M2

Sent ya a link to a relocation forum, if you have any other questions drop me a line; but I do live on the other side of town from Randolph. Still, I know this place pretty well... And the NISD and NEISD are pretty good school districts. Trust me on that one. Lastly, if you're looking to buy, send me a PM. I know a good relator who has helped a lot of military families moving to the Alamo city... Cheers! M2

This.

Pretty cool! What It Is Like To Be A Sniper | English Russia Just some of the pics... I want one of these SVDs!

Flare (et al), it's self-explanatory...it's the SEC! At one point this season, that conference had half of the top ten teams. It's also 7-0 when it comes to BCS championships, and won the last five in a row. Seeing a pattern here? Plus, where in the rule books does it say that the top two teams have to be from different conferences? C'mon, are people really comparing an OT loss to a team that only won half its games this season to an OT loss to the number one ranked team in the nation? They don't come close. 'Bama (and lets get this straight, I'm not a Tide fan!) won all of its games by at least 16 points this season with the one exception being LSU; and even that loss was a close (albeit a dull defensive) battle. While OK State's loss was also close (double overtime), the mere fact that they did so at the hands of Iowa State should be a good enough reason for them not going to New Orleans. The Cyclones are 3-6 in their conference, and 6-6 overall; and overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Cowboys. Championships are not won by losing games like that! The system is supposed to match the best two teams, regardless of conference; and the Tide have been one of the two most dominant teams in the country. End of debate. Cheers! M2

So instead of the top two teams in the nation playing for the championship, the #3 team should vault over the #2 simply because the latter is in the same conference as #1? Sorry, that makes no sense. If anything, 'Bama's record against tougher teams gives the Tide the nod for a second chance. If OK State were undefeated than it would be a different discussion, but the lost to a much weaker team than 'Bama; and 'Bama's game loss against #1 LSU was a close game. Seriously, OSU lost to team that has only won half of its games and only a third of its conference games? Sorry, there's no second chance nor is there any argument that OSU. I know it's fun to rip on the SEC, but the facts are clear; it is the toughest conference in the nation and since it has produced the top two teams, both should have a right to play for the championship. OSU lost their opportunity when they fell against Iowa State, especially since the latter overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Cowboys! Quit making excuses for them...

Bring it!

Fixed that for ya! Agreed, and look at the past BCS championship games that were the SEC against some other conference (Big 10, Big 12, Pac Ten). Who won? In the past five years it has always been the SEC. Agreed. 'Bama is #2, and the 9-6 loss in overtime a month ago while boring was a tight game. They deserve a second chance, and hopefully this time it will be a lot more exciting but either way, it sill would be the correct match-up! Cheers! M2

It was a good day today... Went to the monthly gun show and stumbled across a SKS-M thumbhole stock for $50. I bought a SKS-M a while back but a previous owner fucked it up by trying to refinish it. Plus, someone tried to etch flames or some other kind of dumbass shit into the stock. Here's what it looked like... But now she looks like this! Yeah, the cheese grater gas tube cover and railed top cover aren't stock, but the latter is actually a Norinco product. Still, since it's not numbered I am going to replace it with a different one. I have a wooden cover for the gas tube, but I kinda like the look of the metal one so it'll stay for the time being. By the way, I also have one of the SKS-Ms with the Monte Carlo stock. All SKS-Ms use AK-47 magazines, so they're legal and are in no way a 922r violation configured like that. Oh, and I also picked up a Izhevsk Type II AKM bayonet to go along with the Tula one I already have. This one is not matching, but I'm OK with that. Cheers! M2

In the spirit of the season...screw that Red Ryder shit, I want some real firepower! Cheers! M2

All I need is another Mosin! But seriously, that is a good price for anyone looking to buy one of those great rifles! I don't even want to admit how many of them I've got! Outta curiosity I recently bought a Romanian lower handguard with the infamous "donkey dong" grip. I've never been a big fan of the design but since I was able to get one at a great price I decided to get it. After it arrived I decided to see what it looked like on my SAR-1, and honestly it's not too bad... But I've already thrown the original handguard back on... I am no longer against the "donkey dong" grip, I'll probably throw it back on there for a trip to the range. It is a better way to handle the rifle ergonomically, I can see why the Romanians went with this design; I am just a bit surprised that most other countries have gone a similar route other than the Hungarian AMD-65. Cheers! M2

Fuckers!

It's a game, nobody but the Air Force wants fighters; but the other services are depending on the Spartan and rescue birds. Claiming to chop those programs will hopefully get some outcry, causing Big Blue to shrug its shoulders and act like there's nothing it can do. It's childish, but that's how it's played. Truthfully, after seeing the fucking monstrosity of the new 502 ABW headquarters at Ft Sam (because some USAF GO wanted to "stake his claim" on the Army post, since Ol' Blue owns JBSA) and the even bigger monstrosity of the über-training facility being built on Lackland at an estimate cost of $900 million (and ya know it's only going to go up!), I'm confused. For some reason the 40-yr-old RH&Ts that were good enough for clowns like me to not only go through Basic Training but Field Training as well are no longer up to the task! Plus, they're gonna tear down Wilford Hall Medical Center and build a clinic in its place. Seriously? Demolish a perfectly good building and then construct another one in the same site? In some ways I think the DoD needs a swift kick in the nuts to get it back on track with how it spends its dollars; but it's idiotic decisions such as cutting the C-27 and personnel in lieu of big screen TVs and other shit that tells me it would be of no use. The services are gonna have to bleed a little before they learn how to deal with the pain, as obviously the warnings are not sinking in! Strap in, gentlemen; it's gonna be a bumpy ride...

