Danger Rane

I prefer FFP for everything if I have a choice, mainly because that's what I've used the most and I feel it gives me more versatility depending on what type of reticle I'm using. If you go with SFP just be mindful of which power setting you need to be on for proper use of your reticle (usually the max setting but not always). If you don't anticipate needing your reticle to scale throughout your power band then you should be fine with SFP. I know some folks don't like how small a FFP reticle looks at low magnification in low light situations, so that's something to consider for hunting. Of course an illuminated reticle could mitigate that issue. Theoretically the biggest benefit of a 30mm scope body vs a 1" body is the amount of elevation adjustment. If you are only shooting out to 6 then you should be fine with the 1".

As Garufa suggested that's a pretty open ended question, especially considering the plethora of options when configuring an AR, choosing caliber, choosing ammo, optic etc...but to answer rather generally all my 5.56 and .223 ARs are shooting 1MOA or better, one shoots 3/4MOA easily and can do better when I do my part. I have a 300blk build I just finished and started testing and it's about 1.75MOA, but I'm going to tinker and try to make it better. I've built all my AR's but don't reload right now so it's all factory ammo. Any particular reason you ask? Just generally curious or trying to figure out if yours is up to standard?

Damn, the worst thing about this is the K9 getting killed in the crossfire.

Lowe's had some pretty good deals on tools. Picked up a nice Dewalt compound miter saw for a good price and got the stand free. Actually bought it a couple days ago at full price because I wasn't sure how many they would have on hand this morning....went in today with my receipt and they price matched and gave me the difference. Gotta love Lowe's.

Nice kill!

Just my opinion but I tend to think these are a waste of money. When I bought my last truck the dealer was pressuring me pretty hard to get an extended warranty because the factory warranty only covers 3 years/36k miles. I told him that if he felt I needed the warranty that bad when I hit mile 36,001 then I should probably go buy a different brand of truck. He didn't find it funny but he shut up. gotthegoods, you mentioned that this is a good option if repairs exceed ones budget, and I think that's absolutely the wrong way to look at things. When someone shops for a vehicle they need to keep in mind not only the purchase price but also fuel consumption, collision insurance and repair needs. If I can't budget for future repairs on my truck maybe I should get a smaller (cheaper) truck or a car. My wife and I have a car fund that we put the equivalent of a car payment into monthly along with any tax returns we get each year. We get to collect interest on this account and have it on hand should an emergency arise, but usually it's used for things like new tires or vehicle repairs as they come up. We do this religiously and have been able to save for each of our last two vehicles and buy them outright. We are not wealthy and probably never will be, but this methodology has saved us a ton of money over the years. The hardest part for most people is being able to wait while they save, as they want the big shiny thing now. The other part is being willing to get ones hands dirty and get outside their comfort zone. I'll be the first to admit that a transmission or engine swap on any of my current vehicles is outside my scope of skills, and I would begrudgingly have to take it to a shop for that level repair, but it's easy to save a ton of money on most repairs with some YouTube videos and a basic set of tools. I replaced both front hub bearings on my car for $96, the shop wanted over $900. High pressure lines on my wife's van, bought part for $51 on Amazon installed myself with a lot of cursing, the shops wanted $500-700. Watched videos and repaired sliding door on wife's van with no parts needed, shop wanted $400-600 to repair. I am not really all that mechanically inclined, but my google-fu game is strong...people can do a lot more than they often give themselves credit for and save a ton of money in the process.

I'd be hard pressed to get rid of my LCP if I didn't have to. It's not what I carry the most, but sometimes It's all I can carry. I think a little pocket pistol is a must have tool in the tool box.

This post always reminds me of a certain children's song without end. On the upside we gain new TGO members periodically, even if they do have questionable taste in 1911's

This is one of the big things my MIL likes about her CRV.....she finds the height perfect for her to get in and out comfortably. My FIL drives an Accord and it's too low for her so they always take the CRV when the ride together. Both of her's have been very reliable.

