leroy

dj:___________   I've handled but not shot an xds 45.   I like it very much.  I tend to like the smaller "plastic" pistols for personal carry myself; and i need to pick up another one.  The single stack xds wuz my best liked pistol as well (...i own 3 glocks, one a compact; the other 2 are the "baby" models... a glock 27 ...40 sw and a glock 33... 357 sig....  both are double stacks...).   The reason i wanted another pistol is that i may give up my beloved sig 238 to my son and start carryin somethin like a kahr or the xds...     My overall assessment is that it is a single stack glock clone with a bit better ergonomics.   The weight seems to be about the same as my baby glocks; but the width is "just right"; and that is what makes all the smaller pistols "consealable".  It also appears to me that the xds has a bit longer grip frame than the baby glocks; that makes it a bit easier to shoot if ya have big hands (...i do...).  All that makes for a relatively more easily consealable and quick handling pistol.  In summary, i really like the xds but i couldnt come to a "deal" on it with the guy that had it; so we didnt do business.  I'm like "scrooge mcduck"; i buy at reasonable prices and i didnt think the price wuz reasonable... enough said about that, but ya get the picture.   Now to the bad news.  I've been shootin pistols most all my life, and now im a relatively old geezer (...66...).  I only in recent times "converted" from the hard kicker revolvers (...think 44 special, magnum midrange, 45 acp...) to the semiauto pistol thing; basically for the same reason that everybody else does.  That reason.... weight reduction and concealability.    I carry a pistol all the time.  If my pants are on, there is a pistol somewhere in them; either in a pocket or an iwb holster.   Weight means things in carryin a pistol; and the xds and the baby glocks are about the best ya can do and have a "real pistol".  I carry the 238 because it is lighter than these pistols by several ounces, and im confident in using it; and that's a real important thing. I aint sure that a 380 is a "real pistol" in the classic sense; but it damn sure will make ya sick if ya get the right dose of it...   I regularly shoot baby glocks in 40 sw and 357sig; and i figure the xds is in the same league.  They are reasonably hard kickers with a pretty good muzzle blast; so everyone that would shoot one needs to be aware of that; and be willing to practice enough with them to get used to that fact.   There is a fixed relationship between pistol weight and recoil.....They aint like my 380; they are gonna bark pretty loud and recoil quite a bit.....  It's managable, but it's there; and the 45 acp is gonna do the same thing.    That recoil and muzzle blast is the bane of every "baby" pistol; whether it is a glock, kahr (...which i like a lot...) an xd, or even a mini 1911; if it has a pretty healthy cartridge bein shot out of it ---- and a 45 is a genuinely healthy one ----; they all will bark and torque in your hands when ya shoot em.  A 45 acp is a relatively hard kickin cartridge in a small pistol; or even a lightweight one (...ive got a lightweight colt commander... 27 oz; heavier by about 7 or so ozs than the baby glocks...); loaded with the right stuff (...230 grain loads...); the recoil is noticeable.  Can ya learn yourself to shoot 'em?..... sure... . Can ya teach someone else to do it?...shure.... . But be advised, shootin them aint like goin out plinkin with your 22 or my 380...   Now to the point of all this bit of ramblin.  Your help in a choice of a pistol for carry and protection of yourself or one of your loved ones needs to take this sort of thing into account.   If the person that needs the pistol is a relatively new shooter; the hard kickers may not be the best choice until they gain a bit of experience with the pistol they would like to have.  Practice really means something here.  Good competent pistol shooting means shooting a lot.  You have got to be comfortable with what you are shootin and confident of hitting your target with it.  That comes with practice.    If ya look at "practice" with the apprehension of goin to the dentist to get a tooth pulled; ya probably aint gonna practice much.   I'm sure ya get the picture.... So, my council is to think about this a bit and go to places where ya can rent and shoot these pistols; then shoot em...  Even better, go shootin with your buddies that may have one.  Have the loved one or special person handle and shoot them before ya decide what to buy.   leroy

