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Harbor Freight is perfectly fine for certain things. I needed a set of Flare Nut wrenches I'm only going to use every few years. It made sense to buy them at H.F.

Whatever happened to the “gun crime means hard time” program and mantra? Used to be billboard up everywhere and even commercials on TV. Oh wait, they weren’t serious and no one wanted to enforce and pay for it. That was all before the term “gun violence” was even invented.

I remember the first time I flew on a commercial airline into Saudi Arabia. Their customs form was like any other one you might fill out - but in big red block letters at the bottom of the form it said, “I understand and acknowledge that possession or use of illegal drugs in the Kingdom is a crime punishable immediately by death.” I was traveling for work at the invitation of the king, so I asked someone who knew about it later. That person told me that, “no our numbers are just as bad as anywhere else.“ They had more or less stopped executing people for using - even though the did a few dozen publicly each year. They would execute people caught dealing or trafficking right then and there. And yet there numbers were still basically the same. The heart of the matter is “tough on crime” sounds great. But the data just doesn’t support it - even at the extreme end of the spectrum.

Hmmm, I've seen VA benefits increase quite a bit since I got out of the Corps, and with the budget crisis I think that it makes sense for every part of government to accept some cuts. 22% seems a lot, though. Doesn't it seem strange that a government agency, the VA, would publish a press release like that? It does to me. I would think that government agencies would follow guidance from congress without taking their individual cases to the people. That release seems calculated to stir up the vets, doesn't it? The VA, the Army, the IRS, the DNR etc. are not supposed to try to influence policy, they should follow it. (I know that's complicated.) But the fact is, somebody is going to have to make some tough budgetary decisions. We simply cannot keep on spending ourselves into a deeper and deeper hole. But, man!, it isn't easy to do. I ran a group of about 100 people as a Navy civilian before I retired. I can't begin to write an account here of how hard it was to try to reign in spending. People wanted their overtime, and would go to great lengths to assure themselves of it. There's a LOT of fat that could be trimmed from the federal budget. And by the way, I am always embarrassed when someone thanks me for my service. I think I got by far the best of the trade for my time in the Corps. I learned a trade that carried me throughout my entire career, got GI bill benefits, and got preferential hiring for my civilian Navy job. I've been thanked enough. The nation absolutely owes a lot to vets who were wounded in combat, and I'm glad they get the benefits they do. But I do have a bit of an issue with paying lifetime benefits to someone who was injured playing basketball during their off-duty hours.

If you’re interested - I can recommend some good resources on broken windows policing. There are good resources from both a conservative and progressive perspective. Before Giuliani and Kerik went down that path in New York City - the person who came up with the idea was a criminologist named James Wilson. He died a few years ago - but lived long enough to collect a lot of data and see his ideas experimented with in a lot of places. On that note - it should be noted that the particulars of the implementation really matters. There are better and worse implementations of broken windows policing. Giuliani went after “squeegee men” - some of y’all will remember homeless folks “cleaning” your windows at stoplights to shake you down. But at its core broken windows policing says if we vigorously prosecute low level crimes like vandalism and petty crime - then higher level crimes will decrease too. The data mostly shows us that those two things aren’t linked. There are a whole bunch of reasons for that. Areas that have had better luck with it have taken a whole lifecycle approach to policing in very small geographic areas. Areas that haven’t had good experiences wind up targeting specific groups or areas. It becomes quota based and often winds up with abuses like we’ve seen recently here in Tennessee.

If a man made his living with his tools, I would agree with you. There are a lot of guys like me who just need to put the occasional belt back on a mower or change a fuel filter, and don’t really need $20k worth of tools bouncing around in the truck.

This has been my EDC for a while now but ready for something new. It'll come with an extra 14 round magazine and only have honest wear. 750.00

Just returned from a RV trip to Blue Ridge GA. First time there for us. Drove to Desoto Falls and hiked to both lower and upper falls. Explored Deloniga Ga and the Gold Museum. Explored Ama cola Falls and drove to the top, then hiked up from the bottom, and I will say it is the most impressive falls I have seen around the central south. Also explored and hiked to the longest swinging bridge East o the Mississippi River. It was the roughest 3 1/2 mile drive into the bridge I have driven over in a while. Then about 3/4-mile hike to the bridge over the Taccoa River in the North East Gorgia mountains. When that river hits the TN line the name changes to the Ocoee River. Only a 31/2 to 4 hr drive from Middle TN. Drove to Dalton Ga then drove East. Come back through Cleveland TN, then thru Chattanooga then into Murfreesboro. Went by Dawsonville Ga but didn't go see Wild Bill Elliott from Dawsonville. Wondered if he had a little Museum there but didn't take the time to go see. Lots of people are traveling there now since Gatlinburg is so crowded. Stayed 5 days. Not as much to do as in Pigeon Forge or G-burg though. I still had a good time.

