jgradyc

A 70 year old high school coach shoots two armed men when attacked while walking to HS girls to the parking lot.  Waiting for this story on the national media...      [crickets...]   http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/man-shot-near-martin-luther-king-jr-high-school-in-detroit  

I plan to watch tonight, but I always tape the games so I can start watching an hour later and fast-forward through the commercials. Tonight, I might watch some commercials, but I'll definitely skip the halftime show.

I've only shot skeet once, but I never shot that low. The barrel is pointed barely in the air.  For those of you who shoot skeet, would you ever shoot that low?

Believe it or not, there is a whole world of LED flashlight geeks out there who are finding ways to do this with incredibly bright flashlights and 18650 rechargeable batteries about the size of 2 CR123 batteries end to end.   Check out the threads on gun mounts over at www.budgetlightforum.com. They discuss flashlights and mounts. You really shouldn't have to pay more than $60 for a good light. I have 5 LED flashlights that I've ordered directly from China from some of their sponsors and the quality is surprisingly good. It's more addictive that owning guns!  The most expensive flashlight I own is $30. My best light cost about $14 and is about as bright as a single car low beam headlight. It can light up a barn wall 500 feet away!   You'll need to make sure that you can get a pressure switch for whatever flashlight you buy. Deal Extreme sells flashlight mounts for about $7. Manafont sells a LED flashlight, mount, pressure switch combo for $20.80 shipped. http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/ultrafire-uf761-q5-250lumen-led-flashlight-with-pressure-swith-and-firearm-mount-1123a-p-5389   Shipping typically takes 2-3 weeks from China. Personally, I'd post my choice on Budget Light Forum and ask for comments before buying it.

Two large trees are down in the woods behind our house. One was already dead. No damage to anything except other trees. We're about 8 miles WNW of downtown Nashville in the Scottsboro area.

Great thread.  I don't get the concern about racking the slide. First, as peejman said, it's mostly technique. Second, why would she need to rack the slide? You can do it for her. It's for home defense only. And as most people here said, if she can't stop it with 10-16 rounds, reloading isn't the solution. If it's a hand-size issue, the Glock grip is a real problem for some people because it is big and it cants the wrist down more than other handguns. The Gen 4's aren't as bad though. I have small hands and I like the Taurus 709 best of all my handguns. Moderately light, but not super light. It has a big almost 1911-sized manual safety that you can easily tell if it is on/off. I don't like tiny manual safeties. It also has a narrow, small grip. I added a section of bicycle tube to the grip for a bit of recoil reduction and because I prefer the feel to the stock grip. The downside is that it is only 7+1 rounds. They are relatively inexpensive... $299 at CDNN and I've heard that they're only $319 in some LGS.   Oh, one other point. Why just get one gun? If a bad guy gets between her and the gun's location, it's not going to help. If she goes to the door without the gun, it won't help. I keep a loaded gun in every room that I spend any time in and one near each doorway so I can pick it up on the way to the door. Of course, we don't have kids.

What I meant by this is that I want TV service in two rooms in my house. Right now, Directv charges me $10 just to have a receiver in the second room. It seems to me that once I get the line into the house, I should somehow be able to send it to as many rooms as I like... somehow.   I only want it in a second room, however.

The second highest package is $74.99/month!!! How long does this last until they jack up the prices? How can I get this? Do I just say, "Give me Choice Ultimate, HD, and a whole home DVR with two locations. I'll pay $70 or I'm taking my business elsewhere?"  I don't know how this game works.

  I'm the OP. Thanks for all the suggestions.  I'd not even considered Apple TV. Everything Apple seems more flash than substance to me, but I'll give it a look.  I had NFL pass this year, but I'm willing to give it up. I don't mind paying for Hulu Plus or Netflix. I'll try them both and pick one. It's only $10/mo or so.   Oh, another question. Is there any way I can get service in a second room without having to pay a monthly fee? Right now, I think I'm paying $10/mo for our second room with Directv.   EDITED:  I just got off the phone with Directv because I could not find an itemized bill online. Here is an itemized list of my bill. Choice $61, HD $10, HD Extra Pack $4.99, DVR $8, 2nd Receiver $6, Premium Channels $45, NFL Sunday Ticket unknown (~$57?) = $145. I cancelled the HD Extra Pack ($4.99) and the Premium Channels. They offered me a reduced price, but I said I wasn't interested. The NFL Sun Ticket is an installment payment, so I'm not sure how much longer it will run, but regardless, I won't renew it even if I stay with Directv. I think my new bill after NFL is off will be 61+10+8+6=$85 plus taxes... so maybe $95-$100/mo.  That's still too high in my opinion, so I'm still looking.

Thanks for the information. I passed along the PM to my wife and she'll probably call tomorrow once she organizes her thoughts on what we want. Thanks for the info on the Blu-Ray. I'll check it out.

