StPatrick

The September issue of "American Rifleman" specifically advised members that these laws (such as those passed in MT, TN, AK,etc.) were written to draw lawsuits in order to take 10th amendment issues to the Supreme Court. The NRA specifically advised members *not* to purchase arms produced under these laws, and stated that they would not defend anyone who did so. I'm no lawyer, but my layman's advice would be to let these cases wend their way through the courts over the next few years, if indeed they ever make it, before opening yourself up to federal prosecution for violating class-III laws. This is entirely a legal exercise - don't get yourself in federal trouble by believing state law can ever trump federal law, until the SC rules. Again, I am not a lawyer, but if the biggest firearm owners' rights advocate in the country says "stay out of the fight", I would stay far, far away.

Again, against my (I think) better advice, my dear sister will not be allowing a shotgun into her home. I would agree that a nice, affordable 20ga. would be exactly what the Doctor prescribes for pesky situations, but it is officially off the table. It'll be a couple weeks till we can both get to the range for her to try my guns (XDm9 and P239), but hopefully we can find out what feels good for her on Sunday at the fairgrounds here in beautiful, and suddenly somewhat cold, Nashville. Does anyone know where I can get a cheap punch set so I can change out the backstraps on the XDm? I'd like to let her fire with the smallest grips, but don't have the tools to arrange that. As stated before, I'll update as progress continues; please keep the suggestions rolling in. Stay tuned for our next installment, intrepid reader...and remember, 1985 Mike Singletary is watching you...right now.

Welcome from Franklin!

The package looks like it was drawn up with "The Spot" in mind...it's a free-fire zone on 2nd, south of Broadway in Nashville. It's a place that experiences all kinds of bad craziness on a regular basis, plenty of gang activity, but rarely inside the bar - mostly in the parking lot and on the streets outside, with much obstruction of traffic, and frightened downtown residents (residents of the Encore building showed video of some highlights to the 2nd in command under Ronny last month - they have money and vote, so action might be taken, hooray I guess). It's a damn shame that metro felt it necessary to include the HCP clause - I assure you all that nobody there is packing legally. It would be my guess that the owners of this dump wanted some way to have the police take responsibility for the safety of their patrons, instead of providing it themselves, either through security, or creating an environment where that kind of behavior wasn't on the menu. This document, this pile of hot garbage, is the result. Perhaps it helps in taking out the trash on a temporary basis, but how long until MNPD gets to enforce these rules anywhere a litigation-shy owner of any business decides to outsource his ability to accept, deny, or prosecute individuals who enter his property? This smacks of the old slippery slope, with a quick shot of short term good followed by long term unintended consequences.

Couldn't agree more - I put TFOs on front and rear of my XDm9 (shout out to Jeff Walle and GnL for the great service) and greatly prefer them to the factory 3-dots. You really notice the difference when your target is in different light conditions than your gun, esp. shooting from low light at a brighter target.

Fridays after work it's usually a ghost town. I've gone there in the past and been the only person on the range. I've never been to a public facility where I could call "hot" or "cold" before, so that was nice. Weekends can be crowded, but I've never had to wait for a lane. If you're shooting targets, and not practicing CC skills (holsters are not allowed, nor are silhouette targets, round targets only), it's a pretty good value for $5.50. I believe other TGO members have had issues there, but I haven't had any bad experiences. 99% of the shooters seem to be experienced and safety conscious (and I've seen some absolute tack-drivers shooting there as well). Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't seen any egregious violations in any of my visits. Certainly, I haven't seen loaded weapons behind the line, guns turned sideways gangsta style (it makes the bullets fly faster), etc. On the occasions where I have seen RSOs get righteous, they were nipping situations in the bud before they got completely dumba##ed and unsafe. One caveat - there are always many brand new shooters on weekends. If that has an effect on your comfort level, that could be an issue.

I'd be willing to bet you're correct in that assumption - with the mass of the gun shifted so far back, muzzle flip will probably be worse than what you would get from other "micro" sized guns. Hopefully, purchasers of this piece already know the compromises that come with the small size. The real question, in my mind, is whether the extra muzzle velocity and first shot accuracy from the longer barrel balances that out through some kind of improved performance. It will be interesting to see if any of these get made, just to find out. The gun strikes me as something that would perform better at the range under controlled firing than its competitors, but may not offer any tangible benefits in a real-world self-defense situation.

And to all you fine members who suggested 1911...there are two problems with that: 1) I don't need to be super-jealous of my kid sister's piece, and 2) I don't need to be super-jealous of my kid sister's piece. At least let me save some scratch and get one for myself first! In all honesty, if she likes a single stack 1911, we'll find one for her, and I will complement her exquisite taste in firearms. Personally, I want her to get a shotgun, but that is a definite no-go, so we gon' buy her a pistol! I will keep this post updated with our progress at the show and range.

Thanks for all your suggestions, and keep them streaming in. The plan right now is to take her to the show next Sunday so she can pick up anything that catches her eye...I just need to make sure I don't bring my own checkbook. I'm pretty sure we all know how that story end$.

