So like any car enthusiast I knew I wanted to get my license as soon as possible and get a really cool car. The only issue was that I was working part time at a grocery store for minimum wage, so I ended up having to put that plan on hold since I didn’t have any money for a cool car. My first car was a 2005 Chevy Equinox with 203,000 miles I got for $1200 in 2014 from a family friend. It was a great first car for the money, just not a cool car. I kept it for a few years until the end of 2017 when I decided I wanted a cooler car. After some browsing of craigslist, I found my 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood listed for sale for $2500. There was just something appealing to me about a huge, full size, rear wheel drive, v8 American sedan. The car needed tires and it had high miles (228,000), so I was able to take the price down to $2300. It seems like the original owner was elderly and owned it until 2013. It changed hands a couple times and I am the 4th owner of the car. I was really glad that the car included many service records and especially the original window sticker. There were several service records from Arizona that featured an address in a 55+ community, so it seems that the owner had a winter house in Arizona they would travel to. This would explain the higher miles. For having so many miles, the car has only a minimal amount of rust for Illinois standards. There are a few pin holes in the right quarter panel, but the body is overall solid and the frame isn’t scaly anywhere.
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Now most people confuse this with the 94-99 Deville because they look very similar, but that car was FWD and powered by the 4.6 liter Northstar engine. Another reason for this confusion is that the Deville had much better sales figures than the Fleetwood. Many people don’t even know that this car exists because when they think of a 90s Cadillac, the then popular Deville with the fancy new high tech overhead cam aluminum Northstar is what comes to mind. Not the stone-age rear wheel drive boat that grandpa drove. The Fleetwood is the successor to the DeVille/Brougham (the Cadillac car names after the 80s get extremely confusing) which ran from 1977-1992. It debuted in 1993 with the L05 5.7 Liter TBI V8 carried over from the 90-92 models making 185 horsepower. This was upgraded in 1994 to a detuned version of the LT1 5.7 Liter V8 found in the Camaro, Firebird, and Corvette. The main difference was that it had iron heads (there were other small changes), but it still made 260 horsepower, a much-needed power increase over the L05. This is higher than the competing Lincoln Town Car’s 4.6 Liter Modular V8, which made 210 horsepower. And while the 90-97 Lincoln Town Car sold around 100,000 cars per year, the Fleetwood only sold 90,000 cars TOTAL from 93-96. The rarity and extra power are what drew me to buy my 94 Fleetwood.
MAINTENANCE:
12/26/17, 228,849: Oil change and new battery
3/12/18, 230,544: New Tires
There are no mass-produced white wall tires in this size (235/70R15), but General makes their Altimax RT43 tire with white letters, so this is the tire I chose
6/1/18 231,550: New steering components (center link, Idler Arm, etc), alignment, front shocks, new wiper blades
6/18/18, 231,997: Windshield chip repair
8/12/20, 233,490: Oil change, rear brake shoes
1/3/19, 237,310: Air filter, accessory belt, Optispark, thermostat, heater core, Ignition Control Module, Spark Plugs The major negative aspect of these cars is the Optispark distributor. It is a distributor that uses an optical sensor to time the spark. GM decided the best place for this sensitive electrical component would be sandwiched between the block and water pump. This means that if your water pump leaks, it is likely going to kill your distributor. On top of that, all the aftermarket distributors have mixed reviews and are generally prone to early failure. I accidentally killed mine when I was changing the heater core and thermostat. I was checking the thermostat housing to make sure coolant was reaching it, but coolant flowed out of the thermostat hose down the front of the block, killing the Optispark.
1/12/19, 237,433: Oil Change
2/20/19, 237,740: Ignition coil and starter
8/17/19, 241,972: Oil Change
1/13/20, 244,025: Rebuilt entire A/C System My car never had working A/C, so I finally saved the $1,600 it cost to get it fixed and got working A/C for the first time.
9/5/20, 247,360: Some exhaust replacement, shifter bushings, harmonic balancer seal, oil cooler hose, oil level sensor, vacuum hoses for the climate vents, I got a real job so I decided to splurge and fix some oil leaks the car had.
10/16/20, 248,944: Oil change
11/10/20, 249,360: Rear brake lines
THINGS THAT I STILL NEED TO FIX:
Trunk pull down motor, air suspension compressor, the trunk leaks water (most likely because of rust holes under the vinyl top), the paint is faded in spots and it generally just needs a full repaint and vinyl top, some seat functions are starting to fail, minor rust repair, suspension bushings, the gauge cluster flickers at high speed
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Overall, there were a few unexpected maintenance issues that arose, but this car has generally been very reliable and cheap to maintain. A lot of my more recent repairs weren’t essential for the car to run, but they were preventative or quality of life fixes. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this car across the country. It’s generally my first choice to drive if I’m traveling on the interstate. Parts are very cheap since the chassis basically dates back to 1977, and its not too infested with computers and technology. I also added a stereo with 2 amps and a subwoofer along the way.
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PROS:
Comfort: The seats are so soft but still have enough support. The car floats over bumps. The steering is light and effortless. If I’ve had a rough day at work and I just want a relaxing drive home, this is the perfect car for that. There’s a reason people say “floats like a Cadillac, stings like a bee”
Power: When I’m driving down the highway, I can gain so much speed to pass before the car even downshifts. The first time I tried to pass someone going 50 MPH on a 2-lane highway after leaving my Equinox, I ended up flooring it like I had to do in my Equniox and saw I was going 90 MPH. In the same amount of time my Equinox would only get to maybe 65 or 70. This thing will at least chirp the tire when you floor it from a stop with traction control off, and even burn it for a hundred feet if you are on a slight incline. There is so much low-end torque that the transmission doesn’t need to downshift every time you breathe on the throttle. The 0-60 time is around 7.5 seconds, which wasn’t far off from the Mustang at the time. A common modification for these cars is to add a 3.73 gear ratio to help the car off the line, but the 2.93 ratio offered by the Brougham package isn’t exactly wimpy.
Heritage: This is Cadillac’s last body on frame car. It is also relatively rare so it holds a special place in history. Every time I see one of these on the road (maybe 2-6 times a year), I nearly crash my car trying to get a look at it. Lincoln town cars feel boring and common place to me.
Size: There is just so much room inside this car. There is no center console so you can spread out on a long drive. You can very comfortably fit 5 adults in this car, but the front center seat is a little cramped. The size of the trunk is obscene. A common question I hear from people is “how many bodies can you fit in the trunk”, and I think it’s around 7. Working under the hood is so easy because everything has space around it. There’s literally a foot of room between the engine and the radiator and I can stand there to work on the engine. A long car has a certain presence on the road that a long SUV doesn’t have.
MEH:
Styling: Looking at the side profile, the trunk just seems too short because of the shape of the rear window. When I first saw the car, I felt like the classic rear styling clashed with the front aero headlights. It isn’t ugly, but it’s not iconic like the 80s Cadillacs. This car is missing a lot of the interior pizzazz that the previous generation had. There are no rear reading lights, the front seats don’t have chrome trim on the side, there is less wood grain and chrome, and overall, the interior feels more bland. Just look at the interior in this car compared to a 90s Buick Riviera or Lincoln Mark VIII.
Fuel Economy: While the fuel economy is certainly bad, around 14 city 22 highway, its really not awful considering the car has a 260 horsepower V8 and weighs 4,700 pounds. You can definitely get worse fuel economy from a 4WD SUV with less power. Hell, my Equinox only got like 25 MPG on the highway with a wimpy 3.4 V6
CONS:
Size: This thing is fucking huge. It’s 225 inches long, aka longer than a Chevy Suburban. You need 2 spaces to parallel park. You will be hanging onto the curb at a strip mall. You will be hanging out into the aisle in a parking garage. This is not for the faint of heart. My car does have a few battle scars from tight parking spots.
Interior quality: It’s 90s GM, what do you expect. There’s tons of rattles and creaks, the turn signal stalk is wobbly and mushy, the vinyl tries to look like expensive leather, and it feels more like a spruced-up Caprice than a flagship luxury car. A Mercedes S-Class of this era feels so much better, but it did cost so much more.
Driving dynamics: This isn’t a Miata. The steering is vague and doesn’t inspire confidence. It’s more like the steering wheel is attached to the wheels via bungee cord, or there is lag between your input and the car doing something. Body roll seems like it was designed into the suspension. It has a live rear axle so it will axle hop around bumpy bends. The brakes feel mushy. When I first drove this car home, I instantly noticed that the suspension settled very slowly, making the car feel like a boat on the ocean. I bought a 2001 Subaru Forester as a winter car, and it feels like a damn sports car compared to my Cadillac. But this car isn’t meant to carve corners, it’s meant to carve miles off your highway drive.
QUIRKS AND FEATURES:
This car is technically a D-Body, but in reality, it’s just a stretched B-Body. It’s about 9 inches longer than the Caprice or Roadmaster. Most of the extra room goes to the rear passengers. Look at the rear door on the Fleetwood and how it stretches over the rear wheel. The Roadmaster and Caprice don’t do that.
Even though this car is OBD 1, it still has an easy diagnostic system. You can use the climate control display to view stored error codes, and current engine readings like temperature and oil pressure, in real time.
It has rear vanity mirrors in the headliner
This was the last car to have metal bumpers, all other full size cars in the 90s went to plastic bumper covers at this point
The car has glass headlights that aren’t sealed beam
My car had a car phone at one point. There’s an indent on the transmission hump where the phone used to be, and the antenna mount is still at the top of the rear window
It has a very simple digital dash. All you get is your speed, fuel, and odometer. Everything else is relegated to warning lights
The climate controls are purely automatic. I can’t control where the air goes (besides defrost), and I am strongly encouraged to just set the temperature I want and leave it alone
It has fiber optic light indicators on the fenders and at the top of the rear headliner. You can see which lights are working based on which of these fiber optic cables light up
For 93-94, the mirrors were mounted on the door skin. For 95-96 they moved to the sail panel in front of the window, which is true for all B-Body cars
This air suspension system is different than the Town cars. The Fleetwood’s have coil springs with air shocks, while the Town Cars rely on air bags in place of coil springs
The fuel door is behind the license plate
The interior is known as Dark Cherry, but in the right light it looks closer to purple than to red.
If you leave the turn signal on at highway speeds for more about 7 seconds, the car will start to chime at you
The car had an optional tow package that increased the towing capacity to 7,000 pounds. This is easily distinguished by the mechanical fan under the hood. There's this awesome promotional video that shows the Fleetwood towing an Airstream
Even though the DeVille of this era had a trip computer that displayed fuel data among other things, this car doesn’t have that feature.
The Brougham package is the higher trim level that includes a vinyl top, special wheels, special seats, and a shorter gear ratio. You could option a Brougham car without a vinyl top and with cloth seats though. With the B and D Body cars, the style of seat determines the trim level, not the material. You can have each seat type in cloth and leather. Most people assume that a car with cloth seats is the base model, which causes confusion on many online forums and groups
The options my car is missing are chrome wheels, a CD player, the tow package, and the sunroof (Astro roof)
There is a shit load of car behind the rear wheels. I have scraped the quarter panels on steep driveways. When the starter died, the tow truck had the arm lift system that sits under 2 wheels and lifts the car up, but the arm was too short to reach the rear wheels because there was 4 feet of trunk in the way.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
I love this car. I wouldn’t have typed up this post if I didn’t. I love it so much that despite the minor rust it has, I bought a 2nd car to drive in the winter just so this thing wouldn’t be killed by rust. Every time I park it and walk away, I always look back at it. I want to save up enough money to reupholster the dried-out seats and repaint it soon to spruce it up a little. I know classic cars mostly sell based on looks more than the power train. I think the 80s Cadillacs will always be worth more than my car, but I don’t care. I’m never going to sell this car because it means too much to me. I still think I could sell it for around $2300, the price I paid for it, even after all these years and miles because these cars tend to hold their value relatively well. Even the high miles give it character that other cars don’t have. If my car got wrecked, I’m not sure if I could replace it with another Fleetwood because of the personal connection I have to my car. Something about it just makes me happy in a way that no other car has. It’s modern enough to have good fuel injection and all the comforts you need, but old enough to have mechanical things like a throttle cable and a minimal amount of electronic assistance. It’s the end of the era dominated by massive rear wheel drive cars as smaller front wheel drive cars and other SUV’s started to rise in popularity. And because it was the end of the era, it had decades of history to perfect what it was. Sometimes I get bored sitting around the house and just go out for a drive. Buying this car was one of the best uses of my money and these cars are severely underappreciated and unknown compared to their Panther platform competitors.
