19th Century Anti-Riot Guns

[Pax Jordana]

Of course

.. if it's all I had to deal with.

The foremost question in my mind would be, which gun makes the loudest boom? I've never fired a .45LC SA, but I'd think the shotgun would be superior in terms of intimidation. This is important because the first person I couldn't get past without shooting would have an ugly example made of them to warn the rest.

 

[piranha45]

oh man, defending a business against an unruly mob with a shotgun would be blissful. If things got too slow, I'd start defending other nearby businesses too, just for the sake of getting more opportunities to shoot people

 

[Bezoar]

SxS and the peacemaker more then enough for then. Though if it was a typical general store out west they would have alot more ammo, and most likely some blasting powder and lots of nails laying around. Maybe even some dynamite.


Personally id opt for having a few hand grenades and a flame thrower along with a m16 saw with 100 magazine. FIrst time the riot see someone get hit with jellied gasoline, they would be running away.

 

[Wes Janson]

It would be most preferable to never have to fire a shot. With that in mind, maximum intimidation with the potential to deliver maximum firepower seems to be the goal.

I voted for "other combination", because I'd say the only necessary weapon would be a tripod-mounted Browning, properly sandbagged on top the roof, with at least half a dozen cans of ammo ready. Belts loaded exclusively with tracers for added deterrence. Add a second person with an AR-15 to protect the rear of the building.

 

[akodo]

a side by side with buck and a handgun that makes .45 inch holes, six of em before you need to reload, that's a hell of a lot.

If a situation got hairy, and I had those on hand, but better stuff a few blocks away (at a friend's house, or I was at my business and that was my home, whatever) I'd definately hunker down with those tools and feel myself well equiped as long as I did my part.

If I walked into a gunstore with the idea of purchasing tools to keep in my place of business in case of a rodney king type riot, I would definately make different choices that a double barreled 12 guage and a .45 LC single action revolver (especially as I could probably get a used 12 guage pump for less than even one of those inexpensive russian cowboy action intended shorty doubles)

However, if I had a buisness partner, and he opened the back cabnet and said "This is what I got for 'oh ***** situations', this 12 guage double and this 45 colt revolver, how much money should we budget for more, better newer stuff, if any?' I'd probably stick with the 12 double as good enough but replace the SA revolver with something where all you have to do for the next shot is yank the trigger one more time.

 

[akodo]

lets take this scenario another way.

In your SUV, half a block away, you have your shotgun of choice, carbine of choice, handgun of choice.

But that is half a block away. You don't see any immediate rioters, but you hear noise and see smoke. Your buddy Frank says 'get the he!! back in here you fool' from the back supply room (which has just 2 small narrow windows, but a solid door to the alley, and a solid door that opens into the buisness proper...lets say a shoe store) Frank is a shooter, a CCW carrier who may have a decent handgun on him, or maybe because it is hot he just has his little 32, or maybe he didn't bother today. Frank sees you consider and says 'Don't forget I got Dad's guns in here, had em ever since we had this store!' Which you know are a double barreled 12 guage, at least 2 new full boxes of buck for them, probably a few boxes of 'pheasant loads' from 1970, a bolt action .22LR with at least half a brick of plinking ammo left, and an old .45 SAA with a box of 50 LWC frank picked up at walmart a few few years ago.

Do you dash half a block and grab your own gear, or do you stay inside/on the roof with Frank's dad's gear, at least until you can get a better read of the situation and determine if or when you can get to your car and weapons.

Note, your weapons are through the magic of the internet, unable to be used by the rioters, even if they did find them (no ammo, partialyl disassembled, divine invervention, quality locking cases, whatever) and your SUV and it's contents are insured.

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

.45 and SxS would be plenty.
You never said anything about gasoline/paint thinner/ WD40/kerosene/vodka/whiskey/other flamable substances lying around in addition to cloth, lighter, thumbtacks/nails/pencils/screws and fire extinguishers or fire hoses, and various melee weapons.
Preference: Remington 870 an four-inch .38 or .357 DA wheelgun (M10, 619, 620, 686, M67, GP100)
PS, what kind of car is it? Does it have a large brushguard?

 

[nfl1990]

Just curosity question: What would be the likley leagal rules of engagment for a civilian in this situation.

Can you oder the mob to: "Stop, if you proceed further I will be forced to consider you hostile" and if they continuse to approach can you use leathal force if you are in fear for your life.

Do you need to wait until they break in to your store?

Until they brandish a weapon and threaten you?

The reason why I bring this up is because while it is all well and good to say that you wish to protect your property, it is another to do so at the expense of your freedom.

 

[f4t9r]

This is not the old west anymore. give me a AR and hi cap auto.

 

[Sistema1927]

If I was half-way home from a Cowboy Action shoot and the SHTF, I think that I would be in fairly good shape.

Mule-ear SxS 12 ga.
1892 clone in .45 Colt
A pair of .45 Colt single-action revolvers (really, three of them since I normally carry a spare)
A pair of side match revolvers in .32 S&W
(let's assume for this scenario that my "modern" CCW isn't locked up in my vehicle during the match like it normally is.)

Ammo might be a bit of a problem since the shotgun rounds would be number 7.5 shot low brass, but the 200 grain lead .45 slugs should make up for that. Even then, the sight of those short 12 ga. barrels would be fairly intimidating to any BGs. The .32's would end up in a pocket as last ditch back-up protection.

I think that I could survive most threats with these weapons.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I usually take my pump shotgun with a deer barrel as my 'back up' rifle on hunting trips. 10-15 slugs MAYBE a box of birdshot.

However I do pack a sixgun (.44 mag with a box of shells) with my bolt action .30-06 rifle. I'd MUCH prefer a pump shotgun over a bolt action rifle. I usually have 2 boxes of ammo (40 rds) for the rifle.

Now... if that's ALL I HAD, and decided it was safer to stay than to go... I'd be painting a 'looters beware' sign and hope nobody tests their luck. Property can be replaced in most cases, my/your life cannot.


(No way I'd be deer hunting with 70 rds of 00 Buck, much less a double barreled shotgun.)

 

[Imaginos]

One Riot, One Ranger

Seems I remember a story about some town in Texas having some kind of civil unrest, so the local authorities sent a message to the Texas Rangers requesting assistance. When the train oulled in an one Ranger got off, he was asked why only one Ranger was sent. The response was something like "Well how many riots do you have?"

Seriously, I would not be any more or less comfortable with cowboy guns than with any other firearms in that situation. As already stated, you are not facing the FBI HRT at Waco. You are dealing with out of control opportunists who are not particularly interested in taking casualties. If they are motivated enough to get to you and your store while accepting the casualties and keep coming, then even fully automatic weapons may not save your bacon.

 

[iamkris]

If it is all you have available, it will certainly do the job.