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TGO Friends; Well, it is here again and probably none too soon for some of us and all too soon for others. This year has been... interesting... to say the least, but as I pause and think about the reason for Christmas, I am still very grateful and can say that the good still shines brighter than the bad is capable of blotting out. Even when I consider the loss of friends that our community has endured this year, I can confidently say that I still believe that we were better to have known them and enjoyed their company while we could, than we would be had that never happened. I am going to try to peel myself away from the Internet for the next few days and spend the time watching my kids and my first grandchild enjoy the wonders and mysteries of Christmas. I hope you will not be offended in the least if I say that I hope I don't see many of you on here for the next 36-48 hours either... but at the same time I wouldn't blame you a bit if i do. Let's face it: TGO is as much a group a close friends and honorary extended family as it is anything. Perhaps even more than anything else. So if we do happen to bump into each other here over the holidays... well, let's just enjoy the fact that we are merely being close to those whom we choose to be close to. After all, you don't get to choose your real family but most of us gladly make the choice to include each other here in our days and nights. As always, if you are unable to celebrate the holidays because of work - THANK YOU. No matter what it is you do, thank you. Whether it is working patrol as a police officer, a hospital floor as a nurse, doctor or some other role, a utilities company as an engineer or technician, an IT job as a herder of cats and conqueror of ones and zeros, or wearing the uniform of our armed services or some other first responder, or even as the clerk at a gas station or a waitress at a 24/7/365 greasy spoon... THANK YOU. Whatever your job, whatever your role, if it keeps you there instead of at home on Christmas, I appreciate you. For the rest of you, I hope that you find comfort, peace, relaxation and restoration in the days ahead. Whether you are surrounded by family or friends, or enjoying the peace and quiet of solitude, I hope that it is in a place that you prefer doing what you wish to be doing. MERRY CHRISTMAS, TGO! Thank you for being a bright spot in an otherwise dark year. Let's be sure that we are all here for each other in 2021. It's probably going to be more nuts than we can imagine. Yikes. On behalf of the moderating team, --David

To be fair, we do it everywhere as well. We tell everywhere else what they need to be doing. I care about as much what they think as they do what I think. Of course some are going to think it’s great. So be it. I quit worrying about what others think a long time. Only those looking for validation will give two craps what China thinks.

Guys, I can’t stress this enough. You don’t want to have to go to the hospital for anything right now. They’re overrun. Especially in the far eastern and western portions of the state - but here in middle Tennessee, too. I have a friend in the facility where @steelharp passed that is sending folks to the nearest bed they can get over two hours away in Kentucky. For the next couple of months, this load should probably affect your risk assessment for other activities as well.

I hope that each of you will be surrounded by ones you love - either in person or at a distance - some virtual. It’s a strange year for sure - but I pray that each of you will feel some of the peace of Christmas. For some, This Christmas is hard because of those you’ve lost - either this year or in years past. Know that you remain in my prayers - and I remember you and them - so many we’ve lost. I pray an extra measure of peace will surround you.

F@$k China and the horse their Government rode in on.

And I thought this was going to be a car thread.... My Prowler

Nothing new to anyone who bothered to look into Chinese policy would realize that they believe they have been at war with the US for at least 50 years. Not a shooting war, but they have been very active in subversion, spying, stealing technology, and buying influence.15 years ago I worked with some folks who were former NSA. We were in Dulles airport and they were pointing out the Chinese agents who were following congressional aides and other folks and listening in to bluetooth cellphone calls and copying data from their laptops. I was amazed at how clueless our people were. Nobody seemed to have any sense of worry that the information they were freely mentioning in their calls was being monitored. Just listening to the one side of the conversation you could hear as those idiots loudly talked on their phones was enough to let me know that they were saying things that really should have been controlled. It was no surprise to me to learn that thousands of Chinese Communist Party members were in high-level positions in our industry, research, and government.

This is in no way surprising, given the totalitarian nature of the Communist government in China. However, most of the world has no history of the "right to bear arms", and much of the world imposes restrictions, many severe, on private ownership and possession of guns. As such, many people across the world, not just those in dictatorships and under repressive governments, have little understanding of gun issues in the US, and honestly can't understand or sympathize with the existence of our second amendment, the number and prevalence of privately owned arms in the US, or our desire to maintain individual gun rights and privileges. Most see it as an anachronism not relevant to modern societies, leading to a wide gulf in how we and they view gun ownership, individual rights and the necessity of an armed citizenry ...

