Tuesday, August 22, 2017

three rifle arsenal


THREE RIFLE ARSENAL

We’ve talked about this before.  But then, we’ve pretty much talked about everything already, and you are still here.  I do have one new thing to add, anyway, which is more than you should expect.  The Three Rifle Arsenal is pretty simple.  There are three rounds you will most likely come across-the 308, the 5.56 and the 762x39.  For the price of one decent semi-automatic rifle you can have three bolt action rifles that use most if not all the ammunition you might encounter.  Now, this is not the frugal rifle recommendation.  For that, if you are really poor, buy a war surplus Mauser with a bayonet.  You get a good condition warhorse for $300-$350 and the bayonet is your back-up weapon instead of a pistol ( no, I do NOT recommend a pistol first.  If you live in a mega-urban area where you think you need a pistol every day, I submit to you that you will probably die from a gunfight PRIOR to the collapse.  All these Every Day Carry advocates portray heroic square jawed manly men or Linda Hamilton gals bravely blasting bad guys away, and never really consider the cowardly scumbags firing back, not really.  It isn’t part of the fantasy sale ).

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I’m not a huge fan of the Mauser, as the sites blow and the action is susceptible to dirt and crud jamming.  The Enfield might only hit Pie-Plate Accuracy, but it also doesn’t jam up nearly as bad.  But the Mauser has the plus of being more accurate, not killing its brass, and you can still buy them reasonably priced ( I wouldn’t recommend Turkish Mausers, like some of these young YouTube dudes do.  They might be too wet behind the ears to remember the manufacturing defects being warned about and the units going unsold at $35-$40 each ).  The Enfields are NOT reasonably priced anymore.  And the Russian bolts, the Mossin-Nagants, they are just as offal eating worthless as before ( NO gas bleed safety!!!!  If you use modern brass ammo, they SHOULD be okay-but no guarantees.  The Enfield and the Mauser were equipped with gas safety bleeds because ammo back then was far more dangerous, the primers and cases more likely to rupture.  Kind of like your salvaged component reloads in the future.  If you use steel case ammo you should note that back then manufacturing was not within such tight tolerances and the brass cases were meant to expand and seal.  With steel cases NOT expanding you will probably see less accuracy and a slight gas escape at the bolt ) but with the added problem of much higher prices.  Thanks Obama, another commie President taking affordable firearms off the table.  He might be a Kenyan immigrant but he played the token Negro and got paid, so screw the rest of us of humble beginnings I guess.

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If you are REALLY poor, you can save a hundred bucks on the bolt and buy a break open single shot.  If you have to go with just one caliber I’d go with the 5.56 ( I could never remember before if it was the 223 or the 556 that was interchangeable.  A helpful minion suggested: 223 is half of 556, and will only do half the work.  You can fire 223 in 5.56, but not 5.56 in 223 ) just because there will be much more of it.  I’ll discuss the salvage issue later.  And while I was a VERY strong proponent of break-open single shots due to their affordability and butt simple barely any parts to break design, now I’m far less sure.  They are also far less accurate ( just as semi’s are compared to bolts ), from their inherent design flaw of a less rigid structure.  I would never say no to one, they still offer a lot.  They sip ammunition and you will be much more prone to carefully aim and watch for that trigger pull, knowing that reloading while not glacier is still a factor.  But you do that with bolt actions also, if not to the same degree.  But the cheap price, $250 verses $350 for a bolt, and the increased ruggedness in parts, do still reaffirm them as good post-apocalypse rifles.  It is just that I’d pick a bolt if I could afford it for the increased accuracy.

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I’m going to repeat this, as I think it’s been some time.  You CAN be trained to hold fire discipline under the sphincter loosening stress of combat, but the vast majority of you will NOT be, so when your brain is flooded with chemicals, which is completely out of your control, if you do not have a counter to that such as extensive muscle memory repetitive expensive training, you WILL just spray and pray with a semi-automatic weapon.  A bolt or break-open is a piece of equipment that can also counter those chemicals, because you don’t have an option of blindly firing your magazine dry.  It isn’t perfect, but it is an improvement.  As a bonus, it conserves ammunition anyway, regardless of the operators experience.  When the factories close down this will be important.  Cover fire and suppressive fire, multiple hits, room clearing and all the rest are tactics developed with semi-automatics.  Believe it or not, there were actually tactics for NON semi-automatic weapons.  I like the Guerrilla ones.