This says just about all that needs to be said about unchecked Democrat politics:   http://thelookingspoon.com/blog/88-2013/july-2013/4857-proof-democrats-are-worse-than-atomic-bombs-conservative-image-of-the-day-july-19-2013.html   leroy

TMF hit the issue square on the head.  This is the answer...  This is the root of what is being hoped for and politiced for:     The same thing wuz said in knoxville.  Its simply another hopeful attempt to make law abiding folks think twice about arming themselves and make them more apt to take a beating, rape, or a robbery without resisting.  It's disgusting.   leroy

Good Steward and whitewolf are right.  I had forgotten just where this church is.  As they have said; its right square in the middle of a place that no one (...black or otherwise...) wants to be in.   There is plenty of this sort of thing in downtown chattanooga (...and other places, includin knoxville and oak ridge -- it's goin there too....).   Theirs just happens to be located just a bit north of downtown.     The black community in chattanooga (...or anywhere else, for that matter...) is gonna have to come to the realization that they are the source of the problem instead of blaming "whitey" and everything else for their problems.  The matriarchial society and no two parent homes are major contributors to thuggism and crime in the black community; anong with the servitude that comes from the exploiting of your brothers and sisters by selling them dope, stealing from them, and raping them. The majority (...not all...) of black folks have placed themselves in voluntary servitude to the dole and their enabling masters and they are reaping a bitter harvest from that decision.   No amount of pandering and politicing by a black preacher that believes what Jessee Jackson and Al Sharpton have to say about "equality" and political action will fix that.  There's a young black preacher sayin the same thing in knoxville; he is just being a bit more careful.   These "shepherds of the flock" would do a lot better to tell their parishoners the truth; but my guess is that collections would go down once the truth of the matter wuz spoken.  I have very little confidence that they will do that.   The first step to solvin any problem is admitting what the problem is.  I have serious doubts that those involved want to face the real truth about black crime.   Black crime is a real problem; and the current bunch of jackasses in the White House and in the In-Justice department have emboldened it to some extent.   The problem aint being "profiled" and "singled out" and bein shot by "stand your ground" folks.  The problem is doin the crime to begin with and expecting everybody to put up with it.     This has made folks of all colors and creeds nervous and edgy. They are arming themselves and retreating to their homes and "safe locations".  That's a very bad thing and could have horrific consequences.   It aint been that long ago that there was pretty serious trouble in chattanooga.   Ive got friends who saw the burning and pillaging first hand..  Changing "stand your ground' law aint gonna make any difference when people feel threatened; and there are lots of folks that are beginning to feel that way everywhere.   This idiotic rhetoric by the race-baiting cottage industry could have real bad consequences.   Facing that truth is too sobering for lots of people, black and white.   leroy

Its pandering to the low information children.  Chattanooga if full of it downtown.    leroy

It just dawned on me...  Drop the guys at Cherry's Fine Guns an e-mail (...with pictures...).  they may do a valuation for ya.   leroy

I've been whatchin this one for some time.  I, like many of our brother and sister opiners here, am concerned at the "militarizing" idea.   Havin said that, i think the only solution is pressure on elected officials.    I've believed for a long time that the city police force thing has been way out of hand in lots of juristictions (...not all...) due to the fact that police chiefs are appointed and not elected. There seems to be no greater "rush" for the would be dictators and sourlands politicos and the political class (...with the possible exception of spending and looting the citizen's money....) than to have a SWAT type group of "police" at your beck and call ALA Bloomberg and Menino (...Boston...) to give the "muscle" to do whatever the machine wants.   I think one of the main reasons you have the SWAT type operation abuses (...and over-uses...) in big cities is exactly because of this.  Look at the Boston thing as a great example.  The scenes from Boston look like somethin that i saw as a kid comming from the Communist Block.   It's un-American on it's face.   This militaristic policing concept is basically un-american on it's face... It points right back to the problem that i believe is endemic to the "big cities" (...and some other locations as well...); the problem of being a "serf" and a "subject" that bows to the political class, no matter the offense or incursion on the rights of the citizenry.  There are many in the political class and in the citizenry would have you go right back to the european fiefdom model to be "subjects" rather, than retaining the american model where you are a "citizen".  It's the battle (...as my 24 year old is fond of saying...) of the "New World and the "Old World"; nothin else.     Many in the inner cities have no notion of what it means to be an American, to live in the "New World", and to enjoy the freedoms we take for granted here.  They seem to have no notion that there was a war over these very offenses that are now common.   I think this is an over-arching problem in the blue states and cities where machine politics runs everything.  But, for the most part, that seems to be what folks in those locations like...  I they like it, so be it.... Just dont bring it down here.   Sheriffs, by way of contrast, are elected, so they have to be in tune with the citizenry, so to speak.  I'll grant that there are abuses there, but there is a mechanism to handle the problem if it gets out of line.   RE:  The federal bureaucratic, alphabet SWAT thing (...FBI, INS, IRS, DEA, KGB, NSA, on and on....): Ive been waitin for one of the federal SWAT bunches to commit a heinous enough blunder (...they will, sooner or later, they always do...) to gin up support at the federal level to stop this foolishness.  This one will be a slam dunk when it goes up against the Bill of Rights (...i think...) due to the Fourth Amendment thing and the ability of congress to defund certain activities within the ABC organizations specifically.   As other have wisely opined, I think that the drug laws and the seisure laws are way out of hand everywhere; and i dont understand why some fortunate son hasnt made this a federal issue ALA the Fourth Amendment.   In sumary, i believe this one is simmering (...witness the WSJ article, in and of itself....) and may boil over if the right set of circumstances come up.  This one needs fixin, and it needs fixin bad.    leroy

Be careful who you vote for.   I would expect that you would have someone like Behan in Oak Ridge, because of the "inner city" thing and the influx of outsiders to the Oak Ridge metro area.  I am puzzled at the Maryville thing.  They usually keep things pretty sane in Blount County. Havin said all that; never overlook the obvious.  It could be about the money.  Bloomberg is passin out money, enough said....   leroy

Good shootin!  Thanks for posting the pics.   leroy

It wuz propaganda for the "core of the democrat faithful", beings of "lower estate, and the "low information children" man..... .  This is his way of softening the blow to the faithful that even the "In-Justice" department aint gonna touch this one.  It's political pandering, nothin more... . The last thing barak obama is is "presidential"; hell, he aint even pro american; and he sure aint for "justice for all".... .   They know they cant win.   leroy

Remember; its all about justice... Nothin more.... Check this out: http://moonbattery.com/?p=33470   leroy

He cant apologize for me bro; i didnt do nothin... The hell with Chris Matthews.   leroy

  HEHEHE..!!!   Keep up the good work. leroy

Related stuff.  Very interesting editorial from National Review.  RE:  Politics and influence in state (...Fla...) government.  Republican government by the way: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/353734/politics-and-justice-florida-ian-tuttle/page/0/1   leroy

I figure they are drillin a dry hole.   Nothin but pandering to their base.   leroy

I'm an old coot and ive never seen a "bad" leuopold scope.  They used to be the standard by which all others were measured; no matter the price.   leroy

Dont worry about Holder; even "king Barak" cant repeal the second amendment.  If they could've they would've.  Just keep the heat on your stinkin political class representatives and your powder dry.   Watchin (...and armed...) leroy

Check these two articles out.  RE:  "...the race problem...." and "...stand your ground...."   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323394504578608182550247030.html?mod=rss_opinion_main   http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/16/blacks-benefit-from-florida-stand-your-ground-law-at-disproportionate-rate/   Interestin read. leroy

Congratulations Mike.  I've been carryin a black handled left handed one for about a month now.  They are a great thing.   Enjoy! leroy

I had forgotten about Tiger Balm until your post re-reminded me.  The first analgesic balm i ever saw wuz Tiger Balm.  We used it when i played highschool football.  It's good stuff.  I'll have to hunt some down.   Thanks for posting this and re-reminding me! Hope ya stay better. leroy

