Fact vs. BS - Part 4

WELCOME TO THE NO BS ZONE OF TEDDY JACOBSON

Added notations - Sun. Nov. 20, 2005 - 9:15 am C.T.

www.tacticalknives.blogspot.com

www.tjofsugarland.blogspot.com

www.hipowersandhandguns.com



FOR WEBSITE LINKS SEE PREVIOUS COMMENTARY


LETTER FROM ARGENTINA- PART III - BELOW


PLEASE NOTE: I WILL NOT BE TAKING IN ANY TRIGGER WORK ON A BERETTA MODEL 87 AT THIS POINT IN TIME. I REALIZE THERE IS AN ARTICLE IN THE NOV. 2005 ISSUE OF GUNS MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY MASAAD AYOOB ABOUT THIS 87 THAT I DID MANY YEARS AGO. I WILL ONLY TAKE IN LIMITED TRIGGER WORK ON STREET GUNS ONLY AND YOU MUST CALL ME FIRST. I GIVE NO DISCOUNTS TO ANYONE REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR NAME IS AND OR WHAT YOUR STATUS IS IN THIS LIFE. MY WORK IS VERY MUCH IN DEMAND BUT I JUST DO VERY LIMITED WORK THAT HAS NEVER BEEN WORKED ON BY SOME ONE ELSE. YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY LAND LINE AT 281 565 6977 MOST ANY DAY AT 10am CENTRAL TIME. I WILL DISCUSS YOUR HANDGUN WITH YOU ANYTIME AND OR ADVISE YOU WHAT TO PURCHASE, I DO THIS AS A COURTESY TO HELP THE HONEST GUN OWNER..........TJ

DISCLAIMER: THIS COMMENTARY AS WELL AS ALL MY PREVIOUS COMMENTARIES ARE MY PERSONAL OPINION AND MY PERSONAL VIEWPOINT. WHEN I QUOTE SOME ONE IT IS COPIED AND PASTED FROM A PUBLIC DOMAIN OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER. I DO PAY FOR SOME DETAILED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT I SHARE WITH YOU. IF YOU CAN NOT DEAL WITH REALITY, PLEASE LEAVE NOW.

I USE MILITEC METAL CONDITIONER FOR ALL MY TRIGGER WORK. Go to http://www.militec-1.com/ I do not sell it and you can buy it directly from Militec.

FOR CERAMIC COATINGS I USE PRODUCTS FROM NIC INDUSTRIES Go to http://www.nicindustries.com/ Speak with Brandon Grady, he can help you.

FOR ALL MY CLEANING PURPOSES I USE LPS PRODUCTS, THERE IS NOTHING BETER THAN ZERO TRI OR MICRO X http://www.lpslabs.com/ You can purchase these products from http://www.mscdirect.com/

IF YOU NEED A SILICONE PRODUCT FOR YOUR HOLSTERS I USE DOW CHEMICAL SILICONE THAT COMES IN A SPRAY CAN OR A TUBE AND CAN BE PURCHASED AT http://www.mscdirect.com/


Fact vs. BS - Part 4

I have gotten so much positive response from this type of commentary that I will continue it for now as long as you are interested. Some of what I reveal to you will help you a great deal because I am not one to beat around the bush and I do not deceive anyone. I still do trigger work providing the handgun has not been worked on by some one else and has not been butchered. I would still like to speak about the 1911 pistol before I get on to another handgun.

When buying a disconnector for a 1911 pistol you must measure the over all length as its critical. The reason that I have mentioned this at this time is that I am seeing more and more brand new after market disconnectors that are too long. I would never use any disconnector in a 1911 pistol unless I measured it first.

Always remember that the factory standard barrel link is .278 and many people just keep putting in longer links thinking that will be a cure for many things. When you install a longer link you raise the barrel and therefore you are raising the primer on the bullet which will cause you to get a low hit on your primer from the firing pin. FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS ALWAYS A REACTION.

Many people keep buying small 1911 style pistols and they call me about them not being reliable. Remember the lack of slide weight as it was originally designed must be altered by using stronger springs for lack of slide weight and weak ball ammo will not always cycle the action. If you must have a small 45 acp pistol then you should buy a Glock 36. If you read the FBI report that I put up on my other blogger it showed that using 230 grain ball ammo is not near as effective as the BS you have been told all these years. BULLET PACEMENT, BULLET PLACEMENT, BULLET PLACEMENT. Want to live to go home - BULLET PLACEMENT.

