A) relatively interchangeable with other firearms, easy to maintain, and if necessary, repairable with standard smithing tools (no surprisingly arcane alloys or intricate parts);
B) relatively easy to find ammo for, and if necessary, reloading equipment for (preferably ammo that I'd easily find in the lower 48);
C) decent in stopping power (I'm not much of a shooter and won't ever get the range time I'd need to get there, so if I do hit them, I want them down);
D) A long gun, a sidearm, and a backup.
and here's the optional--but considered favorably--last condition
E) I'd like them to be reloading easy to the extent that I don't have to buy lots of different brass and dies.
Other info that may help you advise me:
Long gun considerations - I would possibly use the long gun for hunting, priority is NOT just hunting, however, but defense. I'm not sure whether a shotgun would fit the bill for all hunting--I know a rifle or carbine wouldn't be much use for dove, but a shotgun wouldn't be much use for shooting long distances, which I consider important, too. Maybe you have a preference or reasoning I haven't considered.
Sidearm considerations - I seriously thought about Dirty Harry and there isn't any way I'm lugging around a gun too big to tuck in a shoulder holster, especially one that just doesn't conceal well. I'm 6'5", so I have plenty of room under a jacket, but I may want to carry and this just can't be a gun that I would only be able to hide under a trench coat. I'm kind of partial to the record of revolvers for efficient use, but I also like the hi-mag capacity of some of the newer handguns, so I am very torn.
Backup - Finally, when I say backup, I mean small but reliable as hell. Something small enough to fit into my hand and be well hidden, which is to say about 5" long by 3.5" high.
I seriously considered a new Auto-Ordnance semi-auto and a 1911 from the same company for the first two, and a American Derringer LM4 Simmerling for the last, all set up in .45 ACP, but I thought I'd ask the world first. An assumption in buying the T/C was that I might be able to find specs for a .410 barrel and get one machined for me (also assuming I could find an old drum magazine that would handle the .410 shells), which would give me hellaflexibility in one gun. That was, again, a question mark. Is that a good idea?
I'll admit I sold my guns before leaving the U.S. for a while, and I haven't had a chance to shoot much since. Because of that, and because I know that's likely to continue, I want to restress that I would like very much to be able to handle all these guns pretty easily as a beginner and maintain them pretty simply, as they won't get used a lot. Yes, I know I should hit the range...but I know I won't ever do that as much as I should, so the guns I own have to be a little forgiving of a lack of practice.
There are also a lot of great rifles out there also, you can start at about 500 and go up to 2500 if you want, but, unless your are independantly wealthy go for the low end, your stil going to have to buy a scope and thats where most of the money will go. As FreedomPoster stated the .308 is the best all around cal for pretty much anything less than 1500lb black bear.. it's the most popular cartridge around, short and long range.
I am looking at the savage it's at the low end and also have a new trigger similar to the Glock. This is just out in the past few months, fully adjustable, savage does make one of the most accurate barrels on the market on a non-custom rifle.. Well that's my tow cents for now..
Since you plan on possibly using the rifle as a hunting weapon [though you don't tell us what it is you might be hunting, nor under what conditions] I'll assume something of the sort as whitetail deer, though in many states, that sport is limited to the use of a shotgun, and you specified a rifle. But either a .308/7,62 NATO or a .30-06 would do the job, so well as to be a near-standard choice for such pursuits in many areas, and both being former military calibers, being also suitable for long-range target work or certainly for self-protection.
Since you want easy potential maintenance, I'd pick a FN-FAL over other similar military weapons, to include the M1A/M14, German G3/HK91 or Spanish CETME. Maintenance and repair of the FAL design is simple and easily performed up to and including barrel changes, giving it an edge in that department over the M14 and G3 derived rifles, which require serious armorer support for such tasks. Many owners have literally built their rifles up from a bare receiver and a box of parts, sort of after the fashion of the hotrodders of the 1950s who assembled cars the same way, and knew every component and the function thereof within. Should you be more inclined toward long-range target shooting, the M14/M1A is fitted with better sights, capable of more adjustment, and all receivers are fiitted for a telescopic sight mount- you didn't specify whether or not you intend to use a scope as your primary sights or not. There are also excellent and stable scope mounts available for the FAL- some recent offerings appear excellently well thought out and executed- and HK, though the HK91 and CETME are already a bit heavy. Should you require the fitting of a folding or telescopic stock for the most portability possible, the HK is the choice, with a sturdy military version available; a folding stock version of the FAL is also made but requires considerable modification and changeout of a few components, not a problem if you're obtaining one in that configuration or building from scratch, moreso if you're considering a retrofit to an existing rifle. Any of the three can be disassembled to takedown to a carrying package of about 33 inches in length. Should you pick the FAL, you'll have choices to make as to barrel length from 16 to 22 inches, and whether you prefer the British Commonwealth *inch-pattern* or generally European/African/South American *metric-pattern* configuration and features, or a combination of the two. Similarly the roller-locked HK91 and Spanish CETME-semi have several different manufacturers, configurations and component choices to pick from should you go that route, though an 18-inch barrel length is pretty much standard among them
If the fine old .30-06 cartridge is more to your liking, an M1 Garand is an obvious choice. No less an expert observer and participant of conflict than George Patton named the Garand as the most nearly perfect fighting implement yet devised, though he was gone from the scene before several other possible recent contenders arrived to challenge that strongly-held opinion. But the Garand is a fine and reliable tool, with a unique loading system that needs to be fully understood and learned, as several million military users have done well enough. The eight-shot cklips for a Garand can be replaced as quickly as they are emptied, and in quantity cost around fifty cents apiece or so- for the price of one magazine for an M14/M1A at the current rate of $45-$50 per, one can have a hundred Garand clips, sufficing for 800 rounds of ammunition, more than I care to haul for a Garand at one time. Kept in the original chambering and configuration in which it was designed, the Garand is reliable and accurate and if a bit heavy, that feature also gives it a stoutness far from the flimsy feel of many modern plastic and stamped sheetmetal or alloy alternates. And you escape a dependence on the reliability of a detatachable magazine with the Garand, which may fail to function from damage, dirt or absence.
As an alternate and until you decide, you might consider picking up an inexpensive shotgun, which as you note can be used for such pursuits as bird hunting for which the rifle is unsuitable. Several models with interchangable barrels are available, which could let you use the same one both for sport and defence. Again, some versions hava a variety of accessories available that may tailor one precisely to your liking, others are low-cost *bare-bones* versions that may be a better first acquisition.
Since you're fairly largish you should have no problems with the concealment of a large-bore handgun with a 5-inch barrel or so; much beyond that gets into the realm of *Dirty Harry's* 6½-inch barrelled magnum-framed sixgun. Returning to your desire for operator maintenance and parts availability, the simplest answer would be a M1911A1 Colt .45 semiautomatic handgun, the American fighting pistol of two world wars and several additional assorted serious conflicts as well, and which still arms the Army's Delta Force and Marine MEU-SOC special operators. Colt now makes a precise copy of the GI version, and that'd be my pick in your circumstances; cost is about a grand each; additional info upon request. Alternate versions are available elsewhere, including used GI surplus guns, and a few foreign manufactured M1911A1s whose manufacture equals recent Colt commercial output. The only other largebore semiauto handgun that approaches the M1911A1 in terms of being easily totally disassembled and maintained by its operator, with replacement parts simple and easy to interchange, would be the Glock, available as the Glock 21 in .45 caliber, as well as other versions...and, in a more compact model 30 version with smaller grip and fewer rounds in the magazine but the magazine of the larger Glock 21 will lock and function in the Glock 30, though it sticks out a bit.
I can't quite get away with a Glock 30 in an ankle holster [illegal in Georgia last time I was down around that way, local regulations vary] and I'd be just as happy with two M1911A1, maybe with one being in the shorter 4-inch *Commander* configuration- I'm not much of one for horizontal carry shoulder rigs, though some folks like 'em. But I'd think of that backup handgun as being the *always* gun, to be worn whether the larger belt/ shoulder rig is there or not. I don't think too much of the LM-4 Semmerling, though even a .45 Derringer, probably in stainless, is at least a possibility, and carries nicely along with an extra magazine for the larger belt gun in an ankle rig- always. My choice for that purpose used to be a S&W .38 *bodyguard* revolver, but the one I've so used since 1970 is pretty well beaten up and nearly worn out, and of late I've taken to using a 9mm Makarov or Hungarian FEG PA63 instead-along with an extra magazine for my own M1911A1.
The Thompson Center interchangable barrel handguns are indeed versatile but are single-shot. Drums for the Auto-Ordnance Thompson .45 carbines [a nice semiauto version of the Thompson is available, but they're hardly a long-ranged weapon and the original 50-round Type L drum magazines now go for around $750 apiece] Reworking one to a .410 would be difficult due to the overall length of the .410 copmpared to the original .45 of the Thompson semi. You might consider an over-and-under combination rifle and shotgun for versatility, but you'd lose out on that defensive firepower you require. The question would be one of whether the commonality of the ammunition would be more advantageous than the versatility of a longer-ranged rifle cartridge or smoothbore shotgun chambering.
I'd also suggest that you consider picking up a quality .22 rifle and handgun somewhere along the way, particularly if your skills got a little rusty since you let your previous hardware go. But if your opportunities for serious practice are that limited, you may have to concentrate on the ones upon which your life may depend.
My own choices at present, within your parameters: M1 Garand, 12-gauge Remington 870 shotgun with folding stock, M1911A1 .45 auto, Star PD .45. Since the state law where I'm located prohibits the carry of a loaded rifle or handgun in a vehicle, even by a CCH permit holder, I also maintain a Model C96 Mauser *broomhandle* pistol with attachable holster/stock and 20-round magazine extension as a longer-range *handgun* so long as that restriction applies.
A note for you: should the *Automatic Weapons Ban* provision of the Brady Bill expire at the end of next year as expected, prices and availability of magazines may change considerably, either to the good, or due to sudden availability and demand, to the bad; get enough NOW and hope for some good deals later- as well as some possible truly high capacity offerings not now available. Or, just get a Garand, and don't worry about it.
-archy-/-
Are you urban , rural or city bound ?
Do you drive long distances via auto or commuter train or city transit systems .... Do ya sit more than stand during your day ?
Hot , Cold or 4 season climate ?
Clothing day to day casual or business suit ? Tuck your shirt in or leave it out most of the time ?
Do you have a spouse , friend , significant other or relative that will use your firearms for self defense when your not at home ? And are their firearm handling skills compairable to yours ?
Are there any local restriction on ammo or types of firearms ie; no hollowpoints , full jacket ammunition or eeeeeeevil SAW's ?
Does your employer allow you to carry or will you have to de-tooth yerself in the parking lot of said place of employment prior to entry to workplace ??
Do you shoot a "whole lot" either in practice or competition ? ...200-600 rounds a week ? ...Month ? ...year ??
Are ya prone to sweating like a pig during normal tasks ....blue or stainless is where I'm going with this....and have you a humidity problem locally that tends to rust, corrode and or moot a nice bluing on a firearm ??
Stay Safe !!
| Pistol | Cal. | Action type | Finish | Wt. oz. | Length | Brl. length | Sights | Width | Cap. | Approx %stops |
| Colt Diamondback | .38spec +P | DA rev. | blue | 26 | 7.5" | 2.5" | fully adj. | med. | 6 | 67% |
| Colt Cobra | .38spec | DA rev. | blue | 16 | 7" | 2" | fixed | med. | 6 | 62% |
| Colt Detective Special | .38spec +P | DA rev. | blue | 22.5 | 7" | 2" | fixed | med. | 6 | 67% |
| Glock 19 & Glock 23 | 9x19 .40sw | safe action | ten- nifer | 21.2 | 6.85" | 4" | fixed or adj. | med. (1.2") | 15 13 | 91% |
| Sig P228 & Sig P229 | 9x19 .40sw | DA auto | blue | 26.5 | 7.12" | 3.9" | fixed | med. | 13 12 | 91% |
| Sig P230 | .380acp | DA auto | Sts. | 21.5 | 6.5" | 3.6" | fixed | slim | 7 | 70% |
| Walther PPK | .380acp | DA auto | Sts. | 21 | 6.1" | 3.2" | fixed | slim | 6 | 70% |
| Baikal IJ70 | .380acp 9x18 | DA auto | blue | 24 | 6.4" | 3.7" | fully adj. | med. slim | 8 | 70% |
| S&W M60-HB | .38spec +P | DA rev. | Sts. | 24.5 | 7.31" | 3" | fully adj. | med. slim | 5 | 67% |
| S&W M66 | .357 mag. | DA rev. | STS. | 30.5 | 8" | 2.5" | fully adj. | med. wide | 6 | 96% |
| S&W 3913, 3913LS | 9x19 | DA auto | Sts. | 25 | 6.75" | 3.5" | fixed | med. slim | 8 | 91% |
| Colt Officers ACP/LW | .45acp | SA auto | Sts. | 24 | 7.25" | 3.5" | fixed | med. slim | 6 | 94% |
| Colt Govt. .380ACP | .380acp | SA auto | Sts. | 21.75 | 6" | 3.25" | fixed | slim | 7 | 70% |
| Beretta 84 Cheetah | .380acp | DA auto | blue | 23 | 6.8" | 3.82" | fixed | med. | 13 | 70% |
| Browning BDA-380 | .380acp | DA auto | blue | 23 | 6.8" | 3.82" | fixed | med. | 13 | 70% |
| H&K P7M8 | 9x19 | S-cock auto | blue | 29 | 6.73" | 4.13" | fixed | med. slim | 8 | 91% |
| Glock 26 & Glock 27 | 9x19 .40sw | safe action | ten- nifer | 19.7 | 6.3" | 3.5" | fixed | med. (1.2") | 10 9 | 91% |
| Glock 25 | .380acp | safe action | ten- nifer | 20 | 6.85" | 4" | fixed | med. (1.2") | 15 | 70% |
| S&W 640 Centennial | .38spec | DA revolver | Sts. | 21 | 6 5/16" | 2" | fixed | med. slim | 5 | 62% |
| S&W 2213 | .22LR | SA auto | Sts. | 18 | 6 1/8" | 3" | fixed | slim | 8 | 34% |
| S&W Sigma 9C Sigma 40C | 9x19 .40sw | DAO auto | satin black | 25 | 6 7/8" | 4" | fixed | med. | 10 | 91% |
| S&W Sigma SW380 | .380acp | DAO auto | satin black | 14 | n/a | 3" | fixed | med. | 6 | 70% |
Hope this helps a bit.......Stay Safe !