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Thanks Baseops! Cheers! M2

Crow How many rounds are through it? I ask because new ones are running $500-550 at the local gun shows... Is it a Service (4") or Tactical (5") model? Regular or Compact (I suspect a Regular as you are talking hi-cap (13 round) magazines, unless they are the extended magazines for the Compact). If in good shape, I would say around $450-500. You might even go as low as $400. Plus, with the rumor that the next XD(M) may be a .45, the price of the current XDs may drop. I've handled the new XD(M) in .40, and whereas it is nice; I wouldn't get rid of my XD to get one, even in .45... Cheers! M2

Kayla Just a little advice, you can take it or leave it; but you gotta let your husband figure out which gun he wants. I know that is difficult, for some of us it is like being a kid in a candy store with only a dollar; but a gun is something that has to match his needs. He probably "prefers" the 92F because that is all he has any real experience with; and that may be fine but there are a lot of better guns out there that fit a variety of needs, wants and desires. If you both have the opportunity, I would go to a gun show and check out what's available. He needs to see what catches his eye, feels right in his hand, and what justs tickles his fancy (sts). If he plans to conceal carry, some people think you need a compact or sub-compact sized weapon. My XD is full-sized (in the sense that it has a normal-length grip) and a Service-length barrel (4"), and I can conceal carry it without a problem. If he doesn't plan to carry it, a bigger gun might be a better idea. My Springfield-Armory 1911s are Government-sized barrels (5"). Longer barrels add accuracy and velocity when shooting. Another consideration is caliber. As I said, I am a fan of .45s; but two of the other popular bullet sizes are 9mm and .40 caliber. .45s are the larger of the three rounds, but are slower in velocity. 9mm rounds are smaller but faster, and their advantage is that you can carry more of them in a magazine over the larger rounds. The .40 was a compromise that is very popular with US law enforcement agencies, bigger than a 9mm and higher velocity than the .45; but it isn't as popular as the other two. Lastly, price comes into play. A decent semi-automatic starts at $500. Semi-automatics are the kind of guns where you load them with a magazine, not a revolver where you load bullets into a cylinder. Revolvers were considered to be more reliable because early semi-automatics didn't always feed or eject bullets dependably; but I don't think that is the case these days. My Springfields have been 100% reliable since day one. Anyhow, there are some semi-autos below $500 and some work well but I would stay in the $500 range as a good starter (note this is for new guns, used prices are a completely different ballgame). If that is more than you are looking to spend, then there are a few recommendations we can give you. Personally, my first 1911 was a Springfield GI. Looks similar to the one the US issued during WWII, reliable out of the box and available for ~$500. I hope that helps, if you have any more questions then post away or feel free to PM me. One last reiteration, you may want to consider letting him choose the gun he wants as, like I said, it is a very personable decision. I let my wife pick out her jewelry, and I pick out my guns. It works best that way... Cheers! M2

Kayla I carried the 92F but would never own one. There are so many better guns out there if you're gonna spend your/his money on one. Plus, I'm no fan of 9mm; but many people like that caliber. I prefer the .45 myself, it did win WWII! The one model I always recommend is Springfield Armory's XD series. I have one and love it, if he plans to carry it or use it for home defense (although a shotgun would be better for the latter), it is a good choice. Hi capacity (14 bullets), accurate and reliable. It was 'Gun of the Year' and numerous other awards when it came out two years ago. My wife shoots it as well, and likes it but prefers my 1911s better. That's because they are single stacked (in the magazine) versus the staggered stacked XD (which are a little thicker in the grips). Get hubby on here if he has questions... Cheers! M2

Sorry, Jackonicko, no dice. I got the real intel... Damn journos! Cheers! M2

G-Pig Sorry, my friend, try this link... Cheers! M2

Here's another few more for ya... Cheers! M2

I can give you one motivation...retirement at 20 years! If anyone got out with over ten years in, and is still relatively young, I could understand their considering coming back to finish off their 20. Over three grand a month for doing nothing is a nice thing to have in this dropping economy, mine has paid for a Jeep and a lot of guns! By the way, this is one way to address the problem...at least the first half of it. I don't think the 10% tax out of UPT is the right solution. Training the guys to the be able to accomplish the mission and to the FAA's satisfaction without sending them to UPT is the way to go! From one of the linked articles... But I would like to hear any current UAV guys' opinions on this. Less alpha tours and staff jobs would help solve any shortage. Cheers! M2

Sorry but if Obama's "common sense" tells him that gun laws do anything other than prohibit law-abidding citizens from owning guns, once again he doesn't have a fucking clue as to what he is talking about! Gun laws only impact those who obey the law. History has shown that nearly all criminals do not obey the law. This captures the situation perfectly... But, I guess if Obama wants to outlaw all guns; then all he is going to do is signficantly broaden the number of criminals out there; as there are a lot of 2d Amendment believers who say there is only one way they are going to give up their weapons... Cheers! M2

Of course that all depends on next month's outcome; but if Obama wins and anyone bets against you on AWB II, they're a sucker! I should've grabbed the WASR. If the Democrats grab the presidency, I probably won't go to the next gun show as the prices will piss me off too much! Cheers! M2

