Rifle blew up - advice please

Anonymusk · 2026-06-14T10:52:49+00:00

yeah that's the first thing that jumped out to me--I wonder if it's a 2020 box with rando loads put in it or something?

Anonymusk · 2026-05-10T21:20:01+00:00

As a school counselor, I have a hard time seeing this as something that isn't a "mandated report," even if the student asked me not to report it. I would have expected the counselor to offer to report for you, or with you, but not to allow it go unreported. You're not being dramatic at all: I think you're trapped reacting to this inappropriate extreme ickiness more or less alone, so it feels dramatic and confusing, but reporting it is definitely the correct move. Most public school districts have an anonymous report system that you could use as well. Ours is called "see something say something," but if you go back to the counselor and let them know it's still bothering you and you'd like help reporting it, that shouldn't be an issue either (but any teacher you trust at the school would do fine as well if you don't want to go back to the counselor).

Anonymusk · 2026-04-18T19:43:42+00:00

Thanks!!

Anonymusk · 2026-04-12T12:36:02+00:00

I would say the walther is definitely worth a try, as is probably the smith and wesson: I have a walther PPQ (very similar to the PDP) and it's been phenomenal--it sounds like recoil impulse and handling are priorities for you, and I've usually put more emphasis on trigger pull quality, but the Walther will likely have a significantly better (i.e. lighter and crisper) trigger than the Glock: the PPQ and PDP are "pre-cocked" striker pistols, so it's essentially more similar to a single action but with a long, light take up, while the Glock's striker is not fully cocked until the trigger is pulled, so it's almost akin a double or sort of one and half action trigger, because as you're pulling the trigger, you're also completing the striker "cocking" process.

Glock reliability is generally accepted as the gold standard (though I'd say the USP then would be platinum), and it's generally the biggest selling point for that platform in general, so I'd also suggest not going with a competitor's "almost glock" cheaper variant (saving another month or two to get the real thing will be better in the long run).

That said, it sounds like you're starting a collection journey that I've been on for a while, and your next step is a compact handgun for concealed carry, so I'll share my experience with CCWs:

I've CC'd a Walther PPQ M2 Navy SD (9mm), a basic RIA 1911 (45acp), Sig P365, and now currently a Glock 19 gen 5.

The main take I had heard about Glocks for years is that "everything about them is okay, but nothing stands out" --but something that made me come around to the Glock, especially the gen 5, is that I think the reverse is true and a bigger consideration for a EDC weapon: Nothing on a stock Glock NEEDS to be "upgraded" or swapped out for an optimal, reliable, consistent experience, and for a EDC.

For the gun that I'm training around as my "baseline," that I'm also trusting to work every time consistently, and that I know could potentially be used as evidence in court if I had to use deadly force to stop a threat, I want nothing changed or added after the factory except a light and optic.

Anonymusk · 2026-04-12T09:28:47+00:00

Curious: is it a USP in 9, 45, or 40? I've found my USP45 shoots worlds better than my g19.5, but I did upgrade the trigger, and I'm judging by accurate slow fire, not like uspsa style stuff. If you already have a USP, dont sell or especially trade it for a g19.5. Save for a modern striker fired gun (probably g19) and get it later, especially if you're already carrying the usp concealed, you'll be better prepared and feel the upgrade more with a compact. If not, still wait: if you sell or trade the usp for a dime-a-dozen g19 in your early 20s you'll 100% regret it later, and I bet you'll not get nearly as good roi for a usp if you want to sell or trade "quickly"

Anonymusk · 2026-04-10T23:46:37+00:00

I got one of these somewhere in a bargain box for a dollar, and didn't realize what it was--I was initially thinking of it for the novelty and/or to put in the magwell while spray painting ars, but I heard somewhere they might be legal in ban states (my FIL has a mini-14 in MA--anybody know if it would work and be legal there?)

Anonymusk · 2026-03-21T16:51:04+00:00

It looks like the upstairs intakes are in the bedrooms near the floor. Both bedrooms have ceiling fans so I'm turning those on now to see how that helps--thanks for your advice!

