# Ponder the Unthinkable (p31) Going Long



## Winston (Jan 8, 2017)

I'm not a big Olympic Games fan. That said, it was exciting to watch that Bolt guy blaze down the track.  And Rugby?  That was cool, in a quirky way.  Some of the sports were fun to watch just because they were so... unusual.  Fencing, for example.

The rules and concepts in Fencing are simple.  There's a certain elegance in it's simplicity.  Both participants have the exact same equipment, so only the superior skill of one athlete bests the other.  I mean, how fair would it be if one person had a longer foil?

Life, of course, is not fair.  Maybe that's why we like athletic events.  They're a pleasant diversion.  But in the real world, people look for advantages, fair or not.  Hell, the Russians were juicing-up their athletes like frat boys on a fresh keg.  Luckily, there are rules.  For now...  

Stuff will get bad someday.  And it may get bad in a hurry.  I've been writing this series because we all know that, in an emergency, you'd better already have what you need before you need it.

The fact is, you will need a firearm.  I understand that many of you, for various reasons, prefer to remain unarmed.   I won't try to talk you into anything you have your mind set against.  In previous segments (Pt. 9 Offense, Pt. 10 Round with Rounds) I explained the process of power projection and it's execution using firearms.  It's pretty basic, really.  Use the best available tool to hold-off potential aggressors.  

That is the focus of today's installment.  Many of you that own a firearm only own a pistol.  Overall, close to 30% of firearm owners do not own a long gun (rifle or shotgun).  This percentage is higher among women, non-white, urban dwellers and lower income persons. That is a problem.

First, any weapon is better than none.  If an angry "pitchfork and torch" bearing mob shows up in front of your house, ready to loot, and you have a pistol... You're great!  But, what if some in that mob have a few handguns of their own?  A fair fight?  Is that what you want?  Or worse, one or two in the mob have a rifle.  You are now outgunned.  

Just to re-cap, rifles shoot farther, more accurately and are more powerful than a handgun.  If you are attacked by rifle fire, and can only return fire with a pistol, you will probably lose.  There is no medal for second place.

Pistols have their uses.  They are highly concealable, small, lightweight.  They are preferable for persons in denser, urban areas.  In "normal times", if you run into trouble, your assailant will probably be armed with a handgun.  Because of the same conditions that you may have chose one.

Now, in an long-term crisis, the bad guys will go "shopping".  They will upgrade from their pistols to rifles and shotguns.  Perhaps even liberate some body armor abandoned by police and the military.  They will not be too concerned about the overtaxed police, so there is no need for a concealable firearm.  When they find you, and want what you have, what will happen?  If you choose to resist, will you have the right tools?

In a nutshell, a rifle-armed bad guy can ambush (or attack) you at "stand-off" distance.  This means that they can shoot accurately at you, from a distance, while your return pistol fire is wildly inaccurate.  Somewhere past 25 to 50 yards generally.  You can get pinned-down moving to and from your car.  Or they can lay siege to your house.  Wherever the bad guy decides to initiate hostilities,  he can.  And there is nothing you can do about it.
Unless you have a rifle too.

Let's backtrack for one moment.  If you currently own a pistol, good.  Buy ammo, and practice with it.  At least a few times a year.  Shooting is a skill.  If you are comfortable with your firearm, you'll perform better with it in an emergency.  And honestly, don't waste too much money on accessories like lasers and mounted flashlights.  No matter what you do to it, it's still just a handgun.  Those movies where Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis shoot down helicopters at 100 meters with a handgun?  Yeah.  No.

There really is a rifle for every budget.  Don't get all myopic and focus on the AR style "black rifle".  They start around $500, and go way up from there.   The best overall rifle goes by the classification "scout rifle".  These cost a bit more, but for the features and quality, they are perfect for a SHTF scenario.  And, if money is an object, there are choices for just a couple of hundred dollars.  These include a used hunting rifle (such as a .270) or a military surplus rifle (Mauser).   Inexpensive modifications can turn a cheap rifle into a useful survival tool.  Just remember to keep the barrel and overall lengths within the legal BATF parameters.  

