Wojo

Back when I lived in Alaska, the biggest thing we had was a 44 mag.

"She wanted it to be removed so it didn't offend anybody who didn't believe in the American flag," Would you be offended if I pissed on your shoes? Or escort you to the airport in the trunk of my car so you can leave this country? As soon as I saw Sacramento, I knew where this was going.

I've had similar experiences with Hornady and RCBS

Ruger LCP and not sure if it counts my Sig P220 Compact. I do carry on my property most times. We've had some break-ins during the day and if I am on my computer in my office, I want to be ready. Also, I too have a CCW when I am traveling in free states.

I like 5.11 products, but sometimes they are over priced but generally pretty good quality and well thought out. Eagle Industries / CamelBak also makes some real nice stuff and you can generally find a sale on Optics Planet, SKD Tactical, Natchez, etc. Some Bow-flage paint does wonders to customize earth tones. Don't over look gray toned equipment. Hit it with some browns or biege and it does well in urban and rural environments. I insist on quality...at a sale price.

Tactical Vests just invite unwanted attention. As do plate carriers with gear hanging all over the place. Soft body armor under some layers of UA, a good Columbia / Northface jacket with spacious interior / exterior pockets will keep you off the radar. An oversized computer / messenger bag with a decent sized backpack won't raise many eyebrows. Think Eddie Bauer / Lands End as well. The Cape Cod / Duck Hunter look goes more unnoticed then the all black / all camo mall ninja. Keep the cammies in the bag until needed. Oh yea, quality footwear. Not the cheap stuff. Your feet are one of your most important assets.

Spoke to a former co-worker that performed more then his fair share of combat ops in salt water and suggested I sent it out to Birdsong for a treatment. I heard about this small company during a NRA LE class. Their treatment is exactly what I am looking for. http://black-t.com/index.htm

Like anything, it is in the eyes of the beholder. I couldn't car about Sadam's gold plated Desert Eagle or a bedazzled shotgun unless it was engraved by Paul Revere. I'll take function and genuine historical value over some over priced firearm. Audie Murphy's Springfield, Patton's revolver, White Feather's sniper rifle, etc. Visit the NRA's museum...talk about popping a chubbie.

Thanks Ray Ray. I was going to call Mossberg customer service and ask for 'exact' interior dimensions of the tube. The chances of getting accurate information and experimenting with what folding stock might fit would be time consuming and frustrating even if things went well. So I will trick it out and then figure out how to protect it from the elements. Being that we have some peeps with tactical scattergun knowledge let me ask this. Will most standard shotgun scabards for backpacks accept pistol grips? They all seem pretty narrow so I am thinking they won't.

I think I am going to move forward with picking up a 590 Mariner. I can tweak and modify as my budget allows. I'll throw it in a silicone sock and stuff it in one of those plastic / pvc bags you see in CTD for long term preservation. Okay, now time to sell my SKS with all the goodies I got with it.

My biggest concern is internal parts corrosion. I've had a 500 for around 20 years and have used it in all sorts of weather conditions. It has stood up too some pretty severe use with minimal maintenance. So my confidence level is very high with the 500's. But salt water f's stuff up like nobody's business. Trust me, spending 4 years in the US Coast Guard, I've seen more then my fair share of rust on things that 'were' rust proof. Other then spraying everything inside with come LPS 3 Preservation goop, I'm not sure what to do. I hope it never gets submerged, but just being on a boat in that environment is of great concern. Hence that sealed tube.

Anyone have any experience with either? I am leaning towards the 500 in the JIC (Just in case) version that fits into a nice water tight tube. I would like to see about putting a folding stock on it, but need to find out if it will fit in the tube. The 870 is a few hundred dollars more and didn't have a 'cool tube'. Which I can always make one if need be. Remington uses a nickel finish, Mossberg uses a Marinecote. Having a coated barrel is nice, but what about the internal components? Shouldn't they also have some sort of coating? Why...I'm getting ready to start doing some more off shore trips with a buddy and having a scatter gun on board is a good piece of mind. Flare rounds, sharks, shooting 'skeet' off the fan tail, leeches, etc. Not a fan of pistol grips on a 12 gauge, hence the desire of folding stock option.

Redux of 1980.

They have a skeet or is it a trap choke for the 500. I bought one years ago for like under 10. My son has a 20gauge 500 and I need to pick up a skeet / trap choke for his as well. Also looking at getting him a 26" barrel for this shotgun.

Nice place all around. I am hoping to get up there with my son again real soon.

Never underestimate a dose of pepper spray and a good application of a D Cell Mag-Lite. I used to work the door at a Punk Club in Newark and more then my fair of armed encounters standing on the sidewalk. I went to Rutgers Newark and used to live on High St, now know as MLK Blvd. There were a number of times having a CCW would have been beneficial to stop kids from 'wilding' as it was called back then.

Been on the fence about these triggers. This speaks to me. Whatever is bought via GSA for the masses I stay away from. If it is used by our Elite Warriors, I mean SF types (not some tool of a civilian contractor variety), I always give it a serious consideration. The best can be provided by a specialty procurement process allowed by the US, or personal funds which happens more then you would think. Which really sucks. Our US Representatives tend to get top shelf everything at our dime, and our guys working just above Food Stamp level (if they have kids), have to dig into their own pockets for the right equipment.

JonF - I don't think you will be sorrry. I'll buy it off you if you don't like it. I have one dialed in for my match loads (Varget Stick) and have it marked for RamShot Tac for mass reloading of 223's. It is very, very consistant and fast. I would say if you are shooting, your technique, wind, bullet weight deviation, primer hole uniformity, ...would be more of a weighing factor if a bullet is the largest of the group. Mind you, your techinque is important moving the crank. If you're banging on each stop to and fro, the powder is going to change volume from bouncing around. If your are normally consistant with your gross motor-skills and gentle, not banging it, your are GTG. I check the charge weights every 20 rounds and especially when I top off again for a QC. A little trick, re-fill the hopper before it runs out. The downward weight of the extra powder keeps it flowing more consistent down the funnel. Also, I wipe the inside of this (and other measures) with a dryer sheet to eliminate static cling that powder can stick to. Damn plastics. FWIW - For my match ammo, I weigh all my cases and bullets and sort into them into weight groups before the powder. I then do a final weight in for a QC and final batching. I rarely see any meaningful deviations once I start cranking out rounds. And even then, that one goes right into the target pile.

Fastest, most accurate powder measure that I have found. On sale around $25. I have three that I have pre-set for my most standard loads. 223, 308, 45. IIRC the first one I bought was around $18. Stick, ball, disc powders all dispense fast with out any crunching. http://leeprecision.com/perfect-powder-measure.html

My father had a JC Higgins (Sears) that looked very similar. 17 rounds of 22LR only. I wonder if my tool of a brother still has it.

Lyrics from a Beastie Boy's song?

+1

Lots of older tublar feed 17 shot 22lr, semi auto's are out still there. In free states, they would've been a nice first rifle. Here in NJ, you are setting them up to be a felon and a potential domestic terrorist as defined by the MSM.

She wanted a genuine Italian Hot Dog. Nothing out of the ordinary here. I have a friend in our Church Father's group from Bayonne and we just go back and forth on the B to B jokes. Neither defends our home turf, just add new insults. The other guys, don't see the humor, but we do. (And I really did date a 'nice' Polish girl from there.) Sorry for the Hi-Jack.

Bayonne makes Belleville look good. I dated a girl from Bayonne...maybe I shouldn't go there...too late.