JReedEsq

If you don't mind. Post it up here or PM me when you get a response. I'm also wondering if I can't have someone come in and add reinforcements to an existing room in our house. Our "under the stairs" pantry already is stocked with food. Everything I know about construction I learned in the one summer I worked for a guy in Murfreesboro who flipped houses. There was one college student and we took a lot of crap because we were told we weren't worth teaching anything because they knew we wouldn't be doing that job long-term. Anyway I know just a little about wall construction and it seems like the cheapest option would be to rip out the drywall and add in some sort of steel reinforcements and then put drywall back over it. The issue I see would be the ceiling. I'm not sure how you could pour concrete or add heavy steel to the ceiling. Again, if I was confident in my knowlege I wouldn't pose the question, but it seems to me that this could be done for a fraction of the $4-6k of these other alternatives.

I realize now I should have posted this on the "Survival & Preparedness" board. My apologies.

Some of the models we've looked at have an option to somehow send out GPS locating info. I'm sure that's an additional option somehow. As for giving it some thought... I've been concerned about this for almost a year now. My wife's younger sister was at the U of A last year when they got hit HARD. She knew people who were initially declared missing. The building next to hers was demolished. There were reports of assaults etc... Much of the initial reports turned out to be exagerated. Anyway, I don't want to devalue my house. I'm sure somepeople would look at a $6,000 shelter just an extra closet. I've told my wife that I'm sure it's like a pool. You could spend tons of money on it to ad just a little value to your house. The "in the garage floor" model looks most appealing to me but I've got to be sure it wouldn't somehow destabilize the house. Otherwise, I'm leaning toward checking into a windowless storage room behind my garage. And having that built with steel-reinforced walls.

OK, Here goes. I've been trying to convince my wife that worrrying too much about tornadoes in East Tennessee might be a little paranoid but I'm losing the arguement. Knowing how cautious the folks on TGO are you guys will probably all take her side. Our house is on a slab. No basement. We had it built in 2007 and at the time were convinced a slab was the say to go to avoid mold issues. I'm sure you construction minded folks are aware that water can get into basements and crawl spaces where the HVAC system might be which then circulates mold spores all over the house to make people sick. Anyway our house is on a slab and I don't want to move anytime soon. We are in the school zone we want, in a nice part of town, and I would prefer 5 garages to two, but I can live with two for now. Do you think it's paranoid to get a storm shelter in TN? Is a windowless, ground floor room good enough? I've found a few sites online where people either have pre-built steel rooms bolted to the slab in their garages, or you can have the slab cut so that a hinged rollback door opens to stairs to a room large enough for 4-6 people. According to the info I've found these things cost about $4,000-$5,000. Another option would be to have a room added to the back of our house and have it built with steel reinforced walls and no windows. Finally, I've been told there are folks who can add reinforcements to a room of our choice which would have to be either our pantry (underneath the steps to upstairs and large enough to fit 4 of us and the dog, but it would be a little tight) or our downstairs bathroom. The rest of the downstairs rooms have windows. I'd appreciate information from anyone on TGO with construction experience. I'm certain there are contractors or engineers on TGO. First, would cutting into the slab possibly destabilize the house? The set Second, does anyone know of a contractor in East Tennessee with experience with projects like this? For something this specific, I'd like to know they would be closing supervising the work and not just sub-contracting it out. Here's one option: http://tswstormshelters.com/customerphotos.html BTW, anything that takes up room in the garage is not an option. I've got 8 bicycles, hiking/backpacking/camping equipment, lawn care stuff, 1 mid-size car, and 1 mid-size SUV in there already. It's jam packed.

Remmington 870 or the CZ. Keep an eye out for a deal on either and let frugality be your guide.

