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| Belgian troops with Machine Guns (ca unk) source National Museum of the U.S. Navy |
This is the part where most people get confused about preparing for an event. They think a lot of guns are all they need, or a lot of firearms are needed.
They're wrong, very wrong.
Now, don't get me wrong, firearms are needed to defend yourself, obtain meat, protect livestock, kill elected/unelected government officials (The reason for The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America), and as nauseam. Just don't confuse a gun hobby with having firearms for emergency preparedness.
Before we start, I need for you to get something straight.
Gun, Weapon, Pistol, Revolver, Shotgun, Rifle, Air Rifle and all the other words to describe these various instruments or tools are interchangeable with firearm for this portion of the book.
A firearm is designed to send a projectile down the barrel towards a target. The firearm does not care about the target; a paper target or a living being, all the same to the firearm.
A loaded firearm, pointed or un-pointed, when the trigger is pulled sends a projectile down the barrel. Almost all projectiles will go through a human body. Don't believe me. Check out the military “Video Technical Report N00178-02-TR11.” Make sure you watch part 2/3 and part 3/3 of the video, too
So unless you are superwoman, you, your spouse, your child, the cat, dog and anything else in the way of the bullet will get hurt, broken, or killed.
Got it? Good.
If you don't, skip this chapter, and continue reading the rest of this book.
Obtaining Training
So, with that said, let us continue.
The NRA Firearms Safety Rules
1. Always Keep the Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction
2. Always Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger Until Ready to Shoot
3. Always Keep the Gun Unloaded Until Ready to Use
The first thing you need to do is get safety training. The NRA is the best source for this training. Another possible source is State conservation departments; they may have firearms safety training, usually staffed by NRA trained instructors. Gun ranges may also have instructors, so you can ask there. Infantry soldiers or veterans, other types of soldiers, police officers, and armed security guards might also be a good source for safety training. As a last resort, you can ask friends and family to teach you. Be careful, some folks are not that safe.
Some of you live outside these United States; you may be able to get training from current military members, military veterans, family, or friends in that order. For political reasons, avoid police officers and other armed security forces, if you live in a country that restricts access to firearms. These people may be required to report you for expressing an interest in firearms
Either way, if you are planning to have access or use a firearm, during an event, you need to acquire basic firearm’s safety training.
Now some people suggest you get more training. This depends on what you are preparing for, check your threat analysis. If you decide to get additional training, there are many fine firearms training schools and firearms instructors in the United States.
Outside the United States, you are going to have to ask friends, family, current military, and military veterans to help you.
Whatever you do …
Make Sure You Get Firearm Safety Training
Choosing a Firearm
Most people will tell you get this gun, or get that gun, and leave that one alone without telling you why; additionally, these people won't show you how to make an informed decision.
The first thing is why are you getting the gun? Food or Defense?
Food
First, food specifically meat.
The best way to obtain meat is through trapping. The traps are on 24 hours and 7 days a week, however you may be in an emergency that trapping isn't going to work or is prohibited.
So, you might have to hunt. Shotgun in 12 or 20 gauges are usable for deer, pig, turkey, and duck. A 20 gauge is best for some people. A 12 gauge is usable by most people, but not all people.
To find out which one is best for you, get out and hunt. Some hunters have a loaner gun for a friend, so try to borrow before you buy.
Before you go hunting, you will need to get a hunting permit.
Even during an emergency, police, game wardens, and other law enforcement personal will be working, enforcing the laws. You need to make sure all of the required permits are in order before you go hunting.
Now which barrel type and length will you need? Depends on what you are hunting. For deer use an 18 to 20 inch slug barrel. Shooting duck, you will need a 24 to 30 inch long barrel. Don't forget the chokes. Don't know what I'm talking about; ask your family member or hunter friend because I don't know.
The same for hunting with a rifle or a pistol. I don't hunt, yet.
So, if you’re like me, you need to find someone to teach you how to hunt because these are skills that you will need to learn and practice, before the emergency, to be good enough to bring home the bacon, turkey, deer, or ... Same goes for trapping.
I do know some things though.
Avoid Uncommon Calibers
Most people really mean avoid uncommon cartridges. A cartridge is the combination of a bullet and a cartridge case. The cartridge case holds the powder, the primer and the bullet. An example is .257 Roberts. This cartridge has a bullet .257 inches in diameter (the caliber) and a cartridge case based on the 7X57 Mauser; this means the cartridge is 56.7 millimeters long.
Calibers or cartridges which one is it? This is one of the reasons why guns are a popular hobby. You get to learn about ballistics, different terms and their exact meaning, and shoot guns. What's not to like!
