Posted on 02/25/2013 9:03:30 AM PST by EXCH54FE
Over the last few years, I’ve seen a lot of ink spilled about the one—that is the ultimate, end of the world, SHTF, need no other, bug out bag firearm that will carry you and yours at the end of days. These articles usually go into great detail as to the how’s, what’s, and why’s of the caliber, model, and make for that ideal, one and done gun but I’ve seen precious little written about one very important issue that could turn your uber-pistol into a good looking paperweight. What if it breaks?
Recently I had one of my Smith & Wesson revolvers put completely out of action by the tiniest of parts, a hand torsion spring. This spring is what keeps the hand engaging the ratchet on the rear of the cylinder. This little two-dollar part shut the gun down completely and it was eye opening for me because, if the bombs start dropping, I know I would want to have that wheelgun with on my hip.
So, if you are into buying a gun for one of those dreaded “what if” occasions, how do you guard against mechanical failure when ordering a replacement part from Brownell’s or another part is no longer an option?
Your first defense against a mechanical failure is an understanding of your guns’ mechanics so I suggest you at least add a good manual to your bug out bag. By good manual, I mean a shop manual that lists every part that can break on your gun with pictures (especially of the little ones as these are what usually goes out first rather than the larger components). Never a part costing more than fifteen dollars but guaranteed to take your gun offline just as if you’d taken a torch and cut it in half.
(Excerpt) Read more at guns.com ...
I thing I learned in the military; if you have a Plan A you’d better have a Plan B.
you’ve got a 220 in .38 super?
that’s my favourite gun. got one, someday i’d like to find a second one to make a matched set.
If I was restricted to only one gun, I'd consider a Stevens Model 24F Combo Gun in .22 LR or .223 Rem and 20 ga. shotgun calibers. Alternatively, the Springfield M6 Scout in .22 LR and .410 shotgun. Both are over and under single shots. The M6 has a compartment for additional rounds of ammunition (15 .22 LR and 4 .410 shot shells). Both would be ideal for living off the land and could be used for self defense.
It’s the only super I’ve owned that would feed any ammo you gave it. They don’t show up that often, much less the model that has the mag release in the 1911 location.
Magazines tough to find too.
mine has the heel release. took some getting used to, but i got it figured out, and am pretty quick with mag changes. i hear you on mags glad the one i got came with 4. i find them occasionally, but they’re usually around $60 each. that’s one advantage of the heel release though- you get used to holding onto the mag rather than just dropping it.
i’ve also got a colt commander in .38 super, never had a problem with either feeding- they even do great with my +P handloads.
It is a common misconception that revolvers do not jam. They do. The most recent example that I found was on a retired Marine’s Colt Anaconda that he was carrying while deer hunting. He handed it to me to examine, and the cylinder could not be released.
With a little thought, I determined it was a similar problem that I have experienced with some Ruger revolvers... The Cylinder pin had vibrated/revolved out far enough to keep the cylinder from opening. With a little care, I was able to do the “fix” by trapping the cylinder pin while counterrotating the cylinder, enabled by cocking the hammer just enough to unlock the hand and stop.
Not that hard to do when you know what you are doing, but he had no clue. He would have ended up taking it to a gunsmith.
A little locktite on the cylinder pins makes a semipermanent solution.
I apologize to those that take this as bragging. I was simply trying to illustrate that all guns have their vulnerablilities, and once I started on the example from a couple of months ago, I thought I should finish it.
I’ve had a couple Colts, all of them were picky.
“Serious question. Would the electronic lock on my gun safe be rendered inop as a result of a EMP (electromagnetic pulse) bomb?”
Almost certainly not... but as another poster noted, electronic locks are known for failure. I do not want one on anything I need to get to in a hurry.
Thanks Bub
Do you use the same recoil spring for the .38 Super as you do with 9mm?
I can conceivably do the same thing with a Colt Delta Elite (10mm) with the addition of .40S&W as well as .357 Sig, but I'm certain I'd need a different set of recoil springs for each round as well as barrels (possibly the same spring for the .357 Sig and the .40 S&W).
My resupply plan follows the popular video game “Fallout”... encounter bad guy...shoot bad guy...loot body...resupply...repeat as needed. P.S. ...keep a keen eye out for Deathclaws!
So far I haven’t had to. Given the advances in ammo technology, there is a very small difference between 9mm +P ammo and .38 Super. In some cases from Cor-Bon they’re almost dead even. The place where the Super shines is when it gets loaded a bit hotter, then it is in the .357 Mag 125 grain load, or the .357 Sig. It is a bit of an anachronism though.
The 10mm in it’s original incarnation is one bag mamma-jamma.
oops... bad mamma-jamma
The ejector rod unscrewing is the most likely form of revolver failure. Smith started changing theirs from a right to left hand thread in 1961 because the .44 Magnum model 29 was prone to this. This was the 29-1 version. All the other models followed suit shortly thereafter.
The only other revolver failure I have personally experienced is when some unburnt Unique powder built up under the extractor star and caused it to bind.
Yes. I love my Delta Elite. It caused global warming...but it needs both an allen key and a bushing wrench to strip, so it's not my first choice as a bug out, extended SHTF sidearm.
That honor falls on my CZ75B in .40 which, like most eastern bloc weapons, is built as tough as Superman's toenail clippers, needs only a thumb for fieldstripping, will reliably feed any round you can fit in the magazine, and shoots accurately enough to embarrass a lot of SIG owners at the range.
The CZ is a first rate weapon, that’s for sure. I’ve been meaning to get one, probably in 9mm. I do like my SIGs, but the most accurate auto I have is a HK P7M8, it just sits so low in the hand and the polygonal rifling makes it very easy to shoot.
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.