Equipping a boat

[JamisJockey]

This seems to be the place for fun 'what ifs'.
We are trying to move back to the East Coast. I'm a salt water fisherman at heart, and buying an off-shore fishing boat isn't a matter of if, but when.
Just for fun, though....
How would you equip a salt water fishing/pleasure boat? We're talking a cabin cruiser, with live aboard amenities, probably in excess of 25'. This boat would see family and friends that may not be familiar with firearms.

My thoughts:
2 SS .357 4" to 6" bbl full frame handguns with rubber grips and lanyards (Taurus Tracker jumps to mind immediately).
2 SS 12gauge pump shotguns, with synthetic furniture, 20" BBL and 8 shot capacity

The .357 is an obvious choice. Easy to operate, FTF isn't an issue, easy to clean, high power, etc.
The 12ga would serve dual purpose. Will fire slugs, buckshot, and saftey flares.

Salt air and water can be hard on ammo and guns. Any thoughts on ammo choices, or on special cleaning techniques?
Any other thoughts?

 

[Blackhawk]

Stainless Defender. That's what they're made for.

 

[bogie]

You also want something that can reach out and touch someone. If you have a problem with pirates, and drive 'em off with the close in guns, and they back up 100 or so yards, and proceed to try to sink you with rifle fire, you want to be able to shoot back.

Stainless is good.

 

[JamisJockey]

Not overly worried about pirates, perse, but for that purpose, what about a SS Mini14 or 30?

Main concern would be bumping into drug runners or unsavory characters while pulling into or out of port at obscene hours.

Story time:
I was 16, and going out with a neighbor across the street (6' black bodybuilder) at about 3am to get our fish on. We put in at the public access, tied off and began loading up on finger mullet with the cast net when a CC twin outboard jobbie pulled up not too far away. Suburban backs out of the shadows and two guys begin loading flourescent dry bags wrapped in duct tape into the suburban. Thomas, who isn't scared of anything, tells me to "not make eye contact, get on the damn boat, and start it up". He goes to his vehicle, gets the last of our supplies for the day, scurries abord and we violated the no wake zone getting the hell out of there....

 

[Freedom in theSkies]

I would also get some dry boxes (with the rubber seals) to store the ammo,HG's and flares in. That way salt air will not be a concern.
A good sat phone and vhf radio with a 6db gain antenna would be a good idea.
If drug runners are your main concern, you probably won't be able to outrun 'em, so you may want to outgun 'em. I'd consider a semi-auto hi capacity rifle with folding stock if possible. Either in .223 or 7.62x39. And the shotgun is great for close up suppressing fire with 00 buck.

 

[Bacchus]

All good suggestions, especially about looking into a rifle.

You may also want to consider Remington's Marine Magnum. Made for sea vessels/salt spray.

 

[Croyance]

If the Glock Tennifer finish is all it is made out to be, I would get that. It should reduce you maintenance time.
If you have the money a hard chrome finish on any and all of your guns looks good. It should wear better than NP3 or Robar, although those finishes have their adherents also.
If you do not get a rifle, how about Brenneke (sp?) or sabot slugs? They are supposed to have power and accuracy past 100 yards.

 

[PATH]

Blackhawk and Bacchus both offer a sensible solution. I concur.

 

[JamisJockey]

Saboted slugs would make sense, as it may become necessary to fire at a hardened target such as a boat motor. Accuracy at that kind of range would require a rifled barrel, though.
How does a short rifled barrel handle firing buckshot though?

 

[Diesle]

A handgun would be a joke on the open water in a shall (yes, 25' is small) boat.

Shotgun. Secured under the rail. Reomoved when boat is out of the water or slipped.

Diesle

 

[tomkatz]

I'd probably go with some sort of Ak variant with 30 rd. mags for my rifle and a glock 17 with full cap mags, for their durability and ease of maintenance, and a marine finish shotgun like you already mentioned.......tom

 

[JamisJockey]

Handgun would be for on the boat defense or for close range defense while in port.
Yes, I agree, 25' is a small boat. However, we are talking about a boat with 1 or two berths and a small galley. Basically a small living area for vacationing (like cruising the outer banks )

 

[Peetmoss]

Don't forget a Mossie 12ga line launcher

 

[biere]

Mossberg 590 or the remington marine whatever. I like my 590 and do not have the military one.

I like revolvers since they don't toss brass around unless you reload. I love my ruger gp100 with the 3 inch barrel, I plan to get a 6 inch version and swap on the smaller grip from another 3 inch.
Can't help on the lanyard thing though.

I would skip stainless requirment for the rifle. Keep it in a nice case and take good care of oiling it as needed. I like the ak as a budget choice, but for a boat I would go fal or m1a for a 308 message. This is the one place where the long m1a would not bother me much. Overall, I prefer the fal in this situation since you can have plastic instead of wood.

I would say a garand tossing clips is to be avoided. but if you want 30-06, I could agree with that choice.

Lucky you to be asking the question. Enjoy it with whatever you choose.

 

[CWL]

That's a lot of firepower for a 25' vessel. You may only need to drop down to one of each for a locked cabinet.

Additional firepower may be some sort of Mini 14 which you can bring aboard whenever you spend time on the vessel. Unless you are a commercial fisherman spending all hours at sea, I think that the rifle won't need to be stainless. -proper cleaning regimen is more important.

 

[Diesle]

Dont shoot down...!

Diesle

 

[sixgun_symphony]

I would go with the stainless steel or nickel finish "Marine" shotguns for a boat. Especally if you are out on the salt water.

Model 1300, Coastal Marine



I would go with a six inch barrel on that .357 Magnum. The longer sighting plane will give better accurracy for longer shots. Go with heavy 158gr loads for penetration at longer range.

Colt Python

 

[Dave R]

No one's going to recommend a .50BMG? That's the way to deter them drug runners from way out there.

 

[sixgun_symphony]

No one's going to recommend a .50BMG? That's the way to deter them drug runners from way out there.

How about a .30 caliber belt fed semi-auto gun?

Browning 1919 A4 .30 caliber

Modified for semi-automatic operation only.
BATF Approved Design.
Complete with tripod, pintle, and T&E.
Belt linker and 200 links.
Pistol grip.
All re-conditioned military parts.
Transfers on a 4473 Yellow form. No tax stamp required.
Standard .30-'06; .308 available.
A6 configuration available at same cost as A4, if preferred.
Other options available (negotiable with owner).
Shipping included.
Only $2,850.

 

[RikWriter]

Go cheap, because anything on that boat is in danger of being ruined if anything happens to the boat and you have to be rescued by the Coast Guard.
Say, a Taurus stainless 357 six inch, a Mossberg Mariner 12 gauge and a Savage 30-06.

 

[M1911]

If the Glock Tennifer finish is all it is made out to be, I would get that

The slide will be fine. But the metal lining in the magazines will corrode, causing failures. Skip the Glock.

I'm not a big fan of .357. Lots of noise, lots of recoil, lots of flash. If you want a wheel gun, go with a 625. .45 ACP is just as good a stopper as .357, but you can reload with stripper clips much, much faster (and with less chance of all the rounds winding up scattered on the deck at your feet) than you can with a speed loader.

 

[Razor]

 

[Jim March]

What about the stainless Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70? Compact, accurate, same kinda engine-nailing power as a 12ga slug?

 

[Travis McGee]

I've done this and can offer some insights.

This subject must be approached two ways: all US cruising, and foreign cruising. If you are going to Mexico, the Bahamas etc, all new considerations come into play. So I won't tackle that unless you want me to, I'll stick to US cruising and gun laws.

The revolvers are fine, but S/S is not mandatory. Standard gun cleaning and storeage will be sufficient: you are not going to store your guns in a salty bilge! But if you want to get a S/S or marine coat finish, that's fine.

A 5.56mm semi auto is a great choice. It's different on the water, you can see your splashes, and can "walk" your shots into your target at long range, so it pays to have a fast shooter to take advantage of this.

A slow super accurate bolt gun is damn near useless, because you never have a stable platform to shoot from! Picture sitting on the roof of an SUV driving cross country, shooting offhand! That's boat shooting. Your bolt gun will be going up and down and all around while you line up the impossible "perfect shot". That ain't happening!

Much better to blam out rapid fire, you can see your misses in the water and adjust fire.

You don't want to let bad guys get close enough to hurt you: another reason for a semi auto rifle. Your objective is not to win a fight at ten yards where you are wounded far from hospitals, it's to keep them off 200+ yards.

And don't forget to stock up on bags of cheap party balloons! Balloons stick to the water, they don't blow or roll away. So as you drive or sail along, they get farther and farther out of range while you try to hit the head sized targets. Lots of great games are possible! Multiple balloons, etc.

 

[labgrade]

Accuracy is inversely proportional to wave action.