Posted: 2/26/2025 9:08:03 PM EDT
| 20 years ago this forum was popping. Today, Calguns is on life support and hardly ever seems to work anymore, the caguns page pretty much sucks, and this place is getting a handful of posts a year. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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It is noticeably quieter here in the last month or so. I attribute this to the wild fires, the "Eaton" fire in particular (the Altadena area). I am certain some of the members lived in that area. Just as in Pacific Palisades, that area was burned to the ground - it's absolutely, completely GONE! If you want to see the devastation, go on Google Earth. Their latest imagery shows both areas after the fires. It is terrible, like a nuke went off in a residential neighborhood. |
| I'm generally only here during work days, but damn has the gun forums in state changed since app based social media came around and AR15's are back on every gun store shelf. Even GD is way slower than it used to be. Part of me feels good that it's slow, because I feel like a tiny piece of liberty has been restored with us being able to buy regular lowers and other exotics, but then the other part of me is sad because I feel like the activity is dying off whether it be due to expense or the stupid laws that we have here. I know I'm shooting a lot less just because the expense of ammo and how retarded it is trying to buy it. I'm not going to wait for an hour and a half at bass pro just to buy some fucking ammo and that's exactly what newscum wanted. I hope ass cancer gets that guy. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: ... the other part of me is sad because I feel like the activity is dying off whether it be due to expense or the stupid laws that we have here. I know I'm shooting a lot less just because the expense of ammo and how retarded it is trying to buy it. I'm not going to wait for an hour and a half at bass pro just to buy some fucking ammo and that's exactly what newscum wanted. So, their plan is working exactly as intended. It took me two trips on two days to buy some stupid rimfire ammo at Big 5. They had only one authorized person and he was not there on the first day I tried to buy. Try reloading, the ammo is both better and cheaper. For you, and anyone else in that situation, go to the Reloading forum here on ARFCOM to get started. |
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Some Pure Speculation (based on a few facts) - 1. California has lost over a million people in the last few years, good people, productive people, high wage earners, some of whom were involved in the shooting sports. People who are of the mind set to participate in shooting sports are also the types who would want to leave California. Whether the reason was political, financial (tax, real estate, etc) or for retirement, a LOT of people have left. Really, the number of emigrants is quite large. I wonder if that has cut down on how many come to this California Hometown Forum to post. 2. I have heard that social media is where everyone goes now rather than these more traditional Forums. I know that traffic is down on the Reloading Forum. It seems that most contributors are there for in-depth discussions rather than for help getting started (which is how it was a few years ago). C'est la vie. C'est la mort. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Some Pure Speculation (based on a few facts) - 1. California has lost over a million people in the last few years, good people, productive people, high wage earners, some of whom were involved in the shooting sports. People who are of the mind set to participate in shooting sports are also the types who would want to leave California. Whether the reason was political, financial (tax, real estate, etc) or for retirement, a LOT of people have left. Really, the number of emigrants is quite large. I wonder if that has cut down on how many come to this California Hometown Forum to post. 2. I have heard that social media is where everyone goes now rather than these more traditional Forums. I know that traffic is down on the Reloading Forum. It seems that most contributors are there for in-depth discussions rather than for help getting started (which is how it was a few years ago). C'est la vie. C'est la mort. A lot of truth in what you're saying. I can't tell you how many Calguns members left the state. I believe that the reloading forums are also slow because of the cost of primers and lack of supplies. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Everybody likes guns, now. Even in CA. I can talk with half of my neighbors and coworkers about guns. It’s no longer a fringe hobby. That’s probably a huge reason why it’s dead in here. No one has to come into this forum just to ask questions or have gun related discussions. Even conservatism has become more mainstream. It went from the new alt to just what a lot of people agree on. I used to come into this forum just to chat with like-minded folks. It’s not as necessary now, sadly |