But, remember don’t confuse a firearms hobby with prepping for a disaster.
The easiest way to find which common cartridges are in your area is go to a gun store, sporting goods store, China-Mart, or ask a friend. At the gun-store and sporting goods store ask which calibers are most popular in the area or just look at what is on the shelf. At China-Mart look behind the counter and see what they have the most of on the shelf. When asking your friend, ask which calibers him and his friends use? The type of bullet? And, who makes it?
In the US, 22LR (LR means Long Rifle), 30-30, 308, and 30.06 are the most popular calibers for hunting. 20 and 12 gauge are the most popular for shotguns. There are regional variations because of terrain, density and type of vegetation, and the type and size of animals hunted. You will need to get experience to learn the most popular cartridges for your area. Remember cartridge is the whole thing; bullet, cartridge case, powder and primer. The caliber is just the diameter of the bullet.
Just so you understand. There are probably 100 different types of cartridges for a .308 caliber (diameter) bullet.
Next, let us talk about defense.
Defense
There are basically two philosophies for handgun defensive cartridges, small and fast or big and slow.
Handguns
In the small and fast category is the 9mm (said 9 millimeter or 9 mill). In the big and slow category is the 45 ACP. 45 ACP is usually just called 45. Now "mm" means millimeter, a unit of measurement for diameter. ACP is an acronym for Colt Automatic Pistol. The diameter for a 45 ACP bullet is .45 inches in diameter or about 11.43 millimeters in diameter.
The 9mm, on average, travels from 1,100 feet to 1,200 feet per second and weights 123 grains, small and fast.
The 45 ACP, on average, travels at about 900 feet per second and weights 230 grains, big and slow.
Some people won't talk to each other because they disagree over which one is the "best" caliber for defense.
Guest what? They both work. They are both good defensive calibers, so is the 40 caliber. The 9mm is easier on the hand, less recoil. The 40 caliber is next, and the 45 ACP has the most recoil, of the three cartridges.
Some people are sensitive to recoil.
Recoil is how hard the firearm "kicks."
It is the same way for how expensive the cartridges (remember bullet, cartridge case, powder, and primer) are. 9mm is usually the least expensive; 40 cal (short for caliber) is next; and the 45 is the most expensive when using the same type of powder, primer, and type of bullet.
Now different cartridges will be more or less expensive. Using a better powder (it propels the bullet to the target) increases the cost. Using a different type of bullet can increase the cost, and quality control by the manufacture will increase costs, also.
I am not going to discuss quality control. All of the manufactures have generally good quality control. Neither am I going to write about powder because you can do that research on your own.
However, I am going to talk about bullets.
FMJ means Full Metal Jacket; it has a metal cover over all of the lead part of the bullet except for the very bottom of the bullet. This type of bullet is mainly used by the military. The bullet does not expand or get bigger.
SJ means Semi Jacketed; its metal cover just covers the bottom 1/2 of the bullet. People use a variation of this bullet for defense. The bullet will expand.
Then there are the non-jacketed bullets. They are usually just lead. I don't know how they expand.
Now bullets come in various shapes. I will discuss two, solid nose and hollow point. A solid nose bullet can be round, flat or another shape, but the nose is always filled with some kind of material. A hollow point has a hollow point. The abbreviation for hollow point is HP. I have provided some links, if you want to read more, at the “Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead” blog.
With all that said, you want to buy cartridges with a FMJ or SJHP bullet; Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) to practice with and Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) to shoot people with.
Why?
Because the best round for one-shot-stops, the villain stops attacking, is the 125 grain SJHP .357 Magnum cartridge; additionally a brand-new FMJ is usually less expensive than SJHP.
Before you start asking about the 125gr. SJHP 357 Magnum round (round is interchangeable with cartridge). I want you to remind you about opinions. The wikipedia "Stopping Power" article offers some opinions; just like I did in the paragraph above. You have to get out there and talk to people, read articles, and make up your mind on this stuff. Be careful though defensive shooting is a multi-million dollar a year business, same with hunting.
Revolvers
The .357 Magnum cartridge is used in revolvers. They are the guns that look like they have a wheel. They are sometimes called wheel guns.
Revolvers are relatively simple to operate and maintain; they come in single action, cowboys carried these types. You have to pull the hammer back every time you want to shoot. Double action revolvers you can squeeze the trigger to cause the hammer to come back and fire the gun.
Colt 1851 Navy Revolver
by
Ricce from Wikicommons
I can recommend Colt, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and others. There are lots of different manufacturers. Remember ask friends to take you to the gun store. This gives you a chance to see the quality of workmanship. Workmanship will cost you money.