Encouraging U of I Students to Participate in the Urbana Primary Election on February 23rd
Hello UIUC SubReddit, I know everyone is busy with the start of the semester, but I strongly encourage you to take notice of the primary elections happening in Urbana right now (last day to vote: Feb 23). In Urbana, the primary pretty much always determines who wins the general, so the April 6th general election will not be nearly as meaningful. Early voting has already started, so people can vote anytime between now and Feb 23, 7pm. Urbana rarely has primary races and seats are often won uncontested. As a result of the political turmoil over the past year (locally and nationally), all 7 City Council seats, City Clerk, and the Mayor position are being contested – some seats have 3 or 4 candidates running. Multiple U of I alumni and even some current U of I students are running. It is truly unprecedented. Voter turnout in these Urbana elections is usually very poor in general, and student participation is extremely low. The Urbana wards that encompass some of the east side of the U of I and a lot of student housing (Wards 1, 2, and 3) are heavily weighted with student residents, but always have the lowest turnout (I understand there are many reasons that some students may not be able to vote here, but still…). I know that when I was a student, living in ISR and later in an apartment on Green St, I was completely unaware of local government. The Urbana government really has a huge effect on the lives of students at the U of I, though we very rarely hear student voices at City Council meetings. Here is a ward map of Urbana, so you can figure out which ward you’re in:https://checkcu.org/wp-content/uploads/documents-Elections/2020-11-23-Urbana-Consolidated-Primary-Election/Urbana-Ward-Map-2021-Election.jpg Vote Champaign has a voter guide which provides information about the candidates and links to their individual campaign pages:http://votechampaign.org/guide.php The Champaign County League of Women Voters hosted candidate forums, and you can watch those videos here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UD8E3IXPk&list=PLPooEStVXXpYF5hRoaa9Ij4158gCO7P1R Two Options to Register and/or Vote: Online:Illinois Online Voter Application Website (https://ova.elections.il.gov/) Dates: Closes at 11:59 PM on February 7, 2021 Notes: You’ll need your Illinois Driver’s License or Illinois State ID, last 4-digits of SSN to complete the online registration Same day registration and voting:January 14 – February 22, 2021: Champaign County Clerk’s office (Brookens Administrative Center, 1776 East Washington Street, Urbana, Illinois 61802) February 15 - February 22, 2021: Early voting locations and information (https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/many-ways-vote/early-voting-information) Election day, February 23, 2021: Your polling place (https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/my-voting-information/my-polling-place) or any county wide early voting location Notes: To register to vote, you’ll need to provide ID and address verification. Link to acceptable forms of verification: https://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/register-vote/acceptable-forms-id-address-verification Probably the most useful online resource for understanding registration and voting (includes the info above and more):https://checkcu.org/voter-cheat-sheet-urbana-2021-consolidated-primary-election/ If you aren’t able to vote for whatever reason, encourage your friends to get involved and remind them to go vote! In these small elections where outcomes can be determined by a handful of voters, your vote can really be meaningful. For full disclosure: I am running for Urbana City Council in Ward 2. I’ve also been writing about local issues on my news site: www.CheckCU.org in case you want to read about some recent events. I will probably post an AMA for my own candidacy soon, but I really just wanted to make sure people were aware of the election and how to vote. If you’ve read this far, maybe you’ll humor me and comment with what issue(s) you would like to see the Urbana City Council focusing on. If you’re willing, include which ward you live in. I know some of the other candidates would be interested in hearing your thoughts too. -Christopher Hansen (known on the UIUC SubReddit as “the CorruptCU guy”)
In need of Advice or Coaching - Career Change / Networking
Hello beautiful community of women, Last year was difficult for so many. I really lucked out when I reconnected with a friend from college, and for the first time in my life (approaching 35), I am considering making a career change to settle down. Unfortunately, we live in different states. I am willing to move back to Illinois (probably the Chicago area) because my immediate family is still there and I miss living in a more metropolitan area. I have a feeling that solely applying for roles online won't get much traction in finding a new job. Has anyone had experience or can provide any advice on approaching others in their distant network to help with at least getting an interview or the eye of a recruiter. I don't have many close peers who have done well at other Fortune 500s, an impressive pedigree, or a close recruiter connection. Would love to hear your of your advice and experiences. Thank you so much! Edit: Posting in this subreddit because this is a hard decision. I make more than my boyfriend, and do not want to take a huge salary cut because I want to move to a different city. It is always an option to ask him to buck up and move to my location (we are not sure yet if this is even possible due to his type of licensed work and past legal issues). I'm also not a fan of the location in which I currently live. Edit 2: Accidentally posted this in the standard FI sub and it was taken down - but had some interesting comments :)
Mods: I hope I am allowed to post this, as I am not sure if this fell under the rules and guidelines of this group. I was browsing the interwebs after eating some dinner and this newsflash bulletin hovered in the bottom of my screen, low and behold; the following link was provided: https://patriotsavingsguide.com/ccw-test/ I read through the whole jargon and found some alarming information, especially when it said, "Today, we're looking at the 100% LEGAL loophole that allows ALL American citizens toqualify for their concealed carry permit online… and why ALL Americans should qualify for their CCW before this right is taken away...No waiting period, no gun range, and no need to leave your home. The entire process can be completed online in under half-an-hour. You Can Protect Yourself and Your Family Wherever You Go with a Concealed Carry Permit - Start The Qualification Process For Free Online." For giggling and shitting, I clicked on my state, Illinois, and proceeded to then answer a few basic generic questions much like how we would here if applying for our FOID - and boom, I was deemed approved and ready to get certified online. --------------------- This is a huge red flag especially since no one but ISP here can allow you to get your Concealed Carry License, period, obviously if you work as an LEO or of similar capacity, sure - but to the average civilian, you cannot. Nothing online, you must complete (here in IL) 16 hours of class which included range time for new CCL applicants, and 8 or 3 hours (can't remember this one) for renewals. I'm sure most people would have half a brain to understand this and I am not sure if this topic/issue was ever brought up in the past. Just wanted to bring it up if it wasn't. Stay safe.
A big thanks to the 2055 of you who took a moment to complete the recent golf 2020 census. This is a tremendous response and should provide a reasonable sample size among active users of this sub. Caveat: while my IRL work has a lot to do with digital media and numbers, I am no data scientist or Excel whiz, so I'm sure this isn't quite as good as it could be, but it's all I have time to do with now! So without further ado, here are the results (and I have made the data available here if anyone wants to take a peek or slice and dice it for themselves). You can view natively in your browser, or simply click the 'download' button in the top right. I might edit this later with some more findings, but that's enough for now! I'll be really interested to know what you think. What results surprise you? What results were you sure of? Please post and discuss your feedback! 1. How old are you? The average age of golf is 30.01 years. It's also the most common age selected in the census with 144 of you identifying as exactly 30 years old, 135 of you identifying as 31 and 134 identifying as 28 years. The oldest respondent is 72 (and has a handicap of 5). The youngest respondent was 13, which is the minimum age to have a reddit account, which is why I cut it off there. The two 13-year-olds identify as being off 12 and 6 handicaps. Just 108 of the sample size are teenagers, representing a mere of 5.26% of respondents. 2. What is your gender? A whopping 98.2% of us identify as male and just 1.1% female. I knew this sub was heavily skewed to men, but that's a LOT more than I expected. 3. What is your relationship status? 41.9% of this sub is married, 29.7% are in a relationship and 27.5% are single. The average handicap of married golfers is 17.0, single 17.5 while golfers in a relationship are 18.4, suggesting this latter category is prioriting other matters in life :) 0.8% of married golfers and 1.1% of both single and golfers in relationship are better than scratch players 4. Where do you live? 79.7% of you live in the United States Canada is second with 8.1% and the UK third with 4.4%. The top 10 is:
Country
Count
USA
1637
Canada
166
UK
90
Australia
27
Sweden
26
Ireland
23
New Zealand
11
Norway
10
Germany
8
Netherlands/Denmark/Finland
7
There are single representatives from Antigua, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Greece, Grenada, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Romania and Thailand. 5. In which US state do you live? Here is where the Americans among us live:
State
Count
California
171
Texas
108
New York
88
Illinois
69
Pennsylvania
63
Massachusetts/Ohio
62
Georgia
69
Florida/Michigan
58
Virginia
56
Minnesota
54
The states with the fewest golfers are Delaware and Montana (2 each) while Vermont and Wyoming each have 4 representatives on golf according to this census. 6. What is your current handicap? (rounded to the nearest whole number) According to this census, the average handicap or golf is slightly lower than 17.5 (slightly lower as there are 20 players who identify as better than scratch, but were counted as 0 for the purposes of this average). 7. Recently,my handicap has been... 1262 (61.35%) of you have been reducing your handicaps lately - well done! 8.81% of you need to stop the recent rise in your handicap 29.84% of you are remaining relatively unchanged/consistent 8. My status as a golfer is... The vast majority of us (96.15%) are amateur players/weekend hackers while there are at least 8 current professionals among us, 3 former pros and 68 aspiring pros 9. What would you say is your preferred brand of club? I appreciate this question didn't suit everyone, as putters are different to irons as wedges are different to drivers - you might like a brand in one club, but loathe it in another. Without wanting to make this survey too in-depth, I think the below table is a decent snapshot of golf's preferred club brands (and really sorry I forgot about the PXG crew!)
Brand
# that express it as 'favorite'
TaylorMade
532
Callaway
380
Mizuno
303
Titleist
270
Ping
218
Cobra
126
Cleveland
46
Wilson
46
Nike
39
Srixon
32
Ben Hogan
20
Adams
13
Miura
9
Dunlop
6
Bridgestone
4
MacGregor
4
Bettinardi
2
Honma
2
Vulcan
2
Obviously a lot to unpack here and there a LOT of variables. Of particular interest is the love for a now defunct golf brand (Nike) ahead of leading brands such as Srixon and Miura. Also, there is a noticeable drop-off from Ping to Cobra and an even greater one from Cobra to Cleveland. When you isolate the data to those with a 0 or better handicap, the results look like this: TaylorMade (9) Titleist (7) Callaway (3) Mizuno (3) Ping (3) Cleveland (2) Miura (1) Nike (1) 10. Do you prefer to mix or match? 19.57% prefer to match your sets while 80.43% don't mind what's in the bag, as long as it works for you. 11. What brand of ball do you primarily play?
Brand
Number who play it
Titleist
462
Whatever I find in my bag or the woods
290
Callaway
249
TaylorMade
211
Srixon
194
Bridgestone
170
Kirkland
121
Vice
119
Snell
79
Wilson
39
Nike
21
Top Flite
19
Oncore
16
Maxfli
13
Inesis
8
Volvik
8
Mizuno
7
Pinnacle
6
Noodle
3
Seed
2
Sugar
2
Slazenger
2
OtheVarious
12
12. Do you think the ball you play has a significant impact on your game? 37.59% of you think it's VERY important 19.40% of you don't think it matters at all 43.01% don't mind, as long as it's a ball by a 'leading' manufacturer 17/20 of BETTER than scratch golfers said that ball choice is critical. The only surprising thing about this is that it wasn't 20/20! The average handicap of players who suggest ball choice is very important is 14.16 (down 3+ whole points from the overall golf average) and if you include the BETTER than scratch handicappers as zero, that falls to 13.85. 13. What is your position on iron covers? 57 of you (2.77%) use iron covers 821 of you (39.97%) of you think these 57 people should be openly mocked 1176 (57.26%) of you think these 57 people should do whatever they like :) 14. Do you drink alcohol while golfing? 17.96% of you don't see any difference between a golf course and an open bar 29.60% of you drink and play some of the time 24.74% of you drink occasionally 27.70% of you never drink while golfing Of the 29 zero or better handicappers among us, 11 never drink on the course and 5 drink most of the time! 15. What is your preferred tee time? 40.55% of you enjoy gettingup at the crack of dawn for an early morning tee time 27.46% of you like a morning slot, but without the early wake-up 14.41% of you would rather play in the afternoon 13.00% of you enjoy finishing the day with twilight golf Just 4.58% of you prefer to tee off at lunchtime 16. What is your preferred way of getting around the course? 45.13% of you prefer driving 32.18% of you are card carrying members of the push cart mafia 22.69% of you mental bastards prefer to walk and carry 17. Are you a member of a club? 71.23% of golf are nomads 23.81% of us are full year members of a club 4.96% of us are members of a club for part of the year 18. Have you ever had a hole-in-one? 10.18% of you have an ace to your name 89.82% of us are still searching for that elusive milestone! 19. Who do you prefer golfing with? 76.53% of us would rather golf with our friends 12.03% most enjoy playing with family 10.37% prefer the solitude of a solo round 1.07% of you most enjoy the company of strangers 20. Hot or cold? 67.53% of you would prefer to play in roasting hot conditions 32.47% would rather play in the freezing cold 21. What is your biggest pet peeve on the course? Here's how you responded to the pre-defined answers:
Peeve
# of you who most hate this
Slow play
1051
Lack of course care
214
People who hit up on you
204
'Put me down for bogey' guy
147
People who litter
145
Bluetooth speakers
111
Unsolicited advice
93
And here are some of the best 'write in' answers!
All of the above in equal parts (this was a popular response!)