I totally agree, and as another member mentioned, it’s seems odd. Secondly, it’s a political issue that shouldn’t be. Service members are held accountable by their oath and the UCMJ when necessary. Who’s really going to hold Congress accountable? History has shown they’re not being held accountable by voting.

I agree with this statement. Hearing it always feels weird, and I don’t need to be thanked for volunteering. As you know, when we signed on that line, we took an oath to put everything on the line In defense of our country. In return, the government guaranteed us that we and our families would be taken care of if we were injured or killed. Our government already wants to keeps citizens poor and mostly ignorant to continue to fill the ranks of the military on a volunteer basis, as well as working low wage jobs. The government would eventually have to return to the draft to fill its ranks if they also develop a reputation worst than they already have if youngsters see that the government actually taking care of veterans is a myth. This is my not in my backyard moment. I know the government needs to make cuts, but I’d suggest looking at all of the foreign aid we dish out first. That’s another issue for me, because I know in many cases foreign aid is strategically necessary to our national security. Oh well, as usual, I don’t have the answers. It’s just concerning for me when I think about all of the injured young warriors who probably won’t get the benefits they’ve earned.

I started out listening to NASCAR on the radio ( no tv ). Later, watching on TV. Now, it's gone off the rails to me. Still watch some, including today. I long for the days when the CI & HP were on the hood.

As a combat wounded 'Nam Vet, I waited 40+ years before someone thanked me for my service. It took awhile to get used to that, but now I'm grateful to hear it. Even little kids. Shows it came from the parents. Am I surprised by any cuts the Feds make? Not in the least!

FWIW, I can remember where I was and what I was doing the day Bernie Kerik (Giuliani’s police commissioner) was indicted for corruption. I was so disappointed to see someone I had respected indicted and convicted. Looking back that respect wasn’t earned. As much credit as Giuliani gets (takes) for “cleaning up” New York City - the broken windows initiative pre-dated him by at least a decade. The transit authority hired one of the authors of Broken Windows as a consultant - and one of his protégés, David Gunn started implementing it in the subways around 1984. That was later continued and expanded under Bill Bratton (who full disclosure I worked with) both at the transit authority and then as police commissioner. Giuliani came in as politicians often do to grab credit for something he actually had little to do with. I say all that to say there was a time in my life when I would have been an advocate of this style of policing. I’m not anymore. Personally, giving myself to a grace to change my mind has been helpful. But that’s not to say that just because broken windows style policing doesn’t work, that we’ve not learned some things about what does work. That’s a much longer post and unfortunately the political incentives are much more aligned with a tough on crime approaches.

We need to check it out; Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge has become ridiculous trafficwise.

She was just a mentally ill person with a lot of crazy rambling diary entries. I think the Police Chief made a mistake using the term “manifesto” because that made the public think it would provide a reason for her actions. However it’s my understanding that this is not really the case.

Anyone here old enough to remember this one?

Lewis Machine & Tool MARS-H with 2 MWS uppers. Painted quad rail in .308 and a black LM8 upper with a 6.5CM. The MWS system allows for quick change of the barrels so mix and match at your pleasure in only minutes. Any questions please feel free to PM. Prices are negotiable, and I will split it up depending, but you’ll get some serious bonuses for taking the entire package. $4500 for everything shown below If you only want part, the pricing is $3300 for the rifle with 1 20rd Pmag. $1300 for one upper. If you buy it all, you’ll get the ammo (40 rds Hornaday 129gr interlocks, 100rds S&B 150 gr SP, & 100rds S&B 140 gr FMJ BT) and an additional 4 Pmags (5 total) for free. If the package gets broken up then I’ll list the mags & ammo separately. Located in Jackson, TN.

I bought this stuff about two years ago after I tore my biceps muscle and needed to do rehab at home. I've since recovered and have moved on to a larger home gym machine, so I no longer need these things. This is a pretty decent starter setup or will augment whatever you already have. The bench is in very good shape and was always wiped down after use to prevent sweat and salt buildup. There are four 10lb plates and and a total of six 5lb plates (only two are shown in this photo). All 5lb plates are identical to what you see here. Bars and plates are all 2-inch variety. What I paid for this stuff... Bench ($130) Plates ($130) Bars ($70) Total of $330 Will sell it all for $150. Local pick up in the Spring Hill / Thompsons Station area. Cash only. Not interested in any trades at this time.

