McAllyn

The locking block is historically the weak link in the chain. Haven't actually seen one go bad, or even know of anyone who's first hand had one go bad, but I used to spend quite a bit of time on the Beretta forums and found that it was indeed possible to crack one or wear one out. Other than that, get some Wolff springs and go all Riggs-and-McClaine! Fantastic weapons. Mac

I can't speak to the CW45, but the CW9 I had was a very reliable, accurate, light-weight, slim carry weapon. I'd probably still be carrying it now if I hadn't switched over to a Glock 26 for other reasons. Bottomline, I can't, and wouldn't, talk you out of it. Kahr makes really nice weapons, and it's very surprising how underrated they really are. Mac

All the people I know that reload will not, myself included, sell their reloaded ammo specifically because the legalities involved as well as the liabilities. Winchester, Federal, et. al., have MASSIVE liability insurance policies and entire legal teams available for the possibility of damage to persons and property. As close as I ever get is letting a buddy I'm at the range with shoot one of my weapons with my ammo in it. We discuss ahead of time that while the weapons and ammo are mine, the liability is on them when they pull the trigger. If they have a problem with that, they can bring their own weapons and ammo. It's not an "A-Hole" stance, it's a "CYA" stance. Mac

The Mountain and The Hound play fairly major roles in the rest of the books, but in the second person. (People talking about them and their exploits mostly.) I've read all the books. Huge fan of the series. First season stuck nearly word for word with the book. Second series is starting out lacking a bit of that... you're never told who Shireen or Melisandre are... they just pick up several pages in. Tyrion is awesome, especially with the guy playing him. If you can stomach it, watch "In Bruges." He plays a midget actor on-set for a film they are making. He's hilarious. In the world of fandom, Arya seems to be the go-to hero of the entire saga. For what it's worth... I HATE that they are calling it "Game of Thrones, Season One and Two" It's Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones was book one, A Clash of Kings is book two. But, that's just the OCD literary geek in me showing through. The phrase "game of thrones" is only used 4 times in the entire series, by my recollection, but I guess it made a good catchy title. If they had picked a title by phrase usage, they would have used the word used to describe the male member that also happens to be a male chicken. The books are NOT SHY about sexuality. They seem to have actually toned it down for HBO! Personally, I say if you have access to it, give it a shot. It's not for everyone, but I've enjoyed it greatly. Mac

I consider myself lucky when thinking about that part of my history. Got to meet some really great people, celebrity or otherwise, and got to go to some VERY cool places. Alas, after leaving that part of my life behind, things have somewhat gone the other way, so to speak. As far as meeting the guys from the shooting community, just go to a major match. They are having the Pro-Am again at Rockcastle this summer. Everyone will be there, Taran, Jerry, Mike, Iain, the Benny's, etc. MOST are awesome people that will chat with anyone at any time. SOME are very intense and don't want to be interrupted during a match. That's understandable since that is how they make their money. Heck, take a gun and shoot a side match. For $5 per person, you can get in a team to cut posts against Jerry and the gang! Mac

The story of that flight could go on for about an hour, he was hilarious. He was dogging all the "wanna-bees" in first class and basically acting like his character from Stripes.The autograph he gave me says, "Bill, ditch these babes, RUN FOR IT! - Bill Murray" Mac

Don't know if it counts, but at the 3Gun Pro-AM last year I met and spent some time with Iain Harrison, Jerry Miculek, and Chris Serino. Not sure if they are "TV stars" but they are bigger celebrities in my world than anyone on TV. Mac

Jennifer Gray, Billy Idol, John Laroquette, Jack Klugman, Bill Murray(probably the coolest guy I've EVER met), Steve Martin(probably the biggest A-HOLE I've EVER met), Tom Cruise, James Earl Jones, and a few others that apparently didn't mean that much to me since I've forgetten them. In the early 90's, I worked for American Airlines based out of NYC. I typically flew the "Trans-con" which was the non-stop JFK-LAX flight. Since it was the fastest connection between New York and LA, nearly all flights were riddled with celebrities. My mom was a huge Bill Murray fan, so I asked him if he'd be willing to talk to her. He asked if she was on the flight? and I said "No, but I could get the AirPhone and call her. He said sure, so I got it, and called her. She swore up and down that I was messing with her, but when she finally realized it was really him, she almost freaked out. He talked to her for 45 minutes, which was a little disappointing since the AirPhone was roughly $2.50 per minute. Mac

Rainier has a really nice 18" SPR barrel in stock. http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=2902 Paul and John are great guys to deal with, and I've been very happy with all the Rainier parts I've used thus far. Mac

Not MY personal favourites, but it seems like the pocket guns are really selling now, i.e. LCR/LCP, Smith Bodyguard/J frames, Sig 238, Kahr PM/CM. Seems like a stock of those will get you moving product pretty quickly. You'll have to have the plastics, Glock/M&P/XD, and 1911's would never hurt your business. From my personal perspective, you'll do great if you 1) Charge reasonable prices for transfers, 2) Handle special orders well, 3) Don't stand behind the counter like Tactical Ted regurgitating every internet rumour/myth that comes along, 4) Pay just as much attention to the first time shoppers as you do the TACOPS/SupaNinjas that will no doubt stop in. Bottom line, it's already been proven that taking care of ALL of your customers will ALWAYS supercede the selection you have on hand. I pride myself on giving a chance to every gun shop in the MidTN area. Let us know when you open the doors, and I'll be sure to stop by. Best of luck, Mac

