bbk

I don't think what Ken said is tinfoil-worthy whatsoever. Its a proven fact that governments are complex in their nature and application when it comes to creating a society that is easier to maintain. There isn't some shadow government or new world order, ha. Instead they employ (and have employed) numerous types of specialties that help assist them in creating the right environment that will most likely breed the "model" society that they wish it to be. Look at how America was portrayed during the 1950s, post-WW II. Not to take anything away from that generation, but it wasn't all white picket fences and two car garages. And yet, the government and businesses created an atmosphere that would not necessarily directly create what they wanted-- no, because at that point it would be nefarious. Instead, like a scientist does, they create the necessary environment with all of the checks in place that will most likely push the subject forward in the direction they wish. (Or at least I subscribe to the thinking that we are what we are due to society.) This way, choice is intact, and, yet, is it? We believe we should think a certain way because society deems it appropriate or as a taboo. Must obvious example of this are laws (though in depth it goes beyond that, I know). So, is it a stretch by any means that the authorities here in a bass-ackward state of NJ would want to start ingraining the idea that firearms are bad in children at a young age? No, not even a stretch by any means. Remember these are the same people who say that electric cars will somehow cure the planet of ever having to use a fossil fuels again (though they fail to tell people how tires are made, or the metals, etc)

Most likely not a UAV (none that I'm familiar with). It is pretty interesting. My guess rooted in reality, without suspending my belief yet, is some type of projection. But yea, definitely freaky and interesting.

Hold out for the Beretta ARX160; whenever it gets to the States of course

Mid-30s in the greater Princeton area. Fog everywhere, making it kind of eerie. They're saying that the temp is suppose to drop back down tonight, so, the huge puddles forming should be fun to deal with tomorrow morning.

Happy birthday!

Stay safe; I'm sure people would understand

To answer the theoretical above, yes, I would call 911 at that moment. At the same time there would be a number of other things that would be occurring that I'd rather not say publicly (OPSEC reasons; aka a plan is not much of a plan if EVERYONE knows it), but, needless to say, I'd prepare myself for most any situation at that moment. Would I answer the door? Still no. This question, and other discussions on home invasions, proves that we need to draw up plans for our own domicile, as there is no cookie cutter one. There are obvious things that should be included, but what I would do might differ from what someone who lives in an apartment complex, or in the middle of the woods, would do. And even my neighbors might do something differently then me. So, assess your situation, and go from there.

My dog was slipping and sliding around this morning on our walk (I commandeered a pair of those spikes for boots from awhile back). As for the roads, I'll be on them in the next two hours, so, I guess I'll see in a little bit.

Um, I'm not answering the door at all at that time of the night? Unless I'm expecting someone of course.

Ha, that would make sense, as it is located in CA

Are the people behind the walls legit though? It wouldn't surprise me if this was a front for something. That aside, this is pretty neat! I'm just curious though. All of that, and no backup egress routes? I guess they could go running through the olive trees, but I only see two, maybe three, routes out of the compound.

Building a computer really is plug-n-play. I started building my own rigs when I was about 14 or 15 (roughly ten years ago for reference), to include troubleshooting software and hardware. So, definitely pretty easy, considering I've never had an engineering-type mind. As for SSD, I'm not completely sold on the tech for the price yet. For a laptop/notebook, maybe-- depending on the intended use. If I carried it around for work/classes constantly, then it would be more favorable. However, if it played the same role as a desktop, seems a bit over the top. To me, there seems to be cheaper alternatives of improving load times then spending the extra money on an SSD.

Happy Bday!

There has been effective COIN for awhile now actually, regardless of what the media outlets may or may not show. Though the tactics are still being fine-tuned and T&E'ed, COIN has been around as long as there have been gaps between opponents (dating back a couple hundred thousand years). Now, if a foreign power were foolish enough to set foot on US soil, they would likely [try to] apply the the same COIN concepts the US military, as well as past military forces have in the past, are currently applying to combat insurgency in the ongoing operations. I don't think they would be successful for a myriad of reasons.

** Merged gunguy1960's thread into this larger one.

Your best bet is to talk to a recruiter first hand. If you have a friend or colleague who is currently serving or is a vet, I would recommend bringing them along as a means of staying grounded. The recruiter can give you a far better assessment, as well as having access to the current policies. As for the age policy, I've heard 42, as well as other numbers. Again though, its best to ask a recruiter as they can give you an answer based on the current policy. Regarding the other caveats, mostly everything can be addressed by a waiver if a person deviates from the standard. Obviously if a person has certain medical issues (asthma and being color blind are big ones), there is no chance. But regarding the waiver, its a situational thing-- so, there is no definitive answer that I or the recruiters could give you (as its a paper process, and probably a sit down with the NCOIC/OIC of the recruiting station). With that said though. The US Army has been notified to cut something like 50,000 Soldiers from their ranks. How will this effect recruiting? Will it raise the standards? (Not that they are high at all.) So, its another thing to consider. But again, go to a recruiter, and sit down with them with your questions.

