Farmer
10-03-2007, 02:44 PM
In recent months I've gone through my preparedness gear several times trying to get my "go bag" down to a manageable size without sacrificing things that I consider important not only to survival but also to comfort while I'm surviving.
As I consider bang sticks to be essential, I find that it's nearly impossible to provide myself with the variety of weaponry I'd like to have and actually be able to carry it all around. A heavy pistol for self-defense. A small caliber rifle for small game. A larger caliber for larger game. A shotgun both for larger game and for self-defense. A semi-automatic rifle for all-out self-defense.
This all presupposes that what I'm trying to achieve is the kit I need when I'm away from home base that will allow me to get back to home base in one piece. All of the above can be had for a "bug-in" scenario.
So in the effort to "streamline" the whole long gun issue, I took into account the following:
1) Most law enforcement professionals are going to have some level of discomfort with a person (me) carrying an AR15 or a Remington 1187 around during an emergency situation.
2) Indeed, many people besides law enforcement would be uncomfortable seeing me stroll down their street armed in that fashion.
3) It's been a long time since I was able to carry around 1/4 of my weight in a backpack. It is likely that I will not be able to in the near future.
4) A .22 is just not enough. Even if it's semi-automatic.
5) Whatever I choose has to be able to be carried unobtrusively.
6) The long gun is mainly for food procurement, not self-defense. I'll have to depend on my wits to stay out of trouble and my 1911 to get me out of any I stumble into.
I started with an AR7. Too small. Switched to a Springfield M6. Very close. .22 Hornet is still a bit small, however, even backed up with the .410. And the trigger configuration made it nearly impossible to be accurate at more than about 25 yards.
I looked at takedown rifles from Rossi, NEF, Thompson and Ruger but all were too big.
Then I took another look at Thompson, and I think I've found my answer.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/KWMcClure/WithScope.jpg
Acting on advice from a friend I managed to get a rifle in .308 caliber that: a)breaks down and can fit into a small backpack; b)uses readily available ammunition; c)can be used with lighter bullets (110 grain) to hunt small game or heavy bullets (180 grain) for big stuff; and d)permits me to have additional barrels in other configurations at home to suit other situations. With two screws and a pin I can change to a shotgun, a long barrel rifle (in calibers from .17HMR to .460), or a muzzleloader.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/KWMcClure/SmallPackage.jpg
This is not to advertise Thompson particularly but rather to pass along an idea that may save you some effort and expense.
This rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds (slightly over 7 with the scope) and packs neatly in a bug out bag. Since it's a single-shot and not a combat weapon, ammunition needs are small. And as I've proven to myself, it's more accurate than it needs to be to put meat on the table. This configuration groups about 3/4" at 100 yards and slightly less than 1.5" at 200.
My whole kit is now less than 40 lbs, and I'm sure there's more I can pare out to get the weight down....
As I consider bang sticks to be essential, I find that it's nearly impossible to provide myself with the variety of weaponry I'd like to have and actually be able to carry it all around. A heavy pistol for self-defense. A small caliber rifle for small game. A larger caliber for larger game. A shotgun both for larger game and for self-defense. A semi-automatic rifle for all-out self-defense.
This all presupposes that what I'm trying to achieve is the kit I need when I'm away from home base that will allow me to get back to home base in one piece. All of the above can be had for a "bug-in" scenario.
So in the effort to "streamline" the whole long gun issue, I took into account the following:
1) Most law enforcement professionals are going to have some level of discomfort with a person (me) carrying an AR15 or a Remington 1187 around during an emergency situation.
2) Indeed, many people besides law enforcement would be uncomfortable seeing me stroll down their street armed in that fashion.
3) It's been a long time since I was able to carry around 1/4 of my weight in a backpack. It is likely that I will not be able to in the near future.
4) A .22 is just not enough. Even if it's semi-automatic.
5) Whatever I choose has to be able to be carried unobtrusively.
6) The long gun is mainly for food procurement, not self-defense. I'll have to depend on my wits to stay out of trouble and my 1911 to get me out of any I stumble into.
I started with an AR7. Too small. Switched to a Springfield M6. Very close. .22 Hornet is still a bit small, however, even backed up with the .410. And the trigger configuration made it nearly impossible to be accurate at more than about 25 yards.
I looked at takedown rifles from Rossi, NEF, Thompson and Ruger but all were too big.
Then I took another look at Thompson, and I think I've found my answer.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/KWMcClure/WithScope.jpg
Acting on advice from a friend I managed to get a rifle in .308 caliber that: a)breaks down and can fit into a small backpack; b)uses readily available ammunition; c)can be used with lighter bullets (110 grain) to hunt small game or heavy bullets (180 grain) for big stuff; and d)permits me to have additional barrels in other configurations at home to suit other situations. With two screws and a pin I can change to a shotgun, a long barrel rifle (in calibers from .17HMR to .460), or a muzzleloader.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/KWMcClure/SmallPackage.jpg
This is not to advertise Thompson particularly but rather to pass along an idea that may save you some effort and expense.
This rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds (slightly over 7 with the scope) and packs neatly in a bug out bag. Since it's a single-shot and not a combat weapon, ammunition needs are small. And as I've proven to myself, it's more accurate than it needs to be to put meat on the table. This configuration groups about 3/4" at 100 yards and slightly less than 1.5" at 200.
My whole kit is now less than 40 lbs, and I'm sure there's more I can pare out to get the weight down....