If you’ve been following along these past couple days, NoSox has been donating a series of articles about how he’s getting rolling being prepared. He’s been organized and kind enough to share prices of items he’s bought, mindsets, and why he’s gone about things the way he has. It’s been great, and here is his third installment about firearms. (treading on my territory, pal! Hah!) Nothing is more personal for a prepper (usually) than a choice of firearms, as it has to fit a budget, has to fulfill a desire and a need, and has to accomplish everything from foraging to self-defense; and what firearm will work best for a given person in a given area won’t even come close to working for another person. So here are NoSox’s thoughts on what works for him, and the evolution of how he’s found what works for him. Through trial and error, he went from an entry-level pistol all the way up to some snazzy gear.
Read up and show him some love! The week is half over!
-TRW
Adventures in Survival: #3 Firearms
The responsibility to lead, protect, and provide for one’s family is handed down by God as one of the duties of a man. I fulfill a portion of this requirement (privilege) by working hard each day to bring home an honest living which puts food on our table. The other part of this requirement is fulfilled by a nice assortment of firearms, bladed weaponry, and a mean set of knuckles and forearms. The best force multiplier of the group are the firearms, of course.
My journey with firearms began clumsily in 2001 in the Lone Star state. I got up one morning and made my way to the local pawn shop and fancied my eyes on a nickel plated Lorcin .380 Semi-Auto. It was shiny and for $125 it was mine! I had it for a year and only pulled the trigger once in my backyard before I realized shooting in the city might cost me a visit downtown. I let a friend borrow it for a cross-country road trip and never asked for it back.
Fast forward to 2011, I was dating a nice young woman [my wife] and decided I wanted to go camping and explore Colorado since I was new to the state. She promptly agreed but only with the caveat that we had to have a gun first [something about bears & mountain lions being dangerous]. So with that motivation I began researching a gun that was cost effective but could take down a bear if need be. My research led me to a Mossberg Maverick 88 12 Gauge shotgun. For $185 + $20 in slugs & 00 buck I had all I needed to make her feel safe in the wilderness. I added a Knoxx Compstock and I can literally shoot this thing all day. Verdict: Solid performer with a great value. Should have gotten the security model that holds 8 in the tube.
In doing my research and multiple searches involving keywords such as ‘Firearms’, ‘Wilderness Survival’, and ‘Best Guns’, I stumbled onto a few blogs and had my eyes opened a bit. All of these were pretty much saying that if you didn’t have an AR-15 then you weren’t serious about surviving anything. Did some shopping found a Smith & Wesson MP-15 Sport. For $700 with near perfect reviews and a name like Smith & Wesson behind it I was sold. I bought 10 P-mags online for $8 each the afternoon of Sandy Hook and I was set. After a few visits to my local ammunition reloader I was at the range dropping lead on every piece of cardboard I could find. Verdict: Awesome piece of machinery that functions flawlessly session after session.
With my new found interest in firearms I traveled home to inquire about the multiple weapons owned by my grandfathers and their current whereabouts. I was rewarded for my troubles with an Enfield No. 2 Top-Break .38 S&W revolver. This was the service pistol of the British military and is a very unique piece. After an intense cleaning session and treasure hunt to find this exotic ammo I found a box of 50 rounds and with my younger brother in town we went to test out grandpa’s gun. She fired beautifully and after 20 rounds I decided to save the last 30 and tuck it away as a last ditch firearm. Verdict: Fun to shoot and especially load. HARD trigger pull! Debating on making it a snub nose.
My love affair with firearms was in full swing now. I had stumbled upon a site called Armslist and oh boy it was on! There were so many to choose from and new stuff popping up each day. One day I saw a post for a .38 Special snub nose revolver. I’d never heard of the brand but for $100 and two boxes of ammo I was locked in. Turns out it was an Excam RX-38. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world but when it comes to life and death who’s judging. Verdict: Nothing to write home about. Hard trigger pull and absolutely sucky to reload. Not a fan of having to remove the cylinder. But in the end it goes bang every time I pull the trigger and it’s concealable.