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Okay, as I said, this isn’t the most frugal rifle plan.  But it is the most frugal modern military ammunition firing firearm plan, or more accurately, the Best Semi Replacement Plan For Those Of Modest Means.  IF you have the money for a well made semi-automatic, and ONLY if, you can then think about instead buying three bolt action rifles for LESS ( once you factor in the magazines ), and having a better ammunition versatility.  Why, you ask in anticipation, with baited breath, your nipples uncomfortably brushing your shirt fabric under arousal?  Simply, even putting aside ammo salvage, Importation, Smaller Shooters and Opportunity Buys, as well as Versatility.  The ammo salvage isn’t necessarily a viable option, as I covered before.  In the six month die-off, most semi simians will have blasted through their entire stash of ammunition as they wildly spray every noise or movement, mistaking noise for lethalness.   Once you emerge from your hidey hole, how much ammunition will remain?  The only way salvage works is if a foreign superpower ( yes, Jingoistic Jerry, there are other large countries in better shape than we, happy to take over our overseer of empire if it is still possible-oil supply dependent to be sure ) is supplying our civil war and they retain governance as we collapse.  So that is certainly possible.  Even a domestic militia porn scenario is possible.

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So, the Three Rifle Plan is insurance.  For the above Possible reason but also for more Probable reasons.  Importation.  762x39 is a kick ass carbine round.  It is almost free it is so cheap to manufacture, so the high volume of fire in a near jam proof design is fed cheaply from a high capacity industrial base.  After twenty years, cheap rounds are STILL available even while middle east wars using the ammo are raging, such was the WARSAW country stockpile and such is the cost of modern manufacture.  The AK was really the only and best assault rifle ever built.  The M16 doesn’t even come close.  It jams and the round sucks ( it is wonderful as a mid range marksmen’s rifle but blows as an assault rifle ).  The weak link is Importation.  The round is really only good for high volume fire, which is what it was designed for.  So you need to stockpile A LOT!  If you can’t, you are SOL if they ever start banning its importation, which is very probable.  With a bolt in this round rather than a semi, you are safe, as you use so much less and can reasonably stockpile what you need now.

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Smaller Shooters are a given.  While I don’t believe we should embrace the modern, illogical adherence to ignoring physics and insist women are physically able to perform as warriors or ignoring our generic differences which place males in a superior mental capacity for that role, I acknowledge that women and teenagers are going to initially use firearms anyway, prior to the cultural shift back to the historical gender role norm.  While I’m sure there are plenty of gals out there who are comfortable firing a thirty caliber battle rifle round rather than a carbine round ( I wouldn’t want to piss one of those Amazons off, especially not if I was required to service them and my efforts were substandard, as they could squeeze their large mannish thighs and pop my head like a grape ), the norm is far smaller physique females and they will prefer firing a smaller round more easily.  Which brings us to Versatility.  You can fire the longer range rifle in 308 as the wife uses the 556 or 762, or you can pick one as the situation warrants. 

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The 556 might reach out to the maximum distance you can hit at with a 308, but once out there the 556 is prone to defection by very modest obstructions.  The 308 will plow through them and be MUCH better at damaging what it hits.  The 556 might be half the price and half the weight, but the 308 does OVER double the damage, more often than not and all other things being equal.  The only reason you use carbine rounds is their availability, not necessarily their suitability.  Granted, heavy forest and the 308 loses most of its benefits, but if you are located there, even carbine rounds can be replaced by shotguns anyway ( evidently, an AR is superior to a shotgun as it travels further, but that argument doesn’t mean they want to trade for a 308.  Unfortunately this is oft times too emotional for logical discussion ).  Yet even in a dense vegetation area, at times the 308 can still be utilized to good advantage, so having it isn’t really problematic.  Versatility.

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Last, we have Opportunity Buys.  When you are stuck with just one rifle round ( like a 303 British ), you wait around for availability, let alone just a sale price.  When you have three calibers you can always find something on sale.  It is like the revolver in 357.  You can buy some of those, or some of the 38’s, whatever is cheaper or on sale.  I prefer shooting the 38, given the recoil and short ranges, but I like the fact I can use either one, or buy the better bargain.  Same with three rifles.  You buy what is the best bargain ( although, obviously, you can’t ignore one for the others and sometime must spend extra ).  This is still the case if you only reload rather than buy factory, as brass and powder costs vary.  There is nothing worse than having cash and no tangible items.  Best to get that extra money spent ASAP, and you can invest much easier with more options. 

