Grayfox54

Whisper, that just might be why I'm interested. For more than 20 years I've seen the black rifle demonized by the antis with them saying stuff like "nobody needs one of those". Actually, I don't need one. But ya know, I'm just enough of a a-hole that if somebody tells me not to do something, I'll do it anyway just for spite. Maybe I'm just finally fed up with the whole anti-AR lies and BS. Raoul: That always was the game plan. If I do get one, I'll go with the 5.56. The other calibers have their appeal, but I'd start simple with ammo that's readily available for sale OR easy to find in a SHTF situation. There's a gun show here next month and also my birthday. The Germantown show is always plumb full of ARs. It'll be a good opportunity to do some comparison shopping. I still haven't made up my mind, but just maybe I'll buy myself a birthday present.

The current gun control panic just some how feels different to me than the last few. Maybe I'm just getting older. But recently I've been giving thought to finally breaking down and buying an AR. I'm not even real sure why? First let me say that I just flat don't like the AR-15. This goes back to some bad experiences with the M-16A1 when I was in the Army during the early 1970s. I admit they were accurate IF you could keep the damned thing working. And some of the strange malfunctions I saw were down right scary. I've also always felt like Sam Elliot was right in We Were Solders when he said "If the time comes when I need one, I'm sure they'll be plenty of 'em laying around." Also I've never been very impressed by that tiny varmint cartridge it fires. I have no need for one as I already own two M1 Garands, two M1 Carbines and three M1As. So why the hell am I even thinking about this? Let me add that if, and that's a mighty big IF, I were to buy one, that I'd go with a name brand. Right now I'm favoring the Springfield Saint as I have several Springers and trust them completely. I'd also go for one of the 16" M-forgeries as I'd want it as compact as possible without going SBR. On top of that, there's the added cost of extra mags (at least 10), a minimum of 1000 rds of ammo and whatever other stuff I end up getting. In short, this won't be cheap. I never even got the urge for one in '94 or the several panics of the last ten years or so. In fact, last year when my friend passed away his wife would have just given me his and everything that went with it. But I let it pass because I just didn't want one. Again, I have no idea why I'm even considering this. But the fact is that I am. I know there's a lot of people here who just love the damned things. So convince me that I need one or make the arguments that'll talk me out of it. I'll try to keep an open mind.

What do you remember of the S&Ws. How about a 6" .22 diamondback & how much? Just wondering if I should take a road trip.

Edearl, Fulton Armory makes good stuff, but they're mighty proud of them. I'd say your prices are fair for Fulton rifles, but Its actually cheaper to buy an original M1 Carbine. I pretty sure most people would rather do that. Its as much about owning a piece of history as anything else. Why don't you just keep them and enjoy them?

Well, I thought I had found the best deal available on Amazon. Combo pack of 2 cases Menus A & B, inspection date of 2019 for $140 with free shipping. That's $70 per case. Not at all bad considering what other sellers are asking. Went back last night to go ahead and order, but found the price had suddenly jumped to $158. What the Hell! An $18 increase in less than 24 hours? I just may have to rethink this. Or should I just bite the bullet?

I've eaten MREs before. It ain't fine dining, but they ain't bad. I could live on 'em if I had to. And that is the point. Ronald: those SOS bars look interesting. I might try some for the "git home" bag. But I did notice in one of the reviews that these are intended for marine/lifeboat use. Even says so on the label. The reviewer stated that they don't supply enough calories if you're active. I still might try 'em. They are pretty cheap.

I'm not interested in anything that requires water. Mountian House and such may be just fine for a camping trip where water is readily available. But I'm thinking about the disaster situation. No power, no water and no help. Think tornado, earthquake or TEOTWAWKI. Completely on our own for a week or more. Water is bulky and heavy. What little there will be should be used for drinking, not cooking.

You betcha they went bad. The oldest ones were 10 years old. Opened a couple and they were down right nasty just to look at. I wasn't even gonna try eating them. Unfortunately, I made the foolish mistake of storing them in my garage. No climate control and the rats got into some of them. I won't do that again. I did go through them and was able to salvage some stuff. Crackers, snacks, peanut butter, accessory packs and heaters. But non of the entrees, breads or deserts survived.

I went to the Survival Expo. Only a few individual MREs at $10 each. No case lots. The whole thing was a big disappointment. Lots of useless junk. Very little of it actually geared to survival. Didn't even make a decent gun show. BTW: I'm not interested in freeze dried or dehydrated foods. The way I see it, in a real SHTF scenario, clean water will be more precious than food.

Looking to add some cases of MREs to my emergency supplies. I had some miltary MREs courtesy of a National Guard friend, but they have gone bad. Now way past date and when checked, had to be thrown out. The military ones and some A-Pack brand are all I'm familiar with. BTW: A-Packs suck! I've done my research and understand about packing dates, inspection dates, TTIs, etc. Lots of them to be found on the internet, but prices for fairly recent ones are expensive and shipping is outrageous. Shipping ranges anywhere from free to $40 per case. Generally, only out of date meals have free shipping. I've also seen quite a few foreign military meals such as German, Russian, British etc. While they are cheaper, I know nothing about these. There are also quite a few commercial made meals as well. So tell me about MREs. Which are good? Which are the most value for the money. AND does anybody know of any stores in West Tennessee that stock them in case lots? I'd like to be able to inspect them myself and avoid the shipping costs. Please add anything else you can think of.