Pistols
While you are at the gun store, check out the other type of handguns, the pistol. A pistol is a handgun that will fire then automatically reload an unfired cartridge. These come in single and double action just like revolvers, but there is a difference.
Springfield Armory 1911A1 Pistol, 45 ACP
A single action pistol requires you to pull the hammer back once, from then on you squeeze the trigger and the pistol automatically reloads a new round, you squeeze the trigger again; the gun fires and reloads and this can continue until the magazine is empty. A double action pistol requires you to only squeeze the trigger to make the gun fire. Just like the double action revolver, a double action pistol can be fired like a single action pistol.
Once again, I can recommend Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Colt, and Springfield Armory. All of these and many others manufacturers make good guns.
Before I continue, let me tell you a story.
There was a cowgirl drinking in a bar. A drunk bumped into her. She said something; the drunk said something back, then the drunk hit the cowgirl. The cowgirl hit the drunk back.
After a few more punches were exchanged; the drunk suggested they take the fight outside. As soon as the drunk stepped outside, the drunk pulled out a big'ol knife. The knife was 3 feet long and razor sharp; it still had blood on it from the last fight.
The cowgirl whipped out her gun and shot the drunk. As the dead drunk hit the ground, she turned around and said "Stupid drunk bringing a knife to a gunfight."
When all is said and done, the choice of a pistol or a revolver, a 9mm or a 357 magnum, blued or stainless steel. The gun you have with you is the gun you will have to use. You need to practice, practice, and practice some more because that is what really makes the difference in a gunfight.
Rifles
Enough about handguns, let’s talk about rifles. There are various types of rifle operating systems. I am going to limit my writing to just two, the bolt action and semi-automatic action; even though, there are a few more, such as the lever action, pump action, and break-open
Bolt-action
Bolt action is just like it says. You manipulate a bolt to get a round in the chamber to shoot the gun. Most hunting rifles use this operating system.
Spanish FR-8 Bolt Action Rifle
The bolt actions are rugged. I have seen bolt action rifles that can still be safely fired, over 120 years old. Bolt action rifles use different cartridges. The 22LR is used for hunting small game, like squirrels and rabbits. 308 is used for medium game, such as deer. 30.06 is used for larger game like elk. The common cartridges found in bolt action rifles for killing humans are 30.06, .303, 7.62X54R and 8mm Mauser.
8mm was used in the German Mauser rifle of World War II fame. 30.06 was the cartridge used by the US in World War 2, and the .303 was used by the British in World War 2. 7.62X54R is special because the cartridge is stilled used by a major military power, the Russians.
The Russians have been using this round for over a hundred years. 7.62 is the diameter of the bullet, in millimeters. 54 is the length of the cartridge, in millimeters, and the R means it has a rim.
If you are interested in the rim issue, do some research. The bolt action rifles that use this cartridge are rifles used by the soviets and others during WW1 and WW2. They are called Mosin-Nagant. You can get one for about $150.
Another WW2 rifle is the German K98, sometimes called a Mauser. It uses the 8mm Mauser round. These rifles go for about $250 to thousands of dollars. Some are collector rifles, most aren't.
The Lee-Enfield rifle uses the .303. It has a removable magazine that was intended not to be removed. You can get one for about $250.
The bolt action rifle in 30.06 that you will commonly see is a civilian rifle not a rifle designed for war. The bolt action military rifles in this cartridge have become collector items. These are expensive when compared to the other surplus rifles, costing over $700.
If you are going to get a bolt action rifle as your primary people-killing rifle you need to stay focused on the .303, 8mm, and the 7.62X54R because you can buy inexpensive military surplus rifles for these cartridges. That is important because you need a rifle that will shoot and shoot and shoot some more every time you need it to, a quality military rifle will do that.
Semi-automatic
A semi-automatic rifle is just like a pistol, gases from the first fired cartridge puts an unfired cartridge in the chamber ready to shoot. Most modern military rifles use this system.
Compared to a bolt-action military rifle, semiautomatic rifles can be finicky. They have to be better cleaned, better cared for, and have detachable magazines, something most bolt action do not have.
The common semi-autos, short for semiautomatic, are 5.56mm, 7.62 NATO, 30.06, and 7.62X39.
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AR-15 Semiautomatic Rifle with a few Up-Grades
The 5.56mm cartridge is used by the US and a few allies. The most common rifle is the M16 series. I say series because the US has been using this rifle for over 40 years. There has been the AR-15, XM-177E2, M-16, M-16A1, M-16A2, M-16A3, M-16A4, and the M-4 carbine. Civilians will normally see a semi-auto copy of the M16 series rifles. These are one of the "assault rifles" some people want to ban.