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So, to sum up, you spend less with Three Guns compared to one Semi of reputable make, not only on base price, but also factoring in no magazines AND far less ammunition needed, AND you get much more accurate shooting, AND you get versatile, SAFTY supply wise and future SALES.  What is not to like?

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61 comments:

  1. Good advice unless you already have your guns. Don't have 308, but a Remington 30-06 semiauto. Most of my friends and family have guns that use that round. Picked mine up used from a guy at work years ago. I think I paid about $150. Got an SKS in 762 X 39 that my uncle gave me. Then it's .22 rifles, assorted shotguns (all single shot) and handguns.

    When you grow up in an area with a hunting culture, you acquire guns without hardly trying. Making sure you have a good supply of ammo for them took a little effort, but over the years regular purchases add up.

    I was taught to shoot, not to spray and pray. Trigger discipline is paramount.

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    1. Yes, quite worthless to those already owning guns, and hence a limited utility, but hopefully still a good read. Just needing ammo is a lot easier than needing the guns.

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    2. Two of the most common hunting cartridges would be 30-06 and 30-30 Win. If ammo scrounging in an area with more hunters than militia wannabes, I would count on those being around.

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    3. There's places with less militia types?

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  2. As always, the equipment must match the mission.
    I agree a bolt is more accurate at long distance, say, more than 300 yds.
    A semi is more capable at close distance, less than 300 yds.
    So which do you go with?

    Both. Unless you want to be caged or killed.

    As long as we live in a country that lives by the illusion of the rule of law, if you shoot someone at a distance with no cause other than suspicion you will most likely pay a steep penalty.
    An argument can be made that it would be difficult to find the shooter but do you take that chance?
    Remember, everybody will turn you in under the right inducement - think, gov't offering a $5k debit card for your identity from a spiteful neighbor.

    I'm an old dood now (62) so my days of running naked through the woods with a bayonet between my teeth looking for maidens to pillage and villages to rape are behind me.
    I must let the victims come to me.
    But I can't kill them until I know without a doubt that they intend me harm.
    By the time they are that close, dallying around with bolts simply will not do, that is, if I intend to live another day.
    I have to be prepared to pop as many skalls as necessary as fast as possible.

    Emotions be damned, this is simple 3rd grade math.
    You have to be able to identify your target and kill it, no matter if the target is 1 or 100.
    If a group is approaching my compound I only have to identify 1 as hostile and the rest are the same due to association.
    So, 50 identified hostiles are within 100 yds of my AO and I will do whatever it takes to prevent them from having their way with me, my wife, our animals and our property, what tool is best for this job, a questionable 50 year old bolt or a brand new high performce hand-built-by-me race semi?

    When it comes to saving your own life I would never recommend to anyone to do less than the very best possible.
    It's not a matter of finance, it's a matter of priority.
    If you believe your life and the people and things you hold value in are worth little than the equipment you use to safeguard them should be commensurate.
    Never forget the monetary aspect of safeguarding lives and possessions are only the down payment as the continuing education and experience necessary to mount this job is far more expensive in time, money, and effort.

    FWIW, any gun is better than none.

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    1. Would you trust a maintained fifty year old car over todays sheet metal and computer chip pieces of crap? A lot of times, older is better. Why not with battle rifles?

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    2. This is a case where logistics have to be weighted against mission-specific criteria.

      In theory I completely agree with the 1886-to-1936 cartridge approach, from 7mm to 8mm in caliber and about 40 grains of smokeless powder. I would also agree on a 7,62x39 bolt-action carbine for the purposes mentionned, I think would be the best platform. Here is an Enfield-based model we can only drool about http://modernfirearms.net/civil/austr/aia-m10-e.html , they don't make it anymore, and it's a shame.

      That said, the logistical side says the following : things cost money, reloading is cheaper than manufactured, and bullets are the most expensive part of reloading.

      Those who can afford to stockpile either ammunition or all necessary components (jacketed bullets etc.) in advance can do whatever they want. Those who can't afford that much will have to stockpile powder and primers first, purchase a mould, and see if finances allows for bullets afterwards .

      Now for practical purposes, primers cost the same no matter the caliber. So we'll assume the frugal reloader will have stockpiled those in ziplock bags (ziplock everything). The real difference is going to be made on the powder.