I damn near grabbed a WASR-10 at the gun show because it was only $350. Despite being the lowest form of AK out there, I know there is a chance that even those will not be available or at astronomical prices in about a month. Unfortunately, the wallet was bare after buying the two M1911s... What I need to do now is stockpile as much ammo as I can afford! Cheers! M2

Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I would just tack this on to the most recent thread on the Spectre... Cheers! M

Maybe now they'll quit bugging us for pics of the inside of one of them... Cheers! M2

The Bersa Thunder is about the same size as a compact XD, which I would prefer for reliability. Another option would be a Commander or Officer sized M1911, but I have reservations about the reliability of shorter M1911s. I shot a brand new Para PDA a few weeks ago, and it had a few FTF/FTEs; but as it was new I would expect it to get better once it broke in a little. And whereas the Kel-Tec P3AT may have great customer service behind it, I've shot one and it wasn't something I would consider for a primary conceal carry weapon. Too small for me and hard to control with my big paws. I work with a guy who does carry one (the one I shot, actually), and he likes it; but for me I would go for something bigger. Like I said, I carry a full-sized XD45 Service all the time (I've got it on me as I type, as I haven't had a chance to put it away yet), and I have no problems carrying it in shorts and a t-shirt. As a matter of fact, that is how I am usually dressed when I carry it. About the only thing you have to do is wear a size up on the shirt, and with retirement I already have a need for larger shirts! All I use is a Uncle Mike's neprene IWB holster and I have never had a problem after years of carrying this way. I also carry using a vertical shoulder holster on the motorcycle, again without any problems. If I ever find I need to use a gun, I want to have the most gun I can have! Cheers! M2

BF Yeah, specifically from AJC Sports down in Clute (near Galveston). I had made arrangments with them over a month ago, and the price of the Loaded went up to $910 but they still sold it to me for the quoted price of $875. The Operator was $910, which isn't bad considering I've never been able to find either of them for under a grand. My XD will stay my carry/HD-until-I-can-get-to-the-shotgun weapon; I like its capacity (13+1) and have a LaserMax on it. Plus I don't mind if it gets banged up, that is why I got it. Plus, it is extremely reliable, just like an AK. I may carry a 1911 on occassion; but my preference will be for the XD. I also have a few revolvers that I normally don't use, one is a Colt .357 Magnum (pre-Python) from 1952 that is an heirloom, and the other is a cheap-o Taurus .38 Special that is what I usually give to the wife. She also loves the 1911s and I may look for one for her. RegularJoe Trust me, I will be paying for these. Most likely in the form of a new washer and dryer, and some jewelry from James Avery. She also got a new phone last week, but to be honest it is all worth it. Any wife than actually encourages you to buy guns is worth taking care of! With the way the stock market is going, I am beginning to think I should have also bought a couple thousand rounds of ammo as well! Cheers! M2

'2' Mary and Don rock! Cheers! M2

Well, it was a good day in S.A.! I brought home two more 1911s (the top two in the pic).... The shop I had been talking to had the black stainless I asked about. They had a price of $910 on it; but as they quoted me $875 about two months ago they sold it to me at that price. Then, I was looking at the Lightweight Operator that I handled two months ago and noticed it went up in price as well, from $875 to $910. I had just bought the Loaded Target and was just showing the Operator to my wife, explaining about the increase in price, when she says "Well, you had better buy it now, before it goes up any more!" Well, she didn't have to tell me twice! Luckily, I was still at the table so the paperwork only involved writing them another check and adding it to the other paperwork I had to fill out. So now I guess I am officially a 1911 collector! The black stainless Loaded Target is more beautiful in person; but the Lightweight Operator and its Armory Kote finish was just too hard to pass up (especially when the wife tells you to!). It has an aluminum alloy frame and a match-grade barrel, and is very nicely balanced. Both have Tritium 3 dot sights on them, and I have to say I am now in 1911 heaven! And my wife kicks ass! I am a lucky man to have her! Cheers! M2

For some reasons the spammers are getting through again. I've deleted two Viagro threads in the past two days. I've been suspending their accounts for 1000 days, as I am not sure how or if I can delete them. If I can, could someone please instruct me how; otherwise 'scieshyInseno' needs to be deleted. Cheers! M2

Contrary to popular myth, there was only one A-10B made (<-- click on link for the Fairchild promotional video for the N/AW), tail number 73-1664, built from the first of six A-10 DT&E aircraft... Cheers! M2

Ah, the good old days! As LJDRVR stated, I was also a SP augmentee; but in USAFE. I actually chased a few Brits off the fence, most just simply trying to take pictures of a/c (the Brits are massive birdwatchers) but a few seemed to be climbing higher than they should have so they may have been trying to get on. We were suppose to confront them with what was called the "UK Challenge" (I can still run it); but most of the time I would just yell at them and they would haul ass! Their problme was timing, 90% of the time the perimeter protection posts we were in were unmanned. But with the cammo nets over them, they didn't know they were occupied. We had some CND nut jobs hop the wire on occassion trying to get up to the planes, so we had to take security pretty serious. I remember one guy was standing in the top of the perimeter fence leaning onto the restricted area fence. When I yelled at him, he fell in between the two. Technically, he was on the base but I decided to give him a second or two to see what he was going to do. He leaped over the perimeter fence like a gazelle! I can tell you from firsthand experience that being a sky cop sucks. Most are cool and don't live to jack people up; but there are always the few that give them all a bad rep. By the way, this was in today's AFA Daily Update... I don't doubt the low retention rates, but I gotta call BS on this! I doubt SF have been working 12-hour shifts for over a decade, and they've had civilian cops on the gates for years. Sounds like someone is making excuses... Cheers! M2

