JAB

I don't do private sales or private trades. I rarely trade a gun, period, as I don't buy many, any more. If I do buy a gun it is one that I really want and generally have to want it really badly to justify spending the money (to myself.) I have only ever traded four guns in my life and all of those were at my favorite LGS. I know what people say about trading at the LGS vs. private trade/sale but I have always felt good about the deals we have ended up reaching.

That one in the top pic might not be too bad with some makeup, a hair stylist and some pretty thick beer goggles. The one in the fifth pic down has GOT to be a dude. Sad thing is [he] still isn't the ugliest 'woman' in that list.

Overzealous prosecutor: So, then, Mr. tnhawk, you have spent a great deal of time, energy and money training and building skills with your firearms? tnhawk: Correct. Overzealous prosecutor: Interesting. Then perhaps you can explain to the court why someone with your obviously high level of skill and proficiency with a firearm chose to shoot the deceased three times in the chest, killing him, rather than using those skills to shoot him in the leg or arm, stopping him from attacking you but giving him a much greater chance of surviving? tnhawk: I responded as I have been trained. Overzealous prosecutor: Really? You have spent all of that time and money training to shoot someone in the chest three times at close range? I would think that someone who went to the amount of effort that you have would want to train to avoid killing in a situation where you believed it necessary to use your firearm. Have you really been training to be able to use a firearm more safely and proficiently or have you, in fact, been training to simply become more proficient at killing? tnhawk: I have trained to stop the threat, not expressly to kill. Overzealous prosecutor: Well, sir, if 'stop the threat' means shooting someone three times in the chest at close range then it sounds, to me, as if 'training to stop the threat' is really just a euphemism for 'training to kill someone.' I know, over the top, doesn't take into account that the defending lawyer would hopefully find many ways to object to the line of questioning (which still doesn't wipe it from the minds of jurors) and not very likely to happen in Tennessee in the first place but, unfortunately, it is my understanding that similar questions have been raised in other states in shootings by police. I could see a prosecutor (or a lawyer in a civil suit) using or trying to use a similar idea in a trial against a non-officer. It's kind of a crap shoot, I guess. As chances R said, hopefully none of us ever need to use our firearms and end up in a position to find out.

Yep. They just say that they are made of 440 without telling what kind of 440 but they have a pretty good edge out of the box. Don't know how long they retain the edge with daily use but considering what you get for the money I can hone it or pass it across a leather belt a little more often if need be.

I knew this thread was around here, somewhere. Just took me a while to find it. Maybe it needs to be revived. I would never have thought that it was from so far back - nearly three and a half years since the last post. Still some pretty good slipjoint love even if it is only a couple of pages long:

Pretty good, at least initially. Don't know how they would break in, etc. as I haven't EDC'd a Rough Rider for any length of time at this point. I did carry the Deer Slayer as my EDC for a while - I bought it around the time that the no blade length law went into effect specifically because I wanted something with a blade that was (albeit barely) longer than four inches. I now carry a Spyderco Resilience so haven't EDC'd the Deer Slayer for a while. The Deer Slayer had and still has a 'walk and talk' that is pretty comparable to the trapper I recently got. I brought the Trapper to work with me today so I could use my desk as an impromptu platform for shooting a short video with my cellphone so that you could see/hear the walk and talk for yourself. Obviously the clip point blade doesn't 'jump' open from a nearly open position because of the lock but it 'jumps/snaps' closed and the other, non-locking blade 'jumps/snaps' both open and closed (I am sure there is a proper term for that but, although I did know what 'walk and talk' meant I don't know what that term is.) Neither blade has a half-stop but both have fairly consistent and noticeable resistance up to the point they 'snap' open or closed. The single blade on the Deer Slayer (which is non-locking) behaves in pretty much the same manner. I've put the video in my Photobucket account but it has been a long time since I tried to post a video from Photobucket to a forum. Hopefully this will work but if it doesn't then I can only say, "I tried." (Well, I couldn't get the video to embed but this direct link seems to work - might be a little slow to load and you might want to pause the video until it fully loads then hit play but at least it seems to work): http://vid126.photobucket.com/albums/p116/JBFordowner/VID_20170111_120233839.mp4

I mentioned 'wax slugs' in passing in a previous post but have never tried them. Most reports about them I have read advise to only use them in single shot, break action shotguns but if they are made right I don't see - from a theoretical standpoint - why they wouldn't cycle just fine in a pump. I have only watched YouTube videos of people using them, however, and haven't tried them myself, yet. Having actually used them, what is your opinion on that? I have also seen videos of people using cut shells. From the results on target they were getting I think that either would be 'effective' if push came to shove. I probably would be a bit hesitant to use cut shells in anything but a single unless I had no, other option but that is just me.

