Posted on 11/08/2019 4:30:49 AM PST by Kaslin
Back in August of 2001, I made a trip to Walmart to pick up some items for the house. In those days, I always picked up one box of ammunition whenever I went to a store that sold it. I did this until both of my gun safes were completely full of guns and ammo. That day, as I was putting my ammo away, my girlfriend got a look inside one of my gun safes. Thus, she discovered for the first time that I had thousands of rounds stored away. She was appalled and asked why I owned so many guns and stored so much ammunition. I calmly told her that I wanted to be prepared when we were hit with the first large-scale terrorist attack on American soil.
Much to my disappointment, this revelation caused my girlfriend to scoff at me and accuse me of being “paranoid.” She even told family and friends that I was crazy. But just eleven days later, 9/11 happened. She later apologized for questioning my judgment. She realized what I already knew: It could have been much worse.
Make no mistake about it, folks. Terrorists will hit America again. There is also a serious prospect of either civil war or a Soviet-style breakup of America into nation-states in my lifetime. Indeed, it is exceedingly unlikely that America as we know it will exist when our children reach our age. If you think I am crazy, quit reading this column and return to playing your video games. The rest of the column is for those of us who live and operate in the world as it is but also prepare for drastic changes in our circumstances.
As we think specifically about which three firearms are best for dealing with large-scale civil unrest, it helps to imagine hypothetical situations. Imagine, for example, that a mob of Antifa “anti-fascists” decided to converge upon your town. In other words, imagine a typical weekend in Portland. Imagine further that the mob moved into your neighborhood and that they crossed your property line. Finally, imagine they were holding Molotov cocktails. Now entertain a question:
If you were to come walking out on your front porch to defend your home and family holding one firearm with another strapped to your shoulder and a sidearm, what would those three weapons be?
I’ve given this a little thought. Here are my choices:
Springfield Armory M1A .308. Many readers have been contacting me throughout this series to ask when I will recommend some sort of an “assault rifle.” I put scare quotes around “assault rifle” the same way a “progressive” puts scare quotes around religious liberty. There is no such thing as an “assault rifle.” Any rifle can be used to assault someone. And leftists cannot differentiate between an “assault rifle” and a normal one. So let us stop legitimizing their terminology.
In addition to those who are recommending “assault rifles,” many are urging me to recommend the AR-15. I am sorry but I do not own one. The closest thing I own to one is a Ruger mini-14. But I will not be recommending that firearm. It is the least accurate rifle I own by a long shot (pardon the pun).
Instead, if visited upon by a violent mob, my semi-auto rifle of choice is Springfield’s civilian version of the M14. It can be fed with a 10 or 20-round magazine. I prefer 10-round magazines. This keeps the weapon light and maneuverable. Plus, it is all I need. I also prefer the 18-inch compensated barrel version of this rifle rather than the 16-inch version. It is loud and it kicks. Be forewarned: This is a man’s weapon.
Benelli M4 Tactical 12 gauge semi-auto. Please do not assume that I am going to go for the M1A first in a crisis situation. I am likely to reach for a semi-automatic 12-gauge tactical shotgun in order to create my own little safe space. If I do, it won’t be a Mossberg 930. I am sparing no expense and instead going for the more reliable Benelli M4. I cannot say enough good things about this shotgun. If you ever shoot one, you will understand why the price tag is so high. It is worth every penny.
Glock Model 20 10mm. Many readers were expecting that this slot would be filled by the Browning hi-power chambered in .40 caliber. Indeed, that would have been an excellent choice. However, that weapon is no longer in production. So I am defaulting to a favorite of mine. It has enough power to drop a black bear. It can even be used to hunt wild hog. Indeed, its knockdown power is similar to that of the .41 mag revolver. Best of all, it has a 15-round magazine capacity and is offered in a compensated barrel version, which helps to manage recoil. Some will say that this selection, like my first one, is overkill. But you won’t see me taking any chances if I have to reach for any of these weapons.
Hopefully, this column series has provided a useful example of using the First Amendment to preserve the Second. We must do that in order to delay as long as possible the necessity of using the Second Amendment to preserve the First.
