After reading Declan's question and then your answer, I felt compelled
to write in. Many of the survival minded people that post on various boards
swear
by their main battle rifle (MBR),
whether an AK, AR, M1A, FN-FAL, the list goes on. All which are tools that
have certain uses just like a hammer. IMHO,
I
don't
believe
that
we will go to a full scale war zone overnight. With the concealable of a pistol,
it is not as threatening as a MBR in public, mostly because of "out of
sight, out of mind." with a CCW,
a person can began to carry and also have it accessible if the balloon goes
up and their MBR is no where close.
For someone with a limited budget, a quality handgun would be the best first
gun in a survival battery. I also believe that if the person is not experienced
with weapons, the simpler the better. I have shot 1911A1s for the last 30 years,
also carried in the Army. I was fortunate enough that I had an office beside
the armory, and the armorer let me put together a tighter weapon from parts.
Officers never could figure out why my pistol held a tighter group. But, I
digress. The 1911A1 is an easy weapon to work on, but I believe it is still
too complicated for the novice. The locked and cocked issue to be ready is
my concern.
Since 1989, I have fell in love with Glocks. Yes, I pack plastic. To me the
grip is very similar to the 1911. The simplicity of the design also won over
the engineer in me. Currently they can be found in the .40 and .45 caliber
for around $350 dealer cost. These are trade-ins. I have purchased three this
year
that were trade-ins. The weapons were in great shape. Also, there are many
used "law enforcement" only hi-cap mags [made during the 1994-2004
U.S. Federal magazine ban] out there for $10. Sure beats the $100 each they
were just a few short years ago.
For
around $500
a person should
be able
to
arm themselves with a Glock, six magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. The
next step is practice, practice, practice. Proficiency is not acquired on the
Internet,
it is available only at the range. That's enough for now. Love your site.
I'm a proud "10
Cent Challenge" donor. - The Sarge
JWR Replies: Yes, handguns have their role in survival planning. They are handy for concealed carry, and as a means to have a weapon close at hand when you are doing heavy work and you can't carry a rifle. (It is hard to dig post holes when you have a rifle slung across your back.) But handguns are not a proper substitute for a rifle or riotgun when faced with deep drama. Another writer said it best when he opined [my paraphrasing]: "A handgun is just a tool that buys you time to fight your way back to your rifle."
