wolfriverjoe

It depends. What quality are you looking for? How much work are you going to do? (pre-assembled uppers cost a bit more) How big of a hurry are you in? How much shopping around/bargain hunting are you willing to do? Mid-quality, all the work yourself, keeping an eye out for bargains on the websites and at gunshows could be done pretty inexpensively. $500-$600 if you are lucky. Closer to $1000 is more realistic. I have to kind of laugh at the responses above mine. The info is very accurate, but nobody answered yoir question directly (I didn't follow the links, so there might be numbers in them). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

But tinfoil hats are all the rage this spring. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It's likely that they will call the regular cops. I'm sure they have an agreement with them, and the cops are waiting on the other side of the trap. It's my understanding that they have been operating in cooperation with local LEOs. If I were to get stopped by the TSA, I'd have a similar response. Do you have a warrant? No? ok, let's get the real cops involved then. Where are these supposed roadblocks? I'm out on the highways every week and this is the first I've heard of anything like this. I've seen the ICE (Border Patrol/Customs) guys set up spot checks here and there (and the permanent one down near Laredo TX) but those aren't any more than a quick look and a couple questions. I've also seen the "Drug Checkpoint Ahead - All Vehicles Subject to Search" signs that the cops put up. Those are a bluff. They put them up in the middle of nowhere and watch to see who gets off at the next exit (usually an exit that goes nowhere). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, you begin with a stripped lower. That's the part that's the actual "gun", so that's the one piece you can't mail order for yourself. Then you have to decide what you want. Barrel length and twist, free-float or standard hand guard, flat top or carry handle (or detach handle). If flat top - flip up or A2 front sight, rear sight, optics (scope or red dot). Stock type, trigger type. The list of options is pretty long. If you don't know what you are doing, get help installing the barrel and setting the headspace. A lot of uppers are available pre-assembled and headspaced. The rest is just parts installation. As you can probably guess, I've built a couple before. I got the uppers already assembled and headspaced because I really don't have any experience doing it, but I know guys who do that part themselves and they say it isn't real difficult. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

With someone that controversial they'd be fools not to do a full autopsy (and quade's link says that they are). But 43 is a very typical age for that sort of sudden, massive heart attack. Usually undiagnosed coranary artery disease. No symptoms, no visible indications, just Kaboom - you're dead. I can think of half a dozen people that I personally knew that went that way. Most were more in the acquaintace, neighbor, worked for the same company but not a close co-worker category. Only one was a close friend. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

How much time do you waste on here? Not as much as some! I never kept track of it. Are you saying that dizzy.com is a waste of time? Chuck Oh.... Maybe a little. My main point is the comparison between here and other "social media". I don't see a whole lot of differences between them. Communication between "friends", many of whom I've never met in person. Wasting time posting frivolities and jocularity. Just because it's in forum threads here on Dorkzone and in personal profiles and "walls" on FacePlant doesn't change the fact that we are wasting a lot of time on here. Or enriching our lives by learning about others, their ideas and values. Or looking a pictures of boobies. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

How much time do you waste on here? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

The rig is going to need an assembly and initial reserve pack. If you wait until you have all the components together, then it can all happen at once. You can have the person (or shop) getting you the rig wait until the AAD shows up before they assemble and pack it. As was suggested, check with your local rigger for the most accurate info. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Bolding mine. I don't think most jumpers have to worry about Mach2. Maybe some of the Anvil Bros And yes, I've read your posts about the rocket recovery systems and understand why you said it that way. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

The real cost isn't the cost of filling the scrip. It's the cost of seeing the doc to get the scrip in the first place. And yes, I know that there are a good number of places that offer low cost women's health. Planned Parenthood is one of the biggest. And a lot of these places are under fire because they depend on either charity or government funds to operate. And a lot of those funds are drying up for both political and economic reasons. And I have a plan along the lines you suggest. Just like car insurance, running a big deductible results in a much lower premium. I personally have a $5K deductible. Other than my flight physical (and my company paid DOT physical), I've seen a doc once in the past 5 years. BUT, having the doc bill the insurance, which I then pay because I haven't hit the dedutible, is a huge amount cheaper. I saw the doc last fall for a couple issues that came up during my last physical (and a few other things that I wanted to look into). The bill for one office visit, and one return for a blood draw and it's accompanying lab work was over $800. Because it went through the insurance first, the discounts, and all the other games that get played dropped the bill to less than $400. Half of what I would have paid if I just walked in off the street. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

The only thing I know to use it for is attaching the quickloop to the pop-top on a Racer. And I also know how to cheat it on a normal zig-zag. It goes slow and takes a while, but it works fine. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

If you click on the "Learn to Skydive" tab on the home page, it answers some of your questions. The USPA SIM will have more info. As far as doing unusual stuff off of the plane, it depends on the owner of the DZ. A lot of them don't want to risk damaging the plane (that gets really expensive). And it isn't all that hard to do. There's this Duck that has a pretty good depiction of what it's like. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

This one? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/ It really wasn't a documentary, it was a full blown movie. None of the shots (even of the launch) were historical footage. It was all done for the movie. And while it seems to be close to the actual event, it really minimizes the importance of the misson controllers on the ground. There are a number of things that the movie shows the astronauts "coming up with the idea" when in reality it was the controllers in Houston that had come up with the "work around" procedures. The reentry checklist is the most glaring, but there are a bunch of others. But overall it's a great movie. During the reentry scene, the tension is incredible, even though you know they come out ok (if you have any understanding of the US space program). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Different countries have different ideas on the "age of maturity," In the US, it's 18 from a legal standpoint, which means, for the most part, 18 is going to be the minimum for any risky activity (yes, there are exceptions, and they've been discussed to death). I know (and know of) a few jumpers who started at a very young age (Mullins and Nelson are the two names that come to mind first). They did very well. It depends a lot on the individual and their capabilities. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Imagine a semi. 150 gal or so for a fill (it holds 200 but I don't like to run too low). AND deisel is running $0.30 or so above gasoline. I've seen the pump read above $600.00 a time or two. (that's not a typo either, it is really six hundred dollars) "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

