Malice4you

You could be be like me earlier today and have a wild squirrel just jump on you...

Sorry anyone on a phone or slow computer.... and sorry if you're not in any pics, I know I missed at least a few of us...

My relatives have two...one I swear is one of the vibrating retards that barks and snarls at everything and nothing...the other is a sweet little dog that is a joy to be around and play with... I'd happily own the latter dog... It is a terrible situation and I feel sorry for the owner (and the dog, of course)...it's a painful situation to lose your pet, even worse when a young and healthy pet dies unexpectedly...

The P22x line has been pretty high since I became interested in guns - my P226R was $825-850 2 1/2 years ago, and that was the most basic model with standard sights...the night sights add $50-75 to most Sigs, and then the higher-spec models like the Elites often adding another $100-200...throw in some crazy panic pricing, and it's pretty easy to see Sigs at $1k+. However, do some searching either through the forum price request, or online via sites like gunbroker or CDNN, and you might find a good price (CDNN had used 229s recently for $5-600 IIRC). My 226 is the standard, old style grips, but a friend has the P229e2, and I agree with the poster above about the P229 'working' with the e2s, while preferring the classic grips for the p220/6/8. I'm currently most lusting after a P220 Elite Dark, but I plan to own most of the P22x line eventually. I currently own 4 Sig pistols. And, for a budget Sig, the Sig Pro 2022 is a good shooter. It is a polymer frame pistol that fits your hand well... I like my Glock 23, and carry that occasionally, but when I switch back to my SP2022, it just fits like a glove... Good luck with your future 229

That is pretty awesome....and they seem like they could be a fun project for next to nothing... The bottom one is magazine tube fed, right? If I get a bolt shotgun, I'd prefer that...I never liked the idea of magazine-fed bolt shotguns, so I always discounted them...but a tube-fed bolt makes me much more interested... Where do you find these? I've got to imagine gunbroker, with shipping and FFL fees, would be well over $100 overall...

Technically, you can still buy more than one a month, only you have to do more paperwork and know exactly what you're getting.... OGAM went into effect at least a year or two before I got into shooting, so I never had the pleasure. Not that I could have afforded more than one a month anyway... It is mildly depressing to read old magazines with ads for guns from $5-10, or others with guns I'd love to be able to own and can't in this state...or even to read online posts from 5-10 years ago about ammo prices... And, I'm going to miss Futurama

A lot of places measure light output from off the led chip itself. Good manufacturers measure light output out the front (of the light). I'm not sure what you're doing where you need 600+ lumens for an edc light - very rarely do i feel the need to use that setting on my m21 - but a pocketable AA powered light with 600+ lumens is imo a compromised light, reflector likely will be too small and i dunno if AAs will drive these high lumen lights well/long. I have owned some cheap led lights from China, even edc one for a few years with 100% reliability, but all my generic flashlights are now stashed places so i can just grab one if i can't get to my edc or its in other pants or whatever. And for what its worth, as i sit here with no power, i have olight flashlights on me...

I've gotten to be a big Olight fan, with an M21, M20, M10, T20, S10, i3, and I'm probably forgetting some others. My former EDC was the T20, and I just replaced it with an M10 Maverick. The T20 is an incredibly thin light considering it is 2x CR123/ 1x 17670 compatible. The M10 is a single CR123 light. My T20 is a few years old, but still outputs a peak of somewhere over 220 lumens, and has 5 output levels. Batteries last a long time in it, despite heavy use. The M10 outputs 350, 80, or 5 lumens, and I use it often at 80 and 350, and I'm still on my first battery. I got it September 23rd. If you get a CR123 light, make sure it can use RCR123s (rechargeable). Most LED lights these days should be able to use them, but they are a higher voltage (3.7v normally, but as much as 4.2v when freshly charged) than a standard non-rechargable (3v). They WILL BURN OUT the incandescent bulb in any non-LED flashlight (or damage other electronics not designed for higher voltages, i.e. cameras). You can get kits including a cheap charger and 2-4 batteries, or a smart charger separate (I have a NiteCore i4 charger, and a few cheap kit chargers.) Rechargeable batteries work well and I have been using them for 5 years. You might also look into protected cells, which have a controller that cuts the battery if it gets to too low a voltage, which damages the battery. Downside is, it cuts the battery output if the voltage drops too low, so you can't use the light. You can also get non-protected cells, which will act like a normal battery, but you need to keep aware of the voltage (when the light starts getting dimmer, recharge the battery). I have both types, but 90% of mine are protected. The price savings make it worth any 'hassle' (and there is rarely a hassle anyway) to me. I proactively recharge/change out the battery on my EDC light every 2-4 weeks, depending on how often it is used. Some 2x CR123 lights also can use a single double-length "17670" or even "18650" battery, which are higher mAh than individual CR123s. If the light is designed for the battery, they will last 2-4 times longer than a 123. I'd suggest further research on these if you go this route, as not all lights will fit or work with these, especially 18650s. Good luck, hope this helps.