As others have wisely opined; how is he gonna know?  Who cares about him and his panderin buddies.  Who cares whether he comes (...or goes...) anywhere.  I sure dont.    I bet his bodyguards are carryin and know about thuggery; but that is just reserved for the "annointed" and "enlightened ones"; not us rustic "crackers".   I say he's just another race baitin child.   Stevie wonder and others like him have no idea about "bad times" and discrimination, and it makes me sick to hear these jackasses bray.   Here in east tennessee (...lafollette...) there was another black artist named William Howard Taft Armstrong.  We know him today as "Louie Bluie" (...now dead...), a great jazz artist.   His early life was spent "across the tracks" where the only folks that would have anything to do with black folks were the poor italians who also worked the mines and blast furnaces with the black folks; and built the coke ovens and did the stonework for the LaFollette Iron and Steel Company (...closed in 1934, i think...).     The leading citizens of the hamlet that became lafollette told the owners of LaFollette Iron and Steel: "...You can bring them here, but we better not see 'em and we better not hear 'em...".  These truly discriminated against folks got up early, caught the LaFollette Coal and Iron Train; went to work before daylight and came in after dark, minded their business, mined the coal, built the stonework, tended the blast furnaces, made the iron, and put up with being "...not seen and not heard..."; all the while providing for and raising their families while doin it.   Contrast that to this dammed welfare driven maitriarcial society ya have today; where folks stay on the dole for generations, make babies with multiple fathers, and bitch about everything.    By the way, ole Louie said in an interview one time that the italians (...white guys...) taught him how to play the mandolin and violin.   They were the only folks that would associate with him.   Think about that one for a bit....   He had an old time band called the "Tennessee Chocolate Drops", but they couldnt make any money.  They went to Chicago, and the rest is history.   I say the hell with these overpriviledged race baiting children; but ive already said that.  They make me sick.   leroy

Ms (...?...) Corey appears to be the republican equivalent of "Mother Justice" Reno; another noted Florida Prosecuting Attorney (...from miami, i think....).  Think about it.   leroy   PS -- Thanks for takin the time to post the other articles....

Spiffy:  We used to buy trap loads by the case from Gamaliel Shooting Supply, Gamaliel, KY.  Web address here:  http://www.gamaliel.com/   They are good folks and have reasonable prices.  They have been in business for years.    My take on the reloading of shotshells thing is this.  You have to use the same components ..... period....  You cant mix federal, ww, flochi, etc etc --- ya get the picture... hulls and buy whatever components are the cheapest; it never works.    I've loaded WW trap loads (...12 gage, 2 3/4 dram... 1 1/8 oz shot, ...) loads literally by the thousands.  We had zero problems.  We used the same components (...WW Double A hulls, WW double a wads, 209 primers and Red Dot powder...).  We did all this on a humble MEC 600 jr.  If you are dead set on reloading shotgun hulls; i would sugguest that ya decide on the components and powder recipe ya like and stick with it.    Havin said that, we found that if ya count the first cost of the hulls; loaded rounds from Gamaliel were just about as cheap as the ones we loaded on the 600 jr.  After the first cost of the hulls; the reloads got cheaper.  That wuz in the early eighties.  It's been a long time since then.   leroy   leroy

The race baiters, the black injustice cottage industry, and the chicago style(....and other inner city education elites...) teachers unions have done their work well.  They have made the next generation dumber and more intolerant than its predecessor generation.  How could anyone put up with that is beyond me.    leroy

This aint exactly a "zimerman" thing; but it relates directly to the "field full of what-if" in the zimmerman affair RE: Confronting a minor. Take the time to read this post and think about it a bit: http://moonbattery.com/?p=33201   This is about a 17 year old beatin down a 29 year old policeman and killin him with his bare hands.   Here is the El Paso Times link:http://www.elpasotimes.com/tablehome/ci_21843760/teen-accused-el-paso-officers-fatal-beating-indicted   Remember, these kids aint dangerous, just misunderstood.     leroy