The first and last time I was in Texas was not exactly a resoundingly good time. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and a hole in my foot, and I resolved that I was done with Texas.
And then I had a wedding reception to go to in San Antonio. On the bright side, it wasnt nearly as hot as the last time I was down there. And I didnt get bit by fire ants this time either. But I was mightily annoyed at the preponderance of one-way streets and crazy drivers.
But, this time I had a bit of time to go visit gun shops. I hit three or four which were all pretty lame, and then I found this place. Selection? Outstanding. General atmosphere? Very polished and upscale. Staff? Stretched thin but mostly knowledgeable. Prices? Hgih, by my standards. But I saw not one but two HiPower GP comeptition guns and damn near bought one. Saw a Cetme L, piles of minty 100 year old 1911’s, three HK squeezecockers, and a bunch of other hey-you-dont-see-that-every-day guns. (And a genuine FN-made FAL which made me think long and hard….)
Other than that, still not really diggin’ Texas. However, I have resolved that I very much need a barbecue gun.
So there you have it. Another trip to Texas, another reason for me to appreciate Montana. You guys in Texas…Im sure you love it and all, but it just isn’t for me.
I used to go there for work trips a lot, esp. the DFW area. Not a huge fan; I liked El Paso and points west a bit better. NM was good.
Grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, when you go on vacation someplace special and you want to get home you may have found your place
Texas is not Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, much of the Rio Grande Valley, and definitely not Austin. I wouldn’t recommend any of those cities, or areas, for tourism. If you want to see Texas, you have to wander the back roads, far from tourist areas, and visit the people that despise what fine cities have become.
True enough, but the Hill Country (outside of Austin/San Antonio) can be quite lovely.
The rest? An acquired taste
If I was to give the world an enema I would put the nozzle in Texas. – Lee Harvey Oswald
Jimbo:
Seeing who we are talking about –
Is that a “Thumbs up” or a “Thumbs down”?
It would be nice to know…
Ceejay
Collectors Firearms in Houston FTW. Every time I go in there, I leave lots of money behind!
I used to go to Texas for work. I bought my first pistol there – at a range in Plano. I couldn’t take it with me since I lived in Colorado at the time. But they kept it at the range so I could shoot it for the couple of weeks I worked in the area. When I went home, they sent it to a local FFL for the transfer. Now that’s just friendly.
The food was fine in Texas too, especially the BBQ. Having been through MT many times, I have yet to find food there to match. FWIW, not in my locality of Wyoming either. It’s my choice to live here for other reasons.
When I lived in San Antonio back in very early 90’s, one of my go-to gun shops was Nagels. A bit high priced but a helluva selection of firearms, knives and accessories. To shoot, Hole In The Wall, outside Loop 410. Everything in San Antonio is a long way away, but the loops help cut down travel time.
I hate high traffic areas so agree with Jess above – the Blue Highway two lanes are much more accommodating for sight seeing. Especially in spring, when temperatures are far less Hades like. The Hill Country is particularly pretty.
I went to nagels…it was dark, gloomy, filthy, and looked like a perpetual going out of business sale. They had lotsa news clippings showing their history, but they must have been moving or something because 2/3 of their display cases were empty and dirty.
Man, that sucks. Nagels used to be great. Thanks for letting me know about its present condition.
Yes. A very rare and infrequent “reality checkup” is a useful mental exercise during a foray trip outside of your own area. Good for recon and Intel gathering of course as well. Although things may be interesting in a voyeur or touristy way, they are a reaffirmation of your smart hermitage site selection decisions. My infrequent seasonal shopping outings outside of my county 90 miles away is barely tolerable. Seeing box store types of people and traffic lights is enough to percolate the blood pressure. Once arriving back on home terrain it is like a pallet of bricks are lifted off of your shoulders for sure.
Stay local and stay frosty.
Or to remind yourself of your good choices in life. I grew up in Los Angeles, and left in 2002. First to Arizona, then Canada, then Montana.
I have no desire to return to Ontario, Canada for any reason. I might visit BC, but would have to disarm. Arizona? Maybe but not to live, just visit.
I was in LA for 4 days last week. Jebus H. Crackerjacks, did I make the right call getting the hell out. And this time I didn’t even leave the SF Valley. I literally couldn’t imagine living south of I-10 there now.
I did discover that of my 4 brothers in law, the very LAST one I’d expect to be a shooter at all not only was, but even had a unicorn: A CCW from Orange County, CA….Carries a Sig in his car.
I’m Canadian, so humour me. What the heck is a BBQ Gun and why do you need one? TTFN
https://www.coltforum.com/threads/the-bbq-gun-definition.377536/
As for ‘need’….well, ‘need’ never factors into gun decisions in this particular society. 😉
My question was relative, I don’t need any of my firearms but I do want them. So I get that. I meant more of a functional reason what will do and what won’t and why? TTFN
I like the notion of taking an object that holds a particular idea with some people and normalizing it into a fashion accessory, complete with showy bling and glitz….all the while retaining the functionality.
Have Gary Reeder build your BBQ Gun, a bit backlogged but worth it
https://reedercustomguns.com/
Buddy of mine had a .480 Ruger on a Super Blackhawk frame by Reeder…Black Widow, I think. Amazing bluing job but otherwise not as flashy as I’d like.
I suspect you have never been to “Texas”. “Texas” is just a memory. Texas is now what Montana will be in about 20 years. Overrun with people fleeing blue states. Bringing their ingrained voting patterns that caused their migration. Growing up back in the day, Texas had 3 million people. Now about 10 times that. There is no “Texas” anymore. Those causing problems settle in the big cities. They hold the political power now and contaminate the whole state with their “progressive” ways. It’s over.
