I've been researching guns.
and I've come across some RILLY strange stuff.
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Perhaps it's unexplained consequences of gun laws...but maybe not.
Side Note: Guns are among the OLDEST types of machinery on the planet...they predate the industrial revolution. They are a VERY mature technology.
but I digress.
I'm curios about guns. Always have been. If I could afford it I'd be a collector. Not because I NEED a gun for any particular reason.(although I do.... any responsible individual does)....just because I want one.
There are a number of different types of small arms (something that you can carry)
Long Guns (Rifle)
Hand Guns (pistols/revolvers)
are the two main categories..
BUT...
What about carbines?
What about Pistol Caliber Carbines?
What about Rifle Caliber Pistols?
Like I said...firearms predate the industrial revolution (they might actually have caused it)...there are a LOT of different kinds
It get's just a touch complicated.
stay tuned for part II....(maybe...when I get around to it.)...in which I discuss pistol caliber carbines in greater detail.
In the USA
300,000,000 guns
247,813,910 adults
Now, if we look at what is a reasonable gun ownership, let's break it down to what a responsible individual needs.
So, the average responsible adult needs a minimum of 4 guns. Let's say that only 50% of American adults are responsible. That means there still only a 2:1 gun to Red Blooded American ratio. We have a horrible gun shortage in America!
I (mostly) agree..there is a gun shortage.
HOWEVER...I'm uneasy with all those calibers.
I'm looking to find a Pistol Caliber Carbine that uses the same ammo that my handguns use.
That way all I have to be concerned with is ONE caliber.
Henry Rifle does that for you.. .45 colt and other options for your pistol and lever action.
Still need a shotgun. But, then you could get a Judge.
I haz shot guns..have for a long time.
unfortunately they're 20 gauge.
Pistol ammo is designed to be shot from pistols, and doesn't take advantage of longer barrels well.
Of course, if you're not hunting or otherwise contemplating shooting at distances over 50 yards or so, it doesn't matter. Beyond that, rifle caliber ballistics really starts to matter.
Edit: I've seen some .44 Magnum lever action rifles that can probably perform well enough to take a deer at 100 yards or so, but the ballistics are not even as good as a .30-.30.
If ballistics matters, I'd look carefully at 6mm and up rifles. Smaller bullets lose energy quickly. Hard to beat a .30-06. You can get saboted 55 grain bullets, and solid copper 280 grain Moose stoppers. Extremely versatile, and custom loads can be tailored to the circumstances.
I had a pistol chambered in .45 Long Colt once. I could get 2.5" .410 shotgun shells and used it as a trail gun for grouse. Worked great! .45 is lousy bear medicine, but it's better than throwing pine cones if you're treed.
both use .44-40 Win
.22 LR
.22 Magnum
.357 Magnum
.44 Magnum
.410 caliber
.45 Colt
.500 Magnum
and my current 'favorite'
9mm Luger...(the carbine LOOKS cool)
You have been doing some research! .500 Mag I have no familiarity with, but due to mass having so much impact on ballistics, I bet it has the best ballistics at meaningful range of the rounds you present here. It's very difficult to pick one round for all purposes.
If your purposes are limited, then it's a little easier. From your current fav, I reckon you're looking at personal defense as the primary function for your peacekeepers. 9mm is inexpensive, common, and will stop intruders. It's also a lot easier to shoot well in a handgun. That matters a lot.
Not very many can shoot .500 comfortably in a handgun. I've seen people actually cry shooting a 12 gauge with a pistol grip--people that could outshoot me with a .380 handgun. I am tempted to denigrate some calibers, but I actually don't denigrate any, as they all have a specific purpose, including the .17 HMR.
I have killed 1000 pound animals with one .22 LR behind the ear, but it's not the ideal caliber for such a large animal. More important than the ballistics, or foot-pounds of impact, is the ability of the shooter to place the bullet. Shoot what you're comfortable with, and meets your other needs, even if it's .22 LR.
A Ruger 10-.22 is lethal in the right hands, and with a night scope mounted is formidable anti-personnel medicine in the dark. Coyotes left Elk alone in spring on my property, which made it prime calving grounds.
The Punt Gun wasn't much use for home defense, despite the fact that if you could shoot a robber with it, they were gonna stop giving you trouble.
Form follows function, and weapons that look cool are really only cool if they are highly functional. Indeed, I reckon that's why they look cool, as they look highly functional.
Shoot what you shoot best, in the circumstances when you'll be shooting it. Multiple calibers for multiple jobs isn't a bad thing, so don't let that control your decision. At 5 yards, ballistics simply isn't a factor, so don't let the caliber nazis tell you 9mm isn't a good choice for that purpose.
9mm is outperformed by almost any rifle round at range, however, so if aimed shots at 100 yards is something that you need to be able to do, consider that. Personally, I'd rather have a sidearm chambered in 7.62x39 than longarms chambered in 9mm.
But whatever round you shoot, having one is better than not having one. I reckon you're ahead of the game just by having prepared prior to the need arising.
yup.
I expect that considering where I live that I'll rarely (if ever) need anything long range.
by long range I mean twenty yards or more.