I have always admired beautiful exterior work and I have always been interested on the internals of a handgun for street carry. Having a beautiful exterior means nothing when it comes to actual internal action work, ITS ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS, ALL THE REST IS BS. You never want to let anyone ever remove the series 80 safety system of your 1911 pistol because they tell you that you do not need it. The reason they take it out is because they do NOT have the expertise or knowledge to get a good trigger pull using the factory safety parts. What will you tell a grand jury why the parts are missing, especially when an attorney sees a hole in the slide where the slide plunger was removed. It will result in a major civil suit even if you get no billed by a grand jury after a social encounter. I can achieve just as good a trigger pull using the series 80 safety parts, if a Smith say he can not, hes incompetant.
WHEN A "SMITH" INSISTS ON REMOVING YOUR SERIES 80 SAFETY SYSTEM PARTS YOU MUST INSIST THAT HE PROVIDE YOU WITH A NOTORIZED LETTER ON HIS LETTERHEAD STATIONARY STATING THAT IT WAS HIS IDEA TO REMOVE THESE PARTS AND NOT YOURS, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY WAY HE COULD IMPROVE THE TRIGGER PULL, STAND BACK AND WATCH HIM SWEAT BECAUSE OTHERWISE HE WILL DENY IT WAS HIS IDEA WHEN HE IS IN FRONT OF A GRAND JURY. HE WILL SAY YOU ASKED HIM TO REMOVE THESE PARTS.

I do not like using a 9mm firing pin in a 1911 pistol that is chambered in 45 acp, but at this point in time that is what most companies are doing. I have no choice many times to use it but I make sure that it works flawlessly. Many times you will experience poor feeding in a 1911 pistol because the magazine catch assembly is not holding the magazine up high enough due to where the mag. catch cut out is made in the frame. All frames are slightly different and you may have to buy a magazine catch assembly that is a different dimension or contact Virgil Tripp and get one of his "COBRA" magazines that will compensate for this. In my pistols I have always silver soldered a shim to the mag. catch assembly to raise up the magazine when it was too low. This is often over looked and it is not easy to do.

Many people are not aware of the fact that if a CARTRIDGE (bullet case) is nickle plated it may cause you trouble feeding if the breech face is too tight or the chamber is tight. If you are having this kind of trouble get some calipers and measure a bullet made with a brass case and then measure a CARTRIDGE with a nickle case and write your exact measurements down and you will see what I am talking about. You may also have to make necessary adjustments to your extractor.

The most aggravating thing to many owners of a 1911 pistol is the re-assembly of the slide stop when it causes an ugly scar on the frame under the slide stop. This is caused by many or rather a combination of things that can easily be corrected, many gunsmiths do not know what to do so they tell you to use a pin punch to push in the detent pin on the left side of the plunger tube while inserting the slide stop. THIS IS PURE BS. you would need a third hand, its cause they do not understand how to correct a simple problem. New guns coming from the factory have this very same problem. Remember most all the old world craftsman are about gone, to find one go to your local cemetary.

I do not like to use an 8 shot magazine for a 1911 pistols because the weak spring in most are worthless. I would rather have a good 7 shot capacity magazine. I honestly believe that the "COBRA" magazines made by Virgil Tripp are about the best there is. www.trippresearch.com
Springs are what your life depends on and some take a bigger set than others. There is no point in taking short cuts when it comes to springs of any kind. When a manufacturer brings out a new pistol they usually put out bids for spring prices and in many cases they always go with the cheapest price, its always about money.

My personal viewpoint is not to cut any corners on internal parts or springs. I would rather pay more money for better internals. You can not buy parts by brand name alone as for example I may like a Wilson guide rod but I may not like any of his other parts and the same goes for other companies. You must judge the part on an individual basis and not depend on any one brand. I like Wilson barrel links but I do not really buy much more than that from his extensive line.

I buy quite a few Brown parts, have through past years but I do not like his Colt Officers Guide rod kit and reverse plug. I like the one that King makes better. I have never tried the one that Marc at ISMI makes. So you see I am trying to show you that you must select parts and springs on an individual basis. I used to make and sell many parts for a 1911 pistol but I no longer do any of that, I would rather pick what I want out of the brownells catalog as I am familiar with most of them.
Where you get into trouble is when a big name in parts buys from sub contractors. This week you buy from that company and lets say you just bought a thumb safety and it was purchased from sub contractor "A" and next week in that very same package you bought another thumb safety, it may be made from sub contractor "B" = NOT THE EXACT SAME PART. LOOKS THE SAME. MAY NOT FIT THE SAME.

