Sunday, October 19, 2008

Common Guns

There are always people who wonder what is the best gun for a survival situation because they feel they may not be adequately prepared to cover issues related to protection and providing a means for hunting game. The answer is quite simple. The best gun is the one you have. Any gun will be of great value and certainly of greater value than having none.

You may be limited as to the type of game you can hunt but you will still be able to hunt something. Granted you may not be able to hunt bigger game with a .22 lr, but you will be able to hunt. A .22 pistol may not be as formidable as a .45 ACP, but it will deter most people.

My own personal choice is to have "common" guns. Having common guns automatically gives me common calibers in the type of ammo that needs to be stored. It gives you an automatic backup should one break or fail. You can also keep sets of the same spare parts that will cover all your guns. You can even combine parts from both guns to make a workable rifle , even if both break down. You will also be able to become more familiar with your guns in the areas of cleaning and maintenance, repair and accurately shooting your rifle.

The wife and I now have Marlin Model 336 rifles in .30/.30 caliber. The lever action is a classic. It readily adapts for both left and right-handed shooters. They're a lot of these rifles out there and therefore should be no shortage of spare parts or people knowledgeable in their repair. Ammo in .30/.30 caliber can be found anywhere you may go. We refer to our Marlin 336 rifles as the twins.

We will now start working on common guns in .22lr. I currently have a Ruger 10/22 and will be working towards the goal of another one. I also have a .22 pistol and another one will soon be coming. Owning common sets of firearms seems like a logical step in being prepared. After obtaining at least two common guns, the possibility of a third common gun would give a complete backup of spare parts.

Common guns makes common sense!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great idea's,if you can get what you want at a price you can afford.I don't agree with the 30.30 though,as it's an odd caliber to me.Might be hard to find if you haven't already stocked up.My retreat area has deer,quail,turkey,and a few mountain lion's!I try to keep the hunting need's ahead of the defense concept,as any weapon will be a good detterent.Keeping this all in mind,my current weapon's are a Ruger 10/22,really sweet,with a fiberforce stock,several 25 rd mag's,and a HUGE scope!It's fairly cheap,both to buy and shoot,lotsa goodie's made for it,and very light with the new stock.My next gun is an old Savage 30.06,great for deer and defense.It's a bolt action,but still great for almost anything.My other gun's include a 12 gauge remington 1148 semi auto,great for the bird's,and scare the hell out of anyone that may come snooping around.Keep a good variety of shot,6 or 7 for bird's,2 shot for big critter's.I carry a Ruger P89 9mm pistol,has ambidextrous safety and mag release,low recoil,easy to get ammo for.I also have a bastard rifle,an old british enfield,a great deer rifle,but way too expensive for normal day to day use.One thing I picked up recently,and in my opinion is WAY under rated,is a pellet gun.Now that your finished laughing,let me explain...I bought a Crosman 1200,1200 fps,for 119 on sale.It has a decent heft to it,came with a cheap but functional scope,and cheap to shoot!It will easily put a pellet thru a 2x4,plenty for rabbit or squirrel,but it's only a bit quieter than a .22.It really has a nice pop to it!

Anonymous said...

Alas the mighty boar lives in dread! I cannot help it I read too much Brother's Grimm.

Good set up. Lord knows I have enough children to feed. I am going to work on doubles next.

Mayberry said...

I'd like a .22 revolver, since I've already got the rifle. Common ammo that can be shared between two guns is a good thing... Keep it Simple Stupid! Heh heh heh....

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous

The .30/.30 is real common in my area from "mom & pop" to the big box stores. Have a bunch put of ammo put up. I haven't gotten a set of good bolt action rifles yet but hoping to find a good deal somewhere. Plan on getting a second 12 gauge identical to my current Mossberg. The Ruger P89 sounds great. I'll have to look into that one. As for the cost, I just keep looking till I can find a deal or my birthday rolls around again. They come pretty fast at my age! Thanks for the really great comments.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: jennersen

More "gun porn" is just what everybody needs. Alas, I too am now feeding "twins". Thanks.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: mayberry

The old K.I.S.S. formula still works pretty good! I've got one set of "twins" and working towards another. Maybe one day I can afford "triplets". Ha!Ha!

RW

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous

I forgot to mention those air rifles are great...planning to get one for the grandson!

RW

Anonymous said...

In regard's to the air rifle for the grandson...trust me,this one I have is NOT a "daisy red ryder" like in the movie!This is just shy of an olympic grade match rifle!Easily comparable to a benjamin or such.The ballistic's are close to those of a .22 LR,so don't write it off as a toy.Aside from being a single shot break action,I prefer it to my 10/22.

riverwalker said...

To: anonymous

Sorry about that. I really sounded like a schmuck! The kind of air rifle you have is way too much for the youngster. Plus he's got to prove he can handle it safely before I get him a quality gun such as yours. I got in enough trouble with my Daisy air rifle when I was younger and I don't think young boys have changed all that much. I've thought about getting an air rifle but the really good ones aren't cheap. I try to buy quality when it comes to guns. So it will have to wait a bit. You get a chance I'd like to hear more about your 9mm. Once again thanks! And if I mess up don't be afraid to holler back, I mess up a lot!

RW

Ryan said...

I like the idea if you have the cash to make it work. I am in the process of twinning up my more practical useful weapons. Another Mossberg 500 is definitely on the list as is another .45 and a spare 10/22

Anonymous said...

I love my 10/22 so much that I just picked up another one. The first stainless-steel one will be scoped and the new blued one will be outfitted with the M1A-like tech sights.

riverwalker said...

To: theotherryan

Another Mossberg 12 gauge and Ruger 10/22 are also in my plans.
I still haven't made a final decision on common pistols for now.

RW

riverwalker said...

To: mockum

Looks like you'll be feeding "twins" also.

RW

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