I have one I built, I do run a blade brace, have a 10.5" 300blk upper and a 7.5" 5.56 upper. I don't have a can for either but the right muzzle device for your configuration can make a huge difference. As a couple others have mentioned I like having the ability of the rifle caliber in a portable package that I can keep in my truck or a backpack when traveling. I have a pistol to fight my way back to my truck gun....wouldn't be any point if I was fighting my way to another pistol caliber (IMO).

My mother in law is on her second CRV and loves them. Took the first one up to almost 200k before selling it to get a newer one. No real issues with the first one, she just had it so long she wanted a newer one. I personally find them to be pretty gutless in the speed department. Barely able to get out of its own way and definitely not great for pulling out into traffic and getting up to speed without pissing people off....which I guess explains why they are so popular among 60-70 year old women. On the freeway they feel about as stable as sitting in a cardboard box strapped to a skateboard. if your budget permits check out the Toyota Highlander. We got my wife a 2016 a few months back and it's a very smooth ride with adequate power for that size vehicle. Gets about 20.5 mpg cruising at 80mph with a full load.

Calico M-900. 9mm carbine with 50 and 100 round mags. It's a blast to shoot, but good luck making it through a range session without everyone and their brother wanting a turn. At least it has a Brass catcher!

@Ronald_55 I have the 10"x12" Level III, Advanced Shooter Cut, curved, with the upgraded (thicker) spall mitigation coating. I strongly advise against steel plates without some form of spall mitigation. Mine are about 7.5-8lbs per plate. I went with Tactical Tailer plate carriers but I would not do that again as I think they are pretty overpriced for what you get. My Dad got his plate carrier from Ar500 when he got his plates and I think his is as good a quality as my Tactical Tailor stuff and only 1/3rd the price.

I have a couple sets and I'm very pleased with them. I recommend getting on their email distribution as they have 20% off sales a couple times a year. Black Friday is probably their next big sale, that's when I have bought mine. There are pros and cons to steel plates vs ceramic or more exotic styles of armor. It just comes down to your budget and intended use. When Ar500.com was first starting out they made a plethora of YouTube videos shooting their plates with everything imaginable and showed the viewer the success and failures. Demolition Ranch also has numerous videos destroying or trying to destroy plates sent to him by Ar500.com. Check out some of these videos and you might be surprised how well these plates hold up. They are certainly heavier than ceramics, but they are a fraction of the cost, multi-hit capable, and don't need to be x-ray tested periodically like the ceramics. Very low maintenance. I don't drop my plates or treat them bad, but it's nice knowing that if I did drop them or if they bounced around in the back of the truck they wouldn't potentially be getting cracks that lower their protection ability. When I was in the Army our ceramic plates were collected up and x-rayed twice a year, and we were always amazed how many had to be replaced from normal wear (not from being shot). I personally cracked a ceramic plate on an obstacle course. Not that I do anything crazy like that anymore but I don't have the money or desire to deal with ceramics. To me the only plus side to ceramics is the weight, specifically the lack thereof. So if someone is wearing their plates for hours at a time or wearing them everyday then it might be worth looking at ceramics. But for most of us that just want a "just in case" set I would advocate strongly for the Ar500 plates. Edited to add: They are as comfortable as wearing a weight around your neck/shoulders can be a lot of that comes down to the carrier style you choose. I have a bit of a gut now and they certainly are not as comfy and maneuverable as they used to be. And I think it's hard for anyone (myself included) with a pronounced gut to not look ridiculous wearing body armor, it's kind of an oxymoron situation I think. Picking a carrier with straps that are a bit wider will help distribute the weight across the shoulders and mitigate the "cutting in" feeling, though it will still be uncomfortable after a couple hours.

