Posted on 10/16/2023 6:56:56 AM PDT by circlecity
If you could choose just three types of firearms that are essential for a well armed citizen to own, which would you recommend?
Thank you! Great!... So, on the AR that you built, was that 22lr?
I’ll definitely need to find cleaning classes, soon.
Lots of good info on this site:
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/
and of course
https://www.midwayusa.com/s?searchTerm=molds
is a good site to purchase equipment and supplies from.
I would suggest that you go to:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cast+bullets
for lots of good how to videos to watch.
Fishing weights are almost pure lead which are good for pistol bullets because they are soft and easily conform to the barrel when fired. If you are casting rifle bullets then you need a lead alloy that is a little harder which old tire weights were good for. You can purchase antimony and tin to mix in with your lead or you can buy ingots that are already alloyed from our friends at Midway USA
https://www.midwayusa.com/s?searchTerm=antimony
The other thing you need to install on the end of your cast rifle bullets are “gas checks”. I make my own out of aluminum sheets that I have a couple of die sets to make, but you can buy copper ones that are already made.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010192726?pid=381078
It is better to start off casting pistol bullets. I prefer molds that make six at a time, but they are more expensive.
Good luck, it is actually quite fun.
Nah, mine was 5.56/223
Great response. I really appreciate it.
Agree on all points.
My main reason for offering up my suggestions was not knowing the knowledge level/skill of the OP. Semi-auto firearms require a bit more care and feeding than lever/pump/revolvers to keep running smoothly, not to mention the immediate actions needed to clear jams/misfires/FTF. Otherwise, I don’t disagree with your advice.
I’m in hill and timber country. It’s rare that I can see over 300 yards, in a hunting scenario.
Agreed.
I think lever action rifles are the most under rated rifles today. The price for used lever actions has skyrocketed though. I recently bought an old Marlin 45-70 lever action and it is really mind blowing. At 20 yards it doesn’t put a hole through a watermelon - it vaporizes it. Ammo is pricy tho.
Except when they aren’t. In the last round of panic buying, the local BiMart ran out of those. The shelves were packed with .40 S&W and 6.5 Creedmoor, though, for a while. Pretty sure there was s 2 box limit, per customer, per caliber.
Don’t count on an adequate supply chain.
I agree. I own a 30/30 that has killed many deer over the years, and it would put down the two-legged variety just as easily. I also own many semi-autos in a variety of calibers and love them as well.
I’m an AK guy and I’d put it up against an AR any time just based on durability and how hard it hits. Plus ammo is ridiculously inexpensive and plentiful. I’d agree with a pump action shotgun and add a Glock 19. Again, dependable and durable. The AK and the Glock eat what you feed it. The AR is pickier and can turn into a $1500 club if it is not properly maintained.tained
Phalanx CIWS
I agree with your selection.
A good 12-gauge pump shotgun; a reliable semi-auto rifle; a reliable handgun with which you are proficient. I like wheel guns, as well; but if I had to be limited to one handgun, I’d go with a Glock 19 (one reason is that 9mm ammo is far more obtainable than .38 SPL or .357 magnum; another is the 15-round magazine as opposed to a five or six-round cylinder).
That’s not true against an AR-10. An AR-10 is the best semi-auto rifle out there. 308 rules.
I can’t argue with your reasoning for the Glock 19 or any 9mm semi. But a handgun is for close up defensive work and that rarely requires more than 6 rounds. I love the reliability of a wheel gun. But I have to admit my EDC is a 9mm semi.
Doesn’t hurt to have a couple of quarts of good lube handy, either, to minimize malfunctions. And a couple of quarts of synthetic motor oil, on top of that.
The premise of this is so unfair. No one should be allowed to have three firearms when criminals often don’t have time to steal but one. Having three guns also invites mounting a disproportionate response when you are attacked.
If my Christmas bonus is nice, I’m adding an AR to my S&W 9mm. Shotgun will come next. Also need to allocate some range time.
Look up how to mix a batch of Ed’s Red gun cleaning solvent/lubricant. It’s all I use. 30 bucks and you can mix up a lifetime supply. It cleans a dirty bolt on an AR better than anything I’ve ever used.
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