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Damn, mega. I have to ask if you've ever been on prolonged foot marches/hikes. What you're discussing might only be 50-60 pounds, but you have to also factor in other elements like the weather (cool, hot, humid, windy, rainy, icy, etc); wear and tear on your feet and foot apparel; shifting of weight and "hot spots" created on the body from that (bags shift around, and can unequally distribute weight from the shoulders to the lower back, to the hips, etc-- which can make it feel like a million tons if not handled). And then include the fact that you'll have other weight in the form of throw-aways (things in your hands), as well as just having the ability to move at a high-rate if need be. If you have a tactical wheel barrow or shopping cart we don't know about, I guess that's different (though in the case of a temporary bug out [like post-Katrina], having a vehicle would be viable, otherwise I wouldn't depend on that mode of transportation). And I agree, most catastrophic events won't be world-ending stuff, with society stabilizing eventually. So, I think we would have to heed the fact that we should continue to honor money and other social contracts as long as possible. Plus, if it does go out of style, I'm sure it would make as a good personal insulator

What good is something if you aren't familiar with it, and then also have to carry it around-- plus the ammunition for it.

Hey, neighbor. Welcome!

Ha, I think Ray said his comment with facetious intent. With that said, best bang for your buck? If cost is that much of an issue, piece one together-- even if it takes an extra month or two. I'm part of the "buy once, cry once" crowd. With that said, there is no reason to pay for a premium either, considering there are quality manufacturers out there that don't charge an arm or a leg. But that is no reason to try and buy an AR for like $400-500, as quality still has a price tag. Of course if its just a range gun, who cares-- knock yourself out and buy an Oly Arms or something. ETA: But to strictly answer your question, I would recommend the Smith and Wesson ARs, as well as Stag. If you want to piece one together, you can get a lower for as low as $100, and get the other parts and put it all together for less then $300. Then buy an upper for another $400-500.

Dang, I think I'm going to go pick some up now. Does seem like one of those days today.

I personally wouldn't put an optic on this type of rifle, but many people do considering its feasible. And not is it just feasible, but in most every case I have seen an AR7, I've seen it with optics (low powered scopes). Ha, regardless of what most of you believe about me, 80% of my applied experience with weapons were with bare iron sights-- and I personally prefer it that way (optics just make it so darn easy, and I can't complain about that).

Lets get this specific thread back on topic before it completely goes off on a different tangent. I've been considering getting an AR7 for awhile. I have seen these first hand, though not in any active role (collecting dust really). I don't know if it would be worth it though, considering the other options out there for around the same price. Sure, the other options might not have the same cool feature of breaking down and fitting into itself-- but how many of us actually have need for something like that? Especially if we attach a type of optic to the rifle, making that whole feature a moot point.

K9 Schultz wasn't an "animal," he was a member of the law enforcement/first responder community, just like any other police officer. If you think first responders who are killed in the line of duty shouldn't be given a proper burial... well, I don't know what to say.

Agreed, he wasn't just a dog, he was a law enforcement officer who made the sacrifice. RIP.

I could definitely understand why people might be shocked/appalled if they saw the symbol emblazoned on a building. But go anywhere beyond the countries of the West, and the symbol is everywhere-- notably in Asian countries; spanning from India to parts of South East Asia, and prominently East Asia. I remember on one of my trips to South Korea when I was 10 or so, and my familywas doing the tourist thing-- so we had one of hose cultural maps of Seoul. Even at 10 I knew what WWII was and Nazis (I read a lot, and my culture doesn't shy away from things like war). All I saw were evil Nazi symbols scattered around the map, and, at the actual sites, were flags being flown with the evil signs! But as noted, I didn't realize it was such a common symbol used by certain belief systems for thousands of years-- that had recieved such a bad rap because of the Nazis. The same could be applied to how facist Italy tarnished the ancient fasces symbol (I might have butchered that spelling) first used by the ancient Romans.

