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Long ago and far away I had just retired from my career and had taken up a new career as a training contractor providing basic defensive pistol training to County Probation Departments around the state. I was teaching a 40 hour course that required three range days and 1,218 rounds of ammunition per trainee, and I was of necessity using local ranges. One of the first hard lessons I learned in my new job was never to trust that the host range would have as many target stands as I had trainees. In fact, on my very first job I made a scouting trip of a couple of hundred miles to check out the host range and discovered that it was lacking six target positions for my upcoming classes. Returning home and stopping at the local lumber yard, I bought enough lumber to produce six of the best portable target stands I have ever used in this life. I honestly don't know where I got the design, but had been using it for my own needs for some years at that time, and had found it to be easy to make, inexpensive, and extremely durable. In fact, in the next few weeks each of my new target stands had a total of 3,652 rounds of pistol ammunition fired through them, and although they had taken some hits, each and every one of them was serviceable and safe to use. They stubbornly resisted every effort my trainees made to blow them apart. But first, here is the target stand I am referring to. The stand consists of a base and a target frame. The target frame is simply inserted into a slightly undersized slot built into the base and is held there by friction alone. On the ones I have built, I have generally made the span of the vertical 2x2's a half inch wider than the slot in the base. To put them together, you get one leg started into the slot, then push in on the other leg with your foot until it goes in. Then you push down on the entire frame and it stays put. It looks like this when finished and assembled. All you need is two 2x4x8's and three 2x2x8's. Pick through the 2x4's and do your best to find the driest and therefore the lightest ones in the pile. Light weight is very important because you have to carry this stand downrange to the distance you want to shoot. Try to find straight 2x2's, straight ones being as rare as hens' teeth, but give it your best shot. Here are all the parts of both the base and the stand laid out so you can see how they go together. This is a basic project that requires few carpentry skills, any kind of a good saw, a power drill with a few bits, especially a screwdriver bit, and 32 screws of any kind you happen to have laying around, including rusty, reclaimed ones. They can be wood screws, sheet metal screws, drywall screws, or deck screws. As long as they have a good screwdriver slot, you're in business. As for a saw, I have built these stands with table saws, radial arm saws, chop saws, circular saws, and even small hand saws used with a cheapo three dollar miter box. I built this particular stand with my power miter saw, but you certainly don't need anything that sophisticated for this project. The joints are all butted together and no routing or dado heads are needed at all. (Note: You can make these stands with nails but I don't recommend it as the stand will loosen up pretty quickly. Use screws if you can. ) The dimensions of this stand are entirely optional. Usually you will find yourself limited by the size of the storage area you have for it, and by the room available in your vehicle. I've pretty well standardized on these dimensions: BASE – 2x4 feet, 3'. 2x4 cross boards, 2'. TARGET FRAME – Height, 6'. Outside width of upright 2x2's, 24 ½". Vertical distance at the outside of the horizontal 2x2's, 4'. Here are a couple of photos showing things to consider when deciding on the dimensions you want to use. I keep my stand stored between a fridge and freezer in the garage, and don't care to exceed 24 inches in width lest it become a snag. Also, this kind of lumber is fragile and won't tolerate being stored outdoors for very long at all. So keep it indoors if at all possible. This is how it breaks down and fits into a Dodge Ram short-bed half ton pickup. I use my frame mainly for pistol work out to 25 yards and rifle work out to 50 yards, although I have used it much farther out than that. That being said, here's an idea you might consider. If you are going to place your stand out at extended ranges, I suggest you spike it down as shown in this photograph. Although it's rare, I have seen these stands blow over when a strong gust of wind hits them, and that's a real bummer when you've just gotten back to the firing line after walking the stand out to the 200 yard line. The ten inch spikes shown in the photograph cost 55 cents each at Lowe's. The twelve inchers are only 65 cents. And now here are some photos of the basic joinery involved , along with a few explanatory comments and hints for building the stand. I use two 2 ½" screws in each butt joint in the target frame and always pre-drill the holes. I advise against trying to countersink the head by running the screw in at a high speed – 2x2's will split every time when you do this. It's OK to run the screw in fast, just slow it down before the head meets wood. If you find your screws are a bit short, it doesn't hurt a thing to countersink the head as much as ¾" in order to get the needed thread depth into the horizontal 2x2. All of the corner braces in both the base and the target frame are 6" in length on the long side, cut to 45 degrees, and are held in place with two drywall screws. In this case I had some 1 5/8 inchers that worked great. In the base I used two 3 ½" deck screws to make the joints, then reinforced them with corner braces like the ones shown in this photo. Note the precision with which I located the deck screws, heh. One need not necessarily use 2x2's for the corner braces. I used them as a matter of convenience since I had plenty of lumber. But you can use triangles cut from old flooring like the middle piece in the photograph, or from a scrap piece of 1x4 board like the top piece and then screw them down flat on the back of the frame and the top of the base. The screws shown are typical of the ones I used in this project. You might be wondering if the corner braces are really needed. Well, yes and no. I have made these stands without corner braces and they did fine for a while. Then they started getting wobbly and had to have all the screws driven in farther, which is a pain. Also, I've found that the corner braces really help hold the unit together when one of the longer pieces of 2x2 takes a bullet hit. I've never seen one of these stands get shot up so badly the shooter couldn't finish his day, and the corner braces help make that a reality. This photo illustrates just how the target frame and base go together. When you make the base, it's best to install one crossboard completely, then establish the correct size of the slot by placing a loose piece of 2x2 between the fixed board and the second one you are about to install. I even C clamp these together to make sure I get the snudge fit I'm looking for. This gives a different view of how the entire unit goes together when it's finished. So gents, if you are growing tired of swiping your neighbors' "For Sale By Owner" signs, or even the little front yard political ad signs to use for target stands, this offers a real chance to have a sturdy, cheap, easy to build and repair, inexpensive alternative you might want to consider. It offers some real room for alterations to fit ones situation as well. And again, these are entirely suitable for conducting firing classes on the range. Best wishes and thanks for listening. EssOne