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Originally Posted By masterlou: Hopefully the DODGERS will liven things up pretty soon ! Meh. Baseball died for me when the A's left town. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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I saw yet another news article about migration out of California. We continue to have a significant net outflow of people and are facing the prospects of losing 3 seats in the House and Electoral College. Given the massive inflow we also get, the outflow itself must be prodigious. The local population demographic changes are obvious even without counting heads. This used to be called "white flight" but that is unlikely to be the modern term. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Some Pure Speculation (based on a few facts) - 1. California has lost over a million people in the last few years, good people, productive people, high wage earners, some of whom were involved in the shooting sports. People who are of the mind set to participate in shooting sports are also the types who would want to leave California. Whether the reason was political, financial (tax, real estate, etc) or for retirement, a LOT of people have left. Really, the number of emigrants is quite large. I wonder if that has cut down on how many come to this California Hometown Forum to post. 2. I have heard that social media is where everyone goes now rather than these more traditional Forums. I know that traffic is down on the Reloading Forum. It seems that most contributors are there for in-depth discussions rather than for help getting started (which is how it was a few years ago). C'est la vie. C'est la mort. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Some Pure Speculation (based on a few facts) - 1. California has lost over a million people in the last few years, good people, productive people, high wage earners, some of whom were involved in the shooting sports. People who are of the mind set to participate in shooting sports are also the types who would want to leave California. Whether the reason was political, financial (tax, real estate, etc) or for retirement, a LOT of people have left. Really, the number of emigrants is quite large. I wonder if that has cut down on how many come to this California Hometown Forum to post. 2. I have heard that social media is where everyone goes now rather than these more traditional Forums. I know that traffic is down on the Reloading Forum. It seems that most contributors are there for in-depth discussions rather than for help getting started (which is how it was a few years ago). C'est la vie. C'est la mort. You forgot C'est le guerre. |
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| Well, momma and I are looking at properties in WV. We'll be part of the "white flight" in the next few months. We're tired of Gruesome and his ilk. I'm 70 yo, born and raised here. It started its trip down the toilet bowl about 50 years ago. I can't wait 'til the PRK is a vision in my rear view mirror, and there will be no coming back. |
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Originally Posted By Musketjon: Well, momma and I are looking at properties in WV. We'll be part of the "white flight" in the next few months. We're tired of Gruesome and his ilk. I'm 70 yo, born and raised here. It started its trip down the toilet bowl about 50 years ago. I can't wait 'til the PRK is a vision in my rear view mirror, and there will be no coming back. It really struck me several years ago when I recognized a version of "white flight" was happening here in California. It was "white flight" that brought so many from the eastern USA (urban and suburban) to California. It was a major contribution to ruining this State - they brought with them that which they were fleeing. It used to be California but now it's the PRK. Good luck in the next phase of your journey. P.S. - Almost all the articles I've read on "white flight" talk about it as racially motivated. What I lived through in the late 60's and 70's was not racially motivated migration but economic and politically motivated migration. People and corporations had enough with high taxes, high cost of living, high cost of doing business, politicians pandering to anyone except the middle class, etc. Large corporations abandoned the cities and went to the "sun belt", including to California. The employees followed suit. The inner cities deteriorated badly and quickly. This was caused, in part, by rent controls that froze landlord incomes below the cost of maintaining the buildings. Landlords abandoned the buildings and they quickly turned into slums. The cities took them over and, well,... you know how that goes. Anyone who could leave, should leave and almost all did. If you were here, you saw the influx. What I saw was outflow. In my discussion, there is no mention of race and there need not be. Race explains none of that. All those exact same forces are now at play in California and white flight has been under way for about a decade or more. Its effects are obvious to me. Deja vu, all over again. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It really struck me several years ago when I recognized a version of "white flight" was happening here in California. It was "white flight" that brought so many from the eastern USA (urban and suburban) to California. It was a major contribution to ruining this State - they brought with them that which they were fleeing. It used to be California but now it's the PRK. Good luck in the next phase of your journey. P.S. - Almost all the articles I've read on "white flight" talk about it as racially motivated. What I lived through in the late 60's and 70's was not racially motivated migration but economic and politically motivated migration. People and corporations had enough with high taxes, high cost of living, high cost of doing business, politicians pandering to anyone except the middle class, etc. Large corporations abandoned the cities and went to the "sun belt", including to California. The employees followed suit. The inner cities deteriorated badly and quickly. This was caused, in part, by rent controls that froze landlord incomes below the cost of maintaining the buildings. Landlords abandoned the buildings and they quickly turned into slums. The cities took them over and, well,... you know how that goes. Anyone who could leave, should leave and almost all did. If you were here, you saw the influx. What I saw was outflow. In my discussion, there is no mention of race and there need not be. Race explains none of that. All those exact same forces are now at play in California and white flight has been under way for about a decade or more. Its effects are obvious to me. Deja vu, all over again. I'm really hoping that California goes down in a ball of flames, and everyone holds Newscum accountable for it and positive change is made. Tribalism is why this state has sunk as low as it has. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: I'm really hoping that California goes down in a ball of flames, and everyone holds Newscum accountable for it and positive change is made. Tribalism is why this state has sunk as low as it has. Where do you live that you would have California "go down in a ball of flames"? Do you live in California? If so, where in California? Did you leave, move away from, California? |
