised as "good hunting land" only to find out there are restrictions and one can't shoot on the property. I try not to make too many assumptions. Thanks everyone for all their help!

Thank goodness that he also had reloading dies, brass, and bullets for it. I haven't tried looking for .32-20 in stock anywhere but it may be difficult to find. I haven't shot it yet. I'm waiting on a pistol scope that I have ordered for it. Apparently he shot it with a rifle scope. He must have done pretty well because he had lots of shooting trophies.

Haha i love the budget build. Im still trying to wrap my head around all these $1500-2500 PCC's that have more weight, recoil, and less power than their SBR/Pistol Braced AR's/AK's Since yours is very budget friendly i would have no qualms in you shelling out a bit more on a good optic. (you can always swap that to something else later)

I also usually carry extra. I keep one spare mag for my primary on me, and several more along with an extra box of ammo in my bag, as well as 2 spare mags for my backup. If things keep going sideways, I can see taking a long gun along as well.

The 32/20 Contender barrel sounds interesting.

David, prays is all I can offer As far as to 9/11, it is a shame how far out country has gone down the crapper!

The only one that I am really considering shooting and perhaps keeping is the revolver. I'll run my borecam down the barrels and see what they look like and do some clean up on them. I may be posting them in the buy, sale, trade area of the forums soon. I'm wanting to add a Ruger GP100 of S&W 686 to my collection so maybe I can gain a few bucks to go towards a 357 mag from the sale of these. There were no children between them that these could go to and I was helping my aunt clean up and sale the house so she wanted to give me the guns. I also received several older model .22 rifles, a Thompson Contender with a 32/20 barrel and 22lr barrel, a Savage .270 bolt action, and a 22 mag revolver.

It's time for migration to start.

I am going to remember this line.

While I’ve still been purchasing ammo (at reasonable prices because I refuse to pay panic prices) I’ve also picked up a bunch of target stands, shot timer, a SIRT gun, dry fire mag, and some electronic targets because I’m going to get serious about my shooting. It’s past time to stop shooting and start training. I’m going to make the ammo I do use count for more than turning money into noise.

I think they’d average a hundred bucks apiece or so, as they are all modern. The Knight would bring a bit more. They’d sell, and they’re just like selling a car wheel....no dealers, background checks, etc. Why don’t you read up on them and shoot them a bit before parting with them? A lot of us really enjoy shooting them, and they can be about as accurate as many modern firearms. Their utility afar outweighs their current value in my opinion. Just he sure to thoroughly clean and oil them after firing, as powder and caps are corrosive! P.S. Make damn sure he didn’t leave any of them loaded before attempting to load them.

It ain't the "golden years", it's the RUST years.

I wish they did. I'm starting to have to do more and more preventative maintenance on my parts.

Armor is like a gun, some is better than none, but it's not the be all end all tool. I've always been indifferent to it for civilian use (though I surely want it commercially available for anyone who wants it). Bullets just don't bounce off of those things like they would Superman...it's just to protect vital organs from a shot that would kill. If you're going into a situation where you're wearing body armor, you should hopefully have good medical support and expedient transport to a facility that can handle trauma. If you feel the need to protect vital organs, your extremities and lower body (especially if you've got a plate carrier that doesn't go below the naval) are still at risk, and without someone to deal with that trauma right away, along with a care team at an ER equivalent, you can take a turn for the worst fast. Now, for those taking the streets...they're probably thinking about protection from less than lethal rounds, which means some cheap stuff would serve the purpose.

This is a pretty good primer, but it’s a deep rabbit hole. There is also a lot of controversy in the industry over the use of different materials, but you have to weigh your needs vs costs.

About 12 years ago I learned something about them that surprised me. I went out on my patio back where I use to live and found an injured bird on the concrete and I picked it up gently and cupped it in my hand and took it in the house and thought it might be thirsty so I filled a lid from a milk jug and put it in front of the little guy and he was not bash full at all. He drank till I thought he was going to explode. I began calling people to find out where I could take him to get him help. I finally called the TWRA to see where they took injured wild animals and they told me to take it to Waldon's Puddle in Bordeaux so I called them and they told me to bring it up. Long drive but well worth it. They took him down to the examining room and checked him over. They said his wing was injured but not broken so I gave them a donation and they told me they would sent me updates on his case. About a month into it they send me a video of him in the flight net that was where he was in with 3 other birds and his wing was about healed and they would be keeping him for two more weeks until the migration should be about ready to start. They sent me a video of him when they released him and he was well nd took flight out of the lady's hand and was gone. What I learned is that they are very trusting little critters cause when he was in my hand and I put food in front of him he ate it while in my hand and didn't even try to get out of my hand. I made him a small box to stay in with cheese cloth material and he ate out of that milk cap for 3 days till I could find him help and he never once tried to get out of the box when I would open it to put his food in it. I don't think they are as afraid of humans as many people think they are.

I haven't trusted Roberts since the Obama Care fiasco. No one will ever convince me that someone doesn't have something on him. Someone is pulling his strings.

A good example of why I stopped buying from ctd many years ago.

Glad to see it was simple upkeep and not all the posting in General Politics running the hamster off it's wheel.

My sister said she made up hummingbird sugar water in a distilled water jug and left it sitting on the kitchen counter. Her roommate thought it was distilled water and poured it in the steam iron. They think they got it all cleaned out.

Looks like it really has gone missing this time.

Great, another update and more mass confusion, endless grumbling for at least a week. . Hey that semi-colon thing works. LOL. JK on the upgrades, it's part of life. They don't have any upgrades available for body parts that don't hurt for us old farts do they??? LOL