Jamie Jackson

  Excellent choices Sir.   Dave at NSR is good people and builds quality gear.

I concur...normal the majority of the time. At least in my experience.

Keep us posted on your thoughts and impression of the Shield shotgunshooter.   What carry gear did you choose of it?

This is outstanding Spots!   You and your your father are a true asset to this community. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.   Unfortunately I will be working (as per my PM), but I will definitely make every effort to attend a future offering and I am very appreciative.   Don't hesitate on this offer folks!

I still use IMR 3031in metal cans I purchased around 90-92 ans it works great.   I use the "sniff" test in these situations as well and haven't had any problems.    That's a good friend btw.

    I too dreaded case trimming and prep. Then I took Dolomite's and others advice and picked up a Little Crow WFT for .223/5.56. Awesome tool and more than worth the price. I found it to be, for me, about 5X faster that previous methods I've used.   Here's a link to one: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/997722/little-crow-gunworks-worlds-finest-trimmer-223-remington   I only wish I had purchased one a long time ago... :wall:

Mokeybat, I respect what you are saying. And at my age physical altercations take on a whole new cautionary aspect.   Within the context of certain situations, we may not be in a position to initially access our weapons, and staying conscious and on your feet during the initial assault is paramount. There are principles and techniques that are actually pretty easily learned and practiced to help us achieve this. The ones I've been exposed to by several individuals I trust and respect stem initially from WW2 Combatives blended with FMA and refined and even more simplified.   Yeah, Todd would definitely kick my butt. LOL. But I hope to give it my best nonetheless.   You would be amazed at the ideas/techniques you can be exposed to, and hopefully assimilate into your training package, in just a few training classes with the right instructors. I'm shamelessly plugging Randy here. He knows his stuff. And can teach it.       I definitely hope to not be working the next time Spots has a training event and invites TGO members. I hate to have missed that day.   :2cents:

I'm a believer in staying alive my friend.   Obviously I'm biased and in no way mean this to be self-promoting...but Cruel Hand Luke (Randy) is one of the best instructors I've known. I contribute in only a small way, but I'm honored to do so.   I strongly encourage everyone to take some form of first aid training, the more advanced (obviously) the better. Over the past 30 years or so I have stopped along the highway innumerable times to give first aid, given first aid to friends and neighbors, and done CPR more times than I can count. I've only drawn my handgun twice.   While I've not trained with Kerry Davis nor Caleb Causey, I have trained with "Doc Gunn" under John Farnam. There are Wilderness First Aid classes available and good old American Red Cross first Aid classes in almost everyone's area. The military's Combat Lifesaver and TCCC class programs are quite good as well.   Purchase a tourniquet and learn to use it. Then carry it!   All of our local EMS services now carry CAT Tourniquets in their trucks. I've used my personally owned Tourniquets twice in our ER. We now stock CAT Tourniquets in our Trauma Rooms.   I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am passionate about this. Too many good guys and gals are lost needlessly. This can be changed with knowledge and a little effort.

As far as handgun goes, since we (as a group) cast and powder coat, I can handload 9mm for about 1/4th the price I would purchase at.   5.56 runs about $0.15 - $0.17 per round.   Components are all bulk purchased.   But I use range brass and more importantly I enjoy handloading, and have for a long time now. And I like being able to tailor the ammo to my needs and wants...   7.62x39 is much more costly as 7.62x39 brass is relatively scarce and/or expensive.   So I purchase 7.62x39. But I definitely see the need, and eventually plan to start making 300 BLK, for all these reasons.   So, at what price point? The 10 cents a round savings is worthwhile to me...more is even better.

Excellent and informative post jcs.   From your profile I see you are a Paramedic. (Thanks for your work and service first off!)   I think you and most folks in Law Enforcement may well agree that possessing Medical Skills, especially regarding Self Care / Buddy Care are often overlooked, or only considered in passing, by members of the shooting community. But they are potentially one of the most important skill sets one may need.   I don't know of any agency that will allow EMS to enter into an active shooter situation until the scene is secured by Law Enforcement...nor should that as the potential for further injuries or death is too great.   There is the old postulate of the "Golden Hour & Platinum 10 minutes". The thoughts being that one could easily succumb to their untreated wounds (i.e. bleed out)within the first 10 minutes after their injury (being shot) and that if definitive advanced medical care is reached with the first hour (60 minutes) the survival rate is remarkably high. Having the knowledge and tools available, or knowledge available to improvise said tools, helps you extend that Platinum 10 minutes, increasing your survivability dramatically.   fwiw I carry a pocket trauma kit always. It's simply an Emergency Bandage, PriMed Gauze & gloves in a plastic pouch wrapped in duct tape along with a CAT tourniquet. This kit rides in my right hip pocket and is accessible by either hand. I consider it every bit as important as my other self defense/survival tools. But even more so is the knowledge to use it.   (I admit bias as I work in the Medical field. I have spent my hard earned money on several med classes and feel it was more than worth it.)   This training, self care/buddy care, was a rarity as little as a decade ago, but is readily available by the vast majority of professional training schools and instructors these days. It truly is worth the time and money to invest on this folks.   It's also quite easy to incorporate med training into your range sessions. Best to anticipate and practice instead of trying to learn on the fly...

