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In the spirit of what are we as gun owners doing from an activism perspective: Last night I attended a meeting of “Common Ground” - a local Nashville group whose mission is to create dialogue to “bridge the red/blue divide”. The topic was guns and was the second meeting in a row on the topic. (i only learned of this for the 2nd) I am always wary of the word “conversation” to describe any such meeting, as its often code word meaning the “Left will tell you what to think”...but I went anyway, figuring that if I dis not it, what information would otherwise neutral minds leave with. Here is what I found The group of around 30 people, mostly all white and upper class were presented with three “experts” to briefly talk about their views/position on guns and “gun violence” Unsurprisingly, a woman from Moms Demand Action was one “expert”, but then members of the local Well Armed Woman chapter were there as well, along with a Metro Police officer. What I learned: The police shared the fact that they now share bullet forensic data with a national database and have learned that most gun crime is committed by a small number of people with the same gun - meaning that for example of 100 gun crimes committed, it may be from only 10 guns/people. Thus the bad apples are truly bad but small in number. He shared straw purchases are a big problem and wished that gun prosecutions were stiffer. The MDA lady parroted their talking points - you know them so no need to repeat. I was impressed with the poise of the Well Armed Women who made the argument for better education on the nature of the 2A. We then broke into smaller groups and discussed what we learned from the “experts” that surprised us, and then began a pretty open free for all on what to do about “gun violence” and what we would want to know more from the “experts” Notably a quick poll of our group found that it was split equally between those who wanted to eliminate the 2A, those who did not, and those who wished to modify it. Those who wished to eliminate it used the same arguments we are all familiar with - the 2A does not mean all arms, you don’t “need” an deadly ar-15, etc etc. the ones in the middle I quickly figured out just lacked information on what the current laws actually were and why certain “common sense proposals” might not be common sense or may be illegal or otherwise lead to unintended consequences. What I found was standing up for the 2A as an absolute right (which it is) makes you sound like an extremist, yet demanding its absolute removal does not.....strange.....but wait....theres more As we went around this issue of the nature of the 2A I was able to educate the group on Heller and McDonald. I said whether you like it or not, the SCOTUS has affirmed the 2A and specifically the ownership of weapons in common use (ie not nukes which one wag tried to argue was therefore allowed under an expansive view of the 2A). That matter being settled, I said regardless of ones personal views, any discussion on guns in America must take place in the context of McDonald. Unsurprisingly the banners refused to recognize the validity of a SCOTUS decision they did not agree with. I was able to explain the 4473 background check, why there is opposition to Universal Background checks (requires a government list of gun owners and could be used for confiscation), What I found is that the people in the middle were responsive to the information versus the emotional arguments. In fact, the emotion might have brought them to the table but they want a “meal” of useful info. Did i change any minds? Of those who wanted to ban the 2A - no. Of those who want to”modify it? Absolutely. I had a couple of one to one convos after the meeting and it was amazing to learn what people would say in private vs in a group. And we were all strangers so it should not have mattered! Bottom line - Show Up. Speak sensibly and educate people. Ignore the crazies and speak with those who are persuadable. PS: at the end of the meeting the Moms lady asked for a group photo, which i thought was particularly inappropriate since it was not her meeting but rather one she was a guest speaker at. I asked if it was for her groups facebook page and yes was the answer. I refused to participate and took her to task for not informing those in the pic of her intentions. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks - one thing about the Left is that they show up and make themselves seem more powerful/popular by doing so. We must do the same and not cede the battlefield of ideas to them. Ever. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I simply cannot understand why we spend thousands of dollars to put dead bodies in a fancy box. If I were to die tomorrow I'd much rather my wife use that money for a nice vacation than a coffin. Burn me or wrap me in a cloth and stick me in the ground.

Pretty much the same here. No visitation or ceremony. If you can't visit me now, while I'm alive, don't show up & act like you're going to miss me. Sad, but true.

I was checking the weather forecast to see what the next couple of days look like and was surprised to see the word snow in tomorrow's forecast. Wind chills in the 20's and 30's

Had been having problems with static electricity, in my funnel with CFE powder. Tried different things/suggestions, some helped for a while, always returned. Got to prowling on the 'net, & found an aluminum funnel that is static free. It's also caliber specific ( only fits one caliber). I ordered one for my 9MM, it works like a charm....no more static, plus, it sits on the mouth of the case, don't have to hold it up. Ordered from Brownells, about $12 = S/H. Worth it. Some of you guys may already be aware of this , but this is for some of the newbees, that may be having the same issue.

