Practical Firearms Discussion: The Rifle For Emergencies.

Why do pump-action rifles seem to be so hard to find as far as manually-operated repeaters are concerned?

 

Ah, i see. Thanks for clarifying. I would not likely have a long gun with me, in normal day to day interactions. The most i would have, in a snapsot of daily routine, is a cc handgum, with perhaps some extra ammunition.

So in my case, the purpose of the carry piece would be to provide minimal protection as i try to get home, which hopefully hasn't been ravaged by hooligans.

IOW, I'm screwed, if i can't get home with the carry piece or truck gun in my immediate possession.

But once home, if i, with or without others, were to go out to protect some turf, I'd have a long gun.. shotgun or centerfire rifle.. as my primary weapon. I would also have a sidearm, always, on my person.. a high capacity semiautomatic, most likely.

The old adage, 'a handgun is used to fight to the long guns' would apply.

I like rifles in pistol calibers.. I've got several. But i would only carry that combo if it was the only ammunition source. Rifle calibers offer more power, accuracy, and distance, and would be my first choice, in any crisis scenario.

It is hard to imagine a situation where there is only one caliber of ammunition. If there was, it seems more likely to be 9mm. So with these new parameters, a 9mm carbine, such as the keltec sub 2k would be the better choice for a truck gun. Folds, compact, uses common pistol magazines.




Then, a glock 19, with this as a long gun, would make a good combo to have nearby, should a sudden catastrophic event disrupt normal social interactions.

 

You forgot to identify this folding carbine.

What is it ?!

 

Lots of shooters love AR's.

I do not.

 

These revolvers are museum pieces not serious self defense guns.

 

A beautiful rifle. I have a Winchester 1873 .30-30 inherited from my dad, but in an emergency, I'd rather use my AK-47 with soft points and 3 extra mags.

 

I bought a bushmaster a few months ago. Very nice rifle and great for self-defense, but the 5.56mm isn't a very good hunting round.

 

Another beautiful gun. .45 long colt?

Mine are all .357 although my wife has a .38P+

 

Saiga 5.56

AR accuracy + AK durability.



(sold as a .223 for import purposes, but is designed for 5.56)

I can reproduce most of the parts myself with scrap parts, simple tools and elbow grease.

Two of the most likely-to-be-found ammos (most 5.56s will shoot .223, and the AK will even cycle it reliably).

Its a perfectly 'huntable' round. I wouldn't sport hunt large game with it (even if it were legal), but I would survival hunt large game with it if shtf, and do just fine.

When shtf, your firearm will most likely/most often be used for self defense in combat situations (unless you make it to BFE right quick). Statistically speaking, you'll fare better in combat with a weapon designed for combat. For hunting... anything that'll kill a man will kill a deer well enough.

Ive considered shotgun purely from the standpoint that small game are likely/quickly to become the ONLY game, and I cant imagine hunting rabbit or squirrel with a rifle... but thats what traps are for

If you are going to make it to BFE right quick and are certain to avoid combat with humans, get the Rossi Circuit Judge. .45LC/.410 shotgun 5-shot revolver available in carbine and pistol.

 

It was lost in the verbiage...

 

https://www.keltecweapons.com/rifles/sub-2000

So the main advantage of this carbine (pistol with a long barrel) is that you can have the same ammo for your pistol and your carbine.

Otherwise, I would prefer a larger cartridge in a carbine -- 5.56x45 is perfect for anti-personnel out to 500 yards.

 

Other reasons i prefer the 223/5.56 rifle for general firearm use:
1. Good ballistics for up to medium game. The 223 can take down a deer, or coyotes, feral dogs, or 2 legged varmints that might arise in a shtf scenario.
2. This round was designed to disable, not be a one shot stopper, in warfare. A disabled enemy is less of a threat.
3. It has good distance capabilities.. up to 500 yds, and effective with optics.
4. A magazine vest can carry 10 or more mags full of ammunition, enabling the bearer to access hundreds of rounds quickly, and with mobility. Not many calibers can do this.
5. Recoil is minimal, allowing smaller, younger, or aged shooters to engage with deadly force.
6. It is a common and popular caliber, and will likely have better availability than others.