The 7.62 NATO round is used in the FN-FAL, G3/HK-91/CEMTE, M-14/M1A. Some people will tell you .308 and 7.62 NATO are interchangeable; yes, no, and maybe.
The classic 30.06 cartridge was used in the M1 Garand rifle. General Patton called the M1 "the greatest battle implement ever devised." This was probably true for WW2 but time marches on.
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Romanian WASP-10 Semiautomatic Rifle with 30-Round Magazine
Time and Mikhail Kalashnikov give us the AK-47. With over 10,000,000 manufactured in the last 50 years; you probably won't see one in your local gun store. The rifles you will see are a semi-auto version of this famous gun. Just like the M-16 series rifle, we have had the AK-47, AKM, AKMS, and AK-74. There are many manufactures of this type of rifle; some good, some not so good. Like the SKS, the AK-47 uses the 7.62X39 cartridge.
Any of the mentioned rifles are fine. Some are better than the other because their magazines are cheaper; one rifle is shorter in length, or lighter in weight. So which one should you get?
Choosing Your Rifle
I am going to let you pick based on a partially informed decision. How far do you want to shoot someone? Are you going to shoot through something to hit the villain? Remember the video? How many firearms are you able to purchase? How many magazines are you able to afford?
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En bloc Clip for M1 Garand, AR-15, FN-Fal, and HK-91 Magazine
-Magazine Prices-
$0 -- K98, Mosin-Nagant, SKS (No Detachable Magazines)$2 -- M1 en-bloc clips (the famous "ping")
$3 to $10 -- HK 91 magazine
$20 -- FN-FAL magazine
$12 to $20 --AR-15/M-16 magazine
$30 -- Lee-Enfield magazine
$25 to $50 -- M1A magazines
* Magazine prices have come down, since the election in 2008. But, as we have seen in the past, prices can quickly rise or a ban of ownership enacted, as in early 2013
-Rifle Prices-
$200 - $400Mosin-Nagant, K98, Lee-Enfield, SKS$400 - $600 AK series, M1 Garand from CMP
$750 -- AR-15 by Olympic Arms, base model
$1,000 - 1500 HK 91 clone PTR-91, FN-FAL by DSA model STG-58, M1A base model
$2,000 -- HK-91 by Heckler & Kock, FN-FAL by DSA, model G1
$3,000 -- M1A by Springfield Amory, super match grade
* These prices are a general beginning price range. As prices go up, you are paying for better material, tighter tolerances, and collectability. You can also pay less by looking around.
Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Maximum Effective Range - (Range-- Caliber-- Rifle)
300 meters -- 5.56mm -- AR-15/M-16 series300 meters -- 7.63X39 - SKS, AK series
800 meters -- 303 -- Lee-Enfield
800 meters -- 7.62 NATO -- FN-FAL, HK-91, M1A
800 meters -- 7.62X54R -- Mosin-Nagant
800 meters -- 30.06 -- M1 Garand
* Maximum effective range is how far away an average shooter can hit a target, and the bullet still has enough energy to kill the person that is hit by the bullet.
After all is said and done, none of these rifles are perfect. The FN-FAL is a very long rifle. The AR-15 shoots a round that doesn't go through big, thick trees or bricks. An AK-47 series rifle won't reach out to 800 meters with any accuracy. The Mosin-Nagant is a bolt action. Bolt actions can be slow to use, a potential negative, if you are attacked by a large group.
Additional Equipment
Of course, once you have bought your family’s firearms, you are going to need ammunition, cleaning kits, patches, bore brushes, lubricants, ear and eye protection, ammo cans, slings, holsters, belts for the holster, gun locker/safe, common spare or repair parts, magazines, magazine pouches, magazine loaders, belt for the magazine pouches, and other stuff as you see fit.
……….
Military Cleaning Kit for .30 Caliber Rifles (Left) Ammunition and Stripper Clips (Right)
Remember, this is a multi-million dollar business for a reason.
Almost lastly, once you learn to shoot, even the basics. You need to take people shooting; from work, church, home or school doesn't matter, teach them shooting. This gets people involved and they might start to prepare. The more prepared people are the better off for all of us.
Lastly, I would like to give you two more examples about why ‘surging’ doesn’t work.
During the 1992 riots in California, after the trial of four police officers for violating a citizen's constitutional rights, people tried to immediately purchase firearms for protecting themselves and their families. The gun dealers turned them away because they didn't have the necessary permits and hadn't completed the proper waiting period.
Just after the 2012 Presidential elections, U.S. politicians started suggesting some anti-freedom (gun-control) measures be implemented. Within two weeks, gun stores were almost empty, some firearms, ammunition, and magazine prices doubled, tripled, and in some instances quadrupled; additionally, these product manufacturers were backordered for years. In one case, over 1,000,000 rifle magazines were backordered from one manufacturer.