Linda I don't know what you're talking about! (That's the one great thing about being a mod, being able to re-bury your mistakes once they are discovered! ) Besides, anything that brings you out from the shadows is a good thing! I hope all is well with you, my friend! I need to get out your way and buy you a few :beer: Or, you can always visit San Antonio and we can throw some TexMex into the mix! Cheers! M2

Guys This is off-topic, but related to this thread so I am posting it here...please bear with me. A few days ago someone posted the name of a GO at the 'Died, then sent me an email has he was later concerned that it may have OPSEC issues. He deleted his post, but since he was quoted a few times, he was worried about those replies that quoted it. So, he sent me a message; and I have since gone in and changed the name to 'a named BG.' First of all, I want to thank that individual for letting us know about his concerns. I am not 100% sure that it was even an OPSEC issue, but to be on the safe side we removed it from all posts. There is nothing wrong with asking the mods to go back and remove/edit posts if you later realize that there might be some info of concern in them. That is what we are here for. Also, it makes our jobs easier knowing we can trust everyone to help us out in keeping this site OPSEC-violation free! Most times we mods do get several people reporting a post that might have OPSEC issues with it, but not always; and that is where the rest of you help us out considerably. As you may know, I think a big fan of BaseOps the forum. I also had the pleasure of knocking back a few beers and eating TexMex with the BaseOps, man himself, a few months ago. He has worked hard to turn this forum into one that literally benefits thousands, and has entrusted a small group of moderators to keep it on track. But that responsibility extends to everyone that uses this forum, and whereas most of the time deleting posts ends up in a bitch session about overzealous moderators; this one was an example of how the system should work. So, again my thanks to the individual who contacted me about his post. Secondly, I want everyone to know that despite the comments of a few, the moderators are here to help. You may not agree with some of our actions; but if you have a conflict with one mod feel free to contact any of the other mods, and we will sort it out. Lastly, I am grateful to see this kind of self-policing going on. It isn't easy admitting you may have made a mistake, but it is a sign of maturity when you worry more about the consequences than your own image. That speaks highly of the person who essentially reported himself. As such, the problem was fixed, which is always more important than the crap you get about making a mistake. I can tell you I make them all the time, and what is most important is not that you made a mistake, but how you handle it. In that regard, this person did an outstanding job! OK, back to thread. For everyone else, keep in mind that things that occur at deployed locations, and those who do them, are a bit more sensitive than stuff going on back at home station (most of the time, unless you are inadvertantly flying nukes on a cross-country!). Post all the great stories and advice from these forward locations, but please be a little more sensitive to the details as it can result in problems none of us need! Cheers! M2

In LJ Driver's defense, he may not have seen the buffoonery in the previous thread (that no longer exists)... At least I hope so. That had to be the most blatant display of low/no SA I have seen in a long time! Just for LJ Driver's edification (and anyone else who is interested), a bonehead who shall not remain nameless (di1630) posted the AMS automated email message concerning the RC-12 complete with the caveat that said it was not for public release! Not surprisingly, numerous people reported the post, and the entire thread was shut down (by me). I understand there is a lot of info on it via open sources; but the problem is that this site already falls under the scrutiny of the USAF and stupid moves like posting unclassified but non-releasable information (which includes FOUO) on here only causes us great asspain! If people want to share official or sensitive information, it should be done via official channels such as .MIL email addresses or SIPRNET. This saves us from a lot of grief, so we appeciate everyone's cooperation! Cheers! M2

1) If she is mentally able to run a marathon, then she is not suffering from stress disorder. 2) Her "service-related" disability, for which she was "medically retired," was based on a lie. She is fleecing the government and US taxpayer out of money as she claims to be "suffering" from her made-up ordeal. She doesn't appear to be "suffering" in this picture. 3) As someone who "earned" his retirement by serving for almost 25 years, I take great offense that this woman is being supported by the USAF when there are servicemembers out there who are really suffering from PTSD and who actually were in situations that caused that condiion who are not receiving the same royal treatment as this bitch. 4) I hate runners. If I need to go 26+ miles, I drive my Jeep. So what if that takes $8 in gas to do, marathon runners fall in the same category as Prius drivers...smug assholes! Questions? Cheers! M2

Still wearing the hair dye as well. I don't see how someone who is "medically retired" can run marathons. As much as I despise the tabloid-approach that militarycorruption.com uses, I have to give them credit is that they are the only ones keeping this issue in the forefront. And the bitch is still a fucking freakshow, no matter what her abs look like! Honestly, that picture makes me want to Cheers! M2