StPatrick

Woe to the piggies near you! Also, mmmm ribs.

It's not the best situation, but at least I've got a job, so I'm not about to get incensed over the issue. There's too many people out there that are just as capable as I am trying to get by on unemployment while trying to find work - if my employer tells me no guns, I salute. When metro does it, there's no recourse. Erin Go Bragh, Cead Maile Failte, Cha dèan cas là idir nach ith brù mhòr.

DEAL. I've had to slow down due to some ticketing issues, but if you want to unwind that car you spoke of someplace twisty, hell yes I'll ride along.

OC is legal everywhere in the state; what I stated was simply my opinion regarding potential reactions by my fellow citizens should I choose to OC. Attitudes vary greatly, especially between rural, suburban, and urban communities regarding carry. I live in Williamson County, which tends to be very pro-2A politically, but I've found it to be a place where demonstrations in favor of 2A rights (or others; it's not really an area that is kind to those wishing to make ideological stands) are not held in high regard. It's simply not a place for making waves. Much like other parts of the state, folks here desire to be left alone, but there is not the same firearms culture you might find in more rural areas. Out of respect for local attitudes, I don't OC. While there are plenty of places in TN where a gun on the hip wouldn't be noticed or cared about, I believe that where I live, it would attract more attention than I need or want.

As your avatar said in another movie (to paraphrase) "I can take a dump in a box and put a guarantee on it...". I'm not familiar with TFO failure stories; mine have been great, but I might be lucky. My experience with TFOs has been entirely positive, and I haven't needed any warranty service. If there are potential issues with the sights I've installed on my nightstand gun, please let me know. I have to be able to rely on it if the time ever comes; please give details, links, etc. if you have a minute. Like I said, I might be one of the lucky ones. Based entirely on my own experience, however, they're an excellent upgrade over the 3-dot sights that come from most mfgs.

I would avoid using methanol unless absolutely necessary. One of the things that may not have been mentioned in the Wiki is that methanol (aka Methyl Alcohol or MeOH) exposure has chronic effects - exposure to even small amounts over time can cause deterioration of vision, as MeOH loves the optic nerves, and for whatever reason, the body isn't effectively able to remove it from the fatty sheath that surrounds nervous tissue. If you have other options available, use them first. Just to reiterate, stay away from it, my man. An occasional degreasing or surface prep puts you at very low risk for chronic issues, but why invite trouble into your house if you don't have to? Just a friendly reminder for others who may not have given as much thought to this topic as Lester: chemicals commonly used to strip grease or prime metal will F you up proper if precautions are not taken. Be as safe in your refinishing as you are in your shooting, or let the professionals do it for you. If it strips grease, it can pull the fat out of your skin, which is bad, painful, and potentially disfiguring. If it attacks metal surfaces, your skin won't like that either. At all. [/soapbox off]

Lipstick on a pig, no?

BRING IT, PANSIES.

Agreed; where folks might accept Taurus' long trigger pull on their affordable semis, I have a hard time believing that they'll be OK with it on a carbine, and especially one that will run in the $5-700 range. If the MSRP is anywhere near accurate, why wouldn't you buy a bargain AR with a 16" barrel instead?

If you're going to shoot it quite a bit, go ahead and get some Wolff replacement recoil springs (22# Kimber "Improved") for it. After several hundred rounds, I started experiencing some feeding issues, wherein the round wouldn't chamber fully, causing a failure to return to battery. Replacing the recoil spring eliminated the issue; Kimber recommends a spring change every 800 rounds for their Ultra and Pro models.

Be patient...they're not in middle-TN either (at least my part), but they will be soon. After all, armadillo and coyote aren't native, but we have them...the pigs reproduce much faster than either. If I understand correctly, sows put out piglets at around 6-8 per year, and there aren't any natural predators for them yet.

There's not much you can do in the city...my employer posts, which includes the grounds. No guns in cars, which means disarmed status to and from work, 5 or 6 days a week. I coach youth sports at a Nashville-Muni facility 3 days a week - no guns on premises - again, disarmed by local statute. Between working / coaching in Metro, and then living near Cool Springs, I'd have to become a hermit to keep my gun on me at all times. It's a less than optimal situation, but until I can reach a spot in life where I can buy some land and live a good ways out of the city, that's the reality I (and many others on here) have to deal with.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but this has already been settled...Coke is better than Pepsi, but only Dr. Pepper is the nectar of the gods. On topic, OC v. CC is very much a function of location. Where I live, OC is no option. For the OP, in Cleveland, it may be. Can we quit now? Also, manual transmissions FTW. I respect the autos, and the paddles, et al., but can they really replace the ear-to-ear smile that comes from running a big motor up to 5000, then slamming into 2nd with a screech? /my teenaged self

Good article, again reinforcing the idea that while we want expansion, we need penetration, and even after that it's still all about placement. Also, SWAG has traditionally stood for "scientific wild-assed guess". Not important, but we sciencey types are nitpicky like that.

