Jamie Jackson

Like I mentioned, with all of the praise (and condemnation) Hi Points receive, it has certainly peaked my interest. I wasn't aware of the 10 round mag limitation. That's the reason the Kel Tec K2 looks pretty decent to me. I'm still learning to use the software here...I cut off a portion of my original reply, and that was by following your budget and parameters, you may still be able to come in "under budget" and have apportioned funds set aside for additional ammo, or more importantly, training for your group. It sounds like you are thinking things through pretty well Sir.

I think your criteria makes good sense from a logistical standpoint. Based on your criteria I have listed a few options below. I appreciate your parameters and I’ll try to stay in that context. Glock 19 9mm from Bud’s. $499.00. Kel-Tec Sub 9mm Glock 17 magazines $399.99. Ruger 10/22 from Academy Sports. $249.00. Gunbroker: KelTec Sub2K9. I don’t have personal experience with the Kel Tec Sub2K, but plan on purchasing one. I also have no personal experience with any Hi point product, but a lot of folks seem to really like theirs… A quality suppressor is an excellent suggestion as well, and offers great utility and versatility. Especially one for a .22…to fit my 10/22 and/or a .22 handgun…

Good point and info Caster. From a bit of searching around, you may well be right. imho the Fed is the bane of our Great Nation and one of the primary entities responsible for our current economic situation...one of... I would be interested in learning more on the legalities as well. Thanks.

I don't invest heavily in PM's. But I do put a small percentage of my prepping funds into what's commonly called junk silver. But this is only a small portion of my prepping focus...food, tools, water purification, gardening and storage (canning & dehydration) come first...but if there's a dip, I'll buy some more silver. Gold may be an avenue to protect wealth, but it's not, imho, a realistic precious metal for me and my needs. In a serious economic collapse, making change could be next to impossible. For large purchases, or transporting wealth if bugging out (more fantasy than reality I think), it could have merit. Copper coins and copper rounds are intriguing though. Provident Metals have some nice looking copper coins for example. I believe it is currently illegal to melt (destroy) Government minted coinage. But like was mentioned, copper most definitely has many uses... Pre-1982 copper pennies are most definitely worth saving. According to Coinflation the pre-1982 pennies are currently worth 2.54 cents. That makes 'em worth sorting out to me.

Thank you Sir! I planed to double my rain barrel catchment and you've just made it affordable to do so.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, and insight on this. While I agree with Wheelgunner that the gun owning populace is a strong voting arm when mobilized, it's the insidious nature of the loss of our Constitutionally Protected Rights that's always in the back of my mind. I picked up a copy of John Ross's [b[unintended Consequences[/b] back in the late 90's. The first half of the book does an incredible job of illustrating that insidiousness. It's still a great read, but I can't believe what they are selling this book for on Amazon! I have only had my driver's license checked a couple of times during the 20+ years I've carried concealed. This was traffic related and I offered by Permit...but it was required in the states I used to live/work in. While not required in TN, the Peace Officer would certainly see that you have a permit if he "runs" you. So I would most likely hand my License & Permit together to an Officer in a scenario such as you mentioned. Without reasonable probable cause, they really shouldn't be concerned other than the issue at hand. But some of the "young guns' on the force nowadays, without a good FTO, can be a bit gung ho and overzealous.

You're quite welcome Moped. Here's another link to the LDS Food Storage Calculator. It's a bit basic. But if you "copy can" (purchase 2-5 of an item you need to replace and of things you eat regularly) your storage will grow pretty fast and it won't break the bank. It's a great feeling having a growing pantry, and growing and canning/dehydrating your own food. The best thing is when you need to "run to the store and pick up a few things" and instead you just walk down to the basement and "restock" your upstairs pantry. Best of luck to you my friend.

Because it's my Responsibility to do so as a Free Man. And I believe in the Defender's Creed: The Defender's Creed John Farnam I accept and understand that human predators exist. Criminal or terrorist, they take advantage of our civilized society to prey upon the weak. They represent evil and must be confronted and defeated. I believe that self-defense is a moral imperative, and that illegitimate force and illegal violence must be met with righteous indignation and superior violence. I will not rely on others for the security of myself, my family and my community. I proudly proclaim that I run with a like-minded pack. I do not amble through life with the mind-numbed herd. I will train with my chosen weapons, maintain them and carry them in a condition of readiness at all times. I will be mentally prepared and physically equipped to effectively respond to an attack or emergency. I will constantly test myself against realistic standards to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I will turn weakness into strength. I will seek to learn new skills and techniques, and then teach what I have learned to other members of the pack. Be it with firearm or blade, empty hand or blunt object, I will hit my enemies hard, fast and true. I will live a quiet and unobtrusive life, but I will develop and retain the capacity for swift and decisive violence. I recognize that I am the modern equivalent of the traditional Minuteman, and that I may be called to service at any time against heavily armed enemies. I will respond effectively. I accept that I am a pariah among some of my countrymen, and a quaint anachronism to others. I will not hold their ignorance against them. I will win, or die trying. I swear this creed before God, my family and my fellow citizens.

I forgot to mention that we keep several of the Starter kits on hand to offer to friends and family if the need arises. From the LDS website: "The kit contains recipes, instructional pamphlets, visual aids for teaching family home storage principles, and cans of wheat, rice, beans, and oats. Food items cannot be shipped to addresses outside the United States." For $31.00 (current price, $29.00 when I purchased them) it's still a bargain.

