What gun for an offshore boat?

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I'd want something with some punch so I can inside the other boat, maybe in .375 H&H.
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A .22 will shoot through fiberglass. Larger steel-hulled vessels are another matter entirely.
 
H2O: they navy is doing away with the M14. We got rid of all of ours a few years ago and the ships have been told to send them back to Crane when they receive the M-16's. They only keep ones for line throwing guns. That is also a very expensive gun as others have pointed out. Get a cheap 12 gauge and oil the heck out of it. I kept mine wraped in silicone gun sock. I then stowed it under a cushion during the day and at night near my bunk. You can shoot through the sock if needed to in a rush. Firing a rifle from a moving boat is next to impossible for most people without lots of training. Its even harder maintaining your footing while doing so before and after the shot. It is very easy to shoot your own boat unless your right next to the side. It also scares the hell out of your passengers when your swinging that gun around waiting for the swells to give you that one or two second shot. Don't even consider a scope unless you have a really stable platform, it only makes you sick...:)
 
And remember, stainless isn't rustproof. It WILL and DOES rust, it's just it takes longer due to the layer of chromium oxide on the surface. Once it starts to pit and corrode, it actually does so faster and more severely than a blued firearm. American Hunter had an article about it about two years back.
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If I were doing that, I would use one of the Classic Arms chrome-plated AK's.
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For me personally, a plated AK with a 30 or 40 round magazine would by my first choice.
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Hard Chrome plating will allow the gun to rust as well. Rust can form under the plating through tiny imperfections in the coating.

Best thing is keep the weapon clean, dry and maintained. When I was a kid, we would hose down our boat, outboard motors, tools and fishing gear with fresh water every time we came back from salt water fishing. You would need to clean and oil your firearm every time as well.
 
I like this thread!!, my cousin has my grandfathers M1 carbine. I think it is a little small, but he says short of a m60 there is not much to stop someone from boarding you. It is what you do after that is why he has the M1 carbine. I think at least a CETME or G3 would be ideal. It is short enough to manuver and packs a 308 punch. M14 not bad idea if money is not a option. Navy cant be wrong....
 
I think I'd rather have something with a little more punch to it, like a FAL, M1A, PTR, something in 7.62x51.
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+1 Yeah I agree, unless you are going to let them get close a .308 or up would be best. .50 cal would be ultimate.. shut their engines down!! But kind of pricey/unwieldy.

Shotgun may be best if they get close.. shooting a rifle at any distance on a rocking boat would be rough.
 
AK with a folding stock and a few extra mags in a readily accessible Pelican Box should be sufficient. It is very affordable, powerful enough and reliable/easy to maintain.
 
Be careful. If you enter mexican waters by accident and your armed and the wonderful non corrupt mexican police interfear with your fishing. You might just have a really bad day.
 
Once it starts to pit and corrode, it actually does so faster and more severely than a blued firearm.
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This is not true, the chromium oxide comes from a chemical reaction from the chromium and the air. If a pit forms, the oxygen that is exposed to this "fresh" metal will form another layer of chromium oxide. Also Bluing provides very little resistance against rust. You'd be better off getting something that is parkerized.


To the original poster

Personally I would go with an M14, parkerized with a chromelined barrel, and keep it sealed in one of those plastic protective bags to help shield it from the elements until (hopefully never) the need for it would arise. Or a Remmy 870

But.....I dont think you will do much long range shooting, pirates dont usually let you know they are going to steal your boat from a long way off, and Im sure the USCG will frown at you shooting at any boat that passes you by
 
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Mossberg Mariner.... can be yours for under $400 and is designed exactly for this purpose.

Plus, if the USCG or other agency interacts with you for any reason, you'll be less likely to raise suspicions with a pump shotgun than a more "flashy" long arm.

Plus, if you're shooting from a rocking boat, wouldn't you rather have a scattergun for shot dispersal?
 
Maybe a .22 will, but I want to get the engine and controls. Here's my thinking: a 55 grain .223 may punch through fiberglass, but a 300 grain steel core .375 H&H may help me stop the pursuing boat.
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Agreed. But it's hard to approximate-and-correct with a .375 H&H on a heaving boat, and you only have a few rounds available.

I like .223 for most defensive use, but I'd go with 7.62x39mm FMJ for offshore boat use, for penetration reasons.
 
.308 is going to be the minimum. You need a rifle that can hit hard at 500+ yards, you don't want to get in a close range fight where you are outnumbered. Get a rifle that will accurately hit them before they can strafe you.
 
rc109a H2O: they navy is doing away with the M14.
We got rid of all of ours a few years ago and the ships have been told to send them back to Crane ...
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Yeah, Crane is reconfiguring them for the sand box were they can be put to better use.
 
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.308 is going to be the minimum. You need a rifle that can hit hard at 500+ yards, you don't want to get in a close range fight where you are outnumbered. Get a rifle that will accurately hit them before they can strafe you.
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You're not going to hit anything from 500 yards unless your vessel is big enough not to toss and roll in sea swells---and if your vessel were that big, you'd be asking about what mix of guns to arm your security team with.

Even near shore or in protected waters, a boat is not a stable shooting platform in anything but the calmest seas. A boat on plane is more stable than a boat at rest, but you're still looking at quite a bit of jouncing and bumping.
 
two scenarios....each with different requirements.....

1.) Engage at distance...