      Why not the bullets ? I consider that, beyond the DYI romanticism, bullets will be smelted simply because it can be done easily and it's inexpensive. This is a substantial economy you can make over purchasing the bullets. For reloaded .38 Special cartridges, the bullet represents 60% of the cost.

      So you have to look for a cartridge that you can stockpile powder for and that can fire lead bullets.
      Full-power cartridges (.308, 8x57) can shoot lead bullets accurately if need be. I'm not sure about the accuracy for high-velocity intermediate cartridges (.222, .223). I don't know enough about 7,62x39 or .300 Blackout but since their velocity is lower, the twist rate should be gentle enough.

      Comparing .38 Special to .308, the former uses ten times less powder than the latter. So for the price of one powder container you can reload ten times more .38 Special cartridges than you can reload .308 cartridges (not the same powder, but the powder cost is equivalent).

      An H&R Handi-Rifle (break-open , single shot rifle) in .357 Magnum costs 300 USD new. It will shoot at the engagement distances (nobody here is going to shoot at 500 yards, I did it once and it was much too complicated for a post-collapse environment. These are going to be bullets wasted.)

      At 200 yards the Handi-Rifle will hit the target.

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    3. Are you sure on the 200 yard 357? I thought they were closer to rimfire ranges, about 100 yards max. I know without a scope I stay about 200 yards with my larger rifle, so your argument makes sense. Especially since I don't need to punch through any woods. I only stick with 303 because of the wind out here. A minion gifted me a 357 Lee Loader, I'd only need a bullet mold to be half way ahead of the game. Of course, I wonder if I could go hot on my 32 to convert the Enfield with case adaptor. Sigh. So much to learn even thinking about a new arsenal.

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    4. It seems that when you start getting into the more hyper-velocity type rounds such as the .223, 22-250, etc, they almost always come jacketed, or at least mostly jacketed with a soft point. I think that the main reason is that the soft lead bullets, while fine for the lower velocity rounds, tend to deform when fired under high velocity. If you wanted to fire lead bullets in these calibers, I suppose that you could load them down, and go with a round nose if you had to. Sometimes they add some antimony to the lead to harden it, but I have no idea what the percentages are on that.

      A .44 magnum is actually considered to be a 100 yard handgun, so I suppose that it makes sense that a .357 rifle would reach out to about 150 or 200 yards.

      Interesting about the comments below. It’s been many years, but I don’t recall my brother’s Enfield having that much of a kick, nor my father’s .30 .30 lever action? If I recall correctly, that old Enfield was kind of heavy, mitigating any excessive recoil.

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    5. I do believe the weight is responsible for deadening recoil. Whereas the lever action is light weight. Plus, if I recall correctly, the 303 is on the lower end of power. The Mosin Nagant is more of a 30-06 and the 303 just under a 308. Plus, why not just use a recoil pad? Cheaper than an AR.

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    6. When you need a semi-auto, a bolt gun will not do. Howsoever, a great advantage to a bolt action rifle is the ability to shoot cast bullets, which I can make over a camp fire.

      Cast bullets quickly screw up a gas system in the semi-auto.

      I've been casting most of fifty years now, killed major animals with my cast bullets, and fired 10s of thousands of cast bullets in pistol competition.

      The three common metals in a good cast bullet; that is one you can fire at jacketed bullet velocities, are lead, tin, and antimony. The ratio can be critical to performance, but is easy to attain. Lead is usually 94% to 97% of the finished product, so you don't need to store much of the other two.

      You can shoot pure lead bullets, if well lubricated, but you have to keep velocities lower, and clean barrels well.

      This is a complex topic, and probably no one gives a damn, anyway. Nohow.

      Personally, I favor a touch of silver in my best cast bullets. For all the reasons you might suspect.

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    7. The Enfield was the older model according to you (stock went to the end of the barrel) and just had the steel butt plate, or whatever it was they came with. The .30 .30 did have a recoil pad.

      In my opinion, as long as you don’t need to shoot past 200 yards, the best post collapse guns are one’s in which the rifle and pistol use the same ammo. In that case I’d go with the .44 special/magnum. Under normal circumstances, I’d shoot the low velocity rounds. Sure, there’s .38/.357 combo too, but I’d rather have the extra power in case I needed it, and a .44 magnum will take down anything in North America. Next get a shotgun and then all of your bases are covered. Hell, if you’re crazy enough, you could have a long shotgun, as well as one of those sawed off deals that Mad Max had. I’m told that the new sabot slugs will shoot out to 150 yards these days.

