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Truck prices are crazy. I needed a truck for work so I was buying a nearly new truck every 2-3 years and putting insane miles on it. Now being retired has open up a more laid back approach and this old thing I went thru giving it new motor, trans, brakes, lines, hoses, wiring harness and other stuff. I spent maybe 10K and have an every day driver that I'm not afraid to drive anywhere. I went to Texas not long ago with no problem. A/C worked great. One of my two squarebodys...

Not worried about it. I'll own a semi automatic for the rest of my life.

Man, tough call. I love my MBRs. Having owned multiple M1As, FALs, a SCAR-17 and even a Galil ACE Gen 1 308 rifle, it's hard not to love the M1A. I pick the SCAR-17 as my "you can only have one" for its modern design but I still have so much love for the others. Hope this helps: 1) The M1A. Fantastic guns. Superior accuracy, in my opinion, even with the chunky XS night sight of the SOCOM variants. I have a Tanker in a wooden stock with a NM trigger pack, Sadlak oversized mag release, and at least one 25-round mag. The gun is handy, loud and hammers steel at 400-500 yards with authority. If I had it to do over again, I would've gotten the Scout Squad variant. It balances better, despite being longer. My only gripe with them is the same with the AK: rock-in magazines suck under stress (and are expensive, though the 25-rounders DO work) and it's hard to put an optic or light on them. I love the safety system and honestly think people who complain about it are juggling an extra chromosome. So if you're going to go irons-only with no light and no fuss, the accuracy of the M1As is tough to beat. 2) The Galil ACE. The AK's big brother in modern format. I have a Gen 1 with an ACOG on it and we beat the steel at 600 yards with ball ammo. While not as accurate as the M1A, its folding stock and polymer frame make it handier (though the stock is a bitch to fold until it breaks in). Magpul mags means it's not as expensive as the M1A to load up and I never found mine picky on any type of ammo. It's easy to mount an optic and accessorize as you would a modern gun. The built in night-sights on the irons are a nice touch too. But you'll need that cheek riser it comes with if you want to run an optic. It's cheap plastic that clamshells over the stock but it comes in handy. Don't lose it. It's a great design in most regards: a suped-up AK with a port-side charging handle, easy to glass, mags insert like an AR, ambi fire controls, plenty of pic space to hang your coffee grinder and fax machine off of. Downside is it feels a little cheap (Israeli-express, baby, gotta save those shekels) and it has a tall profile, so if your optic goes down, you'll be yanking that cheek riser off along with your ACOG to utilize those iron sights. It also has none of the traditional flare and nostalgia of the other MBRs, which traditionally came out of the Cold War (FAL, M1A, G3, etc). It holds no special place in my heart but I have no major complaints about it. A totally serviceable weapon. If you find one at a decent price and you don't mind the lack of legacy to its design, you won't be disappointed. (I knew a former Fifth Group guy who carried the 12.5" pistol variant in his truck...but he was kind of a coke monkey). 3) The FAL. I've been an FAL fag for over a decade now. I've had a few and loved them, from the StG-58 to the all-Imbel M444 and even the little DSA Micro. They're my favorite traditional MBR. A nice blend of M1A execute authority and AR-15 ergonomics. Plus, long live Rhodesia. The history and reliability of those guns cannot be argued against. The adjustable gas system is nice (though I never had any issues with the self-regulating systems of the M1A or Galil). It's an older design that's not as beefy, so I try not to run anything heavier than 168gr OTM out of them, but it's a battle rifle. The only time you run into that issue is when you are hunting (which you probably won't be, so who cares). The rocker style mag reload is easier than the M1A but still not as good as the SCAR-17 and Galil's straight insert. It's easier to mount optics but you can't cheap out; they DO beat their glass up in recoil. I had a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10 MIL-DOT on mine and I never should have sold that glass (if anyone has one they want to part with, hit me up LOL). I have an old TRILUX on my M444 just for nostalgia kicks and it actually works really well. Who knew? Magazines are cheaper than the M1A but it's not as accurate. But it depends on what you're wanting to do with it. It'll still hit a man-sized target at 600 yards. We have to think practically about what we are using these things for, even in a SHTF/Wolverines scenario. Truth be told, pretty much no one here is ever going to be using their battle rifles past 300 yards, even in the apocalypse. We get hung up on this kind of thing and it robs us of having great experiences with perfectly great weapons systems. So yeah, the FAL is cool and with DSA, you're in no danger of not having access to parts. Plus, their 30-round magazines work REALLY well. I have four. 4) The SCAR-17. Brothers, I hate to say it because it'll make me look like a basic bro but, if I could only have two guns, they would be a Glock 19 and a SCAR-17. It galls me to admit it, having had so much love for the FAL both as a symbol and as a gun over the years, but the SCAR is half the weight and half the recoil. Straight insert mags (you can even repurpose FAL mags, if you're daring), easy to mount optics and lights and foregrips, not picky on its ammo, and every bit as accurate as the Galil ACE and FAL. The M1A might have it beat, but you'd have to put glass on it to tell. The SCAR is not perfect; its polymer frame and stock might not put up with your extreme/deliberate abuse and the mags are pricy. But the system runs. We ran a rifle course at this outdoor range a few months ago (lots of moving and shooting, shoot/no-shoot targets, paper and steel...it was complex) and one of the clients brought a SCAR-17. I was amazed at how fast you can be with those, even with an ACOG and working inside 30 yards. It's a ton more money, I know, but you can't go wrong, even with a used one. So yeah, the Galil ACE is well within your budget but it holds no place in most people's hearts as it's not a legacy traditional Cold War era battle rifle with that nostalgic "old school cool factor". But the sucker works. The M1A Scout Squad is the best bang for the buck, just know it'll take work putting glass on it and adding any lights or foregrips one might typically use in a general purpose setup. The FALs are awesome but they're picky on glass and, frankly, outclassed by the SCAR-17's evolution (though they are roughly 2/3 the cost). Punchin' out, J

Over the last six months my wonderful wife has had a series of serious sinus infections. The myriad of drugs she has been on affected her as badly as the infections. Over time she also noticed that when the infection started her two back teeth on the top left also would ache. Our PCP sent her to Vanderbilt and an excellent ENT found in a CT scan that something was going on with the teeth. He referred her to an excellent oral surgeon who found there was a serious infection in the gum. The infection in the gums was being broadcast to the sinuses. A massive double infection; one affected the other. Surgery was called for. She had to go through two hours of surgery with the ENT to "clean out" the sinuses. When he finished the oral surgeon then went in for two hours to remove the teeth and repair the gums. Surgery was successful and both surgeons found massive pools of infection in the upper sinus and in the gums. If the infection made it to the brain I would have lost my wife. A week past surgery my wife is doing great and post surgical visits with both surgeons show the infection is gone and she is healing well. (Just getting used to chewing without two less teeth.) This has been a scary period for me and for her. I wanted to give thanks to God, extremely caring and COMPETENT doctors, and to my wife for fighting through a difficult time (except through suffering from my cooking!). Just felt the need to share what she has been through, the fear I felt after realizing how bad the infections were, and my gratefulness that she is sitting across from me reading a funny book and laughing because she is feeling better. I invite you to share my thankfulness and my joy. Thank you for reading.

Praise God! Love on your wife and spoil her because we can lose them all too suddenly.

Thank you all for reading and your kind responses. It helps to be heard after feeling very alone.

M1 Garand …. Yep, I am an old f**t!!

Much in the same way banning meth and pot stops meth and pot usage

I'm a huge fan of both the M1 Garand and the M1A. I've got 2 Garands and 4 M1As. The M1A is my choice for a main battle rifle. And I agree with Garufa that the Scout Squad is the best all around choice. The 18" barrel is the perfect compromise between power and handling. Be aware that the plain stock versions aren't target guns. They were designed for combat. Most will shoot 2-3" at 100 yards. Plenty good enough for hunting or combat. For a real tack driver ya gotta spend big bucks. However, the M1 Garand is just pure class. A true piece of history. Your best bet for that is CMP. Yeah, a few hoops to jump through, but you get a completely serviceable rifle at a good price. A pure joy to shoot. The down side with the M1 is that you shouldn't shoot commercial hunting ammo in it. Too much pressure. And the supply of good Mil-surp ammo is drying up. However, there are modern commercial loads just for the Garand.

I'd also go with a pistol caliber lever gun. Preferably a 16" Trapper model. Short, light, fast and easy to handle. Plus you can top off the magazine as you go.