After the Excam I was tasked by my wife with finding a handgun that would fit in her lovely hands so she could train and familiarize herself. Once again did some research and became quite fond of the Springfield XD-9 Subcompact. Found one with all the goodies for $450. Added some Pearce pinky grips and from then on I had the prettiest range buddy a man could ask for. Verdict: Absolutely love this gun and gonna buy a 2nd one [same size] for myself. Very well made, full capacity, and has great balance and weight.
Back when I was researching the AR-15 I stumbled upon a nice rifle called the GSG-522. It’s a spitting image of the Heckler & Koch MP-5 but chambered for .22lr. I did a search online and found one a few miles away for $400. It was the SD model which looks suppressed with a collapsing stock. Ordered some mags and a quad rail online and I had the coolest looking .22 I’d ever seen. Verdict: No recoil, tack driver, wife is a surgeon with it. 25 round magazine makes it the perfect firearm for all you Zombie hunters out there.
Last but not least I wanted a true high power CQB (Close Quarters Battle) rifle that I could use if the SHTF. Decided to go a different route than before so I did some paperwork, waited, waited, and waited some more and the next thing you know I had 7″ Surplus Ammo & Arms 5.56 SBR (Short Barreled Rifle – and NFA rifle that has a barrel shorter than 16 inches. You have to go through a heightened background check and pay a tax stamp for the privilege of owning one. But MAN, are they cool! – TRW) The upper receiver was $439, the lower was $179 and after some Amazon shopping then fees and taxes I have a BEAUTIFUL piece of machinery. VERDICT: Game Changer! It fits in a backpack and makes running drills much faster and agile. Excellent workmanship, and great customer service by the manufacturer.
I never imagined that I would have the group of tools that I have today and it makes me rest easier at night knowing I could defend my family thru any threat level encountered. I’ve covered most of the areas of my desire except for four. My final purchases will be another XD-9 Subcompact, a Savage Axis .308, a Kriss Vector .45acp SBR, and a Glock 21 to buddy with the Kriss since they use the same mags. My goal is for my wife & me both to have an XD-9 on the hip and an AR-15 in our hands. After those purchases I’m going to focus on reloading and more training. I feel like this is a good combination of firearms to have. That puts me in collector status of 9mm/.223/12 Gauge ammo. What are your go-to firearms? What’s on the wish list? Do you reload, if so what calibers? Thanks for reading!
~NoSox
43 comments
Thank you for writing that. Starting out from scratch right now, coupled with ammunition cost is very expensive. Doing your research before you buy is a wise decision. And choosing your standard ammunition makes a lot of sense.
22 long rifle is extremely popular, but the ammunition to feed it is very hard to come by. In our area, a gun shop gives an incentive by including two boxes of ammunition along with the firearm. Makes sense – why buy a gun and not be able to find anything to feed it – really slows up a lot of gun purchases.
It gets more difficult everyday – by now, I guess most of us have heard Russian 5.45×39 ammunition will no longer be imported to our country – a lot of sad AK owners unless you already have your ammunition stash.
Where you live makes this decision easier. If very low population centers are your location, single shot shotguns are great foraging guns and very low cost. Too, they make GREAT firearms for handing out to new shooters who are not familiar with them to protect themselves (Open-load-close-cock hammer-point-shoot. Repeat as necessary). I’d keep a few for emergencies and make for a good ’emergency stash’ gun, as they are easily taken down and found for low cost in pawn shops or yard sales. Do be warned – they do kick like mules (especially in 12 gauge), due to their stock design.
Staying in practice – air guns. Ammunition is easy to find, quiet enough to be shot in city limits (check your local laws) and besides target practice, make a good small vermin (rats, mice) gun you will need anyway for immediate removal of said varmint . A good pump AND a spring barrel cocked rifle would be worth it in my opinion.
Thank you again for the article.
I agree, i’ve been buying my 22lr off various people on Armslist. The going rate is $.10/round up here so i can get a box 0f 525 for around $50. I shoot 5-25 round mags each time at the range so that gives me 4 trips per box which works out well for me. throw in 100 rounds of 9mm for $30 and i have a decent range day.
One of my grandfather’s old guns was one of the shotguns you refer to. I cleaned it up for my dad and bought a few boxes of shells for him. It had been sitting dormant for over 20 years easy so it needed some love.
I’m buying my 6yr old an air rifle next month so he can work on his mechanics for next year when i get him his 1st .22. Those air rifles are such a good value as you mentioned.
No sox , I have been shooting all my life (+50 years) and collecting for the last 35 years. A little advice you can take or leave. .22’s are good for shooting tin cans or rabbits , and not much else. NOTHING smaller than a 7.62 / .308 is a “battle rifle”. EVERYTHING smaller is an “assault rifle” or carbine. No matter what BS the internet “experts” say, they WILL NOT “knock a man down at 600 yards”. FYI the 5.56 is a poor killer at ranges above 300 yards. The 5.56 IS NOT a “high power” weapon. Nosox ; As a collector let me say DO NOT modify or “sporterize” ANY military weapon in any way. They become junk the moment you change them, with NO resale value. I cannot remember how many times I have had to tell guys that their butchered military weapon was only worth the price of scrap or parts. MOST SBR’s have real “bang-bang -jam” problems unless you sink A LOT of money into them , and even then they never work well , even the military ones. COOL is a really bad reason to buy a weapon, you almost allways get burned. At best you wind up sinking 1000$ into your 400$ “tacticool” “deal” just to make it work “less bad” and you should NEVER tell people that you owned a “chrome plated Lorcin .380” or an Excam RX-38 . HIDE YOUR SHAME!!!!
I appreciate your advice. I don’t sporterize my tools and i’m not of the tacti-cool clan. I add 2 simple things to make them do what i need them to do [Vertical Grip-$20 & Holo Sight-$50]. I believe that features of tool shouldn’t cost more than the tool itself. That’s like putting $3000 rims on a $500 car. Might as well buy a better car for $3500…same with my firearms.
I personally have no intention whatsoever in life to sell any of my tools. Their resale value means nothing to me as i don’t collect them but use them the same way i use my hammer and table saw. I fully intend to die owning them and pass them down to my son who begs me every weekend to shoot them.
I understand about the 5.56 argument but honestly if you get hit with multiple rounds of any caliber that should deter you from advancing toward my house. I’m not working at ranges beyond 300 yards and the closer they get the worse it will get for them. I’m aiming for their head and their ‘other’ head…i hit either one and they’re dead.
The SAAMi pressure of a .308 round is 62,000psi and the pressure from a 5.56 is 55,000psi. 55K psi is ‘high enough’ for ME and after 1,000+ flawless rounds thru my SAA SBR i’m very accurate with it and confident that it will get me thru any ‘battle’ i may find myself in.
As far as my GSG-522 its used for target practice and just plinking. My wife likes to shoot it and does it very well so that’s great in my book. I prefer to trap & snare my rabbits as it builds to my skillset but in the highly unlikely event than a zombie apocalypse happens i’ll be happy to shoot ANY gun to stop myself or my family from being eaten. lol
I know my old Lorcin .380 and the Excam are not collector items and hold no real value. Hence why i pretty much gave the Lorcin away but i can tell you the Excam .38 special is hugging my rib cage right now and if i shoot somebody with a few of these hollow points they will die or at the very least stop doing whatever it is that made me shoot them. I’m not ashamed by owning ANY firearm no matter how old, ugly, or cheap it is.
When you’re holding up a wooden plank while building a fence and need a hammer you’re not picky about whether the hammer costs $5 or $55 you just need a hammer to get the job done…..i bought a hammer.
I’M NOT ASHAMED BY OWNING ANY FIREARM NO MATTER HOW OLD, UGLY OR CHEAP IT IS.
Preach it Brother! :^) I’ve had some experience with the ugly guns, firearms that have a Rodney Dangerfield (I don’t get no respect at all) reputation. Most (not all but most) have been very good experiences. The Hi-Point 9mm P carbine (planet of the Apes) is ugly, but it shoots very reliably with ball ammuntion and the sights line up well. Wouldn’t recommend as your ‘one and only’ but not bad at all.
One of my high-milers is a Erma-Excam RX22, a .22lr PPK copy that I’ve owned well over 30 years. Many bricks later, its still going strong and its killed a bunch of rabbits. Its a good one.
Many store brand (Montgomery Wards / Sears / Kmart / etc) firearms are relabeled versions of well known guns.
And then we look at surplus military guns. Some are great but will have ammunition issues, others aren’t worth the bother. They are tanks, built for war.
Bottom line – do your research, but many ugly guns do just fine. And remember – all you can do is prepare and hope you won’t need it. Incoming rounds have the right of way, regardless of what they were shot out of.
Not hating on anybody, just saying. :^)
Ray the need to knock a person down from 600-yards is not survival, it’s murder. You simply can’t make the case that shooting a person at this range is nothing else but murder. Government (meaning police, lawyers, judges and prison guards) is not going to go away no mater how much Rawles and other writers of SHTF porn seem to think it is. You do bad things and you are still going to be held accountable. And shooting a person at hundreds of yards is a bad thing.
As far as nothing less then a .308, I again will take this to task as during the depression lots of people survived on just a single-shot 22 rifle. Survival is more then a black gun with a scope, it’s about everyday things.
I could defend my home just fine with a 22 rifle if I had to. A Ruger 10-22 with a few 25-round mags would make a very effective SHTF defense gun. Post SHTF hospital care may be a bit hard to come by or be priced out of range, so people will understand that even a single 22 bullet will likely mean death. And 10 of them will for sure mean death.
For those looking to get into firearms a Ruger 10-22 would be a very good first gun. You can get 30-round magazines for it and while 22 ammo is more then it use to cost, it’s still less expensive then other ammo.
Another good first gun for defense is a lever action 30-30, these guns are reliable, can be found used as millions of them have been made, do not look as evil as the black rifles everyone is in love with today, they hold 6-rounds (in the 30-30 version) and can be loaded on the fly without taking the gun out of service. And they are very likely to survive a gun ban longer then a AR-15. Millions of deer have been killed by guys with lever Winchester and Marlin 30-30s.
I have a lever action 357 Mag Marlin and it holds 10-rounds. It’s my main things-go-bump-in-the-night gun to go look around in the yard. It’s reliable, powerful and it cost me $209.00 back in the 1980s.
But I also sometimes take the 10-22 to go look around the yard at night.
PS. I also have different handguns in a pocket or my belt when I look around the yard. But the rifle is my first choice firearm.
Yeah that 10/22 is one of the best .22 rifles ever made in my opinion. I was looking at the takedown version and ended up getting my GSG instead.
One of my good friends is a veteran and took a few rounds during his career, he always says that he doesn’t want to get shot with anything because they ALL hurt. lol
I just want to know how you got a photo of my gun room!
Ha! You’d be able to equip a small militia with an armory like that! Deciding which gun to take to the range would be a serious dilemma. lol
I own MANY firearms, and with almost every one, the only modifications I have done is add a sling and flash light. The exception was with my Colt M1911. it is a LATE 1940S vintage army surplus. It now more resembles a Kimber Target 2.
Also, remember that asking someone their opinion on guns is like asking someone about sports teams or cars, everyone has an opinion and most will never change their mind no matter what.
Very true and well spoken. That’s a nice 1911 sir!
For some reason the 22lr seems to get a bad rap, mostly from the “I have more and bigger guns then you crowd”. It’s a good round, cheap and fairly easy to get. If you have a good gun with a decent scope you can hunt game, and protect whatever needs protecting. No it wont bring down a moose from jarhead’s part of the country but if you put three rounds into a bad guys belly I think he will lose all interest in you. High calibers have their place, but if your budget is a little tight the 22lr can cover many jobs.
.22LRs are inexpensive, can bring down small game, are a lot of fun to shoot, are great to train new shooters, are cheap to shoot, and are a great choice for a last ditch back up. My .45ACP is convertible to .22LR. My first pistol and rifle were both .22LR, and I keep an AR7 in my survival pack along with 100 rounds.
Ooooh you have an AR-7! One of the gents at church has an older one and I was looking at the Henry AR-7 as my son’s first gun. I like how lightweight they are and they make the perfect hiking pack gun.
Even though he’s only 6 he’s a great camping/hiking buddy and loves the outdoors. First time i took him camping he was ‘angry’ that I brought food for us to eat. He said we could have caught fish and rabbits and ‘maybe shot a bear’! lol I said what if we didn’t catch any rabbits or the fish weren’t biting? He replied then that means we didn’t deserve to eat! – I have myself a true outdoorsman in training. lol
But yes that AR-7 is awesome! In my opinion the .22lr is a bullet and if they make bullets then those bullets should be shot!
actually, I have 2 AR7s. one is in my Car Kit, the other is in my wife’s Kit. I started learning to shoot at 6. My dad lat me shoot my mom’s/grandpa’s Colt Challenger .22. it was a lot of fun. The next weekend we went back and his friend was there practicing with his Ruger .44 magnum. Of course, having just seen Dirty Harry I wanted to shoot it. My dad said OK, I fired one shot, one handed, and split open my forehead. My dad, being the wise man he was, looked me straight in the eye, and said “I bet you never make that mistake again.” And he was right, I never made THAT mistake again.
Now that is a lesson learned! I’ve seen a video of a first timer trying to shoot one of those and she almost blew her head off!
my sig 9mm has the 22 conversion. great training great fun and you can shoot all day cheap
GUYS the crack about the lorcin and RX-38 was SNARK! and AR-15 are civilian only “look a like’s” they are not now and never were military. No military on earth uses the AR-15, they use M-16’s or M-4’s. AR-15 might LOOK like them , but that’s all. Add anything to them you want.— I was reading his comment about making his “British army .38” a snubbie. If that is a S&W “V” frame or an Enfield revolver, bobbing the barrel would be the “kiss of death” to a collector, rendering it nothing more than spare parts at resale. As far as I could tell from the above, that .38 is the only(former) military weapon he owns. “Hi- Power” is a technical term –it has nothing at all, to do with the chamber pressure of the round . It refers to a “class” of rifles used in MATCH shooting contest’s, and the AR-15 is not in that “class” according to my admittedly old rule book.
I gotcha. Yeah that Enfield is a collectors item but i wouldn’t sell it for any price. It’s the ONLY thing i have from one of the greatest men i’ve ever known so its value to me is purely sentimental. I enjoy the look and carry options of the ones i’ve seen snubbed so that’s why i ‘considered’ getting it done as well as a new finish.
The finish on the enfields made before late 1942 was “wire brushed blue” after Oct.-Nov. of ’42 it was baked on, oil based black paint. Having a good pistol smith stone that DAO action won’t hurt it at all, and it’ll be way more fun to shoot. I don’t know where you live , but down here in Ky.that ammo is pretty easy to find . The British military load to “clone” is a .380 hollow base 174 gr. hard cast lead @ 700 FPS .That will give the same “profile” as the 1943 British Army/ Navy load . If you look in Oldguns.net you can sometimes find whole boxes of Brit military ball for sale. Just don’t expect “cheep”.
Not completely correct Ray. The first 1,000 select fire rifles of the M16/AR15 platform used in Vietnam had the AR15 designation and were used by American advisors starting in 1962. The Air Force also bought 8500 select fire AR 15 in 1962. They had not been official adopted by the military so they were not give the M16 designation until 1963 upon approval of Secretary McNamara. It was not until 1963 that Colt trade marked AR15 as the semi auto only version of the Colt M16 for sale to the public. Before anyone jumps me on it yes the public could also buy a new Colt M16 up until 1986.
Uh No, the first 1000 Armalite Rifles (Ar-15) were sent to Vietnam for testing by South Vietnam , They were never “officially” used by the US military as the US ARMY was forbidden by law, from engaging in ground combat in Vietnam in 1962. The USAF AR-15 contact was killed by JFK in 1962 before the first ones were delivered.( I believe all of the contract run was completed but later sold off, they were never delivered to the USAF) . This was done on the advice of Gen. Max Taylor.(who flat hated Gen. Curtis LaMay THE advocate of the AR program) The first “black rifles” to see official service were the Colt XM-16’s in 1963 . No military unit of the United States or any other nation state has ever carried a rifle designated AR-15 in its official issue inventory. But all this is academic as no nation on the planet uses the AR-15 AS A MILITARY ISSUE WEAPON –I.E. it is not a military weapon. FYI the only “Military” that I know of to “officially” carry the AR-15 is the P-IRA .
Post the info link Ray, because everything I have in my personal library and on the internet states otherwise. Nothing shows they were only for the South Vietnamese to test.
The Malaya military took a delivery of 300 AR15s in December 1959 (Kevin Future Weapons Berkley Books, 2007).
Colts model 601 had a AR15 designation. It was not until the Colt model 602 that it received the XM16 designation.
The USAF had Colts with the AR15 stamp up through the 1990s. If we have any retire AF guys from that time period please chime in on this one.
Also do not confuse the select fire AR15s with the semi auto AR15s that were produced after 1963 for the civilian market which is not a military rifle. The one produced prior to 1963 were military rifles though and later became the M16.
As far as the Provo IRA they were terrorist group not a government military.
It is ok to be wrong sometimes Ray!!!
Here is photo link of one of those rifles with the AR15 and M16 stamp on it. You will notice it say Colt AR15, property of U.S. Government and also M16 stamp right below the “Property of U.S. Government”
The serial numbers on three of the rifle are 346967, 909391, and 325819. Which would place these in the 1960 production range.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_123/616197_Air_Force_Mutt_rifles_Guu_etc.html
3rdMan,
The first AR15/M16 I ever saw was taken off the body of a VC sniper in Mar ’65. We’d trained with and carried M14’s and had only heard about the experimental “Stoner” weapons being tested to replace the 14’s.
The one we took off the VC was an Armalite stamped AR15, not M16. We found out later it had been issued to a Special Forces advisor who’d been killed in the Iron Triangle.
For the neophytes out there AR doesn’t stand for Assault Rifle or Automatic Rifle. It does and always has designated the Armalite Rifle; it’s used nowadays when referring to anything that resembles the original AR.
Your right about the AR standing for Armalite Rifle originally. Since 1963 when Colt trademarked it I do not thinks it means anything now other than “AR”. My point was the AR15s prior to 1963 were a military type rifle that became know as the M16 and carried both AR15 and M16 stamps as the pics I linked showed. The civilian Colt AR15 produced after 1963 were not military rifles but were patterned after them and used the same parts with exception of the BCG and fire control. I think we are both talking about the same thing just from different perspectives that is all.
3rdMan
Just as a side note, I think the first production rifle built by Armalite was the AR10. It was the same basic Stoner design on a larger frame chambered for the then NATO standard .308 round.
I heard somewhere that Egypt was the only military to adopt the AR10. Not sure why it didn’t become more popular. Probably not cost effective if the US government wasn’t footing
Armalite also built the first AR7’s for the AirForce in .25ACP. They were issued to pilots in their emergency kits. The only one I ever saw was in an early James Bond movie. Sean Connery used one to shoot down an attack helicopter at a couple of hundred yards. Must have been a Hell of a gun!
I just moved. Where I moved from was a suburb of about 30K people that averaged a murder every other year and it was always a domestic violence thing. Where I moved to is a city of about 60K people that averages a murder a year and it’s always a domestic violence or drug thing. In both places assaults are mostly domestics or bar fights (neither are things I need to worry about). Both places have cultures where people see themselves and others as all being part of the place and a history of everyone pulling together when something bad happens. That’s my first line on defense, living in a safe place where people see others as equals and work together.
