What gun suitable for defensive use?

[Norinco982lover]

What are the chances that this thread will appear in a future segment of 60 Minutes, Dateline, or some other anti show stating "Our producer posed as a 14 year old male and was able to get recommendations on which assault rifle to buy, AND instructions on how to convert a standard rifle into an AK-47 assault weapon." Just sayin...

And we should not overlook the legality of his inquiry. He says that HE wants to own a firearm, which is, strictly speaking, illegal.

There is too much here that smells...tread carefully, fellow gunowners.

He has said that he wants to do this with the supervision of his dad and this rancher. I am unaware of Texas state laws making it illegal to possess a rifle at the age of 14 (only buy from dealers is prohibited). He has not even mentioned if he is talking about getting one right now or if he is talking about when he turns 18.

~Norinco

 

[Younggunner]

Mountainpharm- none of the guns I "own" are mine. I saved the money for them a d gave my dad the money and he bought the gun. The gunstores in this area have saiga's in stock and my dad almost bought one, the man at the counter said as long as the gun is under a parents name it's fine. Are you expecting me to go crazy and shoot my friends?! Seriously the chances that I actually have to use a gun for defense are very small. So I'm mostly likely gonna be shooting at hogs, and other critters at my neighbors ranch. So you can just calm down. I already have enough people not beleiving me. Why don't u say something constructive like "why don't you buy a lever gun? Then at least you can't be questioned for purposes of buying an assault rifle" instead of your response.

 

[Norinco982lover]

Mountainpharm- none of the guns I "own" are mine. I saved the money for them a d gave my dad the money and he bought the gun. The gunstores in this area have saiga's in stock and my dad almost bought one, the man at the counter said as long as the gun is under a parents name it's fine. Are you expecting me to go crazy and shoot my friends?! Seriously the chances that I actually have to use a gun for defense are very small. So I'm mostly likely gonna be shooting at hogs, and other critters at my neighbors ranch. So you can just calm down. I already have enough people not beleiving me. Why don't u say something constructive like "why don't you buy a lever gun? Then at least you can't be questioned for purposes of buying an assault rifle" instead of your response.

That would be illegal

 

[Coyote3855]

Younggun, in addition to all the other nitpicking you've been subjected to, I suggest you fix your signature line. While I know Marines who have been rehabilitated, reenlisted, relieved of duty, retarded, or retired, I don't know of one who's been retreaded.

 

[TexasRifleman]

And we should not overlook the legality of his inquiry. He says that HE wants to own a firearm, which is, strictly speaking, illegal.

Certainly, but the parent may very well say "I'll buy a gun for you to use but I don't know anything about them, let me know what to get".

That's what mine did. I'm not sure my father knows which end of a firearm is the dangerous end, but that didn't stop him from buying guns for me to use, making sure I was instructed in their use, and allowing me to use them both supervised and unsupervised without breaking any laws at all.

There's an awful lot of jumping to conclusions going on here about the motives of the poster.

Sure it's always possible someone will come on an Internet forum and talk about guns, then go on a rampage.

If we are going to worry about that possible outcome every time we discuss firearms we might as well close the place down and delete our accounts.

That's always a possibility.

Let us not also forget that this "14 year old" is posting on the internet in THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. Many school systems across the country started back earlier this week, though admittedly there are some that won't go back until as late as Sept.

Good Lord. Texas schools all start on the same day, August 24th.

Some of you are acting more like 14 year olds than the 14 year old.

 

[Quoheleth]

Mosin. Seriously.

A) Rate of fire is slow, but if the flying fertilizer gets DEEP, you have range & knockdown power on your side.
B) Cost: $80 for the rifle; Spam can of 400 rounds ammo $80. Cheap to own, practice and squirrel away for bad days.
B1) While ammo may not be as common as .270, that might be on your side. While the common calibers are being sought out, less common stuff may be available. C.f., folks haven't had a problem finding 9mm Makarov or .357 Sig during the ammo crisis.
B2) Should you decide to reload, .30 cal bullets are relatively easy to find.
C) I suspect Mosins will be below the radar in any future gun ban.
D) Bayonet will be useful for shishkebabs, spear fishing, a tent spike, or a remote control if your batteries die

My thoughts...in fact, these reasons are why I am considering picking one up sooner than later.
Q

 

[fireman 9731]

There is nothing illegal about telling someone how to convert a Saiga- especially when you can buy a normal configuration AK at almost any gun store across the country.

The kid wants to learn, there are plenty of other worse things he could be doing instead.

I wondered about the same things when I was 14.

 

[TexasRifleman]

don't understand what you mean norinco....

It is illegal to give money to your dad for him to buy you a gun.

He can buy you one as a gift, he can buy it for himself and let you use it. He could even sell it to you when you are 17 (long gun) but strictly speaking giving someone else the money to buy you a gun is illegal. It's called a "straw purchase".

It's silly to think that it applies to a parent/child relationship, but it does.

Yes, it's probably done all the time, a kid mows the lawn and saves his money to buy a .22, but it's still technically illegal, so be careful.

 

[jakemccoy]

And we should not overlook the legality of his inquiry. He says that HE wants to own a firearm, which is, strictly speaking, illegal.

Please cite the law that says it would be illegal in his state to possess a rifle.

Threads would be way more useful if each poster would do research before posting something about the law.

The kid seems logical enough to do everything within the law.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Please cite the law that says it would be illegal in his state to own a rifle.

I was gonna post all those, just for reference here.

Texas 46.13. "Child" for purposes of this is anyone under 17.

(b) A person commits an offense if a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm and the person with criminal negligence:
(1) failed to secure the firearm; or
(2) left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access.
(c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the child's access to the firearm:
(1) was supervised by a person older than 18 years of age and was for hunting, sporting, or other lawful purposes;
(2) consisted of lawful defense by the child of people or property;
(3) was gained by entering property in violation of this code; or
(4) occurred during a time when the actor was engaged in an agricultural enterprise.

 

[travellingJeff]

I'm seriously embarrassed at the behavior of some people in this thread.


Gun ownership isn't some magical privilege that the guy on the Internet who knows the most rules and can preach the longest gets to have, it's an inalienable right. The kid should get a nice firearm and learn to use it. Ignore all the Pontiff's of the Art on here, unless they somehow decide to leave and proselytize elsewhere.



OP, talk with your parents about purchasing a firearm as a "gift". All of these idiotic damned laws are completely illegal, it's an inalienable right for you to own a firearm, despite what the "Patriot Light" types on here say. Follow whatever idiotic, un-Constitutional and illegal laws exists in your state and pick up a nice semi-automatic battle rifle. You're a big boy so you'll be able to handle it well. Learn the four rules of gun safety before ya ever touch the trigger and you'll be doing yourself a big favor. And remember, with awesome power comes awesome responsibility. Letting one of your immature friends talk you into taking the firearm out and doing something infantile with it could end you up in jail, in the wood shed with your father and the board of education, crying over a friends dead body or dead yourself. Owning a large caliber firearm is part of being a man. Don't let the "specific individuals" on here talk you out of it. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you'd like something other than unwarranted attacks on your integrity.


Those that are attacking his integrity should, in my humble opinion, hop on over to 4chan or something where it'd much more appropriate. A growing boy is turning into a man and deserves to be treated as such. If it comes out that he's a liar, thats on him, but to call him that with no proof is about as ignoble and trashy as I can imagine. It's actions like that that makes me wish dueling were still legal, those that like to bandy about insults and harassment would quickly find out that words have consequences.


Moderators, do you feel that insulting the integrity of a young man coming to age and wanting to help his family is "high road" etiquette? I got a warning for stating "in before the lock" on a thread, that seems to pale in comparison to questioning the integrity of a young man.





I sure wish I'd been alive about a hundred years ago, I think I'd have fit in much better.


Regards,

 

[CoRoMo]

Posted by the OP
none of the guns I "own" are mine. I saved the money for them a d gave my dad the money and he bought the gun.

Posted by Norinco
That would be illegal

Response by the OP
don't understand what you mean norinco....

You just admitted that a number of straw purchases have been conducted by you and your father. That's illegal. With the ATF sniffing around Texas, and other border states, on the hunt for straw purchases, this isn't something you want to be posting on the internet.

 

[TexasRifleman]

You just admitted that a number of straw purchases have been conducted by you and your father. It's illegal. With the ATF sniffing around Texas and other border states, this isn't something you want to be posting on the internet.

Unfortunately that's about right. Never understood why that straw purchase mess should apply to a minor child/parent relationship.

I'm not even sure it would hold up in court or be of any interest to LE, never seen it applied to a minor child/parent, but still illegal by statute.

 

[jakemccoy]

TexasRifleman,

I believe there is no law in Texas that makes it illegal for a 14 year old to possess a rifle.

All the chest pounding about the law is out of place here. Sure there are some laws to consider, but maybe provide a link in one post and then just leave it there.

Regards,
-Jake

 

[CoRoMo]

TR...

I know, it's absurd.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I believe there is no law in Texas that makes it illegal for a 14 year old to possess a rifle.

I think there is some crap in the family code about it, I'm trying to find it.

Not in the penal code though, just the parent is in trouble in the penal code.

I read about this a while back, I'm trying to find the exact law. It only applied to having the firearm without parental permission though if I remember, so doesn't really apply to this case.

All the chest pounding about the law is out of place here. Sure there are some laws to consider, but maybe provide a link in one post and then just leave it there.

Well, the father could be in violation of the law so it is certainly applicable to the discussion. But you are right, there is no specific law saying a 14 year old can't be in possession of a rifle. None at all.

