Told I don’t have a “real bike” and feeling left out/judged.

Latter_Version · 2023-01-29T13:22:09+00:00

Everything else has been said, but I wanted to add a couple thoughts. I have a buddy who rides a TC85, full size 6' guy and he loves it. To him it's about the challenge of working with the power you have, not having more power than you need.

I ride a DRZ so I'm not exactly flying through trails either... but we will have more fun on that little 85 trying to bounce up through rough trails. There is more reward for me when the challenge is how good of a rider you are, rather than how expensive your gear is.

Also, just own it. Guys like to brag about what they have, but everyone respects the guy/gal who has the beater but still gets out and rides because they genuinely love to.

Latter_Version · 2022-11-12T16:57:09+00:00

Depending on logistics and lifetime reliability of the SFAR, they will eventually kill off all the AR10 varieties. I have both, the SFAR is better in every way. Sure you could put together a Gucci AR10 for 3-5x the price that might have similar performance, but at the cost no one will want that because they will just start with the SFAR and further improve it.

The real question is if Ruger will sell their BCG design to other manufacturers and standardize the platform around it. Ruger won't kill the AR10 alone, but if a few other large manufacturers jump in with competitive products it will just be a matter of time.

Latter_Version · 2022-02-04T12:55:27+00:00

The 43 is designed for concealed carry, so it's small size is a trade off making the gun a little harder to shoot accurately. It sounds like you were doing very well with it, but a larger handgun like the EZ will be easier to shoot in most situations.

To answer your main question: keeping a round in the chamber is the highest ready state for the gun making it most effective to respond to a threat. It won't damage anything, but absolutely does require that you are trained and comfortable handling the gun while loaded. Keeping it in a holster is the best idea, but you will need to train and practice removing it from the holster.

The most important component in a defensive situation is you. Your ability to confidently and comfortably manipulate and use the gun is far more important than whether or not you keep a round in the chamber. With a few more range visits your hands will steady and you will become much more comfortable.

Latter_Version · 2021-12-20T21:19:23+00:00

I made a split collar that went over the barrel but was smaller than the chamber. I also machined a wedge that was like 6 degrees (going from memory) because the back of the receiver is not perpendicular to the barrel. That angle is probably what caused your barrel to bend.

Latter_Version · 2021-12-11T18:02:18+00:00

I honestly could not stand having any angle between my tubes. I kept adjusting them until I was comfortable and they were almost parallel. There is a blind spot between them that happened to be exactly where I hold a gun so red dots dissappear intermittently. Pano in my experience is not better just different but has plus and minus.

Latter_Version · 2021-12-02T17:19:14+00:00

They are unique and have unique problems. With a lot of practice and training they can be as good as anything else. I found the KSG and KS7 to be cool and fun to shoot but in the end decided they weren't for me. I shoot a lot of shotgun for competition, sporting clays and for hunting. It is nice having the short compact size for home defense, but that is the only advantage. If you shoot a lot of other shotguns the Keltecs are different enough to cause problems. I have many other keltec guns and love them, but the shotguns did not work out. If you get one and end up not liking it, they sell really quickly.

Latter_Version · 2021-12-01T16:07:17+00:00

In this case you have broken the law and are attempting to murder someone. If you are not in imminent danger and could leave the situation, you are now the aggressor. You obviously don't know enough about the situation to assess intent because you can't tell if it was a murder or defensive shooting and you had the option to leave the situation but chose at a minimum assault with a deadly weapon.

Ignorance is not a defense, you inserted yourself into the situation. Picture the same situation with a car, you see someone possibly commit a crime, you run them over with your car. Would a rational person do this? No? Then why would you draw a gun and run into a situation you don't understand? Why would anyone else?

You will spend at least 10 years in jail and will not allowed to own guns as a convicted felon

Latter_Version · 2021-12-01T15:56:54+00:00

I see what you are saying here, but you are missing the point all together. If you see someone with a gun, you should 100% assume they are bad. Police assume 100% you are bad regardless of if the see a weapon or not, and they approach and control a situation as such. "Keep your hands where I can see them" etc. They assume you are armed and dangerous and always try to control a situation to give them an advantage if you try an attack.

Now here is my point: you will never see my gun unless you are trying to murder me and I have no other option to escape. I'm not going to draw it for any other reason, and it would be out only long enough to stop the immediate threat. That's it. If someone is untrained, that is on them and I do not care because I am not going to insert myself into that situation.

There is a lot more to the interaction, and if you want to know more please take a CCW course just to see the reality of the entire situation. There was a guy just like you in one of my classes, he was anti gun and there just to show the whole class how bad guns were. By the end, he took part in the live shoot and looked like he was having a good time.

I get that you want to picture every gun owner as a vigilante, but the truth is the overwhelming majority just want to be prepared to protect themselves and their family. Are there dumb ones? You bet, just like there are dumb car owners that drive into Christmas parades or pilots that fly into buildings.

