Posted on 03/27/2010 9:58:15 AM PDT by Travis McGee
If you don’t presently own any firearms, you may have been considering taking that step in order to protect yourself and your family. Or perhaps you already have what you consider to be an adequate home armory, but is it really enough? In the event that our economy tanks, one certain outcome will be much higher levels of criminal violence. Read Fernando Aguirre’s excellent “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse,” based on his experiences in Argentina after 2001, to see what happens to civil society when a national currency collapses and the banks are closed. Today’s career criminals will be that much more desperate and willing to use violence against their victims. The feral youths who need little encouragement to bust heads for sport in times of relative plenty may be starving, and no moral consideration will keep them from sticking a gun in your face or a knife in your back.
At the same time, the federal government may define this surge of criminal violence as civil disorder and enact emergency decrees, especially if armed citizens begin to fight back on a wide scale. One need look no further than the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to see how officials react toward ordinary people with firearms during a period of civil disorder. A freeze on gun sales and/or ammunition is a predictable outcome during government-defined “emergencies.”
Most of the readers of this column probably don’t need to be convinced of the wisdom of owning and practicing with firearms. You may even believe that you already possess all of the guns you need, whether a .38 caliber revolver in your bedside table or a small battery of handguns, shotguns and rifles in your closet or gun safe. You may even own one or more of those liberally despised so-called assault rifles. In any of these cases you may think you don’t need to consider any more gun purchases.
There is, however, one reason to purchase at least a few more weapons: to arm thy neighbors. I can hear you saying, “What is Bracken talking about? If that foolish grasshopper of a neighbor didn’t bother about his security when guns were readily available, why should I worry about him now? Besides, he may even be an anti-gun liberal, so the hell with him!”
This reasoning is short-sighted on several levels. First, we have all heard the old saying that “a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged.” When violence explodes during an economic collapse, millions of new conservatives will be created from former left-wingers. And besides philosophically anti-gun liberals, many folks simply grow up in families where guns are not present and reach adulthood having never touched a firearm. But no matter why they don’t own firearms, when the ultra-violence breaks out your neighbors down the street will deserve a way to defend themselves from criminal predation. Simple charity, Christian or otherwise, suggests that we should not leave the elderly couple, the widow or the single mom with young children defenseless against evildoers bent on rape, robbery or murder.
When the incidence of home invasions, carjackings and “express kidnappings” skyrockets, some of your neighbors will discover a sudden interest in acquiring firearms, just when firearms may not be available through normal channels. These unarmed neighbors may then ask if you have any extra firearms to lend to them. Which one of your carefully considered collection of guns will you hand over to arm your defenseless neighbor? Your high-end “concealed carry” pistol, which fits your hand like a glove? Your wife’s? Your pump-action shotgun? Your AR-15 Sport Utility Rifle? The fact is, you will be loath to give away any of them, not even to a neighbor in need. You have acquired each of them for a carefully thought-out reason! But your neighbor is still defenseless.
That is why I encourage you to buy a few extra firearms in anticipation of this future need. I would suggest that a revolver is the simplest entry-level firearm to provide to a non-shooting neighbor. There are no magazines, safety catches or slides to learn to manipulate. You simply open the cylinder, insert the bullets, close the cylinder and the revolver is ready to go. A revolver has the shortest “learning curve” of any firearm. Anyone can learn basic gun safety and effective close-range self-defense with a revolver in one afternoon. In dire extremes you could hand a revolver to a non-shooter after a five-minute period of instruction and dry-firing. Revolvers are intuitive; you can even see if they are loaded or unloaded simply by looking at the cylinder.
Of course, a much greater level of firearms training is highly desirable if there is time for it. If possible, take your non-shooting neighbor to a gun range now, in advance of a period of “civil unrest.” Training a non-shooter in the safe operation of firearms also shows your own overall knowledge of security issues. This demonstrated firearms proficiency will stand you in good stead when your leadership skills and tactical knowledge may benefit your overall neighborhood security posture.
Beyond the simple morality of providing a means of self-defense against criminal violence, there is another reason to be prepared to arm thy neighbors: the force multiplying synergy of multiple fields of fire. Recall the old cowboy movies when the gang of black hats rode into a town where the citizens were forewarned and prepared. As an historical example, consider what happened to the vaunted James Gang on the Northfield Minnesota Raid when they lost the element of surprise. Only Frank and Jesse escaped unhurt. The rest of the armed gang were killed by the townsfolk or captured shortly after, badly wounded.
An armed and alert neighborhood is a very dangerous environment for criminals. In a time of rampant violence, with the ever-present threat of home invasions, more armed neighbors mean more angles of fire for the criminals to confront. Instead of focusing their evil intent on a single home, selecting one sheep in a helpless flock, they will be threatened by fire from many directions and their retreat may be cut off. This compounds their risk compared to attacking a neighborhood where most folks are unarmed and cringing in corners, praying to remain unmolested.
Of course, it is best if your neighbors have all received a high level of firearms training. Otherwise, the risk of a “friendly fire” accident while repelling an armed gang with shots from multiple directions is increased. And of course, you should not provide a firearm to a drunk, a druggie, or a mentally unstable neighbor for obvious reasons. But the danger of living in an unarmed neighborhood is even greater, because such an area is a magnet for repeated violent criminal attacks.
The best outcome would be to leverage your training of individuals in safe firearms usage into general neighborhood self-defense drills. Then if the “James Gang” rides in…they won’t necessarily ride out! Word will get around, and your neighborhood will achieve an aura of armed strength that deters future criminal incursions. Consider why tiny Switzerland has never been invaded by its much more powerful and often bellicose neighbors. It’s not because of the Alps. It’s because the Swiss have a strong tradition of armed self-defense at every level. Both invading armies and criminal gangs go around “hard targets” that are known to shoot back!