I think with ORSA nearby Knoxville may be better for shooting sports while Asheville is better for mountain biking. Knoxville has an active cycling community with good trails but Asheville has some of the best mountain biking in North America. I'm much more of a cyclist than a shooter. I raced competitively for ten years and I've mountain biked as far away as Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State. The Pisgah National Forest has some of the best trails period. And there's also Dupont and Tsali. Tsali is great for novices or to take roadies who don't mountain bike much since the trails are smooth and non-technical. The campground is nice and that's where I plan to introduce my kids to mountain biking when they're a little older. That said, I think East Tennessee has more to offer for the shooting sports. After 3 years or so, I still consider myself a new shooter but I think there are some folks who come from pretty far away to shoot at ORSA in Oak Ridge. I've shot one comp there and it was really fun. It's a great facility and the people were very friendly. I think the people are generally nicer in East Tennessee than anywhere but Asheville is probably one of the prettiest places around. I really like that the Western NC side of the Smokies is it's less developed without all the Pigeon Forge junk (and it's accessible to mountain bikes which aren't allowed on the trails in the National Park). There's my random thoughts, I've lived most of my life in Knox County and spent a lot of time in Western NC. I think you really you can't go wrong either way. Check into knoxvelo.org; knoxvillecycling.com; smwbike.org for info on cycling in Knoxville. Definitely check into orsaonline.org for info on ORSA. I live in West Knox County near Pellisippi Parkway and it's a quick trip for me. Also Haw Ridge park is great for mountain biking and it's also just a 15 minuite trip down the Pellisippi Speedway. Also, I've never shot there but Norris watershed has both an outdoor shooting range and mountain bike trails. The best thing about Norris is that it is very sandy so it drains well and doesn't get muddy in the winter. Someday I'd like to shoot and mountain bike in the same day up there. Hope this info is helpful.

If it moves to the 17th I might be able to come.

If you're comparing a Glock to a 1911 you might as well consider a full-size. They are no thicker than the compacts and more comparable to the 1911 in weight which helps with recoil. Yeah, I've got a Glock 22 on me right now. 16 rounds of .40 S&W goodness.

I think it all depends on your definition of SHTF. I'm not much of a tinfoil hat guy so my thoughts of this scenario rovolve around short-term looting or civil unrest caused by a natural distaster etc... or just an ammo run caused by political paranoia. The biggest advantage I see to military calibers is cost and availibility. For example right now several online venders have Federal HST .40 JHP in 50 round boxes for $20 a box. Walmart has had this same deal in the past. Suppossedly it's overruns from Federal Agency contracts. I don't know the source for sure but it's good ammo at a great price and you just don't find these kind of deals on something like .357 Magnum which is a great caliber but no longer a top LE choice.

Jonnin, I'm not doubting your experience that your Glock won't cycle light loads, but that has definitely not been my experience. I've owned the Glock 9mm in every size and each one of them has worked with every ammo I've tried. That includes NATO, +p, and the weakest Remmington UMC. I've used 115 grain up to 147 grain and a variety of hollow points. I also own a Glock 22 (.40) and the only issues I've had with it are when I used a tactical light combined with an older magazine. This is a publicized issue with a known solution which is to only use the newer magazines if you put a tactical light on a .40. As for recoil, I don't find any of the 9mm models to be harsh. The 26 is "jumpy", I'd say just because the short barrel gives it more muzzle rise than the Glock 19 or 17, but nothing unpleasant. For someone who's recoil shy, I'd definitely stick with 9mm in any small carry gun.

The only revolver in a semi-auto cartridge I'd be interested in would be a Ruger LCR in 9mm.

The only revolver in a semi-auto cartridge I'd be interested in would be a Ruger LCR in 9mm.

That's a very generous offer but I'll save the rounds for another time when I can come out and gain some TGO Wisdom.

I was pumped about this. Told my wife about it when it was first posted and had a green light. Most of the time I shoot it's just me shooting alone indoors when I've been able to break away from my office for a while. I was really looking forward to shooting outside and putting some rounds through my AR. Unfortunately, It falls on a day that my Dad really wants me to join him in taking my son to the Circus. I've been following this forum for a few years now and between other commitments I can't seem to make it to the shoots. My son is only 3-years-old once though, so I'm going to the Circus. NEXT TIME TGO, NEXT TIME.