Thanks to God and modern medicine. Both are great, but very much so when the latter works in concert with prayer. Going to go thank God for Jesus, this morning, and thank Jesus for what He has done for all mankind. Remembrance of Jesus is what Sundays are for. Glad your wife is much better "Luckyforward".

I used to talk mad crap about the M-14 platform for all of its technical failings until I held one in my hand and shouldered it. They just feel good and are aesthetic as hell. Doesn’t matter that every single one of the Cold War era battle rifles are technically superior, I fricken love the damn thing.

You could order one of these. As a photographer, I use many, many of their AA's for various purposes. The only difference between a AA and C or D are simply their capacity. The voltages are all 1.5V. As such, a kit like the one linked you would give you a lot of capabilities. The AA's fit in the D sleeves and thus would work in these lights. You'd have reduced runtime compared to an actual D battery but you'd have many AA's to fill it with. These re-chargeables are amazing, they claim after charging and setting on the shelf they'd have roughly 70% of that charge. The claim roughly 2,100 charge cycles as well. Owning Eneloops is like joining a cult... As far as these lights go, I'd love to pick one up for that price.

I have at a min a 1/2 full propane tank I no longer need. While not sure on how much propane is in there it’s at least 1/2 full and most likely more. Nice for the propane and nice for a cheaper exchange when you need it. $40 NOW $30 in South Nashville or North Franklin. Will be in Murfreesboro this weekend for baseball and do travel some for work depending on where you are located.

Yeah. That’s my plan as well.

This is the same size as my old mid size M&P 45... Great size and great shooting gun. Helluva deal!

Once and only price drop to $400

Yes. Should be locked.

YEP, I as well

Trade for Gen 5 g17 or g19. damn that statement hurts

I use a Remora Holster or a Desantis Nemesis for my Max 9 for pocket carry. Edited to add. My Max does not have the Red Dot sight.

Man I appreciate all the detail in there. Actually really helpful. I was forgetting those FALs. For your galil you said Gen one but not caliber? You sticking with that 308 Nato goodness?

My vote is that you get the M1 Garand via CMP for all of the reasons listed above plus a few hundred more. When Gen. George Patton calls it, "The greatest battle implement ever devised" then you need to own one. Plus, you will get to hear the "tink."

I used to have a little lever 30-30 and I kinda regret selling it. Only thing is I'd hate to get another caliber and go through the expense of stockpiling another 1,000+ rounds of that.

American wood an steel roots run deep! With that some bias may result. I have 2 Garands, 1 M1A, and 3 Galil's. The Garand goes without saying for any American citizen calling themselves a gun enthusiast. My thoughts on the other 2. I have been enamored with the M14 platform since I was a child. Of the 3, its the one I still love to look at the most. Its the one I want to like the most. Its the one I've put the most time and energy into from chasing NOS parts to diving into the Sage EBR world. After having 5 of them (all full length), it pains me to put it 3rd among the 3, not to mention the risk of being banned. They are great to hold, I got some good accuracy out of the EBR, but with ball (which is my base since that is what a MBR would typically be using) I found them to be just OK. IMO is they can be finicky with ammo, which lowers it on my list. Specifically cycling with lower power 308 or when they start to run dry/dirty. For me, ammo agnostic is my number 1 MBR requirements. I sold 3 in CA, sold 1 here to another member. I kept my new unfired M1A National Match, because not having something M14 based seems un-American. Plus the fact I have stacks of GI mags, stocks, and parts. But 12 years later, it still sits unfired in the back of the safe. I watched the Bula development, but lost interest when some other 308 offerings came out. Springfield did come out with more interesting versions / updated chassis later. I have considered getting one of the shorter CQB versions, just never got around to it. Galil. When someone asked what is the most reliable MBR, you'd be pretty hard pressed and be reaching for reasons it is not the AK. A modernized one that charges on the CORRECT side for 90% of the population....nuff said. While Bula did come out with what they call "a left handed version" (so wrong!) later on, Galil and Czechpoint beat em to it. I got both the x51 and x39 Gen 1's when they came out. All the good bits Leander mentioned. I like the ergos, and my particular 308 out-shot 3 of my M1A's with ball, about equal with the EBR. BUT it didn't give a squirt what ammo you threw it it. It would throw the brass from low power brass almost as far without a hiccup. They are over gassed, pretty typical for an AK. People at the range 15 feet away will give you nasty looks for fling hot brass at them. I personally dont think the package feels cheap, but that is a bit subjective. The factory rail covers do have some movement, but I personally dont have a problem with the polymer lower portion of the receiver. I enjoyed by Gen 1 enough that I picked up a Gen II in 308. IMO opinion these are highly underrated here. FWIW, the right choice is to get both. Life is short, you NEED both!