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: 20 years ago this forum was popping. Today, Calguns is on life support and hardly ever seems to work anymore, the caguns page pretty much sucks, and this place is getting a handful of posts a year. Sad, but too true. I got my first computer in '97 at the ripe old age of 32. Think I had a 14k modem on my landline and wanted to try this new "internets" thing. A buddy who I worked with told me about "communities" for activities like dirt biking and shooting and that's how I stumbled onto ar15.com, ak47.net, and FalFiles. Back in the day, the California forum was busy and easy to find out about meet ups at local ranges or desert shoots. My first range day with a fellow arfcommer (though that wasn't a saying then) was with LordTrader at Lytle Creek back in '98 I believe. The real time capabilities of social media and cell phones may eventually kill off forums completely. Time marches on. |
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This is pure a speculation, because I have no data, no information, on which to base it. It is just a guess. The Baby Boom generation is retiring and they are getting out of the shooting sports. There are also many deaths among this population. They are also leaving California in droves (millions). <-- I do have data on this. As they do so, this forum becomes quieter and quieter as it becomes less and less relevant. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: This is pure a speculation, because I have no data, no information, on which to base it. It is just a guess. The Baby Boom generation is retiring and they are getting out of the shooting sports. There are also many deaths among this population. They are also leaving California in droves (millions). <-- I do have data on this. As they do so, this forum becomes quieter and quieter as it becomes less and less relevant. Lots of baby boomers are also retiring to more retirement friendly states. Property taxes alone can kill your retirement unless you haven't moved in decades and are still covered by prop 13. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
I was just thinking though, how much the California gun scene has impacted the rest of the forum. Everyone in the Epstein threads that keeps saying two weeks and I can't help but laugh and think of a certain DOJ agent that coined that phrase 
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Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Here is an excerpt from the linked article on California's population changes. Not only are the total numbers huge, a large number of middle-aged people are leaving. Those people and their kids typically form the bulk of the shooting community. "Increasingly, California’s demographics resemble the pattern of out-migration long associated with northeastern and midwestern states. Since 2000, more than 4 million net domestic migrants, a population about the same as the Seattle metropolitan area, have moved to other parts of the nation from California. Since 2020, the pace has picked up, with almost 1. 5 million domestic migrants in just four years." "Many leaving the state are in their 30s and 40s, precisely the group that tends to buy houses and start businesses. In 2022, California lost over 200,000 net migrants older than 25, the bulk of whom had either four-year or associate degrees. The groups showing the biggest tendency to leave, according to IRS numbers, are those in their late 30s to late 50s, which includes people who tend to have families." California's Golden Road to Decline 
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Here is an excerpt from the linked article on California's population changes. Not only are the total numbers huge, a large number of middle-aged people are leaving. Those people and their kids typically form the bulk of the shooting community. "Increasingly, California’s demographics resemble the pattern of out-migration long associated with northeastern and midwestern states. Since 2000, more than 4 million net domestic migrants, a population about the same as the Seattle metropolitan area, have moved to other parts of the nation from California. Since 2020, the pace has picked up, with almost 1. 5 million domestic migrants in just four years." "Many leaving the state are in their 30s and 40s, precisely the group that tends to buy houses and start businesses. In 2022, California lost over 200,000 net migrants older than 25, the bulk of whom had either four-year or associate degrees. The groups showing the biggest tendency to leave, according to IRS numbers, are those in their late 30s to late 50s, which includes people who tend to have families." California's Golden Road to Decline That's me. Early 40's, small business owner, 3 sons. I'd love to GTFO of California. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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A couple years ago a friend and fellow firearm enthusiast moved to AZ. He said he could save $20k/year by doing so. Both he and his wife retired around 10 before that and had been living in Grass Valley. I was his best man and we kept in touch over the years... we both had FFL's back in the day and had spent a lot of time together shooting. Within 2 months after moving into to their new home in AZ he died of a stroke during a visit with friends in Scottsdale. So moving out of CA was a cost saving move for him and his wife. He thought we'd go pig hunting and just shooting once he got established there, but found out the nearest shooting range was almost an hour away from where they moved. The moral of the story is the grass isn't always greener on the other side.... if you live in Grass Valley. |