http://wtop.com/national/2015/06/gunman-feared-blacks-were-taking-over-the-world/   And not unexpectedly the victims family members have forgiven the murderer, advised him to confess and repent. In so doing he's been advised he'll be OK. Whenever you read about hate or are frustrated by race baiter agitating for further gain witnessing the faith and forgiveness of those with greatest loss is humbling.  

Chupacabra baby tooth.  

I have no doubt that Cronkite lied to us also.

  For a while, I worked with a contemporary Christian band that played in any church that would have them. After many years in and around various southern churches, I feel comfortable saying nobody does church like black ladies in the south. Even in my 'home' church at the time, I didn't feel as at home as I did in some of the black churches we played. In my experience, those ladies were almost always just genuinely happy to have you in church and wanted you to feel at home.    I'd recommend everyone, even if you have a great 'home' church you're happy with go visit an African American church once or twice. It's a pretty awesome experience, and if nothing else an opportunity to fellowship with some brothers and sisters in Christ in a way that you might not otherwise get to experience. 

This word has been seen across the web in many places, but I actually procured a piece that was actually a part of a SR 71 Blackbird.. The plane was taken out of service and destroyed. A retired af guy that served on a sr71 support element was able to procure some Unobtainium and machine up some cool stuff out of it. When I was stationed in Okinawa Japan I used to stop, wait, and watch the blackbirds take off and land as it was just fun and intriguing to watch. Now I own a piece of an actual flown sr71. The skunk logo is the old mascot of Lockheed Martin skunkworks group, the team that developed and produced the SR 71. So below is my real Unobtainium

Thanks for posting this. Some people seem giddy at the prospect of a race war, but from the time that I heard about this incident all that I've heard from those with skin in the game has been request for peace and prayers along with pleasant memories of the loved ones that they lost.

I agree. I think This guy is missing a tooth

The problem is if people don't blame the guns then they have to face the reality that evil exists in this world. Thats a very difficult thing for some people to handle

A guy goes to the supermarket and notices a very attractive woman waving at him.             She says, 'Hello.'             He's rather taken aback because he can't place where he knows her from. So he asks, 'Do you know me?'             To which she replies, 'I think you're the father of one of my kids.'             Now his mind travels back to the only time he has ever been unfaithful to his wife.             So he asks, 'Are you the stripper from the bachelor party that I made love to on the pool table, with all my buddies watching, while your partner whipped my butt with wet celery?'             She looks into his eyes and says calmly, 'No, I'm your son's teacher.'

I think I'd notify the owner / manager of the public place and let him handle it. Then again I might call the police also, don't know for sure. The one thing I do know is I wouldn't give a rat's ass if the owner got it back or not. IMO if you don't know where your carry piece is at all times you shouldn't carry. Period.

  They're better people than I am. I wouldn't spare no breath to tell him how painful and miserable I hope every second of the rest of his life is.   Kudos to them for being so strong and Godly.

Wow, I guess you are THAT old.