In this global economy that we have had to deal with there is no telling where anything is made. Korea ?? Pakistan ?? China ?? Israel ?? Mexico ?? India ?? Philippines ?? I have no clue as no one would ever jepardize their product to tell you the truth. Look at the hammers on an old Sig pistol and then look at the same hammer on a brand new Sig pistol, totally different. One is very well made which of course is the older one and the new one is MIM. Its all about saving money and they do not have your interest at heart. I am not just referring to Sig, I am referring to all of them. Buy a brand new $700. Beretta Brigadier Elite II and enjoy your plastic trigger and your plastic guide rod. Buy a brand new SW third Generation pistol and enjoy your .20 cent plastic disconnector. You got the picture, all the brands with the exception of 2 that I know of have not cut corners.

If you want me to continue this type of commentary please email me at tjacobson@houston.rr.com



Marines' secret weapon
Thermobaric projectiles have powerful destructive power

Top level

G2 Headlines
Author: Joseph Farah

© 2005 G2 Bulletin
Publishing date: 17.11.2005 22:05

The U.S. Marines have a secret weapon in their arsenal in Iraq – thermobaric projectiles that wreak devastating destructive power on buildings.

It's a modified version of the USMC Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon, but with a new warhead. Called the NE -- "Novel Explosive" -- it is a thermobaric mixture which ignites the air, producing a shockwave of unparalleled destructive power. A post-action report from Iraq describes the effect of the new weapon: "One unit disintegrated a large one-storey masonry type building with one round from 100 meters. They were extremely impressed.

" Elsewhere it is described by one Marine as "an awesome piece of ordnance." It proved highly effective in the battle for Fallujah. This from another after-action report: "SMAW gunners became expert at determining which wall to shoot to cause the roof to collapse and crush the insurgents fortified inside interior rooms." The NE round is supposed to be capable of going through a brick wall, but in practice gunners had to fire through a window or make a hole with an anti-tank rocket. Marines found they could employ blast weapons prior to entering houses that had become pillboxes, not homes. The manufacturers, Talley, make bold use of its track record, with a brochure headlined, "Thermobaric Urban Destruction."

Air cargo insecurity
TSA behind schedule on measuring vulnerabilities

Top level

G2 Headlines
Author: Joseph Farah

© 2005 G2 Bulletin
Publishing date: 17.11.2005 21:28

The Transportation Security Administration has not yet established a methodology or schedule for completing assessments of air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets, G2B has learned.

In 2004, an estimated 23 billion pounds of air cargo was transported within the United States, about a quarter of which was transported on passenger aircraft. Within the Department of Homeland Security, the TSA is responsible for ensuring the security of commercial aviation, including the transportation of cargo by air.

In November 2003, the TSA completed an air cargo strategic plan that outlined a threat-based, risk management approach to secure the air cargo system by, among other things, targeting elevated risk cargo for inspection. The TSA also completed an updated threat assessment in April 2005.

But it has not yet completed two other crucial elements of a risk-based management approach, without which TSA may not be able to appropriately focus its resources on the most critical security needs, says Jim Khouri, vice president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. "The TSA has taken a number of actions intended to strengthen air cargo security, but factors exist that may limit their effectiveness," he says. "For example, TSA established a centralized database on people and businesses that routinely ship air cargo to improve information on known shippers. However, General Accounting Office analysts identified problems with the reliability of the information in the database, and how the TSA is using the information to identify shippers who may pose a risk."

The TSA has also established requirements for air carriers to randomly inspect air cargo, but has exempted some cargo from inspection, potentially creating security weaknesses. Further, the TSA conducts audits of air carriers and indirect air carriers to ensure that they are complying with existing air cargo security requirements. "The TSA has not developed measures to assess the adequacy of air carrier and indirect air carrier compliance, systematically analyzed these audit results to target future inspections, or assessed the effectiveness of its enforcement actions to ensure compliance with air cargo security requirements," said Khouri.

The TSA's plans for enhancing air cargo security focus on implementing a system for targeting and inspecting elevated risk cargo, and requiring air carriers to conduct security threat assessments on thousands of cargo workers, among other efforts. These plans may pose financial, operational, and technological challenges to the agency and air cargo industry stakeholders. For example, those who have a stake in air cargo security are concerned, and GOA analysis identified, that TSA may have underestimated the cost of its proposed measures.