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    8. The good thing on the 38/357 is round availability.

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    9. 4:00-was I wrong in remembering a recommendation to add aluminum to the lead in small amounts. The subject is important to me as half my reloads will be bullets.

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    10. Thing is you don't know how that old rifle was maintained before you owned. My battle rifle was purchased in pieces and assembled by me, and so far has had over 800 flawless rounds through it. 3 measured shots from that 5.56 at 100 yds can be covered with my thumb. This gun is going to save my wife's life and mine if that time comes and it cost almost $2000 to build, because we're worth it. No, we're not wealthy, no where close. I simply realize the situation as it presents itself and am planning accordingly. Now I'm working on my 870 shotgun and making it race worthy, again, because we're worth it.

      Don't get me wrong, I likes my old guns and I have a few. My dad's 1957 lever action Winchester model 71 in .348 caliber and my grand dad's 1921 Winchester model 12 12ga shotgun. Both have been maintained to museum standards but both have their limits which are easily surpassed by modern firearms. They are in my 2nd eschelon and ready at all times and even test fired occasionally. We likes our guns.

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    11. A hot 357m load out of a carbine lenght barrel is right up there power wise with a 30/30. As a rule of thumb, most rounds have about a 40% increase in power when fired from a rifle/carbine over a pistol. I regularly take game at 150m with 357m leaver gun, any further than that and my eyes arnt up to the task. 200 yards would seem quiet feasible to me. 38spc+P out of a carbine seem about as loud as a 22lr but with much more knock down power. Tubular mags on leaver guns(and shotguns) have one big advantage over just about any other mag type in that they can be toped up without takeing the gun out from being cocked and locked. I love my 357m leaver gun.
      Aussie

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    12. Here's a discussion of the casting of aluminum:

      http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?136800-zinc-aluminum-bullets

      I would not do it, nor would I allow zinc in my casting pot.

      Your purpose in casting bullets does not allow odd experiments, altho anything goes in a real emergency.

      The characteristics you are concerned with are weight (provided by lead), hardness (provided by antimony), and flow (provided by tin. This latter term (avoiding technical language) referring to the ability of your casting alloy to completely fill out your mold, especially the rear edges, which greatly influence accuracy. There are other metals that can be used but these are reliable and well known.

      You can also, very cheaply, put a copper cover (called a 'gas check') on the base of your bullet. This is an extra step, which can be combined with the sizing of your cast bullet, but it allows much higher velocities.

      With cast bullets used for serious work, I prefer mass over velocity. A freight train does not have to be moving very fast to destroy your truck. Over the years I have come to prefer mass. Most Americans like big numbers; hence, the craze for velocity.

      I can get into target ballistics, the performance of the projectile in the denser medium (aka your body), if you like. It gets quite interesting, involving penetration, mass retention, expansion (degree and speed), and a number of other factors. This is a much studied area, but not popularly appreciated.

      Kaffir

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    13. Velocity, the excuse that you don't need mass, so your females and girly men can help fill the air.

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    14. Aussie-I think too many folks over estimate how far they can shoot. 150 yards seems about my effective max also. If you can hit with it, the gun that works for you is what you want so it sounds like you are all set. And you have that powder savings bonus.

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    15. GS-you inspired me yesterday. An article on the "because we're worth it" gun spending. Damn, if I had known you spent $2k on it I'd have been more shrill and unreasonable :)

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. James, I was thinking that 5.56mm and .223 were exactly the same cartridge. With 5.56 being a NATO round and .223 being 'murican. Labeling difference only. Or, I could be completely wrong.

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    1. I can't tell you WHY there is a difference, only that there is. Minions? Anyone? Bueller?

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    2. OK, I can see that I'm among folks that don't know much about this business. Most simply put, there is no difference in the dimensions of 5.56mm and .223 Rem cartridges, altho some difference in pressure might be found among sources.

      What difference there is, is in the chamber. Rifles marked .223 have a shorter free bore which, while improving accuracy, can somewhat increase peak pressures. Rifles marked 5.55 Nato (or some such) have longer free bore and slightly less peaky pressures. People, this information is available, in detail, all over the 'net.

      Functionally, there is zero difference.

      Now, if you want to look into the different bore diameters of older and less old K98 Mausers, it is much more interesting.

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    3. 5.56 is loaded hotter than 223. 223 ammo can always be shot with 5.56 rifle. It is possible for 5.56 ammo to be overpressured for a 223 rifle. But... most 223 rifles I have seen or read about can handle both.

