MacGyver

Were it me, I'd look to an older Belgian made Browning.     There are a lot of clones out there - and good ones at that - but a hi-power is an heirloom quality pistol.  I'd go for a good one.   That said, FN makes a great variant.  If you're looking for a more budget friendly option, some FEGs can be had around $300.

Unfortunately, as Americans we're going to have to go through some dark times before we get an internet that's truly open.   Enfield's right.  The first impact most Americans will notice will be the new fees that suddenly appear on their bill.  You're about to be paying for all kinds of stuff.

There's never been a better single action 9mm than the Hi-Power.  A serviceable weapon for carry, and fun at the range all rolled into one.   I'd start there.

Y'all be careful using welder's gloves. They're meant for momentary contact - not handling. They'll keep your hands nice and cool right up to the point where you get third degree burns. Once they heat up, you won't be able to get them off fast enough.

It's $100 less than it was when it started. It's a nice semi auto trigger. As for the assisted mode, were it me, I'd just invest the time into learning to run an SSA-E.

Sometimes, letting a mag hit the ground is a good thing.  It was only by dropping my mags that I learned that my Walther P99 mags had a tendency to turn into HK mags when dropped with any rounds still in the magazine.  I don't know what causes it, but I've got several magazines for the weapon, and they all exhibit the same tendency.  Drop a mag with 4 or 5 rounds still in it, and when you pick it up, about 50% of the time, the top round will be turned around backwards.  It's like a bad magic trick, but a behavior that I'm sure glad to know about.

I've let a whole lot of Wilson Combat mags hit the dirt - and dropped more than a few in the mud.  Disassembled, thrown in the ultrasonic cleaner, lubed and reassembled, and you'd never know.   I generally consider magazines consumable-type equipment with a limited lifespan, but a good 1911 mag ought to last a long time.

My kids just got a sixth day out of school. I'm pretty sure my wife would sell them about now if a circus train came along.

Hydrogen is kind of like corn right now. It takes more energy to get it into a usable form as fuel than you get out. Hence Enfield's battery comment. You're storing energy to be used later, and physics still applies. Fuel cells are neat tech, but there's a lot in the way of wide scale adoption.

So, I guess you chose the ATI over the RIA? If it won't feed with a Wilson 47D, you've got bigger problems.

I've never been disappointed by a VZ product.  Their grips are a must have accessory on my 1911's.  I've recently put them on a Mark III as well.   Great product!

Really?  Wow!  This sickness has escalated quickly!   I didn't think it looked like the 1x30 the OP talked about in his first knife post a couple of weeks ago.  That KMG Square is probably the best grinder on the market.  I'd love to have one.  I've just got to find a place to put it.

Looking great!   Is that a Harbor Freight grinder?

Bartlett's Automotive over on Atlas Drive does good transmission work. I'd at least give them a call.

This doesn't do much for me on a pizza coming from LittleCeaser's, though I applaud them for trying it.   Put it on a Jet's 8-corner pizza, and that's a different story altogether.  I'd be calling right now.

Here too. Amazon's threats to start their own delivery service must be really scaring the USPS and UPS.

I find it interesting that while our mail hasn't come yet this week, I've seen multiple mail trucks driving through the neighborhood delivering packages for Amazon.   They must have a heck of an SLA in their contract.

Was out in this mess early this morning due to staying overnight with some guys from Room In The Inn last night.  At 0600 there was probably only a 1/2" or so of ice, but it was slick.  Luckily there weren't too many cars on the road, yet.  Looking forward to staying in the rest of the day.   Weather like this really means something when you're homeless. Usually when we have dinner with the guys, they're talkative.  Last night, there was nothing but concern about what the weather was going to do, and the fact that a lot of the normal places to shelter would be closed today.  Everyone was in bed early.   I find myself really thankful to be able to observe the weather through a window.  Not everyone is that fortunate.

You'd definitely benefit from buying an actual end mill as opposed to trying to do it with a drill bit.

Neat.  It's good to see some cost coming down in this market.

Seems like you ought to have an older hi power, Greg.

The Crieve Hall area is pretty underrated.  Central to just about everything.  Home prices are still relatively reasonable - within Nashville proper anyway.  10 minutes from just about everywhere.

Of the three you mentioned, I'd buy the RIA and be done with it. Anything you can save up later can be used for upgrades to a great, basic pistol.

What brake are you starting with that's smaller than 1/2x28? I've always used 29/64"

He could file a John doe suit and seek to get a subpoena to find out the name from the scrap place.   That said, when you're working for a living, that adds a lot of time and expense that could otherwise be spent making money.