fm2176
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Posts posted by fm2176
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Late night photo, a bit of old (my Mossberg 590 bought in '97 or so) with an M9 bayonet mounted for good measure, a bit of new (the three new Rugers, with the AR-556 sporting a Sig Sauer ROMEO7 red dot, vertical foregrip, and SureFire), and a little purple and blue.
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Not taken as an insult at all. As for a safe, I had one...the keypad broke while in storage and it took 15 minutes tops to break into it with a hammer and wrecker bar. I paid $1000 or so in 2000 and got beer money for scrapping it last year.
I plan to secure my firearms against burglars and thieves, and am thinking that putting a steel core entry door on the closet, coupled with some reinforced (possibly steel or concrete) walls is the way to go. I plan to buy another fire resistant safe for documents and particularly valuable firearms.
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13 hours ago, fyrfytr998 said:
My weapons are always Condition 1 for rifles. Condition 0 for the Glock. Everyone in my home, including the kids are trained to shoot. Weapon is either on my body or locked up.
I don't currently have a gun safe and plan to reinforce one of my walk in closets and turn it into a gun/safe room. Once I do I'll likely keep a few firearms in a ready status in there as well as at various locations around the house. I'm thinking Burt Gummer's wall in Tremors, albeit a bit less cool. 😀
I might head up to Quantico for an optic and picatinny rail adapters today. I also need to go out to the garage and dig out the old foot locker with my SureFire weapons lights and Safariland mag pouches. I should have a dozen or so mags out there as well, but won't be getting more ammo until the move. Despite being a big fan of iron sights, that long rail on top of the AR-556 MPR needs something to dress it up, and eventually I may look into a visible laser of some sort as well. Who knows, if they're available on the commercial market maybe even an IR laser and a set of PVS-14 equivalent night vision. The latter would be great for night hunting coyotes and boar.
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On 4/19/2022 at 7:50 PM, Altan said:
This colour coding (which is a type of coating) on steel hand tools does make them more resistant to oxidization due to humidity and etc. Also when you have a lot of hand tools and accessories it can help you to quickly recognize the profile and size.
For hand tools, I think it's really up to the needs of the user. When I was a mechanic I knew exactly where each wrench or socket was and could grab the right size by just looking at the fastener.
I want to get back to that level of organization, when if a coworker needed to borrow a tool I could simply say, "top box, center drawer" as opposed to me searching for minutes to find that elusive 10mm or even a spotted screwdriver (I had to use a CRKT Guppie to install sights this morning as I couldn't find one of the dozens of 1/4" spotted drivers I own).
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Here's a couple of questions. Do you carry or keep pistols with rounds chambered? Also, what kind of safeties do you prefer on a handgun?
For me, the answer to the first question depends on the firearm being carried and the environment I'm in. If I'm out I'll have a round chambered in my primary, though that's often a moot point since I like the little Taurus revolver so much. If I'm carrying a mouse gun as a backup in my pocket, I generally only chamber a round when I'm out of the vehicle. I like carrying a gun on both my strong and weak side, not in hopes of ever using them, but just in case. My neighbor's pit bull type dog bit my arm years ago when I first moved to Georgia and if he wouldn't have let go, I had the Kel-Tec P32 ready on my free side.
As for safeties, I generally only use them if carrying an M1911. My Para-Ordnance is the exception, as it is double action. The Beretta's another exception, as I've trained enough with them that utilizing the decocker/safety is second nature. Otherwise, I like revolvers (no safety), mouse guns (the Tomcat has a safety and is technically able to be carried cocked with the safety on, but I carry it safety off and hammer down), and full sized pistols (as a lefty, I've gotten pretty decent at manipulating non-ambidextrous controls but still prefer safety off).
Speaking of safeties, are there any preferences for magazine safeties or lack thereof? My two most recent handgun purchases are both Rugers, but the LCP Max can fire without a mag in it (this is prominently stamped into the side of the pistol) while the EC9s packs a mag safety. I'm not too particular, but I have heard stories of people, especially cops, losing control of their service weapon and dropping the magazine to avoid getting shot with their own weapon.
I put the sights on the AR-556 this morning, and have to admit, I like having an AR again. Over twenty years of training and qualifying with, carrying in war zones, etc. the M16A2, M16A4, M4, and M4A1 makes it probably one of the better choices for a retiring Soldier or Marine. Not a knock against Sailors or Airmen, but most get nowhere near the trigger time we do with the Stoner designed weapons system. I do miss my MAK-90, though, and another Kalashnikov may be on the short list to purchase. Or another FAL. Damned firearms addiction...I guess DeWalt and Milwaukee aren't getting my money for the foreseeable future. 🇺🇸
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14 hours ago, fyrfytr998 said:
This is generations of planned obsolescence having been ingrained into our brains. Much more convenient to buy something new than repair it.
I have a wood tube radio in the garage. Back when it was made (1940s?) people would repair them if a tube blew it there was another issue. Of course, Radio Shack was successful because it was a one stop shop for electronics repair parts, before it became a glorified phone store and eventually went defunct. I would go there for record player needles in the '90s.
Modern junk is just that: junk. That nice new iPhone 13 Pro will be yesterday's news next year, obsolete within a few years, and in the dump before the end of the decade. That's if you don't break it or lose it within a few months. Sure, there's an entire market for cell phone repair, but at the end of the day, who doesn't want to have the latest and greatest?
I see the same thing with friends and family. They might have a perfectly good 55" TV, but if they get a little money, they'll go buy an 80" curved screen TV.
Tools are a bit different, but power tools made today don't see to be designed to last for a lifetime of use. I think that the mentality started changing around when plastic became the material of choice for nearly everything.
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7 hours ago, ChrisK said:
Uh yeah. In 2022 would be thieves and burglars have no problem being litigious too. Remember, everyone has value.
Sad but true. I've heard of multiple cases where a justified shooting, even inside one's home, results in a lawsuit by the criminal/"victim". This is one reason some gun advocates warn against shooting to wound; the burglar or home invader has the chance to go after you in court. Of course, you're open to a suit filed by family regardless.
When my house was burglarized, I not only lost most of my air and power tools but also my compressor, generator, chainsaw, TV, and much more. When I arrived home after dark I was unarmed and noted that my .357 and a few other guns were missing. Needless to say, I felt more vulnerable than I ever have, to include the projects of Richmond and my time in Iraq and Afghanistan. I quickly grabbed a shotgun from the safe and put on my issued body armor but decided never again would I leave the house without something in the vehicle or on my person with the exception of going to work, as military installations still strictly control how privately owned firearms are to be transported.
On the bright side, the theft of my pneumatic and corded tools prompted me to go cordless
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7 hours ago, Anthony75 said:
Hello , just an update . I recently decided to try Woodsmith again . I stated it was ad free , well it’s not anymore. I was so let down . The look and feel is 100% different . Content is still good but … not sure I’ll go through with it . Anyway just wanted to give an update .
That's true of nearly any long-running magazine. While American Survival Guide went under years ago and the newer publication wasn't related, most magazines I read in the '80s are vastly different and full of ads.
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19 minutes ago, Altan said:
You are right, but I will continue fighting against this mentality which wants cheap things, when I was a child not everybody could afford to buy a car (in my country) but now poor can also buy a car, why? Because the market is flooded with cheap cars, and the poor wants to have a car, why? Because there is something in subconscious that if they buy a car they are not poor anymore. The manufacturers (car, tool and other sectors) are aware of this and they are abusing this, and they make this world full of not recycled rubbish.
I definitely agree, and have witnessed first hand the mentality of many lower income families. I have a number of examples, but as a Recruiter I once visited a family who had a nice Cadillac in the driveway and a big screen TV inside, though they lived in a run down house in a particularly bad part of town.
The service centers of yore are mostly gone now. Back in the '90s my boss would take his UniVolt and other B&D tools to the local one for repairs or maintenance. Nowadays we simply throw the thing away and go to the local big box for a new one. As an aside, a friend retrieved a DeWalt DCF887 brushless impact from a dumpster at the house next to his (currently being renovated). It works fine, so I think one of the workers probably had a minor issue with it, or perhaps overload protection kicked in), and tossed it instead of trying to figure out the issue.
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On 4/18/2022 at 4:55 PM, Altan said:
I am not so happy with the quality of their tools, I have seen a lot of their tools. What I aim to have is a single battery platform of tools with the quality of Festool, Mafell and Rems. I don't want to see lower (Worx, Ryobi, Ridgid) or even medium (some DeWALT, Makita, Bosch and Milwaukee tools) quality tools around me. I don't want to feel I live in 2022, I want to feel I live in 1970-90 when we had quality mostly Western made tools.
Given the increasingly global based economy and the tendency for consumers to buy stuff that provides the most "value", I don't see these less expensive or niche brands losing ground to a European tool confederacy, at least here in North America.
Like most other things these days, cordless tools (with very few exceptions) are designed and manufactured to be disposable. The quality tools we used to have were relatively easy to repair and maintain; brushes and cords were usually the main culprit if a tool went down.
A lot of us can get by with a brand like Ryobi, or even Work. My Milwaukee and DeWalt tools see the most use at the flipper house, while the Ryobi batteries are always in use around my home.
Given the two major conglomerates over here (SBD and TTI), I'd like to see them release cross-platform adapters or a common battery, but they won't. TTI, for example, wouldn't want Milwaukee owners to have the option of using much cheaper Ryobi batteries.
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9 hours ago, fyrfytr998 said:
Here's a question......
How many of you home carry? I do sometimes, but either way, I have something always safely stored within arms reach.
I usually do, albeit without a chambered round if carrying a semiautomatic, just in case I leave it downstairs. If something isn't on my person it's within a few feet of me.
My son gets home from work late at night and the front door doesn't close smoothly. I don't know how many times I've gone downstairs to find the door unlocked if not cracked open. While I live in a low crime neighborhood I like having the deadbolts locked at all times, whether I'm awake, carrying, not carrying, or sleeping.
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8 hours ago, ChrisK said:
Plus retirement is great especially at my age but I’ve got a 5 year old and a 2 year old to watch out for so until I get off my lazy bum when my daughter goes to kindergarten tool purchases have slowed Wayyyy down!
I'm glad I started early. By the time I'm officially retired my youngest will be 12 and my oldest 24. I plan to start another job while on leave but we'll see. Gotta support the tool addiction somehow!
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8 hours ago, fyrfytr998 said:
I was out of the military long before optics became the norm. How do you guys shoot up close if the ACOG is a fixed 3x or 4x?
For close quarters battle (CQB) we aim over the barrel. Some optics have built in CQB sights. It's been awhile since I was on the line, but most Soldiers are issued the M68 Close Combat Optic (CCO - AimPoint Comp M4), with the ACOG usually reserved for leaders.
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9 minutes ago, fyrfytr998 said:
Today I jumped on a Lowes deal where they were selling 6ah batteries for my V20 tools for only $89 bucks from $129. So I bought the only two in the store.
Sounds like a pretty decent deal. I'm not in the Craftsman platform, but the only non-FlexVolt DeWalt 6Ah battery I own was from a Lowe's deal: buy a tool, get the battery for free.
In other news, I spent a little buying tools of my soon-to-be former profession today. About to sneak downstairs and plot on the AR-556 soon. I like iron sights but used the ACOG a lot; never was a good shot with the AimPoint (M68). Good optics will almost double the price of the rifle, but will be worth it on the range and in the backyard.
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Portable storage? Yes, color coding would be nice, but instead I have an assortment of DeWalt, Craftsman, Ridgid, and Milwaukee modular boxes.
As for tools, I'm not a fan of colorized hand tools. They remind me of something from Harbor Freight.
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I plan to do a combination. Larger metal toolbox for my mechanic's tools, so I no longer have to search for twenty minutes for a wrench to do a one minute job. Organize the various modular boxes I have now for various job types. Set up a tool wall in the shop for the tools I use most around the house.
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I think the above video offers decent advice, but I may eventually get around to sharing a couple of select photos. With the AR, I now have a moderately modern three gun combo (AR-556, Mossberg 590, and a variety of pistols) along with a Cowboy Action setup (Winchester 94, Stoeger coach gun, and Ruger Vaquero). Now I think I need to complete the classic police package. My much lamented Model 19 complemented the Winchester 1200 riot gun rather well, and I found a Combat Masterpiece for sale earlier today, along with a Colt King Cobra.