Appendix A: Common Mistakes
Once again, probably the two biggest mistakes are purchasing too many firearms and thinking firearms are the answer to all their family’s problems during an event; they aren’t!
In my opinion, an individual prepper only needs a defensive handgun, preferably a .357 magnum revolver and a defensive rifle, like the SKS rifle. These two firearms limit the amount of equipment you and your family need to purchase which is important if you’re on a tight budget.
Remember, you need to outfit everyone in your family because everyone needs protection
If you have more money, I would recommend purchasing a .22LR rifle, then a hunting rifle with a quality scope. Next, maybe a shotgun.
Another common mistake is thinking the 12 gauge shotgun is the best shotgun. It isn't if you are a young teenager, a petite woman, a slightly-built gentleman, a recoil sensitive person, an older person or ...
Yeah, the list is a lot longer, but you get the point. The 12 gauge shotgun isn't for everybody.
The last mistake that most preppers make is failing to take in account that each handgun and rifle, owned by the family, will require ammunition, magazines, magazine pouches, cleaning supplies, and ex cetera when they’re making the decision on what firearms to purchase for prepping.
Let me give you a brief example.
AR-15 series Rifle
AR-15 series Rifle - $800
Magazines - $15 each, you really need ten, so $150
Kit - $50
$1000 – Total
SKS Rifle
SKS Rifle - $500
Kit - $50
$550 – Total
Now, multiply that by the number of people in your family. Don’t forget your children because the kids will get older, and they will need firearms for protection and food gathering, too.
Appendix B: Other Information
How to Store Ammunition
The first option is to store the ammunition in its original cartons. If you have a dry place away from extreme heat and direct sunlight, this will work for a short time, usually months, years, maybe, even decades. However, if you have humidity in your storage area, there is a danger of the ammo, interchangeable with ammunition, corroding or rusting.
To increase storage life, store your ammo in US military ammunition cans. These cans will protect the ammo from humidity and water. The cans will also make your ammo easier to transport.
Inspecting a Military Ammunition Can
Before you store your ammunition in an ammo can, you need to make sure you inspect the ammunition cans. The best way to do this is before you buy them.
Look on the outside of the can. There should be no major rust. If there is rust, make sure it has not eaten a hole in the can. Minor rust can be sprayed with rust converter paint or removed with a wire brush and a little effort, then painted over.
On the inside, check the rubber seals around the inside top of the can. The seal should be present and pliable. If the seal is missing, the ammunition can may leak. Also, you need to check the inside of the ammo can for rust, just like the outside.
Interchangeability of Ammunition
Ammunition is specifically designed. A .308 rifle cartridges will not fit in a .380 caliber pistol. One reason is the cartridge is too long. Another reason this doesn't work is the caliber is wrong; additionally, some cartridges are designed to produce a higher pressure when the round is fired. Most firearms can't handle these higher pressures of a different cartridge.
One of these exceptions is a .38 Special cartridge in a revolver designed for the .357 magnum. A .357 magnum revolver can handle the pressure developed by a .38 special cartridge, additional; the .38 special cartridge is the same caliber (diameter) as the .357 magnum round.
But, what about the lack of interchangeability between the .308 and 7.62 NATO cartridge?
The .308 cartridge can be loaded for a higher pressure than a 7.62 NATO round, so if you fire a .308 round in a gun designed to shoot 7.62 NATO, the rifle could be damaged.
Another danger is the .308 cartridge is slightly shorter than a 7.62 NATO cartridge. If you use a .308 cartridge in a rifle designed to shoot 7.62 NATO, the cartridge could rupture. A ruptured cartridge case would send very hot gases, from the burning powder, back into your eyes, face, and hands, unless the rifle was designed to safely vent the gases away from your eyes and face.
Violence
A guy from work and I were talking about criminals the other day. He made a few points that I would like to pass along.
Note: He is not a Prepper or a Survivalist.
First, the criminal element is making a living, pure and simple. Drug dealers are providing a service that folks use. No folks using drugs, no drug dealers.
Same for the burglar, she is going to steal your stuff to sell for money to buy ... (food for her baby, drugs for her habit, pay a debt, and ...)
So, these folks can justify what they are going to do to you and your family.
Next, criminals don't know what's in your wallet, so they are going to pick easy targets.
Think about it. It's just like work. Do you always bust your butt, or do you pick an easier task to do? Same for the villain, but don't count on it because some criminals do it for the thrill.