The 6-foot gimme guy
Drunk golfers (refer to question 14)
Finding out the greens have been cored
The 10 practice swings before a duff guy
Snobbery
Rule sticklers
This is technically littering, but cigarette butts and sunflower seeds
Starters who don't properly manage their time sheets
Angry players who swear, throw clubs etc.
22. What do you consider to be the best part of your game? 34.95% of you are best with an iron in your hands 31.44% of you are magicians around the green with a wedge 16.84% of you feel most at home on the greens 16.77% of you love to step on to the tee with the big dog 23. What do you consider to be the worst part of your game? 45.62% of you aren't confident with driver in hand 20.25% of you least like putting 18.55% don't strike irons well compared to the rest of your game 15.58% of you are most uncomfortable with a wedge 24. Assuming you had not achieved either, would you rather... 68.01% of you would rather play a whole round to par or better 31.99% of you would prefer to write a "1" on your score card 25. Which shot produces the most pleasure for you? An utterly PURE mid/long iron right out of the sweet spot (40.12%) Ripping a booming drive down the middle of the fairway (30.62%) Reading the break and hitting the ideal weight on a putt (11.74%) A pin-point chip/pitch to tap-in range (9.54%) Crushing a wood off the deck (4.67%) Splashing out of the sand to a few inches from the cup (2.58%) A perfectly judged bump & run (0.73%) So that's all of the questions with pre-defined answers, which was much easier for me to dissect than the qualitative answers to come! With upward of 2000 responses, I can't depict every answer, so have done my best to group them and provide some outlying humour and interesting responses. 26. Who are you picking to drain a 20-foot breaking putt to save your life? By far the most popular response was "Tiger" or a variation of it (including "2000 Sunday Tiger" or "Young Tiger" or simply just an emoji and there are so many variations of TW, Eldrick, El Tigre etc. that I am not going to tally them up - just trust me on this, he is far and away the top choice!) A lot of you would back yourself for the putt. Some because you legitimately think you will make it, others because they will feel more motivated than anyone on earth while others wouldn't consider burdening another person with that responsibility! So here's the list I've generated with everyone who had 5 or more mentions.
Tiger Woods (714) - not including the aforementioned variations of his name, so I suspect that more than half of you will have chosen TW in some way, shape or form
Myself (139)
Jordan Spieth (121)
Jack Nicklaus (83)
Phil Mickelson (82)
Dustin Johnson (76)
Rickie Fowler (62)
Justin Thomas (58)
Jason Day (49)
Kevin Kisner (31)
Bryson DeChambeau (26)
Colin Morikawa (20)
Brad Faxon (18)
Kevin Na (17) - and two said "just so he can walk it in"
Steve Stricker (16)
Rory McIlroy (15)
My dad (13)
Dennis McCarthy (12)
Anyone but myself (11)
Happy Gilmore (11)...uh oh, Happy learned how to putt!
Jesus (11)
Ben Crenshaw (10)
Brandt Snedeker (9)
Webb Simpson (9)
Matt Kuchar (8)
Ian Poulter (8)
Brooks Koepka (6)
Arnold Palmer (6)
Tommy Fleetwood (6)
Jim Furyk (6)
Jon Rahm (5) - would have been a lot more after last weekend!
Patrick Reed (5)
A special shout out to....
The 6 people who would choose my mom (clearly good putting is not hereditary)
The 3 people who said "The Club Pro Guy"
The 2 people who said Michael Phelps
The 2 who said Batman
The 1 cool cat who said Carole Baskin
The 1 who nominated Rick Shiels because he "prefers some risk"
And the wise guy who said "a robot designed for putting" (see: 2000 Tiger)
27. If you could change one rule in golf, what would it be? Another one where I made it pretty difficult to analyse and display the results! But here are a few of the top answers (in what I interpret as order of popularity), and please feel free to access the results yourself if you want to sort through them all.
Lost ball to become a drop at nearest point of relief for a one-shot penalty instead of reloading for three
All hazards/OOB to be red stakes for consistency
Be permitted to ground your club in a bunker
Relax dress codes (including allowing tour players to wear shorts)
"Gallery Balls" whereby amateurs receive a free drop for a 'lost' ball that is definitely in play
All players should receive relief from fairway divots
Any drop/penalty should just be one stroke (a LOT of you think all OB should be treated as a lateral hazard)
A certain number of mulligans per round (most said one, but some of you want up to 3 per nine!)
Actual enforcement of penalties for slow play and/or a shot clock
Be permitted to lift, clean and place on all fairways
Free relief for things like ree roots, fences etc.
Drop height... some of you want it lower (ankle) and some of you want it back to the waist!
Change number of clubs permitted in bag (interestingly, half of those who suggested this want fewer and the other half want more - there doesn't seem to be a universal consensus)
That inconsequential and accidental touches of the ball or sand should not result in a penalty
Allow rangefinders/slope in competitive play
Preferred lies within one club-length no nearer the hole on all grass and bunker sand
Flagsticks should remain in the cup 100% of the time
Overturn the ban on anchoring
Slightly bigger cups
Stymies should be permitted
While sorting through these responses, it became apparent just how difficult it is to please all golfers. On one line, someone says "Collared shirts compulsory" and on the next, someone says "Collared shirts optional!" And finally, this one tickled me... "If you are not on the green and can run to your ball and play another shot within 5 seconds, the first one shouldn't count!" 28. What is your hottest/most controversial golf take? Another one that's impossible to really depict succinctly, so here are some interesting responses, copied and pasted exactly as you wrote them!
(most) old people ruin the game (gatekeeping & arrogance towards younger generation)
"Annoying fans" are necessary to grow the sport
18 holes per game is too many
70% of people should be playing from the red tees. Move forward
Alcohol should be banned on the course
Alignment lines on balls should be banned
All private clubs should have a public day
Amateur golfers on YouTube do more for attracting new people to the sport than pros on TV
Augusta as a course/club is overhyped. If it wasn't for the exclusivity and the masters itself, it would be considered an average course
Bad golfers should be relegated to non-ideal tee times
Blades make you a better golfer because you can feel where your misses are on the face
Breaking 80 isn’t impressive if it’s not from the tips
Brooks is more annoying than Bryson
Bryson and brooks are likable, talented guys
Bryson and Patrick reed are good for the game (several dozen more Bryson takes!)
Carts should only be used by people with mobility issues
Corn Ferry far superior to European tour
Dress codes are stupid
European Tour is more difficult than the PGA Tour
Everyone cheats, somehow or some way
Fairway shots are most times harder than shots out of the rough on low quality courses
Fedex Cup should be match play
Fitting is the biggest scam going. It is a sales tool and nothing more.
Getting married ruins the promising careers of young pga pros (see Jordan, tiger, rory, rickie, DJ)
Gimmes are acceptable and should be reasonable encouraged in social (non-competitive) play
Gimmes suck and hurt your game
Glove should not be removed during putting
Golf courses are a waste of resources and land
Golf decorum means something and isn't designed to be purely elitist
golf fans are the worst fans of any sport
Golf isn’t fun to watch just to play
Handicapping is a participation trophy for bad players
Hazards should not be raked, they are hazards
Hitting Fairway Woods off the deck is far easier than off the tee
Hole in one's aren't that special
I don't like Phil Mickelson
I don't really mind slow play
I don't think you should mark your ball on the putting green for the other golfers. Putt around other balls.
I love golf but hate golfers
I'd be on tour if I was given 1 year to train, a new fitted set of clubs, and had no obligations to anything outside of golf (this respondent is a scratch player)
I'd like to see a tournament with separate tees: womens/champions/PGA, all competing for the same $/trophy
I'd rather hit a great drive and double bogey than dink my iron a few times and par
If Bryson was black people would focus on the fact that he is changing the game and advancing it rather than focusing on his minor blunders he has had and blowing them out of proportion.
If you can’t shoot under 100, you have no business being on a regulation/championship 18 hole golf course
Instead of rolling back the ball, ban the use of tees
Iron covers aren’t terrible
Irons should be labeled with loft not numbers
Leaving the pin in to putt is better than taking it out
Men can learn way more from watching the LPGA than the PGA Tour
Mulligans are stupid and you cheat yourself out of an actual score
Music being played from the cart should not be distracting during a random weekend tee time. We aren’t on tour.
No discount should be given if the greens are aerated
No one should take more than one practice swing. Just get up and hit the ball.
Nobody wants to see pros play ridiculously tough courses where the winner is -1.
Older men at golf courses prove millennial aren't the entitled generation, its the 50 to 60 old dude who is
Pace of play is less of an issue than people make it out to be in the amateur game
PGA tour broadcast juices yardages for casual fans
Players on the tour aren’t too long, it’s cool to see what they can do with the same equipment as us
Playing forward by a set of tees doesn't make you less of a man
Playing more rounds will help you improve scores faster than range sessions. Rounds are what get scored, not repeated hits off turf.
Practice swings don't work and are generally pointless
Prime tiger wouldn’t go on that run he had today against this new talent
Pro Golfers should be able to play through noise and heckling
Pro V1s are overrated and mainly used by people for placebo
Pros are playing for millions of dollars they are allowed to be entitled and whine
Pros should carry their own bags
Putters over $100 are a waste of money
Rowdy fans are alright
Ryder Cup is better than any major
Scottys are not overpriced
Scrambles are a horrible way to play golf
Shafts don't matter for most golfers
Solo golfers do not have the right of way as long as the group ahead is meeting course pace of play
Stepping on someone's putting line makes no difference
Take the driver out of the bag. You’ll shoot better.
Tee boxes based on handicap not age/gender
The British Open is more prestigious than the Masters
The top 20 LPGA players could make bank on the men's tour if they could tee off from 100 yards ahead
The US Open is a better tournament than the Masters
There are like 5 people on the subreddit qualified to give swing advice
Tiger doesn't care to win again
Unless you are a 10 handicap or better, the ball you play does not matter
US Open should only be played at public golf courses
Waiting for the group in front of you is not hard or annoying
Womens golf is more entertaining to watch
Yelling fore does nothing. You’re on a course be aware of your surroundings.
You should have to have a license to play golf. Nothing crazy just take an online class that would go over basic rules and etiquette.
29. What is the best golf course you have ever played? Have aggregated the most popular answers to the best of my ability, capped at 6+ responses.
Pebble Beach (17)
Chambers Bay (16)
Half-Moon Bay (15)
Torrey Pines (13)
Whistling Straits (12)
TPC Scottsdale (11)
Bethpage Black (10)
Arcadia Bluffs (9)
Wolf Creek (9)
Tobacco Road (8)
Sypglass (8)
Pinehurst #2 (7)
Pasatiempo (6)
TPC Sawgrass (6)
30. What is your bucket list course that you are yet to play? Again, a lot of variations here which made it tough for me to sort the data, but have done my best to sample a Top 10. I was very surprised to see Augusta behind St Andrews and so far behind Pebble but I suppose people subconsciously don't vote for courses they have no legitimate way of ever playing. I'd be interested to see these results if I re-phrased the question to "You have a free, no questions asked tee time anywhere in the world, name your club..."
Pebble Beach (433)
St Andrews (200)
Augusta (193)
Bandon Dunes (119)
Pinehurst #2 (61)
TPC Sawgrass (49)
Bethpage Black (35)
Torrey Pines (22)
Whistling Straits (22)
Wolf Creek (21)
31. What is the ONE thing golf administrators ought to do to encourage more people (particularly young people) to play the sport? This was a genuinely encouraging list of 2000+ results to read though. We often read about the 'doom & gloom' aspects of the future of our sport, but there is a vibrant and dedicated golf community out there thinking of ways to perpetuate interest in the sport and keep the flame lit for the next generation. Again, here's a sampling of what I would consider to be the most popular responses.
Make the game less cost prohibitive (this is a big one - everything from clubs to green fees to beers)
Open 'masterclasses' or free clinics from pros at ranges and local clubs (another big one)
Shorter courses (9 or 12 hole)
Heavily discounted beers for 18+ players
More facilities like Top Golf
A greater focus on 9-hole game, tee times, handicap structure etc.
All clubs should have a dedicated youth program
Allow interest free payment plans for things like memberships, clubs etc.
Alter rules to make it less elite/proper ie. mulligans, preferred lies etc.
Allow kids (U15) to play free (and rent clubs free), or at heavily reduced rates
Alternate course routing that allows you to come off whenever you like, not necessarily play 18
Kids play free with a paying adult (ensuring pace of play is maintained)
Relax the dress code and 'traditional' golf culture ie. be far less elitist
Twilight 9-hole beer leagues, aimed at young professionals looking for something to do after work
Carving out tee time blocks for 'beginners' so they don't feel pressured
Similarly, these blocks might be "free for all" in terms of attire, etiquette etc. so if a 14-year-old shows up in a hoodie, carrying 18 clubs and wants to have two mulligans from every tee, it's completely fine!
