Leaderboard

This was a trait I hadn’t really noticed until I married. Luckily, my wife is gracious enough to point it out on a regular basis.

Timely topic David. My wife and I were discussing this very thing earlier today. I too am quite pessimistic about the aftermath of the upcoming election. The potential is for things to get rough no matter what the ballots show. I think the video you linked on another thread regarding the descent into communism was very prescient. We live in a suburban area of West Knoxville. We've been here for close to 14 years. While I would love to be rural and on some acreage, this meets our perceived needs. We have been steadily increasing our pantry and food storage since the whole COVID thing began. Replenishing and rotating, but we had been a bit slack on the replenishing side of things. We have a well stocked pantry and a couple of chest freezers. For a number of years we've purchased in bulk quantities when items were on sale. It's just a prudent way to save money and be prepared for lean times, whether financially or a disruption in delivery. Snow storms anyone? We garden using raised beds. But it is supplemental, not subsistence. We also do rain catchment (water barrels) and have a Berkey Water filtration unit we use daily. Best water I've ever tasted and it's my primary "beverage". Love the stuff! I taught myself to can, dehydrate, and store foods. We incorporate those items into our everyday lives. It's kinda of nice to know where at least some of your food comes from LOL I work in Health Care. I'm an RN and I've worked ICU and ER for 38 years. Strictly ER the past 14 years. I was a Corpsman for 9 years prior to that. I am a certified Old Fart. We have our own PPE's pretty well stocked because, as an ER RN if I wanted quality and ready availability I've had to supply my own. Yes, the hospitals have adequate PPE's, marginally, and not to the standards that have been the norm for many decades now, but adequate nonetheless. I worked neck deep in COVID from March until 3 weeks ago. I'm out of the ER arena now. I'm glad. I know COVID is a politically charged issue and prefer not to discuss it on an open forum. As the saying goes "You do you, I'll do me" and stay in my own lane Thanks. We have masks, gloves, disinfecting supplies..." sanitary essentials" (I like that phrase) and protocols we've already had in place and been using because of the 12-13 hr exposure I had in the ER each day at work. I'm a "gun guy". I wouldn't be on this forum if I weren't. I'm comfortable with the gear I have. I'm no youngster any more and feel it every day. I've trimmed down what I have on hand the past few years and reinvested those funds into other like sustainable items. Love my little Honda gennie and we've used it a few times already. I have adequate ammo to allow me to shoot what I want and when I choose. But I've accumulated what I have over time. I only shoot 2-3 times per month and dry fire 2-3 times per week. I need to do more of each, but that's on me. The coming clouds have put a bit of urgency on that. I, and the folks I handload with (as a group we have cast and PC'd handgun bullets and we're starting that back up again) have an adequate supply of components. As we've discussed many, many times on this forum, the past few years have provided incredible purchasing opportunities for all of us. I certainly heeded that advice and took advantage of the Black Friday sales as did many here. On most levels and to any sane person it seems odd that we'd be discussing the possibility of a Civil War. But reality sometimes shifts. I pray we never come to that. But I'm not certain I have much of a say about the matter. I am blessed for the professional training I've had in the past. But I'd be happy to live the rest of my life without having to utilize those skills. But we do live in "interesting times" Gear is great. But skills and knowledge are probably the best investments we could make. Just an opinion.

I agree with most everything stated here so far. I am well prepared in the Firearms, ammo, food cash, (and tradeable goods) spread around in multiple locations in 2 states. I can travel by land, sea (well river) or air if needed. We (my wife, brother and daughters/SIL) have plans and contingency plans that we've discussed. Multiple ways to communicate if needed. Never in my lifetime did I think I would need to be this prepared living in our great country, but here we are. Another thing I do have is a list of people I know who I would trust and associate with if things truly went off the rails. Many of whom are on TGO. To think you could stand by yourself during an off the rails situation would be foolish. Now more than ever we truly need to come together, put our differences aside, and stand firm for the greatest country that has ever been. This country or its people aren't perfect. Never have been and never will be but it has always been a beacon for hope. Let's not let that change.

Second time hunting Maine and I finally got my first bear. 33 yard shot with my Smith and Wesson 460xvr using Federal 260 grain Fusions. Full pass through. The sow made it maybe 10 yards. Weighed between 150 to 170lbs. Couldn't have been happier.

I’ve been talking about this with family friends and coworkers more lately in hopes they will better prepare. If Biden somehow wins I see it being a bit more of a slow burn on the fuse, maybe 2 years until enough see what direction things go and then civil war. If Trump wins I see it being almost instantaneous, with the far left reacting in widespread violent hysterics. Basically what we are already seeing in major cities but on steroids. I do think that Trump will feel a bit more emboldened to step in and handle it, which I am fine with if the local authorities won’t keep their people safe. Im not doing anything different. I think most of us on this forum have been ready for this for years. I would prefer this kickoff now while I’m still somewhat able to physically do something about it. I absolutely hate to think about the state of the country our children will be inheriting.

AJ I think the readers might need some context for the “sign up for fun comment” to make any sense to them. I was on a cruise about 4 years ago and my wife took a selfie of us on the ship. I was wearing a polo shirt with a Tuff Writer Click Pen clipped in the placket of the shirt. She posted the pic on her Facebook page and our neighbor asked why I had a pen clipped in my shirt. I told my wife to tell him “in case someone wants an autograph “ . One of my wife’s coworkers responded to the post with “so he can sign up for fun at any time”. That was pretty funny especially if you know me at all. A good metal bodied pen ( whether it is a Tuff Writer or just a Zebra) that does not look like a “tactical pen” or does not look like some weapon out of Game of Thrones is something you can carry ANYWHERE and if it is clipped to your shirt it is faster to get to than any knife or other impact weapon you might be carrying concealed. Is it as effective as a fixed blade knife or a sap or blackjack? Not really but no one likes getting stabbed in the face with a pen and I can carry a pen in all the places I can’t carry a knife , sap or blackjack.

I live in the sticks. Any unrest will not likely affect me unless I choose to drive to it and participate. Since I am often wrong, we are well armed and reside on a property that geography makes fairly easy to defend.

CBS, why would I believe them for real news?

I might have made a huge mistake, boys. Could lead to a divorce. I stopped in my LGS (Crossroads Guns, in Fountain City), for some HV .22LR for my Stoeger Luger. I walked out with the .22 rounds and after putting a Walther PPK/s in lay-a-way. It’s a beaut, a Interarms Stainless steel pistol, with both mags, box, manuals cleaning rod... all for 5 bills plus tax and BCG. Lay-a-way for 12 months! Oh Lord, what have I done??? Looks like this!

I am placing this in the Survival and Preparedness forum for what I hope are somewhat obvious reasons. My question to you is, as the subject states, how concerned are you about mass civil unrest after the Presidential election in November? And I will add that if you are concerned, what are you doing now to address those concerns? My pessimistic prediction is that the Election will not be resolved on November 3rd. The push by the Democrats to use COVID-19 as the justification for an unprecedented use of mail-in ballots clearly telegraphs their plan to disrupt the Election. My personal opinion is that they will use every tool of dishonesty and corruption possible to bias the ballots toward Biden, either by discarding ballots for Trump or by falsifying a large quantity for Biden. They will attempt to hijack the electoral process and forcibly instate their candidate to bring an end to Making America Great Again. When this happens, there is a good chance that things will finally come unhinged. Or, Trump will win despite the Left's efforts to stop him, and the Left will do what it's already been doing this year and riot but on a much larger scale. Regardless of which occurs, I don't see peace and harmony occurring after November 2nd and I firmly believe that November to January could end up being the most dangerous time that our country has seen since the Civil War and I think people who haven't been planning for unrest by having supplies of food, medicines, sanitary essentials and, yes, ammo will be wishing they had. I of course hope that I am wrong, but I feel it is better to hope for the best and plan for the worst. So... what are you doing to prepare? It would be good to hear from folks who live in urban, suburban and rural areas alike since those environments could present their own unique challenges.

If a man is married, he has been reminded on a REGULAR basis how many times he can be wrong in a day's time.

I'm as adequately prepared as is possible, short of a mountaintop castle. There are a few of us who keep an eye out for each other and share a similar mindset. Also, thankfully my current location has a preponderance of folks having a more moderate and conservative outlook.

Yes it does, that is why we have more than one firearm. I have an old Winchester 1200 pump with a 20 inch barrel and a pistol grip, not to bad to shoot, hard to aim because of the pistol grip. I also have a Shockwave, whole other matter. The birds head grip and the strap make it very easy to hit out to "across the room" distances. With the correct load and wad you can get a spread of less than 8 to 10 inches at 25 yards, that is a bit far to shoot from the hip, the way the Shockwave is meant to be used. The Shockwave is not meant to be used out to "across the yard" distances. I keep mine in the house or in the vehicle I am traveling in, and is much easier to move around inside a vehicle than a "stocked" firearm. With 6 rounds of buck shot you have 54 30 cal pieces of lead going out to keep the feral hogs at bay. Just my $0.02

The spare gun is honestly a commitment most people neither want to make nor really need to make in their everyday lives. I strongly recommend it for people who are in a position where they are providing security or are doing something where they don’t have an option to just run away. Think police and church security. If your gun gets damaged then you are now a spectator not a participant. There was a shooting at a Chicago hospital (Mercy Hospital IIRC) a few years ago where one of the police officers’ gun was struck by a bullet and rendered inoperable. If you are the only armed person responsible for protecting the flock and your gun gets damaged then you can no longer efficiently perform that function. A spare mag won’t fix a broken gun. A spare gun at least gives you the option to continue. As for most “non sworn officer “ folks going about their normal boring daily lives it is far less likely to ever be needed. In fact most civilian robbery shootings are over (one way or the other) before you’d even have time to access the 2nd gun . The only problem is if you find yourself in that unlikely situation where it is needed then it is likely the only thing that will solve the problem at hand and may be the last thing you’ll ever need.

I haven't embraced the backup gun yet but I always have two spare mags.

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.

How many of you guys can actually state the exact # of arsenal items you have in your possession, or will you have to SWAG it, or guesstimate it, or get up and actually wonder thru every room in the house counting them as you go. I'm in the latter for the most part, but that's because I'm an old fart.

I live in a rural area; however I work in Murfreesboro and that concerns me the most. All my family has a commute that could take us to problem areas. My son and I have “get home bags” we carry with us all the time. I just need to convince my wife and daughter that they need to do the same. I do need to stock up on more water, food, MRE's, etc. so we can avoid getting out for a longer period of time just in case. My 3-5 day emergency stash doesn’t seem to be adequate anymore. I look forward to reading all these responses and determine what else I should consider.

I may be naive in believing the unrest will never make it to my neck of the woods but I've prepared like it's right at my back door. Hopefully that will be good enough. And for whatever its worth I am in a TRUMP area so the likely hood of me having to defend against my next door neighbor is low. I won't go into details as I'm sure a lot of it is standard protocol and its sure to fire up a good ol pissin contest but I'm hopeful no TGO member has to engage in gunfire with any protestors because of some butthurtedness election fallout.

Your local LE agencies may have officers that are available for 'extra duty' on the weekends during your services. Having one there is a good idea. Asking the LE agency to simply park a cruiser on your property during services might also provide some deterrent unless the potential perpetrator does some reconnaissance and figures out that it's a decoy. A cheap source of security for your church with such a small congregation will be closing the doors and locking them from inside after the service begins. Don't be afraid to turn away strangers especially if some simple profiling tells you that their dress, appearance, demeanor doesn't match the baseline of who your congregation is. Churches want to be welcoming to all, but there is no harm in saying "No Admittance" to someone who sets off that gut instinct that something is wrong.

I wasn't either until I seen the light in 2016.

This is the reason I carry a slightly larger flashlight. A spare (steel) mag is a good blunt striking tool as well. Oversized key ring. Tactical pen, in case I need to sign autographs and always prepared to sign up for fun @Cruel Hand Luke @Cruel Hand Luke would recommend a spare mag and even a BUG We just completed a second installment for a church group, I hope we were very successful with context, "it's 10 yards or more, your foreground and background are panicked parishioners, hopefully your layered defense keeps the threat outside."

A PPK has always been on the wish list if I'm ever cash flow flush enough to justify the purchase. Hopefully you leave some for the rest of us, @Grayfox54 That's a beautiful collection, though.

Well done Sir! I know you'll love it. I sorta have a thing for the Walther PP series myself.

I saw you mentioned IDPA and USPSA. I use my PACT-3 shot timer indoors during dry-fire practice. I set up a man-sized upper torso silhouette target in a bonus room. I move to a spot 7 yards away from it, set a par time on the PACT timer, and then practice drawing from concealment and getting my shot within or under par. I have to be brutally honest with myself during these sessions for it to be of any value. It only counts if I was within par and had a sight picture that would have done the job when I broke the trigger. If I lie to myself here and accept a shot that would have missed, it's worthless. This has been incredibly valuable for me both before and during the ammo shortage.

