Excellent essay Matt, thanks for sharing.
Here’s a youtube clip I did, on 2A:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5E_TnEerA&feature=player_embedded
While today you have to consider the legal consequences of arming another person, specially in Argentina where only people with gun permits can handle guns and you are legally responsible for what gets done with your weapon, the ability to arm others shouldn’t be underestimated.
I once mentioned that I gave my brother a 38 Special snub nose revolver just a couple hours after he landed in Argentina.
My brother doesn’t know how to perform a tactical reload, he doesn’t know what SUL means or the best way to resolve corners, but I trust him enough not to shoot anything that doesn’t need to be shot. That’s enough in most cases where you end up arming others.
If the situation is bad enough, there no help coming. You have to ask yourself, how long can I stay alert before falling asleep, how long can I stand guard? With some basic instruction you can have a few people doing shifts after some basic instructions, mostly about gun safety handling and when NOT to shoot. Later on if the situation goes on you can teach them more but none of this would even be possible if you don’t have the minimum tools. That is, a few extra guns, ammo and holsters.
I have a couple extra 38 special revolvers for this reason. Also a couple more Hi Power 9mms and 45 ACP pistols. I have 5 or 6 extra police surplus leather flap holsters. These come with the cross chest sling needed to carry it. You can simply tote it like that. A belt would add extra stability but you can do without it, and the holster itself has an extra magazine pouch. Space for two mags for the 45 ACP. Not the latest tactical piece of gear, not even the best or the most practical, but its perfect for a grunt newbie and it cost less than 3 dollars each.
As of right now, there are some towns and districts in Argentina were the neighbors themselves run patrols and stand guard at night, armed. Legal? No it isn’t but it’s the unwritten agreement they made with authorities that simply can’t protect the people. Saw it on the news a couple days ago.
Chile is another good example. People organized and look after each other. There was a man that explained the problem he had, not having anyone nearby to stand guard when he fell asleep.
The chances of this happening may not seem that big, but it does happen and there’s many scenarios where you may need armed neighbors. Recent, real world scenarios.
These are things that can be taken into account when adding more weapons to your collection.
FerFAL
Thanks for your great addition to this thread, based on “been there, done that!”