Introduce golf to public schools through gym/PE classes
More tech in carts and ability to connect bluetooth (with limited volume)
Change the nomenclature of "women's" tees to "beginner" or "forward" tees
Close the course one day a month for beginners, with teaching pros on the course and range
Pace of play is important, but if newbies feel intimidated they will never come back
Encourage mini games within a round for kids ie. straightest shot, nearest to pin etc.
Engage with local community/government to identify talented (possibly minority) athletes who would otherwise have no access to golf and get clubs in their hand
Decrease the emphasis on score - make it FUN and about the process, not the end result
More social events BEYOND golf in local clubs to build the golfing community rapport
Improve the professional tour TV and online products
32. What is the best tip, or piece of advice you have ever received that's improved your game? This one is just too crazy to aggregate, so please view all responses (in column AG) here :) But I will list EVERY bit of advice provided by our scratch or better players.
Only hit shots you know you can hit
Just keep playing
Don't think, just do
If you chunk chips, focus on using you left (right handed) hand more than your right
Focus on the next shot
Get a lesson
You're not good enough to get mad
Slow tempo always creates a better shot
Tempo tempo tempo! 90% of my bad swings are rushing at the top and hands getting ahead of my body
Hammer the nail
You don't control the outcome, focus on the process
Bowed left wrist
Being mad is ok, being negative is not
Ask quetions of people who are better than you
Focus on the shot you have now, not the one you just hit
Swing on a plane
Eliminate the double cross
Play your game
Before all else, hit the center of the face
Aim small, miss small
Care less
Slow Down
Learn how to properly manage the course
The only shot that matters is the next
Rotation is the wrong word, you're not supposed to rotate
Relax your grip
Accelerate THROUGH the ball - let the ball simply get in the way of your club head’s swing path
33. If you had the attention of EVERY SINGLE PLAYER in the world for 10 whole seconds, what would you say? Again, too much for me to break down, so you can see all responses here in column AH, but here are some of my favorites and some of the more popular ones!
Fix your ball mark
Hurry the fuck up
One practice swing is enough
Leave the flag in
Pick up your fucking trash
Have more fun on the course - it's a game after all
Enjoy this game while we can - it's truly a privilege
Accommodate the new as when you are gone, they are all that are left to carry the game
Grip it and rip it
Focus on contact before power
Sam Snead's win record is B.S.
Thank you for making me feel like I'm not the only person obsessed with this game
If you love golf, take new people golfing
Be considerate to players of all skill levels and work to grow the game not alienate newcomers
Keep your tempo up through the chip shot
Yelling "FORE" could save someone's life (including tour players)
FORE RIGHT
Your ego doesn't exist, let it go
Don't be a dick, treat the game/courses right, and if you're going to suck, suck at a faster pace
There's always someone worse than you
You don't practice enough to get that mad
You aren’t as good as you think and that's okay
Go get fitted, it will pay for itself many times over in the long run
Be ready to hit your shot before it's your turn
You hit the ball 15 yards shorter than you think you do
At your best as a pro, you’ll never be half as good as Tiger's peak
Mashed potatoes
It's our job to grow the game.
Baba booey
Jim Nantz, please come do the color commentary for one my rounds
Take some damn lessons and stop buying $500 drivers
Stop giving yourself gimmies, put the ball in the hole
Smell the roses, enjoy the views
Golf is hard
All of you sandbaggers are going to hell
Hurry the fuck up, and stop spending a minute perfectly adjusting the line on that 15 footer for bogey
It's our job to grow the game
ONE FUCKING PRACTICE SWING
Thanks again for your input! I might edit this later with some more findings, but that's enough for now!
PROOF that Dominion, Smartmatic, Sequoia are all connected despite what the mainstream media tells you - It’s all the same PEOPLE!
Thanks to the patriot that found this: Colorado's Secretary of State Jena Griswold has been caught deleting Colorado's Dominion Voting System Proposal from her OFFICIAL website (www.sos.state.co.us). It originally was located here. https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VotingSystems/files/2015/projectPlans/Dominion.pdf Looks like it was deleted yesterday 11/20. Luckily, we have the archive and this page was live as recent as 11/19. See archived history here. https://web.archive.org/web/20201119180016/https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VotingSystems/files/2015/projectPlans/Dominion.pdf This document currently nullifies the following claim made on the Dominion Voting website: FALSE CLAIMS (https://www.dominionvoting.com/): DOMINION IS NOT, AND HAS NEVER BEEN, OWNED BY SMARTMATIC. Dominion is an entirely separate company and a fierce competitor to Smartmatic. Dominion and Smartmatic do not collaborate in any way and have no affiliate relationships or financial ties. Dominion does not use Smartmatic software. The only associations the companies have ever had were: In 2009, Smartmatic licensed Dominion machines for use in the Philippines. The contract ended in a lawsuit. In 2010, Dominion purchased certain assets from Sequoia, a private U.S. Company. Smartmatic, a previous owner of Sequoia, pursued legal actions against Dominion. PROOF DOMINION'S CLAIMS ARE FALSE BELOW https://web.archive.org/web/20201119180016/https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VotingSystems/files/2015/projectPlans/Dominion.pdf Read Ronald Morales' description below in addition to the other Dominion employees staffed to Colorado. Many are either repurposed from Sequoia, have a conflict of interest having worked for the Colorado county election offices, or have worked directly with the Colorado Secretary of State. Specifically Ronald Morales who "began his career in elections when he joined Smartmatic in 2004 where he managed the EMS Quality Assurance process for elections in Venezuela." This is proof that though the companies and media can accurately claim they are legally separate entities, they are totally connected through the employees that run them as evidenced below by their employee profiles. Furthermore, these are people with prior experience in state and local government! Some are connected to Venezuela as you can see below. Clearly a conflict of interest in multiple ways. This all points to why we should consider Sidney Powell’s claims seriously. Why was the proposal suddenly deleted from the SOS website just as claims about Dominion Voter Fraud were brought to light? At the same time, why did Dominion suddenly cancel its appearance at a PA State Leg. Hearing this week? Why are all their employees deleting their linked in profiles? All this is shady as hell. Add a little TDS to the mix and you get the idea. I'll leave the rest for you all to read below. Executive Sponsor - Mike Frontera As Executive Vice-President of Operations, Mike brings over 22 years of election experience to Dominion’s operations team, which manages voting system implementations, customer relations, election support, training and sales support. Mike was the Executive Sponsor for a number of large Dominion implementations including the country of Mongolia and States of New York and Louisiana. Prior to joining Dominion, Mike was the Vice President of Operations for Sequoia Voting Systems for over seven years. Mike began his career working in the public sector, including serving as the Election Director for the City and County of Denver. Mike is licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Product Specialist - Lisa Flanagan-Crane Lisa is based out of Colorado and has worked in Elections Administration for 16 years. During that time, Lisa has been Project Manager of Voting System installations for multiple Colorado counties, provided software/hardware training and election judge training for customers, produced and printed Op-Tech ballots, provided support for Logic and Accuracy Testing, Public Tests, hardware preventative maintenance and supported customers in voter registration. Previous to Dominion/Sequoia, Lisa worked for the Colorado Department of State and Arapahoe County. While working in the Colorado Secretary of State Office, Lisa helped with upgrading 19 counties to a Windows based Voter Registration System, trained staff from each county, and ran the help desk. Lisa has visited over 25 election offices around the state, understands Colorado Election Law, and has worked hard to build an outstanding reputation for customer service. Lisa has provided election support to jurisdictions in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Senior Product Manager - Ronald Morales Ronald Morales is a Systems Engineer with more than 15 years of experience, providing technological expertise and solutions to ensure quality implementation and integration of Dominion Voting System products. Ronald began his career in elections when he joined Smartmatic in 2004 where he managed the EMS Quality Assurance process for elections in Venezuela. After the acquisition of Sequoia by Smartmatic, Ronald was responsible for the integration of Smartmatic’s newly-developed equipment with Sequoia’s EMS and for the EAC certification of the integrated solution. When Dominion Voting Systems acquired Sequoia and assets of Premier Election Solutions in 2010, Ronald began working with modifications and new solutions in software and hardware for the Premier product line, along with the EAC certification process of the updated products. In his current role, Ronald is engaged in the research and implementation of new technologies with a focus on reliability, performance and efficiency, for both existing legacy systems (Sequoia and Premier) and systems currently in development by Dominion. His most noticeable achievement is the design and implementation of fully redundant Dominion Democracy Suite EMS server infrastructure for the elections in Mongolia during 2012 and 2013. Director, Product Strategy - Eric Coomer Eric Coomer graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1997 with a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics. After working in IT consulting for several years, Eric entered the elections industry in 2005 with Sequoia Voting Systems as Chief Software Architect. After three years with the company, Eric took over all development operations as Vice President of Engineering. When Sequoia was acquired by Dominion Voting Systems in 2010, Eric joined the DVS team as Vice President of US Engineering overseeing development in the Denver, Colorado office. Recently, Eric has taken over as the Director of Product Strategy driving the creation of next generation products through close collaboration with customers, combined with a deep understanding of technology and the needs of Elections departments throughout the United States and abroad. Eric has been an active participant in the development of the IEEE common data format for Elections systems, as well as the working group for developing standards for Risk-Limiting Audits for elections results. When not designing new products, Eric supports large and small scale customers during Election season. Product Specialist - Alyssa Prohaska Alyssa Prohaska has over 11 years of elections experience ranging from county elections administration to technical support, training, and quality assurance testing of election management, voter registration, and other web-based applications. Alyssa began working in elections as an Election and Campaign Finance Specialist with the Adams County Elections Division of the Clerk & Recorder Office in 2004. She has recently worked with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office where she served in a technical and business support capacity - testing, training, and providing tier 2 support of the voter registration and election management systems, and online voter registration applications. Alyssa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Denver, as well as a Master’s of Science in Information Technology Management and Graduate Certificates in Oracle Database Administration, and Executive Information Technology from Regis University. Senior Software Developer - Benjamin Rice Benjamin Rice has over six years of experience in architecting, developing, and managing elections software solutions. He is a certified ScrumMaster and evangelist for Agile practices and technologies in software development. He has close to twenty years’ experience in the Web development and client-service solutions world. Before joining Dominion, Ben was a senior software developer at Sequoia and Slice of Lime and director of technology with FOCI. Ben graduated from Northwestern University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Psychology and English Literature.
Definitive list of companies to support / re-consider / avoid (and reminder that a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle.)
EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback. So heads up this list was originally part of this AR-15 build guide spreadsheet, hence the frequent mentioning of that gun/platform and some arbitrary shout outs to specific AR-15 makers. (Ironically I'm primarily a shotgun guy at the moment.) So PLEASE look elsewhere if you are looking for recs devoid of any political consideration. The original intention was this as a disclaimer / FYI oriented list of companies with good, iffy, or straight-up bad Ppolitical affiliations/etc. as well as US made and/or unionized companies. It's been muddled with quality mostly apolitical budget-oriented recs as well. I am likely not listing many (like dozens if not hundreds) and I don't want to open a can of worms and end up listing general gun suggestions / lists. I might even par it down for that reason. So that said I'll leave additional recs to the comments. Will edit and add any companies to overtly avoid for shitty politics/ownership and likewise will add any that are inclusive and/or liberal or left leaning. Thanks! ////////////////////////// The information below is aimed at informing gun enthusiasts with moral, ethical, and ideological reservations about certain supporting manufacturers. It lists reputable apolitical and professional manufacturers to consider, is then followed by disclaimers about other reputable manufacturers, then concluded with manufacturers to consider avoiding. Full disclaimer: this effort stems from frequent and incessant debates and discussions I've seen among gun owners from center to far-left and from my own concerns personally as a leftist. That said if you are neither left-wing nor liberal but nonetheless want to support honest and sincere gun manufacturers this information is worth reviewing. This is not aimed at calling out any company with remotely right-wing political affiliation or leadership, that would be not just flippant and needless but absurdly futile. In fact the only ones I recommend to avoid have overtly engaged the following: pandered to destructive and vitriolic identity politics, bootlicked and idolized authoritarian entities and leaders, or in a few cases literally touted fascism and right-wing extremism. I would argue these are not mere red flags to myself or others on the left but more broadly sentiments that sincere conservatives and libertarians should also wholeheartedly condemn. It is my sincere belief that gun ownership rights are a not only universal right and a necessity for the working-class but also potentially a unifying ideological issue that will hopefully transcend contemporary politics. Fundamental respect for gun safety and handling and willingness to include all who want to be involved in legal and responsible gun ownership is common ground for anyone who believes in basic equality and freedom. Lastly, if you are still rolling your eyes, ready to list a litany of dismissive rants as one of those "better dead than red" edgelord dolts, than by all means F.O.A.D. Manufacturers To Consider: /// Solid Companies in every regard:Much of this intel gathered from this helpful post on reddit from u/tanksuit who help spurred on this effort and also from this extensive Something Awful Thread. Further info gleaned from a private FB group I will not name. If anyone from there sees this, many thanks. There's also a great thread here at liberalgunowners that recommends a lot of of distros, stores, and ranges. Windham Weaponry - Mostly lateral organizing, employees treated as collective owners (to clarify no indication they are literally collectively owned). Broke off from Bushmaster after Freedom Group buyout. Wide arrange of models. Fair pricing, great customer service and high quality (Kudos to tip-off via FB Group) Rocket Armory - Arguably the only overtly liberal AR part manufacturer. Not quite leftist (Lefties might want to skip the LGO logo lower - some elements of LGO have been adverse to leftists) but nonetheless an outspokenly progressive maker is a worth supporting IMO. Lowers and fixed mags only. Current stock shipping in mid-December 2020. KE Arms - Solid and somewhat under the radar, competition quality oriented - collaborators in the WWSD 2020 rifle with InRangeTV's "What Would Stoner Do?" gun projects and InRangeTV is notably inclusive. Disclaimer: Russell Phagan, aka longtime SomethingAwful poster SinistralRifleman, was banned from there after thread defending the Kenosha shooter. More FYI than anything, he still has a working relationship and focus on WWSD and has not used KE Arms as a platform. In fact, he's remained very professional otherwise, especially with KP-15 production updates and continues to collab with InRangeTV. Arguably it's one of the most transparent and honest manufacturers currently operating. CMMG - Apolitical and high quality. Allegedly unionized (not sure but their website does tout solid benefits) Good selection of various caliber platforms both complete, uppelower reciever packages, or stripped parts. Known for their 22LR conversion kits that provide affordable training option for AR platforms. JP - Expensive but high quality, anecdotal stories of apolitical / non-CHUD atmosphere from employee that appears to be reflected in their PR. Whiskin Tango Foxtrot (WTF Guns) - Gun building/customization business in Fort Worth, TX in process of acquiring machinery. Veteran owned and liberal friendly. Rainer Arms - Minority owned and straightforward online store with good selection. Liberal Gun Club Member Business - A list of firearm accessory businesses and not manufactures but nonetheless worth looking at to support liberal gun enthusiasts Smith & Wesson - Mostly apolitical, huge company but American made and makes solid entry-level AR-15s Cz-USA - US distro/importer of the venerable Czech manufacturer. FAFO Defense - left-friendly cooperative gun accessories seller (mags, optics, medical, etc) Atlantic Firearms - apolitical and reliable merchant and they are helpful with compliance guns for ban states Ace High Armory - Small CLP maker, affliated/supporter of LGO (see above) Off Color Decals / Dorner Tactical / Red Stone Creative / John Brown Armory / Space Dog Laika / Outcast Society / Flank Left / Sleep of Reason / PraxStudio / Cultivated Laser / BetterWayTo2A / TacticalChingona / JohnBrownFunClub / Left Queer & Sticky / Tamisery / RiversEmbroidery / LeftFist / LGO Store / fildiDesign / Slay Shop / NOTTactical / Liberal Gun Club - Stickers, patches, etc. Custom dust covers at Far Enough Left and custom magazines at Splatt Magz. Endo Apparel isn't overtly political but lampoons tacticool and CHUD stuff and puts out good apparel. Lot of progressive and leftist designs to be found on Redbubble as well. This store does custom patches Guerilla Tactical - Holsters, Medical Kits, and apparel Conquest of Thread - Collectively owned tactical gear maker John Brown Prints - Shirts and stickers, though specifically these proceeds go to BLM and bail funds Others...There are far more smaller American AR-15 manufacturers of varying quality and pricing, consider smaller and local options as politics aside they are employing enthusiasts making firearms for fellow enthusiasts. Regarding quality: research forums and comment sections before you buy! /// Unionized: Colt (UAW) - The original maker of AR-15s after they bought ArmaLite in 1964 and patent holder on design until 1977. Big law enforcement / military supplier. Good but arguably a redundant consideration now with so many AR-15 options. Savage (IAM) - Mostly non-AR-15 style rifles like bolt action, hunting semi autos, competition, etc. Good and often affordable consideration for those platforms. Unionized Non-AR makers>>> Browning - IAM, Douglas - IAM, Winchester - IAM, Remington - UMW (Bankruptcy impending and Navajo purchase fell through, post-Freedom Group quality dip after 2007) /// Solid but with disclaimers/caveats: Aero Precision / Ballistic Advantage Barrels - Huge selection, affordable, well-touted and potentially the benchmark of non-gucci lower receivers. Not innocent, the tone deaf AF blurb for Rhodesia camo comes to mind, but otherwise less CHUD-y. Excellent "default" manufacturer to use for builds that are budget and mid-tier / entry level oriented. Mid State Firearms - Great PSA alternative, far less knee-jerk and pandering. Offers discounted bundles and kits of cancelled orders, blemished but good parts, and "oddball" assortments. Read multiple testimonies of good customer service in response to any issues. Like Aero they aren't perfectly apolitical as they sell 3%er dust covers. Thanks for the tip datcatburd Brownells - Well-regarded and has budget part options, owns a lot of AR-15 related ventures including AR15.com and family has major NRA ties and lobbying industry. Distro for InRangeTV + KE Arms What Would Stoner Do? WWSD 2020 AR-15. Again not perfect, they had a cringe-y fellowkids level nod to boogaloo shirts in a recent vid Midway USA - Comparable to Brownells, lot of options, reliable vendor, etc. Some NRA connections but nothing crazy. More info here thanks to u/rocketboy2319 SGAmmo - not the only ammo supply company by any means but a solid bulk option with no BS apolitical tone. Primary Arms - Another distro to consider, mostly because it's been keeping a lot of AR-15 parts in stock despite panic buying Classic Firearms - Both milsurp and new guns in stock. Big selection of used / military surplus in particular. Bravo Company USA [BCM] - Bit pricier but another solid and popular choice for upper tier ARs, had confederate battle flag engraving option. As u/mp8815 pointed out they are a great option for more serious milspec than Aero, PSA, etc. Little Creek Trading - Distro/online store - lot of expensive / high end stuff but also good deals on lower recievers, parts, accessories, and built ARs. Pleasant website layout so worth browsing for ideas if nothing else. Sell affordable slings. Sig Sauer- 75% +/- US made, reactionary "US anthem" anti-kneel BS commemorative models but fairly tame jingoism in context Ruger / Marlin (Acquired in late 2020) - Excellent guns including the classic 10/22 and various other models, some have US components and assembly, well-regarded starter AR-15, major NRA donor (interestingly and ironically the late Rugar was outspoken about magazine limitations) Glock - Universally know and solid handgun maker, USA distro / service is well regarded. Gaston Glock allegedly a right-wing donor in Austria but from his coffer. Note: Polymer80 guns are an option for anyone wanting to build their own Glock style handgun. LaRue Tactical - Expensive but well-regarded and established, their triggers (MBT-2S esp.) are well touted and affordable ($80) upgrades over milspec; FYI they send gimmicky overt right-wing bumper stickers with orders and the owner is cozy with right-wing and GOP leaders. Geissele makes well regarded triggers and parts but owner is allegedly tyrannical, work environment is rough and has high turnover. BCG options: Toolcraft and Cryptic Coatings offer affordable options and appear fairly apolitical. Primary Arms - Affordable scope options, some stereotypical law enforcement pandering but that's the case with most peers. Daniel Defense - Update: previously reputable and touted brand but according to this previous indication of good worker environment are unfortunately obsolete. QC is allegedly slipping and ownership attitude has become negative and toxic. On the flipside recent buyers report satisfactory quality and originally I had read the work environment was unusually inclusive. Maybe opt for different high end brand? Jury's out TBH. Still likely a solid choice quality wise but keep an eye out for them. Springfield Armory / Rock River Arms- Decent but FYI some shady legislative lobbying efforts heads via this post disregard, they've since left IFMA Sons of Liberty Gun Works - Tip off here about one of it's owners, Mike Mihalski, being unhinged in the past - assaulting his mother and numerous threats against cops actually doing their job that were then brushed off by law enforcement superiors he was friendly with, DUIs and public intoxication at a hotel while armed (albeit he cooperated) Update: Mike has apparently been sober and stable for awhile, more a disclaimer to be aware of. It's otherwise a solid manufacturer akin to other mil-spec AR makers. Trijicon - continues practice of subtle but cringe-y bible verses inscribed on products that spurred a military contract controversy, actually well-regarded optics though arguably getting too expensive compared to alternative options Del-Ton - PSA alternative and alternative to cheap "iffy brands" with more notorious QC issues - def more entry-level and milspec but generally good reviews - consider if budget is a major factor Radical (see more below) - Allegedly better but QC issues in the past...(see details below) Ammo Supply Warehouse - good selection, pricing and service but FYI their logo on their main page has fucking SS totenkopfs on it. That said the also obliged a customer request to sing the Soviet anthem while packing their order, so perhaps they use the iconography naively and flippantly and not as a dogwhistle. Palmetto State Armory (see more below) - *Only listed because of historically affordable parts, products, and supplies, though this is arguable. Hit or miss customer service, including customer info leaks and inadvertent doxxing customers. Most notably one of the worst offenders in cranking out right-wing and jingoist bullshit ~ MAGA drooling, ID politics crap, etc. More on this under "Reconsider" List Others...Many, many others out there but like anything else you can easily drop a lot of money seeking out "the best," >>> mediocre rifle in the hands of a qualified shooter is a better than a high-end rifle in the hands of a inexperienced shooter. /// American Made not yet mentioned: Mossberg - Factories in Connecticut and Texas. Not sure 100% if MMR is US made. At least one model is Turkish made (SA20), and the Maverick 88 has Mexican made parts that are assembled in Eagle Pass, TX. IMHO the best pump action shotgun catalog to choose from, the Maverick 88 along with the H&R Pardner or Savage 320 are solid budget pump actions. American made brands (non-AR-15)>>> Thompson/Center, Henry (some expensive MAGA nonsense FYI), Marlin, Ithaca, Kimber, Beretta (some models) /// Reconsider / Possibly Avoid: To re-emphasize no shame if you own or bought the below and the "line in the sand" is very arguable, but these, especially if pricing is not as much of an issues, these can be easily opted out of in your AR-15 procurement and builds. Palmetto State Armory - Mentioned again because easily the most debated manufacturer. Numerous examples of racist and fascist etched lowers aside I agree with the sentiment that their motivation is capitalism above all else and not so much right-wing worship although those pair well together. Case in point - they cancelled their planned Kekistan lower due to backlash, i.e. didn't double-down nor apologize but reaffirmed business first. They also sell some self-deprecating, humorous and more apolitical lower engraved options. Beyond this crap they have also had customer service hiccups including personal info leaks. Your call. Last ditch option for me personally but I wouldn't completely rule them out either especially as parts and new guns are increasingly expensive and hard to acquire. To sum up I rather a comrade have half a dozen of these than some sole spiffy new gucci AR-15. Bushmaster - Quality has been criticized by many, (Windham Weaponry broke off to establish better quality gun line) and ultimately Bushmaster completely closed shop early in 2020. Avoid any you might find out there post-2007. Anderson - Popular but notoriously entry level choice (hence the "poverty pony" nickname) but bootlicking MAGA bullshit so honestly it's pointless to tout over Aero Precision, PSA, or MSF. Tennessee Arms - Mixed feedback about their polymer lowers, gloated