More info from a USARNORTH security release on the same subject...

If/when I get a reply back from Oakley, I'll post it up. The bottom line is that they need to stop asking for copies of military ID as validation of service, as it is illegal.

According to this article, "This prohibition, however, does not apply to government agencies," said Robert Krauer, director of Aberdeen Proving Ground Emergency Services. "Police can make copies for official purposes." So I would say state agencies are OK. But the mere fact that they ask for or will accept a copy of your military/government ID is illegal.

I just received notification that my US Standard Issue (Oakley's military program) account needed to be renewed. As a part of that process, I was instructed that a copy of my military ID card was required... I informed them that photocopying U.S. Government identification cards is a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701 and punishable by fine and imprisonment. And asked for instructions on how to renew my account without this requirement. Then I started wondering if everyone on here--especially some of the younger crowd--was aware of this, so I am posting the info here. From what I have been told, there are exceptions for filing medical claims for TRICARE; but otherwise the copying of any government ID by commercial establishments is illegal. It is still legal to request to view the ID card to verify military status, but making a photocopy, scanning or any other replication is not. Let me know if there are any questions. I am not a JAG officer (nor do I want to be), but I can hopefully help anyone who needs further assistance with this. Cheers! M2

How safe it is living in D.C. ...

States already have the right to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states concerning concealed carry, this is even better. This law would allow those with a concealed-weapons permit in one state to carry their firearms elsewhere as long as that state also allows concealed carrying! So my TX CHL would permit me to carry in every state except Illinois (which doesn't issue conceal carry permits). That means anti-gun states like New York state and California are fucked unless they get rid of their permits. No need for reciprocity agreements! And it is not going against states' rights as Rep Charles Bass points out, it doesn’t repeal any right that a state has to have or not have its own laws! If this makes it to Obama's desk and he signs it, I actually might say something nice about the guy! Cheers! M2

In that case, I've got a helluva lawsuit against Brittney Spears and Lady Gaga!

Don't read too well, do you?

I actually put the original lower handguard back on, I could not for the life of me get the upper one on the gas tube. I mean I was smacking the shit out of it with a rubber mallet and it still wouldn't go on more than halfway. I guess I'll have to dremel or sand it down a bit, but I have never had an upper handguard be this tough to replace on an AK! There really isn't that much difference between the two sets, the ones that came with it are darker and more brown whereas the set I had were lighter and had a bit of a reddish tint to them. They were also just a tad nice. Now, if I can only figure out how to tighten up the underfolding stock, this AK would be perfect. Well, it is still the toughest AK I've ever had to re-assemble after field stripping, I don't know if it's the Ewbanks receiver or the stock Polish bolt, but whereas all my other AKs are a breeze to put back together this one is a pain. Even getting the gas tube on/off is tough. It is the tightest AKs I've ever seen, assembly-wise; but for $400 it's still a helluva deal! It's tough finding a stock WASR-10 for that price around here anymore... Cheers! M2

Well, since a Czech pistol really isn't a way to celebrate Mikhail Kalashnikov's birthday; I got this Polish AKMS underfolder this morning. The good news is that it is not a Century build,it was built on a Ewbanks Mfg EMAKM receiver. Other good news is that it is matching (bolt, front trunnion, dust cover and gas tube), has nice furniture on it and a TAPCO G2 trigger. The downside is that when I got it, it had a Romanian pistol grip, the muzzle brake was scratched up and looked aftermarket ,and the cleaning rod isn't stock (it extended to just outside the slant brake). Also, there is some wobble in the underfolder stock, at least more than my M70AB2 (which is pretty tight). So I put on a Polish grip I had in my parts bin, as well as a better muzzle brake. I also put a Polish lower handguard I had just to see how it looked, but the upper handguard around the gas tube was on so tight I couldn't get it removed. So in the above pic it shows the replacement lower handguard and the original upper. I also attached a Polish AK bayonet and a green canvas sling I had. Overall it's a nice AK, and for $400 I can't complain! Cheers! M2

Celebrating Mikhail's birthday? He turned 92 yesterday. Cheers, comrade! I'm picking up a Polish AKMS underfolder tomorrow to celebrate! Also picked this up last night for a meager $150... A CZ vz. 70 in .32 ACP, basically a communist Walther PP/PPK. It has a fixed barrel and can be shot in single or double action. Essentially it is a CZ vz. 50 with some minor cosmetic changes and internal improvements... Cheers! M2

What? No reflective belt? He's a fraud!!!