uncommon caliber

UNCOMMON CALIBER

I’m not sure if you are so anal retentive that you notice these kinds of minor details, but I certainly am.  I take great pride in this, as if having your nose so close to the ground that you can not only track an animal but also smell his discharges is a good thing.  Doesn’t it seem as if a huge amount of what passes for discussion and teaching in the prepper field these days is nothing but rehashing decades old wisdom, over and over again?  Nothing new added, and certainly nothing old questioned.  If you have the audacity to deviate from the accepted script you are as Galileo rearranging the movement of the planets, a threat to the very existence of the Papacy. 

*

Over at one of these generic sites, Outdoor Sportsman or some such near click bait content provider, there was the usual gushing and cheering for Paladin Press.  I countered in the comments that they were hacks and hucksters, always charging insane amounts for usually poor information.  My other main issue with them was their selling-out with the court case about the assassination book.  Voluntary censorship is so wrong I can’t believe it needs any explanation.  Well, of COURSE that brought nasty comments about how Brown was a combat vet and war correspondent and how he was the real deal and how I had no qualifications.

*

I have no qualifications?  How about a cheated customer?  How about an observer that sees evil?  How does being a vet make one pure and righteous as a civilian?  No, I didn’t like Paladin Press and I didn’t have to be a customer.  How does he think I became a non-customer?  And, I should be alright with others getting screwed?  Hell, I had forgot all about Soldier Of Fortune even owning Paladin Press.  I didn’t even think that was relevant.  Evidently it has to be, since that seems to be their only qualification for existence and their only justification for shady business practices. 

*

This is just one example of Group Think and failing to even try to think for oneself.  I understand the necessity for accepting group dictates unquestionably.  It serves a very good survival purpose.  But don’t we talk about thinking for yourself?  About how you must ignore consensus thinking because the groups we have now, tethered to the Oil Age, won’t survive?  A very large part of my writing is refuting these kinds of blind obedience dictates that pass for wisdom.  And today, after all that preliminary introduction, is the fallacy of Common Calibers. 

*

I can see the point about duplicating the ammunition most others are using.  It is cheaper.  In theory it helps in the field.  There is historical precedence such as the logistical nightmare the Union had in the War Of Northern Colonialism with so many different calibers.  Yet, there are several counterpoints.  During the last ammunition shortage, all the common calibers were gone for lengthy periods, with only the uncommon available.  After the end of the Industrial Age, logistics aren’t going to be an issue per se ( from a volume standpoint if nothing else ).  And, my favorite, if you aren’t spraying and praying in semi-auto the odds are you don’t run out of ammo in the field.  Also, settling for common caliber means you likely settle with your gun.

*

Now, really, I understand about commonality.  If everyone has an AR, you buy in bulk, have spare parts available and simplify gun repair.  Of course, my counter to this is that your ammunition won’t last long enough so that your gun most likely will still be fully operational well after that.  Also, why buy an expensive plot of land now when you can just take one later on?  And why spend good money on an AR when you can pick a few up very shortly after the apocalypse?  Assuming ammunition lasts, which I don’t necessarily, you can group standardize later.

*

I’ve shared my example previously.  I hate the Indian conversion Lee-Enfields because of their suck ass sites, so going with 308 would be problematic ( and they use the no.1’s.  The no.4’s both have better sites AND an overall better construction-a good reason to stick to 303 ).  I don’t personally care for the Mausers, so their 308 rifles don’t interest me.  And your standard affordable HK clone or FAL don’t get you much better groups anyway, semi being their only selling point ( for other people anyway )( the M14 is not an option, not at their prices ).  My new fellow fighter, the NOL’s son in law, has his own caliber bolt action hunting rifles.  He is good at using them.  Why would either of us compromise?

*

Because in theory we are out in the field and run out of ammunition?  I submit we would be out of food or water before we ran out of ammunition.  We are on raids or ambushes, not search and destroy missions.  One shot at a time, not one mag at a time.  And if I’m too stupid to realize I’m running low, and don’t kill an enemy and take his weapon prior to that if we were stuck out in the field, I’d die regardless if my partner had duplicate ammunition anyway.  And logistics don’t matter since there are no more factories.  You do understand the difference between the rise of the Industrial Era and after its collapse, don’t you?

*

Eventually, if just for spare parts, you’ll need to all have the same rifle.  And that most likely will be the AR.  I get it.  I merely question if having one NOW is of paramount importance.  If you already have a rifle and are comfortable with it, I see few reasons to change ( if you already have an AR, think about turning it into a bolt action ).  You may not be comfortable using up all your savings changing over your arsenal.  You’ll need cash for other things in the upcoming economic calamity.  For the spare parts and the brass issue, yes, you’ll eventually need to go to the AR.  And there will be a surplus of them very shortly ( whether the ammunition or not is a different question ).  At most, get a good book on gunsmithing that rifle.

*

Common calibers makes things easier, and that is about it.  Lack thereof makes things more difficult, but not as much as most assume.  Lack of Easy is going to be a common occurrence.  You might want to think about embracing what will soon be normal. 

END ( today's related link http://amzn.to/2gPAgW6 )

 

Please support Bison by buying through the Amazon ad graphics at the top of the page. ***You can make donations or book purchases through PayPal ( www.paypal.me/jimd303 )

*** Unless you are in extreme poverty, spend a buck a month here, by the above donation methods or buy a book. If you don't do Kindle, send me a buck and I'll e-mail it to you in a PDF file.  If you donated, you may request books no charge.   My e-mail is: jimd303@reagan.com  My address is: James M Dakin, 181 W Bullion Rd #12, Elko NV 89801-4184

*** Pay your author-no one works for free.  I’m nice enough to publish for barely above Mere Book Money, so do your part.***   Land In Elko*  Lord Bison* my bio & biblio*   my web site is www.bisonprepper.com *** Wal-Mart wheat***Amazon Author Page
* By the by, all my writing is copyrighted. For the obtuse out there