MacGyver

Good to hear you've got a solution in the works - and that it's not going to be expensive. Have a good trip.

In my line of work, we refer to those cans of air as "the spare key".

You're in dangerous waters here. A little presumed knowledge about AC is enough to really screw something up if you're not careful. Should you proceed on your own, be careful. You know, a funny thing about the Freon Police. If a tech comes to my house to service my system and lets refrigerant out into the atmosphere it's a crime. However, I just bought an gas powered airsoft rifle. One just like got confiscated up in Tacoma last year. You fill up the mag with "green gas" - bought here at Nashville Airsoft, load up 30 BB's and off you go to have all kinds of fun. I did a little bit of asking around. You know what green gas is? R-134a with a little silicone oil mixed in. Strange times we live in.

Does the compressor kick on at all? Either you can hear the clutch engage outside the car, or notice a RPM jump when you hit the AC switch?

If the compressor is engaging and will draw coolant in under its own power via the low pressure port - about $13 at Autozone. If you need to have it evacuated and refilled - assuming nothing else is wrong (no leaks) ~$150. From personal experience, I'll say that if you aren't really sure what you're doing, you can screw it up really fast. Then, it's a bunch of money to fix.

On the Eclipse, that means the compressor isn't engaging. You are likely low on 134a even though your guage showed "green" . To check it with a gauge, the compressor needs to be running, and have been running for a bit. If the system is low, then the compressor will either short cycle (you should be able to hear it from outside the car) or isn't coming on at all. If the compressor is engaging at all, you can try to add 134a yourself, otherwise, you are going to need to take it somewhere and have it evacuated and refilled. Sorry. I know it sucks to deal with this.

Nice. Congratulations.

A little research and I answered my own question.

Let's just hope that the integrity of the pipe down hole is good enough to withstand the pressure. They are going to get a lot of pressure to turn the test into a permanent solution, and giving into that could prolong this thing even more. I wonder what having the well head pressurized does to the relief well? I would seem like hitting an artery as soon as they breach the corrupted well. Let's hope they get this right!

The ESEE-5 is one of the best knives made. My early RAT-5 goes with me anytime I'm going into the field. Good luck finding the Busse.

I'll be suprised if Southwest doesn't come through here. It will be a hassle, and you'll have to deal with the mandatory bureacracy these days, but Southwest gives every employee in their company the ability to make something right when they see something that's wrong. I would bet you get at least replacement cost - though the OP did make me sick to my stomach.

You're welcome to shoot mine anytime. I'm thinking about heading to the range one night this week. I'll PM you if I decide to go. 'I think the Officer sized 1911's get a bad reputation. At least the new ones, anyway. Sure, you probably need to put some rounds through it to make sure it works for you, but that's any weapon. I think the major manufacturer Officer sized weapons are probably pretty reliable. Match up you ammo, shoot enough to be sure, and be comfortable carrying the weapon. As to the frame material, alloy is probably fine for most of us. It's certainly lighter than stainless or carbon steel. I've heard of stress cracks showing up sooner in allow framed weapons, but that's after 10's of thousands of rounds. For the average shooter, I just don't see this as a point of contention. I think most of the bias is based on "carbon steel was good enough for JMB, so it's good enough for me". If you decide on an alloy frame, feel good about it. BTW, I'd have a hard time calling that Colt of yours "sloppy" It might not be a carry weapon, but I really enjoyed shooting it.

My Hero 1911 shoots as well as any I've ever shot, and better than some of the tier 1 brands I've shot. You've put a couple of magazines through the weapon, so here's your standard of comparison. I also really like the idea of supporting a Tennessee company, and the fact that I can have a personal conversation with the builder and get it just like I want it. On the other end of the spectrum, my RIA 1911 has more slop and fit and finish is just okay, but it is a GREAT shooter. I think this really represents the 1911 as a battle proven weapon well. I think their legendary reliability is due at least in part to the fact that they still work well when they are a little loose. I think my next purchases in this space will be to start collecting some old 1911's. On carrrying, I've found with my Commander sized frame, the right holster makes all the difference. I love the DM Bullard dual carry I'm using right now.

Mine has been a toss up. I like the platform, but reliability has not been great. I think the chamber on mine is a few thousandths smaller than it should be, so it has trouble feeding and extracting some rounds. I've found that the best ammo for mine has been plain old Federal bulk packs from Wal-Mart. I expect this will smooth out after a few thousand rounds. Oh, and the 27 round magazines are a pain to load past 20 rounds or so.

I imagine the recommendation stems from the fact that some of the big four-legged stuff has a bigger trunk than the typical human. You would like to have expansion, but you have to have penetration. If you're not reaching the hydraulics of whatever you're shooting at, you may find yourself in a world of hurt. I would simply look at the area I'm going to be operating in, figure out what threats are in the area, and match up my ammo appropriately.

I think you'll love the B.A.D. lever. Since I put one on mine last year, I've really grown to like it. It's just really convenient not to have to remove your primary hand from the fire control group.

My brother in law carries the LAPG one, my dad carries the Maratac. They are both great bags. I don't know that you'll go wrong with either.

Nice. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Come January we're going to be in a race to see which event can cause the bottom to drop out of the economy first. My money says it's going to be a lot worse than the first part of this recession/depression

Here's one for cheap that I've seen in use: BAIL OUT BAG By MARATAC

Check out County Comm (countycomm.com). Several of their bags fit the bill and come in at less than $100. Be prepared to still spend that money on something else if you go to the site. I don't think I've been to that site yet where it hasn't cost me $50.

That's funny.

Congratulations on the move. Hope it goes well.

N has a little better distance profile than B or G as well. Shouldn't be a problem unless you are in a big house, but for some it makes a difference.

I've got one on a Remington 700 in .308 that I shot not too long ago out past 400. There's a lot that depends on you at that range, but if you can do it, the scope can, too.