If nothing else, from a strictly selfish standpoint, the humble .38 revolver you lent to that widow might provide you with a critical early warning of imminent danger when she fires it in self-defense. Forewarned is forearmed, even if the warning is a rapid series of pistol shots heard from up the street at oh-dark-thirty. But in any case, I would rather hear the widow’s defiant shots than her helpless screams.
So, consider buying a few extra firearms and ammunition while you can easily and inexpensively do so. A used revolver in good working condition can be purchased for as little as $250, a used pump-action shotgun for not much more. And if you don’t know what an SKS rifle is or what they cost, find out. Then you will have the option of arming your neighbors in a time of extreme peril, without diminishing your own family armory.
Yes, but how can you be sure? Testimonials? People will say anything in desperate times.
The time to apply the test is NOW. Talk to your neighbors and learn their political leanings. Then, if there is a collapse, you'll know who is really on your side. Personally, I would never supply a weapon or ammo to a lib or moderate even if he claimed conversion from now until doomsday.
Are you the sole importer of those things? :) The distribution channel hasn’t reached my neck of the woods.
Better bring lots of warm clothes! Guess we could fit you in... there's a few thousand acres of "medicinal" (tribal herbs) gathering woods for a back yard... plenty of room for an old winnie!
The only thing I require is a love of Country and a very hard work ethic! The ice and snow is gone, having a "trainload" of good topsoil delivered for expanding the garden, and need strong backs to clear woods and blow stumps. You'd have to fight the grandkids for tractor duty!
You can read the first third of my next novel on my website. “Castigo Cay” is also my first book written in first person POV.
That’s another great pistol, and as you said, one better for actual carry.
I would not try to change your mind. I just wrote the essay to be fodder for thought, while guns are still cheap and available.
I was just kidding about the Winnebago. If the balloon goes up, I’m heading for deep salt water.
In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow, “Bring me that horizon!”
Heck no, I just bought mine out of the counter of a little gun shop in my area.
Thanks Matt, I started it but I’m going to wait for the book. It should be another great book, judging what I’ve read.
I like first person POV novels.
Well done!
You mentioned firing pins on the CZ-52. I would strongly recommend anybody who is considering purchasing one to get spare firing pins. They can break in a single instance of dry firing. There are after market, hardened firing pins made however that make the problem a moot point. I can’t remember the sources off the top, but google should bring something up pretty quick. :-)
Was it you that was showing some fairly decent wood grips for a 52? If so, where did you get them? I’ve been meaning to pick up or or two and it would be nice to get rid of those god awful things that come with them.
...one of my favorite scenes from your original novel. :-)
Couple of these.
http://www.maverickarms.com/pages/88security.htm
You can find then cheaper. Made in Texas
Ishapore Enfield Rifle in 7.62 NATO. Qty: 2
Price each: $110.00
Very scarce these days and you'll pay more than I did. But they're rugged and wicked accurate.
Mosin-Nagant Rifle in 7.62 X 53(R) Qty: 3
Price each: $100.00 Plentiful and ammo is still (relatively) inexpensive in quantity.
Cheap, rugged, reliable, and proven man stopper.
SKS type rifle in 7.62 X 39 Qty: 2
Price: $150.00
A real bargain for a semi-auto rifle IMO.
7.62 Russian ammo is still widely available although the price has gone up.
AK47 Pattern Rifle in 7.62 X 39 Qty: 2
Price: $350
Every freedom loving American should have AT LEAST one of these weapons in their home along with 1000 rounds of ammo, soft point preferred.
CZ-82 Pistol in 9 X 18 Makarov Qty: 2
Price: $200 each. IMO it's one of the best buys on the market today. It doesn't have quite the punch of the Tokarev but it's a well built (Czech made) pistol. The caliber is roughly equivalent to .38 spl and ammo is plentiful and cheap. I got 500 rds delivered to my door for less than $150. That's JHP btw.
Don't overlook the ubiquitous .22 LR, especially the inexpensive revolvers by folks like High Standard or semi-autos like the Ruger 10-22. (Another rifle that belongs in EVERY home IMO). They're quite, cheap to practice with, and for very little money you can have 10,000 rounds sitting in the corner of a closet. I don't need to tell you how effective a quiet little round like a standard velocity .22 can be even out to nearly 100 yards.
Some will quibble with my choices. Fine.
The point is I can outfit a small squad of trusted neighbors who either lacked the means or the foresight to become as prepared as we did.
Have we got "better" stuff for ourselves? Damn straight. Would we be willing to hand a neighbor our 1200 AR or my 2500 M1A? NFW, buddy.
And this stuff won't be handed out willy nilly. It's for a SHTF situation when our lives are on the line.
There's enough firepower there to dissuade anything other than a well led platoon of regular infantry.
Couple that with the other stuff we've been putting back (radios, binoculars, NVG, etc) we'd be a pretty damn tough nut to crack.
We're not going for invulnerability here, just being a target that's way harder than the ones just up the road. Hey, it'll suck to be them but they had the same opportunities and warnings we did.
Good read, Travis. Thanks for posting it.
Good read, as always.
I have enough stock to take care of our little cul de sac in the mountains. A few of the neighbors are liberal, but at the same time living out here makes a difference. We’ve fought brush fires together, looked out for each other’s kids and pets, brought food to each other when ill, plowed and shoveled each other out of snow and mud, and never discussed politics at neighborhood BBQ’s. We’ve learned that we have to count on each other first.
If it comes to it, I’ll make the offer without hesitation.
Yeah... I knew that Matt... You deep water squids would go absolutely bonkers this far from the salt! But the more I think about it, my insistence on hard work is what really made you back out of it... LOL!!!
And after scrolling thru, I see he is already here!
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