over Infowars showout/endorsement, dumb (like okbuddyretard level) memes on FB Enoch Industries - 10/22 Takedown parts and custom builder, some quintessential grey area Odin/Pagan stuff that could be harmless warrior aesthetic stuff or a dog whistle. Esstac - Solid and affordable pouch and other accessory maker including shotgun cards I rec, that said they came out as Kenosha shooter stans. Their stick on velcro loops are pretty damn solid but other teeth velcro cards can be found elsewhere. gunsamerica - Not politically iffy, just often overpriced and waste of time to browse, use gunbroker.com or even cautiously use armslist instead [edit: to clarify "waste of time" for anyone looking for pragmatic deals to skim, not niche stuff to collect.] Kel Tec - This one is tricky, the off very affordable non-AR-15 9mm carbines - same working class price niche as High-Point - but just FYI they've had cozy PR with George Zimmerman in the past H&S Precision - Hired Ruby Ridge FBI participant Lon Horiuchi in the past Cheaperthandirt - Tread carefully even if you see a deal - plethora of complaints about service, pricing, turnaround, etc. Check with other options first. Note on foreign manufacturers (IWI, Canik) - This another debate point that leads to a lot gray area and arbitrary claims whether it's regarding companies based in countries with authoritarian governments, human rights abuses, war profiteering, etc. One could argue that applies to all American makes. When it comes to state made guns most state owned firearms companies of the past either have been privatized (like IWI in Israel) or are not legally importable in the U.S. (Norinco in China, various Russian companies). Ironically while the U.S. bans certain Chinese guns many U.S. manufacturers rely heavily on Chinese plants and parts. The general reality is most non-American and non-Western manufacturers are part of multinational conglomerates or distribution networks, as is the case with many Turkish guns like Canik. History ebbs and flows too, a 60s/70s era Galil is different case than a new Tavor in terms culpability, South African guns now are less arguably problematic than apartheid era stuff. Overall, it's up to you. /// Companies with noted QC issues: Radical Arms - Issues in the past but reportedly the QC is improving so could be a potential budget option and arguably the best of the iffy makes. Your call. Bear Creek Arsenal - Formerly Moore's Machine. People have touted BCA as an effective and reliable budget rifles but their QC seems risky, others have had major issues. Apparently they have a good warranty option though so there's that as an option. Anderson - See above. Stripped lowers are probably a-ok. DPMS / Bushmaster - Easy avoid, dead as of Jan 2020 - another post Freedom Group brand that declined after 2007 as mentioned above - mixed reviews but needless consideration considering so many other options in the NOS and used market. Vulcan/Hesse/Blackthorne - Easy avoid, multiple name changes and near universal dismissal or negative reviews. /// Avoid if you can in the future: Blackwater Worldwide / Iron Horse - Invested, touted, and overtly marketed by longtime mercenary, grifter, and war criminal and profiteer Erik Prince, the poster child of the present day world military industrial complex. Collaborated with Spike's Tactical (see below). Formerly Iron Horse Guns and original company unchanged product wise but they're-branded as Blackwater Worldwide in exchange for Prince's investment. At least they are honest and transparent about it I guess. Spikes Tactical - Hysterical anti-antifa (i.e. fascist lol) CHUD to the max, many note iffy / overrated products compared to peers - don't sweat it if you have one but ditch this option in the future and spend your money elsewhere. Fenix Ammunition - anti-Antifa hysteria and with a boog angle too boot DS Arms - Overt Rhodesia glorifying, not just camo fetishism 4Ward Defense - Threatened to dox and call the police on a customer who was simply trying to cancel an order. Griffin Armament - "Front Towards Arabs" engraved suppressors, lazy racist shit (notice it isn't ISIS) compared to the more snarky "infidel" dust covers and decals Kahr Arms and Auto-Ordnance (thanks u/Oldskoolguitar) - Literally run by major cult (Moonies) i.e. the Unification movement Apparently Kahr is crappy anyway but Auto-Ordnance makes 1911, M1, and Thompson replicas so seek other options for those models (mispelled earlier, meant Kahr, not Khar) Smith Enterprises - SS iconography sold, i.e. actual Nazi stuff not the Iron Cross aesthetics T-Rex Arms - Quiverfall membersmore on that group here and Lucas has posted cheap homophobic crap. (thanks u/eyetracker) Troy Industries - Apparently tits up but backlash for hiring Dale Monroe - i.e. FBI veteran and Ruby Ridge participant DesertTech - Owner is fringe Mormon sect member with racist views Non-AR makers/businesses to avoid... (Sourced from Something Awful thread above) DE Guns - Neo-Nazi ties Glockstore - White Supremacist organization ties LGBT Gun Rights (facebook and twitter) - faux progressive social media run by Neo-Nazi, do not join either as they are aiming to misinform and glean info on progressive and leftist gun owners ^ these are the tip of the iceberg TBH. There are likely problematic owners of stores and companies who will never be outed. Always look out to avoid local gun stores, distros, and individual sellers with bigoted and fascist sentiments and/or scammers - this kind of trash has always been the nasty underbelly of gun culture. Def be subtle and unassuming IRL while shopping - be cautious and tactful in interactions. Alternatives include more apolitical / hunting and hobby oriented stores like Bass Pro/Cabelas, Academy, Dick's, Big 5, etc. Love it or hate some Walmarts often have good deals. There are plenty of individuals, stores, and companies that are politically more conservative or libertarian but well-meaning and honest and worth patronage, i.e. you can hold to your ideology without limiting yourself to strict arbitrary choices as a customer. Try to embrace the shared sentiment of gun ownership as a right and launching point to reaffirm that owning firearms is an universal and inclusive right for personal and community self-defense. Opportunity to praxis is likely rare, but it might emerge. /// YT personas to stop subscribing from - IV8888, Brandon Herrera, CRSFirearms, Rob Ski (good content but right-wing views via Parler), Polenar Tactical (edgy Kyle Rittenhouse meme) overall there's a shitload TBH, feel free to tell me others to avoid...most are coming as bootlickers in recent times (not a shock) and if a YT channel isn't focused on guns over right-wing edgelord bullshit move on. For leftist/liberal/non-right wing content check out The Firearms Blog (TFB / TFB TV), Forgotten Weapons, InRangeTV, Tacticool Girlfriend, Armed Margins, thegunpenguin, Beau of The Fifth Column, Sapper Gentleman, and DeviantOllam has a few. More apolitical and great content but likely right-wing and/or hinted such sentiments: Honest Outlaw (no idea, he plugs a local food shelter and is seemingly apolitical), Hickok45 (arguably the nicest and least pretentious YT gun personality, old timer who is passionate about sharing knowledge with others), Luckygunner, #itsonyou, 32icon, Katharina Vikør, C&R Aresnal, 9-Hole Reviews, 22plinkster, Paul Harrell, Garand Thumb(recent dogwhistles and TBH he has a weird Patrick Bateman vibe - HD content but maybe look elsewhere), gunthots, mixup98, Demolition Ranch. Reno May does excellent videos on CA laws and other legal issues. Yankee Marshall has a lot of hot takes but also sincerely libertarian "classic liberal" and pushes back on such rhetoric - he's sincerely unabashedly pro-2A / anti-NRA and shit stirrer in away that's amusing. List of POC youtubers here - Colion Noir is probably the best known black gun YT persona, unabashedly pro-2A, like Hickok45 dropped his NRA affiliation fairly recently; the did so both over disagreements in their budget spending and ad agency contracts respectively. /// Editorial / Op-ed from original AR Build Spreadsheet Some advice and food for thought regarding reconciling ideology with present day gun enthusiasm: If you are a liberal, progress, moderate, etc. who has come into gun ownership more recently, or has been reckoning with shifts in gun laws and gun culture in the U.S. over the last few decades, than you've likely managed to cut through the noise surrounding the debate, discussion, and frequently knee-jerk hysteria that surrounds semi-automatic rifles and the AR-15 platform. Now you're probably navigating the persistent injection of right-wing identity politics via stamped receivers, accessories and apparel with cheap shock value and superficial pandering, tacticool veering into authoritarian fetishism, tribal jingoism, etc. You've pushed aside misguided liberal identity politics that mis-characterize and attack gun enthusiasm only to have it's reactionary core shoved in your face. It can easily be reconciled with a concept you've likely seen: “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” It's been overused and even widely applied in dubious scenarios but I'd argue it's highly relevant when it comes to buying any new firearm or firearm component. All that aside it's still perfectly reasonable to not inadvertently throw your hard-earned cash at bootlicking goons, so when it comes to manufacturers this list should at least help you navigate and plan your purchases armed with information and awareness. If anything, supporting more apolitical and progressive manufacturers who aim to focus first and foremost on making quality firearms for all should be spurred on, not stymied. If you're a leftist of any variety and interested in AR-15s you are likely already past the idea of committing to firearms that seemingly align with your views - AKs, milsurp SKS, Mosins, anything from cold war era socialist or communist states, etc. You've likely realized the last era of true Nazi-eliminator rifles are now 75+ years old. Futile seeking out new firearms and parts from non-capitalist states in 2020 will only reinforce this sincere but arbitrary hill to die on. A more pragmatic approach some make is to focus on buying only used firearms and parts already in circulation but this could still involve the financial patronage to a distributor, store, or individual of bad character. On a personal tangent, I first warmed back up to the idea of owning a semi-automatic that wasn't an AR-15 either by following the same arbitrary classification that deems a used M-14 or old M-1 carbine a better choice, but beyond classic value and aesthetics they are in the same niche. Even though defenders of the AR-15 sometimes veer into obnoxious and flippant ackchyually territory, especially after tragic gun massacres, they are often technically correct. The blunt fact is the AR-15 platform is fundamentally as legal as other semi-automatic rifles. It's popular for that reason and that's why it has so many fans, defenders, and apologists in so many forms. When it comes to broader ideas of firearm ownership in relation to one's ideology, something I reflect on often is the fact that history has always involved the oppressed using the weapons of their oppressors both past and present. It's a moot point what the firearm is, it is a tool that reflects the individual who wields it. A rifle in the hands of a fascist is a fascist rifle andlikewise a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle. To further make the case for the AR-15 many have made in some variation is that it is the present day rifle of the proletariat, the M1 Garand or PPSh-41 of it's time. When it comes to affirming your support for gun ownership, advocate for more widespread gun education, training, and positive and inclusive gun culture. Put lawmakers to task for pushing gun regulations that discourage law-abiding citizens - especially lower income citizens and people of color - from lawful ownership of guns. Support instead substantive reform and funding of mental health resources, de-militarizing law enforcement, and ending gun lobbying that side steps gun owners to only further corruption and complicity. If those who wish to do you harm are armed and will likely always be armed, there's no point in handicapping yourself or your peers. Buying or building any gun, AR-15 or otherwise, is an exercise of one's 2nd amendment right. For those outside of the U.S., and to all lawful and well-meaning comrades, arm yourself however you can legally and responsibly. Marx put it more bluntly in 1850 than the 2A's far more nuanced wording and arduous historical establishment: “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary” Lastly, above all else, with tensions rising and outright violence being perpetuated by the far right, it is more imperative than ever simply to arm oneself as quickly, effectively, and safely as possible, regardless of the manufacturers, stores, and distros involved. A well made affordable gun you can acquire ASAP is a lot more imperative than your ideal build/choice. This is a guide not a plea. It's better to be armed with a gun from the "avoid" list today than to wait around for some ideologically preferable firearm weeks or months from now.
Home office/media PC for my dad, $600 budget, need WiFi/bluetooth/USB-C
What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.
This is a Windows PC for my dad, mostly for home office use. He also has a massive audio library, and likes to record live-streaming (audio or video) concerts from his favorite bands and add those to his library. (I'm not sure what software he uses to do this but it's definitely not heavy-duty.) He's never doing anything like gaming or video editing.
What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?
Let's call it $600, though it's flexible so don't sweat landing at exactly that amount. Just don't want to do anything that's totally overkill for his use case.
When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
I'd like to lock in the build and start ordering parts over the next few days. I'm planning to buy some of the parts for him over the next few months as birthday and Father's Day gifts, and his birthday is coming up.
What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)
Everything but the peripherals, optical drive, extra HDD for storage and Windows license.
Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?
Illinois, USA. Prefer to order online.
If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.
He already has a monitor, keyboard and mouse he'll be reusing. He also has a Windows license. We'll be recycling one DVD read/write drive and a 1TB HDD from his current set-up. Everything else will need to be new.
Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?
No.
Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
He definitely needs WiFi and bluetooth, and has asked for a couple USB-C ports. I'd also like to get him a 1TB SSD. I'd also like room to add a second optical drive and a second HDD, in addition to the DVD read/write drive we're recycling and the 1TB HDD we're recycling. Recommendations on a good optical drive would be welcome, and don't need to be included in the budget.
Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
No preference, but he's not looking for anything fancy.
Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?
No need for Windows; already have a license available.
Extra info or particulars:
The need for WiFi, bluetooth, USB-C, the possibility of two optical drives, and the possibility of an SSD plus two HDDs are the only elements that prevented me from following other home-office builds in this budget range that have been posted on here in recent weeks. Just want to make sure I'm straight on something that can handle all that without getting too compilcated. Thanks for your time and recommendations!
Definitive guide to companies to support / re-consider / avoid.
EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback. So heads up this list was originally part of this AR-15 build guide spreadsheet, hence the frequent mentioning of that gun/platform and some arbitrary shout outs to specific AR-15 makers. (Ironically I'm primarily a shotgun guy at the moment.) So PLEASE look elsewhere if you are looking for recs devoid of any political consideration. The original intention was this as a disclaimer / FYI oriented list of companies with good, iffy, or straight-up bad Ppolitical affiliations/etc. as well as US made and/or unionized companies. It's been muddled with quality mostly apolitical budget-oriented recs as well. I am likely not listing many (like dozens if not hundreds) and I don't want to open a can of worms and end up listing general gun suggestions / lists. I might even par it down for that reason. So that said I'll leave additional recs to the comments. Will edit and add any companies to overtly avoid for shitty politics/ownership and likewise will add any that are inclusive and/or liberal or left leaning. Thanks! ////////////////////////// The information below is aimed at informing gun enthusiasts with moral, ethical, and ideological reservations about certain supporting manufacturers. It lists reputable apolitical and professional manufacturers to consider, is then followed by disclaimers about other reputable manufacturers, then concluded with manufacturers to consider avoiding. Full disclaimer: this effort stems from frequent and incessant debates and discussions I've seen among gun owners from center to far-left and from my own concerns personally as a leftist. That said if you are neither left-wing nor liberal but nonetheless want to support honest and sincere gun manufacturers this information is worth reviewing. This is not aimed at calling out any company with remotely right-wing political affiliation or leadership, that would be not just flippant and needless but absurdly futile. In fact the only ones I recommend to avoid have overtly engaged the following: pandered to destructive and vitriolic identity politics, bootlicked and idolized authoritarian entities and leaders, or in a few cases literally touted fascism and right-wing extremism. I would argue these are not mere red flags to myself or others on the left but more broadly sentiments that sincere conservatives and libertarians should also wholeheartedly condemn. It is my sincere belief that gun ownership rights are a not only universal right and a necessity for the working-class but also potentially a unifying ideological issue that will hopefully transcend contemporary politics. Fundamental respect for gun safety and handling and willingness to include all who want to be involved in legal and responsible gun ownership is common ground for anyone who believes in basic equality and freedom. Lastly, if you are still rolling your eyes, ready to list a litany of dismissive rants as one of those "better dead than red" edgelord dolts, than by all means F.O.A.D. Manufacturers To Consider: /// Solid Companies in every regard:Much of this intel gathered from this helpful post on reddit from u/tanksuit who help spurred on this effort and also from this extensive Something Awful Thread. Further info gleaned from a private FB group I will not name. If anyone from there sees this, many thanks. There's also a great thread here at liberalgunowners that recommends a lot of of distros, stores, and ranges. Windham Weaponry - Mostly lateral organizing, employees treated as collective owners (to clarify no indication they are literally collectively owned). Broke off from Bushmaster after Freedom Group buyout. Wide arrange of models. Fair pricing, great customer service and high quality (Kudos to tip-off via FB Group) Rocket Armory - Arguably the only overtly liberal AR part manufacturer. Not quite leftist (Lefties might want to skip the LGO logo lower - some elements of LGO have been adverse to leftists) but nonetheless an outspokenly progressive maker is a worth supporting IMO. Lowers and fixed mags only. Current stock shipping in mid-December 2020. KE Arms - Solid and somewhat under the radar, competition quality oriented - collaborators in the WWSD 2020 rifle with InRangeTV's "What Would Stoner Do?" gun projects and InRangeTV is notably inclusive. Disclaimer: Russell Phagan, aka longtime SomethingAwful poster SinistralRifleman, was banned from there after thread defending the Kenosha shooter. More FYI than anything, he still has a working relationship and focus on WWSD and has not used KE Arms as a platform. In fact, he's remained very professional otherwise, especially with KP-15 production updates and continues to collab with InRangeTV. Arguably it's one of the most transparent and honest manufacturers currently operating. CMMG - Apolitical and high quality. Allegedly unionized (not sure but their website does tout solid benefits) Good selection of various caliber platforms both complete, uppelower reciever packages, or stripped parts. Known for their 22LR conversion kits that provide affordable training option for AR platforms. JP - Expensive but high quality, anecdotal stories of apolitical / non-CHUD atmosphere from employee that appears to be reflected in their PR. Whiskin Tango Foxtrot (WTF Guns) - Gun building/customization business in Fort Worth, TX in process of acquiring machinery. Veteran owned and liberal friendly. Rainer Arms - Minority owned and straightforward online store with good selection. Liberal Gun Club Member Business - A list of firearm accessory businesses and not manufactures but nonetheless worth looking at to support liberal gun enthusiasts Smith & Wesson - Mostly apolitical, huge company but American made and makes solid entry-level AR-15s Cz-USA - US distro/importer of the venerable Czech manufacturer. FAFO Defense - left-friendly cooperative gun accessories seller (mags, optics, medical, etc) Atlantic Firearms - apolitical and reliable merchant and they are helpful with compliance guns for ban states Ace High Armory - Small CLP maker, affliated/supporter of LGO (see above) Off Color Decals / Dorner Tactical / Red Stone Creative / John Brown Armory / Space Dog Laika / Outcast Society / Flank Left / Sleep of Reason / PraxStudio / Cultivated Laser / BetterWayTo2A / TacticalChingona / JohnBrownFunClub / Left Queer & Sticky / Tamisery / RiversEmbroidery / LeftFist / LGO Store / fildiDesign / Slay Shop / NOTTactical / Liberal Gun Club - Stickers, patches, etc. Custom dust covers at Far Enough Left and custom magazines at Splatt Magz. Endo Apparel isn't overtly political but lampoons tacticool and CHUD stuff and puts out good apparel. Lot of progressive and leftist designs to be found on Redbubble as well. This store does custom patches Guerilla Tactical - Holsters, Medical Kits, and apparel Conquest of Thread - Collectively owned tactical gear maker John Brown Prints - Shirts and stickers, though specifically these proceeds go to BLM and bail funds Others...There are far more smaller American AR-15 manufacturers of varying quality and pricing, consider smaller and local options as politics aside they are employing enthusiasts making firearms for fellow enthusiasts. Regarding quality: research forums and comment sections before you buy! /// Unionized: Colt (UAW) - The original maker of AR-15s after they bought ArmaLite in 1964 and patent holder on design until 1977. Big law enforcement / military supplier. Good but arguably a redundant consideration now with so many AR-15 options. Savage (IAM) - Mostly non-AR-15 style rifles like bolt action, hunting semi autos, competition, etc. Good and often affordable consideration for those platforms. Unionized Non-AR makers>>> Browning - IAM, Douglas - IAM, Winchester - IAM, Remington - UMW (Bankruptcy impending and Navajo purchase fell through, post-Freedom Group quality dip after 2007) /// Solid but with disclaimers/caveats: Aero Precision / Ballistic Advantage Barrels - Huge selection, affordable, well-touted and potentially the benchmark of non-gucci lower receivers. Not innocent, the tone deaf AF blurb for Rhodesia camo comes to mind, but otherwise less CHUD-y. Excellent "default" manufacturer to use for builds that are budget and mid-tier / entry level oriented. Mid State Firearms - Great PSA alternative, far less knee-jerk and pandering. Offers discounted bundles and kits of cancelled orders, blemished but good parts, and "oddball" assortments. Read multiple testimonies of good customer service in response to any issues. Like Aero they aren't perfectly apolitical as they sell 3%er dust covers. Thanks for the tip datcatburd Brownells - Well-regarded and has budget part options, owns a lot of AR-15 related ventures including AR15.com and family has major NRA ties and lobbying industry. Distro for InRangeTV + KE Arms What Would Stoner Do? WWSD 2020 AR-15. Again not perfect, they had a cringe-y fellowkids level nod to boogaloo shirts in a recent vid Midway USA - Comparable to Brownells, lot of options, reliable vendor, etc. Some NRA connections but nothing crazy. More info here thanks to u/rocketboy2319 SGAmmo - not the only ammo supply company by any means but a solid bulk option with no BS apolitical tone. Primary Arms - Another distro to consider, mostly because it's been keeping a lot of AR-15 parts in stock despite panic buying Classic Firearms - Both milsurp and new guns in stock. Big selection of used / military surplus in particular. Bravo Company USA [BCM] - Bit pricier but another solid and popular choice for upper tier ARs, had confederate battle flag engraving option. As u/mp8815 pointed out they are a great option for more serious milspec than Aero, PSA, etc. Little Creek Trading - Distro/online store - lot of expensive / high end stuff but also good deals on lower recievers, parts, accessories, and built ARs. Pleasant website layout so worth browsing for ideas if nothing else. Sell affordable slings. Sig Sauer- 75% +/- US made, reactionary "US anthem" anti-kneel BS commemorative models but fairly tame jingoism in context Ruger / Marlin (Acquired in late 2020) - Excellent guns including the classic 10/22 and various other models, some have US components and assembly, well-regarded starter AR-15, major NRA donor (interestingly and ironically the late Rugar was outspoken about magazine limitations) Glock - Universally know and solid handgun maker, USA distro / service is well regarded. Gaston Glock allegedly a right-wing donor in Austria but from his coffer. Note: Polymer80 guns are an option for anyone wanting to build their own Glock style handgun. LaRue Tactical - Expensive but well-regarded and established, their triggers (MBT-2S esp.) are well touted and affordable ($80) upgrades over milspec; FYI they send gimmicky overt right-wing bumper stickers with orders and the owner is cozy with right-wing and GOP leaders. Geissele makes well regarded triggers and parts but owner is allegedly tyrannical, work environment is rough and has high turnover. BCG options: Toolcraft and Cryptic Coatings offer affordable options and appear fairly apolitical. Primary Arms - Affordable scope options, some stereotypical law enforcement pandering but that's the case with most peers. Daniel Defense - Update: previously reputable and touted brand but according to this previous indication of good worker environment are unfortunately obsolete. QC is allegedly slipping and ownership attitude has become negative and toxic. On the flipside recent buyers report satisfactory quality and originally I had read the work environment was unusually inclusive. Maybe opt for different high end brand? Jury's out TBH. Still likely a solid choice quality wise but keep an eye out for them. Springfield Armory / Rock River Arms- Decent but FYI some shady legislative lobbying efforts heads via this post disregard, they've since left IFMA Sons of Liberty Gun Works - Tip off here about one of it's owners, Mike Mihalski, being unhinged in the past - assaulting his mother and numerous threats against cops actually doing their job that were then brushed off by law enforcement superiors he was friendly with, DUIs and public intoxication at a hotel while armed (albeit he cooperated) Update: Mike has apparently been sober and stable for awhile, more a disclaimer to be aware of. It's otherwise a solid manufacturer akin to other mil-spec AR makers. Trijicon - continues practice of subtle but cringe-y bible verses inscribed on products that spurred a military contract controversy, actually well-regarded optics though arguably getting too expensive compared to alternative options Del-Ton - PSA alternative and alternative to cheap "iffy brands" with more notorious QC issues - def more entry-level and milspec but generally good reviews - consider if budget is a major factor Radical (see more below) - Allegedly better but QC issues in the past...(see details below) Ammo Supply Warehouse - good selection, pricing and service but FYI their logo on their main page has fucking SS totenkopfs on it. That said the also obliged a customer request to sing the Soviet anthem while packing their order, so perhaps they use the iconography naively and flippantly and not as a dogwhistle. Palmetto State Armory (see more below) - *Only listed because of historically affordable parts, products, and supplies, though this is arguable. Hit or miss customer service, including customer info leaks and inadvertent doxxing customers. Most notably one of the worst offenders in cranking out right-wing and jingoist bullshit ~ MAGA drooling, ID politics crap, etc. More on this under "Reconsider" List Others...Many, many others out there but like anything else you can easily drop a lot of money seeking out "the best," >>> mediocre rifle in the hands of a qualified shooter is a better than a high-end rifle in the hands of a inexperienced shooter. /// American Made not yet mentioned: Mossberg - Factories in Connecticut and Texas. Not sure 100% if MMR is US made. At least one model is Turkish made (SA20), and the Maverick 88 has Mexican made parts that are assembled in Eagle Pass, TX. IMHO the best pump action shotgun catalog to choose from, the Maverick 88 along with the H&R Pardner or Savage 320 are solid budget pump actions. American made brands (non-AR-15)>>> Thompson/Center, Henry (some expensive MAGA nonsense FYI), Marlin, Ithaca, Kimber, Beretta (some models) /// Reconsider / Possibly Avoid: To re-emphasize no shame if you own or bought the below and the "line in the sand" is very arguable, but these, especially if pricing is not as much of an issues, these can be easily opted out of in your AR-15 procurement and builds. Palmetto State Armory - Mentioned again because easily the most debated manufacturer. Numerous examples of racist and fascist etched lowers aside I agree with the sentiment that their motivation is capitalism above all else and not so much right-wing worship although those pair well together. Case in point - they cancelled their planned Kekistan lower due to backlash, i.e. didn't double-down nor apologize but reaffirmed business first. They also sell some self-deprecating, humorous and more apolitical lower engraved options. Beyond this crap they have also had customer service hiccups including personal info leaks. Your call. Last ditch option for me personally but I wouldn't completely rule them out either especially as parts and new guns are increasingly expensive and hard to acquire. To sum up I rather a comrade have half a dozen of these than some sole spiffy new gucci AR-15. Bushmaster - Quality has been criticized by many, (Windham Weaponry broke off to establish better quality gun line) and ultimately Bushmaster completely closed shop early in 2020. Avoid any you might find out there post-2007. Anderson - Popular but notoriously entry level choice (hence the "poverty pony" nickname) but bootlicking MAGA bullshit so honestly it's pointless to tout over Aero Precision, PSA, or MSF. Tennessee Arms - Mixed feedback about their polymer lowers, gloated