I own an XD, so there is obviously some preference I have made overt. However, with that said, I still vote for Glock. I always thought they were ugly things (still do actually), but I realized I like the ergonomics more. Maybe its the lower profile of the slide that makes it easier for me to point and shoot, or maybe its the grip that feels better in hand. Of course these might not necessarily apply to you, and I, like others, would recommend you try out some other options before deciding on anything.

Who even lights a cigar with a lighter? Call me traditional, but I'll only light a cigar with matches.

4 Loko Haha, no. This whole week has been about studying (as will next week), so, its been homegrown/made green tea w/ ginseng.

I must be spoiled, having a Wawa, Quick Chek, and Dunkin Donuts all either in my town or within a couple miles

I like mine as short as possible. I have a Sully (fixed) on one, and an M4-style (pinned at one pull from the shortest-- though, I'd prefer it to be the shortest) on my 15-22. I have shortish arms, but as Pete pointed out already, it wouldn't matter. I shoot squared up because that's what I was taught after the fact (the idea is if you have a vest, you want the largest portion of the plate facing the possible projectiles; whereas shooting sideways exposes the sides which rarely have much coverage, allowing for a projectile to possibly rip through all of your vitals). It has to do with more than stance as well. Along with stance, it also has to do with how you grip the rifle. Some guys do the mag-well grip, or broom stick-grip with a VFG... while others just prefer to rest the handguards on their off-hand (like seating it on a table). I personally like to place my hand out as far as possible (the Costa-grip)... which isn't really do-able with certain stances, etc. My recommendation is contact someone who is available to pin your stock (like an FFL or smith... because, while this is a different topic of discussion, I wouldn't want to have a collapsible stock in my possession if I already have an AR that is just missing said stock). From there, ask if it would be OK if they put the stock on, and before it gets pinned, you see which length of pull you like best.

There have been a good amount of steps taken to combat cyber-attacks, notably with the new command. And yes, even though the command itself is new, its been around forever-- so, its not like a 21st century thing. As for the Private having access to sensitive documents, umm... well, its actually a very lengthy process that is normally "quick" when a person first enlists. The younger you are, the less background is effectively checked (because how much background does an 18y.o actually have). The process still involves more background checks then any of our FID/permit paperwork does; to include interviews with people that aren't necessarily recommended. Also, in most cases to work with certain info and on certain things, a person needs to take a poly. I can't say whether or not the Private took one, but when I first started out at where I was I had to take a poly before stepping foot in the building. I had also heard over the years I was in, commands were pushing for polys to be mandatory for everyone, and done before doing any type of work. Now, the type of poly is different, though those details aren't really important. Still, that is no excuse, and I personally am astonished and offended that the case for treason against the currently imprisoned Private hasn't been made yet. I hope the only reason for delay is because the government is gathering the evidence needed to cement the case. There is a reason why there aren't stories of leaks within the military that often-- even "rare" not being a strong enough word (historically, most leaks have been by civilian-types). For me personally, being in the military is about the guy next to me, and making sure the objective(s) is achieved, but not at the cost of my buddy if at all possible. There is also a special bond amongst the M.I community, knowing that we're a privileged few (in the field I was in, there were far less of us then in USASOCOM). And that being a blue falcon was the worst possible thing, as our mistakes truly did translate to our brothers and sisters on the ground getting hurt or worse. As for Assange, as I've said before, I don't care about him. I'm more concerned about his sources, and how our government is going to go about remedying the situation before something vital gets out.

Transparency applies to certain aspects of our government... notably those of domestic issues. I don't believe transparency applies to those having to deal with foreign agents/foreign nationals. Trying to stay a sovereign nation, but then spill out our secrets in a world quickly mobilizing to become globalized just doesn't make sense... "can't have your cake, and eat it." I definitely have a skewed perspective on this, having dealt with the field most affected by leaks. With that said, I do agree against principle that there are secrets being withheld from the public that I don't necessarily agree should be... however, the vast majority (90-98%) of classified materials is classified for a legitimate reason.