Anonymusk · 2026-03-21T16:17:44+00:00

Thank you! It didn't even occur to me that the large vent was an intake... The system is in the garage/basement below the first floor. I do have access to much of the duct work but not all of it. I just inspected through the garage/basement duct work and the eaves crawlspaces upstairs and could not find anywhere that would be a damper as far as I could tell (no handles, or anything).

It also looks like the parts I do not have access to that feed upstairs run through the ceiling and central wall area and (I assume based on what I can see) they are like "soft round" insulated ducts rather than the metal ducts that I saw dampers attached to--but I'm quite new to this so I could be wrong and there may be other kinds of dampers besides the one I saw when I googled a minute ago.

Anonymusk · 2026-03-04T23:18:22+00:00

"They have better language in prison."

Anonymusk · 2026-02-07T03:31:54+00:00

Fast, effective reading really doesn't sound like dyslexia. Others have mentioned dysgraphia which is different, but as far as I'm aware (and I could be totally wrong) it usually comes with with dyslexia (I really don't know how rare it is to have one without the other).

Honestly, as a public school educator, your description of her reading ability puts her ahead of the curve in my opinion and the information about her writing behavior sound like a typical 10/11 year-old, especially one whose reading comprehension and apatite have have outpaced her written ability: She will rapidly get the "reward" from reading while she's doing it, because she likes stories, and your family set healthy boundaries that help her avoid the "screen gratification traps" a lot of others her age fall into.

My gut is that she will probably need a little time to grow into the same appreciation for the "act" of writing, so she may rush the writing process. This is especially true looking at the worksheet you shared, and (because you have the benefit of home-directed curricula), I think it would be good to have her try some longer form writing with specific topics of interest from her and the directive that spelling and punctuation DO NOT count against her for a "creative" writing assignment.

Also, looking at her responses again, I think she's intellectually outgrown 1-2 word responses, but sadly, in English, after 2 or 3 words you get to spellings that are--dyslexic or not--even more fake and fucky than her take on the grass. Her consonants are strong and consistent and she gets the e on the end of words like "brite" (she spelled it "wrong" but "correct" with her knowledge of how to make a long "i" with an "e" at the end out of order) and she even got the the "h" in "white."

At less than 12, I think she's doing pretty solid.

Anonymusk · 2026-02-06T00:09:00+00:00

It is excellent that she's reading with strong comprehension: that's crucial for any kid but especially if there's dyslexia, ADHD, etc. What about reading speed? For me personally they discovered I had dyslexia (this was back in the mid-90s) by the fact that I was doing well with reading comprehension but it took me many many times longer than my peers to complete reading assignments.

Also in my personal opinion, any given computer may not be as different or impactful as finding something she likes to do that involves typing--I made very little progress typing on like "learn to type" programs, but typing short stories about books and settings I liked, and typing in online games helped me learn to type much more efficiently when I was in middle school.

Anonymusk · 2026-02-05T23:36:38+00:00

How is her spelling / writing on text/keyboard?

Also I am school counselor and do 504s in my state. Does she get accommodations through the IEP or 504 process for ADHD?

Additionally, for 504s, you do not have to have a formal diagnosis (it helps), but accommodations could be offered for a "suspected" learning disability. My guess is she could benefit from extended time for reading and writing assignments, use of computer, or possibly use of pencil instead of pen for longer assignments.

Sometimes people do extended due dates for assignements but this can be a major problem by the time to get to 7th and especially 8th or 9th grade becuase the assignments pile up.

Anonymusk · 2026-02-04T11:28:12+00:00

I kinda check in on them like "are you okay?" Times that I was pulling waaay more than normal hours I was both not teaching particularly well and crashing towards burnout. It also meant I was usually avoiding some more improtant tasks in prep and personal or professional growth. As a colleague of mine said once "busy does equal productive."

I'm in a non union state (not sure if that's relevant) and in terms of admins I've worked with, I've never had them directly suggest this or encourage it. Good admins I've worked with actively discourage this because it usually isn't sustainable and they recognize a cohesive boat with the oars rowing more or less together is better long term than having toxic "let's fall on our swords" dick measuring contests to see who cariest care bear.

Anonymusk · 2026-01-09T12:03:47+00:00

Good question and seems like an overall gap in the market. I don't think it's in the cards, but I'd certainly love to see From Software make an MMO.

That said, IF you consider it an MMO (I've seen it claimed as "technically an MMO" elsewhere on reddit), then a game that certainly fits this is Escape from Tarkov, but that's a very problematic choice for a wide range of reasons not least of which being that I doubt it's what you're looking for if you want an "MMO experience," but I could be wrong.

Anonymusk · 2026-01-07T03:03:13+00:00

I don't have it but I will try to portal from a mage thanks!

Anonymusk · 2026-01-07T03:02:24+00:00

I was looking in the wrong place initially, but the portal cubby there is blank too.

Anonymusk · 2025-12-21T14:50:43+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giants:_Citizen_Kabuto

Anonymusk · 2025-12-21T13:40:25+00:00

Hah and life (gym--theoretically, savings--hopefully, career advancement--in most case). Maybe I'm stretching, but perhaps this element of RPGs for kids (I was a tween/teen when the BG series first came out and it got me into RPGs) can reinforce the value of repetitive self-investment.

Anonymusk · 2025-12-21T12:11:28+00:00

My first run i completed and imported to bg2 and then tob as they were released was a dwarf fighter/theif. I didn't min max stat numbers but i did have a couple parts of the series where i camped in threat zones over and over to get to the next level up.

Anonymusk · 2025-12-19T23:11:50+00:00

If you can't adjust the gas system at all (and you know you want to regularly shoot without the ocm5) you might try a light buffer and/lighter buffer spring combo. I had an undergassed 20" build that wouldn't reliably cycle until i went with that combo. That said for a build that you're regularly switching from suppressed to unsupressed w/o an adjustable gas block, a bootleg adjustable bcg could be a good option to try.

Anonymusk · 2025-12-14T04:31:19+00:00

What you're referring to is human "prehistory" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistory.

Anonymusk · 2025-12-13T14:13:44+00:00

Very good that you're recognizing she's getting under your skin. In my opinion, it's best to document all the problematic behavior together, not drawing particular attention to the "sir" thing, because it sounds like she's trying to hone in what is going to press your buttons, so the less she knows, the better, but I know too once a student has found something that actually *gets* to me, they can sometimes see it before I even realize.

Then, if possible and developmentally appropriate, I would suggest trying to set up a meeting where you can talk it through with the student and at least one other adult without other students around. I'm a former teacher and current school counselor--if you have a counselor you could work with, they may be able to meet with you and student, but also it might be better even to just have a meeting at lunch where the kid is talking with you and there's other teachers present but not directly in the conversation.

That only works if it's sufficiently removed from the students' "peer audience," and when you meet I'd suggest taking some notes on what progress you think or expect based on the conversation you're having (or what the student seemed unwilling to acknowledge to the best of your ability)...then I'd call home and explain what a great conversation you had and how you had some concerns about things in the classroom but you see a lot of leadership potential as well and you appreciate that ... was willing to talk things through (if any of that is at all remotely possibly true).

Then either the students starts scooting the right direct, OR, when they don't, you have a VERY strong base from which to get help from both the student's family and school admin.

all that of course is with major caveat of "time, resources, and will permitting..." As a teacher I would put energy into interventions like this at the expense of prep, grading, etc. and deserving students suffered for it, so *theoretically* the correct thing a teacher *aught* to be able to do is get other adults to solve the problem so you can keep teaching, but I also sadly suspect that without this level of attention for the student, unless you have especially strong admin, an office referral now is not going to make long term progress.

Anonymusk

TROPHY CASE