 

[Owen]

When I was 14, I kept an AR-15 by my bed, and was closing fast on NRA Master Classification in High Power and smallbore. If you think the OP sounds too mature and eloquent to be a 14 year old, maybe you should consider why the 14 year-olds you know don't sound like this...

Younggunner, the guns you have are already quite potent with some training. I suggest you learn how to run that 20 gauge and Bolt Gun. Neither one is anything to sneeze at. Spend some money on ammo, some targets, and a few DVDs.

Higher speed weapons are nice to have, but without experience and training, they are probably even less effective than the basic weapons you already have. With the money you could spend on a more "tactical" gun, you could put quite a few rounds downrange, and develop quite a bit of skill.

I think Clint Smith from Thunder Ranch has at least one video out about running the gun you have.

 

[rbernie]

My 14yr old is six foot tall and 240lbs large. He just started to learn to shoot, and is very keenly interested in selecting and owning his own firearms. I do not see how this is inappropriate in the least. Anyone who wants to chime in and make demeaning comments about the viability of this thread can expect a beating with the Mod BanStick - I'll not tolerate any more rudeness either from those who would goad Younggunner or from Younggunner in response.

Y'all need to stay on track and stay civil.

Please.

This is a reasonable question, despite the dramatic 'SHTF' language initially used. I have edited the title of the thread to make a bit more palatable to THR.

 

[Younggunner]

Thanks Bernie.
Any suggestions then how to avoid this happening again? Like how to post without getting crucified?

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

TravellingJeff and a few others have sounded the right tone on this one, and kudos to you on that gents.

Frankly the way some of you guys are jumping on this kid and questioning his integrity is pretty despicable. You are probably the same type of jerks that live in the local gun stores and look down your noses at newbies who are in there in search of information; instead of welcoming them into the gun owning community with open arms. Probably scared the kid off; or at a minimum gave him a bad taste in his mouth after he politely (and intelligently) solicited info from the "experts" on THR.

As to his credibility, his whole story is plausible. Is he a the victim of an active imagination? Maybe. But I was 14 or 15 when I first saw Red Dawn and had similar, if not more imaginative thoughts than this. I also "owned" 4 guns when I was 14; including a Mini-14.

As to the poster who said something to the effect that a 14 yr old should be more into girls than guns....let him make that judgement. He'll probably get into less trouble turning his interest to a productive hobby than chicks. No need to rush that.

Threads like this point out the gross over-estimation I made into the level of class posters exhibit on this forum.

 

[rbernie]

Any suggestions then how to avoid this happening again? Like how to post without getting crucified?

The 'shtf' drama in the original post was simply a trigger for lots of subsequent guffawing and scoffing. THR has a very low tolerance for EndOfTheWorld fantasies, because they are just that - fantasies. While some folk did not react as well as I would have liked to your queries, I can understand why they did so.

If you have questions, phrase them in terms that are common and understandable. For example, my kid has asked me - "what firearm would I want to have if somebody tried to hurt my mom while we're home alone?". That is a question that he and I can discuss, both from a mindset and approach as well as from an equipment perspective.

Had he asked me about zombies or SHTF scenarios, I likely woulda just smacked him upside the back of the head.

 

[Younggunner]

Thanks levergun, that shows me now that not everyone on this site is a jerk. That helps a lot. Anyway. What did you think of that mini 14? Maybe the one I shot was a dud. But who knows. And apparently I should go see red dawn for the first time...

 

[Younggunner]

Hahaha ok Bernie. I like my shotgun for protecting my mom and sister though.

 

[Norinco982lover]

Have you looked into SKS's at all? Those are the "affordable" battle rifle... I do like mine...but since I want to try my hand at Saiga's and can't afford to keep both I am selling mine.

~Norinco

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

Red Dawn defined the thoughts of a generation... well, may be over-stating that, but all my peers in the Army were most definitely influenced by that flick.

When I was 14, the Mini-14 was the coolest thing out there. I was probably around your height then (maybe a tad taller), and it fit me pretty well. The Mini-14 is a short rifle with (IMO) a shorter comb. As I grew taller, my arms grew too long for the length of pull the rifle offered. I could not get a consistant cheek weld, or proper sight picture. This led to a discouraging level of inaccuracy. Getting used to 'peep' sights took some time as well.

I think the rifle itself is a solid piece. Reliable, digests anything I put in it, and was reasonably accurate for most applications (until I grew out of it). I sold it off about 10 years ago. Mainly b/c I wanted to scope it, but I didn't have the Ranch Rifle variant, and none of the scope mounts were reliable at the time.

As to your original question, a Marlin 1894C .357 would be a good choice for you; but I don't think your M1 Carbine choice is a bad one. My Dad carried one in Korea and beyond, and spoke glowingly of it.