Thanks for posting this Spots.   The exert is from a thread on TPI (Total Protection Interactive) back it's it's first days. belisarius (Sebastian) is one of the "plank owners" of TPI, a real deal modern warrior and critical thinker. The impetus behind the thread was having a mental image of a worse case scenario in order to motivate and focus your training. So, obviously, if you envision training to hold your own, and even match, the abilities of a "Todd" you will certainly stand a much better chance against your everyday street thugs. Now that is probably quite obvious to most folks reading this thread, but I felt compelled to mention it nonetheless as I was a member on TPI and participated, in a very small way, in the original thread. I was very blessed to have known and trained with several TPI members. You'd appreciate them Spots, as they would your abilities and dedication to martial training.   Dave makes many excellent points. I too am in my 60's, and while the mantra of "Sweat dries, blood clots, and bones heal" is true..it sure the hell takes a lot longer these days... :mad:   As Dave said "We tend to underestimate thugs", True...and sometimes we over-estimate our abilities. It's part of being human I guess. Our best course of action is avoidance when possible. But we still should strive to elevate our skills (awareness included) to the highest level possible...and hope for a bit of luck along the way.   Thanks again for posting this Spots, and for sharing your knowledge with the community Sir.

Yeah, I've found CCI to be one of the harder primers I've used...and I've the majority of 'em.

Very nice willis. Thanks for the pic.   Man...those are great looking pieces!

    You know...that's kinda what I envisioned. :dropjaw:

Great setup!   btw...How do you carry the Range 37?   Just curious... :nervous:

Congrats on raising a great kid and on being a great parent. Kinda goes hand in hand imho.. :pleased:   Happy Birthday to your son.

Another vote for SGAmmo and Sportsman's Guide. Consistently competitive pricing, fast shipping, and quality customer service.

Thank you for posting this ehull. And Good on you and the missus for taking the class! :cheers:   A solid foundation is essential and something most of us would find of great benefit, as a new shooter or for an experienced shooter to revisit from time to time.   You make a good point in that professional training does give us foundational skills that we must then work to develop and ingrain.   Thanks again.

They are fine good quality primers. I too like Federal, but Winchester is a close second.   That said, we've used quite a few Tula and Wolf (many thousands) without any problems   ...except the friggin' lead free Tulas...I hate lead free primers! LOL...I was shooting some of the LF primer loads today...excellent for malfunction practice. :wall:

Very good post tacops.   I especially appreciate your recommendation for professional training. Far too many folks view their firearm as a talisman and/or think because they've played Call of Duty or watched shootouts on TV that they are GTG. Reality vs Fantasy/Unreality...   We are blessed here in TN to have quite a few quality training venues available to us...like our own Randy Harris aka CruelHandLuke as well as many other nationally recognized trainers being hosted in our state. Professional quality training is probably the most important investment we could choose to make.   Thanks for taking the time to post this.

That's pretty much the going price for benchrest primers Dolo.   iirc the CCI benchrest at Proneshooter's run $55.00 or so. But they have Tula small rifle at about $27.00/1000...Tula work fine for my needs, but I'm just making "shooting ammo" most of the time. I have some benchrest primers set aside for development of truly accurate loads should the need arise.

Dang! That's impressive.

    Good folks at ProneShooter's. Beats the heck out of hazmat as well. :cheers:   http://www.proneshooter.com/catalog.php?category=107673

Thanks Mark.   I didn't realize volume 7 had been released yet. Just ordered it.   I gave the previous books in the series to another TGO'er... the info and entertainment is too good not to share.   Link in case anyone is interested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0996696016?qid=1457022751&ref_=nav_signin&s=books&sr=1-1

I own a 26 and a 9mm Shield.   TNWNGR and monkeylizard pretty much summed up my thoughts on this.   I carry AIWB and I'm wearing my Shield as I type this.   I also carry my G19 AIWB, most of the time actually, and find that the longer barrel length of the 19 vs the 26 allows a more secure and stable carry in my chosen method. As I'm sure most of you know, the length of the barrel isn't difficult to conceal and with IWB carry the longer barrel will actually help stabilize the carry through better leverage at it's pivot point, the belt/holster.   I find the 26 easier to control in rapid fire than the shield...but that's kind of subjective as I have thousands of more rounds down the 26 than I do the Shield, as this point.   Being able to use my spare G 17 mags is also a big plus for the 26. I did carry the 26 as a backup, off side OWB holster, for several years and it served that role well. In my current environment and life I don't find the need as great and utilize other options.   :2cents: