Ok again, falling behind on these things... but such is life! [=)]
Those of you who missed Bulletfest 2003, missed a wonderful shoot, and a chance to spend some time with some great people. I would like to say I had an incredible time, as usual, and enjoyed spending time with everyone. A very special thank you to Campy Bob who makes it all possible. He's a wonderful person on and off the board, and someone worth taking the time to get to know.
I'll make this quick, since I haven't had much free time lately with so many things going on.
- Network
The additional BW being added to the site should take place within the next few weeks. We've been waiting for the phone company to get things straight on their end. (Wait times are so annoying aren't they!) An additional 1.5Mbps will be added.
- Hardware / Software
The photo server was upgraded about a week late due to Gunstock work. It's been running for a few weeks now and the software seems pretty stable. (Yes there are a few bugs being fixed!) The server itself seems to have some minor hardware problem which I hope to have fixed. If not, we'll start pulling it apart as needed. [=P]
I'll be preparing an upgrade to the servers to take place sometime in the near future. This isn't of major concern as things are running smoothly, but it will help things in the long run.
- Forums
The forums seem to be doing fine, so I don't have anything planned at this time. I am working on the .Net upgrade of all the site software, but it's not a priority with so many other things happening. I may also look into a few changes to the software before the .Net conversion is done, in order to prepare things better for it. (There will be major changes to how things work for ultimate increase in performance.)
- Misc
As you guys have already seen, we have had a number of projects in the works. I'll try to break it down a bit and discuss them.
1) Gunstock
The national gathering is well on it's way at this point. The goals we have established are to create a shooting event focused on a more meet and greet type atmosphere. This means that while we have an amazing range at our disposal, we want everyone to attend and feel a part of a larger family which includes your fellow shooters, the manufacturers, dealers, instructors, and everyone else from the industry. Expect to see a lot of toys and bring enough money to walk away with one or two! [;)]
2) SEBR Rifle
We took this year's SEBR rifle to the extreme with the amazing help from [b]Armalite[/b]. This company is incredible to work with and their support for the community is unquestionable. Last year they stepped up to provide us with the Hero Rifles and this year their SEBR setup is a rifle not worth missing. Personally, I feel this is the best deal I have seen in YEARS and don't expect to see anything like it for a while... don't pass this up!
3) AR15.Com Store
It's not 100% complete, but it's almost there. This has been my focus for the past few weeks and I've been in contact with a number of suppliers for items. There will be a number of items available covering clothing, shot glasses, mouse pads, and more.
4) Vietnam Era Rifle
Since more and more people are hearing about this project, I guess it wont hurt to mention it openly! We've been working with the great people at [b]Fulton Armory[/b] on a Vietnam Era Rifle and so far everyone who has seen it is in love. Fulton has done an incredible job working with EricE and EdSr. The rifle will be a limited run item and sold late this year. I wont say too much at this time, but be very excited about it!
Ok I think that covers most things. I want to thank CoalCreekArmory for their help with the SEBR Rifle, Armalite for bringing us such an amazing offer, Fulton Armory for the Vietnam Rifle, EricE, EdSr, 5subslr5, MrsEmbroidery, and a special thanks to Campy Bob for the greatest machine gun shoot in the country!
Make sure to get your AR10 SEBR ordered ASAP as you wont want to miss out on it, and go get yourselves registered for Gunstock 2003!!! [=)]