If you are wanting to be able to play games with your Grandson online while you are both in separate locations than you will want to get the same console, as the majority of games do not crossover. If you just want something that you will play with him on your console when he's at your place I recommend the Xbox. Regardless which platform you choose check out the games "World of Tanks" and "Fortnite", both are free games that give you the option to spend real money if you so choose, both are fun for kids and adults alike and while guns and war are involved neither have graphic violence.

I recommend staying away from Diamond Cargo, I have a custom 7x16 from them and they cut more corners than most.

I've always had a love/hate relationship with REI and can't say I'm really surprised by this latest twist. When I was a young Army private getting ready to ship out for my first trip to Afghanistan our squad leader told me to go to REI (a store I'd never heard of up to that point) and ask an employee to help me pick out the appropriate layers and gear for a mountainous trek. He made sure to tell me not to mention that I was in the Army (as if the stylish high and tight wouldn't give it away) both for reasons of OPSEC but also because "they're a bunch of damn granola eating treehuggers that don't like what we do!" Treehuggers they certainly were, but proper advice on outdoor mountaineering I certainly got. I had to buy layers that could be worn underneath my issued equipment, which was at that point in the GWOT fairly ill prepared for sustained operations at high altitude. When it was all said and done I spent a little over $400 on a base layer, mid weight layer, my first of many MSR pocket rocket stoves, and a sleeping bag that was about two times warmer and four times lighter than my issued version.....all at the advice of a nice lady that smelled like she used hemp oil for perfume and probably had longer armpit and leg hair than I did. That was alot of money to spend as a young Private but it was worth every penny, and that pocket rocket stove got passed around my platoon like a joint at a Grateful Dead concert. Fast forward several years and I was no longer a private but a Platoon Sergeant trying to outfit my guys for a trip to another region that required specialized equipment. I was with our Supply Sergeant who had the credit card and the authorization to purchase 26 complete sets of gear for the platoon. As we were finalizing everything the Supply Sergeant did his due diligence to save the tax payers some money and asked if we could get a bulk discount and/or a discount for being a military/gov customer......this was at the REI parent store in the heart of liberal Seattle.... you would have thought we just told the manager and the several associates helping us that we just ate a baby for breakfast. Not only was there not a discount to be had, but that POS manager at that point started making things difficult to the point that if he could have told us outright he wasn't going to sell to us than he probably would have. Despite our baby killing temperament we left without incident and without spending a dime, leaving the triggered (that's what they were, despite the fact that the term didn't exist back then) associates to deal with the 13 overflowing carts of gear we had amassed. We promptly went to a mom and pop competitor of REI and after the discount that they were happy to give us came out paying about 1/3rd less than it was going to cost at REI, they even let each of our platoon members come in at their leisure and personally fit them for their gear. I did eventually figure out at least in part why the REI prices are so dang high on everything, they have a fantastic return policy that they have to financially account for. I've seen people take back shoes that look like they've walked the A.T. in its entirety and turn them in saying they didn't fit just right and walk out with brand new shoes.....I guess that's how tree huggers view recycling and conservation

Nice work, the sheath and the blade. We have some true craftsman in here.

Welcome to the group. I second the suggestion for Northside Gun Shop.

Welcome to the group Seabee!

Not sure where you are located but I'm in the Columbia/Spring Hill area. I have the cutting and welding capability but don't have a bender. If you come up with the parts we can work something out to get it welded up. If you are south of me look into Richmond LLC in Pulaski, they are my metal supplier but also have a full service fab shop and powder coat booth.

Welcome!

Welcome to the group M. I escaped the PRC (Redding area) back in the late 90's and haven't looked back. Been in TN about 7 years now and don't ever want to leave. You will like it here, the state and definitely this group.

The burn marks on the tanks look like it would be from API not tracer. I have seen and used APIT in .50 but have only seen/used tracer or API in 7.62x51, not aware of a 7.62 in the APIT flavor. IF it had penetrated, and IF he hit the tanks in an area that was vapor and not fluid, it could have been pretty bad.

Enough with the probing already, that's obviously what started this mess