Three Essential Firearms For Civil Unrest
thanks for posting! very informative.
(however i would have gone for a .40 over a 10mm. maybe i am just info-challenged...)
The three essential firearms for civil unrest?
- The three that nobody knows you have.
(Remember, they were stolen many years ago.)
“Make no mistake about it, folks. Terrorists will hit America again.}
Read Forstchen’s Day of Wrath.
Now I’ll quibble with his choices. The M1A while a fine weapon is very expensive, very heavy, and not a good choice for smaller shooters. Parts are also expensive, it’s not very common, and even bulk ammunition is pricey.
L
AR, any shotgun that hold more than two 12 gauge shells, 1911 .45 ACP (preferably with double stack mag.).
Walk out on you front porch with a rifle?
What is he thinking?
The possible scenarios are too numerous to anticipate, but if you live in an urban area and value your life and those of your loved ones, you’ll first try to escape (Bug Out) before all means of egress are blocked off and your area is quarantined by the “authorities.”
Far too exotic for my taste..
I’m astonished they haven’t tried it.
A half-dozen Beslans in one day, spread out through big ciies, suburbs and small towns.
How long would it be before anyone sent their kids to school again?
That’s left as an exercise to the student.
10mm? Hard ammo to find when the stuff is in the fan. Several gun stores around here don’t even stock it.
Mike Adams is thinking that everyone else ought to do exactly as he does in terms of their personal choices.
He probably tells people which car and which house to buy too. There are people who are like that, believe it or not.
I drive an access cab Tacoma and wanted to be able to have access to a rifle while driving. These days a rifle rack is too gauche to consider. I’ve had a 10/22 for years and love it. I know it’s only a .22 but the point is, I always have it, with 300 rounds and 3 25 round magazines, when away from home. The included bag makes a fantastic, discreet bug out bag. The interior and exterior compartments are large enough to stock everything I wanted for the bag. I wouldn’t want to go to war with it, but it works fine for the purpose intended.
Anyone who uses the term ‘knockdown power’ is not someone I’m going to listen to.
Not quite how I would do it. If it came to deadly force I'd start shooting from cover through second story windows, well back in the room. Just the fact that they were under fire from the structure *should* deter most wanna-be rioters/looters. You don't have to be Fort Knox, just perceptibly a harder target than someone else.
If I had to break cover I'd stop and ask myself why I was doing something so dumb. If I did, for whatever reason, have to go out and sweep the area my primary weapon would be my AR-15. I wouldn't bother with the 12 ga. If I got into a close-up situation I couldn't solve with the AR, I'm probably not going to have time to unsling and get the even longer & heavier shotgun into action. Up close I'll take the higher capacity handgun(s) for last-ditch defense. I'd take my 9mm with several spare mags and my 1911, again with several spare mags. Between all of those, using the "New York reload" method I could put 55 rounds down range before needing a magazine swap.
I’d choose 4, and disagree with the author on several points, not the least of which is brand snobbery.
A good bolt-action main battle rifle in .270 for engagement of attackers at distance and taking game for food... Nothing wrong with Savage or Ruger.
A semi-auto sporting rifle for social work. AR pattern rifle, or a Yugo SKS, or whatever the budget allows. Simply NONE of the popular choices have reliability problems that aren’t overcome by maintaining them well.
Why not a pump-action Mossberg 12? Or a Remington 870?
Any reputable 1911, a Taurus .40 Cal. Even a full size framed 9mm will provide adequate defensive capability, and you won’t necessarily have to jump a cabinet full of ammunition everywhere you go.
There has to be a .22LR, either an automatic rifle or an automatic pistol or a nice revolver, both with a 6 inch barrel.
An automatic or pump or short double barreled shotgun.
A high quality high powered rifle, either auto or bolt.
This guy is an idiot. Must have weapons.....22lr rifle, shotgun ( 20 or 12 gauge), .22lr or 9mm pistol. AR15 would be nice but a good ccr minimag from a .22 rifle will ruin your day.
the only essential firearm is the one you have when you need it.
unfortunately, do to a boating accident, i know longer have any firearms... or a boat.
I didn’t read that far. This one needs a vanity tag.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.