At home, hunkered down, i would use a shotgun, in a defensive, bunker situation, unless distance shots presented themselves. But in any bivouac setting, the 223 rifle would be my preferred weapon. Someone else can shoot the 50bmg sniper rifles..

..and, of course, a full size service pistol with high capacity magazines on my hip.

 

Oh, man! Yeah, I HATE it when that happens!

 

I had a chance to handle a Timberwolf once, and I was pleasantly surprised by its handiness. Couldn't afford it at the time, and never saw another one.

 

That's an interesting question. Going back to the Colt Lightning (discontinued more for political reasons than functional ones) to the Remington pump rifles, to various other offerings by different manufacturers the pump-action rifles have never sold very well, but once discontinued often become expensive collectibles bought by people who didn't buy them when they were readily available but later lamented them as "gone too soon".

Probably a lot of it is simply shooter allegiance to the traditional bolt-action, and the Western-inspired ethos of the classic lever action that keeps the pump action rifle from ever getting very far; ironic considering the success of pump action shotguns.

 

Depends on the shooter. Single action revolvers have been winning fights for a lot of years, and with the right person behind it can still be a formidable tool. A lot of experienced and knowledgeable outdoorsmen still use them as backwoods companions too.

 

Absolutely.

Freedom Arms Custom Short-Barreled Model 97
by B. Gil Horman - Tuesday, June 26, 2012


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A while back I approached my editor with the idea of testing out a single-action revolver as a concealed-carry handgun. Now, before anyone gets too upset with this proposition, let me clarify my reasoning a bit. Every defensive handgun has its weaknesses. Single-action revolvershold fewer rounds, are slower to reload and must be manually cocked for each shot fired. However, this handgun design has over 150 years of field testing to prove its reliability. Even in the harshest conditions, well-made single-actions have fired when more complicated guns have failed.

Folks who've spent much time behind these revolvers know how naturally they point. A well-balanced model becomes an extension of the shooting arm in a way that few semi-autos do. This point-ability is important in close-range defensive situations with little or no time available to acquire the sights. Finally, single-action wheelguns can be chambered for potent defensive calibers. Large handgun cartridges like the .45 Colt and .44 Spl. used to be loaded with soft lead slugs and black powder, but several cartridge companies offer updated versions of these rounds loaded with the latest defensive bullet designs. This makes a single-action more flexible since it can be loaded for four-legged threats as well as the two-legged variety. Reliable, natural pointing and powerful are the qualities that make sense in a defensive firearm.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/6/26/freedom-arms-custom-short-barreled-model-97/

 

Actually, that one's a .44 Special.

I do like the .38/.357 platforms too! I have a S&W model 65 4-inch with a bobbed hammer that does primary duty as a house gun. My wife is an accomplished shot with years of security experience under her belt, and she likes it and is deadly accurate with it.

 

My wife is good, but nowhere near as proficient with firearms as yours. I also bought her a 9mm carbine with green laser sight. She loved the point and shoot rapid fire shooting up a bunch of water-filled milk jugs.

 

I met my wife when we worked for the same security agency, and were friends for nearly twenty years before we got married; she always impressed me with her grit, determination, and coolness under stress. She got underestimated a lot!

We were at a training class, and someone was teasing her about having to handle "a big, bad shotty" referencing the Remington 870's we were training with. She was handed the shotgun, and without any fanfare casually turned and put a 12 gauge slug straight through the head of a target at the 50 yard line. Shut everybody right up!

 

My wife is a conservative, but won't even touch a firearm. I have tried to get her to shoot anything for decades.. ..not gonna happen..

An AR, or mini-14, 22lr, pistol caliber carbine, or 410 shotgun are all great firearms for the squimish.

Mouseguns are really not that good for newbies, as the recoil surprises them.

 

Gotta love strong women! I do!

My wife doesn't like my Mossberg 500s, all 12ga. Maybe I'll buy her a short-barrelled 20ga (18.25") pump for her birthday.

 

Flintlocks won fights for hundreds of years too.

False argument.

 

Same with my sister and her hubby.

They both voted for Trump.

But they won't touch a gun.

I guess the good thing is that they both know their limitations.

 

I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Your wife could put a slug through your head too if she wanted to.

I think I prefer my ladies/women helpless.

Then all I have to worry about is them poisoning me.