SHTF loaner gun for inexperienced people

[cliffstanc]

Hey, if you're really serious about this - and you don't trust your allies with firearms - plain ol' baseball bats just aren't going to cut it when the SHTF. How many get broken at the typical ball game? They're not sturdy enough to handle actual combat.

What you want to do is give them real melee weapons, something like this, for example. Of course, you could probably make something similar at much less cost ahead of time, but you get the idea. Make some spears and pikes too, since as we're not trusting them with ranged weapons we might as well give them as much of an advantage in distance as we can.

Or, of course, you could make friends with people who already firearm users or are willing to learn before trouble starts, and leave the hand-to-hand stuff for the SCA.

Still, I kinda like the look of that mace....

- Cliff

 

[Mannlicher]

zero, zip, nada. I don't loan guns to folks, and certainly not to folks who dont know what to do with one.

 

[rudolf]

Give them chainsaws. They were sheeple, now they can be brave. And chainsaws DO scare looters.

 

[ARTiger]

Shotguns: 20 ga. 870's
Pistols: S&W model 10's (lots of cheap, good quality surplus around)

 

[athlon64]

You have a lot of non gunowning friends who all of a sudden realize they are at the mercy of the mob, looters, etc.

The best long term solution to this potential issue is to choose better friends who are realistic and take responsibility to protect themselves rather than having you do the footwork and cover the bill. You also may be liable for whatever is done with that firearm (e.g. accidents, unjustifiable shooting) when the dust settles down (assuming it ain't TEOTWAWKI).

 

[pete f]

I have some extras, a couple of chzech 98's and some SKS's, maybe some other things when the times come. I figure that not everyone who would come asking would be novices, maybe family or friends who had lost a house or whose house would be off limits or similar and need to be useful in time that time.

Would you fail to loan a gun to a brother or nephew or niece who was unable to get home?

If the person coming was a complete Newb, I would rethink what they might get. maybe all they would get would be an axe or a iron pipe, maybe they would get a 98, just have to depend. Living as I do in a state where something like 50 % of the people hunt or fish, There are a lot of 870's and 94's sitting in closets. I suspect supplying others would not be that necessary.

 

[V4Vendetta]

I've thought a lot about this theory because I have only 1 or 2 friends that know enough about guns to be of any real help. The rest of the folks I know are sheep .

If they know how to use a gun, if they are good friends of mine, I might load them something like a semi-auto AK or a pump 870.

If they are my friends who didn't like guns before they realized they needed them, I might lt them into my fortress, but they get bats, bows & arrows*. I might give them something like a single-shotgun if the trouble is bad enough but I'd prefer to save the ammo for those who know how to use it.

*I know how to make them out of stuff on the ground thanks to my older brother .

 

[kjeff50cal]

Take a tip from the Tutsi of Rwanda..... buy machetes, lots of machetes. Not many zombies want to go up against anyone wielding what amounts to a short sword. Issue ss shotgun to those those who guard your immediate perimeter. Barney Fife them (with birdshot) if needed.

 

[AJAX22]

The right tool for the right job

I really like the machette Idea, you can order them in bulk ofline cheep, they don't take up alot of space and they don't consume ammo, and I think they might just be enough to give an untrained person that 'dont f**k with me' look in there eyes.

However, If for whatever reason someone who I cared about truely needed one, was responsible, mechanicaly inclined and willing to take instruction, a good solid revolver in 38 or 357, preferably a DAO would be a good choice, Providing you had an extra holster to send with it. I've never seen anyone who had an accidental discharge off of a lemon squeezer, it just takes too much effort to really screw it up.

In a pinch if they have use the pistol it probably won't be at any signifigant range and at 10 feet most people can instinctivly hit a man sized target.

If you feel generous a long gun in a compatible calibre would greatly improve there chances of hitting anything at a distance, especially if it had a nice little 2.5 power with some good glass in it as well as the open sights. Lever action marlins in .357 would be a good choice.

For ammo, sending them out with flying ashtray .38 hollowpoints lessens the chance of over penetration while boosting the man stoping power a little.

only having one type of ammo lessens the chance that they will get confused in a high tension situation.

Whatever gun you lend out, it should be one that isn't linked to you in any way. Its unfortunate but thats the way our legal system is going.

 

[ball3006]

I might let the hot babe down the street.....

load my mags, if she is nekkid I don't know if anyone on my block has guns, and I don't think they know I have them either. Loan them out? Depends on the threat. But, then again, why would they come to me? I doubt if a mob of armed perps would assult my street, what is there for them? There are much more affluent neighborhoods nearby. If SWMBO and I can't hold off an assult, she is a great shot too, with the guns I have, we should have evacuated a long time ago. My shooting bud lives about a mile away and he has a M60 and several M16s. His kid is a better shot than me, young eyes. With semi auto rifles, shotguns, and pistols, I am not worried. And, NO ONE will be successful confiscating them from me.......Of course, when I retire I will live out in the country in a heavily wooded area that I have already established defensive positions........chris3

 

[Brad Johnson]

My vote for a DA revolver in .38 special or .357. No controls to learn. Multi-round. Point and click.

Brad

 

[Third_Rail]

I don't have firearms to loan...

Everyone I trust enough to loan firearms to is already armed - they're smart enough to be.