And this is where my buddy made a good point, criminals are like you and I. Male and Female; wearing suits or not: sweet talker or just a hold-up note for the bank teller; regular church member or back row Christian; unfriendly or so friendly he will buy you a drink (spiked of course) to rape you later. Guys, it can happen to you, too.
OK, you know all that, but what about your neighbors?
What will they justify to feed their family in hard times?
Looting?
Theft?
Kidnapping?
Murder?
Revolution?
Folks, you need to get a gun (pistol or revolver, first) then training because the bad girls and boys are already armed.
Now, all I have to do is convince this guy to buy a year's supply of food for his family.
Appendix C: Suggestions on What to Buy (Firearms)
Very Small Budget
* M-91 Mosin-Nagant Rifle, 7.62X54R
* Model 10 Smith & Wesson Revolver, .38 special
* 12 or 20 gauge single shot Shotgun
* 22LR single-shot Rifle
Small Budget
* Lee-Enfield Rifle, .303
* M-65 Taurus .357 magnum Revolver
* 12 or 20 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun
* Marlin Model 60, .22LR
Another Small Budget
* SKS Rifle, 7.62X39
* P90 Ruger Pistol, 45ACP or a Glock 17, 9mm
* 12 or 20 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun
* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR
Medium Budget
* AR-15/M-16 series Olympic Arms Rifle, 5.56mm
* Springfield Armory XD Pistol, 45ACP or a Glock 19, 9mm
* 12 or 20 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun with 18 inch rifled slug barrel w/rifle sights and a 28 inch barrel
* 10/22 Ruger Rifle, .22LR
Large Budget
* M1A Springfield Armory Rifle, 7.62 NATO
* Sig Sauer P250, 45ACP or Browning Hi-power, 9mm
* 12 or 20 gauge Remington 870 Shotgun w/18 inch rifled slug barrel with rifle sights, 28 inch barrel
* Smith and Wesson M&P 15/.22 rifle
The above suggestions are firearms picked based on price. You will have to do the research to see if the various guns fit your needs and your budget.
Yes, all of the "Very Small Budget" and "Small Budget" recommendations should be used guns. You can also buy used guns to reduce you costs for a "Medium Budget" or "Large Budget."
Remember your partner and children will also need firearms for protection and hunting.
If I was limited to two firearms for protection, I would buy a 357 magnum revolver and a SKS rifle. The .357 revolver would be my carry gun; additionally, the .357 will also shoot .38 special rounds. The SKS is a short, handy, semiautomatic rifle perfect for the suburbs. Some people would substitute a Remington 870 shotgun for the SKS rifle, not me.
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Chinese SKS Rifle with Sling
These two firearms also limit the additional equipment you need to buy, a holster and belt for the revolver and a sling, ammo carrier and stripper clips for the SKS. You will need a cleaning kit and ammo for both weapons.
Many people will recommend having 1,000 cartridges for the rifles and 500 rounds for the handguns. If you are on a limited budget, 250 cartridges for the rifles and 50 rounds for the handguns, I think, would be OK. Remember your threat analysis.
There are some people that have over 10,000 rounds for their rifles, 2500 rounds for their pistols, and around 20,000 cartridges for their 22LR rifles. I assume, their threat analysis includes a possible ammunition ban, civil war, foreign invasion, or other threat requiring lots of ammo.
Remember, what you purchase is up to you and your family.
Appendix D: Weapons for Self-Defense (Non-Firearms)
Other Countries
There are over 100 countries recognized by these United States of America, and each of these countries has its own firearms laws. Because of this, you and your family will need to seek legal assistance to determine ‘If’ you may legally possess and use firearms during an event.
Another potential problem is these countries also have varying practices when it comes to self-defense. Some countries may prohibit self-defense by all but its most wealthy and politically connected citizens while other countries may require its citizens to be armed and ready to defend the country with military issued weapons.
Lastly, depending on where you live, including these United States, may determine what non-firearms for protection you may legally possess and use for self-defense.
Unarmed
Kung Fu, Jujitsu, military hand-to-hand combat, and street fighting techniques are some of the unarmed methods for protecting yourself and your family. Needless to say, you and your family will need to find someone to train you in these unarmed combat methods
Lastly, evacuating (running away) is the easiest method of dealing with an event, and a fight is usually considered an event.
Sticks, Clubs, and Other Blunt Objects
Since the first human wanted something from another human, clubs have been used to protect our families. Of course, you and your family won’t be able to purchase a ‘club’ from the local China-Mart, but you will be able to purchase a truck driver’s tire-knocker or child’s baseball bat.