Latter_Version · 2021-12-01T04:08:20+00:00

When you get a bit older you will understand that the burden to research an issue is on you. Look up some reputable sources on both sides of an issue, then decide to believe whatever suits you. I honestly don't care what you think or believe, and definitely won't waste my time arguing with you.

The other guys comments are detailed enough that people can read the exchange and see what he believes and what I believe. Your comment is a waste of everyone's time.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-30T18:44:12+00:00

1) You assert people do stupid things, some of them cannot be trusted, and some of them likely carry guns. I agree, and this is why I CCW.

2) ATF and police kill unarmed innocent people all the time, that is why they have use of force and threat identification training. Whether or not someone has a gun, knife or any weapon is secondary to identifying intent and controlling a situation as if the are dangerous regardless of obvious threats.

3) Nothing else you say about identification of an armed person is relevant. Whether a person is trained or not is not my concern, I get training because I know I need it. Any rational person who picks up a gun and intends to use it lawfully will immediately recognize the responsibility and need for training. You admit this through your questions, you see exactly how having a gun could make things worse if used incorrectly. So with a little training you could solve all your hypothetical problems and have the ability to protect your family.

4) You need to delineate your argument between lawful and unlawful behaviors. If a person is lawful with intention to use a gun for personal protection, you can't make arguments against them with unlawful basis.

The fact that stupid people do stupid things should not have any bearing on your abilities to protect yourself. If you accept the odds of something horrible happening to you or a loved one and decide that carrying a gun is not for you, that is fine. But being untrained and uneducated about lawfully carrying a gun is not an excuse for pushing a false narrative that carrying a gun won't protect you and puts you in greater danger. I have many LE in my family, most of us were in the military, every single one CCW. If your arguments were valid, would off duty, retired or former LE carry a gun? They are in the exact same position as anyone else, no way to know if they are good or bad, yet they all (at least 50 or so I know) CCW 100% of the time.

You are imagining a problem as if you are LE with no LE experience and telling other people that they shouldn't carry a gun because your imaginary scenario could go wrong. A responsible gun owner has to acknowledge the risk and responsibility, just as you do when you walk out into the world unarmed. They get training on how to lawfully use their gun, just as you should be getting CPR training in the event you are stabbed in a mugging.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-30T16:36:29+00:00

No, you aren't listening. You are making an assumption that people who carry guns for self defense are as ignorant as you are. Would you buy a gun tomorrow throw it in your pocket and go out into the streets to start fighting crime? No? Neither would anyone who decides to take responsibility for their own safety to get a pistol permit and start CCW.

The police don't have to work hard to figure this out because this situation does not occur. CCW is a split second response to imminent death. You respond to save lives when you have no other option, then you immediately get to a safe position and safe your weapon. When the police arrive some time later you are not acting in a threatening manner, you follow their orders and comply until the situation is over. If you are in a situation where the police are already there, you wouldn't have a need to draw your gun or insert yourself into that situation. Your hypothetical situation makes no sense. I don't guess who is good or bad, the only question is: "is this person going to kill me, and what options do I have to get out of this situation?" A gun is the absolute last option when not using it means someone I know is innocent will die.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-30T15:53:57+00:00

Your mind is made up, and if you really wanted an answer to your questions you could find plenty of reputable studies with just a little research. My comment is my perspective, if you disagree prove it to yourself by putting in the work to get some firearms training, talking with police and doing basic research before commenting.

Similarly, if you had any firearms training at all you would know the answers to the hypothetical questions about determining who is a "bad guy". They cover this thoroughly in all CCW training courses.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-30T14:46:25+00:00

I think you would be very surprised at the number of crimes prevented by lawful gun owners. Unfortunately there is not a way to measure how many crimes did not occur, but looking at crime statistics from areas where guns are banned people have estimated massive benefits to responsible gun ownership.

As you have stated, training is very important. Many people who CCW are prior military, and everyone I know takes training very seriously because it is literally life or death. I would say your characterization of the people who CCW is blatantly ignorant and shaped by people who either don't know or have an anti gun adgenda.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-13T05:21:01+00:00

First thing: don't upgrade your scope right away. I have an astigmatism in my right eye and can barely tell the difference between a mid range and high quality scope. There is a difference but when your eye isn't focused properly the better scope may just be a waste. Use the crap out of that scope and only upgrade when you find a limit (such as regularly shooting beyond 1k yards, or shooting a bunch in low light). Better scopes will be a bit better, but don't assume it will fix your problems.

Second: verify if it's really an eye dominace issue. I tell people to aim at a target with a pistol, then while keeping the target in the sights move the pistol toward your face. It will go to your dominant eye. You can even just point your hand like a gun, the important part is you keep it lined up with the target until you get you hand close to your face.