We've decided it's time to upgrade our TV package and I'm confused by all the options. It's hard to get precise information from Comcast/Directv/Dish, which are our three local providers in Nashville. I've had all three of these providers in the past and I don't really like doing business with any of them. I need advice. Right now, we have Directv package with a Directv recorder and a 43" 720p television, I'm going to get a non-3D 55" LED 1080p TV, but I need advice on the rest of the package. Cost is an issue because I'm paying $145/mo with Directv right now. Here is my criteria. We will not get a premium movie package from the provider. Instead, I want to be able to stream Hulu PLus/Netflex to TV without connecting my laptop. If I can find a deal, I'll get a smart TV, but if not, I'll get a Roku 2 XD. Is this a good way to watch Hulu/Netflix without having to use my laptop? Is there a better way? We won't watch DVDs or Blu-ray Discs so that's not a criteria. We want TVs in two different rooms, but only one location needs to be able to record shows and pause live TV. The DVR has to be REALLY simple for my wife to use. She can handle the Directv DVR, so we thinking of getting Comcast's DVR. Is there a better option? I've looked into OTA antennas, but we live in the hills NW of Nashville. There's a hill directly between our house and two of the local tv towers. I don't think OTA would work. I'm leaning towards Comcast's Triple Play basic bundle of telephone/internet/tv for $99. Plus, a second location and their DVR. Help me out here. Am I missing something important?  

Scary to think that Biden is a heartbeat away from the Presidency. This guy is a real Bozo.

Can anyone provide a source for this information?

After the state sat on my renewal for two months 4 years ago, I'm renewing earlier this time. My HCP expires in April.  I'd like to make sure I'm reading the instructions correctly for renewal. All I have to do is...   Fill out the multi-part form. Sign it, enter SSAN, and date it at the bottom. Send the form and a check for $50 payable to Dept of Safety. Mail to this address I found online: Tennessee Department of Safety Handgun Permit Office 1150 Foster Ave. Nashville, Tn 37243-1000 I hate to waste time waiting at the DMV to do this in person, but considering that that they mailed the requested application with no instructions or "mail to" address for the application concerns me. Has anyone renewed by mail recently?  Can I trust the state to get this right?

Here is the official Connecticut police report. A Bushmaster .223, Glock 40 cal, and Sig Sauer 9mm were found inside the school. A 12 ga shotgun was found in the car.   http://www.ct.gov/despp/cwp/view.asp?Q=517284&A=4226

Is this factual? Can anyone find another source that confirms that a rifle wasn't used at all?

So... two actually had them or know someone who did. Both said it worked as advertised.  That sounds pretty good so far.   My concern with this mod is threefold... 1) The thumb safety looks small. I'd prefer something about the size of the thumb safety on a Taurus 709. Maybe it would be okay after I actually had a chance to use it. 2) I like a manual safety to have a definite lock on/off and very easy to tell by feel if it is on or off. Perhaps this safety meets that test, but I'd want to test it before I paid to put it on my firearm, which brings me to my third concern. 3) Cost is $90 + shipping, tax, and installation... so figure about $200. Not only is that a lot to pay without knowing for sure that you will like the feel/function of it, but it doesn't increase the value of the firearm. Most Glock owners are fanatical about their "trigger finger is your safety" religion, so it might even make it harder to sell later.   I think if Glock made a 9mm model with a 3 lb trigger and a manual thumb safety, they could sell them faster than they could produce them. Interestingly, you can buy the 3.5 lb trigger for $15... too bad the safety is so pricey.

Your shotgun choice seems fine. The Kel Tec PMR 30 is a toy. By that, I mean everyone reports that they are fun to shoot, but not reliable or enough firepower for EDC. They're also way expensive. All the guns mentioned here would be better choices.  This is not a knock on Kel Tec. I've owned 5 Kel Tecs and liked them all, but it just doesn't seem to fit your needs. A KelTec P11 with the aftermarket aluminum trigger would be another inexpensive gun, but I'm guessing that the size would be a problem for you since everything listed here are full size guns. They also have problems with jams due to what's called limp wristing... a common problem with the very small semi autos.   If you get a Hi Point, make sure the trigger pull is okay.  The knock on the Mosy Nagant is that they aren't accurate. Adding a scope is not a simple process and would cost more than the rifle. Everyone should have a 22 rifle.

I didn't find out about the rally at Legislative Plaza until after it was over, so I went online to the Tennessean today to read about it. The first thing that caught my eye was the carry method of the guy in the photo. I was shocked to see that anyone would carry this way.   Apparently, he's a war vet and a nice guy, but would you carry a Glock IWB like this without a holster? http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130119/NEWS01/301190088/500-gun-supporters-protest-in-Nashville-decry-restrictions   I would never carry that way.  There's nothing to hold the weapon in place. It could fall out when bending over. Especially if carried this high. There's no cover over the trigger to keep it from snagging on clothing as it is put into place. This is especially dangerous with a light trigger, like a Glock.  There's nothing to hold the weapon at a proper cant. Your thoughts?