That would be fun but I'm kinda weird. As far as firearms purchases go, in a post I-won-the-lottery-and-have-more-money-than-I-could-possibly-spend world I'd probably be looking more toward owning things like a working Gatling gun, an authentic, original Colt Peacemaker in working order (which I would absolutely shoot), a Borchardt C93 and other, such rare and/or historic firearms and acquiring ammo or, if necessary, having ammo made so I could shoot all of them than more modern stuff. Not that I wouldn't acquire some cool, high end modern stuff, too but I'd go after the 'anachronysms' first. Of course being that I really don't even play the lottery I guess I'll have to stick with the 'less than $400 or maybe $500 for a 'Grail gun' I mentioned earlier.

Oh, I think there are probably a lot of people who want them and maybe have been on the fence about obtaining the tax stamp and so who would jump as soon as the legal restriction barriers were removed and take care of whatever modifications were needed for the firearms in the aftermarket or buy a combo even at a premium price. For me and probably many others, though, I am saying that although it might not seem 'worth it' as things stand if the price went down and the availability went up to the point that the fantasy I mentioned became reality (the factory threaded barrel and can combo for around $100 more) then it wouldn't be so much a matter of, "Is it worth it," as it would be a matter of, "Why the heck not?" It is kind of odd, to me, that some European countries where the official stance on firearms ownership might not be as 'tolerant' as the U.S. seem to require suppressors, at least in some instances, in order to prevent noise pollution or something similar while our country treats them like majorly dangerous devices. I mean, how many mafia hitmen (or women) do these folks really believe there are and, of those, how many of these hypothetical hitmen - who theoretically kill people for a living - do they believe worry about getting a tax stamp for their suppressors (if they use them) or have trouble sourcing them via non-standard 'suppliers'? Yet, again, we have a case where the only people who are restricted or penalized by a law are those who are law abiding.

Responding specifically to the underlined portion of your quote I think that the reality is that groups which make their living fighting against anti-gun laws don't really want all such laws to go away for the same reason you state that some Democrats might be okay with some pro-gun rights legislation - because such laws are their best fund raising tools. In other words, if pro-rights groups get too much done then they will have destroyed the specter of 'losing your gun rights', put themselves out of a job (or at least reduced the perceived need for them to be so sizeable) and effectively killed the goose that lays the golden eggs. I'm not saying that such groups don't do good things for gun owners. I am just saying that they have just as much stake in keeping their supporters worried as liberals have in keeping the antis stirred up so they probably wouldn't want to do too much too fast even if they could. As to the main topic, I have personally never really had that much interest in owning anything NFA because of the funds and the red tape and jumping through hoops involved. Specifically speaking of suppressors I haven't had much interest due to not only the stamp and hassle of owning the suppressor, itself, but also because I don't want to fool with the expense of having any of my pistols set up to run one (threaded barrels, etc.) However, if suppressors were legal and readily available to the point that some major manufacturers could set up combo deals - for instance, if I went to buy a Ruger MK whatever or other, new .22 pistol and it was available as a set with a factory threaded barrel and a suppressor all in the same box for maybe $75 or $100 more or so above the price of the base model pistol alone then I'd likely opt for the combo. Further, I personally think that would be the way a manufacturer could get an edge (initially) over similar pistols from competitors (until those competitors started offering similar packages) and I also think that such would be the way that a whole lot of suppressors would be sold in a hypothetical world without the current restrictions.

