ReeferMac

  Yes and no... While true, adding extra to your monthly payment does reduce the principle.... The Bi-weekly payment schedule reduces the balance by 50% of the monthly principle payment 14-days earlier than sending in extra at the end of the month. While not huge (maybe a couple hundred bucks for most people?), you're not paying interest on that portion of the principle for 14 days, that you would be if you were just paying extra on a monthly mortgage. It's getting the principle off quicker, that reduces the interest payment over time more greatly, than simply whacking extra on the tab? The bi-weekly schedule puts the payments on the principle faster, and more frequently, so the interest will be reduced... One reason some banks don't offer it! I had to shop around.

The question is a little tough to answer, as it's predicated on your belief about the short-term future market direction. Of course that can't be known, however from a technical perspective, the markets are not healthy, to say the least. We're looking at a short-term bounce for a little spell here, but I'd advise lightening the portfolio and moving into more protective asset classes. As to the mortgage, I've had a couple... the most recent one we opted for a bi-weekly mortgage. Half the monthly nut every 2 weeks, however due to the calendar, you end up putting down 26 half-payments vs. 12 full one's.... and if you're quick on the math, you'll see you're making 1-full month's extra payment. Some people kick part of their tax return over annually and accomplish the same thing. However having studied my amoritization tables until numb, you DO chip a little off the principle every 2-weeks, which compounded over time, reduces the interest total paid on the loan. If it fit my pay-schedule, I'd opt for a bi-weekly mortgage again any time. It did make a difference in the principle IMO.

  Ummmmm.... been watching the news lately? Personally I think some of the more northern states are likely to erupt first, they're having more public issue's, but the stuff that's going on in all of Europe, is quite interesting to read once you get outside of Western Dominated News feeds. How the heck a country that restricts gun-usage has people lobbing grenade's at safe-houses, I'll never understand, but it's one way to get your message across!   - K  

    LOL! That was one thing that put the M&P compact ahead of much of the competition. I keep a 17rd. full-size mag for backup, but carry w/ the 12, so it's very easy to keep concealed.

I'm IN! :D  

Wow, great ideas and suggestions on all! Can't wait to try some of these out (now I just need to get that key to the indoor range!)

I shot every glock my LGS had in their rental case, and bought an M&P Compact 9mm. LOVE the thing. Coming up on 2k rnds. Thing just shoots great for me.

  Ditto what he said... just haven't found the old farmhouse yet. If you have school aged children, start shopping by school district first, there are big differences from one town to the next. Made a big impact on our search (and why we ended up in Kingston!). Welcome, you'll like it down here (left NY in August).

Would be more than happy to... bring my lawnmower over, and offer it's opinion of your fuel once ready. :D I still have fond memories of a dear family friend in Germany INSISTING I have a hit of Apfelwein he made before turning in. Nightly. Man, that stuff was triple distilled, could clean the varnish off your carburetor! I'd bitch about a sore stomach, he swore it'd help. Headache? Old Jupp's got the cure, come with me into the basement.... LOL!   - K  

Glad to see experienced people taking the time to show newbies around. I grew up in a house w/ no guns, and didn't understand why as a youth I always enjoyed hanging at my one friends house (he was a boyscout, father an avid sportsman), and some friends of the family (good German family, hunters, etc.). In fact, was JUST lamenting w/ my parents the fact that I didn't get exposed to any of this stuff as a kid (they were chiding me for taking my children to the range). Had it not been for those .22's we'd sneak in Jeff's basement, I'd probably have never been exposed to it, and may have different views or political opinions now as a result. Pleased to say, my kids have ALL shot the .22 (rifle and pistol), and my oldest loves the 9mm, but he still doesn't like the 20-ga. If they grow up to be retarded liberals, at least they won't be ignorant one's! :lol: (Rant on) This softening and feminizing of the America's youth as promulgated in our public schools and single-mom homes today in the name of 'safety' will have far-reaching affects on our society, and already has (the very concept of a 'micro-aggression' existing is proof positive we've got 20-years worth of pussies to get through). Teach, teach your children well.... (Rant off)   - K  