Dan Wesson Model 011 .357 great shooter $600.00 OBO Shelbyville 931 619 7172

Watching the race at Talladega and ending the day with an Old Fashioned. Not as good as it used to be, but I still check in. Just wondered if anyone here is into NASCAR?

Two for sale: 1. $175 - Remington 514 with Redhead 4x32 scope No serial number (pre-1968). Manufacture date stamp on rifle indicates Oct. 1965. Single shot bolt action. 24 inch barrel 2. $225 - High Standard (Hi-Standard) Sentinel R-101 9-shot single/double revolver. 3 inch barrel.

1. Very strange! 2. I don’t know if you have a VA rating or not, but they’re not handing out the big money ratings like candy. Veterans have to work much harder than they should have to, just to get earned benefits. Look no farther than some Vietnam veterans with agent orange claims finally getting settled in the last decade and the recent burn pit & airborne hazards laws.

Like you said, foreign aid is tricky, but there's obvious fat to trim in some areas. There's a lot of other places we should look to trim too, like bloated benefits for politicians and bureaucrats and many other wastes.

Bingo. This is a political act made for political purposes.

If they are rusty, Evapo-Rust is great. You literally just drop them in the container and let them sit for a little while. Just check them periodically to see how it is going. It will discolor them a bit, but it will literally dissolve the rust down to the good metal. Just rinse them off after and spray them with something like wd-40 and wipe them off.

Agreed. If I think it may be a one time use or very seldom I'll go to harbor freight. If it's something that's going to get a lot of use I get quality. There are some things at harbor freight I would never buy because it may not last the one use.

My theory is to buy a cheap tool. If I wear that out, break it, or it otherwise doesn’t perform satisfactorily I’ll replace it with a quality tool.

If you get as far west as Nashville, look up Battleground Army Surplus. He has all kinds of ammo cans for decent prices.

0000 steel wool then auto wax.

Where a bouts? Tell the "Rest of the story".

Public hanging on TV wold stop a lot of crap as well.

I'm not opposed to severely painful ends for people who harm kids and the elderly. I'm a few more looting videos away from warming up to a similar punishment for thievery.

You and I may have different views on what constitutes an extreme penalty. I know it isn’t the Christian way, but I have no use for thieves or anybody who mistreats children or old folks.

I agree with this as they have been trying to figure out a way to destroy the Supreme Court to make it easier to destroy the Constitution !

It is a very biased term with only one goal, the eradication of guns from society. It also implies that other forms of violence are acceptable or otherwise cannot be controlled.

I believe the punishment for thievery should be so severe it becomes all but non-existent.

As I said, I live in this reality, but that doesn't mean we blame the victims, it is the thieves that are to blame. We need to stop using their talking points, they just want to control us, through removal of Constitutionally protected rights.

Have to disagree with you there, I should be able to leave it on the dashboard with the window down and still find it when I return. That doesn't mean I did anything wrong, it is the thief that is wrong, all day long. Now, I live in this reality, so I won't do that, but the premise stands. If they don't want us to leave our weapons in our vehicles, then maybe they shouldn't have so many no-gun zones. But as it has been said, ad nauseam, it isn't about safety, it is about control, they want us disarmed the entire time.

PMing

Well, I've done all I can do with this gun. I removed the magazine disconnect, trimmed the sear lever spring a little and did some light polishing on the sear and hammer. Best I could do was get the trigger pull down to right at 7 lbs. But it is smooth, crisp, consistent and much better than it was. It really feels much better than it actually measures on the scale. I'm thinking it will get even better with use. Only time will tell. Much to my chagrin, I've discovered that the C&S safety lever will not work in this gun. It seems that the stud that actually blocks the sear is just a tad smaller on the Girsan and the C&S lever won't go through the hole in the frame. Also the detent position is slightly different. When in the off position the C&S lever sticks up just enough to block the slide. While I'm not real happy with the factory lever, I can live with it. Ok, so its not a Browning. But for half the price, Its still a good gun. I'm happy with it. Of course its raining today and forecast calls for rain pretty much all next week. I have no idea when I'll get to the range to test it out. But a range report is coming. Stand by.

Hey is there any 1911 guys on here that need a very nice piece

I got an old Single Six at a gun shop I stopped at one day. Finish reall bad, and rear sight almost look like it was beaten with a hammer. Hammer and trigger were good, and the cyclinder was tight. It just looked like crap. Since the guy had several nice Rugers there, I said you need to get that one out. It makes the others look bad. He laughed at that and said make me an offer. Well, I just threw out a low offer, and to my surprise he said yes. 150 OTD. I walked away happy. Still have it somewhere around here. It was so smooth I gave it to my wife. She hid it for emergency use. Haven't seen it since!

I would check your mobile home dealers. But like everything else they’re probably high as an eagles butt.