Posted on 10/26/2001 11:07:16 AM PDT by LibKill
Yes, this is another firearms vanity.
The fantasy condition is this:
For whatever reason, you have to choose one firearm to keep.
This assumes that you also have a decent supply of ammunition to go with it.
For purposes of this discussion we will assume that there is no change in current laws. You are limited to one gun by financial circumstances.
I have narrowed my choices down to a handgun, one small enough to conceal. That still leaves a lot of room for consideration.
Was that the supergun the Iraeli's blew up?
So LibKill, it seems we've got a pretty good consensus here that a .22 is always useful, most concealable/useful though not long-range is 9mm/.357 (more available so perhaps best choice over always-approved .45/1911, or wild-west and then some .44s), pistol/rifle combinations an advantage, 12ga. most all-purpose, .30 cal. rifle highly useful, if not generally as adaptable to lighter stuff, and .223 in military configuration handy for most tasks, except concealment, heavy "game," and low-report. Bearing in mind that a determined and resourceful individual could probably get himself and family coast to coast, pole to pole with an M1 Garand, and sufficient number of clips, under most imagineable conditions...
I guess having any good gun you have and can get more ammo for, especially a reliable repeater, especially military-reliable and equipped, from 9mm, .357, 12ga. -- then .22 and 5.56/.30 on the extremes, would be the all-purpose survival choice. When in doubt, go heavier round rather than lighter. Thanks to current, modern design, manufacture, and ammo sophistication, almost everything overlaps to some extent: you can get a HVHP-firing double, tripod-mounted "heavy" machinegun for your Jeep Cherokee, birdshot, subsonic, Nyclad/Silvertip "almost lead" HP, bonded HP, metal case standard/+P/+P+/+P++ loads for your pocket-rocket or service 9mm or .357, tweety-bird, OOO magnum, flamethrower, hardened .50 cal. and 1 oz. slug, even U.S legal tender 12 ga. supplies, .30/.223 cal. HP/soft point/FMJ/AP/tracer...even a .22 converter for the .30...so what you have to choose from, like, are good at, have food for...weighted to the pistol/12 ga...w/shorter .223 always good for getting out of jams, and reaching out to harvest that yummy inner-city flying rat..er....freerange pigeon sandwich, excuse me, having trouble focusing my eyes...
...so even though you've kept me up 50% of my scheduled sack-time this week...I'm personally at peace over continuing my plan to get a GP(?)long-barrelled Target, shock-buffered if possible, tritium/laser sight HP w/20 rd. mags.(for bonded HP+P+/FMC), a 10-22 w/folding stock...to keep company w/my 12s, Mini, '03/M70(ask Santa for a Garand, M1A tanker, and .32ACP Pedersen Device)...a 9mm/.357/.44/.410 Derringer (Defender) would be nice, too...and get a 9mm cylinder for my .357 SAA...which, although slow in most hands except the Bob Mundens of the world, holds the record for still being able to be fired with the most parts broken or missing. During real, extended trouble, those things become real selling points. So, for me, I'd grab either the service/duty 9mm or 4" .357, an 18-20" 12ga., your handy AUG/CAR-16 equivalent, not feeling improperly (if not inconspicuously) armed with an '06/.308 battle/hunting rifle. The late Mel Tappan's classic "Survival Guns" was big on the Savage O/U pistol (or .22 Hornet)-shotgun ctg. combination long gun, which should ideally be your choice (being 2001, fer pete's sake) of .22/9mm/.357/.223/.308/.30'06/.50BMG over 3 1/2" 12ga...
My tools are military/police style...including my "cowboy" guns which are, after all, Single Action ARMY. Freep-on, my friend and brother. Let Freedom ring! Stay American, wherever the hell you end up. Let's remember our fighting men tonight. Peace.
I now hereby promise to keep my replies to haiku-length. Well, maybe the occasional sonnet. A Limerick?
although...a person with a .44 Ruger Super Redhawk, who knew how to use it, and was willing to, could do quite well. Make a nice companion to the M1!
A haiku...
We'll talk bayonets next time the Raccoon Lodge meets. Crossbows are also nice, but bulky. Many a sentry's friend had his heart drop and rectum pucker before throwing up, at the sight of what they can be made to do. Quiet, too. Once used one w/fishing reel attached...bowfishing. Beats waking the neighbors and breaking cover to retrieve that inner-city squab. Happy trails, all.
Alright, a sonnet.
cheese
I just want my M-14!!
My 2 have the silver "coin" finish, gold-plated triggers, and miserable, tiny thumb safeites, which I'm hoping to convert to the later, larger type. Never failed to cycle, fire anything I fed it.
Bet they'd look great next to a couple of M-14s. Oh Santa!!!
Is what we own. Hope Santa treats you well.
A friend of the family was a Marine recon in Viet Nam (2 Purple Hearts) and I posed essentially the same question to him. His answer: the FAL. He had prior experience with the M-16 (round was underpowered), M-14 (hard to control firing full auto), AK-47 (Commie gun), shotguns, etc. He said that one could run a truck over the FAL and it would still function.
Numerous configurations are available, long barrel, bipods, etc. for urban or field use.
Have a nice day.
You cannot imagine just how much!!!!!!
We will ask him to give you a minigun.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.