I considered the exact same question a while back and couldn't find any real negatives to the PA Optic. I had decided I didn't need an Aimpoint right before I traded away a pistol I didn't need for an Aimpoint Micro. Did I need it? Probably not. I'll likely grab a shotgun or a pistol in an emergency situation so my AR is really just a toy that I only shoot a few times a year. Am I glad I have the Aimpoint? Yeah, it's neat, it's not for sale and it gives me the warm fuzzies knowing I have it. If I didn't have it though, I'd probably just buy the Primary Arms optic. I read every review I could find on them and they seem to be a great bang for the buck.

That's funny. I have a Supertuck and a Galco Summer Comfort horsehide and actually think that the ST seems thinner to me. The Galco is easier to take on and off and has a smaller "footprint" but it seems thicker. They are both good holsters but I seem to wear my Crossbreed more when I'm wearing casual wear and concealing under an untucked shirt. It feels more concealable and seems to hold the gun really close to me. I've got the Galco on today with a Glock 22. It is easier to take on and off and easier to slide forward and backward for comfort when I'm driving around or sitting at my desk. Anyway I agree that the leather may be a bit more comfortable, I don't find it to be thinner and it's less comfortable for me in pants that are tighter. I guess my point is that "thinner" may be different for different people and comfort is definitely subjective. For me the main advantage of the Crossbreed is that it is the absolute most concealable setup for me. For that reason alone, I wouldn't consider getting rid of mine. Since I'm self-employed (therefore less concerned about printing than some) and wear sport coats in my office, I don't wear my CB as much as I used to....

to reduce recoil I'd say shoot it a lot if you have access to cheap bulk .357 Sig. The more you shoot it the easier the recoil will be. Otherwise get a Glock 26 and carry +p ammo. I love the baby Glocks as a summer carry gun. I sold my OD Green 26 and I'm waiting for a 4th Gen 27 to be shipped to my FFL.

Great price.

Any of them in 9 or .40.

One thing to consider besides a gun feeling good in your hands is if you want a consistent trigger pull or a double action to single action transition. I like a consistent pull, but opinions differ on this. I like Glocks but if you don't like the feel of them you should definitely get something else. I like Sig Sauer best among the DA/SA guns I've fired but I prefer a consistent trigger pull for simplicity. If you like DA/SA look at Sig Sauer and CZ in addition to that Storm. If you want a consistent pull look at Smith and Wesson M&P, Walther PPQ, the new FN Herstal FNS. There are too many guns out there to buy something you don't like. That said, I like Glocks because parts are cheap and youtube can help you modify on or completely take one apart very easily. I love the simplicity. If I didn't like the Glock feel I'd check into Smith & Wesson M&P. *One thing I'll add is that among the 4 Glocks I've owned, I've never found any ammo that would make them choke. This includes steel cased and some funky JHP stuff I found cheap.

I plan to do some pistol shooting and bring my AR-15 which I've only fired a few times. Is anyone experienced willing to help me out in checking my zero?

I was very excited about Academy opening since it's very convienently located for me. My biggest griped is the trigger locks on all the guns. It's hard for me to get an idea of the "feel" of a gun without knowing where my finger falls on the trigger. I don't plan to buy any guns there, but they seem to be a pretty good option for ammo.

I don't understand what's wrong with pointing it at the floor? Any gun I handle in a store I point at the floor. Even dry-firing at home I point downward. I guess I'm a stickler for that whole "safe direction" thing.

+1; how exciting is it to see a guy with a propane stove and a bunch of canned foods in his basement? My thoughts are how paranoid "prepping" is is directly correlated to what you're prepping for. I'd like to be more prepared for power outages, weather-related natural natural disasters... Even short-term civil unrest like Katrina or the L.A. riots makes sense. You know buying food you'll eventually eat anyway. Storing water you can eventually use when you go camping... That sort of thing makes perfect sense to me. MREs? No thanks...Storing thousands and thousands of rounds of ammo? That only makes sense to me if you shoot often and are preparing for ammo prices to go up.

I would think a western style lever gun would make a light-weight, easy-handling home defense gun. With a traditional wooden stock, it would be super "jury friendly". All that plastic just ruins the look of the gun.