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I try to keep this forum alive by posting various news-related articles, typically at the State-level, but it just doesn't seem to be working. Despite how many shooters are out there in California, it seems they do not come here to communicate. Basically, there are no event postings or local-level news items,... nothing. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: I try to keep this forum alive by posting various news-related articles, typically at the State-level, but it just doesn't seem to be working. Despite how many shooters are out there in California, it seems they do not come here to communicate. Basically, there are no event postings or local-level news items. Nothing. Yea, I think the other media forms are making this place forgotten. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By leelaw: CA hometown has been getting gradually slower over the past five or so years. Calguns is effectively dead. Either due to traffic or the site being offline half the time - your pick. Pity Were they ever really...active? I used to be a member there. They'd actively try to shut down people going to rallies or protests in the state, afraid that we didn't look professional enough. Calguns seemed to me like a bunch of second-rate lawyers who were jealous of how effective their opponents were, while refusing to be active. Were they knowlegeable? Sure. But man...fucking gutless. ARFcom has been a much happier home. |
On Wednesdays we wear steel.
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: I know I'm shooting a lot less just because the expense of ammo and how retarded it is trying to buy it. I'm not going to wait for an hour and a half at bass pro just to buy some fucking ammo and that's exactly what newscum wanted. I hope ass cancer gets that guy. Yeah, all of this. I haven't shot since my last CCW qual--and I'm due in 5 months. That's two years not shooting. |
On Wednesdays we wear steel.
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Originally Posted By Sixtigers: Were they ever really...active? I used to be a member there. They'd actively try to shut down people going to rallies or protests in the state, afraid that we didn't look professional enough. Calguns seemed to me like a bunch of second-rate lawyers who were jealous of how effective their opponents were, while refusing to be active. Were they knowlegeable? Sure. But man...fucking gutless. ARFcom has been a much happier home. Calguns was extremely active, and a big chunk of why we can own what we can own today. If not for that forum, who knows what our rights would be chiseled down to today. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By Sixtigers: ... I haven't shot since my last CCW qual--and I'm due in 5 months. That's two years not shooting. I did something like that; took a big break, thought everything would be fine, went in to qualify, and embarrassed myself. It was the worst I have ever shot. They got on me for it too and I deserved it. Don't do what I did. Go to the range. That was an eye opener. Do a minimum of 50 rounds every month with dry fire exercises sprinkled in between. It is a perishable skill and I totally believe it now. As big of a pain it can be, do what you gotta do. Oh yeah, I've had pretty good luck stocking up and getting in and out with ammo here; https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/ammunition-ammo-for-hunting-shooting-sports/handgun-ammo-hunting-shooting-sports/c/cat100130?q=%3ApricePerUnit-asc%3Acartridge%3A9mm%2BLuger%3AUseField%3ADefense%3Agrains%3A115%3Agrains%3A124%3AinStockFlag%3Atrue%3AUseField%3ARange |
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: Yea, I think the other media forms are making this place forgotten. Originally Posted By -Blue-: Originally Posted By Trollslayer: I try to keep this forum alive by posting various news-related articles, typically at the State-level, but it just doesn't seem to be working. Despite how many shooters are out there in California, it seems they do not come here to communicate. Basically, there are no event postings or local-level news items. Nothing. Yea, I think the other media forms are making this place forgotten. It must be something - the California Exodus, retiring from shooting, moving to other platforms,... or all of the above. This place is dead. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It must be something - the California Exodus, retiring from shooting, moving to other platforms,... or all of the above. This place is dead. It's gotta be that everyone moved to smartphones and everything is app based. Hell I hardly post from my phone and the only time I'm on a computer is when I'm at work. Most of my posting takes place Monday-Thursday. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By -Blue-: Calguns was extremely active, and a big chunk of why we can own what we can own today. If not for that forum, who knows what our rights would be chiseled down to today. Agree, I joined Calguns in 2002, the second week they went live when Ramon owned it. Unfortunately I got permabanned by the new mods sometime around 2015 I think. I don’t even remember what it was for, it was just something stupid I guess. I came back under a different handle but it changed and I could see it dying. But I retired and move out of the state and I’ve been having a glorious time owning lots of things that are a felony in California!