Say what you want about Texas, but I admire Texans. They are the No. 1 most patriotic population I have come across. Texans seem, by far, prouder of their state than any other state’s population (admittedly, sometimes to a fault).
Particularly among conservatives, people from many states introduce themselves to others and essentially apologize for living where they do. (For example, I have lived in California (behind enemy lines) for a long time, but I never refer to it as my “home.” I just live here. The only thing that keeps me here is the huge logistical burden of moving–and the weather. I hate heat or several feet of snow and bitter cold each year. I know. I know. Save the comments.)
As an example of my mindset, I was born with a genetic defect. I have no “sports gene.” Regardless, when any team plays a California team, I prefer that “anybody but California” to win.
My son came home on leave from boot camp for Christmas 2005. On the day after the 2006 Rose Bowl in which Texas beat USC (Hurray!), I was sitting with my son in the Burbank Airport along the corridor leading to the metal detectors. He was in his green uniform, and I am sure that anyone passing would conclude that I was his dad. A group of middle-age Texans (given “burnt orange” clothing colors) walked down the corridor. As they passed, a woman simply (and subtly) said, “Thank you.” No one but my son and I were sitting there. It took a few seconds for her comment to register with me.
When his cav squadron returned on a military charter from Iraq in 2006 and landed in Texas, fire engines met his aircraft on the tarmac with an arc of water. A church group met the soldiers in the terminal as they spread out to head elsewhere. As far as my son could tell, the church group did not turn out for any particular soldier among them. It was simply a welcome home.
Tell me just how likely it would be that either of these incidents would have occurred in some other state. In contrast, when my son returned from the shit storm of the worst part of the insurgency in Iraq (in the Sunni Triangle and later patrolling the perimeter of Sadr City in Baghdad, Baghdad’s worst shithole, he landed at LAX in uniform. No one there gave him a second look. “Whatever…”
Lots of “Self-Reliants” claim that they are patriots. Few actually seriously thought enough about that idea to leave family, beer, and pizza behind and serve. Not all, but a great number of Texans seem to have a different mindset and seem to have a much greater appreciation for those that do.
I’ll stand with Texas.
Texans I generally don’t have a problem with, it’s Texas itself…the physical location in space….that is annoying me.
To each his own, CZ. Most people have more problems with 5 feet of snow. 🙂
Driving across Texas (E/W or N/S) is not a vacation, it’s a career. And in West Texas (west of Hill Country/the Balcones Escarpment) pretty much everything there will try to kill you, flora or fauna.
Flight ER-Doc, maybe so. I suppose that this is just more proof that ““Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
Texas………been there, done that. I have cousins that live there, they can have it. The only redeemable quality that I found there, and quite frankly miss, is BBQ. In the 4 months that I was there, I think that my cuz and I hit EVERY BBQ joint in the greater Houston area.
Idaho has been my home for a long time. This is where I make my stand.
Amen to that. Except Ada and Canyon counties are going to ruin the whole state.
I do not live any where near those communist hovels.
I don’t disagree but that’s like living in Winnemucca and thinking you’re remote from Las Vegas … or being in Craig and thinking you’re immune from Denver. The big city sh_holes run over the back-country places. The trannies are taking over Boise; they’re going to pass laws affecting all of us. The eastern Oregon folks are already concerned about trading Portland for Boise in the Greater Idaho movement.
My medical group has a hospital we’ve staffed for a while. So, I would spend some time there, off and on, around San Antonio.
But I live in Montana….and don’t expect to leave. If politics forces me out, there is always Wyoming.
This is rare for me commander . Post it if you please . I signed my full name because anonymous negative comments are for cowards .’
Per the rec above to have Gary reeder build you a gun .
I resided in flagstaff for 12 years , his son worked on two of my 1911’s and screwed them up so bad I had to pay another gunsmith to fix them .
When discussing it with Gary reeder he became a hostile jerk in about 15 seconds, and I was making an effort to ask them to fix guns they had rendered not usable . )1911’s)
I would never recommend doing business with either Reeder of Flagstaff Arizona.
Regardless of the quality of his work the man is a first class jerk and their willingness to fix poor work was non existent .
The reeders’ cost me a significant amount back when I was earning it the hard way shoeing horses .
Jess Nelson
Victor , Montana
I had a similar experience with another big name gun tuners – both Al King and Armand Swenson…..most of the guns so ‘tuned’ are safe queens. I have a list of guns, magazines, and loads that actually work reliably, don’t mix them up!
The newer, CNC machined 1911’s are likely better – but I discovered Glocks about the time I lost patience with guns that are not reliable.
A Glock will never be a BBQ gun, but I’ve never had one not go boom either.
I suppose if you weren’t born in Texas a lot of the weather/ droughts/ heat/ etc. are hard to handle. As I’ve gotten older the heat is getting a little harder to handle, but overall while I understand the Texas isn’t for everyone, it’s what I was born to and never intent to leave. While it may rankle may, I’m a Texican first and an American close second. When asked “Who are you?” my reply was I’m a Texan. I mean no offense to anyone, but will always look to the Lone Star.
Met a lot of people >from< Texas. Mostly in Colorado.
Remember General Patton’s line, “Well, you won’t have to say, ‘I shoveled shit in Louisiana.”
Well, being a Texan, just put it out there. It’s not like you’re having to admit that you’re from Massachusetts, New York, California, or Rhode Island.
I was born in California.
Lived in Texas, as soon as I could.
Now I live in Montana.
Texas born, Arizona raised and traveled the world
All of my family is scattered around Texas and never see each other due to the sheer size of the state. After I was drafted in 1972 I left Arizona. I’ve been to Texas several times to visit but Tennessee is home.
I’m the only one in my family who successfully escaped. I’ve no interest in going back.