Watch the security camera footage of the West Freeway Church of Christ (White Settlement, Texas) church shooting from last year. The second member of the church to be shot by the gunman was an armed safety team member who clearly was having trouble clearing his firearm from his holster, beneath his sport coat. The delay likely contributed to his unfortunate fate. Whatever you carry, become very proficient with it. Obsessively and regularly practice drawing from your form of concealment. Figure out what works and what doesn't, and then only use the carry position and carry gear that works. Don't change up your gear or carry method without obsessively and regularly practicing until deploying it is second nature. Free advice.

Chemical sprays are a problematic approach inside of a confined space. Also consider how any parishioners with respiratory problems, diminished health, or how children might respond to inhaling it. Pepper gels are a lot more controlled but still also problematic for the good guys trying to physically subdue a person who has become combative enough to warrant using them. Employing impact weapons can be just as risky as employing a knife or gun. All of these things require training. Tennessee requires a baton certification for security guards who will carry an impact weapon, recognizing that one used improperly can be plenty lethal. The term "less lethal" as relates to these things still has the word "lethal" in it for a reason. De-escalation while moving the threat outside the building is the most powerful tool that a person can attempt to use. If you can't de-escalate and it becomes violent, the dynamics of the situation will unfortunately dictate what the right level of response is.

@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.

My aunt gave me my uncle's guns after he died a little while ago. There are 5 that are black powder muzzle loaders. I'm not into this type of gun and not really interested but I don't know if there is any value in these particular guns. Should I just hang these on the wall or find would it be worth trying to find someone to sell them to. The two hammer cap locks are made by CVA. One is 50cal and the other is 45cal. The camo is 50cal made by Knight. The side hammer pistol is 44 or 45 cal made by Dikar Spain and the revolver is 45cal or 44cal (can't remember) made by Navy Arms. There is some surface rust that I need to attack with steel wool and I need to clean them up. I got some powder and balls with them but have no knowledge of how much powder to use or exactly how to load them. I could probably look it up but I don't know if I want to take the time. I know that selling is not allowed in the general forums so I'm not asking if anyone is interested; I just want to know if they would be worth trying to sell. If the post is on the fringe of breaking the rules, please remove it.

I know this is a variation of an old one, my wife forwarded it to me and it made me smile again. Southern California man was put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found he owned 100 guns and allegedly had 100,000 rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel. By Southern California standards, someone owning 100,000 rounds is considered "mentally unstable. BUT… In Michigan, he'd be called "the last white guy still living in Detroit." In Arizona, he'd be called "an avid gun collector. In Arkansas, he'd be called "a novice gun collector." In Utah, he'd be called "moderately well prepared," but they'd probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of stored food. In Kansas, he'd be "A guy down the road you would want to have for a friend." In Montana, he'd be called "The neighborhood 'Go-To' guy." In Idaho, he'd be called "a likely gubernatorial candidate." In Georgia, he'd be called "an eligible bachelor." In North Carolina, Virginia, WV, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and Minnesota he would be called "a deer hunting buddy." AND,OF COURSE, In Texas, he'd just be "a guy who's a little short on Ammo."

That's why I had the wife measure me, and it's true to size. A long time ago I ordered my IDPA vest in XL and it's floppy. As long as I'm not active standing out in the summer sun, heat & humidity; it's not too hot to wear. Wore it to church this morning with my G-19 and spare mag OWB, worked and covered just fine. Now I can comfortably carry everything I may need and distribute the weight to where it's comfortable. Didn't have a good place for my large smartphone, little Surefire flashlight in my pants.

This made me laugh because I too am often wrong. Thank you!

I don't get myself worked up about this, because no matter who wins, they will let the dogs loose upon the rioters that continue their mess. The left knows they are nor immune to these ANTIFA/BLM rioters, and the ones in power will be the target. But, I am well stocked up with the required equipment for even the worst case scenario, and better yet, I'm willing to use it.