21 inch ASP Collapsible Baton
by
Dmg ie from Wikicommons
Another modern club is Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc.’s (ASP) collapsible batons. These batons are an extendable metal weapon used by some police officers or security forces. The smaller ASP batons can be carried concealed in a purse or in a pants pocket. The larger versions will need a belt sheath to be carried comfortably.
Avoid the inexpensive models, made by other manufacturers; some brands have a tendency to break while in use.
Another modern club is the sap. It is usually a lead weight covered by some material, such as leather or heavy-duty nylon, with an extended tab for gripping. The extended tab is carried in the hand, and weighted end is used to ‘slap’ a villain in the head, hands, or other venerable area. Of course, an improvised sap can be made by sewing or taping a few quarters into the back of a baseball cat.
……….
Cap, Quarters, and Tape to Make an Improvised Sap (Left) and Quarters with Tape Holding Them in Place (Right)
The last modern club, I’m going to mention, is a children-sized baseball bat. Just make sure, if you purchase a child’s bat for protection, you buy a couple of baseballs and baseball gloves because your children will want to play baseball, during ‘good’ times. Plus, a baseball bat, in your vehicle’s trunk, doesn’t look like a weapon with these items scattered around it.
Machetes and Large Knives
If you keep up with the news, every so often, you will hear reports of machete attacks by various ethnic groups. These mass attacks are devastating; however, you will also hear about homeowners holding off these villains and others, too.
Of course, cane knives, machetes, bowie knives, and any other large knife, including kitchen knives, could be used to protect yourself and your family. Plus, machetes make good brush clearing tools, if anyone asks.
Sprays
Pepper spray, Bear Spray, and Defensive sprays are a few of the names used to describe the various spray-type defensive weapons. These non-lethal weapons allow you to be a little bit back from your attacker, usually 20 feet or less.
You and your family will usually see the pepper sprays rated by concentration and Scoville Heat Units. Normally, the pepper spray’s concentrations will be in a range of 1% to around 20%. Needless to say, the concentration rating is informative but misleading. Informative wise, it gives you an idea of how larger the concentration of pepper juice is in the spray. Misleading, it leads the customer to believe paying more for a higher concentrated pepper spray is worth the extra money.
The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) is the better rating indicator. The SHU gives you an idea of how the person will ‘feel’ after being sprayed. The higher the Scoville Heat Unit rating; the greater the effect, the attacker will feel.
There are down sides to these defensive sprays. You must practice with them for you aim to be accurate; you may get some of the spray in your own face or eyes when you use it; and they have a shelf-life of about six-months to a year, depending on the storage conditions.
Pepper Spray Demonstration during the Auxiliary Security Force Academy
by
Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Clarck Desire, U.S. Navy
Of course, defensive spray weapons can be improvised by crushing spicy peppers like jalapenos (or some other irritant) then adding the ‘hot’ juice to water then pouring into a squirt bottle such as a nasal spray bottle. If you personally use a nasal spray, just don’t forget which one is which.
Improvised Weapons
Many years ago, I was visiting a good friend, who was in the military. On his barrack’s wall was a poster that said something like ‘The Mind is the Ultimate Weapon’ and the poster was correct.
Look around you. Notice the items within reach. Do you see a pen or pencil that could be used as a stabbing weapon? What about a cup of hot coffee or tea that the hot liquid could be thrown at a villain’s eyes then the cup used as a club? How about the lamp next to you that could also be used as a club? The chair, you are seating in, how could it be used to protect your family and yourself?
You get the point. No pun intended.
Now, let us add some time and access to common everyday material and objects such as metal piping, plastic eating utensils, a child’s wooden baseball bat and nails, or a weekly magazine wrapped with a few lengths of packing tape. With a little thought, zip-guns, shivs, nail-bats, and many other defensive devices could be improvised to protect your family.
Just so you know; many of these items may be illegal to own and use by you and your family, depending on where you live, so check your local and national laws.
Appendix E: Body Armour
There are many names for body armour such as bulletproof vests, personal armor, ballistic vests and many more. For this appendix, I am going to call it body armour.
There are two types of body armour, soft and hard. The ‘soft’ body armour is usually made from a woven material such as Kevlar. ‘Hard’ body armour is usually made from metal or ceramic plates.
Soft Body Armour
Since soft body armour is usually layers of woven material, like Kevlar, its main characteristic is flexibility. As a general rule, soft body armour is also more comfortable than hard body armour. This flexibility and comfort make soft body armour a popular choice for professionals such as police officers and soldiers. Plus, soft body armour can be concealed by wearing under a shirt, at certain protection levels.
Hard Body Armour
Hard body armour is just like it sounds; a solid material such as metal or ceramic plates. These plates are manufactured in specific sizes to cover critical parts of the body, usually the front and back of the wearer’s torso.