I have a few... The very best of which is a Winchester 94 in .30-30 made in 1974. Simply because it was my dad's rifle, and it's a very good rifle. Got some post '64 freckles and such, but it's for the most part in awesome shape and IMO the lines of the 94 just make it a beautiful gun. Let me see if I can dredge up some pics here. Here's the '94 This is an 1892 takedown with the octagon barrel dating around 1922 - in .44-40 of course. Here we have what I feel is the best purchase dollar for dollar one could make in the firearms game. A Henry Golden Boy in .22LR Here's one I picked up at the Appalachian Fairgrounds about a month ago. Winchester 9422 Legacy in .22 magnum. Pretty sure it's unfired. And finally we have what I consider to be my Tennessee deer rifle - unsuccessful as of yet. But anyway, a Henry Big Boy in .44 magnum. This is a wonderful gun! But.... the title of the thread, favorite lever gun. My dad's '94 of course.

Yes.

Well, one doesn’t have to agree with the way things are being handled to be able to accept that the pandemic is a very real and serious issue. 9/11 was obviously a huge tragedy but one doesn’t have to agree with the aftermath of 9/11 to feel sadness and respect for the tragedy itself.

It's a shame so many people don't mind having blood on their hands by helping kill off half a million of us. But Murica! Freedom! - OS

I agree. They are ALL playing a game with us.

Merry Christmas!

The ATF are standing down, for the moment. Don’t believe they’re anywhere even close to done. They’ll be be back, and soon. https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/general-notice/sb-criteria-withdrawal-notice-12-23-20pdf/download?fbclid=IwAR0L4A8Uk2PoKv3TMfkpwfzWabN9w7uUN9JD0DDQzU5rOYBBFJJIzE2XNSk

Shut off their internet access and they won’t be listening to that.

And..The classic as always

I don't think China would engage the US in a war with guns as the cost in human life would be too great for both sides. They will try and conquer the US thru economic and technological means, which the maroons in DC have turned a blind eye to. Businesses want to do business with China because they will make money, but they will lose their soles and technology to China.

And I disapprove of the way China treats Uyghurs. I’m not sure anyone cares what I think.

Excuse me while I pull out my tinfoil hat..... I'm gonna call BS. Its been a while sine I've been there, but the hospital in Turkey Creek used to be a customer of mine...they were never full, not once, during this entire scamdemic. Remember the refrigerated trailers stacked with dead bodies the national news kept talking about? Yeah, that was a scam, too. I asked a former co-worker of mine who still see's 2 of those accounts in EastTN, I'll report back what he tells me from on-the-ground reporting....

China is the largest threat our country faces. If our dip#### politicians are successful in disarming us, either because China is controlling their puppet strings directly or indirectly, we are screwed. Never forget that Japan was fearful of our "rifles behind every blade of grass" during WWII. So is China.

Of course it’s a problem for them when a country they are trying to overrun has armed citizens, or their own that they are trying to kill get armed. Part of the justification for using the Atom Bombs on Japan came from the high estimates on casualties we would incur trying to invade Japan due to armed citizens. I don’t think China or Russia either one is an immediate threat to us militarily right now. But China is certainly more of a threat to our economy. The incoming administration is refusing to address the claims made against Joe’s involvement with China. We deserve an explanation, and we aren’t getting it; so he’s compromised on the China issue in my eyes. Of course we will see what happens. I feel the same why about how China feels about our laws that I do about the gun laws of other states; I don’t give a rolling rip down a razor blade what they think; and in our country I care what the state of Tennessee does. As Hozzie stated; we get in everyone’s business about nuclear weapons. If I was running a country I would want and expect to have nuclear weapons to protect my country. I wouldn’t care what the U.S. or the U.N. thought about it.

Seeeeeeeesms legit.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I never pick my dogs. They always either just show up or the find my wife and she brings them in. Never had a bad dog....

It sucks for the UT players but honestly Army deserves it a lot more than we did. I'm glad the cadets get to play after winning 9 games they deserve it.

Welcome to Tn and TGO!

Welcome to TGO

I get mine at the Dollar Tree.

I hope you're right, Darrell... but I have a feeling that a lot of folks we are counting on to hold the line won't be there.