Pentagon fights EMP study
Says congressional panel would divert resources

Top level

G2 Headlines
Author: Joseph Farah

© 2005 G2 Bulletin
Publishing date: 18.11.2005 08:05

The Defense Department is opposing a move in the House of Representatives to re-authorize a commission to study electromagnetic pulse threats to the U.S. – a panel that last year reported EMP represents one of the gravest risks to the future of the country.
Defense officials asked House lawmakers last month to stop the re-establishment of the EMP commission because supporting the effort could divert resources needed to implement action plans against such attacks.

In the House fiscal year 2006 defense authorization bill, lawmakers recommended re-establishing the "Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack." EMPs are byproducts of nuclear explosions in the atmosphere. The commission, which released a report in 2004 on U.S. preparedness against an EMP attack, said the detonation of a nuclear device in this way could significantly damage, if not destroy, much of the critical electronics and telecommunications infrastructure -- including power and transportation capabilities.

In its appeal, the department says assisting the proposed commission would potentially take time and resources away from the Pentagon's implementation of an EMP "action plan" in the event of such an attack. "Responding to and supporting the proposed commission has the potential to compete with the limited DOD resources required to implement the action plan," the appeal notes. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-MD, isn't buying it.

He contends the Pentagon should be working closely with such an expert panel. The Pentagon's appeal notes that it has not had the chance to implement its plans for fortifying critical infrastructure against failure during EMP attacks, and states re-establishing the commission would be premature now that a plan has been laid out.

"The department opposes the House provision because it is just now completing its response to the 2004 report submitted by the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack and has not had sufficient time to implement a proposed EMP action plan recently submitted to the secretary," the memorandum reads. Congressional sources said re-establishing the commission would have minimal costs.

Letter From Argentina - Part III

PART III: GUNS, AMMO AND OTHER GEAR (all rules and regulations must be followed as per BATF)

After TSHTF in 2001, only the most narrow minded, brain washed, butterfly IQ level idiots believed that the police would protect them from the crime wave that followed the collapse of our economy. A lot of people that could have been considered antigun before, ran to the gun shops, seeking advise on how to defend themselves and their families. They would buy a 38 revolver, a box of ammo, and leave it in the closet, probably believing that it would magically protect them from intruders.

Oh, maybe you don’t think that firearms are really necessary or your beliefs do not allow you to buy a tool designed to kill people. So you probably ask yourself, is a gun really necessary when TSHTF? Will it truly make a difference? Having gone through a SHTF scenario myself, total economical collapse in the year 2001, and still dealing with the consequences, five years later, I feel I can answer that question. YES, you need a gun, pepper spray, a machete, a battle axe, club with a rusty nail sticking out of it, or whatever weapon you can get hold of.

A LOT has been written on survival weapons. Everyone that is into armed survival has his or her own idea of the ideal gun battery. Some more oriented to a hunting point of view, others only as self defense means and others consider a little of both, and look for general purpose weapons. Talking about guns, there is one special subject I want to rectify, and it’s the point on what’s the primary weapon for the survivalist, specially a urban survivalist that has to function in a society, yes, even after the SHTF.

The primary defensive weapon for the survivalist is his HANDGUN. It’s the weapon that stays with him when he is doing his business around town of working on the field. The survivalist IS NOT a soldier, even though you are a soldier or you once were the meanest mother on the battle filed, your home town is not a battlefield and it wont be, even if the SHTF. A LOT of water has to go under the bridge until the situation gets to a point where you can calmly walk down the street with a rifle on your shoulder.

People, if you are interested in real world SHTF situation, and you want to prepared for the real deal, then understand that this isn’t black or white. You wake up one day and listen on the radio that the economy collapsed and that the stock market closed indefinitely. What do you do? You still have to go to the office/work/whatever .Kiss the wife good bye and walk to the office with your AR across your back, or across your chest, Israeli style, ready to shoot?

You won’t get far. Someone will shoot you or throw you in jail, or in a mental institution.
What I’m trying to explain, is that it’s ok to prepare for China invading you country, Germans and UN or Martians. That is the extreme, less likely worst case scenario.
There is an infinity spectrum of gray between the black and white.