Unless I win the lottery and, even after helping friends and family, have more money than I could ever spend in one life time (I am divorced with no kids so I'm not so worried about leaving a bundle to anyone) then $500 is probably my limit. That is the most I have ever given in cash and trade in value for a firearm and that was exactly once - my stainless GP100 (bought used but looked brand new in the factory plastic box/case with papers) and that was only because the GP100 was/is one of my "must have" guns. The most I have paid for a gun in cash was just a little over $400 for my Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum (again, used but looked brand new in the factory plastic box/case with papers) which was another "must have/really want" gun for me. I am with guns like I am with knives - I can appreciate the beauty of really nice ones and am not a person who says, "Why would anyone ever spend that much on a gun (or knife)?" That said, when it comes to buying firearms (and knives - $100 is about my limit for a knife and that would be a very rare occasion) for myself I am usually more about utility, cost (I don't say 'value' because an expensive gun or knife can be a 'value' if it is worth the price) and variety than anything else so I might say that I would, personally, not ever spend 'that much' on a single firearm (or knife). As far as utility, to be perfectly honest I have probably gotten more 'practical' use out of my cheapo Heritage Rough Rider .22LR/.22WMR combo revolver (bought it years ago and paid just under $200 for the combo brand new), the Stevens 94C single shot 20 gauge (old enough it has no serial number - paid $79 for it at a gun show) and the Sears bolt-action 20 gauge (paid $79 for it from the same dealer at the same gun show) which have all been used to dispatch pest possums, raccoons, etc. that were after my chickens or destroying stuff on my front porch than any of the other guns I own. Neither of those give me the same feeling when shooting them as the GP100 or SBH do, though (and I realize that to a lot of folks even those are pretty common, nothing special guns.) I guess I have the same view of guns, knives, etc. as I do with cars. I've often said that if I won a new Ferrari I would have to drive it once just for the experience but the drive would end at a dealership where I would sell it and buy a new 4WD pickup truck, a new Dodge Challenger and some kind of mid-sized hatchback that would get good mileage. Any money left over would probably have to go to pay the taxes involved.

It isn't just women to like to have unusual colors, etc. on firearms. Some men like it, too - although probably not pink in most cases (unless maybe the guy is a member of 'pink pistols' and, hey, more power to 'em.) Except for the fact that I would kinda like to have a so-called barbecue gun (one of those Ruger SP101 special editions that were 'factory' engraved would fit the bill nicely) for occasional carry or maybe going so far as to put some nice grips on something I have never been one for 'pimping' a carry firearm with a wide pallet of colors. Maybe for a 'range only' gun although my 'range only' guns generally aren't high end enough to warrant the treatment. For a carry gun, a brushed satin finish, stainless, black, blued, nickel, maybe a kinda 'chrome' look on the right gun - those sorts of things - but I don't want a snake-skin pattern or skulls or anything flashy on a gun that I am going to carry. Still, I have to agree with something the owner of my favorite LGS said one day when I kind of chuckled about him having a pink pistol of one kind or another on his shelf. He said, with a big smile, "Hey, nobody wants to be shot with a pink gun."

I haven't carried it, yet, so I had forgotten that one of the blades - the clip point - in that Rough Rider I mentioned above is a lockback. Forgetting that might not be so bad except that the locking blade feature was the main thing that made me want to buy it in the first place. Man, getting old sucks. Also, I bought the three blade stockman pattern from the same Rough Rider line for one of my nephews and the clip point in it locks as well. Kind of a 'best of both worlds' thing - traditional slipjoint styling with a locking blade plus some pretty cool glow in the dark handle scales, to boot. Not bad for $9.99 plus tax. This is my trapper:

Just had another thought and looked up some info online to verify. I have long thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a black powder pistol for a last-ditch option if things went bad for the long term. The lead balls that Hornady sells as bullets for a .36 caliber black powder revolver are actually .350 in diameter according to the information I found for ordering them at Sportsman's Warehouse : http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Hornady-Lead-Round-Ball-Black-Powder-Bullets/productDetail/Bullets-and-Sabots/prod9999002186/cat100013 (I think there is a typo there - they list .36 caliber twice but I think the second listing should actually be .38.) Interestingly, according to the Hornady website, the pellets Hornady sells for 000 buckshot are also .350 http://www.hornady.com/store/000-Buckshot-.350-Diameter/ . So to me that says that - after our imagined end of society as we know it - one could use the same lead balls for bullets in a .36 caliber black powder revolver and as 000 buckshot pellets for a shotgun. This means that a .36 caliber ball bullet mold could do double duty, as well. To go a step further, thinking of the single shot shotguns that could go along with the pump shotguns for arming our hypothetical group, in one of his YouTube videos Dave Canterbury demonstrates a way to use a single-shot 12 gauge as a 'muzzle loader' and I wonder if one couldn't 'muzzle load' a shot charge of those .36 caliber lead bullets. Of course that is more for subsistence hunting than for defense against human aggressors but to be honest I believe that if one were to survive the initial stages of our hypothetical 'long term event' then in the later stages subsistence hunting would likely become the more common usage of a firearm, anyhow. In fact, to be completely honest, I believe that in some areas that subsistence hunting role might be the main use of the survival firearm even right from the outset. That is yet another reason I like the idea of shotguns for the main weaponry for our imagined group - they offer a range of ammunition that can effectively take anything from small birds (because I think that the reality is that people would be eating a lot of sparrows, pigeons, starlings and the like) to squirrels, rabbits and raccoons all the way up to deer, wild hogs and even bears while also being effective against human assailants. Along with Canterbury's method of using the single 12 as a muzzle loader one could throw in a few sub caliber adapters for some of the single shots and could also use ammo for .38 Special, 9mm, .223, .45acp and more from that same single shot 12 gauge. Those inserts can get expensive when bought in full sets - especially if the longer, rifled versions are purchases (and I think that for the purpose we are discussing I'd want the rifled version.) The full set from 'X-Caliber', for example, has a price tag of $450 and they do, of course, only work with break action shotguns. I guess that a person could just pick a couple, though, in order to keep costs down. Just for the example, here is the link to the X-Caliber set. I don't own any of them or any other adapter at this time so this isn't an endorsement, just an example. There are other manufacturers of similar products: http://www.guns.com/2013/03/27/x-caliber-ammo-adapter-set-for-shotguns/ This is the Canterbury video I mentioned in case you are interested. Everyone may or may not agree with everything he does or discusses in the video but I still think it is interesting:

I have never reloaded or retooled shotgun shells but I THINK Dolomite has talked about doing this, before. If one had a slug mold and some sort of lead smelting set up then I wonder if one couldn't buy el cheapo bulk pack rounds, open the crimp, dump and melt down the pellets, use the lead to mold slugs, re-insert the slugs into the shells, maybe re-set the crimp and - not counting the one-time expense of buying the mold and smelting setup - have 100 slugs for about $22 or so without ever having to worry about priming or powder charges. I further wonder if basically the same thing wouldn't work with a buckshot mold. Having never melted down lead or done any bullet casting, I also wonder if there would be much/any slag or waste if you stuck to using only the lead from the bulk pack rounds. Of course, one would still have to have room to store them but I would think that - over time - an investment of a few hundred dollars would net one the materials to make a couple of thousand slug or buckshot loads. With a decent supply of factory slug and buckshot loads on hand the bulk pack stuff could be used to stay in practice just for running the gun and provide a backup supply of materials to make the more serious loads. They might not be 'competition' level loads and certainly wouldn't be 'magnum' powered loads but for a shotgun in the kind of situation we are talking about who cares? That possibility plus the possibility of making 'wax slugs' if worse came to worst is actually one of the reasons I think shotguns would work well in this role.

I have a Maverick Security 88 - the 20 inch model - as one of my HD shotguns. Obviously, that means not only would I trust it with my life but, in that role, I do. In fact, the Maverick 88 security and/or field model was pretty much the shotgun I had in mind when I made my previous post. I also have a Savage/Stevens HD model of the 320 which I have read is a clone of a Winchester model. I like the 320 because it came stock with a full buttstock with integrated pistol grip. It was also maybe $20 or $30 cheaper than the Maverick (both bought brand new) but I got it on sale at Academy so regular price might be about the same. I have to say, though, that while I 'trust' the 320 for HD and so on in an 'extended event' I'd go with the Maverick over the Savage/Stevens any day, especially if building up a supply of them to potentially arm a group. It just gives an overall impression of better quality and higher durability than the Savage/Stevens, IMO.