I love the fact that there are so many fellow Franklinites on here. Williamson County is looking more and more like prime zombie-slaying country. I have to admit, I dig the idea of quietly heavily-armed suburbanites. Welcome to TGO!

I shoot at Stones River frequently - it's great to see a staff member here on TGO.

Very sharp. I'm glad I was able to contribute to the Kimber fund!

caliber consolidation - hubby is in the sandbox, keeps the aforementioned P226 in the nightstand. Sis does not like it at all, so we need to find her a weapon that fits.

I have a p239 but we haven't made it to the range yet. Mine has Hogue wraparounds, so it won't be perfect, but she will get to shoot one soon.

My sis is looking for a nightstand pistol. She's not had much experience shooting, so the platform should be intuitive, easy to operate, and easy to maintain. Compact and SC not needed - this piece will not be carried. Managed recoil from a full size frame is a plus, as is capacity (single stack may help with her main concern, though). Grip size is her primary issue - she has held a P226, and that's much too large. I am going to swap out backstraps on my XDm and see if the little one works, but not sure due to the double stack. 9mm is preferred, as are semi-autos vs. wheels, but any suggestions will be helpful, especially from men and women with experience in this type of search. Thanks for helping me out; I'm proud my little sister has decided to choose not to be a victim!

Nice gear! I have a 79 hardtail strat, a 93 SG ltd. edition (made of leftover Korina from the original batch of Flying V guitars), and a 94 Martin D-1, made nice and loud by a Boogie DC-5. Unfortunately, I live in a townhome, so window-rattling is kept to a minimum. Very jealous of the Black Beauty - those are incredible.

Thanks for the compliment. My other hobbies include golf and guitars. Those have both taught me not to buy anything that you'll be able to outperform, or you'll end up trading up quickly. I chose my guns based on 2 factors: How do they feel in my hand, and quality - reputation, reliability, reviews from "regular" people on the boards, etc. I'll probably end up with more, but it will be my decision as an enthusiast - I doubt that either one will ever force me to choose another because it can't do the job. There's definitely a 1911 in my future, but I intend to "earn" it through range time and practice.

1. I have a Springfield XDm in 9mm, and just acquired a Sig P239, also in 9mm. 2. My trigger control can certainly be improved. At the moment, I'd say that my most pressing need relative to that is getting my index finger to act independently of the rest of my right hand. 3. I do dry fire often, because it's really entertaining. Unfortunately, the control I see in my living room isn't making it to the range. Thanks for all the replies, and keep them coming!

I'm a recent first (and now second!) handgun owner. From the very start, I could hit a paper plate at 10 yds., and got a little better with practice. I've reached a point where I'm not getting better, and I'm not satisfied with where I'm at. I'm hitting the dartboard, but if this were a game of Cricket, I'd be buying a lot of beers for my opponents. Is there anybody out there who is willing to take the time to help me get started at "Owl Hollow" (don't know what they call it these days), and maybe tell me what I can improve in my shooting? I'd like to get away from the state-run range in Antioch, and I'd REALLY like to fix my bad habits. If I keep practicing the way I have been, I'll only be ingraining them further. Thanks!

Nope, just a regular moron. I think he only becomes an oxymoron if he rusts or discolors natural fibers.

*taken* Fobus paddle holster for Sig P239 up for grabs! PM if you want it. ...Now I just need someone to PIF an IWB holster for the P239. Wishful thinking? You never know...I don't believe in karma, but I've found that gun enthusiasts are a pretty fine group of people overall, and I do believe in luck. Either way, somebody gets a new holster. This whole PIF idea is great, and I hope it continues. "One man's trash is another man's treasure", etc. I work in downtown Nashville and live in Franklin if the lucky winner prefers FTF, but I'd be happy to ship it as well.

I'm currently pissed at my XDm. It wakes me up on Saturdays stridently demanding to be fed, and it always wants at least 200 rounds. Hopefully I can find a nice sig with the same personality disorder.

And to reinforce what troy917 said, wd-40 is not a lubricant. It only pushes water out of the way and then keeps it gone. You would need a water displacement agent for two-stage ultrasonic cleaning, but that's really the only time. A light coat of oil / grease on metal parts will do the same and more.

Ultrasonic is a great way to clean fine machinery, logicprevails. Before you buy the equipment, I would get as much info as possible from the mfgr on the solvent composition. Powder and copper / lead solvents are corrosive, and are likely to be solvated in a mix of water and alcohols, also corrosive. This would suggest that the lube had better be a strong water displacer (wd-40 or similar) blended with synthetic lube of some kind. I'm not trying to scare anyone off, but I AM a chemist, and I want to make sure nobody ends up buying a scaled up jewelry cleaner...rings not going "bang" and all.

I currently keep a full mag next to the gun, with slide open. Since my springs are in no danger, I'll continue to do so. Thanks for dispelling some of the rumors for me.