The world as a whole changed because of the events of 7 Dec, 1941. It was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of our species, let alone our culture. To date, I do not believe there was a more important event that has had such a widespread impact on quite literally everything for so many different generations, both in the past, current, and to come.

This is true <slowly, for effect, polishes his 2010 Corolla> Ha, who am I kidding, I haven't washed my car in forever I'm not familiar with Glocks, but just picking one up and running & gunning with it-- and doing far better then expected. Needless to say, I was pretty impressed (as I'm not a pistol shooter whatsoever).

Ha, well, I can't say I share the same enthusiasm as Nick. Breaking the bank regarding ARs for me is 1300-1500+, with trying to keep it around 1000-1100. On the lower end, I'd say consider getting a Smith and Wesson ORC or Stag. On the higher end, consider getting the Colt 6920 (would need to be neutered), or the Match Target models (MT6400 model). I'd even recommend to go a step further, and buy a lower (complete or put one together), and an upper separately. From where I've looked, a completely built lower will run you the same as buying all the pieces and putting one together (yes, I have confirmed this multiple times, both cost the same). Either option will cost you about $400-450 depending on what options you go for. The complete upper can cost you as little as $400, though I'd imagine somewhere around $450-500 on average. It ultimately comes down to what you want in a rifle. If you're looking for a plinker/range gun, I'd say its no issue to buy a Bushy or Stag. If you want some more dependability and higher quality, you'll have to pay for that (though, be careful not to pay a premium either). Let me know what you're looking to do with it, and I can give some better, more specific, advice.

I don't care about Mr. Assange, as he's just the owner. I'm more curious of his sources though. Cables and other documents just don't fall off the back of trucks, and I actually don't blame Assange for any backlash that has occurred. That Private who got nailed a couple months ago for leaking info is an example of what I'm talking about regarding sources (and good riddance that he'll be locked up for a good while). As for whats been released, I personally haven't sifted through any of it-- nor will I. From what I've heard, the information that could be mined from the recent leaked info (the stuff from the State Dept) wouldn't necessarily hurt national security as most of the info is already known by most other governments-- just not necessarily publicly acknowledged. The military documents that have been leaked is what would worry me as those can cite CIs and others (and its a known fact that the insurgency checks the internet as much as anybody else). The State Dept stuff is watered down, glossed over info that is applied intel, and not necessarily raw intel-- and is the reason why its not as "nuclear."

Not so much these days. The thinking was that a bolt/bolt carrier groups should only be mated with the rifle that was to be used with it (meaning, Colt pieces with only Colt rifles; RRA pieces with only RRA rifles; etc). However, most-all manufacturers have now gone to the same template of interior design, and it is perfectly fine to mix and match. I believe this was the case because the amount of government contracts given to different companies, and yet all of them having to be able to be intertwined with each other regardless. What makes the SR-15E3 unique is that it does use a proprietary bolt/BCG. The mechanics are not different, but the design is more robust, and less finicky I could imagine. Like CylinderHead, I've yet to hear of one failing... I've heard of barrels getting shot out because of the amount of rounds through them, but haven't heard of any bolt/BCG issues.

Everything I've read states that there is no set date as of yet. I've also read, like you, that it is complete... but no release date

Nice, Maks. Those curved stubbies really do look pretty slick.

It was set for a November release, but all MGM films had been put on hold because they went bankrupt (or some major economic issues). I've heard recently that the Bond movie that was put on hold is to start filming sometime in the near future, which should be a really good sign (as the movie was thought to be completely canceled in the wake of the MGM fallout). What will it mean for Red Dawn? Hopefully it'll resume on its schedule, though, who knows? Chris Hemsworth is keying up for his big Thor release. And does Hollywood want to stoke that fire with China being the main bad guy now? Haha, maybe (I'd like to see that reaction). Personally I hope it gets done quick... something about Jeffery Dean Morgan as Lt. Col Tanner smells like all sorts of awesome.