With all the ranting about gun control, arming teachers, etc, here is a partial solution to deaths from school shootings. Reinforce classroom doors and make them lockable from inside.   The Sandy Hook shooter killed 15 kids in one classroom and 5 more in another and at least 2 adults in those two classrooms. That's 22 of the 26 people he killed just by walking those two classrooms and opening fire. He didn't have to run through the school and find targets. He simply had to open a door and the kids were all still in their rooms.   He tried to get into other classrooms, but in one case, the teacher had barricading the door with a filing cabinet and he couldn't get in. If the locks were covered with a steel plate and placed at random locations on the door, it would be hard to shoot the lock off.   Reinforcing the door frames and hinges and then adding a heavy duty sliding clasp lock high and low on the door would effectively prevent entry into classrooms. It wouldn't prevent shootings, of course , but it's a simple, effective, and inexpensive fix over the status quo.  The deterrent value of recognizing that they couldn't inflict high casualties might cause these crazies to no longer consider schools as target rich environments.   Maybe we should suggest this to our legislators?  Let's discuss it here. Any loopholes in this approach? Obviously, shooters could still get in, but if teachers immediately locked their doors, casualties could be kept to a minimum or possibly avoided entirely.

This...

^^ I have the same guns and agree with the exact comments of chances R. I find myself carrying the 709 in winter on the hip and the Kahr in a pocket holster in the summer.  The 709 is a bit too big for me (5'5", 135) to pocket carry. Otherwise, I'd go with it all year round.

I suggest you call your vet and ask for recommendations or the name of a good trainer. The little dog is just being protective or possessive, but a three year old isn't going to understand that and will most likely eventually get bit. Since little kids tend to get into dogs' faces, she could be hurt badly or scarred for life. This is serious stuff. Ask a professional trainer, seriously. I'm not sure about the shock collar advice. My shock collar manual says don't use it on a dog that is being defensive or aggressive. I use it when my dog doesn't heel properly when we are walking. Most shock collars come with two options: a shock and a beep. You beep the dog first and then shock only if the dog continues the behavior. After a couple of shocks, the beep is enough to get him to come to me immediately. I also tested it in my hand before putting it on the dog. A "3" elicited a buzzing sensation, a "4" was a nasty shock, and a "5" was very painful. I haven't had to actually shock him in a couple of years. The beep gets his attention and an immediate reaction. I primarily use it to make sure he doesn't chase a rabbit onto the nearby road when we're out together.

Here is a possible solution. Feel free to take it and modify it as you like.   Place gun safe(s) in all schools. Stock them with visibly distinct rifles (perhaps hunter orange stock), laser sights, a 2x scope, and frangible ammo. Solicit multiple teacher volunteers for training at each school. (Many teachers already have CCW, so they would be logical choices.)  Program the safe by fingerprint scanner to only open when scanned by one of those fingerprints. Automatically contact law enforcement electronically when the safe is opened or tampered with.   A scoped rifle would reduce the risk of hitting innocent bystanders and reduce risk to the volunteer who could engage from a distance. Frangible ammo would reduce the risk of penetrating a wall. A laser "print" on the chest would probably cause most of these cowards to stop shooting and surrender without a shot being fired. The fingerprint scanner would reduce the risk of unauthorized access. The presence of armed, trained personnel would greatly reduce the risk of shootings at schools.   Today, schools are crime-friendly zones.  Ask your liberal friends if they would put up a yard sign "This is a gun free house" at their own home. Why would you do it at your kids' schools?

I'd suggest that you pay close attention to how the Glock fits in your hand. The grip angle is more downward on the Glock than on some other handguns. For me, this eliminates Gen 3 and older Glocks from consideration because my straight trigger finger would hit the side of the trigger rather than the frame when initially gripping the gun. My fingers aren't long enough to consistently hit the trigger guard instead of the side of the trigger. Maybe I'm the only person on the planet with this issue, but I also cannot bend the remaining three fingers of my hand into the gripping position without slightly flexing the trigger finger as well. I think it's called sympathetic reflex. Anyway, my rationale is that it only takes one slip up to shoot yourself in the leg. My neighbor was showing me his G19 and Serpa retention holster. When I tried to unholster it (unloaded), my finger slid off the retention button and onto the side of the trigger as described above. He argued that I had done it wrong. I tried again... same problem. The problem wasn't noticeable when I picked the G19 up off the table.   The Gen 4 Glocks without the optional palm swell piece somewhat addresses this issue for me, but there are other handguns that fit my hand better. The key point here is just make sure it fits your hand.    Glock has issued a recall for its Gen4 recoil springs, FWIW. Some people had problems with the original ones.