There's enough valid discussion about F-111 fabric that I won't go there, but to answer your first question, 25-35 lbs is a good guess, the bigger the setup, the higher the weight. I have a Talon with a 190 Triathlon, PD193 and a CYPRES that weighs 35 lbs (on an accurate scale). Guessing a couple pounds heavier is a good ides, but as was said, if 5 lbs is going to make the decision for you you should really think about it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Maybe it's time to broaden the definition. If a non-skydiver is a Wuffo, a non skydiver who's snotty about it is a What-the-F**cker. Or we could just call them "Spence's Kids." (I'm not implying that they are his actual offspring, just the sort he seems to have to deal with a lot) "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Acceptable accuracy is being able to hit the "vital area" on a target. The "average range" of the "average gunfight" (FBI stats) is 7 yards. With some exceptions, most pistols are capable of that kind of accuracy. The real variable is the shooter. It sounds like your daughter is able to shoot well enough to realize that there is something wrong with the one snubby. If she can shoot her other pistol well, then I'd start looking at the gun itself. It could be a lockup issue, it could be an ammunition issue, it could be a lot of things. Have a gunsmith check it over, try a variety of different ammo, see if any of that helps. And there's a variety of choices out there for pistols. That's half the fun! I have my personal preferences (SA autos), but I also have a variety of others that fit different needs. Admittedly, I have a few that the "Need" was that I didn't have one of those and so I needed to get it. You have to find what you like (and what your wife likes) and go from there. I think I've already said to make sure that you let your wife's needs and likes dictate her choice. Don't make your choices dictate her choices for her. Also, you might think about a 22 pistol. There are a lot out there. If you can find one that mimics your (or her) carry pistol, great. There are also conversion kits out there to let you shoot 22s (usually in an auto, the slide, barrel and springs get replaced by the conversion). Even if you don't duplicate the carry pistol, having a 22 is helpful. It's a lot cheaper to shoot, so you can shoot it a lot with out hurting your wallet. It's quieter and far less recoil so you can shoot it a lot without hurting your ears or wrist. And even a different model of 22 will allow you to practice the fundamentals (sight picture, grip, stance, trigger pull ect). All of which will make you a better shot with your carry gun. I probably shoot my 22 3 or 4 times as much as all my other pistols put together. 'Twardo made a good point about currency. The only way to get good and stay good is to shoot. The more the better. I see a lot of shooters at my local range. The ones who come down and shoot on a regular basis are the ones who shoot the best. Period. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Unfortunately, you can't be home 100% of the time. Most guns used by criminals are stolen from legal gun owners.. A widely held but incorrect MYTH Well, it's a report from PBS, which has a known anti-gun slant. It's quoting an ATF agent. And the ATF has been proven to "massage" the facts to attack gun owners and their rights. You can't refute it so you resort to shooting the messenger. I am not really trying to refute it. I don't really know where the criminals get their guns. But to believe the ATF on anything of this sort is foolish. The "Gunwalker/Fast and Furious" debacle is just the most recent of their attempts to restrict gun dealers and owners by manufacturing a problem. Google "ATF abuses" for a boatload of horror stories. In the linked story, the ATF spokesman is implying that "bad gun dealers" are the problem. Which would logically lead to more restrictions and oversight of dealers. Which would result in less dealers. That is exactly what happened in the mid-90's. The fees and requirements for dealers was tightened severely. A lot of people who had FFLs for their own purposes got rid of them. If a lot of the dealers are closed down, it gets harder and more expensive to buy a gun. Voila, gun control. Didn't you (overall you) have an issue with the ATF refusing to follow their own rules with regards to model rockets and the engines? Didn't the modelers have to go to court to stop the ATF abuses of power? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

C'mon, get with the program. And, for the record, the Roswell Aliens and their ship were taken to Hangar 18 at Wright-Patt, not Groom Lake. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

God damn it. Only 5 jumps before someone ruined it. Sad. Sorry. If it had been in the Bonfire, perhaps. But there are idiots foolish enough to read this and not recognize it for what it is. Sort of like how cigarette lighters have a warning label that reads: Warning - Contains flammable gas under pressure!! "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Who the fuck told you that a Stiletto was a good first canopy choice? Any jumper who knows anything would have suggested the Velo. Are you just too broke to afford a real parachute? If that's the case, maybe you should take up a cheaper sport, like bowling. No, the Stiletto is perfect. It has a really short recovery arc, so he will be safer. It will pull itself out of the dive faster, so he is less likely to hit hard. (And just for anyone dumb enough to follow any of the advice in this thread, this is satire) "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Skyknights is in East Troy, about 30 miles. Skydive Midwest is down near Racine, probably a little further. I haven't seen anyone at Midwest when I've driven by recently, but they should be opening soon. Skyknights runs on nice weekends all winter long. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

That took me a second to even realize it's a dog. I thought it was a fuzzy stuffed penis. Wait...that just doesn't sound right. Coming from you??? Where's the "Skymamma Sigline Quotes" thread when you need it. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I'm sorry to hear that. That really sucks. I want to say more, but everything I think of is either trite, cliched or would probably make you feel worse. So I'll just say that I'm sorry once more. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo