Mr. Adams has a budget much bigger than we do.
An M1A base model is over $1,000. Same for that Benelli. And it’s hard to pick a more expensive or hard to find pistol caliber than 10mm.
For what he’s spent on these guns I’ve outfitted both Mrs. L and myself with quality AR rifles with optics and dozens of spare magazines, Mossberg 500 shotguns and a selection of barrels, cases of 12 gauge ammo of various types, thousands of SP .223 rounds, 2 Springfield XD type pistols, extra magazines, and thousands of :45 cartridges both FMJ and HP.
We also have a membership to a private shooting club where we can (gasp!) actually practice outdoors a couple of times a month. Professional private instructors offer steep discounts on training to club members. And we take advantage of it.
There are monthly 2 Gun and 3 Gun shoots, IDPA, IPSC, and less formal but no less useful events. We have access to a 600 yard range as well. That costs us around $350 a year. What a bargain.
Personally I’d rather have 2 decent AR rifles, a pile of magazines, and a couple thousand rounds of ammunition than a single M1A. Factory mags for that bad boy are over $50 a piece. You can get 4 AR Magpuls for that if you shop around.
If you need a .30 caliber rifle, and you DO need a .30 caliber rifle, go pick up a Savage bolt gun for $500-600, toss a decent scope on it for another $400 or so, and put the rest of the cash into ammunition and range time. You’ve still spent less than Mr. Adams AND you’ve gained some skill.
10mm is a fine cartridge to be sure. But quality self defense ammo like Hornady is over $1.00 a round. Similar ammunition in 9mm is 20%or 30% less. You do the math. Then there’s the availability of spare parts for that fancy 10 mil Glock. Try finding a barrel or springs when TSHTF, let alone extra magazines.
Springs for that M1A in a WROL situation? Good luck with that. Ditto firing pins.
I don’t know why he’s sneering at the Mossberg, either. Yea, Benellis are great. Awesome shotguns. And they run $1,700 or so. The 930 is half that. There’s a whole lot of 12 gauge ammunition and range time in that delta. A Model 500 pump is even less. And the US military has been using that shotgun for well over a decade.
For less than the price of a single Benelli M4 we have 2 Model 500s, field barrels, slug barrels with scope, self defense barrels with ghost ring sights, slings, and cases of ammunition to practice.
Would I love to have one of each of the weapons Mr. Adams has on his list? You betcha. But I subscribe to the “2 is one and 1 is none” school of thought on these matters. I’d rather have more guns, magazines, spare parts, and piles of ammunition, and TRAINING myself. If Mr. Adams can afford all this then God bless him.
But for us and our personal situation if there are mobs in the streets threatening me and mine I’d rather go out the door with an AR, 6 magazines, a .45 pistol and the confidence that Mrs L is backing me up with a scoped bolt action she can use effectively at ranges beyond what I can reach.
As always my opinions are worth exactly what you paid for them.
L
Just kidding.
What you say makes sense. And many people can't afford Mike Adam's choices in weapons. You gotta have a gun, any gun when it comes down to self defense issues. Youtube has a number of videos showing people how to be armed on a budget. Some of the choices are quite decent and functional even if they are not my first choice.
good post. didn’t think about availability of parts. AR is hands down must have then.