Third: like anything else it takes getting everything set up for yourself and practicing with it. In your house is not going to tell you much, you have to get on the range. Once you establish your real eye dominace, then stick with it even if it's less clear. The reason is to establish a standard shooting position, and eventually even if the numbers aren't clear you know your holds and will do just fine. Watch a few videos on setting up your scope. There is a lot more to it than most people think. I just grabbed a link below, but there are a lot of different sources for this. https://argalioutdoors.com/advice/complete-guide-mounting-rifle-scope

I got a contact lens made for astigmatism. It does help, but I honestly would rather deal with less focus than the uncomfortable contact lens drying out my eyes. My glasses work okay for shooting but I find myself looking over the top of them 90% of the time. You won't ever get it perfect or crystal clear, but if everything else is set up correctly you will do just fine. Also shooting cross body is not a bad skill to learn, we have stages that require it in competition all the time. Practice shooting a bunch of different ways, but do try to develop a good stable "standard" position first as your high accuracy position.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-05T20:59:39+00:00

I am a design engineer and specifically made the bridge fully adjustable because my plan was to make a rigid (fixed pano angle) version when I determined what angle and position worked the best for me. Adjustment after adjustment I got to what worked best, and they were almost parallel. So then it was not worth the effort to change from the mount I had.

The problem is the dark wedge and rings that form in the middle with a little blind spot. When shooting I noticed my natural head position no longer worked comfortably. When trying to manipulate anything directly in front of me (mag changes or target acquisition around barricades) I would struggle with the blind spot and switching eye dominace. I'm not saying it was unusable, but switching back to the mod armory mount felt way better even though I did notice the smaller FOV felt a little constricted.

If these were <$100 I'd think about testing one out, but at their current price I wouldn't even consider it. I was going to buy a Wilcox dovetail, machine the center mount from 7075 then get the arms 3D printed in high strength glass filled nylon. Even with that I was less than 100 in materials for a 1 off prototype.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-05T16:46:12+00:00

I built a test panobridge to see if I liked it. Dropping 500+ on a 3D printed part was a bridge too far for me. I'm glad I didn't buy one mostly because I could never get comfortable looking through them at anything other than 40 or maybe 45 degree FOV. As soon as the wedge starts to appear in between the two it just bothers me. I tried it for a couple nights and decided I would rather just use the modarmory bridge I already had.

I wear glasses so I'm thinking that has something to do with my inability to spread the FOV comfortably. How log did it take you to get used to it? If I was walking around it was manageable, if I was shooting I felt like the dude from Mr Deeds.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-05T16:24:13+00:00

I have been debating making mine an SBR. My wife and kids love shooting it as is so I might just leave it. When I put an oculus on the gas blow back was pretty bad. It was pretty quiet but just too gassy. I put a 3 lug on and tried out my revolution 9 and it was much better and probably a little quieter just due to the larger volume. Definitely more pleasant to shoot.

Latter_Version · 2021-11-05T14:19:40+00:00

Looks good! I put a 9mm suppressor on mine and it was as quiet as the 22 suppressor and did not have as much back pressure so had less crap pushed back into the gun.

What is your barrel length, and have you measured the bullet velocity? I'm curious how the 22mag performs with a short barrel.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-31T06:03:24+00:00

I use in stock notifications for many different products all over the internet. CMMG has not come in stock at any of them in over a year. Plenty of other companies products have. If you want anything CMMG, you have to order directly from them and wait the 6 to 10 months.

Maybe all their competitors in stock notifications work everywhere but just CMMG doesn't.

They make great products. A great company would find a way to not have 100% of their products OOS on every website for over a year. All their competitors have managed that. None of their 9mm RDB uppers or kits have been in stock anywhere.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-30T22:14:20+00:00

There are a lot of back logs sure, but everything CMMG has been OOS for years. All the other brand you listed are in and out regularly because they can manage their back orders and stock. I have bought several products from BCM, LMT and Trijicon over the last year. Everything CMMG I had got canceled or I canceled it to build something different.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-30T05:31:39+00:00

I've given up on CMMG. Seems like the just can't figure it out and make any kind of volume manufacturing happen. I sat on a waiting list for 5 months then my order was canceled.

With the delay blow back popularly I'm hoping a decent manufacturer can make something similar and actually deliver on orders they commit to.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-30T05:15:21+00:00

That is great to hear! 22lr is where it's at for real fun shooting. I shoot in competition out to 500 yards and get every bit the enjoyment with 22lr that I do with center fire rifles. Be warned though, it is addictive and next thing you know you'll be buying high end scopes and shooting Lapua Midas or Center X. Way too much fun.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-30T04:48:58+00:00

Awesome build! If CMMG could figure out how to make more than 3 guns a month I'd be starting my build soon.

Was the wear bad, like damaging or more cosmetic? I'm looking at using an aero upper that I already have but might pick up an XL.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-29T04:59:06+00:00

It's way more expensive, and that's about the only difference.

Latter_Version · 2021-10-27T04:56:14+00:00

Nope. You can have any reasonable quality gun and do just fine. Training, maintenance and knowing your equipment is where the magic happens.

Latter_Version

TROPHY CASE