Beyond shooting for fun and training others to shoot my firearms need to do in order:
1. Pest Control
2. Put Food On The Table
3. Personal Defense
1. As times get hard people switch to backyard composting so they don’t have to pay as much for trash removal and cities pick up trash less often. This means more rats and other pests coming soon to your back yard. I have a collection of air rifles and pistols to deal with pests, most are cheap pump guns and they seem to work fine. I also have a couple of tube magazine (Marlin bolts actions) .22’s zeroed for .22 shorts that are very accurate and topped with good quality scopes. Firing shorts the .22’s are actually quieter than a couple of my pellet guns.
2. Mostly, I’m looking for small game here. This one I kinda messed up on. I have the .22 rifles, which are grand. I also have a couple of.22/.410’s O/U’s (Savage and Baikal. The Baikal’s a really well made gun. The Savage is kinda iffy) which are good dinner getters. Add to the list a fairly short barreled 20 gauge O/U that’s a great grouse and close in pheasant gun and a .30/30. Good choices on all of those, I think.
But, I also wanted a .22 pistol for field use. I picked up a couple of really great guns, but they’re all too freaking big. I love my Single-Six and the ability to shoot everything from .22 shorts to .22 magnums from one gun. But it’s freaking huge and heavy. The end result is that It’s not something that I ever pack with me (same with the other 2). The Idea here was that I could have something to pack with me while hiking/fishing/mushrooming/and taking bike rides though the countryside. I’m still looking for that take along .22 and any suggestions you all have would be grand. I’m liking the looks of the smaller Browning 22/1911, but it’s priced like a Browning…
I’ve never owned a .380, but I’m wondering about one of the bigger (there I go again) .380’s for field use like a Bersa or CZ and running ball ammo though it? Has anyone used .380 ball on small game?
3. Personal defense, thankfully, isn’t one of my bigger issues. Since I’m able-bodied, don’t have any children or any one else to protect, can run faster than most, and have no ego to protect, my first option will always be to RTFA (Run The Fuck Away). Right now I don’t see any problems in my community at all, let alone any that can’t be solved by talking or RTFA. If things do get dicy, I have a couple pretty good kicks and a left jab that is above average. A couple of truncheons (I prefer the term Woppin’ Stick), collapsable police batons, and pepper spray round out the non-lethal options.
For firearms, I’ve got everything previously listed that can be pressed into service and wouldn’t feel too compromised with either the 20 gauge or the .30/30. I also have a CZ PO-7 with a light on it. Great gun. Perfect size and weight for shooting and I didn’t have any problems with CC the few times I did it for practice (I did have to go to the store and buy a size larger belt as my belt would no longer fit).
I’m considering picking up a Mossberg 590 of some stripe, a Ruger LCR, and a Remington pump rifle (debating the caliber) to round out the collection.
I use the ruger LCR for my backup. I like it but it is very light and the first time I shot it the recoil surprised me.
I have a Single-Six 32 Mag (9.5 in barrel) and while it’s kinda big, I can shoot a clay pigeon (4-inch diameter) almost every time at 25-yards. It’s brought home a lot of squirrels over the years. I love it.
Nosox nice work.
I’m very much a gun novice. I’ve had my eye on a semi auto tactical style shotgun for a while. Seems I find bad press about all of them! Anyone have any first hand experience with a reliable one? I don’t mind reaching into my pocket if I have to.
I wasn’t raised around guns, never really taught to shoot. I do ok with a pistol and a shotgun but I’m no rifleman. Don’t really enjoy shooting that much. I shoot enough to stay proficient at reasonable range. I’m really only interested in home defense I don’t hunt nor enjoy target shooting. This makes me think a semi auto shotgun would suit me well. Appreciate anyone’s advice into a quality semi auto shotgun with home defense in mind. Or am I missing the mark here? Is a rifle really a better option?