Oh, and thinking like this is what's going to find me searching for a Webley revolver for the No.4 Mk1*, a Model 1917 revolver for the Enfield M1917, a P38 for the Mausers, and so on. Eventually, I may find myself looking for a transferable M60 and M16A1 to go with the 1911. 🤣
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Well, I think I'm almost set for retirement now. Rugers were 10% off if purchased with the Military Star care, so I picked up a couple. First was an EC9s, a neat little single stack 9mm with a manual safety (which I won't use most of the time) and a 7 round capacity. It's basically an alternative to the LCP Max for those who prefer 9mm to .380 ACP. Those interested should check out this comparison with the LCP Max.
When I left this morning I planned to pick up another 9mm Glock, either the 26 or 45. Then I thought about the G20 they had in stock a few weeks ago and, since I've never owned a 10mm, I thought I'd check it out. It was gone, and the 10mm G29 they had didn't appeal to me due to the lack of a full grip or magazine finger rest. Though I wanted two handguns, I decided to look at long arms instead. I ended up picking up an AR-556, which officially brings my semi-auto rifle collection to two.
While there I bought two spare mags for each firearm, and later I picked up a little ammo along with an LCP Max mag. Also Magpul MBus backup sights for the rifle, as it didn't come with any and I think I'll do a bit of research before deciding on an optic.
Time to sneak the rifle in, set it up, and battle zero the sights. Besides the three mags I got today, I probably have close to a hundred in storage, so when I move south it's time to order some ammo and find a good range!
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20 minutes ago, fyrfytr998 said:
That’s not Craftsman wheelhouse or aim currently. I think they want Red to take on the Neon Green for DIY markets.
It sure does look like it. SBD wants the DeWalt/Milwaukee rivalry to continue, with Craftsman trying to take to reigns from Ryobi as that less expensive brand with the niche products. I wonder if they (SBD) have a Ridgid competitor in mind, though that brand (which I own more than a few tools in) seems to be almost an afterthought with the LSA being the biggest selling point.
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True, I treat these and their USB only counterparts primarily as portable chargers. Makes more sense than buying a USB power bank if you already have the power tool batteries.
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Something like this has its uses. I have the Ryobi inverter and like the fact I can charge a laptop on the go, or power something small. These are also good for keeping devices at a healthy battery life if on a long trip on public transportation or chartered buses.
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Pulled the trigger on a...okay, maybe not. I went to the local military installation today in hopes of coming home with a G26 (or maybe an AR15), only to find their gun counter is closed on Mondays. I'm fairly certain I saw the G26 Gen 5 price set at $555 at the installation I'm assigned to, but priced at well below $500 where I went today.
I'm still tempted by the G45 but realize that I should have really done more research before buying the G17. I honestly like the size of the 17, probably due to my carrying of full sized pistols like the Beretta since I was 18. Then again, if for some reason they have a S&W Model 19, I might have to pay an AR15 price for the revolver. I need to take the time to stop into the police supply stores I used to frequent. Surplus service revolvers are much rarer now than they used to be, but perfectly serviceable Glocks, SIGs, S&Ws, and other service pistols can be found for cheap, as can shotguns and maybe even the odd AR15 (but of course, not the military surplus M4s some departments receive).
Unbeknownst to me, my sister's property has plenty of space to do some short range shooting. We went there for Easter and, despite being next to a major interstate, the property stretches back to a river with a nice embankment on the other side that makes for a great backstop. I had the Ruger LCP Max (still haven't ordered a spare mag) and the Taurus on me, so I decided to let the kids do a bit of shooting after an impromptu gun safety and handling session. Of course, no one was going to cross the river to place a target, so I designated a fallen tree near the waterline and let them shoot. I allocated four rounds per, with the exception of my 13-year-old daughter who was going to get two rounds. My sister's sons (16 and 20) took their turns, then my son and his girlfriend (both 21). All handled the little revolver well, especially the teenagers, considering they were first-time shooters. Next time, I'll bring a few boxes of ammo and more guns, and maybe even cross the river to emplace a proper target. Regardless my son is setting up a proper range day for me to teach a little more and do some shooting of various long and hand guns.
