Refleks

One point of frustration for me is the attitude I'm seeing locally that "keep calm and wash your hands" equates to "we can stop this by washing our hands". In other words, people are thinking that as long as susan over in so-and-so county doesn't screw this up, it won't even reach my hometown and will peter out. That's not how this works. Once it spreads beyond a certain point, the best case scenario isn't "it likely won't even reach me", it's instead "this is going to get significantly worse before it gets better, and the majority of the population is likely to be exposed at some point or another, and the knob we can control is getting the fatalities down near the bottom of the estimated rates if we all do our part" which is a very different takeaway when they say keep calm and wash your hands. The cavalier attitude and bemused mood on social media is a bit disconcerting, considering an authoritarian regime with little to no individual rights to worry about was unable to prevent the pandemic despite clamping down relatively decisively (after the usual denial stage) with near draconian measures. Maybe they should have just washed their hands? Pay close attention to what's happening in Italy. New York is going to be a canary, and will set the pace for what's to come. Now of course we know that in almost every age bracket (except apparently the very young) there is a small percentage that someone will be killed by this, as with most viruses (including the Flu, to a lesser degree of lethality), particularly if they have comorbid conditions or other risk factors like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and so on. The problem is exacerbated, however, when the healthcare infrastructure is inundated with many new cases simultaneously, along with the staff becoming diminished as they get sick as well -- the end result being a certain percentage of people who ordinarily have no business dying from this under ordinary circumstances where they would receive more focused care may end up succumbing because we simply don't have the resources to help them all. That's partially in our control (through the aforementioned best practices) but realistically there's only so much we can do to ameliorate this and stem the tide of new patients when combined with lack of testing resources and the apparent ability for this virus to spread prior to showing signs and symptoms. The point being, by the time one case is actually detected in the AO (assuming we're not talking about a controlled point of entry), there are almost certainly orders of magnitude more who have been exposed over the past several days. You're late to the party if you wait till then to start wearing your respiratory protection, practice self quarantine and run to the store for last minute supplies. People certainly shouldn't panic, but it's almost always a better approach to take it seriously and err towards the side of it being a little bit worse than the Government would have you believe.

Thanks all!

From a first responder standpoint, there are a lot of lessons to be learned here from the emergency management / planning side of things. It's actually surprising to see these issues pop up now, given that this isn't our first rodeo with pandemics. Things like not relying on "just in time" logistics model for mission critical items (such as masks), considering it's obvious even to the layperson that this sort of approach doesn't hold up if there is a sudden surge in demand, a sudden collapse in the supply chain, or in this case, both. It was never meant to. It's in the interest of national security not only to maintain a sufficient stockpile of these items, but also maintain the capability to rapidly ramp up production domestically so that if our main supply route from China is no longer available, we are fully equipped to deal with a pandemic with organic assets, including surges even more significant than what we're seeing with COVID-19. Where we do have domestic production, we find ourselves sorely lacking in the manpower and facilities to meet anything beyond predicted levels of demand. Single points of failure are not uncommon -- 85% of all the worlds IV bags are manufactured in a single facility in Puerto Rico, and severe shortages occurred after Hurricane Maria. There are also additional downstream effects -- prescription drugs that we developed that may have nothing to do with this (ie, blood pressure medication, medication for those with end stage renal disease, etc) are often made in China and India to save money, and we're seeing a shortage in those active ingredients. Healthcare providers will often not simply write you an extra months prescription so you can "shelter in place" / "self quarantine" because they're more worried about you selling your drugs on the street than hardening our ability to deal with unexpected situations (including natural disasters and pandemics). With the flu season being as bad as it has been, a lot of people have already used up their sick days and there is no "national crisis" exception protecting workers from punishment in case of a pandemic on top of that. Companies are telling people they can no longer call out sick, and considering most Americans live paycheck to paycheck they can't afford to anyway. Simultaneously they are not permitted to wear a mask themselves because of dress codes and the companies desire to maintain a professional face to the customer. Coronavirus may not be that deadly to the general population, but experience in Italy has shown that the vulnerable demographics can and will still overwhelm our ability to respond to them, with the result being hospital staffing shortages, delay of routine care that would ordinarily happen in the absence of the pandemic (surgeries, cancer treatments, etc) to repurpose those assets towards expanding ICU capability and staffing. In the end, this means mortality rates that would normally be pretty low because we're able to provide focused care to those who are especially vulnerable are instead significantly higher than they ostensibly should be because we're simply don't have the assets to give everyone that same level of care we're used to when the resources aren't saturated. Some of the anecdotes coming out of there are, conservatively put, unpleasant for both the populace and provider (ie, people arresting in ICU with no interventions made) Social Media is, of course, polarizing as it is with all things. "It's the end of the world", or "it's nothing at all to be concerned with"... and like most things the truth is somewhere in the middle, and depends on your perspective. Losing a loved one can certainly feel like the end of the world, and it's cold comfort to console them with the statistics that it wasn't very likely. The economic repercussions to the global economy stemming from a single person eating a single bat on the other side of the world turns out to be immeasurable and yet to even be fully realized. Our response to this butterfly effect, a tragedy of the commons. Perhaps ameliorated if we were all on the same page, but when have we ever been? The mainstream media is no help, they've long since dropped any veneer of being unbiased and left journalistic integrity by the wayside, sacrificed at the alter of clicks, views and ad revenue so they of course continue to sensationalize everything. I'm not as upset by that I suppose because that's what I've come to expect from them, and I'd prefer too much noise to too little signal, with the recognition that we as citizens should be equipped with the judgement and experience to be able to pick the useful bits out of the din where we can. So in a broader sense, it's not Coronavirus itself, it's what it represents and the illumination it's provided on some serious cracks in our ability to effectively to respond to natural disasters, including pandemics. Upon discovering these issues I can't help but get a sense of incredulousness. Are you kidding me? Many of them are entirely preventable and were simply policy choices. To find out with trillions spent this sort of thing has been going on decades, spanning administrations.... It's common sense to even the layperson, even if just in principle, that this is not the correct approach, and it was only a matter of time until these problems were revealed, if not through corona virus than something else. There are far too many people earning a comfortable GS10 and above salary throughout Government, the CDC, FEMA, DHS for this to be a thing. Yet here we are. We've all heard "when seconds count, police are only minutes away", and I often tell people that despite our best efforts, first responders cannot be everywhere at once and so as a sovereign individual you share at least some of the responsibility for your own well being until help can arrive. Even for those who espouse the state over the individual this is the case to at least some degree, yet the very thought is met with by gawking by those who has come to be utterly dependent on the state. This experience has only reinforced my understanding that the Government, even if well intentioned, is not a monolith acting as a single entity... it's instead a big ship to steer, and getting anything done through the bureaucracy can be a real challenge, with these delays measured in lives. Penny wise and pound foolish, hundreds of millions to tens of billions in expanding and hardening domestic infrastructure for surety sake is significantly cheaper than the hundreds of billions in economic impacts that failing to do so can bring, especially considering deadly pandemics have always been a matter of when, not if. Here's a recent thread from events in Italy: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1237142891077697538.html

Watched someone take the concealed carry online course, and it raised more than a few questions. 1. Admittedly I've only seen one of these many available online courses, but based on the formatting on some of the slides it appears as though some slides were provided by the state of TN to show, implying there's a certain baseline of information the state of TN wants people to see. Presumably, private companies are able to throw in their two cents in addition to this. If this is the case and the state mandates certain slides are shown at a minimum, what is the rationale for the state of TN not simply coming up with their own course and offering it for free, such as what they did with the boaters safety course, allowing people the option to self-study and simply take the exam and print a certificate? 2. Early in one of the slides it implied that if you were found justified in using deadly force from the criminal aspect, you were also immune from civil litigation by the criminal and/or those suing you on behalf of the criminal such as the criminal's family (though you are still potentially civilly liable for innocent bystander injuries and 3rd party damages). This was my understanding per the sit-in class I took years back. However, later it seems to contradict this and says you may be subject to civil liability (implying on behalf of the criminal here, not bystander). So which is it? 3. The course said if you have even a sip of alcohol in an establishment you are of course in violation. I don't drink, but I was curious because I know some who do with the attitude that if you are under the legal BAC limit and the state considers you to have sound enough judgement to drive, then you're fine to carry. The course only mentioned drinking in an establishment, not on your own property, or carrying to a place you have a right to be after having a drink on your own property (ie, going to the store). 4. I understood the state of TN to have a safe harbor statute which stated that if you were found justified in using deadly force, you could not be charged with carrying past a no-carry sign. Is this still the case? The course didn't mention anything about it. 5. The course didn't mention anything about reciprocity at all, much less whether or not the concealed carry permit qualifies. My presumption is that it does (and is part of the reason the legislature had the initial bill changed to ensure you actually got a card for your wallet rather than just having a certificate) but that's just a presumption...

As mentioned above there is a Tennessee State Guard separate from the Tennessee National Guard, that cannot be federalized and is ostensibly under the control of the Governor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_State_Guard

Just saw a post on Facebook advertising the CCP as we approach Jan 1st So essentially people can just do an online thing, then print certificate of completion and go to DMV to pay the fee and that’s it? No shooting test? My understanding of the HCP was that it was specifically NOT a CCP so that accidental exposure wouldn’t constitute brandishing (and of course people can open carry if they like). Does that mean accidental exposure of a CCP permit would constitute brandishing? Does the reciprocity still apply (new CCP going to Kentucky for example)? What is the rationale for allowing HCP to carry in parks but not CCP? I guess I just don’t understand the point of having two separate systems...

Nice! Sweet shooting guns. The old school 941fb (compact slide, compact grip, 1911 safety) is one of my all time favorites

Anyone have any experience with these? The price on the lowers is a little steep, but I kinda like them aesthetically. Without being able to try one out though I was wondering if the ergonomics felt right or if it was just awkward in practice. Came across this modified one a while back (I think it was on ARFCOM). I don't remember who the person was, but it sure came out awesome!

12g Shockwave with Sig Brace and Minishell Adapter? Gives you 9+1 with the Aguila minishells Runs about $275 for the shotgun (Usually on sale $250 or less especially near holidays), $129 for sig brace kit, and about $20 for the minishell adapter. Recoil is mild

It's right up there with a metal shop being able to produce something like a Sten... the hysteria about it is disproportionate to the actual risk because of the media. That being said, the technology is getting less and less expensive and I look forward to the day where you might have a Metal Sintering printer in your garage alongside your belt sander and drill press... it would be incredibly useful for creative inventors who couldn't otherwise turn their dreams into reality. For example, before the FLIR Breach was released, I designed a monocular for a FLIR Boson core so I could use it at the fire station for search and rescue calls. The FLIR core could be removed and then mounted on a drone A more practical use of current generation 3d printers wouldn't be to create the firearm itself, but a blank that could be used in a mold (there are lost PLA techniques similar to lost wax techniques).

Just remove the force of law behind no carry signs and I'd be happy.

Those are sweet! I've only been brave enough to try it once (it was an already bubba'd mosin)

Definitely more attractive than the original! Interesting... and the rail built into the receiver is neat... serving as an attachment point, it would make a future aftermarket ZK-22 style bullpup conversion kit a rather straightforward thing to design from an engineering point of view...

We ended up looking at and getting a used Taurus 605 at a local pawn shop here. Shot it a bit today with some .38 special and she seems to be pleased with it with regards to the recoil, so I'll probably sell off the little Tomcat. Thank you for all the advice! I was planning on getting her a crimson trace laser grip for the Taurus, and she was fond of the idea as well -- while she is a proficient shooter on a static range (post-it note sized groups at 5 yards slow fire and good hits at 7), she doesn't get out to practice nearly enough and never under stress, so my theory is that in an actual encounter she will end up being target fixated and point shooting, so I'm thinking it could help, especially in low light and combined with aging eyes. Not that it should be relied upon 100% of course (and she'll practice with irons as well). Unfortunately, they apparently only fit the 605 made prior to 2014, and this one was made in 2017 so looks like that won't be an option. The pawn shop had a Model 36-2 lady smith that was also steel for $140 more, and it looks like it might be easier to find a laser grip for that one, so I'm considering it still

I was under the impression that in TN if a shoot was justified and you were found not guilty of wrongdoing in criminal court that you could not be sued in civil court? Was I mistaken or what does this add to that?

Thanks for the recommendations! I had never heard of the 32 Mag or the Federal so I need to do some more research. She didn't have a problem with the double action trigger, but originally said the Armscor didn't feel right in the hand and it was hefty, but after the LCR she preferred heavy to the perceived recoil of the lighter gun. Long ago her father let her shoot one of his old revolvers and so we did a google image search to see if she could remember what it was, but we weren't able to narrow it down. Probably an old Smith and Wesson of some sort. I think maybe a grip replacement might do it, but first I'll take her to some of the gun stores and let her handle some of the others recommended here

I purchased a Tomcat 3032 for my mother thinking the tip up barrel would allow her to load and unload without having to rack the slide, which she has significant difficulty doing due to age (nearing her 70s), as well as grip and arm weakness from spinal surgery and arm surgery. I took It out to the range and unfortunately out of four magazines I had two stovepipes. Maybe mag related, or ammo related (they don’t recommend hotter ammo because of their reputation for cracking the frame) but either way it turned me off to the thing because she won’t realistically be able to clear a malfunction under stress with it, so I plan on revisiting revolvers, which she seems to like and be more comfortable with. Prior to this I had gotten her an Armscor M206, simple, ugly and no frills but it worked. She shot well with it, but wasn’t entirely happy with it so we tried a Ruger LCR, but because it was so light it was quite unpleasant to shoot. She’s not carrying it (for at home) so in retrospect the heavier revolver was the better choice in this case but we had already sold it before trying the LCR unfortunately. So back to the drawing board. I’m a semi auto guy so I don’t know a whole lot about revolvers, was just going to see if I can find another Armscor and be done with it, but thought I would ask here what revolvers are decent for the money and ideally have a little heft to them that would be worth considering. She prefers shorter barrel ones.

Hell, stick a snorkel in there and that's a safe room!

Good on them. The ones they had were enough, even if just, and it beats not having them at all. They're alive to have a lessons-learned thankfully.

I've been to that restaurant a number of times, a lot of the folks there are regulars. Sad to hear, RIP

I believe my next setup will be a G19 MOS with Shield RMS red dot. The included low profile mount allows cowitness with the stock iron sights (suppressor sights not required) and the side battery tray allows it to be swapped without removing the sight.

No problem! If you guys are having an event in the middle TN area and I'm not at work I'd be glad to swing by and get some shots for you, no payment needed, though I'd never say no to burning through a little ammo

Had a lot of fun! The staff and hosts were great and let me fly!

Finally found one! Lucked out at a pawn shop, looks almost unused as well. I really prefer the frame safety but will take what I can get. Hopefully shoots as sweet as its big brother

I've looked everywhere and can not find the subcompact Jericho (all steel, no rail, frame safety) even on auction sites. The Canik Shark C and Tristar T100 look similar aesthetically, does anyone have any experience with them?