You could always try servicing the transmission first if it's never been done. I do drain+fills on my 2002 Tundra transmission. 4 quarts out, 4 in. I just drove my 2002 to Arizona and back. Never selling it.

I actually, have this very rifle. It's a Rossi M92 in .38/.357 with a 16" barrel. Love shooting it! Another rifle, I'm actually considering purchasing is a Ruger Ranch rifle in 5.56x45 NATO. As soon as I find one, I plan to purchase it. I plan on putting a RDS on it. I could see this possibly being a better choice, due to a longer range round. The fact that it could also take AR mags is a plus, since I have several 10 round AR mags. I think this would be compliant in pretty much every state.

I had a Marlin 336 (.30-30) that I put a Williams peep sight on. It was a great deer gun in the thick and swampy piney woods of my youth. For S's & G's I ran it through a few short course stages, close to intermediate range. It held it's on against AR's/AK's (we shot a lot of AK's back then) until it was time to reload. Even loading off a butt-cuff it was still slow. But, if I could not have an AR or an AK a lever gun would certainly suffice. I agree with others that a pistol caliber could be an advantage. But if such legislation comes down the pike I would think it would target capacity as one of it's primary restrictions. Certainly hope not...but hope isn't a good plan.

It’s amazing that this seems so out of place on 2023. I’m so thankful for that - and it kind of serves as a reminder of how much things have changed and how quickly. In our grandparent’s generation “dental infections” were a top 10 cause of death in the US.

I could see a ban on Sporting rifles extend to all magazine fed semi-automatic rifles. I mean, it makes sense if you are really trying to stop the dangerous use of that style rifle. We all know that, functionality wise, there is not much difference between an AR/AK and a ‘Mini14/30.

Mini 14/Mini30?

And if you want to, you can make it “tacti-cool” (although I personally don’t care for tacti-cool lever guns)

Well, a levergun in .357 or 44mag with a 16” barrel would be a good choice. Faster to cycle than a bolt action. An older Remington semiautomatic (model 81 or model 750) in 30.06 or .35 Remington would be good as well. The lever gun in a pistol caliber will hold more rounds.

The M1A is a great rifle, but if I were to buy something like that, I'd be mighty tempted to add another caliber and buy a M1 Garand along with a bunch of ammunition and clips for it (it'd be about the same cost). For me, those just have a lot more history and pizzazz than the M1A. I use to shoot NM M14s for the Army in competition, and if they're built for right, they're super fun! But if it's just a run of the meal M1A. it's just another AR or AK rifle, just heavier. And to me, anymore, those are just meh too.

Happy to hear they caught that and got it taken care of! Also glad that I go to an excellent dentist every 6 months that might catch something like that.

Wonderful that she's getting well but terrifying at how simple it seems.

So glad to hear this.

So glad things worked out for the best, praying does pay off.

We've pretty well out kicked our evolution at large when it comes to technology. When you think about it - society has changed more in the last 50 years than it has the last 50,000. Multiple things can be true at the same time -and actually we're seeing Gen Z'ers with better relationships with technology than the older generations. Especially amongst the oldest generations - there are some troubling patterns. But, with all that - we've documented the harmful effects that things like Facebook/Instagram have on kids. Facebook did the study - and then didn't release it because it showed such harms - especially to teenage girls. I'm convinced that in 50 years - assuming we're still here as a species - our grandkids will look at our use of social media much like many of us looked at our grandparents who smoked 18 hours a day. They'll look at us with a, "how could you not have known that was bad for you" mentality.

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I'm keeping my 20 year old truck and my 10 year old RAV4. Absolutely nothing wrong with either one. I wouldn't be afraid to buy a high mileage Toyota truck. Even if you have to shell out a few grand for repairs it's still cheaper than buying new. Plenty of Tundras for sale on Facebook marketplace.

Two of the last three trucks we've bought came from the classifieds here on TGO. The third one came from a bank repo auction. Screw a dealer! Have some patience and watch Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, and LSN.