Micro

The PQ rods are nice. But they all seem stiff to me, though. I never found one that I think would make a good spinner bait or treble hook rod.

That gun will last you a lifetime with proper care. HurleyBurley's right, gun websites are rife with rumor-mongering, among which is that the .40s and .45s "kaboom" due to undersupported chambers. Nevertheless, the number of kabooms relative to the number of gun that have been sold are miniscule. And I've never seen proof any ever kaboomed with factory ammo. On top of that, all guns will blow with overcharged ammo and there are many pictures out there of HKs, S&Ws, and Rugers that have blown with overcharged ammo. I've fired hot Corbon ammo out of my Glock 21, 36, 30 and 21SF and none of the cases ever showed evidence of overpressure. You made a fine selection. One of the best .40s on the market.

I never saw it as necessary. There was already a reels forum. And Shimano has a customer service number.

Someone might have done it on purposes. But they are out there among many "wallpapers." The others are fine. On that side note: I have no idea. I think they've always built good stuff but Americans only became aware of them since imports from previously Soviet-bloc countries were permitted in the early '90s. BRNO and CZ brand firearms are among the finest available.

Sellier and Bellot is an ammunition maker in the Czech Republic. They make fantastic ammo. I really like Sellier and Bellot's ammo. But their sense of geography seems to be a bit off. I checked out their wallpapers on their site and was amused by some of the renderings. The mighty Cape Buffalo hunted by the early American mountain men. The wily moose of the Serengeti. And the arctic Zebra.

I'm lost, too. No Glock I know of has ever had an external safety in that position. Perhaps it was a feature added specifically for a certain department that demanded it? Or maybe it was something like this? http://www.glock.com/english/safetypack_lock.htm For what it's worth, Glocks, if anything, are known for their reliability. I've owned a Glock 21, 17, 36, an currently own a 21SF and a 30SF. I can honestly say I've never had any malfunction with any of them except maybe one or two on my first 21. My first Glock, a 21, had over 20,000 rounds through it, and don't remember any problems at all. The only other gun I've ever owned that has been as reliable was the Beretta 92FS.

I'd buy a used Glock, or some other brand, before I'd buy a Hi Point. IMO, Hi Points seem clunky and cheap. +1 on the Rock Island Armory 1911s. I've never owned one, but I've gotten to handle them and they seem very nicely made. They are made by Armscor in the Philippines and Armscor has a good reputation. Bersa is another company that makes affordable, quality guns. Check them out. Now, if you would consider a Chinese gun, and you can find one, Norinco makes a 1911 knock-off that was cheap, well made and very highly regarded.

It's personal preference. I don't like them. But a lot of people do. If you have a bit of a stomach, they aren't that comfortable. I have an Uncle Mikes inside the pants holster for my CZ83 pistol, but I carry it in my pocket instead of inside the pants.

Glocks and Springfields are both excellent. Either is going to be chunky. My smallest Glock is the one pictured above. I carry it in a Gould and Goodrich belt holster with a thumb break. It's as flat as they come, and it still looks like a canned ham under my shirt. The Glock 23 is Glock's mid-sized .40 and would be a bit thinner than the Glock 30SF I carry, but not much. As far as comfort goes, even my fat Glock 30SF is comfortable to carry. I wear it at about the 4:00 position. It rides high and even driving is doesn't dig in.

The "old" HMG is an excellent rod and for $59 the rod simply cannot be beat.

Update???? What'd you decide on?

Another brand that makes superb guns, and relatively inexpensive ones to boot, is CZ. CZ is an old name in guns. They are built in the Czech Republic. I have a CZ75 Compact in 9mm and a CZ83 in .380 ACP. Both of them are extremely well made, 100% reliable and extremely accurate. In fact, many gun experts consider (arguably) the CZ75 the best 9mm handgun ever made. You can get the CZ75 Compact with a steel frame for around $550 new. The CZ75 s come in 9mm or .40 S&W. http://cz-usa.com/products/by-category/handguns/ Here are my fairly recently acquired CZs.

Cool!

Wow! I've never heard anyone say their hands were too big for a Glock grip! They've got some chunky grips. Someone mentioned the Smith and Wesson M&P. That's a pretty impressive pistol, too.

It already looks great. Keep the pics coming.

I personally prefer the .45 ACP to the .40 S&W. IMO, while neither has unmanagable recoil, the .45 has more of a pleasant thump compared to the snap-whack of the .40. As far as potency, its a toss-up. Good loads in 9mm, .40 and .45 are all going to perform about the same. You'll get more rounds in a gun of smaller caliber. But my theory is, if you really need all those rounds, you are probably in a lot of trouble. I have several guns I carry concealed. One I would recommend to you is the Glock 30SF. "SF" means short frame. The grips is a wee bit smaller than the regular Glock 30. The Glock 30SF is a .45 ACP pistol that comes with two 10 round magazines. Mine has been ultra-reliable, is extremely pleasant to shoot, and is reasonably concealable. It's not a pocket or ankle pistol, but it conceals nicely under a long shirt or jacket. It's also amazingly accurate. New, they run about $550. I like Glocks. I've owned several and all have been 100% reliable. They are brilliantly designed. They have few parts and anyone can learn to completely strip them down. And they are as durable a pistol as they come. I know some .45 ACP Glocks are still going strong with a quarter-million rounds through them. Here's my Glock 30SF. Mine has a Houge Handal slip-on grip, and Trijicon tritium night-sights.

The Giron is a good, but particular bait. You can fish it the way Wayne said. You can pitch it or flip it and let it sink. It sinks slowly, horizontally, and will rest on its hooks on the bottom. It is, however, a hard swim bait. I throw it on a 7' medium heavy/fast rod w/ 12 Yo-Zuri Hybrid on a 6.3:1 reel. It requires a moderate speed retrieve. It has a fairly wide action. Reeling it too slow and you don't get a great action. If you reel it too fast, it will roll over and over. A stop-and-go retrieve at medium speed is a good way to fish it. It's a high quality, beautifully detailed, bait with great hooks. But it is one you need to experiment with until you can present it well.

Now that was worth watching. See Dave, there are videos worth posting.

Congrats!!!!

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. You type that as you're frosting your Brooklyn Fade. ;D Only kidding. I know they are an "anomaly."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVWRXZWGzzI

And the correct answer is... '69 Ford Mustang 429 BOSS

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. To Dan, Sam, 5Bass, HurleyBurley and all the Virginia guys - a special thanks for making VA a great place to live and fish!

Fossil seems to be the recurring theme. I'll check them out. Thanks for all the input.

I've got a pair of Sierras that are about 15 years old. (They weren't called Sierras then, but they are the same boot.) Best boot I've ever owned. After 15 years, they show little wear on the soles, are still water proof, and the leather has worn exceptionally well. I've got many more years to go before they will need to be replaced, by another pair of Danners. When I got them, they came with a free Gerber knife. Even the knife was nice.