Maybe the Tooth Fairy dropped it? :)

    Don't you remember Cowboy Curtis from PeeWee's Playhouse???

I live here in Sevierville and a few years back I went to the Comedy Barn in Piegon Forge.   If you ever been there you know about the one act they do at every show. Well I was there that night this skit took place and soon became one the bigest hits on U-tube with over 25..... yes thats 25 million hits!  When i'm down and out and really need a laugh I play it and still after watching it over a zillion times I laugh my jaws sore.  Please have your sound UP and catch it all.   https://youtu.be/Z4Y4keqTV6w

Yes, that is cool! I have a few things I have picked up through out my 20 years in the Navy. Ash from Mt Pinatubo, 5 inch shell casing, etc. But that significant.

Talking about rabbits like this, you guys sure stir up some good memories. Some of my best weekends of my life were spent rabbit hunting on Saturdays and cooking/eating the ones we didn't freeze the day before after dressing them. Good times!

  Unless you are shooting them from where they are eating from a toxic waste site or something, I assure you that if a 20 lb or larger Lepus shows up here in unspoiled condition, I will surely cook it, try it, and report!  (you do need to at least gut the thing first though I'd think).   I've heard they're pretty tough also, so I'm thinking long time braising or just do like slow pot roast. :)   I've experimented off and on over the last year with simple pigeon recipes already, btw, just so I'm ready to harvest them after The Crash. ;)   - OS

vampire fang, get some garlic for the door.

  There will never be another Walter Cronkite.

  Nobody cares if MSNBC is lying. In fact, that's why their audience tunes in.

No clue. But if that's a snake fang...I'd be moving from that area.

A knife?  That's what our cooks carried.  We carried a tank with us.

I'm willing to bet that when this killers background is presented to the public, there will be nothing liberal about him or his family.

  Remember that he has visited 57 states.

  I'm starting to believe that Obama wants a war. I have believed for some time that he's really bad at math.

  Sheer poetry. ;)   - OS

Absolutely horrible.  This is why I carry at church.  Always have, always will.

Me? I'd unload it, turn it in to the cops and let the person explain why they left their gun. I got plenty and don't want something that belongs to someone else.

Copied from the military arms channel on facebook.       http://www.luckygunner.com/brady-v-lucky-gunner    

  And do you think Fox doesn't do the exact same thing as the other news outlets?

I'm 100% sure it came from a black panther.

Or maybe they were just better at disguising their bias?

That's dang funny! Sadly I am sure her lawyer will have a field day making him repay her for lost value. I have seen many horrible divorces while I was in the Navy and I am sure things like that crossed many minds before. LOL

  I was there from 1st through 3rd grade and I can still remember that roar. Night flights were especially cool watching those afterburners go from two bright flames to one, to none, but you could still hear it. It was a semi-regular occurrence to see one launch, but it still had people standing in their front yards watching it. We had an F-15 pilot next door and even he would stand out and watch it. One of the most unique school field trips was a visit in 3rd grade to the hangar and operations center. We got to try on the space helmets and eat peaches from a tube, then we got to go out to the hangar and see the Habu up close. Amazing.

I carry at church.  If a gun-buster sign goes up at the church I attend; my membership will go elsewhere.  Gun-buster signs go up on all churches, then I'll catch the service via Internet or radio.

That's awesome! Coolest airplane ever.

  They wanted to ban it way before this. Nothing has changed.

Very cool!

Kind of a shame really, at least in this case He still did the right thing. Joe W.

Bayonet upside down on the front.

I run a BCM ambi latch myself on my main AR. I really like it, especially given the price of comparable ambi latches. I am not sure I will ever run anything else.

Aw, c'mon Blake.   Aw, c'mon Blake. Methinks they're regaling you TN hicks with carcinogenic Jackalope tales, since they don't do snipe hunts. :) - OS

For that idiot in Washington to stand up there and say this kind of violence doesn't occur in other advanced countries is ludicrous. Bombings in Tel Aviv happen all the time. Our embassy was attacked in Benghazi, a city with over a million residents, but albeit maybe not an "advanced country". Subway bombings have happened in Spain and England. 85 were killed at a church camp in Norway. The list goes on and on.   Obama is an idiot. Violence happens. It always has and it always will.

  Still can't bust him with the TN statutes, but could see if Feds want to do him.   edit: I guess they could get him from the TN part if they give the gun back to him and he takes it then!   - OS

There's nothing like a gun free zone to protect innocent citizens.

