TGO David

It's snowing like crazy here in Rutherford County, TN and it made for a very pleasant diversion from everything else going on in my part of the world right now. I'm a kid at heart and God knows it... so snow was an excellent way to get my mind off of the bad things going on and focus on some of the more simple pleasures. How about the rest of you? Got snow?

Daddy says I make him drink.

Thanks guys. We are working on some things behind the scenes to provide continuity of service or at least get TGO moved over to another server as soon after January 1 as we can. Several have sent messages asking how they can help. Obviously the first thing that would help is for me to find an IT job in the greater Nashville area. As I expressed to one person earlier, I am a consulting firm's dream hire. Over the past 15 years of being in this industry, I've literally been there and done that. In my current job, I have managed people, I've managed countless projects and I've done everything from pulling cable to establishing disaster recovery plans, from workstation support to mission critical server infrastructure design and implementation. If it sounds like I'm trying to sell myself... I am. Next in line is of course paying to host TGO somewhere else. Hosting fees range from $30 to $200. For $30 you get what you pay for and those packages wouldn't support our typical server load or our bandwidth requirements each month. What we require will demand a reputable hosting company with stable servers and generous bandwith allotments. That puts us in the $150-200 per month range. Right now my days consist of readying my workplace network to be handed off to an outside entity and investigating options that will ensure my family's security. I'm going to try to devote some time to TGO's future direction over the next few days so I will try to post more about this again on Sunday or Monday. I'm probably going to be absent from TGO or at least silent on this particular issue until then. Not because I'm dodging it, but just because I want to come back to this subject with information rather than speculation. Thanks for being patient.

Yeah but we're just now getting to the point where we're all going to hold hands and sing campfire songs. A newbie wouldn't want to miss that would they? That'd be like watching Bambi, seeing his mom get shot and then not seeing her come back to life at the very end. Right? I mean... she came back... right?

Yep! Comp-Tac uses a bit of rubber tube cut to about 1/2" in length as their bushings. It's pretty effective but they become deformed over time, which makes them difficult to line up properly if you take a holster apart for any reason.

We'll have a beer together at some point. Things usually look better after a few beers.

Yes, they are just Chicago screws.

I agree with you 300% if that makes you feel any better.

Usually I just spray my guns with PAM and it keeps them from sticking.

Nope, my comment was not aimed at the USMC. My comment was directed at you, a Marine. That being said, obviously I am not my normal lovable self right now and undoubtedly because a lot of the things that are weighing on me right now. So my tolerance for BS from a Marine or from my best friend ( one of whom happens to be -- ironically -- a Marine ) is hovering just above negative numbers right now. I'm not going to apologize because I think that your questioning my combat experience was a pretty dick-headed move. But I will say that while I may have otherwise let it slide and just played ball with you, lately I'm just not in the mood. Closest thing you're going to get as far as "sorry" goes from me. If that makes me an ass, so be it. I'm just the ass that's sticking to his guns.

I've owned both. The reputable vendors will cover any cracks or such that might occur with aluminum, but keep in mind that not all alloys are created the same. There are some alloys being used by certain manufacturers that have tensile strength approaching or exceeding the steels used by other manufacturers. It's seriously not an apples to apples comparison and becomes all the more confusing when you take that into consideration. I'd recommend picking the one that you like the most and then researching it online to make sure that the vendor has a strong reputation of delivering warranty service throughout the life of the firearm.

Speaking of, get back to work! Stop posting on the Internet.

Will do. Thanks.

I'd be interested in talking with her or with whomever hires for these things at her company. I'll send you my contact information.

PM me. I'm investigating any and all options right now.

The Staff is already aware of this, so I don't mind sharing here. Our company started making cuts this week. Unfortunately they are bent on seeing if they can successfully outsource IT to a company that has come highly recommended to them. One of the caveats is that they want this company to hire me so that they can contract me back here. Sort of a win-win, if it works out. As of right now, my last day on the job as an employee of this company will be January 15th, 2009. I do not have anything guaranteed beyond that but I am getting a small severance that I hope will tide us over until I can find another job. So if any of you know of a company who is hiring network administrators / network engineers around the Nashville area... let me know. I want to land on my feet if I can. Lots of Microsoft certifications, 15 years in the industry and prior experience managing IT groups and working as a consultant. I've pretty much been there, done that, seen it all, and made money for my employers in the process.

You know, I haven't let a Marine kiss my ass lately. You're first in line.

Here's an interesting article dated February of 2008 describing the rapid adoption of the M&P series by law enforcement agencies. http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2008/02/01/smith-and-wesson-mp-pistols-adopted-by-276-police-departments-thousands-of-mp9-mp357-mp40-and-mp45-ordered-by-atlanta-police-colorado-state-police-and-other-departments/

The rule of thumb seems to be to check early and check often.

You need to keep it in perspective and realize that Glock's platform has been available since the 1980s and that the M&P platform has been available since 2005. The Glock aftermarket has had 25 years or so to proliferate. The M&P aftermarket will catch up.

Try calling around to the Game Stop stores.

Back to the issue at hand... I had problems with my M&P 9C. Sent it back to them twice. They made it right, paid for shipping both ways and the service work was completed in under a week each time. I had a problem with my first M&P 40's mag release. Called them, talked to them, they mailed me a revised mag catch and that fixed the problem. I had that part in my hand in under a week and it was free of charge. I've called to order common parts (grip panels, mags, etc.) and every time they were super helpful, super friendly and the parts arrived quickly. To be short, I have never had a problem with them and I too have used Smith & Wesson's customer service anecdotaly as an example of what good customer service is like. If they have drawn the line at not selling the individual sear block, there must be a reason. As ToddG mused over on MP-Pistol.com, the reason is probably because they don't want you dicking around with the sear, producing an unreliable and/or unsafe weapon. They do sell those parts to gunsmiths and I think you might even be able to find them through Brownells. Pissing and moaning about it on at least two different forums that I'm aware of now comes across as nothing more than just a grown man throwing a temper tantrum. Grow up.

The original poster is getting about as much sympathy over on the MP-Pistol forum also. http://mp-pistol.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=17882&hl=

Yep... can't see them anymore.

It happened way before digital cameras. If he has a picture, he drew it.