The first handgun I ever fired was a Army issue 1911A1. I also qualified Expert that same day. For me the 1911 is a natural. Fits me to a "T". I do have other guns that I carry from time to time. Most notably some excellent revolvers as I have a great love for them too. But the majority of the time, its a lightweight Commander in .45 acp that's on my hip. Mainly because I can hit what I aim at with it.

Sorry, I guess I missed the previous topic on this. Thanks for merging them. If we can get enough support and people donate millions, I doubt even the MSM can ignore it once word gets out. Its still important! Spread the word!

Can't say about Parris Island, but when we went to see our youngest graduate basic and infantry school at FT. Benning (2008) it was no guns allowed plus I had to show vehicle registration and proof of insurance to drive on the base. I'd think it would be pretty much the same for all military bases.

The antis are planning a major anti-gun rally for March 24, 2018. There is now a idea floating around that we should respond by making donations to pro-gun organizations on that same day. Currently its being referred to as "Money Bomb the NRA". But I think contributions to any pro-gun rights organization will work just as well. Rather than stand in the streets and give lip service to the problem, we have an opportunity to show tangible support of our cause. Plus, we won't have to travel or take needed time out of our lives to do so. If enough people do this that the news media picks up on it, it could be a major victory for our side. We put our money where our mouth is. I plan to make contributions to the NRA, GOA and the TFA. SPREAD THE WORD! SUPPORT OUR RIGHTS!

I've done quite well both buying and selling on Armslist.com. You can post an ad for free and specifically target your local area. As said, meet in a public place and confirm all details before meeting. I do require a bill of sale which includes both buyer and sellers full name, address and driver's license number. I also check ID to insure all info is correct. Its a;ways a good idea to be able to prove where it came from or where it went. Of course its even easier to just post it in the classifieds here. besides, you know the members are good folks.

I had a .30 Carbine Blackhawk. It was a older three screw model. Excellent shooter, but you had to pound the extractor rod to get the empty brass out. Ejection was a slow, troublesome and frustrating task. I'm told that this is quite common with these. Another thing is that its extremely LOUD! . Gotta wear plugs and muffs to shoot this thing. Got a good offer and sold it without a second thought.

AuEagle, I have one of those Bug-A-Salt guns. It'll knock 'em for a loop, but hasn't got enough power to kill one. Don't waste your money.

Beautiful! Dan Wesson made outstanding revolvers. I'll never understand why they didn't sell better.

I agree. Armor that will stop rifle calibers require plates. Those plates are heavy and awkward. I doubt she'll like anything of that type. One other thing, when the shooting starts, rather than put the armor on herself, I think she'd be more inclined to strap it on the nearest student. Its pure reflex and instinct to protect the children. I know that's what I would do.

Aw now don't get upset. I actually do have a regular stock, but its one of those foreign replacements and in bad need of a refinish. Yeah, some may scream BLASPHEMY! But, its certainly no worse than hanging all manner of crap on an AR. Besides, I already have a straight up G.I. version. What I've done here is taken an excellent home defense rifle and made it better. Its smaller, lighter, handles like a champ and shoots great. I've even shot 3 gun matches with it. Ok, I'll grant that its a bit weird, But then so am I.

I have two M1 Carbines. One is an Inland I got from CMP. Its just like Uncle Sam issued them. Great little rifle. Here it is with a few friends. Some years back I picked up a rather challenged Standard Products rifle. I ended up replacing the barrel and stock. So I went ahead and made it into my Zombie rifle.

Since we're talking big bore revolvers (.45 Colt thread), Let's go ahead and talk about my favorite big bore wheel guns, The .44 Special. The .44 Magnum may be more popular, but the .44 Special will handle anything a handgun can be asked to do without all that buck & roar. The special makes an outstanding defense round and is capable of taking any game up to Black Bear. For a big bore, the recoil is mild and the cartridge is famous for its accuracy. I love these things! Top row: S&W 2nd Model .44 Hand Ejector 5" barrel: This one shipped Jan 22, 1924 to the Joplin, Missouri Police Dept. Man if this one could talk.... S&W 1st Model .44 Hand Ejector 5" barrel. AKA the "New Century Model" or "Triple Lock" due to the extra lock built into the cylinder crane. Shipped May 21, 1910 to Birmingham Arms & hardware, Birmingham, Al. 2nd row and middle bottom: In 1983 Smith & Wesson re-introduced the .44 Special with a run of 7,500 Model 24-3s. Most were 6 1/2" barrels with 2,625 made with 4" barrels. They proved to be so popular that Lou Horton Distributors commissioned S&W to make 5000 3" guns. I am fortunate enough to have one of each. Bottom left: Charter Arms Bulldog 3" made in 1985. The original pocket power house! Bottom right: S&W Model 696 no-dash. Made in August, 1997. A 5 shot .44 built on S&W's L-frame with a 3" barrel. These are highly sought after as they were the last S&Ws built before the introduction of MIM parts on the dash 1 version. I know a lot of you own .44 Magnums, now fess up. Who shoots them more with .44 Special ammo?

I happened to be taking some pics today and remembered this old thread. So I resurrected it just to show off a little. I'm quite fond of the .45 Colt myself. I just happen to prefer the Smith & Wesson versions. The one on the bottom right is a .45acp. But its still a .45.

Colt Lightweight Commander .45acp. As a matter of fact, that is what I carry most of the time all year round. I do have other guns that I carry from time to time, but about 80-85% of the time it will be the Commander on me.

Dawgdoc, thanks for the link. I'm gonna share this story with a couple of other boards I'm on.