Darrell

I wonder how much it would cost to open a primer manufacturing facility. Wowzer! $400 a case for primers. Who'd a thunk it?

Scary stuff! Cumberland county, where I live, is a Second Amendment Sanctuary, and I doubt there'd be any immediate enforcement of such nonsense, but thinking down the road 20 years or so...... not good news!

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/01/10/joe-biden-doubles-down-pledges-defeat-nra/

Watch any one, the rest are about the same thing.

He also seems to think it's a bad thing that a semi-auto, particularly AR-style rifles, will hold up to rapid fire. A lot of us have purchased that style of rifle specifically for self-defense. He argues that an AR isn't good for self-defense, but I choose to make my own decisions when it comes to the safety of my family and me.

I think they can. I taught two women (friends of my wife) to shoot when both had previously been anti-gun. Both had fun shooting at and popping balloons, like you'd set up for a little kid, and I think the heavy emphasis on safety impressed them both. If and when you take those new folks spend some time on safe handling before you load a round, make sure they understand how careful we "responsible gun owners" are, and give them a way to be successful in their first outings. Big targets, short ranges. And keep an eye on them! No matter how much you preach safety, a newbie is likely to need some reinforcement. I'm not entirely convinced all those new gun sales went to new owners. I'm pretty much always in the market for something interesting, and I can tell by the postings here that I'm sure not alone in that.

Thanks for that link, party. That's the first time I've read that particular article, though I've seen similar. That article is full of the kind of "facts" that I think the MSM will push. Further, I believe that it will become harder to argue against that kind of argument as social media giants have begun to censor views with which their owners disagree. I'm much more worried by what the media, including social media, is getting away with now than with who is in office. There's a reason why the Soviet Union, communist China, Nazi Germany, North Korea, etc., keep (or kept) such tight control over the media.

No one "deems" it false. It's false. Spreading disinformation and misinformation is wrong. Unfortunately it seems a huge portion of our population cannot identify either. Are these statements true or false, Daniel?: No one needs a high capacity magazine. Weapons of war don't belong on our streets. The Second Amendment was written when people carried muskets. No one needs an assault rifle to hunt. An AR-15 was designed to kill lots of people quickly. Etc., etc., ad nauseam.... I would consider any of those "spreading disinformation." You might think all are chiseled in stone. My point, as I really believe you understand, is that I do not want anyone arbitrating the truth for me. I don't think you do, either.

Are you okay with Twitter or Facebook deciding you shouldn't see a post because someone on their staff DEEMS it false? I subscribe to neither, but I'd prefer to hear opposing viewpoints and decide for myself, thank you.

You might think about a plug kit, too. They're cheap at HF, and can save you a lot of grief. Heck, if the tire has a nail in the tread you just plug it and carry on. I bought a nice mushroom plug kit on-line and it's been a good purchase. I have a plug kit and CO2 cartridges on my touring bike, but I don't think the cartridges would work well with a car tire. Good luck!

I bought a 12vdc model from HF, and while I wouldn't use it every day, it works well in the kind of situation you describe. https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-150-psi-compact-air-compressor-63184.html I bought mine to carry on a cross-country trip, but never needed it. Still, it's compact, has a carry bag, and comes with everything you need. It definitely gets hot when filling a big truck tire, and like all HF tools you take a risk. $70 and HF has 20% off coupons, so figure $56 plus tax.

I moved to TN from WA two years ago, not least because of the politics there. WA has one of the most pro-gun ownership constitutions in the country, and has long had a population of blue-collar, independent folks, many of whom love to hunt and fish. But over the past 20 years or so that culture has slowly changed. Not long before I moved new laws were passed that required "universal" background checks, meaning that EVERY firearms transaction now must go through an FFL. If I wanted to loan a rifle to my brother for a hunting trip, I'd be required to take it to an FFL and have it transferred to him, then we'd have to go back again to transfer it to me when he's done with it. New laws in WA require "safe storage" and it seems that at every legislative session more restrictions are proposed. Politics is opportunistic. Right now the anti-gun forces have a lot going for them. They control two of the three branches of government, and probably most importantly, they control the press. The past five years have proved to me that the press is willing to mislead and outright lie about conditions in our nation. The left also controls the social media giants, which have shown a willingness to suppress political speech they deem false or harmful. I hope Erik88 is right and I'm wrong, but I expect to see a strong assault on gun rights, and very soon. After all, how can any of be opposed to "common sense gun safety"? The first I look for is repealing the legislation that protects gun manufacturers, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. It will be pretty easy to bleed the manufacturers dry with multiple law suits.

I take a look at the NY Times website every morning, along with several other news sites, and I noted that this morning there's a front-page link to an article by Gabrielle Giffords, the former representative who was shot and now [figure]heads an anti-gun group. The article only touches on gun-control, but Giffords mentions Biden's "vision" for a safer America. Biden isn't yet sworn in, and already the anti-gun probes and preparation are beginning. Democrats will shortly hold the presidency, the house, and the senate. Stand by for an onslaught against our Second Amendment right. Personally, I'm very concerned.

Good point, but my comment was based on the actual citation I read. And this was WWI, when conserving the lives of their own men was hardly a concern of the men in charge. "American Caesar" a biography of Douglas McArthur is quite a tome, but it's worth reading. The accounts of WWI actions were eye opening, to say the least.