Like a lot of things this question is sort of location specific. I'm not going on the run, on foot, for weeks on end and I honestly think that, for most of us, that is more a fantasy than a reality. Personally, if I am going to die then I'll do it at home, in my own bed, with a lukewarm beer (as electricity and, therefore, refrigeration would be gone) beside me rather than lying in the mud and leaves wondering what in the hell made me suddenly think I was John Rambo. There also aren't too many places I can think of where I could go that would be much less likely to have the kind of trouble I'd need to BUG out from than my home. For that reason, I think of the topography around my home. There honestly isn't anywhere in my yard, driveway or even really much on the road where I live where there would be a clear shot that would exceed the likely effective range of a shotgun with a slug. Pump shotguns are pretty simple and easy to use and decent 'budget line' shotguns can be found at lower prices than many rifles, etc. Shotguns also allow for stocking up beforehand on fairly cheap practice/small game ammo (although slugs and buckshot aren't as cheap) and pretty wide ammo variety. One could arm one or two particularly good shootists with higher powered rifles and appoint those folks as the full-time sentries if there were a need for such while arming the main group with pump and/or semiauto shotguns (I'd lean more toward pump guns, myself.) Good, solid single shot shotguns (with appropriately adjusted LOP and good butt padding) could even be given to younger and/or less experienced members of the group as well as others who might not be called upon to be part of the main line of defense. Those could work well for them to practice and become more proficient as well as being at least minimally armed and still use the same ammunition.

Just what we need - the Federal Government getting involved in a states' rights issue and 'fixing' things for us . Still, as Grand Torino said, at least they aren't working on bans.

Not to keep flogging the deceased equine but I'd be satisfied if the TN Legislature would just remove the weight of law from the danged 'no gun' postings. It should be that if a person is asked to leave and doesn't then it is a potential trespassing charge just like many, other states. Haven't seen or heard anything to make me think there are any plans to attempt to do so, however.

Yeah, they can bite you. My middle finger on my right hand is crooked - bent a little to the right at the second joint - because my pocket knife closed on it when I was cutting open a present my dad got me for my 18th birthday (I am 45 now.) I kept my knives literally razor sharp (still try to, mostly, but had more time to keep them that way back then) and the knife had a fairly long blade. I don't think a person is supposed to be able to see the bones in his knuckle but I did that day. I'm not quite sure how it didn't cut my pointer finger, too, but it didn't. I guess I sliced the tendon or ligaments or something on one side a little so that they were weaker than the other side but all they did at the walk in clinic was sew it up and send me home. At least it doesn't pull sideways so much that I periodically have to pop it back into place anymore. That was when I really started becoming a fan of lockblades and fixed blades although I never really completely quit slipjoints. I also like being able to open and close a knife with one hand which is something I really came to appreciate when I was doing more fishing than I am right now. If a fish I want to release swallows the hook and I need to cut the line in order to avoid injuring or killing it then it is a whole lot easier to use a one-hand opener while holding the fish in the other hand. Having a pocket clip also facilitates quick and easy access in such situations. Another factor, for me, was that my favorite slipjoints were made by Schrade when they were still an American company. For a carry/using knife I liked them even better than Case although the Case Sodbuster and Sodbuster, Jr. were and remain a favorite design. When Taylor Brands first bought the name the knives in the Schrade line were garbage and I quit buying anything from them. They have improved over the last, few years and I have bought a few of their fixed blades but still haven't gone for a slipjoint, yet. I guess the last, big factor, for me, is that the majority of fixed blades [edit: meant to say 'slipjoints' not 'fixed blades' - stupid typing fingers] that actually seem worth a crap any more are more expensive than the 'budget lines' from Kershaw and others. I don't tend to spend 'big money' on pocket knives (or knives in general, for that matter) because I have lost too danged many pocket knives to want something expensive in my pocket. For the same price as I would pay for a not-that-great slipjoint I can often get a decent Kershaw but they tend to be single blades with thumb studs and liner locks. Decent, economically priced slipjoints are also a little harder to find in local brick and mortar stores. All that said, I am really coming to like the Rough Rider line of very economically priced but pretty good quality folders and those may well get me more interested in slipjoints, again. I have a fairly large, single blade from them with white bone handles called the 'Deerslayer' model. I also bought my two nephews and one of my nieces one each of their knives for Christmas and picked up a Trapper model with glow-in-the-dark handle scales for myself. Some of them have minor fit and finish problems, however. If I could get to Smoky Mountain Knife Works more often so I could 'hand pick' them I would probably own a lot more. I have a Victorinox Swiss Army knife that I keep in my EDC bag as a 'backup' pocket knife but the main blade on it has a liner lock so I don't know that it technically counts as a 'slipjoint'.

