The Fighting Rifle (And Why Your Pistol Is A Backup Weapon)

Off the Grid News ^ | Jun 25th, 2012 | Mike

[Sopater]

Never bring a pistol to a rifle fight... ;-)

[cripplecreek]

I prefer long guns. They are within my comfort zone.

[US Navy Vet]

M-1 Garand in Springfield 30-06, accept NO Substitutes!

[Hodar]

Why, then, does the civilian populace have it backwards? Leaving aside the practicality of carrying a rifle around, a pistol for defense purposes is inferior in every way to a rifle.

It's always a matter of using the right tool, for the right job.

If home owner steps outside of his house, and fires a "range" weapon, he's going to have some explaining to do. However, inside his own home the homeowner's primary concern is maneuverability in a confined (and very familiar) space. I can swing my 9mm around my house - faster than a stranger can swing around a carbine. My 9mm will kill the intruder, without going through the walls, penetrating the exterior walls of my neighbor and injuring/killing them. This is by design. Totally different mission - and for the homeowner, the proper tool.

Whereas, many of the fire-fights our troops are engaged in are at ranges greater than 25 ft.

[ozzymandus]

Much as I’d love to carry my FAL into the 7/11, it might be a bit inconvenient. I find the author’s reference to “armchair warriors” more than a little ironic. Is his whole point that a rifle is better than a pistol?

[Sopater]

I tend to agree. I think a well stocked tool box is the ideal situation, coupled with a good understanding of what tool to reach for in any given situation. Sometimes you reach for more than one tool if you know that the situation is capable of changing at any given time.

[yarddog]

I don’t think there is a great chance that I would ever need a defensive rifle. Just not likely in my area tho I would never dismiss it as impossible.

I did have an incident happen a few months ago which made me realize a high capacity shotgun or pistol could happen.

I had driven out to the nearest town which is about 12 miles away. As I approached home I noticed a van parked in my rural driveway.

I thought about getting my pistol ready but decided to just play it by ear. It turned out they were friendly and didn’t act at all hostile. They had almost lost a tire and had no spare. The bad one had metal showing. I knew a guy who would help them out and he lived near enough that I told them to go ahead and creep to his house which was only a short distance to go. I phoned him to warn him.

After they were gone, I did check a tire and wheel I had in my driveway and they had definitely checked it out before I got there. Maybe just something they would have offered to buy but maybe to steal. Anyway it was the wrong size.

[yarddog]

I just realized I didn’t mention there were around a dozen Mexicans in and around the van.

[MHGinTN]

One perhaps oblique ancillary: I have just recently converted my ARs to piston driven guns. The reduction in heat in the firing chamber and bolt carrier, as well as the reduction in carbon fouling is very significant for more than five or six rounds fired in a fire fight. I reccommend one of three best systems because of functionality to the level of three hundred rounds in less than an hour.

[driftdiver]

The real question for me is .40 cal or .45 acp :)

[Born to Conserve]

Advice from my neighbor, who was going on a business trip, to his wife, who was staying home: “if someone breaks in to the house, point this gun (300 Weatherby Magnum) at that wall (solid cinder block) and pull the trigger — they’ll leave.”

[cripplecreek]

In a survival situation, I’d say screw stupid laws and saw the barrel off a shotgun for close in defense.

[driftdiver]

“My 9mm will kill the intruder, without going through the walls, penetrating the exterior walls of my neighbor and injuring/killing them. This is by design.”

Most handgun rounds will penetrate 3 or more sheetrock walls. Many will also penetrate cinder block and brick exterior walls. Shotgun (shot, 00, and slugs) will also penetrate multiple interior walls.

I’ve read several articles that the 5.56 round actually has the least penetration as the bullet will break apart by the 3rd sheet rock wall and fail to go through.

There are numerous videos on youtube showing penetration of the various calibers.

[dblshot]

Always have to think of where the bullet is going to land if it misses bad guy or goes through bad guy. Rifle bullet will carry much farther with force, point of using a rifle according to this article. Do I really need to take out someone 400 yards from my house? “well you see officer, some guy was on my property last night about back there at the pasture fence so I pulled down the Weatherby and took care of him. No problem right?”

They say in Viet Nam about 10000 rounds were expended for every enemy killed. Unless I am attacked by a mob, a hit team, or Zombies, I think Mr. 12 guage and Ms. 9 will suffice. I particularly like Hornadays rifled 12 guage fragmenting slug for Zombie work. Just remember to hit them in the head. I have no problem with citizens owning AKs or AR15 clones and using them for self defense. Use what you got Bro.

[Yosemitest]

And only the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN CHIF would arm U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry with “less than lethal” beanbag rounds.
Read Did flawed US policies play role in death of a border patrol agent?

The Dec. 14 shootout in Peck Canyon, near Nogales, Ariz., occurred after border patrol agents halted a group of armed border bandits and fired at them with bean bag guns.
The bandits then opened fire with live bullets from AK-47 submachine guns, killing Mr. Terry.

Critics of US border patrol procedures, including Terry's family, say that
Terry, a former Marine, was operating under specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) orders that required agents encountering suspected illegal immigrants on US soil to fire nonlethal bean bags before using live ammunition.

Also read Brian Terry’s Killers Were “Hunting” Border Patrol Agents

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[Sopater]

I have just recently converted my ARs to piston driven guns.

Details? This is new to me.

[SampleMan]

Carbines and rifles are obviously superior to a pistol beyond close range. A shotgun can be depending.

However, nothing is more handy than a pistol, or easier to use in a confined space.

Just to be safe, have a long gun to fall back to.

[driftdiver]

I’m in the market for a new AR15 and ran across the piston driven ARs at the store. Appreciate the comment, I need to learn more about them.

[Sopater]

Just to be safe, have a long gun to fall back to.

I've always heard that a handgun is used to fight your way to your rifle.

[LonePalm]

My weapon of choice for long ranges is the Mark 7 16/50.

I would switch to this for intermediate ranges.

And this for close in.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)