That's why I was window shopping Pistol Caliber Carbines...they actually shoot BETTER than the pistol.
They take advantage of the power or the round that the short barrel of the pistol wastes
but like I said...window shopping.
...and I'm struggling for legal ownership of a .177 air rifle, in the UK. FFS!
And soon you won't be able to own any sharp objects.
This is a fun post. Also the shotgun comprises an important category of (usually) long arms. As you say every responsible person needs one. In my opinion if it must be just one it should usually be a shotgun.
It depends on what you want to use the gun for. Shotguns are great for a 'truck gun' (everyone has a truck...right?). There's a long standing debate about their suitability for home defense. But they're not so good for concealed carry.
If that's a debate I am squarely in the camp that view the shotgun as unrivaled for home defense :)
As with anything there are probably exceptions. The wide range of loads available for our 20ga give me a comfortable degree of confidence that it can handle whatever job comes up — and so far it has
(of course I also own handguns and rifles because why wouldn't I?)
It's true on point that shotguns don't work for concealed carry. In my view when it comes to concealed carry, and handguns in general we are already making compromises — sacrificing power and accuracy for availability and (some would argue convenience). Also open carry of long guns is often allowed where as concealed carry can mean jumping through hoops that are otherwise avoided.
The shotgun is definitely the ground floor firearm of choice for me. Thanks for some excellent points.
ah...so you have 20guage too?
What about type?
Double barrel, pump, automagic (loader), etc?
I'm thinking 'tactical pump' but...
20 guage...almost all the cool toys are Twelve.
Almost..but not all
I HAZ 20 already...sentimental value...NOT giving it up.
and I don't want to have several many guages (and calibers)
logistics don't you know?
(amateurs study tactics and strategy...professional study logistics)
I agree!
Pump action, the classic Remington 870 Express 20 Gauge. I originally got 'er when I took up duck hunting. But soon discovered she's down for anything ;)
I'm rethinking it's use for home defense.
It's good to revisit our thinking from time to time. What alternatives are you considering?
The nice thing about a shotgun for home defense though is that if you have close neighbors birdshot stays tight like a slug for 30 feet, but beyond that will rarely penetrate more than two walls. In Michigan, if your gun kills someone in the next house, regardless of why you fired it you are liable.
exactly right.
Imma big fan of the good 'ol 12 gauge. Hard to beat a double SxS for reliability, and they're damn versatile as well.
Even if you have to deal with all of the regulations that come with owning these firearms?
Yes. Ask anyone who wished they had, after surviving a violent encounter. Guns are for realists not for idealists who believe they will never need one. It is all about to error on the side of caution. It's better to own and carry and to never have needed to than to not carry and wish you had.
yup.
I carry a gun because a policeman is too heavy.
When seconds count the police are only minutes away.
Perhaps MUCH longer if you live in Houston
We’ve improved our rock throwing capability exponentially.
Indeed!
Here you go.
I have houses on both sides so my home defense weapon is a 12 ga. shotgun with birdshot. Stays tight like a slug at close range and will only penetrate a couple of walls before losing lethality. My prefered CC is a Tarus G2 9mm in a shoulder holster. The only thing I lack is a long range weapon. Before my dad passed he gave me his Winchester model 94 chambered in 30-30, but that is only good up to 300 yards. Drop gets hard to compensate for after that without a lot of practice.
for home defense 20 guage or even .410 ain't half bad.
'here come the judge'
I just imagine looking at these guns, how people get killed by their bullets. This is their main use and thing about this makes it even scary...
that's the point.
guns are a mature technology.
their purpose is to equalize the projective ability to do violence (kill)
no longer is a 90lb female at the mercy of a 200 lb rapist.
Indeed, this is a good point, but for that, a small Beretta is enough, the photos above make me think of war instead, and that should be avoided.
like that.
if it only came in 9mm
If lone rapists was all folks had to defend themselves against, a sidearm would likely suffice.
There's worse out there. Therefore there are better weapons than sidearms.
I'm glad you raised that point because we too often hear that carbines, the AR15, the M4, etc only belong on the battlefield. It's simply untrue. Across the board handguns are less lethal and less likely to stop a threat. Yes —even at close range.
The right gun to bring to a gun fight is the most powerful one you can. This is why the military brings carbines and then some to all its fights. If you become familiar with the growing body of police bodycam footage you will notice a pattern.
Cops carry a handgun on their belt because any situation can develop rapidly, not because it's a weapon of choice. Handguns are always a compromise. When cover officers arrive knowing there is a gunfight they come in with longarms if at all possible. That's because it's the right tool to win a lethal fight.
It's an unhappy fact but the reality is sometimes the battlefield is our front porch, our corner store or the next lane over in traffic. The difference between firing a shot in 'war' and 'self-preservation' isn't as great at it may seem.
Fair warning. Don't start looking into the asinine ATF laws and rulings. Might make your head explode. #somuchstupid
BATF is an unconstitutional agency. What part of 'shall make NO laws' do they not understand? Still...one must deal with them. The average citizen can NOT fight city hall and win.
Buen post esperare la segunda parte, saludos @everittdmickey…
guns...amazing..