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.
If I was considering some firearms I might look at .22lr, .357 or .38 revolvers. Easy to use, easy to find ammo and if one wants to reload .38 is easy. At close range those require little hard-corps training and they will do the trick. .22LR doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
Any shot gun is better than none. Even .410 will hurt someone. Or make them back off. Pump action is good, plentiful, and easy to obtain.
But I’d find guns through a private sale or trade. And have something stashed for emergencies.
That is, if I were to own firearms, which I don’t.
“M/N M44”
#9 on the list of “10 manliest guns”
http://www.arthurshall.com/x_2007_manly_firearms.shtml
Is there really anyone who hasn’t obtained an armory by now for a variety of reasons?
And keep in mind the fact that I've been putting this stuff together over the last 10 years or so. I certainly didn't buy this pile of stuff all at once.
One month it was two of those Enfields, a couple months later it was an SKS, another month a tin of 7.62 Russian, another month, well you get the idea.
I'm really a gigantic geek.
But when I sit down and look at it I'm like "holy sh** I can seriously outfit a squad with all this stuff." I mostly did it by finding the 'deals' of the day and then just doing it.
The most expensive ones were the AK's and the average cost of those Romainian kits was $350. EVERYBODY should have one of those. Yea, they aren't the finest AK's available but they go bang every time and if you practice with them you can get 'minute of bad guy' hits at 250 yards.
Thanks for the compliment. If you're impressed then I am truly humbled.
BTW Cabelas has a hell of a sale on those 10-22's. They're running $250 a copy IIRC.
LOL.
Everyone should have several firearms because no one gun can do everything you need it to do. You have a pistol. Get another, preferably just like it so you don’t have to relearn how to shoot it.
Also, get a shotgun. A Mossberg or Remington 870 are great, inexpensive shotguns and you can get a ton of accessories for them to make them into a good hunting gun or a great home defender.
Get a rifle you are comfortable with. If you just don’t like the AR-15, get something less expensive like a Yugoslavian SKS. They can be had for $250 or so and you can get high cap mags for them. These are great for hunting deer or unloading on a bad guy. The 7.62X39 is a medium power cartridge and they are still pretty cheap.
I wish I had bought a dozen of those Yugo SKS rifles when they were $80 each.
You and me both!!!!
Yeah, the libtards. They think the goobermint will protect them.
I only hope it’s prudently dispersed! The “art of the cache” and all that.
So while it's well secured in a serious safe which is bolted to the slab floor in my home I'm simply not willing to hide anything.
We've made our decision. If they come for us, they've made what we like to call a 'life decision'.
I know others feel differently, but for me and mine this is how we're going to play it.
So while it's well secured in a serious safe which is bolted to the slab floor in my home I'm simply not willing to hide anything.
We've made our decision. If they come for us, they've made what we like to call a 'life decision'.
I know others feel differently, but for me and mine this is how we're going to play it.
Excellent penetration too, for those times when that's a good thing.
Thank God for that. I wouldn’t want those idiots near a gun.
Love it ... love it ... love it ...
Rifle power in a handgun ...
Where do you get the parts from?
I bought a Rossi .410/.22lr sindle shot weapon with interchangeable barrels. Then I put a forend vertical grip on the shotgun forend. Then I took a butt sock for 9 rifle cartridges and attached the hook side of 2 inch wide velcro to the back of the cut off cartridge slot portion (ruined the slip on of the butt sock, but they only cost $8 bucks) and the felt side of the velcro to the butt stock of the shotgun ... using 'industrial strength velcro available at Lowes and Home Depot. The velcro method allows the shotgun ammo to be kept separate from the weapon until needed, and then merely slapping the nine cartridge row to the felt portion on the stock allows quick loading and reloading. I then attached and accuratized a red laser.
Total cost for the finished product is just under $220, taxes and puchases in all. A .410 can use the Taurus Judge shotgun #4 shot ammo and even 410 slugs ... but not the 45 Long Colt because it generates too much pressure with the choked shotgun barrel. BUT, the weapon is deadly accurate up to ten yards and may be stored with ammo and weapon separate but quick to battery condition.
Next I purchased a couple of SUB 2000 KelTec carbines for 9MM, in the Beretta (I have extra 30 round mags) and Glock magazine issuance. With a laser on the weapons, these too mke formidable defense weapons with little or no practice bringing them to battery when ammo and weapon are kept separate.
I'm now working on a couple of M1Carbines which will be fed soft point 30 carbine rounds from thirty round mags. By looking for Universal Carbines in good condition, the cost for an M1 can be kept under four hundred dollars. I happened upon a nice Rock-Ola wile acquiring the first Universal, which I'm rebuilding the bolt on to be sure of firing condition. The Rock-Ola didn't need anything but a new home ;^) .
The next project is to put into 'psitol grip collapsible stock mode four ver inexpensive mag fed .22 lr rifles, chosen because of ease to shoot with no recoil, using a laser sight and the mmo can again be kept separate from the weapon using magazines loaded with hollow point ammo in the hi capacity range. The Mossberg Plinker is $107 at Wally world, and the Marlin 795 is currently $135, with Marlin sending a $25 rebate after purchase! A laser for these weapons runs under $20 and is easy to attach and accuratize. Extra ten round mags are available for both rifles, and 15 round mag are easily altered to work in the Marlin 795.
The point is, being well trained in use of a rifle/carbine need not be assumed for home defense since lasers and red dots sights ar now so reliable and easy to mount on the weapon and use. Ammo can be stored separate from the weapon in homes where small children could access the weapon, and the punching of many small holes rapidly will deter folks who need killin'. Even a 22lr is deadly with enough lead spit from it.
BTW, look into the European American Arms revolvers ... .357 2" barrel six shooters are right at $200 new at our local gunshows, and one can load with Hydra Shok .38 specials.
Yep, I really like that carbine. I put a short 3-9 scope, Command Arms folding stock and a Red Lion forend on it.
http://redlionprecision.com/14212.html
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