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    4. What about the minimalist barrels on the cheap AR's?

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    5. 3:46-everything we do here is available on the Internet. Discussing it ferrets out the experts and shortcuts the process. Looking up stuff will sometimes just give you the wrong answer anyway. Plus it seems the search engines are busy throwing a lot of this stuff down the rabbit hole. It is there but harder to find.

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    6. Reference 'minimalist' barrels: most I've seen are marked 5.56 and will safely shoot .223 as well. I just avoid anything marked .223, a caliber I do not associate with 'accuracy,' a word with wildly differing definitions: for example, when hunting in Africa, the client who can hit an eight-inch target twice in five seconds at 50 yards standing unsupported is superbly qualified and wields an accurate rifle.

      I've also known folks who feel that if your rifle will not make one hole, five-shot groups off a bench at 100 yards it is not 'accurate.' It all depends on what you want to do.

      Accuracy costs money, and is the result of eliminating as many variabes as possible. The 80/20 rule applies.

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    7. Accurate: I can hit something, anywhere.

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    8. Meh, I consider .223 and 5.56 to be the same cartridge. The difference being 5.56 is standardized for the Military; M193 uses a 55gr bullet and is designed to give specific velocity with specific barrel lengths. M855 uses 62gr bullets and is likewise very specific and standardized. For .223, it can be loaded to any spec you want. Use whatever weight bullets, whatever material for the bullets, whatever type of bullets (FMJ/hollow point/soft tip), and you can load it with whatever measurement of powder you want. Hell, if you're using a .223 bolt-action, you could give it a piddly little powder loading so as to mimic .22lr if you want, for a bit of soft plinking. As for buying commercial .223, likewise, it can be whatever they want, but when you buy 5.56 it's going to be something VERY specific.

      As for a 5.56 rifle shooting .223 or vice versa, I don't know much about that, but if you've got a solid bolt-action then have at it for either. If it's a self-loader, I dunno, but surely if one is hotter than the other then it's not by a particularly large margin. The casings are, for all intents and purposes, practically identical. We're not talking 7.62x39 vs 7.62x54r here.

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    9. If I'm recalling correctly it is too high of pressure in 556 to be fired in 223. I could be wrong.

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  5. You could also kill two birds with one stone, and go the “Shotgun Slade” route and get a combo shotgun/rifle, as well as a bolt .308 or the such. The M6 Scout used a .410, which generally speaking, isn’t a very good shotgun round. But in a survival situation you would not be taking aerial shots, so it would suffice.

    Totally agree on your needing a pistol to get by everyday comment, and you’re one of the few that seems to get this. Too many people watching cops and robbers, and playing video games I suppose. Take the old west gunfighters for example. There were what; perhaps a few dozen or so that were well known? And only because they were the best of the best, and generally only lived slightly longer lives than the rest (Matt Dillon is a complete farce). John Wesley Hardin (one of the very best) lived to age 42. And that’s mostly because he spent nearly half of his life in prison, only to get out for a short while, and then get shot in the back of the head by an adversary.

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    1. Or look at the lifespan of gang bangers.

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    2. Opinion: a tool that does everything, does nothing well.

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    3. Is that the same as "opinions are like buttholes..."?

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  6. I take a different approach to cc.
    If i'm in mcd's and there's a robbery i'm heading out the side door as fast as possible. I only carry as a last resort to defend me or mine.
    Screw everybody else.
    I think an article on the pros and cons is in order.

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    1. "Screw everybody else" is a losing philosophy. The word 'despicable' comes to mind. Given that situations vary and decisions have to be made, some very difficult, some easier; honor and love are ennobling and can not be ignored by a man worthy of that title.

      I know cynicism is fun, occasionally even amusing to others, but I get the impression the 'screw everybody else' writer intends to be serious.

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    2. Screw Everyone From The Other Tribe is a legitimate strategy, and will soon be necessary. No problem practicing it now, as we are fragmented and pitted against each other. Honor is only amongst your own tribe.