What the Tennessee Legislature has done is to create needless confusion and debate.  When that is done with respect to criminal statutes, such as these, it is inexcusable and likely unconstitutional under the vagueness doctrine.   Now, for a moment on local governments.  The state pre-emption statute is TCA 39-17-1314.  It prohibits any local regulation except as expressly permitted by any other statute.  Consequently, statutes like TCA 39-17-1359 allow local governments to post their properties (public buildings, civic centers, etc.) unless another statute, like TCA 39-17-1313 or TCA 39-17-1311, prohibits local regulation of some or all of the areas.  Clear, right? Now, on the local parks topic.   First, the "school grounds" statute (TCA 39-17-1309) is a big part of the problem. It contains this definition of school grounds:     Under this language, the possession of any "weapon", including knives and firearms on "any ... property ... used" by a school is chargeable as a Class E felony. Understand that there is no time limit on "used" so it could be argued that if the property has ever been "used" for any school function then it might be classified as 'school property' for purposes of the felony charge.  This could include not just parks but movie theaters, bowling alleys, swimming pools, picnic grounds, museums, art centers, restaurants and even private homes that have been "used" for school approved events or parties. So, part of the problem has been the definition of "school grounds" all along. However, this was not very well known until the Attorney General issued an opinion recently.  See, AG 14-88.  The AG opinion is accurate in some areas but the areas where he concluded that there is a time or geographic limit is unsupported by the statute and unsupported by any court decision reading such a limit into the statute.  So, worse case, if a school have ever used the property for any school function its permanently classified as "school grounds" and possession of any weapon on that property could be charged as a Class E felony even if you did not know the school had ever or was presently using the property. Next we look at the parks statute, TCA 39-17-1311.  First, it is important to know that Sen. Green had a bill this year to delete the word "used" from the school grounds statute.  That bill was defeated by the Republican leadership in a subcommittee.  Next, when the "parks bill" was being debated in conference, they specifically addressed the school issue.  They were aware of it and made the intentional choice by refusing to fix the problem but they may have actually made it worse.  How is it worse?  More confusion.  Consider this.  The "parks statute" defines certain public areas, including but not limited to parks, as prohibited places.  This is the language from TCA 39-17-1311(a):     Clearly, TCA 39-17-1311 defines a specific list of places and then ads any other places used for "recreational purposes."   The term "parks" is just one of the places but its in a list of other places suggesting that these are by some means or intent distinct from parks.  Weapons are prohibited in all of these places by state law even if there are no signs posted.  The majority report which became the "parks bill" in 2015 is pitifully written.  First, it uses a list of places that is different from the list in 39-17-1311(a).  Second, it uses a "morphing" concept where these properties covered by the 2015 amendment can suddenly turn into Class E felony traps - i.e., school grounds, at any point in time merely by having a school activity taking place (e.g., cross country runners, golf team, baseball practice/game, football, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, etc.).  Third, you get a "fair warning" to leave the property but only if you did not "know or should have known" about the school even.  Fourth, it covers the entire property - arguably - not just the specific area in which the event is taking place.  Fifth, it uses the term "vicinity" which potentially could extent outside the park boundaries and which has no defined meaning (10 feet, 100 feet, 150 feet, or what about the effective range of the firearms?).  Here is the language in the 2015 law:     The Establishment Republicans in the legislature are unwilling to honor their oaths of office.  This particular disaster was manufacturered by Senator John Stevens who is a hand picked private for Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.  But, to accomplish this 2015 language he had the apparent full support of Senator Mike Bell (who reportedly shares an apartment from time to time with Lt. Gov. Ramsey) as well as Rep. Mike Harrison (who was in charge of House Finance Subcommittee in 2014 when the Open Carry law was defeated) and finally by Rep. Tilmon Goins.  I will add that Rep. Tilmon Goins had sponsored a better version of the parks bill this year but was apparently told by House leadership to back burner his bill because leadership wanted Rep. Harrison to get the credit for passing a gun bill after the attacks against him in 2014 for killing the open carry law. Folks, defending our rights is not a spectator sport. It is not sufficient to engage these issues in internet forums and Facebook posts.  We have to be willing to speak out, to call out these legislators, to let them know - face to face - that they are doing wrong, and, when necessary to raise funding and set aside time to run against them or to support others (not  just in your district but anywhere in the state) to run against the RINOs and defeat them.  These problems will not go away so long as we have government leaders like Haslam, Harwell and Ramsey.   Those 3 convinced a majority of Tennesseans to vote to give up their rights to vote for one-third of state government (the judicial amendment in 2014), do you think they really care about the 2nd Amendment?

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