smccrory

Ah, very good point. I don't know why I keep forgetting the G42 - maybe because I passed it over for a CM9, then the LCP then the G43. The G42 certainly is thin and has a nice grip, but dang, it's big by pocket 380 standards.

A quick nitpick: "Baby Glock" used to refer to the G26 but now is regularly used to describe the G43. It may help to be model-specific to avoid confusion...? I have a G26, G43 and LCP II and find all three to meet different purposes. The G43 goes with me the most - it tucks in tight with a proper gun belt and IWB kydex holster, carries 7+1 with an extended baseplate that is no longer than the stock finger guard mag, and 9mm is superior in every way over the .380 once you're adjusted to the recoil difference. The LCP II comes with me for deep concealment in a pocket or when I'm wearing only a t-shirt in the summer. The trigger and overall build quality of the II is excellent and IMHO better than the 2nd gen LCP I owned and carried for two years, though I'd trust either with my life. Note that there's been a lot of discussion on message boards about Hornady Critical Defense rounds not opening up like they should, so I've switched to Federal HST based on ballistics studies. I know some guys like less expansion and more penetration with .380 rounds, but I lean towards the expansion side for cavitation damage. Maybe just a religious debate at this point - who knows - perhaps akin to the .45 vs. 9mm and heavy vs. velocity wars. Anyway, the LCP is an excellent pistol, has a really low profile, very good ballistics with modern HP rounds and easy to control as long as you practice with it. I found my two to be pretty accurate too - certainly enough within a 21' radius. I probably wouldn't take any headshots with it though... Finally FWIW, my G26 rarely leaves the house now that I have the G43. I keep it stacked with a G19 15+1 round mag as a home defense pistol, though I do prefer it for the rare times I can carry OWB for its extra capacity and recoil absorption. What's also cool is that the G17 and 33-round magazines my Sub-2K take also fit in the G26...

Except when they sit, unsold, taking up space, insurance and floor plan financing.

Will be at the IMS show looking at KTMs as well :-)

I love how you guys think!

I can't! Not street legal, but if Steve will look the other way, I'll be happy to ride around the garage and dip into the woods area :-D

Thank you too UP! It was great meeting you in person, and thanks for indulging my interest in the shop and how stuff is designed and made there. It's weird but all the smells of old and new equipment, oils and steel make me feel oddly at home, which I think has something to do with my grandpa Smith's and his brother's shops when I was a kid. Funny how stuff like that works on the brain. I hope we get a chance to ride in the near future - I want to see that new bike you just bought :-). @CBBaron yep, she's in my garage drying off as we speak, with plans to go through the mechanical basics this weekend!

I've never been but it looks like a really good event. That area is amazing of course, and if I go, I might similarly trailer the Beta enduro and a V-Strom. I think Firedog45/Steve is thinking about it also.

A bunch of my regular rider friends have 10S and 20S units (I have a 20S set) and none of us have found a good alternative to the factory speakers other than using earbuds like you mention. Craig is the only one of the group that went with earbuds and he loves them in part because audio quality for music is so much better. He deals with the wires by plugging and unplugging them before moving the helmet. Short of that, you can try moving the speakers around to point straight into your ears. Some helmet ear cutouts don't line up with my ears very well (Scorpion Exo-950 included) so I usually have to try-fit them into place several times and even carve out the foam for one HJC helmet. It helped quite a bit.

Interesting! I’m not generally into clubs or competitions but they can teach one a lot. What make and model?

It's a very long shot, but does anyone here ride a Trials bike or have friends who do, particularly in the Central Ohio area? I'm finding myself a bit bike-curious, but it doesn't seem like there are any Central Ohio clubs, or even riders with nearby places to practice. Don't know what Trials is? Here's a taste of the extreme versions: Though I just want to practice this kind of stuff to develop enduro skills:

A high school friend took his family in a Tesla across the country this summer. It took a lot of planning but he worked it out and even visited some kind of remote scenic destinations. They had a great time. Flying airplanes is similar - lots of weather and fuel planning. Electric motorcycles would be the same. I can’t remember if I’ve said it but I’ll own one someday. My key use case would be to own wooded property not far from town, and use an electric dirt bike to keep the noise down while tearing up my trails.

How quickly can you “recharge” the bikes you own, and how many places can you do it at?

That’s good news. A speed bump only, I hope.

Ditto and I smoked throughout last winter in a cold garage. No problem.

Massive props again to those leading the charge. I’ll be ready to light up my rep’s email and phone mail boxes.

I got a chance to talk with the Zero CEO and COO a few years back at an I.T. trade show and I liked their manufacturing and service philosophy. I'd buy one if I had the spare cash, though I might be more inclined towards the FX model for dual sporting and general low-noise hooliganism. The DSRs are way more capable on the street. Nonetheless, scour the forums for postings about the specific model you're considering. The batteries are VERY expensive should one take a crap, and I've heard that early Zero models had battery lifespan issues that greatly reduced their utility and resale value. Also note that temperature has an effect upon battery capacity, so expect range to be much lower when it's cold.

In my defense, the possible modalities used to murder others is quite large, and the perverted creativity of murderers extensive.

Even still, to be fair and set expectations appropriately, nothing short of banning all access to guns, fertilizer, Rider trucks, planes, poisons, precursor materials and machetes is going to stop a determined murderer from taking a lot of people out before they’re killed. Imagine if this pilot had loaded explosives into a Cessna and initiated a (diverted) approach into the concert area? No guns are going to prevent that, short of a AAA battery perhaps.

The crowded theater example keeps coming up but it’s thoroughly unfitting. By analogy, one would ban words in the off chance someone will use them maliciously or even carelessly in public, and yes, that would indeed violate the first amendment as it is explicitly written to prevent it. For example, I abhor the historical horrors of socialism but I’ll defend to the end Bernie and Bro’s espousal of it, as the unintended consequences of removing his right to exercise that constitutional liberty is a more present authoritarian threat than the ultimate authoritarian outcome his ideas could bring. Similarly, the liberty implications and unintended consequences of most gun control proposals cannot simply be waved aside By the way, abortion isn’t explicitly canonized in the Constitution or the BoR, so that analogy doesn’t work either.

Maybe we ought to have more background checks. That’ll stop the crazies... https://apnews.com/64f685a189ed49a998efe3396ac176b9

Not lame if you want to be attributive with remedies.

Check the header seals?

https://www.apnews.com/ff26110203da4a28bfd1d99022fb401c/Vegas-gunman-had-device-that-lets-guns-fire-like-automatic

There is some logic to that, like establishing a pre-burn line against a forest fire. My only worry is the same as what the NRA's typically is - that any appeasement is read as weakness, as chum in the water, and worthy of more regulation while the waters are boiling.