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Worx is one of those brands that make both practical and gimmicky tools. For an idea of how much so, check out ToolGuyd's posts about them.
Even if made by a better known brand, I'd probably pass on something like this. Then again, I have so many drills that my plan is to simply chuck up as many as needed before starting a project, and will probably designate certain drills for my most used bit sizes. 12v Max and M12 will get the smaller stuff, while the Octane, M18 Fuel, and DCD996 hammer drills will get the bigger bits and hole saws.
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One more thought...
Are we, as modern cordless tool users, spoiled or overestimating our needs, or has tool technology kept up the pace with battery technology? To elaborate, many DIY'ers and some pros get by with the basic combo kits. These are usually either a drill and impact driver with basic charger and 2 compact batteries or a 4-5 piece combo that might include one or two saws, a grinder, or a light along with a higher capacity battery. As batteries have gotten larger and more capable, tools we never thought we'd see without a cord have been released, some of which have the same runtime with a 12Ah battery that a drill does with a 2Ah one.
I got a lot of use our of my PC 18v stuff, working at a remote location and only able to charge my 5 batteries in the motel at night. All 5 of those combined produced 6.5Ah. Now, when I go to work on a powerless jobsite I have 2-3 compact batteries and at least as many 5Ah or higher, often carrying 20-30Ah worth of batteries and rarely exhausting them all.
I guess what I'm saying is that our needs are dictated by our usage. As Altan stated above, a dual port charger and 3 batteries would be a good start, but even a basic charger and 2 batteries would work for most. I think the key is to avoid having a single battery unless you're Harry Homeowner who only needs to hand a picture or fix a chair for his wife once or twice a year.
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Pulled the Trigger... (New Firearms Thread)
in Pub Talk
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That is a very sad situation, but it doesn't surprise me at all that a prosecutor went after him. I've shared the story here, and often shared it during discussions in various college courses, but I realized how politics affect the justice system at the early age of 18. Having the Virginia State Trooper give the judge his opinion that no private citizen should be allowed to possess certain weapons (in this case, a Mossberg 500 with pistol grip and heat shield) at my appeal was a shock at the time. In retrospect, it was '97 and the shotgun was technically an "assault weapon". I also learned the value of hiring the right attorney...the traffic attorney my brother recommended was not well versed in gun laws.
I'd need a big safe for my collection these days. The old one weighed 550 or so pounds and I think was a 36 gun. Originally I had an 800 pound safe on layaway but had to downgrade. It was moved seven times, often by myself with an appliance dolly. I plan to secure most of my guns, and if a gun wall is built, it will be inside the reinforced closet and likely have cable locks preventing someone from just grabbing a rifle. Also, and a key thing some don't consider, without ammo the primary purpose of a firearm is gone. I think that even something as simple as locking up ammo separately can be of benefit and would be viewed favorably by a judge or jury.
I've worked in four Arms Rooms in the Army. Got bamboozled into the first when my First Sergeant asked me to move with him to Headquarters Company and become the Armorer. I thought I'd be fixing guns, but at the unit level in the Army it's mostly accountability. I was the only person with experience when my company in The Old Guard found itself in a bind, but that Arms Room had some really cool historical weapons, so I managed to keep my unaccompanied access for three years, even after technically going back to a platoon. Later I was an alternate for a Brigade Arms Room, and wouldn't you know it, as a new Drill Sergeant I was made the Company Armorer, spending a week or two after each cycle monitoring weapons gauging and turning in or drawing weapons from Weapons Pool while my peers got some needed time off. In the Army, there's a two lock standard, meaning vault door and individual locks for each weapons rack or cage. The heavy vault doors are only rated for 10 minutes of forcible entry resistance, though. Of course, the few times my alarm was triggered, the Military Police were there in only a few minutes, usually pretty paid back but the first time it happened at Fort Campbell they rolled up in force.
Destroying my thin steel and fire board safe when I had to made me realize that almost every safe or vault is like a lock--something to keep honest people honest.