Back in the day, my Mom worked as a tour guide in Niagara Falls (grew up near there). Occasionally she had some high-profile clients, one was some big oil Sheik and his entourage - booked her exclusively for a few days. Spent 3-days in a Limo (usually gave tours in a 40-passenger bus), gave her a diamond ring afterwards as a "token of the sheik's appreciation". She was informed by one of the handlers from NYC, to speak to the staff at the restaurants very quietly, and if anyone in the group ordered an "Iced Tea", they should bring them a Long Island variety, but since alcohol is illegal for Mooslim's, they would never ask for it, however b/c they wouldn't want to offend their hosts, they wouldn't send the drinks back.....   I haven't trusted A-rab's since I was about 9-years old.   - K

I was just going to post this....   http://www.alloutdoor.com/2016/01/14/oath-expanding-fragmenting-slugs/   That's gotta hurt!!!   - K  

For single-stage presses, make sure to get an "O" shaped one vs. a "C" shaped one, they hold up better over time ("C" shaped can flex). Also get a steel one. Don't want to use an aluminum frame and steel action - steel will win that fight every time.   - K  

LOL! If you take 81 back, stop in Bristol at the Cabela's (right off the highway), it was only $35, and it's not like you can't find something else you need there... ;)

  DING DING DING DING!!!!

Ditto what's been said, debated about getting into reloading myself (just starting the process). I try to buy my 9mm rounds when on sale, and in quantity, so typically get it for around 20-22-cents per. Once I acquire everything needed (yes, that's a $300-$600 proposition for me right now, I realize that could go higher, too), I can reload for about 9-10 cents on practice rounds (FMJ). If I can get free brass, lead, etc., I can lower that number, but simply collecting MY brass and reloading, I'm looking for under-10-cents a pop, or half my current price (ROI aside). Additionally, I want to try experimenting a little (I'm the type that likes to tinker...), different loads, diff. bullets, etc. ... I'll likely always carry commercial ammunition for self-defense (Gold-dot FBI loads!), but even just for my pistol(s), I believe it will allow me to shoot more cheaply when I go (note I didn't say 'save me money"?) I'm also interested in long-range rifle shooting, and this is one reason why I'm starting to acquire reloading equipment - I know it will be useful for that end of the hobby as well. It's not so much a 'save money' proposition, b/c the ROI @ 10-cents a pop is scary. Most people that get into it are the tinkering-type, or are looking for something they can't get commercially (consistency for long-range, etc.) Getting into it to shave $$$ off your ammo bill won't work, you'll have to pay yourself 12-cents an hour to make the money back.

  Yo Dude! I _just_ bought a hand-deprimer from Frankford Arsenal Yesterday @ Cabela's on my way back from the Great White North. So far I am very happy with it. I've run through a couple hundred 9mm's playing w/ it on the couch. A few have gotten stuck and I needed a set of pliers to remove, but so far pretty simple and easy. You spill the spent-primers sometimes, but nothing the vacuum cleaner can't handle. Check around on prices, as I only paid $35-bucks! Worth it IMO, it's pretty well constructed from what I can tell. Be happy to let you borrow it sometime or try it out if you want. I'll bring my cleaned brass to reload on your press while you're de-capping w/ mine! Win-Win! LOL!   - K  