Metal body armour plates are heavier, but more durable, than ceramic plates. Since ceramic plates are made of ceramic, they can be cracked by being dropped to the ground or struck with another hard object, rendering these ceramic plates unusable for protection.
Hard body armour also usually requires an additional carrier, called a plate carrier, to be worn by the user. Plus, some hard body armour is required to be worn over soft body armour to insure protection for the rated protection level.
Armour Protection Levels
Soft and hard body armour come in various protection levels. As the protection level increases the weight of the body armour increases, becomes less flexible, and usually increases in price; additionally, some threats will only be ‘stopped’ by hard body armour.
As an example, …
A type I body armour will only protect the wearer from .22LR and .380 ACP
A type III body armour vest will protect you from .22LR, .380 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 magnum, .357 SIG, .44 magnum, and 7.62 NATO.
- Body Armour Ratings - (Level or Rating Offers Protection From)
Type I .22LR and .380 ACP
Type II A9mm, 40 S&W, .45 ACP
Type II9mm and .357 magnum
Type III A.357 SIG and .44 magnum
Type III7.62 NATO
Type IV.30-06 Armor-Piercing
Note: The higher level of body armour will protect you from the lower level threats.
So, …
A type III body armour vest will protect you from .22LR, .380 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 magnum, .357 SIG, .44 magnum, and 7.62 NATO
............
Body Armour for Preppers
The above chart illustrates the common threats. As you can see, certain threats such as rifle bullets require hard body armour for protection.
So which type of body armour to purchase?
It depends on your threat analysis. If you are planning to protect yourself from muggers and armed robbers, you and your family will usually only need soft body armour that protects up to type IIIA threats because most armed robberies are committed with handguns. If you are preparing to fight off bandits and villains firing rifles, you will need hard body armour that provide protection from type III and type IIII threats.
You will also have to make a decision on which type of carrier to purchase. Soft body armour, at the lower threat levels, will be able to be concealed under a shirt or light jacket. Once you reach the higher threat levels, you will have to purchase a carrier that must be worn over your clothing; however, a large, loose jacket can conceal (but it will be noticeable) a higher level of protection body armour.
Either way, you will want to purchase a body armour carrier with wide shoulder straps. These wide shoulder straps will allow the weight of the body armour to be distributed over your entire shoulder, preventing fatigue and sore shoulders. Some people will want to purchase a carrier with padded shoulder straps, so you will need to insure the carrier can be returned for a refund or store credit after test wearing the carrier, with the body armour, for a day or two.
Things to Avoid and Possible Rip-Offs
Soft and hard body armours have been around for many years, usually worn by police officers. It has only been recently that these United States has issued body armour to its Airman, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines; their experiences will help the prepper to avoid certain mistakes.
Coated Body Armour and Carriers
Some soft body armour and their carriers, in the past, were coated with a water resistant outer layer to protect the Kevlar from moisture. This water resistant layer would make the body armour hot and sweaty to wear. Research over the years has shown that a water resistant layer is unnecessary for Kevlar soft body armour to provide the rated threat level protection.
Some hard body armour, usually metal plates, is coated with paint for rust protection. This rust protection is needed; however, these plates will still need to be checked for rust, every so often.
Overrated and Untested Body Armour
At the beginning of the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, these conflicts created an immediate need for body armour to protect our sons and daughters from hostile firearms’ fire. Since the military was slow to respond, mothers, fathers, and friends of those under fire sought out private sources of body armour, hard and soft. Most manufactures responded with tried, true, and tested designs and threat level rating; some did not.
The manufactures that did not, tried to deflect their critics by saying that their body armour was being prohibited by the authorities because their designs were better than the current standard. Further investigations by professionals hinted that these manufacturers were skipping the established independent testing process that later showed that these manufacturers were overstating their threat protection levels.
Earlier Conflicts
In earlier conflicts, World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam, body armour was mainly limited to the ‘antique’ flak vests worn by our Airman, Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines. These flak vests are rated only to stop relatively ‘slow’ shrapnel from indirect fire, such as motors and hand grenades, until recently the main killers of combatants.
What to Purchase, Again?
I understand that you and your family want me to make a specific recommendation on which body armour to purchase. I can’t do that because there are many quality manufacturers of body armour and more companies are entering the field every year this includes body armour carriers. Plus, each family’s threat analysis, budget constraints, and other factors will different.
So, …
I recommend you and your family limit your purchases to established manufactures or manufactures that offer a quality guarantee on their product. Plus, with so many combat veterans in our families, you will be able to inquire about their opinions. Needless to say, I have provided some internet links at the “Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead” blog for you to start your research on your family’s body armour purchase.
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