over Infowars showout/endorsement, dumb (like okbuddyretard level) memes on FB Enoch Industries - 10/22 Takedown parts and custom builder, some quintessential grey area Odin/Pagan stuff that could be harmless warrior aesthetic stuff or a dog whistle. Esstac - Solid and affordable pouch and other accessory maker including shotgun cards I rec, that said they came out as Kenosha shooter stans. Their stick on velcro loops are pretty damn solid but other teeth velcro cards can be found elsewhere. gunsamerica - Not politically iffy, just often overpriced and waste of time to browse, use gunbroker.com or even cautiously use armslist instead [edit: to clarify "waste of time" for anyone looking for pragmatic deals to skim, not niche stuff to collect.] Kel Tec - This one is tricky, the off very affordable non-AR-15 9mm carbines - same working class price niche as High-Point - but just FYI they've had cozy PR with George Zimmerman in the past H&S Precision - Hired Ruby Ridge FBI participant Lon Horiuchi in the past Cheaperthandirt - Tread carefully even if you see a deal - plethora of complaints about service, pricing, turnaround, etc. Check with other options first. Note on foreign manufacturers (IWI, Canik) - This another debate point that leads to a lot gray area and arbitrary claims whether it's regarding companies based in countries with authoritarian governments, human rights abuses, war profiteering, etc. One could argue that applies to all American makes. When it comes to state made guns most state owned firearms companies of the past either have been privatized (like IWI in Israel) or are not legally importable in the U.S. (Norinco in China, various Russian companies). Ironically while the U.S. bans certain Chinese guns many U.S. manufacturers rely heavily on Chinese plants and parts. The general reality is most non-American and non-Western manufacturers are part of multinational conglomerates or distribution networks, as is the case with many Turkish guns like Canik. History ebbs and flows too, a 60s/70s era Galil is different case than a new Tavor in terms culpability, South African guns now are less arguably problematic than apartheid era stuff. Overall, it's up to you. /// Companies with noted QC issues: Radical Arms - Issues in the past but reportedly the QC is improving so could be a potential budget option and arguably the best of the iffy makes. Your call. Bear Creek Arsenal - Formerly Moore's Machine. People have touted BCA as an effective and reliable budget rifles but their QC seems risky, others have had major issues. Apparently they have a good warranty option though so there's that as an option. Anderson - See above. Stripped lowers are probably a-ok. DPMS / Bushmaster - Easy avoid, dead as of Jan 2020 - another post Freedom Group brand that declined after 2007 as mentioned above - mixed reviews but needless consideration considering so many other options in the NOS and used market. Vulcan/Hesse/Blackthorne - Easy avoid, multiple name changes and near universal dismissal or negative reviews. /// Avoid if you can in the future: Blackwater Worldwide / Iron Horse - Invested, touted, and overtly marketed by longtime mercenary, grifter, and war criminal and profiteer Erik Prince, the poster child of the present day world military industrial complex. Collaborated with Spike's Tactical (see below). Formerly Iron Horse Guns and original company unchanged product wise but they're-branded as Blackwater Worldwide in exchange for Prince's investment. At least they are honest and transparent about it I guess. Spikes Tactical - Hysterical anti-antifa (i.e. fascist lol) CHUD to the max, many note iffy / overrated products compared to peers - don't sweat it if you have one but ditch this option in the future and spend your money elsewhere. Fenix Ammunition - anti-Antifa hysteria and with a boog angle too boot DS Arms - Overt Rhodesia glorifying, not just camo fetishism 4Ward Defense - Threatened to dox and call the police on a customer who was simply trying to cancel an order. Griffin Armament - "Front Towards Arabs" engraved suppressors, lazy racist shit (notice it isn't ISIS) compared to the more snarky "infidel" dust covers and decals Kahr Arms and Auto-Ordnance (thanks u/Oldskoolguitar) - Literally run by major cult (Moonies) i.e. the Unification movement Apparently Kahr is crappy anyway but Auto-Ordnance makes 1911, M1, and Thompson replicas so seek other options for those models (mispelled earlier, meant Kahr, not Khar) Smith Enterprises - SS iconography sold, i.e. actual Nazi stuff not the Iron Cross aesthetics T-Rex Arms - Quiverfall membersmore on that group here and Lucas has posted cheap homophobic crap. (thanks u/eyetracker) Troy Industries - Apparently tits up but backlash for hiring Dale Monroe - i.e. FBI veteran and Ruby Ridge participant DesertTech - Owner is fringe Mormon sect member with racist views Non-AR makers/businesses to avoid... (Sourced from Something Awful thread above) DE Guns - Neo-Nazi ties Glockstore - White Supremacist organization ties LGBT Gun Rights (facebook and twitter) - faux progressive social media run by Neo-Nazi, do not join either as they are aiming to misinform and glean info on progressive and leftist gun owners ^ these are the tip of the iceberg TBH. There are likely problematic owners of stores and companies who will never be outed. Always look out to avoid local gun stores, distros, and individual sellers with bigoted and fascist sentiments and/or scammers - this kind of trash has always been the nasty underbelly of gun culture. Def be subtle and unassuming IRL while shopping - be cautious and tactful in interactions. Alternatives include more apolitical / hunting and hobby oriented stores like Bass Pro/Cabelas, Academy, Dick's, Big 5, etc. Love it or hate some Walmarts often have good deals. There are plenty of individuals, stores, and companies that are politically more conservative or libertarian but well-meaning and honest and worth patronage, i.e. you can hold to your ideology without limiting yourself to strict arbitrary choices as a customer. Try to embrace the shared sentiment of gun ownership as a right and launching point to reaffirm that owning firearms is an universal and inclusive right for personal and community self-defense. Opportunity to praxis is likely rare, but it might emerge. /// YT personas to stop subscribing from - IV8888, Brandon Herrera, CRSFirearms, Rob Ski (good content but right-wing views via Parler), Polenar Tactical (edgy Kyle Rittenhouse meme) overall there's a shitload TBH, feel free to tell me others to avoid...most are coming as bootlickers in recent times (not a shock) and if a YT channel isn't focused on guns over right-wing edgelord bullshit move on. For leftist/liberal/non-right wing content check out The Firearms Blog (TFB / TFB TV), Forgotten Weapons, InRangeTV, Tacticool Girlfriend, Armed Margins, thegunpenguin, Beau of The Fifth Column, Sapper Gentleman, and DeviantOllam has a few. More apolitical and great content but likely right-wing and/or hinted such sentiments: Honest Outlaw (no idea, he plugs a local food shelter and is seemingly apolitical), Hickok45 (arguably the nicest and least pretentious YT gun personality, old timer who is passionate about sharing knowledge with others), Luckygunner, #itsonyou, 32icon, Katharina Vikør, C&R Aresnal, 9-Hole Reviews, 22plinkster, Paul Harrell, Garand Thumb(recent dogwhistles and TBH he has a weird Patrick Bateman vibe - HD content but maybe look elsewhere), gunthots, mixup98, Demolition Ranch. Reno May does excellent videos on CA laws and other legal issues. Yankee Marshall has a lot of hot takes but also sincerely libertarian "classic liberal" and pushes back on such rhetoric - he's sincerely unabashedly pro-2A / anti-NRA and shit stirrer in away that's amusing. List of POC youtubers here - Colion Noir is probably the best known black gun YT persona, unabashedly pro-2A, like Hickok45 dropped his NRA affiliation fairly recently; the did so both over disagreements in their budget spending and ad agency contracts respectively. /// Editorial / Op-ed from original AR Build Spreadsheet Some advice and food for thought regarding reconciling ideology with present day gun enthusiasm: If you are a liberal, progress, moderate, etc. who has come into gun ownership more recently, or has been reckoning with shifts in gun laws and gun culture in the U.S. over the last few decades, than you've likely managed to cut through the noise surrounding the debate, discussion, and frequently knee-jerk hysteria that surrounds semi-automatic rifles and the AR-15 platform. Now you're probably navigating the persistent injection of right-wing identity politics via stamped receivers, accessories and apparel with cheap shock value and superficial pandering, tacticool veering into authoritarian fetishism, tribal jingoism, etc. You've pushed aside misguided liberal identity politics that mis-characterize and attack gun enthusiasm only to have it's reactionary core shoved in your face. It can easily be reconciled with a concept you've likely seen: “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” It's been overused and even widely applied in dubious scenarios but I'd argue it's highly relevant when it comes to buying any new firearm or firearm component. All that aside it's still perfectly reasonable to not inadvertently throw your hard-earned cash at bootlicking goons, so when it comes to manufacturers this list should at least help you navigate and plan your purchases armed with information and awareness. If anything, supporting more apolitical and progressive manufacturers who aim to focus first and foremost on making quality firearms for all should be spurred on, not stymied. If you're a leftist of any variety and interested in AR-15s you are likely already past the idea of committing to firearms that seemingly align with your views - AKs, milsurp SKS, Mosins, anything from cold war era socialist or communist states, etc. You've likely realized the last era of true Nazi-eliminator rifles are now 75+ years old. Futile seeking out new firearms and parts from non-capitalist states in 2020 will only reinforce this sincere but arbitrary hill to die on. A more pragmatic approach some make is to focus on buying only used firearms and parts already in circulation but this could still involve the financial patronage to a distributor, store, or individual of bad character. On a personal tangent, I first warmed back up to the idea of owning a semi-automatic that wasn't an AR-15 either by following the same arbitrary classification that deems a used M-14 or old M-1 carbine a better choice, but beyond classic value and aesthetics they are in the same niche. Even though defenders of the AR-15 sometimes veer into obnoxious and flippant ackchyually territory, especially after tragic gun massacres, they are often technically correct. The blunt fact is the AR-15 platform is fundamentally as legal as other semi-automatic rifles. It's popular for that reason and that's why it has so many fans, defenders, and apologists in so many forms. When it comes to broader ideas of firearm ownership in relation to one's ideology, something I reflect on often is the fact that history has always involved the oppressed using the weapons of their oppressors both past and present. It's a moot point what the firearm is, it is a tool that reflects the individual who wields it. A rifle in the hands of a fascist is a fascist rifle andlikewise a rifle in the hands of a socialist is a socialist rifle. To further make the case for the AR-15 many have made in some variation is that it is the present day rifle of the proletariat, the M1 Garand or PPSh-41 of it's time. When it comes to affirming your support for gun ownership, advocate for more widespread gun education, training, and positive and inclusive gun culture. Put lawmakers to task for pushing gun regulations that discourage law-abiding citizens - especially lower income citizens and people of color - from lawful ownership of guns. Support instead substantive reform and funding of mental health resources, de-militarizing law enforcement, and ending gun lobbying that side steps gun owners to only further corruption and complicity. If those who wish to do you harm are armed and will likely always be armed, there's no point in handicapping yourself or your peers. Buying or building any gun, AR-15 or otherwise, is an exercise of one's 2nd amendment right. For those outside of the U.S., and to all lawful and well-meaning comrades, arm yourself however you can legally and responsibly. Marx put it more bluntly in 1850 than the 2A's far more nuanced wording and arduous historical establishment: “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary” Lastly, above all else, with tensions rising and outright violence being perpetuated by the far right, it is more imperative than ever simply to arm oneself as quickly, effectively, and safely as possible, regardless of the manufacturers, stores, and distros involved. A well made affordable gun you can acquire ASAP is a lot more imperative than your ideal build/choice. This is a guide not a plea. It's better to be armed with a gun from the "avoid" list today than to wait around for some ideologically preferable firearm weeks or months from now.
If you are moving from Illinois to another state, you need to check the new state’s requirements. The time period may vary depending on the state you move to. Before moving to any state, it is a good idea to check how long your current driver’s license will be valid. Use our online system to purchase your Illinois license today. Buy Illinois Licenses Online: Use our online system to buy your hunting or fishing license, submit a deer or turkey permit application, If you need to purchase your license immediately please call phone sales at 1-800-705-4164. Whether you are a new driver or someone who’s been driving for a long time but has just moved to Illinois, you will need an Illinois driver’s license to be able to drive on its roads.To apply for a driving license, Illinois requires that the applicant submits documentation as proof of their legal name, date of birth, social security number and proof of residency in the state. Most people should also be able to get a fresh license plate sticker online, too. Illinois had temporarily let renewals slide because of the coronavirus, but that amnesty program ended in November. The sticker will cost at least $151; the fee went up by $100 for most vehicles in 2020 in order to pay for infrastructure upgrades statewide. No. Illinois offers its residents a choice. They can get a Real ID card or keep their standard license or identification card, Haupt said. “If you have a valid U.S. passport, you do not need a If you are out of state, call the License and Medical Review Section at 217-782-2720 for information on receiving an application for a duplicate driver's license to be mailed to you at your out-of-state address.You also may request an application for a duplicate driver's license by emailing the Secretary of State's office with your full name, date of birth, Illinois driver's license number and You must visit an Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) facility in person in order to apply for a new driver’s license for the first time. As such, getting a driver’s license online is not an option in IL. Most licensing services must be completed in person through the SOS. To renew your vehicle registration, you can go to an Illinois Secretary of State facility and wait in line, or you can do what Martin did, and go online for a new license plate sticker. When you apply for a new license in Illinois, you’ll have to give up your license from another state. Last reviewed. March 08, 2018. Last revised. May 24, 2020. Forms. Get a homeless status certification ID Blank form. Use this form to show that you are experiencing homelessness so you can get a free state ID card.
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