It seems the very large, very thick glasses were left out of the picture

Mine's great. Good accuracy, and its fantastic for what I use it for. I use it as a trainer, and, yes, it gets used as a trainer relatively hard as some others can attest I'm not just calling it a 'trainer' so I can justify the purchase. Otherwise, great plinker, and great learning rifle for newcomers. No issues with ammo or any type of malfunction.

No, for both. Living in NJ is pretty terrible. Most aspects of our daily lives are pretty bad, and, of course, our gun laws are total jokes. Seeing a theoretical question posted above will of course create answers that we see as logical, but ultimately are injected with our own prejudices. In simpler terms, we would answer the above question with the mentality of being an NJ resident who has been shafted, continuously. However, beyond our state borders, there are great and wide bodies of land (insert states) that do have and celebrate the actual freedoms of our nation. A question posed as above would be terrible for the nation and 2A rights as whole-- regardless of how much of a small [maybe large] win it would be for NJ residents. I'm sorry, maybe its because I believe that we need states like NJ in this nation to make people realize how messy and ineffective too much government/regulation can be on the citizen. It isn't fun being the proverbial whipping boy, but I believe that there is no perfect world where there would only be one train of thought (actually, I wouldn't want that at all!). Instead balance is required, and, again, we, as NJ residents, are on that short end of the stick. So, no to both, for the sake of the greater whole.

I got mine brand new, with the stock pinned, for a little more then that (NICS and taxes included). PM me if you want details on my purchase. But definitely go local, you can get a pretty good deal. As for it being sold used, I haven't heard from any owners of a 15-22 that have been considering selling (at least not recently). So, good luck trying to find a used one locally

What Rob said, its personal preference. Some guys prefer the longer, more traditional broomsticks, others prefer the stubby-type VFGs. A lot of people also prefer the thumb brakes, albeit a niche community of shooters. And of course there is Magpul's Angled Fore Grip, which puts a spin on things. Me personally? I don't like VFGs or anything else hanging off the front. When I did, I used the thumb-brake method anyway, and then realized that I could get a far better grip with no stick hanging off the front (because if you're vice-gripping the VFG, you're honestly not properly utilizing the grip, and your stance is suffering anyway). Which really feeds into the whole argument of why a vertical grip is even necessary. Traditionally, with the amount of equipment a trooper could have on his rails, and the limited amount of real estate, where could he or she get a grip? So, the vertical grip was created, albeit its use has transformed a bit. You'll see them on M16's now as well, and this is because these 20'' barrels are a bit unwieldy, especially in Iraq, which was a good deal of urban-based operations. What is the ultimate application of a VFG on our, civilian, rifles? I don't know, nor am I judging either (I don't care what you put on your rifle )-- but practicality/utility > aesthetics. Plus, you can save yourself $70-80+ (for a quality one).

Consider CMore as well. Not necessarily cheap, but they have a decent reputation for quality and price. And of course I'm going to suggest Primary Arms. Great company to deal with, and great prices on their branded optics. I run one on my training .22, and its held zero just fine (also ran it on my 5.56 rifle, and it held zero fine too). IMO, if its just a plinker, don't even concern yourself with optics. Of course its preference, and if you really want optics over irons, of course that's fine. In the end though, you could probably save yourself 100+, and maybe get the same enjoyment. Either way, good luck!

Happy Bday!

The idea that uniforms would stop creative thinking in children, to me, is fallacious. The reason for that is because the targeted age groups (children in this case) who wear whatever clothes they want only continue to be more "slaves of the system" then those required to wear uniforms. What do I mean by that? Post-WWII, the middle class in America grew exponentially. GIs coming back home, getting jobs/education, baby boomers, etc. While the achievement of the US that thrust them into a super power role was being able to harness nuclear energy; the end reached to sustain that role would be the creation of an economy so rooted in the middle class. So, by society saying that individuality is the key to creative [success] (pick your wording); do they mean this or is it a means of continuing the trend (even if that trend evolves-- think of how iconic fashion trends have changed since the 50s)... which of course is a means of control (albeit not totalitarian). Foucault's theories of biopower is an interesting perspective. Another being the concept of modernity, and its relatively negative effects on the global scene (when applied). At the end, are uniforms are good or bad thing? I don't think the concept of uniforms is the issue. With that said, the 800lb gorilla in the room, that being the opposing viewpoint, is something a lot of people would rather not discuss or contemplate I think.

The beauty of the KSG, to me, is not necessarily the capacity, but the ease of changing between ammunition types. Of course two questions are posed: 1. Is using that "switch" easier then doing a swap under pressure? 2. Would I be in a situation where I need to switch ammo types on the fly (as it's intended use is HD). That second question is subjective, and is based on the operator. So, there is no real "right" answer. As for the first, no clue as I haven't run one... But it does seem like it could be easier.