Just an old fart

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AndyJ

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Fellas,

Getting old is tough work. The knees don't bend and the arms don't lift like they did a few decades back for sure.

So.........

I am facing some decisions I could use some input on.........

At this point, most of what I am doing is for the benefit of the kid. She is career military, husband, kid, deployments, houses, soccer practice; everything going on that a 30-something would have going on. She shares my feeling that this country as we know it is changing and the changes are not good. She has taken care of her BASIC needs as far as preps and protection. Basic, bare minimum but life intrudes, you know?

I long ago planned to take up her slack as far as the protection and self defense. Our RTKBA is slipping away and I am of the school that if you are going to get it, best get it now.

I pared down the gun safe this Spring -- all the fluff and oddball one-offs, odd calibers and less than stellar shooters are GONE. The goods now are all proven performers that have been thoroughly wrung out. What remains is:

4 870 12ga
4 22LR rifles Marlin 60/ Ruger 10/22
3 22LR Browning Buckmark pistols
2 45 ACP 1911s
2 45 ACP Glock 21s
1 45 ACP S&W 25-2
4 AR15s
1 Springfield M1A Loaded
Plus all the spare parts and feed to keep these beasts running for a good while to come.

Her's is a small family of 3 and I know the struggle which is coming is going to fall on her generation's shoulder's -- not mine. I am old and wore out and will most likely fade away with a slight whimper.

The advice I need is what -specifically- needs to be added or changed in the defensive category list above to provide for a family of three? I am leaning toward a second M1A or perhaps selling it to be replaced by a brace of AR10's or FAL's?

Your thoughts?

Gracias!
 
GTG = but ?

Is she and all her family TOTALLY on board with all 'your' choices ?.

And I approve [ not that you care ] of your preps and most of your choices.

But hope you have ENOUGH ammo [ no need to post ANY amounts ].

For a possible LONG dry period when there is NO ammo on any shelf.

I too fit in the 'senior' group,but as I have no children and most of my REAL friends are alwerdy prepared.

So far I have kept my stuff,and will wait a few more years and then sell off 90 + % of it as I wont be using it.

Hope they like YOUR choices ?.
 
I am of the school that if you are going to get it, best get it now.
Click to expand...

If not currently, I'd suggest becoming active in national and local gun owner rights to help preserve those freedoms because you're right, now's the time to put all our shoulders to the wheel and ensure the future.

You could simply look at all the threads on "basic firearms selections" and use those for guidance.

As said, are they on board with your ideas and your selection for these gifts? Are they going to learn to shoot and maintain these? Are they going to train in any meaningful way? If not, you might as well find another young deserving family that will.

Why so many different types of handguns? Is it because they each shoot something different well or you're just trying to hit a spectrum? If the latter, look at a couple of CZ or Sig family handguns to go into the mix to broaden the fit. Do they all fit those .45s or are you just picking .45 because you think is it makes a handgun superior to other calibers in spite of the grip width not fitting smaller hands?

You very much need to work with them instead of assuming what you think works for them. If your daughter can't wrap her hand around that Glock, but shoots the eyes off flys with a 17 you've done her a great disservice burdening her with a pistol she can't shoot well.
 
She is absolutely onboard with the selection thus far. It dovetails with her personal purchases and she also grew up shooting some of these old dogs.


FWIW, do you ever have enough ammo?
 
fireman 9731 said:
Any chance you want to part with the Model 25?
Click to expand...
Ha!

The one oddball in the group and strictly in the mix because I love it and will never sell it. The old wheel gun is growing on her but she is not overly enamored. I hope some wisdom comes with age. :)
 
Glock 19, or 17. In the event the badness happens, 9mm ammo is likely to be far more available than .45acp. Since she shoots a Glock 21 already, the G19/17 would be a good match for a gun in 9mm.
 
Realistically you have enough to last a few life times already... with spare parts, several life times.

Some ideas to consider.

Reloading supplies.

You have too many 22lr (I'm guilty too). Get rid of 1 BuckMark at least; Particularly if you have all the spare parts.

On that note.... you don't need quadruplicates plus spare parts.

Consider dumping either the Marlins or the Ruger 22lrs and settling on 1 model.

Same with the .45's. Pick one platform with spare parts.

Same with the 870's. Quadruplicate 12ga's?? Keep 2 with spare parts (and consider adding 20ga for future ammo availability)

Get rid of the S&W 25-2 and replace with a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC with 45 ACP cylinder.

Get a Ruger Blackhawk 357 with 9mm cylinder AND get 1+ 9mm semi auto (ammo is prevalent enough to warrant making the list).

Also consider getting a 9mm rifle.