The people on the border of being trustworthy are my parents and sister, and they're over 100 miles away; they hate firearms, to boot. They're the only people I'd loan something to, other than my brother who is about 40 miles away - the only reason he got rid of his rifles and pistol is that his current SO didn't like them... to this day, I can't believe he did that.

 

[thebigc]

i would loan out any gun thats left over after i arm everyone in my house so i would still have 4 to loan out a crappy bolt action .22 a springfeild 1903 with no sights, a nef pardner , and an eddystone 1917 thats about enough left for the pepole i trust with guns who either cant own them or only have a pistol.

 

[justsurvivingincalifornia]

I don't think anyone sugested this so far. Give them a old G.I. rifle with a bayonet and NO AMMO. Who's going to know except you.

 

[V4Vendetta]

"Give them a old G.I. rifle with a bayonet and NO AMMO. Who's going to know except you."


They will when they need it, pull the trigger & hear a empty click.

 

[Red Tornado]

In the spirit the question was asked.....

I'd arm kith and kin with milsurps, preferably bolt actions. Mosins, mausers, 1903, etc., and the most experienced gets the SKS. The Garand is mine, and I'll have pistols on me. You may get one, if you can demonstrate you know what you're doing.

Bolties were made for short learning curves. "You shoot. When he falls, pick up the rifle then you shoot."
RT

 

[Dirty Bob]

No guns for the inexperienced

I think it was actually Charlton Heston who replied that all his guns were already in use, when the anti-gun Hollywierd types called during the 1992 riots.

I don't think I'd loan out guns to people who had no idea how (or when) to use them. Too many liability issues if they have an accident or shoot someone who was retreating, etc. Family members are another matter: I'd lend them a bolt action if they asked.

The baseball bats (aluminum) or machetes are a better idea for non-gunners, and I'd also suggest hand axes or hatchets. They're inexpensive, can be used as tools when boarding up windows, etc., and they can make a fearsome weapon, even with very little training. I suspect that the untrained would likely use a "cave man" swing to the head if they had to use a weapon in self-defense, and an ax is probably more effective than a light machete blade in that case.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[vynx]

I actually have thought of this since we have some very nice neighbors in their 70's. I think a single shot break action shotgun is what I would lend. If someone doesn't have much experience I don't want to hand them anything that can jam or that they can shoot too far with (like an SKS).

By the way I saw that Cold Steel the knife company is now making an "unbreakable" baseball bat - it looked interesting.

 

[vynx]

http://www.coldsteel.com/92bs.html

Its called the "Brooklyn Smasher" list price $45.

I think I may have to get one of these!

 

[Randy in Arizona]

On the subject of machetes, don't order the cheap bulk ones. Go to the store and choose.

I had to go through about 50 El Salvador made machetes at Harbor Freight to find 6 that were straight, true to the handle and with solidly mounted handles.

I didn't bother to look at the Chinese made junk after looking over the first 3 or 4.

Didn't give a rat's butt about sharp, I worked them over on a beltsander till they are almost sharp enough to shave with.

Main advantage to the machete? Almost as quiet as a Gemtech product!

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Keep It Sweet and Simple

Any loaner weapon would have to be simple and foolproof.
which is hard because fools can be so darned ingenious.

I would suggest a .357 like the Security Six and or
a short 12 gau double like the Baikal Bounty Hunter.
The shotgun could use Aguila minishells for the recoil
sensitive or those neighbors in their 70s.

Nothing tricky or sophisticated.

 

[stevelyn]

Nope. Anyone who knows me has gotten my preparedness speech at least once.

If they're too stupid and not prepare to look out for themselves, they're to stupid to continue polluting the gene pool.

 

[BerettaNut92]

I don't know. T'would become a liability, IMO. Like Derek says, they can come over and do chores. If they have medical experience.

 

[72Rover]

I was in just this situation not too long ago. (Cat 3 hurricane approaching, which quite fortutiously, dropped to Cat.1 just before landfall.) I offered my 10/22 to some close friends. Low power scope with see-through rings, 2 50 rd. mags. Husband/wife had been intending to purchase something, but.... Anyway, their son in the Army reserves was home on leave at the time, so I figured he might have a bit of weapons training.

As for folks recommending baseball bats, what you really need is a railroad brake stick. Think baseball bat, but rectangular in cross-section instead of round at the business end and tool-handle hickory instead of white ash. "Can't Break 'Em" is one brand name. Used for working stuck brake wheels or momentarily prying apart railroad cars that have come together with closed coupling knuckles.

As Mr. Natural sez, "The right tool for the right job."

Cheers

 

[CrazyIrishman]

I have a handful of friends and a bunch of others who are ONLY "acquaintances" .

Now,I would trust a friend with a loaner firearm or maybe something even nicer, but then I've known most of them (and their families)30+ years and then some. Since they already have their own guns it probably isn't necessary to loan anything. I also know without a doubt that they can operate a firearm SAFELY,and do maintenance when needed.

OTOH, I'm not so inclined to loan anything to an acquaintance due to past experience though it wasn't firearm related. If someone shows they can't take care of(or OPERATE) something simple and generally non-lethal, then I would be a fool to lend them a LETHAL object/instrument, etc....

When the zombie hordes are coming, there isn't time to be instructin' !

As for liability issues, its a no-brainer regarding friends. With the "others" I'd rather not go there!