White being your average normal day and black being total TEOTWAWKI, lizard men invading the planet.
Rifles do have a place in the survivalist’s arsenal, and a very important one. But you have to understand that 90% of the time, the handgun will be the weapon you have available when you need one. You can’t compare to a trooper in Iraq that has his weapon with him at all times. I ask you how many soldiers do you know that keep wearing camo and totting their M4s around town when they return home?

What works for war does not work for the survivalist, especially the urban survivalist.
Even if you live in a retreat far from town, you have to work, don’t you? Or do you have employees that take care of all your mundane tasks, leaving you all day to keep watch with your rifle ready? A soldier is part of a huge machine; HIS job is to carry that rifle, while others take care of other needs.

A survivalist, one that is not part of a large survivalist group, has no one to cover for him. When a new guy looks for advice on what to get for defense, some will recommend a rifle or shotgun as a first defensive weapon.

Let’s say race riots start in this guy’s city. He still has to go to work every day. What is he supposed to do? Shove his pump shotgun in his pocket? A handgun, even though less powerful, can be used for home defense AND go with you wherever you need to go. If the place floods, he can still hop into an evacuation boat without leaving his weapon behind. I’m sure no rescue team will pick you if you are carrying a long arm.

They’ll ask you to leave it behind for sure. What if your government, realizing that TSHTF and that they lost control of the events, bans all firearms indefinitely? Don’t know about you, but if things are that bad, I’d like to be armed. You can hide a handgun under a jacket. You cant hide a long arm under your clothes.

I think it was Clint Smith who said that the handgun is only used to fight his way to his rifle. Man! that sounds “macho”. I’d love to see him walking into Wal-Mart with his tactical M4, taking the subway, visiting the doctor or going to the bank. “Over here Mr. Smith, you can hang you M4 right next to my coat” I don’t think so. Guys, unless you have your own shooting school, you do not get to carry your rifle to work.

OK, now that I got that out of my chest lets look at some options.
Handguns: Revolver or [Semi-automatic] Pistol? Pistol ALL THE WAY! Yes, I saw the video of the guy that accurately emptied his S&W in 1⁄2 a second. I also saw the shooting range and the crowd behind him, watching the event. Can he shoot and reload that way if he is in his car, driving with one hand and shooting with the other, while a bunch of scum bags in another car are shooting at him? Hey, maybe he can. I know I can’t. Can you?

Generally speaking, the revolver is more difficult to master than the pistol. The double action is hard and it affects speed and accuracy. It can be done, but I found that pistols are easier, as did many shooters. Also, even though they seem to be more simple, revolvers are not as rugged as service pistols, the mechanisms that cycles the cylinder and cocks the hammer is both complicated and fragile compared to auto pistols.

Before anyone starts casting evil voodoo spells at me for insulting their prized S&W or Ruger: I own revolvers and like shooting them, I just don’t think they are the best option for self defense, and I see that everyone I talk to in my country who is worried about security as I am also chooses pistols. Quality pistols resist sand, mud and dirt in general better than revolvers, where a small pebble locked in the mechanism may render the revolver inoperable.

I personally had a problem with a new stainless steel Taurus Tracker .357 magnum. After shooting it a couple of times I reloaded it and shot all 7 rounds as fast as I could and when I tried to empty it, I found that the empties were stuck because they expanded because of the heat. I had to wait until the gun cooled a little so I could empty the gun. Stuff like this can get you killed, even more in a 7 round handgun. I once saw a man walk into a gun store wanting to trade his 357 magnum revolver for a 9mm high capacity pistol.

He said he was driving when thugs from another car started shooting at him. He was chased for a few blocks. He said that he pulled his revolver and started shooting at them, and ran out of ammo real fast. He wanted more capacity and fast reloading. I could not agree with him more. Some will consider this “Spray and pray”, thinking that all rounds should hit the target and if some don’t then it means that you need more time at the range. Those same people will tell you that they intend to use bolt action rifles as defensive rifles, making each shot count, without ever missing their target, one shot one kill. I don’t agree with this. One shot one kill is ok for snipers, but the survivalist should have other alternatives.

I don’t see anything wrong with shooting four or five rounds at a chasing car. If those rounds make them think twice about their intentions, they are rounds well spent in my book, even if they don’t kill the attacker. Suppressive fire is possible if you have a high capacity pistol. I wouldn’t doubt on using such a tactic if it serves my purposes, or if it buys me time to get out of there. Also keep in mind that criminals are cowards and therefore attack in groups.

