Oh Shoot

I'm not little, but old, and with similar smile, methinks! This is my first season change since I began EDC; but yeah, I'm carrying a semi-auto with little higher capacity IWB most of the time since it cooled off, instead of Kahr in the pocket. And gonna 'speriment some with (mostly concealed) OWB. Even though the IWB I favor can be set for OWB, I went ahead and ordered a purely belt loop high carry job from same feller (D.M. Bullard). I really DO like the absolute total pocket concealment of the Kahr, and I can deploy it fast as IWB, too. But I also really LIKE the feeling of a piece on the hip, too. Yeah, I know, I could actually carry both, but nah, gotta draw the line somewhere. (I do carry 5 knives of various calibers, though) - OS

I went...been a couple years or more since I went to one of these, not much has changed. Gun prices about the same as retail shops in the area, new and used. It seemed about as full as any of the others I'd been to in the last 5 years or so, though. I guess if I had brought anything to sell/swap, might have done okay, I wasn't really paying a lot of attention to other guys wandering around with guns. Looks like could have done lots of action out on front steps over a few hours if looking to haggle. That's how I swapped an old .22 and a couple of knives for an old .38 Charter last time I was at the Jacobs Bldg. One reason I made the effort was to check out Georgia Arms. Their 9mm and .38 was higher than local! Their 500 count 9mm was exactly $17 more than I paid at Dicks a couple days ago. Well, you did get a narrow metal ammo box with it. But no option to buy the 500 without the box for less. Same or higher price buying bags of 50 or 100. Quite disappointed there, was willing to drop couple hundred bucks on ammo, but local deals are better. 'Course I threw away about $40 on odds and ends anyway; hey, it's like going to the fair, right? Best deal, Smith and Wesson hunting knife/hatchet/sheath for both, brand new, $20! I really needed that. Right. Bubbie'sdad, I played it (mostly) honest on the carry, left loaded mag in pocket, let them put tie on empty gun, carried it around in holster that way while there. Gun show or not, you're really not supposed to carry at Chilhowee Park period. Worth the 9 bucks to get in? For me, yeah, cause it's been a long time since I could ogle so many guns in one place, and lots of new models since last show I was at. Won't be worth it for me to go to next one though, unless I have something to dicker with. - OS

Welcome from fellow Knoxvillian... Glad you made it across the border! - OS

(re: XD-M) I don't really get that, though. In 9mm, it's 19+1 only 3 rounds more than normal 16+1 of regular XD, including even my XD Sub Compact w/the long mag. I'd consider a price premium if going from say 7 to 10 rounds or somesuch but 17-20 round diff seems negligible to moi. - OS

I like to say that too. The municipal parks/rec areas are a biggie for me, too, actually more so than the restaurant silliness. I walk 30-40 miles per week for last three months or so, about half of that on greenways/bike trails, where it's illegal to carry; one goes through a park, too. One goes down side of major artery, where it is both greenway AND sidewalk, no choice but to use it if you walk that busy street. These greenways are probably the highest crime risk areas I routinely frequent. Sometimes in early daylight or late twilight, too. Some amazingly secluded areas for being right in the city; they certainly have a history of crimes, an old fart like me would be nuts to spend as much time on them as I do totally unarmed. - I do not advocate breaking the law by carrying a handgun in these areas. - I have two main pieces I routinely carry, one or the other. In just shorts and polo shirt, one is about 95% perfectly concealed; you'd really have to know what to look for to spot it. The other is 100% concealed regardless of dress or who might be looking. - I carry printout of the "park laws" in wallet, as I believe there are two (maybe three) cases to be made in defense, the way they are written. I do prefer never to discuss them while out and about, however. - Again, I do not advocate breaking the law by carrying a handgun in these areas. - OS

Well, I guess we fooled YOU, eh? But really, the gummit is self-perpetuating, incompetency wise. Folks usually fulfill the Peter Principle without even getting promoted. - OS

I appreciate your saying that. I also of course appreciate all you do on TGO; if I didn't think it was a pretty darn valuable resource for more than just gun drooling, I wouldn't hang around. - OS

How come you younger folks are still constantly surprised by ignorance and incompetency in any area within, licensed by or contracted to any level of government? And it might still not be a good idea to open carry into that Red Lobster on Sunday in Rhea County, either. - OS