THAT would be a reason to get a library card...I can't remember the last time I had to go to a library, but it was likely work-related, covering an event... A 3D printer available to use would be awesome... I kinda wanna go to a maker event one day, once I have some more experience with the design programs...

That video was very interesting to watch, though I am slightly disappointed they did not include some fairly common things: .22LR or other rimfire cartridges in the first set of tests (especially drop); sealed metal ammo cans in a fire; and guns/magazines in the fire, where nothing was in the chamber, but a few rounds were in magazines (including a shotgun with rounds in the mag tube)... Those are situations where I'm guessing things might be more dangerous, and would have liked to know more about these situations once and for all...

I run Mobil 1 on my Mercedes, usually changed every 7-8k instead of the 10k in the manual. I've got 186k on the clock and still running just fine. I would suggest Mobil1/synthetic for most new cars, but I probably wouldn't suddenly start using synthetic in a car over 90k miles unless it had always run synthetic. I'd consider a synthetic blend or high mileage oil, but it might be better to just do conventional and more changes, and probably cheaper...Blends are usually only about $1 less than full synthetic, and still about $2-3 more than conventional per quart. I miss the days when Pep Boys used to put Mobil1 on sale...

Should be there, likely +1 or 2

Back in the days or yore, when ammo was 'cheap' and bountiful, I'd often go through 400-900 rounds of .22LR in a single day. Centerfire, I typically go through fewer than 150 rounds per caliber in a day... I usually bring one or two centerfire calibers and then finish a day off with some .22LR plinking... ...I miss those days

In the colder months, maybe once every month to even every other month....summer will vary, but usually 1-3 times a month. I haven't gone nearly as much this year as I'd like, due to the inability to replenish all the ammo I'd use...so I've gone to shotgun shootouts as a range day instead of going and using all my rifles and handguns... It never feels like enough....

I've covered National Night Out (I think that's what it's called, it's been a few years) for newspapers a few times. Various police departments have booths set up, and families are invited to come out and interact. There are photo IDs done for kids, some cop cars and firetrucks outside, presentations on why drugs are bad [mmmkay?], various other booths about police functions, and some guns laid out that kids can handle. Without an exception, every firearm that a kid is allowed to handle that I witnessed, their finger went right onto the trigger. I've also been stressed that chambers were not left open (though this is likely due to someone handling the guns). [On the plus side, the last one I went to, I got to fondle an XM110.] Kids are inquisitive and will emulate behaviors they see... TV and movies glamorize guns without necessarily showing consequences. Games allow you to get 'shot' and 'die,' but then you get that second life or come back next round... A kid that doesn't know anything about guns will pick a gun up and immediately put a finger on a trigger, because that's how they do it on TV and in movies. Without someone who can teach the proper ways beforehand, or at least correct this behavior, there are going to be tragedies that are 100% preventable. Schools absolutely should train the basics to every single student, without any exceptions. Parents that object...their kids are probably at greatest risk...since those kids will not normally be exposed to firearms. As has been mentioned, this likely won't happen as too many parents are irrationally afraid of guns, without realizing that a lack of experience is one of the biggest risks to everyone... It's a shame, because all it would take is a cop or two or NRA instructor to go classroom to classroom and do a quick presentation... A lot of schools have a safety officer these days, so there is already someone in the school who is likely capable of teaching the kids, as well is someone they can trust and go to in the future if there is some kind of potential problem. But hey, it's much easier to just suspend a kid for making a slightly gun-shaped Pop-Tart than admit that kids are fascinated by guns....

Unless I missed another picture, the mags look taped together to me. I'd have overlapped the mags a bit more personally... It's certainly a disturbing article, and I cannot imagine going through a day of that, let alone everything being a daily occurrence...

"I couldn't stop for you officer, I felt that pulling over wasn't a 'reasonable deviation,' and I was afraid of being arrested!" There are a few red arrows around here that some people will stop for, then go through....other people will sit there for the entire light...so apparently a lot of people don't know or don't care about the laws... That said, some of them are at intersections that might see a couple hundred cars a day, so it is annoying to have to sit through a light when no one else is driving within a half mile...

