deerslayer

Rangemaster if you're a newbie, Range USA if you're seasoned. Here's a thread with more detail: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17563&highlight=givens

Anybody recognize this guy?

"The sheriff is a (LOUD CHURCHBELLS) "What'd he say?" "He said the sheriff is near." "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!" Mike, I rarely bother watching it on TV for the same reasons--it's just not the same movie. I gotta pick it up on DVD someday.

As long as it's gone by morning...

Atkins.

Here are a couple pics from the backyard today. My buddy Evan came over to check out my reloader and brought his 99% finished parts kit AK. Too bad he's currently in the needless-AK-torture-test stage. Ever seen a Kalashnikov snow angel?

I always put two spaces after each sentence, but they show only one space after being posted.

What kind of .308 do you have?

Keep up the good work, man. You get down to 200 pounds and you'll be running back and forth to Myrtle Point twice a day!

True dat... I am a bit leary about reloading .40--Glock or no Glock.

I think you missed my point about the learning to draw, etc. Rangemaster's level 1 class (or whatever they call the next step after permit class) starts where they left off in permit class--everyone knows about drawing, etc. That's one reason they insist that students with permits either got their permit training from Rangemaster, or audited the permit class. My point is that a Rangemaster instructor who has only been through instructor school, or even me, for that matter, can just as easily teach somebody how to draw a gun as a cop can, if that's who you were referring to. Hell, if I want to get technical, cops use level 25 retention holsters, not IWB, concealed-carry type holsters that many permit class attendees would use. But I hate getting technical. Punisher summed it up best--go where you like, and kudos to all who educate and recruit newcomers of all types to our cause. See ya'll at the range.

I believe the 9mm and .40 operate at about the same pressure. I have Glocks in both 9 and .40, and the "unsupported" parts look the same. Older Glocks have less support, but newer ones have as much support as some other brands. Few brands are "fully" supported.

I agree fully that the Range USA staff is friendlier, but would you want all Marine Corps Drill Instructors to be nice and friendly? Ok, maybe that was a silly comparison, but the last class I took at Rangemaster was a serious, weekend-long venture. I wasn't there to make friends or hear good jokes; I was there to study some grave topics and sharpen my gun-handling skills. I was basing part of my opinion on actual experiences of friends and relatives at Range USA, as well as my experiences at Rangemaster. When attending Range USA's handgun carry permit class, one is sometimes subjected to a couple hours of storytelling, BSing, etc., at the end of the class. I have been told this by my wife, my brother, my neighbor, and several close friends, all of whom attended Range USA's permit classes. "Why couldn't they just let us go?" several of them said. The same thing happened when I attended permit class back in 2001 in Somerville. I attribute this to the state of TN mandating an 8 hour class, when it often really takes only 5 or 6 hours. At Rangemaster, there is less killing of the last two hours--they actually use those two hours to begin the first steps of everyone else's next level class. They touch on the basics of drawing from a holster, drilling students on drawing with their fingers off the trigger, prepping the trigger, etc. Anybody learn any of that stuff in your permit class? I am actually very fond of Range USA and its staff--I think Scott runs a first class operation (plus, I like redheads, too). I have probably spent more hours on the range there than at Rangemaster. Last week, I actually recommended RUSA to my boss, who is a bit new in town. I've bought several guns from them. However, I feel that Rangemaster's training classes are a notch higher on the scale than RUSA's. When's the last time John Farnam or Massad Ayoob came to RUSA? I'm not obsessed with famous names or brands, but there's no denying Rangemaster's quality, IMO. I don't agree with every word that Givens says, but he has taught me things that I'll hopefully never use, but will never forget. Sooner or later, I would like to take some training at Range USA. It would probably have to be some seminar or combination of classes or something, because I'm not going to start with their Street Level 1 and work up from there.

RangeUSA has the nicer range. Rangemaster has the better training. Tom Givens (Rangemaster owner) is a bit of an A-hole, but he's my kind of A-hole. I shoot IDPA w/ several Rangemaster instructors, and a Tom Givens-taught class is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, but I'd go there before I went anywhere else.

I would probably go with the 4 hole over the 3 hole. That fourth stage gives you options that you may or may not ever use. For instance, some die sets have four dies, others three. Dillon believes in seating and crimping bullets on seperate stages, thus their dies usually require four. You may also decide to add a Lee Factory Crimp die down the road. With four holes, this is not a problem. You may someday want an EGW U-die, which sizes cases basically down to the rim. I have a friend with a Dillon 650, and he plans to start using the U-die AND the Lee FCD. Dillon makes a case trimmer that uses a die hole and adds a stage in the reloading cycle. My Dillon RL550 has four holes, and I wish it had five, like their 650. There are all kinds of scenarios where a fourth hole would be handy. If it doesn't cost much more, I'd definitely go for it. Other things to consider are a case trimmer, a caliper for measuring OAL, an inertia-type bullet puller (looks like a clear plastic hammer), and a cartridge gage for each caliber you plan to load. You will probably also want to spend the extra $10 and get carbide dies for your pistol calibers (no need to lube cases w/ carbide dies).

too bad it can't conjugate verbs...

That was my first thought as well--thickness. Adding moleskin or leather to the CTAC, it seems, will make the problem even worse. FWIW, my CTAC is a "slide" version--a shorter version which will hold subcompacts or full-sized guns. Thus, it is a little thinner at the bottom where normal CTACs are thicker. Mine rides kinda low with a forward cant. The top of the holster is about flush with the top of the belt, and I often forget I'm wearing it.

Congrats, BRG. You are an inspiration to us all. Been hiking back in the Smokies lately? I've gone from 180 to 193 in the last 8-9 months, and feel like crap. Everybody says they can't tell a difference, but I sure can. I am severely pissed off about my CTAC being almost unwearable with a couple of my pants now. At 175, I feel like I could go 10 rounds with Oscar de la Hoya. Ran a 5K the other day, and was about 3 minutes slower than a year ago. That should be a motivator, but was more of a morale-buster. Gotta change my bad habits and re-establish a routine, but damn, work makes it hard to do so. I think I am going to hit the bag in a few minutes, but boy I'm hungry.

Interesting read. LOL @ "while we used our superior firepower and technology to create ten million deaf monkeys and water buffalo."

The wife and I do essentially the same thing with a pair of Glock 19s (when I don't wake up in a .40 mood). Our neighbors mirror you--he has an XD .40 service-size, and she has an XD .40 compact.

LOL, that makes sense. I wasn't about to bust out the BS smiley--not sure if you remember, but we actually met at Joe's, and I had too much respect for you for that. I knew something wasn't right, though.

Hmmm...I shoot Glocks almost exclusively, and the "point/aim" is, for me, almost identical to a 1911 with an arched mainspring housing. IIRC, one of main improvements of the 1911A1 over the 1911 was the addition of an arched housing over a flat housing, supposedly to bring the natural point of aim higher (and on target).

I generally put about 400 flawless FMJ rounds through a clean gun, followed by 50-100 rounds of my intended carry ammo through the gun (dirty) before I consider carrying it. Some guns never make it. I put 2000 rounds of FMJ through a certain Kimber 1911 before I gave up trying to break it in.

looked like a Beretta