I don't currently even have a dedicated long gun as a 'truck gun' nor do I generally have a long gun with me. However, I have considered the possibility and, in my case, the idea has absolutely nothing to do with 'mob violence'. Although my place of employment is on (the quieter end of) Lovell Road I really rarely go anywhere that passing through riots or mob violence on the way home is a real concern, especially as I utilize back roads a lot of the time where the population is low density and the demographics are fairly 'low risk'. I don't drive through East L.A. or Memphis, am in Nashville maybe once every two or three years (if that) and since moving out of the hood years ago am not even in the more questionable parts of Knoxville very often. Closer to where I live unless the squirrels and deer decide to riot there isn't much to worry about, either. If I did live or have to travel daily in such locales or other places where mob violence were more of a concern then as you say a higher capacity semiauto rifle would make more sense. To me, however. having a long gun at hand in addition to a hand gun would be more about increasing options and utility than as a way to battle a mob. The thing I consider is that, while I probably wouldn't have to deal with more than one or two assailants in my daily travels because of the rural area I pass through and live in I believe that the chances said assailants would, themselves, have long guns and the possibility of needing to defend myself at longer ranges is increased. This is also a consideration when going fishing (I don't have a boat so I am talking about bank fishing) in less populous areas where I will have a handgun on me but might feel a little better if I have something with a little more 'oomph' - or even just a little more practical accuracy due to a longer sight radius - ready at hand. I also don't foresee any situation where I would be called upon to make a 1000 yard head shot on an assailant. Therefore, for me and my situation (just as one example that kind of runs counter to your own) a lever gun or possibly even a pump shotgun (with a selection of ammo to include slugs for slightly longer range and better barrier penetration) would suit me as well as or even better than a higher capacity semiauto - although I do have to admit that I have considered using my Hi Point 9mm carbine (which is much like the one in a previous post) for the purpose. Yes, the capacity isn't very high but as I said that isn't as much a consideration for me plus Hi Point sells stock-mounted magazine carriers which can be set up to hold one magazine on each side of the stock. Those would allow one to have 20 more rounds on board for a total of 30 rounds right on the carbine and it cost me little enough - and is already 'not pretty' enough - that leaving it in a case in the truck wouldn't bother me a whole lot..

And the really ironic thing is that the 'active military' folks among that group still likely wouldn't be able to carry a personal firearm on a daily basis even with a permit due to the probability that they are on a military base, working in a recruitment office, etc. much of the time as part of their military service. So, really, we are talking mostly about the likely vanishingly small number of 18-21 year olds who are veterans and have received an honorable discharge as the only people who could truly benefit from the change. With 'car carry' already legal for any 18 year old who can legally have the gun of those eligible I would be surprised if I couldn't count all the individuals who will actually take advantage of the option maybe not on one hand but probably without running out of fingers and toes. Although I strongly believe in the rights of the individual as a personal philosophy when it comes to societal issues I often (but not always) tend to adhere pretty closely to the Utilitarian view as can probably be determined based on my previous post. Utilitarians, of course, believed that issues should generally be judged based on their 'utility'. They defined 'utility' as, basically, the positive consequences (sometimes called 'pleasure') for those impacted minus the negative consequences (sometimes called 'suffering' or 'pain') for those impacted. In other words, something is 'good' in that it has the most positive consequences for the greatest number of people. On the other hand, something is 'bad' if it has more negative consequences for a greater number of people. In this case, the change to the law stands to benefit very few people and the benefit for even for that extremely small number of people (the ability to obtain an HCP three years earlier) likely isn't that significant in the greater scheme of things. On the other hand, there have already been negative consequences for a fairly large number of people - all of those who have an HCP. In fact, these negative consequences will also impact any 18 - 20 year old who decides to take advantage of the change to the law as they will then, as HCP holders, also be part of the group which is negatively impacted. At this point, of course, it is debatable how significant the negative impact of losing MN from the reciprocity list really but the fact that such negative consequences impact far more people - and the possibility that other states will follow suit - makes the change, in my estimation, an undoubtedly negative one.