The survivalist should be able to face more than just one attacker. Getting into a gunfight with two or three armed men while packing a 6 round revolver is rather hard to deal with. A high capacity pistol can load about 15 or 19 rounds, and that can certainly make a difference in a gunfight where you are outnumbered.

A forensic doctor that used to live in my neighborhood got killed last year. He was ambushed when he exited a restaurant by five or six men. Even though they did kill him he managed to kill four of them and severely injure another. He shot regularly and carried a Glock .40. I’m sure he was lucky but I also think that his choice of weapon was also important in the outcome. If anyone is wondering, people in my country that are serious about self defense carry Glocks. Those that don’t have the money for a Glock carry Bersas, FM High Powers or 1911 surplus .45s. At first I wasn’t sure about the Bersa, but once I tried them I saw that they are very descent guns. I now own two Bersas and am pleased with they performance.

The caliber choice calls for endless debate and it is not my intention here. Lets just say that 9mm , .40 S&W and .45 ACP are the obvious choices. 40S&W seem to be the most adequate, both in FMJ and hollowpoint, while 9mm lacks some stopping power and hollow points should be used if possible. Though the 9mm lacks power compared to the .40 S&W, it is more popular world wide, a factor to consider seriously when choosing a handgun for SHTF. Besides, 9mm can also be used in a number of carbines and SMG, another important fact to be considered.

SMGs and carbines chambered for .40 S&W and .45 ACP are also available, but they at not nearly as popular as those chambered for 9mm. Whatever you choose keep 500 or better yet 1000 rounds of quality ammo for your handgun at all times. 100 rounds won’t last much if the crisis lasts long. Also consider that once the balloon goes up, governments tend to restrict guns and ammo.

Rifles
I previously stated that the urban survivalist will be using his handgun 90% of the time he needs to defend himself and family from attackers. I didn’t pull this figure out of thin air, it is quite accurate based on what happens here on daily basis, even a little optimistic. Cold harsh reality has shown us that most attacks occur when entering or exiting your home, when you are more vulnerable. Almost no one is stupid enough to try to enter a barred house with armed occupants.

Believe me people; the gene pool will clean itself rather fast once the SHTF. So, is a rifle necessary? Of course it is! There is still that 10%, and that 10% can still ruin your day. And this percentage sky rockets if you intend to use that same rifle for putting meat on the table. If you have to settle with just one rifle, go for a semi auto. Ideally you should have a bolt action one and a semi auto rifle. A bolt action and a semiautomatic 308 would make a nice combination.

Whatever you choose, try to keep it within military calibers and military weapons if possible.
It may seem that I have something against bolt rifles but I don’t. I think they are fantastic weapons, but I think that semi autos are much better fighting weapons. The idea of “picking them out” 300 meters away with your bolt rifle, as they come in a row blowing whistles and firing warning rounds is laughable at best.

Bolt rifles do have advantages over semi autos, accuracy not being the most important one. Bolt rifles such as Mausers last forever and are harder than rocks, THAT’S important. They are simple, easy to repair tools that will serve you (within their limitations of course) longer than any other weapon. For example, the coil spring on my Mauser 1891 safety broke into 3 separate parts, after almost 100 years of faithful service. I dug into my tool box and found a spring left over from a kitchen shelve door.

I cut it approximately to the length of the previous spring, replaced it and the rifle was fixed. There are not many weapons that allow this. And it is a very valuable attribute once the SHTF and spare parts are no longer available.

Stick to common calibers, 223, 7.62x39mm, or 7.62x51 (308). .223 vs. .308? I’m not going there. If you prefer .223 because it has less recoil, it’s lighter, or you favor the AR rifle go ahead. If you think that .223 is more powerful than 7.62 sign up to Physics I.
Just remember what I said before, a survivalist is not a soldier serving in Iraq, and you don’t have the entire USMF to back you up. You are on your own. You are not going to pin your attackers down with a questionably effective round and wait until someone hits them with artillery.

About ARs… I wouldn’t trust my life to a rifle that has more versions than Rocky sequels… the way I see it, it means that the basic design was the problem and there is no solution. On AK … all has been said. The most popular rifle on the planet, and popular not because of politics, but because it works. It also fires an intermediate power, effective round, available world wide. SKS are also good, but I’d rather have removable magazines. Again, don’t use voodoo on me because I say I wouldn’t trust my life to a AR.

If you keep your weapon clean, know its limitations and feel comfortable with it, go for it please. A couple of rounds of 223 will kill anyone just as well.