Like you, I don’t expect the election to be decided right away. But I expect it to be decided shortly after January 3rd when the new congress is seated. I don’t see any way it can’t be. I also expect the mail in voting to be corrupt. But I suspect if that is proven it would also just send it to the Congress. I never thought we would be where we are now in my lifetime. I’m as prepared as I can be to protect my family and property. But not prepared for a lack of food. I doubt though the violence would last that long. Mother Nature could cause me to leave my property; but I’ll not leave due to civil unrest. Financially I’m Okay, but if Biden is elected and the economy takes a big hit, which I'm sure would happen; that could change. But to answer your question about being concerned. I’m very concerned that law enforcement is failing to act. And I blame them for that. And I never thought I would see that either.

I do believe a situation similar to what you describe will play out. The old addage of Hard times create hard men, Hard men create good times, Good times create soft men, Soft men create hard times. is coming to fruition now. We have had good times for far too long in this cycle. I am woefully unprepared for this scenario if it manages to migrate itself into rural areas. I live out in the country but commute to LaVergne for work. Even if Nashville turned into the lawlessness that is Portland/Seattle, I don’t worry at home. It’s when I get closer to the population centers near my work, I become concerned. Everything is dependent on what happens in November. If anything but a clear win for Trump happens, I believe it will be like nothing we have ever seen before. Remember the issues at the Bush/Gore election from Florida ballots, it won’t blow over like that. I have food and water and the ability to keep it available via a garden, hunting, fishing. Shelter and security is also accounted for. I would like more guns and ammo (obviously) especially more combat oriented guns and gear. Just in case. Although I do carry whenever possible, inside Coffee County, I honestly don’t ever feel like I need it. Rutherford County is a whole ‘nother story, too many people in too small a space. Unfortunately, I’m not in a financial position to go out and buy a bunch of emergency supplies or combat arms. But I have ways to keep carrying on my day to day, so long as it doesn’t get to the point I need an AR just to safely go to the grocery store.

Buddy of mine has these, anyone know anything about them?

I couldn’t find any .45 Colt range ammo. Saw a couple of boxes of $2.00 a round SD ammo. I doubt many people are stocking up on .45 Colt for SD, so I assume the ammo MFG’s are cranking out more common SD and range rounds.

I’m guessing this too. We may be in the midst of the great gun panic of all time. 2 boxes of 50 rounds each of Aguila HV .22lr, cost me $18 yesterday. Standard velocity is $6+ a box of 50. Crossroad Guns had quite a bit of it too. I’m starting to shotgun ammunition becoming scarce, too.

They have no idea what percentage of the population of this state owns guns.

I can neither confirm nor deny I am helping or hurting the average. Keep it quiet, but I may have a few the guv'mint don't know about... something about those back alley, in the darkness of the night, loop hole, face-to-face private transactions. Thanks for doing business with me, I promise not to rat you out if the brown lorries roll up...

Very good topic here. I've enjoyed it and been thinking on it as well. Point 1, I'm not a regular church goer. I know that's my failing. I intend to remedy that with my wife. Point 2, Dennis, I really liked your post. It's well thought out and asks the right questions. Too bad I don't have all the answers. But you are working in that direction, so I feel you are moving in a fashion you need to be. Your comment a bout a good CCW vest is very intriguing. I wore a lot of vests back in my high school days, But I was a much slimmer guy back then. lol Anyway I like vests and always like one with the few suits I own. I've seen some carry vests and not cared for most, but it's time to look again. I would say that one with a built in weapon/mag holder is my take for one, I think it's a bit less "look I got something to hide" than one long enough to cover for IWB/OWB carry. Just my thought on the matter. I recently ran across an old Galco shoulder rig I got in a` buy long ago. Really go me to looking at how I would use it. Being way too round, it of course doesn't fit right. I need to lengthen the belt hooks. I'm really liking this and a vest as something for me. I'm going to give it a try. With the "anything goes" in clothing these days, I believe and old guy like me can pull it off. Maybe. Point 3, Batons. I've really wondered about them. Are they legal for civilians? Heard yes and no on them. I like the idea of an expandable stick in my pocket or on a belt. Even in the hands of a novice, these can be a formidable weapon. Very close range though, and I'd think one had better be in good enough shape to not have it taken away on used on oneself. That could be very bad. So, in my rambling reply...any thoughts or comments? They will always be appreciated.

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

Careful with the Nikon. They discontinued production of all rifle scopes and cannot offer warranty replacements.

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.

Wow, that’s awesome!

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.

I remember Lucy and her SCCy... with diamonds...