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I think AR15.com is getting less traffic too as most/many of the discussions are controlled by the liberals here. The General Discussion has the same tired threads for weeks on the first page where in the past the page would completely change every few hours. The number of liberal trolling posts is amazing, the first page of the GD reads like MSNBC/CNN's discussion most of the time. The GD is just as likely to advance and defend a liberal cause as a conservative one. 
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Konfirmed on-foing victom of da Americen edukation systim's inabitti too teash reeding komperhencenn.
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Originally Posted By Paul: I think AR15.com is getting less traffic too as most/many of the discussions are controlled by the liberals here. The General Discussion has the same tired threads for weeks on the first page where in the past the page would completely change every few hours. The number of liberal trolling posts is amazing, the first page of the GD reads like MSNBC/CNN's discussion most of the time. The GD is just as likely to advance and defend a liberal cause as a conservative one. Then there's our society and culture at large. This is a microcosm of it all. However, why do we need to play by their (those that seek to destroy) rules? Beats me. |
Like a midget at a urinal, I had to be on my toes--Lt. Frank Drebin
SixtyNine (7AUG21) "very interesting, thanks"
Pres. Joe Biden (16FEB21) Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’
SixtyNine (7AUG21) "very interesting, thanks"
Pres. Joe Biden (16FEB21) Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’
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My first post since moving from FL to indio, CA. I'm 84 Joined AR15.com when I lived in Upstate NY one of the early members. Sold all ar15's prior to move to CA. Just bought a featureless AR for my 84th birthday. Started a 2nd Amendment CLUB in our HOA got a few gun lovers most people, don't their neighbors knowing they have guns.Too many bleeding heart Liberals around. GUNS B BAD! BLM free shooting area 2+ miles away big rock covered areas tough to walk out and set targets. Told when I got here don't go alone too many bad guys. Got a club meeting this week see if I can get a shoot going. |
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Originally Posted By ger42: My first post since moving from FL to indio, CA. I'm 84 Joined AR15.com when I lived in Upstate NY one of the early members. Sold all ar15's prior to move to CA. Just bought a featureless AR for my 84th birthday. Started a 2nd Amendment CLUB in our HOA got a few gun lovers most people, don't their neighbors knowing they have guns.Too many bleeding heart Liberals around. GUNS B BAD! BLM free shooting area 2+ miles away big rock covered areas tough to walk out and set targets. Told when I got here don't go alone too many bad guys. Got a club meeting this week see if I can get a shoot going. 
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Like a midget at a urinal, I had to be on my toes--Lt. Frank Drebin
SixtyNine (7AUG21) "very interesting, thanks"
Pres. Joe Biden (16FEB21) Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’
SixtyNine (7AUG21) "very interesting, thanks"
Pres. Joe Biden (16FEB21) Biden dismisses Uighur genocide as part of China’s ‘different norms’
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My wife and I moved out of California in Mid 2019 for Idaho. It was multiple things that caused us to leave, which considering both of our extended families all live in the Greater Sacramento area is something. Taxes were killing us, we made a combined 300k a year. I owned a small roofing company in Northern Sacramento county and the wife managed a Neurosurgeon practice in Roseville California. Politics was another, my vote counted for jack and shit, even though we were taxed to hell and back our taxes went to fund things we fundamentally disagreed with to our core. Firearms was a big one, I refused to register and had a few lifetimes of prison time in my safe. It wasn't really stressful just another thing nagging at us. Looking back it was the best thing we have done and our quality of life is so much better then it was. We make about the same as we did in California but out costs are way less, my truck was like 1,300 to register in Cali and it's like 160 bucks here. We literally have zero crime were we live, the worst crime usually is a dumb ass getting drunk and hitting his wife or GF. When we do go back and visit our friends and family ask us if we would ever move back and its answered with a resounding HELL NO. The one and only thing I miss about California is saltwater fishing as I have a boat and we used to to catch tons of salmon and halibut and boat dive for red abalone, which red abalone will probably never be sport harvested again for the rest of my days. @Trollslayer |