TripleDigitRide

That simply doesn't work, and Nashville/Davidson County is a perfect example. When I moved here about 15 years ago, cities like Hermitage, Antioch, Madison, etc were still decent places to live. Then the City of Nashville and Davidson County thought it would be a spectacular idea to close several housing projects near downtown, and casually move all the ghetto dwellers into the suburbs. They did this, all while claiming that integrating low-income families/children into middle-class schools and neighborhoods would magically make the low-income familes/children better people. It took only a very short time to realize just the opposite was happening. if it made anyone better, it was a very, very small number of people. Of course these folks leaving the housing projects couldn't afford the higher rent payments that came with the nicer neighborhoods, and of course the government was going to foot at least a large portion the bill. This works great for those who've just been transplanted into the nicer homes and apartments, and it also works great for the owners of said apartments and homes. Owners of these properties love Section-8, because it's like guaranteed money in the bank. A very large portion, if not every penny of the rent comes from the government, so there's almost no worries about getting paid. Even if the tenant doesn;t pay to the point of being evicted, the property owner has likely already received most of their money. If you or I don't pay, they are out ALL of the money. Bottom line is, moving people who've spent generation after generation living in housing projects into the nicer areas did nothing but ruin once decent areas. The neighborhoods went downhill, and so did the already crappy schools.

Thank You All For Everything You Do!

Yep, very true. It's difficult for many people to see any signs of real damage being done by places like Wal-Mart and Bud's, because many owners of smaller companies still in business appear to be doing very well. Take the gun dealers for instance. I can't claim to know much about all of their personal lives, but the few I do know about, they at least appear to be living quite well. While many American's are struggling to make it day-to-day, more than a few of these dealers are living in homes worth several hundred-thousand dollar. Some have garages and shops full of high dollar cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, RVs, etc. Many of them own tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars worth of firearms. Not to mention the ones that own hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of firearms. They are able to go on very expensive vacations around the country and world. All this while many average gun owners are only able to buy a gun or two per year, if they are lucky. These days there are too many people simply trying to figure out how they are going to pay their rent, mortgage or electric bill this month. There is nothing wrong with dealers making good money and living a nice life, but don't expect the average American to feel pitty because Bud's or some other online store is taking away a few of their cutomers. Once they're forced to begin selling off their most prized possessions to pay their rent or buy their child school clothes, maybe people will really give a damn.

If others were willing to adapt and operate like Wal-Mart and Bud's Gun Shop, Wal-Mart and Bud's Gun Shop wouldn't have control over so much of the marketplace. The playing field would then be a little more level. As I said earlier, most current store owners can not operate their business as their Grandfather did. I've been known to criticize Wal-Mart more than a few times, but people tend to forget, Wal-Mart didn't simply appear out of thin-air, making over 400 Billion dollars per year. Wal-Mart started out as a little Mom and Pop store (Walton's Five and Dime) just like many of our local retailers. Difference is, Sam Walton had vision. That vision was as simple as marking up his products slightly less than most competitors. Damn, that must have taken all of two brain cells to figure out. What a surprise, even 60-years-ago people were concerned about saving a little money. People interested in the best deal they could find started shopping with Sam Walton all those years ago, and for some strange reason, some people wonder why all-of-a-sudden everyone became cheap bastards and price shoppers.

Not so fast! I'm sure there are plenty who would not agree with me on this. Only calling it how I see it.

Could be a few things. I'll start with the easiest; have you tried polishing the feed ramp?

Congrats on the beautiful family. Looks like a great time.

This isn't going on only with gun dealers. People deal with the same issue when it comes to so many products these days. Times have changed, and store owners must adapt if they expect to continue to thrive into the future. Bud's Gun Shop has it figured out, as far as I'm concerned. Not only do they have a retail store, but they also know that times have changed, and to be competitive they had to think outside the box. Problem with many local dealers is, what once was outside the box is, now inside the box. Bud's and similar online stores didn't become what they are today because they decided to continue operations as if their Grandfather was still running things. They realized it was time to change with the world around them. If you know what you want, shopping online can often be so much cheaper, but what I really like is, it's often so much easier. One of the problems I continue to have with local gun dealers is, they have made a habit of not advertising their lowest price. I'm (and obviously many, many others) looking for the best possible deal, but if we were interested in haggling over the price, we'd be visiting a flea market or yard sale. It's as if the local dealers are looking for the sucker who's going to walk in and willingly fork over the maked price, because they don't realize they can get it cheaper. When dealing with places like Bud's, you know what their bottom dollar is, and it's often cheaper than what the local shops have their items listed for. And not just because you're not paying taxes at the time of the purchase. I've found several items at places like Bud's that were much cheaper, even before you figure the taxes. So it's not just a tax thing. I often hear folks talk about dealing with a local deal for a period of time, and eventually you'll get the better deals. So, what they are saying is, we expect you to pay higher prices until we feel you are worthy of our actual pricing. Face it, you're hardly getting some amazing deal, because it's not like local dealers are going to lose money just because you've purchased from them a few times in the past. You're simply getting the price that you should have been getting all along. Maybe they'll be willing to make a little less, but because the mark-up on guns isn't usually a huge amount, the deal you get can only be so good. Often times, you could have bought the same thing for their amazing price from someone else with a whole lot BS. Bottom line, people in general have become lazy, and that includes their shopping habits. And with the economay as it is today, more and more people are being forced to become price shoppers. A great majority of people want the best deal they can find, as hassle-free as possible. Unfortunately, most local dealers don't fit the needs and wants of todays American people. The fact that countless online stores like Bud's are thriving should be proof enough.

I thought everyone carried with a round in the chamber. Kinda silly not to, if you ask me.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/kawvulcan/messages

Welcome to TGO! Enjoy your stay! BTW....Whatever you do, if you're shooting in the Hardin County area, please make sure my ex isn't walking in front of your target. I would be very, very sad.

How 'bout the 220's?

That's good to know.

I recently took a tour of JD, and they were selling bottles of JD.

This is highly unlikely, but I thought I'd through it out there anyway. I was wondering if anyone had a trip planned that would be taking them to/through/near Tulsa, OK. My motorcycle is currently at my Father's house in Tulsa. I wouldn't trust my truck to make such a long trip, so riding the bike back looks like my only option as of now. I would be more than willing to help with fuel, or whatever else I could reasonably afford. Option #2 I would also be willing to simply pay someone to transport it to Nashville for me. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

Welcome to TGO! Enjoy your stay!

This is just about the same info as the first link I posted, only much easier to read. Principal Infantry Weapons of the Korean War

I'm not sure if this will help, but I found a couple links that may head you in the right direction. The Legacy of Custer's 7th U.S ... - Google Books Korean War Project Looking For

Congrats! Did the neighbor give you the pieces, or make you buy them?

High Performance Carbs? - Kawasaki Motorcycle Forums

No way, Jose.

Glad it's Friday!

What he said

If the S&W is in excellent condition, with the 4 mags, I'd say about $275. What caliber and version of the Thunder? That makes a difference in the price.

Either would be a fine choice. It's up to you to decide which one fits you best. Shoot one of each, you should know when you're done. My vote goes to the XD.