Things at see can happen at longer ranges. Vessels on the high seas don't get close to one another accept for good reason, and ALWAYS make radio contact on the standard channel before they do. You are obligated to take action to avoid a collision and this is done in accordance with the "Rules of the Road". Any vessel on the high seas that's getting close (<1,000 yds) is a collision risk. If they do not respond when hailed on the radio, your uncle will be maneuvering to open range and avoid collision (even if he's the stand on vessel, your still required to take action to avoid a collision). If your uncle maneuvers to give way, an the suspect vessel maneuvers to intercept/close......Something's very wrong. It's either the Coast Guard, someone who needs help or trouble. If he can't out run them and then puts glass on them and sees armed men and no government agency markings.....that would be all the reason I would need. So your talking about a very real possibility of engaging at 500yds..... and that aint gonna happen with a 9mm or a shotgun. Definitely an application for a high powered rifle.

By way of an anecdote, the skipper of a 50' Schooner who has sailed around the world three times told me he always sails with a .30-06 rifle.

I like the M-14 option myself and would want to have several 20 round mags.

Consider that most marine craft are made of fiberglass, and a 180 gr+ is going to go through more things and still have energy left to hurt things on the other side.

2.) Repel Boarders.

What really sucks about these pirate type scenarios is that you are sure to be out numbered. Employing a high power rifle accurately at range would go a long ways to keep the heathens at bay. May send them looking for easier pickings elsewhere.

But if they get close and make it on board, it's a different game. Not a lot of room to move around...need a short barreled one shot stopper. Preferably one that won't incapacitate your own vessel with collateral damage. The 870 marine sounds like a great option to me.


FWIW, the small arms locker on board our submarine (which was an oldie but a goody) inventoried the M-14s (top side sentry up in the sail), short barrel 870s with a PG and under-folder (roving topside sentry), and model 1911 .45 acp pistols (Petty Officer of the Deck, Duty Chief and Ship's Duty Officer). These were the in-port watches....at see, the submarine is the top of the food chain ..... definately the #1 predator, small arms are locked up in their proper place.
 
An M1 ought to do the trick. Brody hit a scuba tank in a shark's mouth at 50 to 75 yards with one. ;)
 
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.308 is going to be the minimum. You need a rifle that can hit hard at 500+ yards, you don't want to get in a close range fight where you are outnumbered. Get a rifle that will accurately hit them before they can strafe you.

You're not going to hit anything from 500 yards unless your vessel is big enough not to toss and roll in sea swells---and if your vessel were that big, you'd be asking about what mix of guns to arm your security team with.

Even near shore or in protected waters, a boat is not a stable shooting platform in anything but the calmest seas. A boat on plane is more stable than a boat at rest, but you're still looking at quite a bit of jouncing and bumping.
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I'm not talking about making precise shots, just hard hitting shots. On the water you're pretty much lobbing lead anyways, however a .223 at 500yds isn't going to do much damage to man or machine. You'd really need a rifle that is going to disable the boat and/or crew when it hits. Perhaps something like a 1919 might not be a bad idea :p
 
First let me say you should carefully study the current federal and state laws on having a firearm in your boat.

I do not know what they are where you are and I am not suggesting that you go armed on your boat.

however if you plan to legally do so here are my thoughts:

Last FLorida Marine Patrol Officer I noticed was carrying a Glock handgun.

I believe their boat gun is still a plain Jane Rem 870 12 gauge pump.

Vaarok and another beat me to it but a seal a meal type sealer and bag sounds like a good way to go IF you remember to rip it open and clean several times a year any way. Cut a little V shape in the area outside the seal with a starting cut at the bottom to assist you in getting the bag off if you don't have your bait knife handy.

I wonder how many of you have actually fired from a boat that is either standing or slowly underway, like when fishing. Hitting something the size of another boat at fifty to 100 yards is not all that hard in weather in the Gulf you might want to be fishing in for sport. A friend long ago took gallon plastic milk bottles with a string and weigh on them to make them float spout down of Mexico Beach/ Port St. Joe in the FLorida pan handle and reported great fun and success shooting at them with his AR-180.

And why stand when you can sit?

Fred Bear had a film of hunting in ALaska where for fun when on the boat they threw beverage bottles off the fan tail of the cabin cruiser and shot them in the air with an M-1 Carbine. Fred just pointed like he did with a bow and was unerring in his bottle killing.

About 1980 there was a problem with pirates off the pan handle beaches. At my suggestion someone bought a Mossy 500 that had been armaloyed and reported that it held up well. Of course this was an active duty Infantry NCO then assigned to a college ROTC unit and he was religious about cleaning his weapons when ever they came out of the safe and before they went back in.

My biggest problem with shotguns is the lack of "legs" and penitration. Yes the pirates want your boat, but once you and they become engaged there is no advantage to them to letting you escape to discribe their boat or them.

Penitrating not just a fiberglass hull, but ice chests, matresses and bunks, fuel cans and tanks, control lines fuel lines and even engines will be considerations. Plus the at or just below the water line hits need to be able to slog through.

I would think something 7.62x39 and up would be a good idea.

oh yes and.....Have a radio.

Have a quality GPS and stay hell and gone away from Mexico.

-Bob Hollingsworth
 
".308 is going to be the minimum. You need a rifle that can hit hard at 500+ yards, you don't want to get in a close range fight where you are outnumbered. Get a rifle that will accurately hit them before they can strafe you."

Provided the sea is like glass.
Otherwise you won't be hitting jack at 50 yrds., let alone "500+."
I'd get the Mossberg and the AK.
 
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