What are preferred guns of farmers in unstable area?

Based on what I have seen in Southern NM, rifle caliber carbine pistols and ARs/AKs seem to be the most popular.

Depends on the 'farm'...

In the hinterland and west, the spaces are more open and a longer range arm/caliber may be needed...

Here in the east, about anything that takes a removable magazine is a good bet...

But I prefer .308 and .30-06...

any centerfire long gun with 10rd capacity should be capable. The needs vary slightly with size and range of intended targets

Hopefully I'm not going to see expert advice here from those who've never even see the west. I honestly think some posters here live in a fantasy world and if that statement ticks you off, I suppose the "shoe fits".

I can't and don't pretend to speak for "everyone" - just for me, my friends and my observations over the years. Neither do I believe my place is the same as everywhere else: different areas behave and conduct themselves differently according to local needs.

My place is in the high desert of Nevada. Its 10 miles to the nearest paved road and 27 miles to the closest "town". To say the least... ranges are "open".



I've owned my ranch for 13 years now and I've NEVER seen anyone tote a semi auto rifle out here. Yes, to be sure we've occasionally plinked with a few, and often fired them on out 1000-yard-plus rifle range; but they don't get carried on the trail or when prospecting in the deep desert.

And you can pretty well forget rifles that use detachable magazines as well. We have 'em, but they don't get "carried" unless we're heading into something that "could develop into a serious 'situation' ".

When heading out into the desert, most men tend to pack 45 ACP pistols on their belt and - if any - a short barreled lever rifle either in the saddle scabbard or (99.999% of the time) across the forks of their ATV.

My preferred rifles are 16" (Trapper length) pistol caliber carbines often matched with a DA Revolver of the same caliber - usually 44 Mag.

I would ask these questions to Holder - he knows what he supplied to the Cartels.

After seeing photos of FALs carried by father/son farmers in Zimbabwe

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You mean Rhodesia? Nowadays firearms are only carried by thugs in what's left of that country, which will forever be Rhodesia to me.

Out here it could be anything, lots of lever guns, but that's Western lore creeping in, as we've always had lever guns on the Wild West. I have seen people on the Arizona border with a variety of firearms, seems like I've seen several semi-auto rifles, but mostly revolvers and semi-auto pistols SHOWN on the news - I doubt they want to advertise what they really have available.

I'm not a farmer, and it's only 12 miles to the nearest city, so my opinion is probably suspect.

Rhodesian farmers carried FAL's because the government issued them to every farmer.

In that time, in simple terms, every white farmer / land owner was a member of the white government miltia.

rc

I have the same info as rcmodel above regarding Rhodesia. The FAL is still popular in the southern areas of Africa.

You need at least a 20mm minimum (maybe 30mm) if you are near the border.
That way you can pick off the los Zeta cartels from a couple of miles away.
The picture below shows a 50 BMG look tiny compared to a 20mm.

ive seen pictures of south africans with uzis and now in israel alot of settlers have everything from m1 carbines and galils to m-16s and tavors



i keep a bofors 40mm on the trailer attached to the tractor

Old judge creek, your picture reminds me of why I love Nevada.

30-30 is a favorite farm gun. Easy to carry one handed, light, has enough cartridge for deer, black bear, coyote. You can keep it chambered but the hammer is exposed and is kept lowered. Safe gun.

Up home was not an unstable area, but the most carried rifle was a Winchester 94 in 30/30 or 32 Winchester Special.

An associate I do cattle and horse business with owns two ranches; one in California, and the other in the southern border region of Arizona, in an area known for migrant traffic issues. At the Arizona property (5K+ acres) he and his family travel ranch roads in a Unimog, small pickup, or quads and have AK's in both carbine and pistol versions for each vehicle, in addition to proper sidearms.

Most of the ranchers I grew up with kept Mini-14s in their trucks. But that was 20 years ago, I wonder how many of them now keep ARs and/or Soviet milsurps in the truck.

Not a farmer, but wife and I live next door to hundreds of thousands of acres of public land which we often range over on ATV's. Here the chances of encountering drug and human smugglers is a very real possibilty. We both carry handguns, a two row 12 with 3" triple ought buck and a MN carbine.

http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/Photo_Gallery.html

Most of my neighbors think nothing of having a thumbbuster beside them in the truck or a .30-.30 lever action in the rack. Few have the old (pre 80) mini-14 "ranch carbine" as the all purpose utilitarian. Not many AR's though they may very well own one.
I reckon while on the property I pretty much do the same with the addition of a 12 ga for all purpose. Out and about in town....maybe the DS or the P239 but that's just me.

In South TX I have seen, AK's, AR's, and other Hi-cap rifles plus some Remmington 700's with High end scopes.

Not in an area with criminals passing thru on foot that I know of, so typically keep .22 mag pistol or rifle handy in the truck or on me depending. A scoped bolt-action deer rifle would seem to be what most folks would use west of me, as it is effective and is what they most likely have available.

I'm not a farmer/rancher buy any means or play one on the net but, That's what I thought a 30/30 was designed to do. It's short,light,slim,simplistic, reliable,and will get the job done in most situations.

The question regards dangerous human animals, not four-legged animals. Our ranchers in the southwestern US have a much wider selection than in most countries (?)

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I apologize for not reading that correctly the first time...

I assumed you were asking about what we around here call a 'truck gun'...

Dunno about 'Western' coyotes, but the Eastern variety commonly go over 50#, and occasionally can get to be 70+ pounds...They mess with your calves, and seldom allow you a shot at .45LC or .44 Mag ranges...

As for 'dangerous human animals', I've never seen a need to go to Rhodesia, but if the Quebecoise decide to get uppity, I am pretty sure we have them outgunned...

VT Yote over 70#:

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2006/articles04/eastern_coyotes_are_becoming_coy.htm

Nothing is too good for a coyote. An ICE agent was shot twice down Texas way today.. hope he makes it.

@Old judge creek , Very nice "yard" !

flyskater said:

You need at least a 20mm minimum (maybe 30mm) if you are near the border.
That way you can pick off the los Zeta cartels from a couple of miles away.
The picture below shows a 50 BMG look tiny compared to a 20mm.

Click to expand...

Maybe it's because of the fireworks around here lately, but my first thought looking at those was I wonder if you could make them whistle like bottlerockets. That would add a whole 'nother level of scare to them!