  Ditto!   I used to do this quite a bit with my previous hobby - Salt Water Reef Keeping (and I'll bet you thought the "Reefer" meant something else, didn't you? :dirty: )   There are a bunch of suppliers on the west coast, a few in FLA, and 1 or 2 inland... but shipping little bags filled w/ saltwater and twig's of coral are pretty expensive (first AM overnight delivery from LA _used_ to run around 70-80 bucks per cooler, which only holds 12-15 coral frags, etc.) We had formed a club up there (Upstate Reef Society) for social reasons as well as sharing knowledge, and many of us would gang up orders to save on shipping. 20-bucks for a coral wasn't too bad, and you only had to swallow 5-10 for shipping, which was far better than the premium local fish stores would charge (to offset their shipping costs and losses, etc. - it wasn't uncommon to have half-your cooler die due to shipping stresses).   It's unfortunate to lose a local vendor, and I encourage everyone to support local small business in which you are interested as much as possible... but I don't think any of us are an individual charity. It'd be nice if there were a group of people you could talk to on the internet and throw out a conversation to strike up an order pool or something?   - K

well said!

  Amen! Another NY-Transplant recently said it best in another thread. I could have lived anywhere in this country. I CHOSE to move my family to Tennessee (for many reasons). Ya'll might talk w/ marbles in your mouth sometimes, ;) , but I don't hold that against ya!   I never studied the particular's of the NY law, it was passed in a political-rush after the School shooting in CT incident, and clearly wasn't well thought out (cuz they didn't limit the number of mag's you can have/carry, just the capacity of each one). If you had a 10rd you were supposed to get an insert for it, or turn it in and buy new 7-rd compliant one's. I don't know anyone who did that.   For the record, the bulk of that state is strongly opposed, it was the downstate politicians (NYC area) that pushed it through. Imagine if most of TN's politics was decided by the people that live in/around Memphis? The wife and I started our pistol permit process before leaving, never finished it - takes over a year in most cases! And they're so asinine about the ammo, too: You cannot even purchase ammunition unless a pistol of that caliber is listed on your permit (e.g. I couldn't buy a box of .45's and meet you at the range, b/c I have a 9mm). MOST LGS's would look the other way for regulars, but still, just stupid laws that really don't have the desired affect (stopping mass-shootings by criminals!). Frankly it was one of the final-straw's w/ me deciding it was time to pack up our shit and GTFOOD!

  LOL! Indeed. One of the neat-o inventions the boy's in DARPA's back room came up w/ around the same time they invented the giant tater-totter portable Microwave anti-personell device, they invented a laser-dazzler to incapacitate individuals in a non-lethal manner.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzler_%28weapon%29   - K  

As a transplant from the nanny-state of NY, I enjoy teasing my friends and old neighbor's about magazine capacity... Those chuckleheads passed a law that says only 7-rnds per mag. Odd's are, you'll see some sort of similar action from the federal level, restricting capacity as a means to chipping away at your 2nd Amendment little by little, rather than a straight-up ban. Currently there's a bill floating around the downstate area suggesting you should only be allowed to buy twice the factory-spec capacity of ammunition every 90-days. For my M&P Compact that's 24 rnds every 90-days. I pop off at least 80-100 every time I go to the range, which is like once a week!!!! BEFORE Fartknocker gets out and Hillary gets in, you can just about guarantee SOMETHING is going to happen. All the whack-a-doo's in the news lately only serve to reinforce their claims, in some odd twist of Orwellian logic. :wall:   - K  

Good for you Dave, I've been troubled by the lack of stages of escalation seen frequently these days. I'm not a cop-basher, have a lot of respect for the boys (and girls) in blue that uphold the law, but we've all seen the actions of bad-apple's on the tv screen, and it does raise the question about escalation of force sometimes.   Policy or not, I think you made the right choice.   - K  

ROTFLMAO! Just for that TMF, I'm switching back to the old avatar! LOL!   - K  

  For your purposes I'm not sure it matters? I chose the bolt b/c I have a couple kids in the house who will be the secondary users (I'm finding I love the thing so much I'm using it more!), and the bolt action will help teach them trigger discipline. Too easy to whip through a clip when all you have to do is pull the trigger. If you have to cycle a bolt and re-acquire your target, you'll be more careful when pulling the trigger.   - K