Tunggie, in a way I envy you and others who can make decisions in such a black/white single issue way. I had to vote my conscience. I'm past voting on lesser of two evils anymore. Actually, I might vote that way if I could decide which one it actually is. So I voted for Barr. Interesting irony here: dunno if you saw my mention of FedEx guys, who probably voted 90% for Bush last time around, especially the Ground contractors. This time gonna be about 90% Obama. Why? Single issue stuff, unions, lawsuits, Fred Smith and McCain big buddies, years of FedEx bux greasing the skids within GOP. Single issue voting bloc. And there's certainly more than the national average of guns per household with these folks too. I didn't vote for McCain even though I'm big time guns rights guy. I didn't vote for Obama even though it increases chances of bigger lawsuit settlement tween me and FedEx. Two big single issue items that can affect me directly. I had to vote my conscience and political beliefs. That was closest served by the Libertarian party. If more folks felt like me, perhaps we could finally get a third party effort afoot, the only thing that could possibly change the status quo in Washington. If McCain narrowly wins, my vote didn't matter. If Obama wins big, my vote didn't matter. If McCain narrowly loses, my individual vote still didn't matter, only my class of voters mattered. To "balance things out", I voted Republican in every other choice I had. By the way, it was particularly painful throwing in for Lamar, because of strong public AND private issues with the self-aggrandizing popinjay. (one of which, ironically had to do with his own Sarah Palinesque fiasco while pretending to be president of UT). I also threw NRA some extra bucks the other day. Neither one of these jokers is going to INcrease my freedoms, and it's tough to see which one might really DEcrease them the most. Gun rights are just one issue and there are all kinds of chains. There's a real and quite terrifying chance that my guns (and yours) may see some significant use even in the remainder of my limited likely life span. But if so, it will be because of other inevitable consequences of population/resources, not because either of these doofuses are taking the reins. The probs are beyond presidential and congressional fixing: indeed, most of them are only aggravated by same. So, did the best I could. I won't sleep any less well for it. Who governs least, governs best. To paraphrase Neal Boortz, when having to decide between complex issues, I default to freedom. ... even though the voice I'm still allowed is frail. - OS

Well, don't feel bad, it didn't catch "Tchaicovsky" either. - OS

Sometimes a gut feeling is enough. I don't even know why I'm commenting in these pol sections. There is no GOP/DEM choice for me anymore, both parties have become tyrannical ineptness. Small examples, I am pro gun and (abortion) pro choice. Was totally against the economic bail-out bill, both McCain/Obama voted for it. Both candidates are absolutely "more of the same ole", Washington insider pols. Obama nukes his own "change" vision by selecting Biden, one of the longest serving "more of the same" pols in the nation. McCain has flopped on issues more than a dying trout, picks Palin as a last desperate PR act. Both offer sweeping "reforms" that will either further separate the haves and have nots, or "adjust" incomes down to a lower common denominator of prosperity. Where's MY party? I could go on, but tired of the whole mess, really. Think I'd best just duck out of the political forums. I already voted my convictions and morals the best I could. You all pick the president. It's all just become a big political American Idol contest anyway; would be better if we didn't even vote for pres (or Senators). By the time a candidate becomes electable, he's no longer fit to serve, all part of the current America that our founders would be attempting to overthrow if they were around today. And really, in the inevitability of population vs resources outcome scenarios, the entire American experience has little odds of making any beneficial difference; but that's another topic altogether. And that's all the good news from Lake Woebegone - OS

I know her as well as I need to. She's Dan Quayle, with slightly smaller feet to keep out of her mouth. And without the deer in the headlights look, so she can fool most of the guys. She ain't foolin nearly as many of the women. - OS

One of these days, a president will be elected on that one premise. Could be GOP or Dem. Could even be Libertarian. Might even be next election. - OS

I said same "numbers". Blacks are still less than 13% of US population. - OS

David Bullard's "Dual Carry" dmbullardleather.com He also does eBay under "dmbullardleather"; sometimes puts them there slightly cheaper.. Great choice for quality/price/functionality, most for popular guns already made ready to ship... - OS

Where ARE the laws in TCA re long gun possession/use? - OS

She's really a ditz. With beau coup personality and looks. But really, in the total scheme of things, a political ditz. She was the old guy's last desperate gambit to win; she was picked ONLY because of a gamble that she'd bring in more votes than any of the other possibles. - OS

Spyware for sure if you're seeing Walmart ad while at TGO. And of course, it's not put there by WalMart, but by some clickthrough party shilling FOR WalMart for a few scheckels. The effectiveness of the various free malware removers wax and wane, but SuperAntiSpyware.com, AdAware Free (http://www.lavasoft.de), and SpyBot S&D (www.safer-networking.org) remain three of the better freebies. But of course, if you're not comfy installing FireFox or a browser plugin on company box, these might not be an option either. - OS

Several polls have suggested that white folks will NOT vote for him in about the same numbers and for the same reason. Which is too badder. - OS

I just can't reliably get enough hang time with my XD SC 9. - OS

"if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, don't make a pretty woman your wife..." But, did they take any Glocks out the door with them? - OS

Thanks Fall...I hate to keep hitting TCA online to get these. Guess I should just copy and paste the whole shebang to a text file for easy grabbing. - OS

Hey, I've had a couple of quite ugly dogs, but I loved 'em both! - OS

Look, if you want to do what he says in Rhea County, fine. If the sheriff of Rhea County does not choose to enforce that particular state law, fine. Matter of fact, if you are concealing well, there's no reason you should ever be noticed carrying in any county, even though you ARE breaking the law. And you are breaking it in Rhea County also. Would be interesting if a State Trooper brought you to bear on it and you explain that the sheriff says it's okay I assure you that if it were legal to carry in a Red Lobster et. al., as long as you aren't in the bar area, there would be dancing in the streets of TN among HCP holders! (incidentally, the states that DO have that particular provision have it spelled out in their statute). - OS

The law is clear on non-carry in an establishment that serves alcohol, at least M-SA. The sheriff is saying this "bar area" exemption thing is all the time, yes? He's not just talking about Sundays, true? - OS