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    3. We don't do McDonald's but we do do Steak n Shake now and then and we always sit in about the same area. I don't carry a gun on me but usually have one in my truck. The booth we sit at is in view of the front entry doors and as far away from it as possible (I never sit with my back to the door). My truck is sitting within 100' right outside the window at the booth we are sitting at. Never a table, always a booth at a window. When the shit goes down I'll be no hero to anyone but my wife. See that fat lady at the table across the aisle? Her ass is gonna hit the floor asap as I grab her chair and slam it as hard as I can at that safety glass window. Then I grab my squeeze harder than she's ever been grabbed and out the window to my truck we go. Within 30 seconds of entering any establishment I have cased everybody in sight and know who is what. While seated I am always watching everything and always discreet about it. Situational awareness at all times when around others or out in public. I mostly just stay here on the compound where it's safe. Society wears me out, with little benefit in return.

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    4. OK, but I mildly disagree. You will get more friendly defectors from your 'other tribe' if you have a reputation of mercy. If your known policy is to kill all prisoners, you will take very few who are not unconscious.

      I understand this is a complex subject. This is probably not the best forum to discuss ethics.

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    5. Reputation for mercy is Realpolitik. Nothing wrong with that. But when the time comes, you turn on your neighbors. Why do you think the Almighty Justification is always there as a pretext? Realpolitiks.

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    6. GS-damn, I remember Steak & Shake. Good food. Only ate there once, though. I try to "leave the compound" even less than I used to.

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  7. Whenever you tout the virtues of the Enfield, you always neglect to inform your minions that it kicks like a Bruce Lee blow to the shoulder. Fuck that. Save your money and buy an AR-10. It will still deliver death with just a single round, and your 8 year old grandson can even shoot it in case your taking a grandpa-nap when the bad guys show up.

    If a true SHTF apocalypse comes to pass you will wish the hell you had one. Mosins and Enfields are back-up guns. Doubt it at your own peril.

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    Replies
    1. The reason I don't mention it is that in my experience it is barely more than the SKS and a level action 30/30 kicks worse. I'm about as scrawny as the typical Briton, btw. Your further comments about "just save up for an AR" are addressed in its own article coming up in two weeks.

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    2. If your rifle or shotgun, for that matter, hurts you, you are mounting it incorrectly.

      The AR-10 is a nice weapon, but it is a bit heavy for my 8-year-old grandson. He lacks the strength in his left arm.

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    3. I can easily fire the Enfield. Twice. Rapid shots are near worthless as my shoulder needs rest between for accurate shots. Of course, if I need to get rid of the mag quick, it will be short range.

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    4. 30/30 kicks? Mines mild.

      My Mauser in 308? Now that hurts on both ends

      I wont mention my coach gun of fun loaded with slugs of punishment

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    5. Never shot a Mauser-I'm told they kick like holy hell compared to the Enfield.

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    6. As far as manually-operated rifles go, the biggest factors I know of in terms of recoil are the cartridge and the weight of the rifle. As for muzzle climb, bore axis compared to the shoulder can also affect it, but for felt recoil essentially more weight means less recoil and less weight means more recoil.

      The No.4 Lee Enfield is roughly 9lb, a bit heavier than its predecessor the Mk.III* due to its thicker barrel which improves accuracy. The .303 British it shoots is generally not loaded as hot as .308 or .30-06 though it's not too far off from .308. A Mauser Kar98k is lighter, to my knowledge, around 8.5lb. 8mm Mauser is also much hotter than .303; 174gr at 2440 ft/s from 25" barrel vs 198gr at 2500 ft/s from a 24" barrel if memory serves. So yeah, the Kar98k has more felt recoil than a Lee Enfield. Carbines often have even more felt recoil than full-sized rifles due to being lighter designs, which is why the No.5 Lee Enfield "Jungle Carbine" has a rubber pad on the buttstock instead of the typical brass plate with the storage compartment for oil can and pull-through rope.

      As for semi-auto rifles, those have moving parts and recoil springs, which aid in reducing felt recoil, so yeah, an AR-10 would have less felt recoil than a typical bolt-action, but to my knowledge the AR-10 (chambered in .308) is far more rare and expensive than the hugely common AR-15 (.223).

      Personally, I'd go with an SKS instead of an AR-10. You can carry more 7.62x39 on clips than .308 in mags, even less felt recoil means quicker follow-up shots, I prefer piston over direct-impingement, and the field strip is about as easy as it gets. Also has that nifty bayonet fixed at the end of the barrel, and if your aim is true, 7.62x39 can be good enough for moose. To each their own though, I can see the value in an AR-10, but that pricetag though...

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    7. I'm just wondering here, but I gather any AR10 you get is going to be pretty accurate. Given its mission and price. To get an AR15 from spray and pray to marksman you'll need heavy barrels and better parts. Once you are done, would there even be much price difference? And with a better bullet. No spare parts and non standard parts, however.