I don’t have any experience with semi-auto shotguns but it seems as if they would be more complicated than a basic pump. I’ve ran hundreds of rounds through my Maverick 88 and it works just fine. I never even cleaned it and its been 3 years and multiple camping trips and range sessions.
I just saw a Russian Vepr 12 for sale on classicfirearms.com and its really talking to me. I don’t need it and with a baby on the way i wont be getting it for a good while but i sure do want it.
Nosox
Here you there there’s lots if things I don’t need but sure do want. Saiga 12 has my immediate attention.
Semi-auto shotguns are going to cost alot more than a pump action. With the recoil of a 12 gauge, there will not be a significant difference in your follow up shots with a semi compared to a pump. I own a Mossberg 590 and a Winchester 870, both great tactical pump guns. You can get a short barrel for defensive use and a longer 24 or 26 inch bbl for trap, skeet, bird hunting ect. The price difference will allow you to buy more ammo to practice. Also, with a pump gun you can use “less lethal” rounds which may not function as well in a semi. If you are set on getting a semiauto, I can reccomend the Mossberg 930, mine came with 2 barrels, short for defense and a 26″ with interchangable chokes. The semi autos are a little more complicated, but not much. Whichever you decide, practice is key. The recoil of a 12 gauge takes getting used to.
I’ve had bad luck with guns. Bought a Beretta CX4 storm that would drop mags out of the weapon every time I would close the action on a full mag.
Also a mossberg 500 that refuses to chamber a round. Rounds stay in the tube or get dropped out the loading port onto the ground. I’ve replaced the shell interrupter and cartridge stop changed 0.0
Is the quality of new guns poor or am I just really unlucky?
I have never used any Beretta products since I had an M9 jam on me.
I have owned a few Mossberg shotguns and have never had any problems with them. I suggest you take your 500 to a gun smith ASAP. If he can’t resolve the problem I would recommend investing in a Remington 870 or similar quality shotgun
Well I believe that any decent gun or rifle is better than none. I have sellers remorse. I have sold some pieces down through the years and have always regretted it. That lever Marlin 444, wow what a brute. I sold it for some stupid reason. Yea rounds are pricey, but it makes an impression.
I am trying to consolidate calibers, but I can’t seem to part with the oddball or two. Viva la’ 22. , add a 12 ga for all and you have most that you will need. If you live in Chicago or Stockton, move or invest in an AK. Or an AR, don’t want to start that debate. With all the debate of which rifle to carry, it would be hard to leave my bolt Rem 700 30.06 at home. It really is effective. The madness… good luck in your journey.
Back in the day when in a very hot humid place, I was invited to join in a few fire fights ( not by choice mind you lol) and not once did I hear anyone asking what caliber are the bad guys shooting at us….
No matter the caliber, the recieving end tends to duck !
Anon,
Words of wisdom!!!
Anon, was in the same place and still remember that a .30 cal tracer coming at you at night looks as big as a basketball.
A gun that doesn’t get talked about for survival too often is a air rifle. I have a Gamo .177 cal air rifle and it will kill a squirrel at 20-yards with ease. It is made in Spain (not China) and pellets are inexpensive. Every bird on earth is eatable, I know it would take a lot of birds to feed a person. But in my area (Ohio) there are a lot of birds. Plus it’s fun to shoot an air rifle and they make very little noise.
Be aware there are a lot of China-made air rifles today. Beeman has a lot of China-made air rifles as is the Ruger Air Hawk and the Winchester-1000. Gamo air rifles shoot well, are reasonable priced and European made.
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One of the very best bullets for plinking, game gathering and self defense is the 22 Magnum. Lot of deer have been taken with the 22 Mag. It is very sufficient for self defense and the cost is not prohibitive. One very nice feature is that you can have rifles and pistols chambered for 22 Mag which reduces your types of ammo. Marlin, Hi-Standard, Ruger , Winchester, Rossi, Smith and Wesson all make weapons for that caliber. Pistols are limited to revolvers as 22 Mag. auto have not been commercially successful.
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