There's nothing wrong with a 5.56/.223. Especially with heavier bullets 55 gr.+.

I finally scored Yesterday evening about 6:00. He never gobbled, just strutted in jarring the ground with his drumming.

True, planning on doing that very thing. Not only less space, but funeral homes are a ripoff.

Killer Mike is a rapper who campaigned for Bernie in the last election. He’s also a hardcore 2A advocate in the black community, an NRA member and a Southerner. Over the last couple of weeks he has received a lot, and I mean A LOT of flack over this interview that he did on NRA TV with Colion Noir. While he has made statements since the release taking issue with how it was initially utilized to contrast with the March for Our Lives (which was discussed in the video) I think there is a lot that can be learned from in this discussion. It’s long, but I believe well worth the watch. To anyone one who does take this journey with me, are there any points that really stuck out to you? For me there are definitely a few, such as his specific criticisms of the Democratic Party and white progressives not being real allies to black folks and how the NRA played a vital role during the civil rights era.

Yea I know. I was stationed in Alaska for a while and the skeeters up there ae big enough that one can land of each of your shoulders and then discuss whether to eat you there or take you with them. Back when I was just a boy up in Illinois age 6 it would snow in October and that snow would still be on the ground in March and all it did was add snow to it all Winter and skeeters was terrible up there too.......

Cremation takes up a lot less space and costs a lot less. Just sayin.

There's no such thing as enough winter to kill them off. Ever been to Canada or Alaska? Winter just makes them bigger and stronger.

In Greensboro NC, the city counsel decided that they would no longer allow gun shows in the Greensboro Coliseum. That is not legal and these two men pushed back. The second guy nails it.

Everyone that I know who owns one of them says the improvements aren't just in the grip length. They say the trigger is better than any other Glock due to changes in the trigger system and/or sear. Also, the explanation I've heard several times now for why the grip length and slide length work so well for certain applications has to do with who the pistol was originally designed for. Keep in mind it was designed as a contender for the joint service pistol. Anyone wearing body armor with side panels needed a shorter slide so that they weren't drawing "all of that gun" out of a holster and trying to clear it past their armor.

Don't hold your breath on the snow in this neck of the woods. North & higher elevations, maybe

Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to weather. I get up in the morning, Look at thermomitor on the front porch and dress acordingly. If it's cloudy I might take an umbrella. Only Mother Nature knows what she has planned for us petty little humans.......

I was never a car guy. This ain't easy. Can't believe all the product tests.

I got to looking at the Glock 19X . To me it seems like a sales gimmick. If you take a 19 and insert a 17 magazine then there ya go . Or to make it more "better looking" just add an X-Grip to smooth the gap. I just don't get paying the extra money for it . Any thoughts ?

Yesterday I was in a Walmart that is one of the locations I am not in very often. I noticed a sort of end cap rack/display of Ontario Old Hickory knives. At first I was kind of excited because I have always loved those knives and haven't seen them in a Walmart - or many brick and mortar stores, really - in years. My initial excitement quickly turned to disgust, however, as I noticed the word 'stainless' printed on the packaging. What?! To me the whole point of Old Hickory knives is that they are made of 1095 high carbon steel. Sure you get a little rust if you don't care for them but these inexpensive kitchen knives have always, to my experience, sharpened and performed better than any stainless kitchen knives at anything near a similar price point. To see these old favorites defiled by being made of stainless felt sort of like running into an old girlfriend and finding out she had recently had a sex change and now goes by the name 'Bill'. I just hope it doesn't mean that Ontario is going to stop making real Old Hickory knives in favor of these imposters.

I’d argue that both parties are just as dependent on Wickard at this point - as they’re two sides of the same coin - both serving their own interests over the people’s Wickard may be one of those rulings that we’ve simply moved too far to go back. It would take justices willing to set the whole system on fire to decide it was wrongly decided in ‘42. As much as we decry the loss of freedom - the states have willingly ceded authority to the federal government. What was originally a few bucks here and there has turned into a lot of states that wouldn’t be able to support basic services for its people if that happened. A lot of states here in the south would be at the top of that list.

And I’m a libertarian... sorta the same thing.

Well I know this was said in jest, I would also say that the amount of truth contained it is significant. Not about Scalia, of course. If Wickard were to fall I would say conservatively it would unravel a solid 30-50% of the federal government, if not more.