Spyderco Sharpmaker kit is around $50, a bit steep perhaps, but it is one of the best sharpening kits out there and will sharpen both plain and serrated edge blades. Basic kit includes a set of medium and a set of fine rods. Once you've mastered it, you can get most blades sharp pretty quickly with this kit. Besides that you aren't ruining the blade like some cheap sharpeners, you can sharpen knives at different angles (say, kitchen knives), and even tools if you're so inclined. I've had my kit for 5-6 years, sharpened probably over 1000 times using the kit... This is less than I paid for my kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPYDERCO-KNIVES-TRIANGLE-SHARPMAKER-KNIFE-SHARPENER-NEW-IN-PACK-GREAT-SALE-PRICE-/120937426197?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item1c286ead15 Spyderco also makes diamond rods for taking a lot of material off quickly, and ultra fine rods for a further refined edge...however neither of these are required, just useful if you do a lot of sharpening. As for a pocket sharpener, I have used a DMT folding sharpener in the past with decent results. Only downside is it cannot sharpen serrated blades. I know Sears has/had them before, mine are Craftsman branded. I believe this is the same thing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DMT-F70F-Diamond-Mini-Sharp-Whetstone-Sharpener-Pocket-Size-Fine-Grit-/271265579526?pt=US_Knives_Tools&hash=item3f28b04206 As for your Wave itself...I hardly use my Wave's blades, but they are the best 400 series blades I've ever used...including for edge holding... However, under heavy use, I've never been especially happy with any 400 series steels I have used... I dunno how you're using yours, but you might consider an additional knife with a better steel for cutting tasks if you're not happy with the edge retention of the Wave. You also get the benefit of much faster access with a pocketknife, if you carry the Wave in the pouch it comes with (like I do). For knives designed for emergency responders (and featuring serrated only blades), look into Byrd Rescue models ($20-35), or Spyderco Rescue 79 ($~55), Rescue 93 ($~65), or Assist ($~75) models. For a more general purpose blade, most Byrd models ($15-35), the Spyderco Delica ($~55), Endura ($~65), Tenacious ($~40), or Native ($~60) offer plain edge and some offer combo edges. The Byrds and Tenacious use a decent inexpensive steel (8Cr13MoV), which sharpens and holds an edge easier than 400 series steels do. The Rescue 79/93, Assist, Delica, and Endura generally use VG10 steel, which is a much better steel for edge retention taking an edge quickly. The Native usually uses CPMS30V, a good steel that takes a little more effort to sharpen than VG10, but holds an edge well, perhaps even better than VG10. Hope something in this post helps...

Resurrecting this...and I haven't added anything I can think of since the shuttle flyby... I had a visitor this afternoon...

The Generation 3 teleconverters from both Canon and Nikon are supposed to be significant upgrades from the gen1 and to a lesser extent, gen2 TCs. TCs typically 'dislike' any 'cheap' zoom - most lenses under $2k won't give enough detail to get optimal quality when combined with a TC. TCs are really designed for primes anyway, and when paired with my 400 2.8L IS, I am always happy with the results. The Sigma 300-800 5.6 does not like the 2x nearly as much as my 300 2.8/400 2.8...but shines with a 1.4x. I would beg to differ on the digital uprezzing with my cameras (D800E may be different?)...any IQ loss due to use of a 1.4x or 2x is negated by the ability to bring the subject that much closer...counting individual strands on a bird's feathers comes to mind... Also, teleconverters are a hell of a lot cheaper than the next fast long lens I could get...I'm already at 800mm f/5.6, the longest focal length/fastest lens I can realistically get...so to go to 1000mm f/5.6 (Sigma 200-500 2.8 and matched 2x), I'd be in the $28k category... ...I do need to add a 600 f4 though...

Nice, which 500 were you using? I haven't shot the moon in a while...but these are a few from years ago... Canon 1D II N Sigma 300-800mm 5.6 EX and Canon 1.4x II teleconverter (1120mm focal length) 1/400th f/11 ISO800 Canon 1D II N Sigma 300-800mm 5.6 EX and Canon 2x II Teleconverter (1600mm focal length) 1/20th f/18 ISO800 I've messed around with using all my teleconverters, and have shot at focal lengths up to 6400mm (I believe the moon is larger than the frame at that point), but sadly, stacking four teleconverters does not exactly give good image quality...or much light (6,400mm, f/44 wide open...). It is interesting to watch the moon move through the viewfinder at incredible speed with that high magnification though...as long as you don't accidentally touch, breathe on, or look at the lens and/or tripod.

Click the "Model" dropdown. The standard model is the H001, the golden boy is apparently the H004. Appears the H001 version is in stock, and it allows me to add it to my cart...

Perhaps not especially helpful...but for size comparison... Delica4's are the 1 blue + 2 pink on the top of the 4th column Dragonfly Tattoo is 4th from top of the 5th column, above the orange Dodo. Size should be damn close to the Dragonfly II Pink [Jester], Green [Jester], and Yellow [Ladybug Hawkbill] near the bottom of the 5th column all use the same handles as the current Ladybugs I tend to prefer a larger knife, but I would feel perfectly comfortable using a Dragonfly sized knife. I often rotate what I carry, typically a Military, Manix, Caly 3.5, Nishijin R, Spyker, Paramilitary, Tasman Salt, Rescue, Dodo, or Ladybug Hawkbill. Dodo (6 on the right column, orange, CF, CF, blue, blue, black) has a huge, comfortable handle, but a blade barely larger than that of a Ladybug. I dunno if you're worried about blade length, or overall size, but a Dodo is a VERY controllable knife. It looks strange, but it works very well. Downside is they are only doing spirit runs these days, and they are harder to come by. If I feel a clip is too loose, I often take the clip off and angle it with some pliers so it is tighter. Has worked well for me so far...