IMO, you don't need a M1A for 'defense'. Possibly for hunting larger game but you have .223's so deer is very doable and you're not likely to 'need' bigger.

Dump 1 or 2 AR's to either fund some of the above or another 308 rifle if that's the direction you choose.





I had to relocate (3 people) with only 3 loads in a 1978 Honda Civic wagon/hatchback in 1981ish. Most all of our belongings were left behind. Consider a similar scenario.

Transporting all of that is very sizeable and choices taking should take that into consideration.
 
Something that shoots .357/.38

Something that shoots .40 caliber

Something that shoots 9mm

Something ultra concealable, holsters, mags, spare parts, ammo for this.

Secondary storage location, land, several six inch PVC pipes with fixed and removeable end caps.

Dessicant

Suppressors

Professional training.
 
I always like multiples of guns I feel are important defensive pieces. You have some outstanding defensive pistols with the .45's. Might want to add a compact carry option such as a G30, better yet a pair as you've done with the other pistols. Myself, I prefer a snubby revolver for that role. Plus a second of whatever .308 battle rifle you decide on. Other than that, lots of ammo, magazines reloading supplies etc... I like your way of thinking & prepping.
 
danez71 said:
Realistically you have enough to last a few life times already... with spare parts, several life times.

Some ideas to consider.

Reloading supplies.

You have too many 22lr (I'm guilty too). Get rid of 1 BuckMark at least; Particularly if you have all the spare parts.

On that note.... you don't need quadruplicates plus spare parts.

Consider dumping either the Marlins or the Ruger 22lrs and settling on 1 model.

Same with the .45's. Pick one platform with spare parts.

Same with the 870's. Quadruplicate 12ga's?? Keep 2 with spare parts (and consider adding 20ga for future ammo availability)

Get rid of the S&W 25-2 and replace with a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC with 45 ACP cylinder.

Get a Ruger Blackhawk 357 with 9mm cylinder AND get 1+ 9mm semi auto (ammo is prevalent enough to warrant making the list).

Also consider getting a 9mm rifle.

IMO, you don't need a M1A for 'defense'. Possibly for hunting larger game but you have .223's so deer is very doable and you're not likely to 'need' bigger.

Dump 1 or 2 AR's to either fund some of the above or another 308 rifle if that's the direction you choose.





I had to relocate (3 people) with only 3 loads in a 1978 Honda Civic wagon/hatchback in 1981ish. Most all of our belongings were left behind. Consider a similar scenario.

Transporting all of that is very sizeable and choices taking should take that into consideration.
Click to expand...
Multiples of most but most are not in the safe. In Rural Texas we have truck guns. Handgun in the console, 870 and AR15 behind the seat. Sometimes I add a 22 long gun to the mix or swap out the AR15 for the M1A as the 223 can be a little light for a big boar hog.

They come out to deal with whatever critters make a nuisance of themselves. The S&W 25 is the only thing close to a safe queen and it even sees some duty in a cross draw when I am out and about on the ranch.
 
I would make sure to have more than enough ammo.

I would make sure that the guns are insured with your current policy. If you assume all will be good, and don't discuss your possessions with the insurance man, bad things can happen. You might find one of those "gaps" in insurance policies that are the talk of insurance commercials these days.

We priced insurance with companies that had rules that applied to all kinds of things. Locations of appliances, certain dogs, guns in the house, art, pools and hot tubs, requirements for monitored security and monitored smoke detectors, certain cars, and more....
 
I guess I'll be the oddball: 21 guns for 3 people and you are worried that you don't have enough? That is on top of the 4 guns they already have.

I would lean towards less guns and more ammo. Range time is more valuable than spare guns in the safe that don't get used.
 
You all should read Surviving in Argentina, it's a personal account of life after the Argentine financial collapse of 2001, and it's quite different from the far fetched scenarios many think will happen.

The take away was that you will not be toting around long guns, you will not be doing house to house fighting, you will not be making a stand in your home against hoards of looters. You were most at risk coming and going from your house or the local bartering flea markets that pop up when currency is useless. Kidnappings and carjackings were common, and the most useful gun for defense was a higher capacity concealable compact such as a 9mm. A Glock or Sig 9mm would be very valuable.
 
Compact 9 mm autos would be my suggestion. Concealed carry and 9 mm ammo being a caliber you are likely to find maybe even easier to find than 45. Your daughter might find it easier to shoot also.
 
First of all congratulations on the "three is two, two is one and one is none" thinking.

Since you asked I think your choices are too heavily focused on large guns and personal self-defense. I have been inventorying and photographing my firearms and realize that I have too many one of kind and not enough pairs and triplets. However right now it is to painful for me to reduce the flock. What I have done though is to develop three lists in which I have my guns listed by size, by caliber and by type to help guide me with future purchases.

I notice that you have selected full size semi-auto handguns in a large caliber (45 acp). You totally ignore small frame guns for conceal carry (I know how hot Texas gets in the summer and humid on the coast).

Revolvers are must. .357 Magnums are at the top of my list. No other handgun is more versatile. If your goal is to keep the same number of guns my personal changes are;

1. Get rid of the 1911's. I own several 1911's (3 is 2) but they are large, heavy guns. Well I might keep one to cover 45 acp.

2. Get rid of the Glocks 21. Same reason. To large and heavy.

3. Add 9mm semi-autos. 9mm is a universal police and military round. Since you like Glocks two Model 19's and then a small single stack for conceal carry.

4. Get rid of the Springfield M1A and get a good bolt action scoped rifle mimimium caliber .270.

5. Learn to reload and load your own ammo. A couple of weeks ago I brought 250 rounds of premium hollow point 9mm ammunition that was on sale. For the same amount of money I can buy 5,000 primers. For the record I reload 98% of my ammo but keep and carry some premium factory stuff for potential legal reasons.

I see I have increased the number of your handguns slightly but in doing so have made (for my use) a more well rounded battery.
 
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I welcome all the replies and the variety of ideas is both surprising and enlightening. I realize now that my selection of varied firearms has been driven by MY environment and utilitarian needs.

The Colt 1911s stay because they are decades old friends and I shoot them better than any other handgun. The daughters handgun of choice is a Colt Gunsite CCO and she is not about to give it up.

The Glock 21s replaced the 1911s as truck guns. The Glocks are better suited to the abuse and the conditions. I am not particularly fond of the Glock look nor construction but you cannot argue the utility and inherent reliability in extreme conditions.

The smaller firearms for concealment were not even on my radar. Texas has advantageous laws concerning all firearms in vehicles. I spend 99% of my time in a truck or very rural locations. The entire population of this county would not equal a small town in more populated locales.

I worked hard to pare the list of firearms to as few calibers as possible -- all based on a lifetime of what works and what doesn't in my situation. It is the only reference point I have. I do not see adding more calibers at this time -- even the ubiquitous 9mm.

But y'all have made it clear that what works in MY world might not be the wisest choice for my daughter and future situations. She has been deployed all over the world and the States as well. She says she will return to Texas when she gets her twenty. Maybe /maybe not. So yeah, even though I carried a Government Model 1911 every day for years when I was part of Corporate America I need to look at other smaller, lighter options. I admire those butt ugly Glocks simply because they get the job done. I need to look at the 30 0r 36 looks like.

So what about the .308? No bolt rifles as they all got culled in the purge. I will get two of something in a 7.62 autoloader, the question is what? If I were to make the decision today, It would be an LRB M25 with a rail to make scope mounting easier. The current M1A has iron sights that work for me out to 300 yds. I do not plan on scoping it.
 
One of the lessons (maybe the biggest one) from the Banic of 2013 - 2014 was how the supply of all rimfire and centerfire ammunition and reloading components dried up and there was no way to predict what would be available. For this reason alone I think you are making a mistake ignoring the 9mm and 38/357 Magnum.

Some will argue it is better to settle on one cartridge and stockpile a lifetime supply of ammo just for it. I like to hedge my bets with a broader selection of common cartridges.
 
Srsly??? AMMO

...is what you need the most! If you aren't set up to reload .45ACP (surely hope you are) I'd invest in at least a single stage or even better a Lee Turret press kit. The .45 Auto is an excellent cartridge w/ brass that will outlive some firearms. However you're looking at serious $$$ unless you go my route and pay about $47 per 500 for plated bullets and a $30 per thousand primers. Powder is getting MORE PLENTIFUL every week, too.

Just my $0.02; but you also need a G19! :D
 
BTW, just noticed you ask for .308 comment. Honestly a scoped Tikka or Ruger American in .308 will be less ammo sensitive and not CHEW up the brass if you intend to reload.

What? Did Bama just turn up his nose at self-loading .308?!? YES, and here is why: Any semi-auto (even piston operated like M1A) is sensitive to having properly spec'd 7.62 NATO ammo. I spent more time, energy and dollars trying to find the "right" commercial .308 load for my DPMS SASS when it only wanted the lower pressure mil-spec rounds. If you drive it too hard by using SAAMI approved Winchester/ Hornady/ Rem hunting .308 ammo, you will start to see overpressure signs like popped primers and melted brass. In the case of your M1A, you unnecessarily beat up the op-rod and all components therewith.
Not so w/ a trusty bolt gun. YMMV.
 
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