Wow. Very nice. Many years ago, right after I graduated from college, I had a college buddy who went to work at a small metal shop near downtown Knoxville. His boss didn't care if he hung around after work and used the equipment for personal projects. They didn't really want him to let other people use the equipment (for liability reasons, I assume) but as no one else was there at the time I did. I made a couple of cleavers but mine were purpose built just for hacking up meat and look more 'zombie apocalypse' than the works of art you produce. They have pipe handles and one of them is actually a two-handed cleaver, more or less. They weren't heat treated or anything and the edge on the smaller of the two isn't all that durable. Like I said, nowhere near the class of your work. Come to think of it, I'm not even exactly sure where they are right now.

I am of two minds on this. On the one hand, from a political and philosophical standpoint, I agree. If a person has to sign up to possibly (however unlikely in this day and age) be drafted to go to war and kill or be killed, can vote for our political leadership and, most importantly, is considered 'mature' enough to be an adult when it comes to criminal charges then that person should also be considered to be 'mature' enough to decide he or she wants to drink a damn beer or legally carry a firearm. Now, however, for the reality. The reality is that many lawmakers obviously do not agree with the above which means that those of us who have already met the requirements - and paid the money - to obtain an HCP that was recognized by most of the states in the union have already and may continue to lose 'value' from said HCP simply so a handful of people can have the option of maybe getting a carry permit a scant three years earlier than before. Further, don't forget that (unless I completely misunderstand other, recent laws) those folks could already legally 'carry' in their vehicles without an HCP for those, few years. So, philosophical belief aside the reality is that there is much potential for loss for all TN HCP holders verses a minuscule amount of gain for what is likely an almost infinitesimal number of people. Weighed in the balance, therefore, the scale tips decidedly to the negative for this law. Further, if I really delve into the philosophical side of the issue I have to say that I do not believe there should be any connection, whatsoever, between military service and the excercise of rights. If one 18 year old can legally obtain a permit then any and all 18 year old citizens should have the option (as said 18 year old citizens are still considered adults for criminal charges, ect. - if they are legally 'adults' in one place then they should be legally 'adults' in all considerations regardless of military service or lack thereof.) Further, I have known several members of the military and can say that, when we were younger, they seemed no more likely to be 'responsible' and no less likely to be 'hot headed' than those of us who were not members of the military. Therefore, it would make a lot more sense to allow anyone 18 and older who can legally have a gun to carry in TN without a permit and limit permits to 21 and older. That would allow 18 year old residents of Tennessee - all of them - to be eligible to carry while not screwing the rest of us over with respect to reciprocity.

The only handgun - or any gun, for that matter - of which I have more than one of the same (more or less) would be the Ruger P95. My first one - which was my first 9mm handgun - was a gift from a friend (actually my ex-wife's grandfather but he was also a good friend) who has since passed. For a while I carried a Kel Tec P11 but was never all that accurate with it. I eventually found that - as I absolutely cannot carry IWB and the P11 was too big for pocket carry - I could carry the P95 just as easily as the P11 and I shoot the P95 much better. The problem was that I didn't want to carry the P95 because of some sentimental value as I didn't want to risk losing it if I ever had to use it. Lo and behold, however, that when I decided to get rid of my P11 my favorite LGS had a used, slightly different model of P95 in the case. We traded even. So now I have two P95 pistols. One to carry and one to just hang on to until the zombie apocalypse requires me to dual wield them. They aren't exactly alike. The first one (on the right in the pic below) - the gift - is a decocker only model and does not have a light rail. The second one - the all black one on the left - is a decocker/safety model and has a light rail. I prefer the DC only but couldn't really get picky when I decided to get a second one. When I carry it I only used it as a decocker and do not carry with the safety engaged (they are DA/SA pistols.) I have never used the light rail but it doesn't get in the way so I guess it is nice to have just in case.