Donnie

Most of the time when I'm carrying off duty, I don't have my badge on my belt. The only time that I wear my badge is when I want my presence as a LEO known in certain circumstances. I keep it in my pocket just in case, but for the most part I CCW just like anyone else. Personally I think that the CCW badges are not a good idea. Picture this - You're walking out of your local grocery store and some old lady just got her car jacked. Her car and the assailant are already out of the parking lot and speeding off. She sees you with a badge and a gun and automatically assumes that you are a LEO. She wants you to help her, but all you can do is give her your cell phone and tell her to call the cops.

+1 on the Gold Dots.

I would take the advise of others here as to renting as many guns you can and shoot them. A gun should be a personal decision. You need to think long and hard about what you want this gun to do for you. If it's going to be a concealed carry gun, then it needs to be lighter and smaller than a range only gun. As far as it being your first gun, I personally would look for a 9mm rather than a larger caliber. Reason being is that it's cheaper to shoot and has less recoil. Take your time and make a good decision on what you feel is the best gun for you. Any of the larger name gun manufactures make good guns. There are some good buys out there on guns that only have a couple hundred rounds through them and cost alot less than a brand new gun. Shop around and you'll be happy.

Back on topic. In the last calender year, I have traded off a Kimber Eclipse for an AR, traded a Kahr PM9 for a Sub-Compact XD, bought a Kel-Tec P3AT for the wife and then traded it for a Kel-Tec P32 for her, traded off a shotgun and the Sub-Compact XD for a 1911, traded that 1911 for another 1911. There was alot of boot exchanging hands as well as firearms the last year for me.

To me, people that want professional training and get it are fine. People that don't want professional training and do it themselves are fine as well. There are people that want professional training but can't afford it, and they're fine too. The problem I have is with people that buy a brand new gun and decide to carry it without even putting 50 rounds through it to make sure it's reliable. A person needs to practice their firearms skills. Whether it's at a formal trianing school, the local range, or in your backyard, a person must keep their skills sharp and make sure that the gun that they use will actually work each and every time they need it to and put the bullets where they need to go. Oh, and I'm not a complainer either.

Yep. I've come upon a couple people with the CCW badges and a couple security guards wearing thier badges on their belts. Makes me fear for my life right there on the spot. I had one guy ask me where I got my badge at when my shirt blew open one day. It was different than his and he liked it, well until he took a closer look at it and figured out that it was real

What Dog needs is one of the new Kimber pepper spray "guns".

Hope everything turns out OK. You have our thoughts and prayers.

I'm all over this one when it comes out. I love going to the Montana Drive in. We hardly ever go to the theaters any more. Double features at half the price of a regular theater.

James, are you going to take pictures of the TGO class and put them up on this thread??

where's that popcorn eating icon when you need it.

I'm not too far from Fayetteville, I'll ask some local gun people about it.

I have a friend that took your fighting rifle course a couple years ago. He has nothing but good things to say about your program. I for one am looking foreward to the TGO pistol class at the end of May.

well, there ya go, posted at the same time.

You will probably have to call the Department of Safety in Nashville. I don't have their number, but your paperwork should have the number listed on it somewhere.

I'm open to new methods of training, for the most part, but I don't see myself doing the point shooting like you describe. I practice my close retention shooting, but with my trigger finger on the trigger. I don't feel comfortable with adjusting my grasp on the gun if more shots need to be fired. In a stressfull situation, you WILL fall back on your training. If you train in multiple draws, which one will you actually do in different situations where you don't have time to think? I've talked to a couple firearms instructors for the police department that have told me of actual officers that experienced a jam in a real gunfight in the field. They stopped and held their hand up, like on a firing line. It was their training taking over. We don't train like that. I'll train the way that works for me. If point shooting with your trigger finger works for you, then have at it.

Registered, see y'all at the end of May.

One more question. I've got about a 3 hour drive to get to Camden from here. I know that we can stay in the "team room" on Saturday night, but what about Friday night??? I'm planning on leaving on Friday night and arriving around 10pm and staying in the area so as to be rested up for Saturday morning's activities. Are you allowing people to stay there on Friday night as well, or is it just for Saturday night?????

I'm definately going.

.357 Sig is $260 for 1000 rounds

I've heard that Magpul is going to start producing a polymer magazine that is just about industructable. Some friends went to the shot show and talked with them. The price is right on them as well at about $15 and they are supposed to start making them in the very near future.

OK, I just talked to Joe Lundberg at Heor Gear about bulk ammo. He has Atlanta Arms Ammo, which is factory reloaded once shot brass. It's pretty good stuff and I use it for target shooting. It comes in 50 round boxes. He said to let him know a couple weeks in advance in order to be able to get it. Bulk pricing for ammo is: 9mm - $195 per 1000 .357 Sig - $260 per 1000 .40S&W - $245 per 1000 .45acp - $280 per 1000

Go ahead and count me in for sure. A good friend runs a gun shop here and I can see if he'll cut us a deal on bulk ammo. What caliber and how many thousand of each do we need??? I need 1000 rounds of .45acp.

My property (outside Cowan). I'll have a proper shooting range set up there in a couple months once I get done building my house. I occasionally shoot IDPA up at Mid TN Shooters in Manchester (behind Terry Walden's gunsmithing shop)

I do believe that they have a full size SC in stainless where I got mine. Hero Gear is the shop (931) 967-4376. Talk to Dan or Joe and tell them Donnie sent you.