SureFire made some promo videos (probably still on their site) and they were targeted to LE / MIL / full-auto shooters. I'm sure some semi-only types will buy them for the cool factor (though how would they fit into the chest rig?). Here's the link to a thread MetalHead started here on TGO regarding the new mags: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/long-guns/51649-surefire-60rd-100rd-mags.html

Denatured alcohol is actually quite safe - it's just ethanol (same as what's in beer, wine, whiskey, or, unfortunately, gasoline these days), but with an additive that will make you sicker'n hell if you try to drink it. With the additive, it's very cheap. Without, it becomes subject to federal excise tax, which makes it run in the $100+ / gallon range. Isopropyl alcohol and acetone are also quite safe - don't drink them, don't huff them, and don't use them near sources of flame, and you'll be fine. For general use, these chemicals are much more benign than common chemicals we use for stripping paint or cleaning ovens everyday. If you have good ventilation, you might want to try Gunscrubber - it's primarily Trichloroethylene, which is used in industry as a degreaser. It should outperform any of the alcohols you mentioned as well as acetone, but does come with higher risks to health, and should not be used near plastic parts - some polymers will withstand it, some won't, and you won't know which you've got until your plastic is either A-OK or a tacky, sticky mess.

No worries, my man. I intend to take last place in either ESP or SSP, depending on where my Sig lands. Since I don't own a revolver, I cannot steal last place from you in your chosen discipline. I invite you to compete in whatever division I land in - I'll lend you my gun - in order that I will take last place. Seriously, though, I don't want to come in last, but I'll be using the experience as a personal eye-opener - I want to know just how bad I am. Once I have a baseline, I can figure out how to improve, right? I have to start somewhere...

I have my permit because I can. Between my employer and the city of Nashville, I can rarely carry. When I can, I do. At least it makes my range trips easier.

More than likely, it's due to increasing energy and fuel costs. While the price of copper is increasing, that's a minor component, and while the prez' office has said he'll address "gun restrictions", it's not realistic that any will pass the House (and I doubt he'll try to hard, since he'd like to remain employed). Diesel is expensive these days, and electricity isn't going down, either.

The NCStar spotters I've seen do have good optics, but the construction / durability of them is why I classify them as "disposable". The zoom / focus rings and the threads they're attached to are not exactly heirloom quality, and will fail. Eventually, the user will be pulling out / pushing in the eyepiece to focus, as the focus mechanism gave up the ghost. If I needed an NCStar optic for short-term use, I'd have no problem buying it. If I was in the market for something I only wished to purchase once and enjoy for years, then I'd move into a better quality tier.

I hope I can make it, in order to save others the personal infamy of being in last place.

I've been running the Federal bulk, and they've been shaky lately, but only misfires. Previously, I switched to them because of problems with Rem and Win bulk. No stovepipes to speak of, and it may be my MkIII, as I've had no issues with my CZ rifle. Of course, the firing pin has a lot more mass. As for the MkIII, that's pretty disappointing, as I had previously thought that the new VQ firing pin would help. Some, maybe, but not too much.

Value is a harsh mistress - some things will never be on sale.

My only experience with them involves their spotting scopes - if you're o.k. with disposable, they'll be fine. If you want to keep whatever you buy beyond 6 months to 2 years, look elsewhere.

Nope, I'm not a hunter, but learned what little I know from one, so you're still quite correct. The most hunting I've ever done is helping clear out woodchucks for a friend who keeps cattle (and those of you who know dairy farmers or ranchers know how much those little beasts are hated). I use the old hunting stance because it's more likely to come in handy off a range than the current "correct" target stance. Honestly, I shoot offhand because I spend every weekday in data analysis and statistics, and when I shoot from a bench or with a scope, that part of my mind intrudes. For me, it takes the fun out of it - I never enjoy the act of firing a shot until I find out what level of "good" it attained. I really enjoy shooting offhand with a .22 at 50 yards, with iron sights, because I can't see the bulletholes, or look for a pattern. I get to fire, feel if the shot broke well, and find out how it worked when the range goes clear. It gets me thinking about the process, instead of the result.