I've been focusing an the rifles' superior range, but penetration is important as well.  If assailants are attacking you from cover (such as an auto), a rifle round has a much better chance of penetrating at stopping the attacker.  Only when the bad guy feels threatened will he retreat.  A gaping hole in sheet metal next to his head will do that.
Although not likely, looters and criminals in a SHTF scenario may have body armor.  Most lightweight armor is designed to stop pistol caliber ammo.  With a rifle, at least you have a better chance at a first-shot incapacitation.  They may have ceramic or steel plates in their vests, but that "clang" of a high-speed rifle round impact will get their attention.  And hurt like hell.  I suggest a review of my Installment number 8 "Defense".  Offensive ability and defensive practices are complimentary, not exclusionary.  

Just to over-stress the point:  If you own a rifle, train with it.  Simply putting the crosshairs on where you want the bullet to strike is not enough.  A 150 grain round will impact at a different point than a 180 grain.  You must know which hits a little high, or low.  If you have to shoot 100, 200 meters or more, slight variances mean the difference between stopping a threat, or him killing you.      

And, as a final note, do not stress over magazine capacities or a rifle's rate of fire.  Once you are proficient, even a bolt-action hunting rifle is superior in the right hands.  Let the bad guy spray 10 or 20 rounds "in your direction" in the hope he gets lucky.  Shot placement matters.  Unless you're clearing rooms in urban combat, but that's another chapter.  Save your ammo.  Wal-Mart won't be getting restocked for quite a while.  If ever.

Don't get stuck with the short foil.  It makes for a boring, one-sided contest.


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## Plasticweld (Jan 8, 2017)

Some rifles that might be worth mentioning in your piece based on ammo availability, plus initial price to buy, of both ammo and rifle are affordable to just about everyone  they also meet the criteria  you set 

I would also suggest buying any thing that shot a common round, while the .270 is an excellent cartridge, availability maybe limited.   I am going out on a limb and guessing that reloading will be covered in the next installment a long with ammo suggestions 
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Bobs picks for cheap effective rifles 
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*RUSSIAN MOSIN NAGANT 91/30 7.62x54r WWII

German Mauser  98 .308 Win.

British No4 Mk1 Bolt Action Rifle .303 cal*

As always, it read smooth and held my attention


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## Winston (Jan 14, 2017)

Thanks again for the read and comments, PW.

I own a few Mosin Nagants, and love them.  But they're not as cheap as they used to be, and the inexpensive mil-surp ammo supply has dried up.  Plus, you know the recoil on those beasts will scare the poop out of most novice shooters.
I love the .308 caliber in... anything.  Perfect balance of accuracy and stopping power.

I didn't go into specific rifles in this piece, as it is written for the neophyte.  I have lost / confused readers with jargon in the past.  I did go into specifics in "Part 9 Offense" a while back.  I highlighted my dislike of the .223 "varmint round", despite the fact it is cheap and ubiquitous.  One thing I will always overstress is commonality of calibers.  I have a carbine that shoots the same caliber as my pistol:  Two weapons take the same ammo, and magazines.  I also have (and recommend) shell adapters that let me shoot various size rounds out of my 12 gauge.

But a rifle is a must.  Some calibers are better than others, for numerous reasons.  I just don't want anyone thinking that because they own "a gun" that they're "safe".  We know it's not that simple.


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## Plasticweld (Jan 14, 2017)

Your probably right about the price of the  Mosin Nagants the last one I bought was $375 with a thousand rounds of ammo. 

Are you familiar with any of the mini slugs?  

I recently picked up a KSG, kind of a cool shotgun It holds 24 of the mini slugs or 12 3 inch mag shells.  I loaded one of the tubes with 6 3 inch buckshot the other tube with 12 of the slug minis and you can switch back and forth.  




Not real cheap but covers just about all of the bases when in comes to close quarters stuff.


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