With $1000 as your price point max, you can look at every mainstream manufacturer. I've had Springfields, Colts, and Kimbers all below $1000, and each one has been reliable and effective. Personally, if I were in the market for another 1911 with $1000 being my max, I'd buy another STI Trojan, but that's just my choice. Oh, and there is always going to be the arguement, "Buy an RIA and a brick of ammo." Not bad advice there, either. Mac

I'm waiting for someone to say, "I named it Doris, after my wife. It's a life-sucking bitch from which there is no escape." Mac

My 2011 is Bob, it's matching STI 1911 is Judy. They are named for my parents. The 2011 is fat and special, but drop dead reliable. Just like my dad was. The 1911 is thin, shiney, and more than a little picky about what you feed it, just like my mom was. Other than that, all my weapons are referred to as, "that one," or "the rifle," etc. Mac

Reloading supplies... Reloader's Bench in Mt Juliet, Lebanon Gun Shop has a pretty good selection, also. Recommended Gun Shops... Guns and Leather in Greenbriar, D&T Arms across from Rivergate, Hero Gear in Winchester, Hoselton Ventures in Tullahoma. Shops with the most to look at... Guns and Leather in Greenbriar, Franklin Gun Shop in ... Franklin. I would guess that Franklin Gun Shop probably has the most weapons in stock, but the decision to purchase there varies by individual. There are supposed to be some fairly decent shops in the Chattanooga area, but I haven't been to any of them. Mac

How is it I'm the first to say, "Welcome to Tennessee, patron state of shooting stuff." Mac

I tend to think the "immediate vicinity" reference means that if both weapon and ammunition are in close enough proximity to each other (both being within reach), you could get in trouble. Best bet, get a permit. Problem solved. Mac

Off topic, but if you paid a price you're comfortable with for an item you enjoy, screw anyone who thinks you got ripped off.Back on topic, S&W M&P15 mid MOE lists for $1259 in almost the exact same configuration except it's mid length and comes with a VFG. Barrel is a 1:8 5R. I'd go for the Smith, but that's just me, everyone gets to pick how and where to spend their money. This is how we (as a society) operates. We pay $200-300 extra for a purple tool box with flames on it that says West Coast Choppers, we pay $10-20 extra for cheap sunglasses that say OCC, and we pay $20-30 for a license plate for the front of our vehicle with our favourite sports team's logo. It is what it is. We work to make money. We make money to spend money. It's your money, do with it what you will and give it to whom you please. Mac

More power to them. That's why they are in business, to sell things. However, I wouldn't buy one. Nothing to do with them, just that I can find as good or better, cheaper. I'm not even going to mention building, because that's not a true comparison. Mac

I would never intentionally pick up someone's brass without asking. Even after asking, I certainly would not do it while they are still shooting. I wouldn't want someone peeking their head into my lane everytime I fired a round or hawking and crawling around behind me while I'm on the line. Personally, I would have said something to the guy. I would have been polite, but by his actions, regardless of age, he wouldn't have deserved it. Mac

Not having personally held or fired one of their weapons, I can't speak from experience, but for 1200, you could buy a very nice weapon from an established manufacturer locally and have thousands of rounds through it before you even got an order confirmation from them. Bottom line, they are not Daniel Defense, LaRue, Noveske, Barrett, or BCM, although they hope to be eventually. What you're buying from them is the more or less the exact same thing you're getting from Colt, Olympic, DPMS, Bushmaster, or S&W, all of which are on a shelf at your LGS. Spend your money where you will, but don't fall for the TV show hype. Mac

17 Mac

This ^I reload instead of watching TV, surfing the web, or some other time-wasting task, therefore, I actually "make" money by reloading, not lose it. I rarely hear of anyone who would put a time value on their hobby. None of the model railroaders, RC racers, stamp and coin collectors, etc. that I know don't figure the cost of their time spent, because they are doing something that makes them happy. Many reloaders do not look at the task as a way to save money, but actually a way to shoot more quantity, shoot more quality, and exercise their minds. The real question about reloading savings is the arguement that says that because you make your ammo cheaper, you shoot more frequently, which eats up whatever savings you may have attained. That can only be answered by the individual. Mac

Decent cleaning and maintenance should keep it from happening, I should think. I bought a used 1911 with laser grips. When you depressed the button, the pattern looked like one of those "square bar code patterns" you scan with your cell phone. Took a couple of hours of cleaning with a toothpick, Q-tip, Windex, Hoppes, and basically anything I could find. Come to find out, whoever owned it in the past somehow got gun oil on the lens, and it took FOREVER to get it off instead of just smudging it from one spot to the other. I can only assume the lens on the guide rod would be similar to the lens on the CT grips. A little care goes a long way. Mac

I've looked at every vendor on the web I can find, and everyone seems to be out of the barrel I'm looking for. Or, possibly, it doesn't exist... I want a 14.5" midlength lightweight barrel in 1:9 twist (1:8 at the most). Chrome lined, preferably hammer forged, extended feed ramps. Rainier has one listed at 1:8, and they have been out of stock for months, and no ETA on a new batch. BCM has everything I'm looking for except it's 1:7. Everyone else I know of: Sabre, Del-Ton, White Oak, CMMG, YHM, and a couple places that didn't mention the manufacturer are all out or simply don't offer this. Does anyone know where one of these might exist, or would it be easier (yet more expensive) to have a 16" cut down? Thanks, Mac

Cool, I stand corrected. Admittedly, I've never shot 9MM rounds out of any barrel longer than 5", so the topic of velocities has never come up for me. Mac