A little off-topic here, but I recently visited the grave of Milo Lemert, a Medal of Honor winner buried in Crossville. My father and many uncles and great uncles served, and I did a hitch in the Corps, so I respect military service, but while I read Sgt. Lemert's citation it struck me that he was being honored for killing a lot of men, and then being killed. While there can be no doubt of the man's bravery, it seems a terrible thing to me that we as a society place such emphasis on war and killing. And I started to wonder about the political purpose of military awards. While I'm sure that they recognize outstanding actions, they also serve as a propaganda tool, helping to encourage impressionable young men to volunteer to go and do the dirty work of elderly politicians who'll never sleep in the mud or hear a shot fired in anger. How sad that human beings who can build great cities and travel to Mars still kill each other with such frequency. But more to the point: Chuck Yeager, who just recently died, is one that I admire greatly. Beside his combat experience and helping to bring a wounded fellow combatant to safety from behind enemy lines, he made huge contributions to aerospace while knowing that every time he strapped one of those experimental planes on he risked a firey death. He was flying experimental planes at a time I was imagining flying the X-15 while swinging during recess.

Thanks for the inputs. The Celestron looks pretty good, and I see that the Athon Talos is being closed out for about $150. I have an Athlon scope that I like a lot. And I have a Barska scope that outperforms it's price-point. I saw a used Swarovski for just $10,000.

Anyplace that ONLY accepts payment in bitcoin is a scam. There was a site that offered firearms for sale at very low prices and everything was in-stock, but only bitcoin. They even had a place where you could go and buy bitcoin with your credit card. There is no recourse at all if you pay with bitcoin and get nothing. It's money down the drain. I think we'll see more of this kind of thing with the current shortages of ammo and components. It doesn't cost much to set up a web-site, and if the actual locations is Russia or China, there's no way for LE to get to the bad guys. Darn it! I can use some primers.

So I was at the range today zeroing a new rifle and I find that my old eyes just aren't able to see bullet holes at 200 yards anymore, even with a pretty good rifle scope. I guess it's time to get my hands on a spotting scope. I'm interested in hearing of your experiences with budget-prices scopes, say under $250. Is it possible to buy a decent scope in that price range?

Juries surprise me with regularity.

Interesting. Thanks for the link. And what a shame! I saw a YouTube video recently in which a young woman was walking away from a judge in his court room and flipped him off. He called her back to the bench and sentencd her to 30 days.

I believe you're wrong (though I am no scholar of constitutional law.) The Supreme Court has ruled that "fighting words" are NOT protected by the 1st Amendment: "Fighting words are, as first defined by the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) in Chaplinsky v New Hampshire, 315 U.S. 568 (1942), words which "by their very utterance, inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. It has been well observed that such utterances are no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value as a step to truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality." Fighting words are a category of speech that is unprotected by the First Amendment. Further, as seen below, the scope of the fighting words doctrine has between its creation in Chaplinsky and the Supreme Court's interpretation of it today. and Texas v. Johnson (1989) In Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), the Supreme Court redefined the scope of the fighting words doctrine to mean words that are "a direct personal insult or an invitation to exchange fisticuffs." In the case, the Court held that the burning of a United States flag, which was considered symbolic speech, did not constitute fighting words.` HOWEVER: Whether or not flipping someone off constitutes "fighting words", it's coarse and unseemly and will NEVER result in conflict resolution. Civil society requires a degree of civility, doncha think? Using such a gesture is definitely a step in the wrong direction in most any situation.

Those of us who choose to carry need to be mindful of situations like MarkS's. Perhaps we need to be just a little more tolerant of the actions of others when we're armed. I'd hate to shoot anyone for something that began as trivially as a dispute over right of way. Almost all of us have made some bonehead error of judgement while driving. The older I get, the more tolerant I am when someone else does something stupid, knowing I've probably done something worse. You can bet that had MarkS pulled the trigger he would have been sued, and whether or not he'd won, the legal fees would have been significant. And the political implications for all gun-owners are considerable, too. Like Omega, I hope that passenger had a epiphany when he saw a firearm pointed at him, and perhaps next time he'll refrain from jumping out of a car to confront someone. MarkS might think hard next time about flipping off someone. The lesson I take from this situation is that small, thoughtless actions can lead to the most severe consequences. My dad used to tell me not to sweat the small stuff, and I guess that was pretty good advice.

From the Tennessee government web site: All Tennessee residents and businesses must pay use tax when the sales tax was not collected by the seller on otherwise taxable products brought or shipped into Tennessee. The use tax applies to all items otherwise subject to sales tax except for services and amusements. So, since you (I presume) do not have a tax number, then it's the buyer's responsibility to pay a use tax. Of course I ALWAYS go and pay when I buy an item from a private party.

Just a thought here. Had you not flipped the guy off, would the rest of the scenario have played out as it did? I'm generally a pretty calm man, but having someone say "FU" to my face, through words or gestures, really, REALLY ticks me off. Frustrations can be high in heavy traffic, and sometimes a simple thing like waving the guy on by, right of way or not, can diffuse a situation such as you describe. FAR better, in my opinion, to avoid the confrontation in the first place. A honked horn is one thing, a bullet in the chest another. Mind you, I am NOT excusing the passenger's actions. If someone tries to get into my car my reaction will be similar to yours, but what I am saying is that your gesture contributed.

I just read an article on Breitbart that says that California has the worst Covid breakout in the US, and yet they have some of the tightest restrictions. I have some family there and the rules in California are FAR tighter than they are here. I think that the population is a lot more prone to participate in social distancing, restricted gatherings, and mask-wearing than they are here, too. There's something going on that we're not being told. I tend to believe that the epidemiologists have information that they deem the unwashed masses unready to hear. I'll take the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. I take the flue vaccine every year, and I don't see this as much different. I note that the new cases and deaths in Cumberland county appear to be edging downward. I hope that trend holds.