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  8. It's all well and good thinking about things. But if you're young, like me (35), you're going to run out of ammo long before you stop finding uses for it. I'm preparing equally in parts for other means of food gathering aside from guns (protecting oneself is illegal here in Aus, so I can't even think about such things). Traps and assorted hardware is a big focus - they won't deteriorate over time if kept greased in a watertight bucket.
    I'd not like to shoot homemade powders/projectiles/primers in any of my guns - I'd rather trap or shoot with a bow. Or hunt with a dog - there's a long tradition of using dogs for pigs, deer, kangaroo etc, and even tales of folks relying totally on their dogs for food in such godforsaken places as Tasmania in colonial days.
    Just a dozen #110 bodygripper traps will keep a man and his family in rabbits, so long as there are rabbits about. Which to me is a better (and cheaper) bet than a second or third rifle, and will not only last longer, but be very very quiet for hunting wabbits.

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    1. Far too many two legged animals here-defense it far more important.

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    2. I'm in Australia as well and defence pshtf is very much on my mind. Dogs and trapping will provide plenty of meat, depending on your area, but the need for a gun cant be over stated.
      Aussie

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  9. The .223 and 5.56 have no substantive velocity difference. The cases have very slight, mostly irrelevant dimensional differences. The 5.56 is higher pressure. Some rifles labeled .223 will fire 5.56 safely, just check with the manufacturer. All 5.56 labeled rifles will fire the .223 without problem.

    Keep in mind that H&R and Thompson Center single shots will enlarge their groups once they get hot due to the way the barrel is pressed against the fore end. Also, rounds like .223 and .308 are prone to extraction problems in these single shots. I know someone who had a H&R .223 that had extraction problems that were never resolved, even after having it gunsmithed. Others have reported similar problems. I only recommend the older, rimmed cartridges like .357/38, .30-30, all shotgun rounds, etc. in the single shots for reliable extraction.
    Peace out

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    Replies
    1. Excellent to know on the extraction problem-glad I was too cheap to already do this with single shots and potentially waste my money.

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  10. Great blog! Do you have any recommendations for aspiring writers?
    I'm planning to start my own site soon but I'm
    a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting
    with a free platform like Wordpress or go for a paid option? There
    are so many choices out there that I'm completely confused ..

    Any ideas? Bless you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wordpress is a bitch from what I've heard. Not just the initial set-up, bad enough, but then you need to fix problems as they occur. Blogger does all that for you. Of course, Blogger can censor you. If you want a paid web site, not a blog ( no comments ), my web site isn't too difficult.
      Domain Name Sanity.com
      They cost only about $50 or $60 a year, but that is subject to bandwidth maximums. If you just want to publish books, Amazon. If you just want to publish books without hassles, Lulu.com
      You could also do e-mail newsletters. The best one seems to be MailerLite.com E-mail me if you want more info for your specific circumstances
      jimd303@reagan.com

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  11. My pick for minimal firearms would be four - centerfire bolt rifle, pump shotgun, revolver and rim fire rifle. The bolt centerfire - CZ Carbine in 7.62x39 (the SKS / AK-47 round). The pump shotgun in 12 guage - for night varmints, two and four legged. Less light - you need some spreaded influence. The revolver - .357 Magnum / .38 Special. Because a handgun is with you ALL THE TIME, not something to be set aside when doing chores. The rimfire rifle - small targets need more precision and the .22 rimfire excels at that. For small vermin (mice/rats), a pellet rifle would be nice.

    Interesting thread sir - thanks for starting it up !

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    1. I know rimfire just saw a dip to a nickel, but it is usually more like ten cents and up. Do you still see utility in that round? How much performance/power are you giving up for so little savings?

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    2. Anon 4:08 here - Well, I'm probably in the minority of your readers, but I've been a shooter for over 45 years. Much of that time as a gun nut so buying ammunition has been an activity since way back. I have a lot of rimfire ammunition put back, more than the average bear. If I were just starting right now, rimfire cost (if you can find it) would be cost prohibitive.

      Honestly, quite a bit of it was purchased as barter material, I never figured the cost would rise as much as it did. A year ago, I traded a brick of ammunition at a gunshow for four times the purchase price. Just dumb luck I got on the ground floor on this one - certainly was not pre-planed.

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    3. Don't discount dumb luck-we're all going to need a lot.

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