As BlessTheUSA mentioned you can order online. I have many times. The prices are great, and I've never been charged any shipping. link I have gone to the local LDS Warehouse several times for bulk purchases. The folks are friendly and make you feel welcome. It's easy to cultivate a positive relationship there. I have a friend that's LDS and has offered to arrange for me to schedule the canner for a pickup. You can purchase the cans, lids, and o2 absorbers from the Warehouse. Great Folks and we all share the common goal of Self Reliance.

9mm Glock(s). I have a 17, 19, & 26. I have carried the 19 for better than 15 years. 9mm ammo is available pretty much anywhere ammo is sold. The 9mm is the original Glock caliber, and (imho) the further you go away from the original design specifications the more potential for "issues" you can have. My 19 is ridiculously reliable. It's easily concealable. It has a normal capacity (15 round) magazine, but accepts larger capacity mags. It's (subjectively) very shootable. I've seen and treated people shot with almost every imaginable handgun round...the 9mm will certainly do as long as you do your part... You get a very long "user life" from a 9mm Glock... + 30,000 rounds and going strong... 9mm ammo is one of the more affordable rounds to purchase and/or reload...so you have absolutely no excuse to not shoot , practice, and train... Did I mention a Glock 19 (factory stock except the friggin plastic sights) is RELIABLE ?

Thanks for bumping this informative thread back up. For a "C&R Newbie" such as myself it's a great resource.

With all respect to the OP (Joe), the best thing, under current law, is to jump through the hoops, pay the fees, and get a HCP. imho. Obviously, the ideal thing would be for TN to go the route of several different and change the law to allow any non-felonious resident, at or above the age of 21 to carry concealed without a permit as an exercise of their Second Amendment, God Given and supposedly Constitutionally protected, Right. At the very least the law needs to be changed to allow lawfully aged, non-felonious adults to be able to carry a readily accessible, fully loaded firearm...rifle, shotgun, or handgun... in their vehicle as an extension of their home. As usual, just my Link: 11 States Push for Permit-Free Concealed Carry Laws

We do store several spices, and have purchased a few online, and a few at Sam's. eta: and at UGO in Lenoir City or Oak Ridge... I divide them into pint or have pint jars and pop in an O2 absorber. Then box them to protect them from light. As far as Creole seasoning goes, my favorite is Tony Chachere's. Here's a link for making your own. We like our home brewed version better than "store-bought". Home made chili powder beats store bought as well. We have a pretty expansive herb garden...nothing beats fresh herbs, imho... and most have wintered over or bounce back for the past 4 years. I have garlic coming on strong right now that I planted last fall. And we have a fair amount of wild onions coming up in the yard right now. They make an excellent cooking ingredient, strong, and a bit like a mix of garlic & onion...so a little goes a long way. We dehydrate a lot of our herbs, garlic, and onion in our Excalibur. As to your original question, Bulk Foods has great quality spices, a huge variety, and fair pricing.

"Rolling yer own" is pretty simple tylerc56. Especially 9mm & 45 acp. The initial investment in reloading gear, bullets, powder, and primers isn't that bad. And if you shoot a fair amount then reloading for your pistol calibers can certainly save you some coinage. I personally wouldn't sale any of my reloads strictly from a liability standpoint. And I would have to know, and trust, an individual before I would feel safe shooting their reloads. I assume the responsibility for shooting my reloads in my firearms. I've done well in all my years of reloading, but I did have one double charge around 15 years ago and destroyed a good handgun. Sh** can happen. I just wouldn't won't my SH** to happen to someone else.

I received my C&R last Friday. It took a bit over 4 weeks, which isn't too bad. I sent out several e-mails to various vendors this morning and will be mailing out signed copies my next day off work. The "dealer discounts" alone are more than worth the wait imho. Congrats on taking the plunge.

LOL, That's good, as I'm pretty rusty on my ancient Egyptian.

Yep; That is what it beginning to look like after a bit more "Googling" on my part. Perhaps requiring a Moose Lodge membership?

harryjordan and anyone else; I haven't heard of Moose Lodge before. Thanks. Do they have a website? Otherwise, what are some of the particulars about being able to shoot there? TIA

SWAT. It's the only gun mag I subscribe to, and have since 1988. I used to subscribe to way too damn many...but the majority turned in to advertisements for high dollar, and questionable, products. I dropped all of them except SWAT 8 or 9 years ago. The only other magazine I subscribe to is BackWoodsHome. Excellent mag, and good enough to keep as a resource.

I'm a member at ORSA and really appreciate having such a fine facility. I've sponsored several people for membership there. It's a real bargain for what you get. I was out there a few days ago, and with the nice weather, even weekdays can get pretty crowded. I've also shot at Royal Blue a few times. Very nice setup. As RichardS suggested, weekdays are best, and you can "scoot & shoot" up there, as long as you're safe and mindful of other folks.

Thank you Kind Sir.

Well, my C&R just arrived in the mail! I'm on a stretch at work right now. So I'll make multiple copies and get them to the various vendors folks were kind enough to point me towards. Thanks for all of the helpful info folks. I can't wait until the packages start arriving...

I'm not picking nits, my friend...but iodine reduces the possibility of goiter. Gout is a type of arthritis from too much circulating uric acid in the blood...I know, because I have periodic flareups of gout. I apologize for the drift.

Good point regarding covering the trigger. And since my normal EDC is a Glock, this wouldn't work for it. But...with a small single action, like a P238, or even a double action like a Makarov...it might work out pretty well. It's an option. fwiw...I frequently carry my J Frame Smith with only Barami hip grips without worry.