Nice!

You are correct, sir.

Serious question: Do you still feel right calling it a scamdemic after discussing this further with your former co-worker?

Earlier in the year I think your previous statement was right. My mom's friend works at Ft Sanders and they never had that many COVID patients at the same time. Now, I believe most are hitting critical mass. I think the info in that article I linked is correct.

There's a well-known ne're do well in my neighborhood, a car thief and drug addict. The sheriff's deputies know him well and arrest him regularly, but somehow the courts keep turning him loose on us over and again. I close my gate during hours of darkness and am fortunate to have a few very reliable, observant neighbors that I can count on in a pinch.

I really don't care what most other foreign countries think of the US in terms of policy or culture or whatever it may be. (I know in the UK they are obsessed with the US, and the irony is no one in the US thinks about them once a month). I also really don't care what other foreign countries do in and of themselves or their policies. My only interest in china is that I do believe china has a vested interest in gaining political influence in America (or has already gained). I'm not surprised china would position themselves in this way, I'm only interested in if china would put their weight behind gun control policies in the US. which I think they will (or maybe do). And again, I don't think this is surprising to anyone here I think most people here keep their ear to the ground really well.

That is funny. My wife named ours Rosey after the robot on the Jetsons. She also tries to escape when we leave our door open.

How in the world did they qualify for a bowl game?

ORSA has a skeet and trap leagues, not sure if it's members only or open to the public, but it's a growing sport there. google Oak Ridge Sportsmen Assn in OR TN.

I always figured why settle for a 6 pack when I could have a pony keg.

Some years back, after we had to put down our Chow, my wife went hunting for a new companion for me. She visited the shelters and picked up several. Then one licked her face and peed on her sweater. That was it. She had claimed my wife. Molly came home with her that afternoon and has been with us for 12 years now. They all do this...but Molly has eaten her way into my life and heart like none of our others have. Lying at my feet right now. No greater love on this earth than that of a dog.

We saw it last night as well, pretty cool. Our window is fairly narrow as there's a tree covered hill directly southwest of our house. It disappears behind the hill pretty early.

I'm looking forward to it. I'll only be about 120 then ... Yes. Mars is also pretty bright, rising much later than Jupiter and Saturn and located almost directly overhead around 10 pm or so. Sirius is also putting on a good show now as well.

No. But then again, it seems that most of "the people" aren't overly concerned one way or another about gun rights. There are certainly some who are rabid anti-gunners, another few who are fervent supporters of unrestricted gun ownership and the RTBA. Most fall somewhere in between, and don't spend much time worrying about the subject. TGO is something of an echo chamber for the pro-2A crowd, but the public as a whole just isn't "all in" in the way that most of us are ...

He's a politician. You won't get an honest, candid, straight answer out of him. I learned this lesson in 11th or 12th grade. Our English teacher (I was her pet student) had somehow managed (campaign contribution?) to get 2 competing state senators to come to our high school to field some questions from the students. In hindsight, it was a well organized photo op before an election. Teacher told me I would be picked to ask a question of the candidates, to dress nice (cameras boy!), and make it a good one. Being familiar with the slimy nature of swamp critters I earnestly tried to craft a question about abortion such that it could only be answered binary: yes I support, no I don't. News crews filled the parking lot, the cafeteria was re-arranged into a stage, lights, camera... The first SOB spent about 7 minutes going on and on and on about I don't even know. The second guy chimed in and said his stance was pretty much in agreement with his competitor. Neither one said 'yes' or 'no'. They're all liars, bums, and crooks. If their lips are moving, they're lying to you. Theres a reason we used to tar and feather them. If they survived the process, they would never have that role again. The stains and boils were permanent you see? Gov. Lee did what all good Politicians do. He danced the two step, catered to both sides of an issue and created non-commital action. So he can say he did something out of one side of his mouth while saying he didn't out of the other. #####g politicians... hate them all, worst scum of the earth.

If only it was the Democrats. The governing class doesn't give a #### about us. Feel free to choose a party to piss on. They're both the same.

That reminds me of those cheap Rambo copies from the back of Boy’s Life in the ‘80s. I remember a buddy of mine tried to whack a wild grape vine with it. He was so disappointed - and we laughed so hard when the blade just broke off the handle because it had no tang. It didn’t even really do any damage to the vine.