That's exactly why I like them.

The CCP had multiple issues from day one. From what I read on the Walther forum, it hasn't gotten much better. Some are OK, some not. I fell in love with this gun when it was first announced. Sounded great on the surface, then I started reading posts from owners, etc., that were discouraging ( that's being nice ). Hence, the low price, maybe....... Gave up on it & bought a PPS M2, 9mm. Really like it, no issues.

Funeral homes depend on emotion to get families to spend more money and my whole family has all decided it will be cremetions. Many of my family have already prepaid theirs. I just finished paying for mine so family does not have to deal with it.

Welcome, brother, & thank you for your service.

Thats going to be a tough decision to make. As for me I am eligable to be buried there but I will be buried in a Family Cemetery here in Tennessee with the rest of my family. Makes it easier on the family to be able to visit graves when they are pretty much close together.......JMHO

I just watched this to completion...Killer Mike is welcome to share a cold beer and conversation in my garage anytime. I don't extend that option to very many people.

For me, in reinforces the fact that we need to stop putting people in boxes. Not all Republicans are pro gun. Not all democrats are anti-gun. I recently found a group on Reddit for liberal gun owners. There are 17,000 members in that group. Every day they are posting new content in opposition to ANY new gun laws. I shared this video with my anti-gun coworker who happens to be black. Even he admitted that what they are discussing makes sense. He doesn't agree with every point but the video has at least introduced him to an opposing viewpoint that he may not have considered.

You might want to read some reviews of the Stinger. Oh, my. I don't need one, but I sure do want it.

Democracy favors participation. Nice job.

Welcome

Other relatives did the digging on ancestry.com to establish the lineage. I just wondered if there was somewhere else to look.

A friend of mine has a couple of them and absolutely loves them. Accuracy on them is good, nothing spectacular but good for just about anything you for which you would use it. There are also spring kits available for the trigger which is a worth while improvement.

Ancestry.com and just a lot of digging. Sometimes you get lucky and someone else already has your person in their tree and has info on them. Sometimes that info might be listed in pension applications and things like that .

I haven’t shot one, but it appears to be a decent deal for an American Made bolt action. Here is an article on how it came about, a review and a range test. https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/9/7/thompsoncenter-compass-rifle-review/ https://grabagun.com/thompson-center-center-10058-compass-bolt-rifle-30-06.html You might also want to compare the accuracies of the Ruger American. At $289 it appears to be a pretty good deal. https://grabagun.com/ruger-american-rif-3006-bl-sy-22.html

Thanks for asking, I've been curious too given the low cost.

Thompson makes fine rifles , however my customer service experience has been less than sterling. Not sure about now , but several years ago they would literally shut down for months at a time . Try and get something done during that time and you were screwed . It was bizarre at best.

Nice rifle!

Howdy and Welcome to TGO

Call me a Bubba, see if I care

Were you shooting PPU?

Nice!

I’m more curious about how they found all those fully automatic assault rifles (yes, that is redundant). Those things aren’t exactly common.

Sorry you had such a bad experience there. Mine was totally opposite. They have always treated myself and my family with respect and courtesy. Also can't believe that you are pleased at a loss this large to a gun retailer. Seriously? Pretty vindictive in my opinion ........ We need these retailers and indoor ranges. They support our gun rights and have a vested interest in the 2nd Amendment.

You have no idea how big a can of worms you've opened up here.

I for one firmly believe the purpose and scope of the 2nd amendment is to act as a leash on government, and ensuring the populace has the means, and capability, to defend their freedom against a government who's grown too big for it's britches! If one knows even a smattering of history, then you know it ain't about deer rifles, and if you're paying attention to the news today, you know it's as appropriate as ever!

Well, I did it. Ordered this this morning. S&W MP-15 Optics Ready M-Lok Should be here in a few days. GrabAGun had it for $539 and I just couldn't pass it up at that price. I found a couple in town, but they had the standard round handguard and were priced at $650 and up. Now I'll have to spend at least that much or more on spare mags, optics, ammo and whatever else. Thanks to everyone for your guidance and input. Just a couple of months ago I would have told anybody that I'll never own an AR-15. Good Lord! What have I done?

I think I'll stick with the 5.56. Ammo is cheap and plentiful. I did consider the Deltonics AR in Nashville, but that would be a 7 hour round trip drive. Just not that interested.