If you want a rifle that can do a little bit of everything relatively well, do yourself a favor and get either a M1A or a FAL in 7,62 (308) with a carbine length barrel. Preferably with a red dot scope and some kind of light mount. Leave full length barrels to hunters and bench rest shooters. Do your homework on both guns and you’ll see what I mean.

Choose 308 not because of the added range you can get out of it, but because of its power at all ranges, choose it because it turns cover into concealment. Think about all the possible cover material you can find in a city, like cars, trees, low walls and other structures. The 308 will go right through it, or destroy it after a few rounds. It’s a proven cartridge through out the years.

Shotguns.
Shotguns are good general purpose guns. The main advantage I see is the devastating stopping power and the ability to use special ammo, like slugs and less than lethal ammo. I’m not so sure about the role as an “inside house” gun. The muzzle blast is great and quick follow up are not easy, especially when adrenalin is pumping through your system or, even worse, when someone is shooting back at you.

Pistol Caliber Carbines and SMG
If possible , I’d choose a SMG reduced to semi auto (only if necessary, of course, full auto selector is better if possible ) or other kind of short, small, pistol caliber carbine.
The combination of a 9mm handgun and a 9mm carbine or SMG reduced to semi auto or full auto class III has lots of advantages in my book and is a fine combination.

Some think that full auto is a waste of ammo. I don’t think so, not if you know how to use your head, and use this feature wisely. If you can get a short barrel and collapsible stock, you’ll also have a weapon that can be hidden under a heavy coat. A red dot scope would enhance accuracy a lot. The advantage of having the same ammo for long and small arm is not to be taken lightly. From the logistical, survivalist point of you, this is one big thumbs up! Think about cowboys and Americans that lived in the west, they also knew the value of using the same ammo for rifle and handgun.

They had single action handguns and lever action handguns chambered for the same ammo, the modern survivalist can have the same ammo for his auto pistol and his sub-rifle as well.
Some think that a pistol caliber long arm is just one big clumsy pistol or a rifle sized gun that delivers pistol power and accuracy. This is BS. Anyone that ever fired a pistol caliber rifle or SMG knows that they are much more accurate, hitting torso targets at 100 yards is easy, and a little more if you have a red dot scope.

Also, SMGs can manage hot ammo specially made for such guns, much more powerful than the one for handguns. Even if you use regular handgun ammo, the added barrel length adds a few extra feet per second making it more powerful. Just check the information on body armor. Body armor that is rated to stop 9mm, for example, is not rated to stop the same 9mm ammo out of a SMG or carbine, because the added speed will make that same round penetrate the vest.

Anyway, +P ammo is more than enough power out of a SMG or carbine, you don’t have to go looking for special SMG ammunition.
If you can get full auto that’s one nice feature to have, not worth it if you are on a tight budget, but if you can get it, it may come in handy someday. Full auto SMG are giving police in my country a lot of headaches. A criminal with little or no training will put three or four cops armed with pistols and shotguns on their toes, just because of the sheer volume of fire these high capacity 9mm deliver.

There was this case of a bad guy standing in front of a patrol car full of cops on a red light stop, pulling a 9mm SMG out of his coat and emptying it on full auto. The cops didn’t have a chance, he killed them all. The car looked like Swiss cheese with 40 9mm holes all over the vehicle.

SOUND SUPPRESSORS (follow rules of BATF)
All I’m going to say on this subject is: Have one if you can. That’s it. I’ll leave the rest of it to your imagination, don’t make me say it. Today it may seem like a “nice to have” feature… after the SHTF, it may be a “O God I’ve got to get a suppressor!!” feature. I’d buy a good suppressor instead of a ultra high dollar scope like the SOG.

Buy a good quality scope, but don’t spend a fortune on it, and use the rest of the money on a suppressor. If you are serious about preparing for SHTF, you’ll thank me one day, just trust me on this one. 9mm and 45 suppress quite well. Not as well as .22 , but there is much more power on the big bore ammo. Combined with a full auto SMG, the possibilities are much greater. Sometimes it’s just better to go unnoticed, especially in a SHTF crisis. [JWR adds: In the U.S., purchase of a suppressor is subject to a background check and a $200 Federal transfer tax. DO NOT construct one and do not buy one illegally!]

BODY ARMOR
Dear God! Buy body armor PLEASE!! It’s dirt cheap in USA. Preferably, get the police concealable kind( class II) Then continue to work on it and get class III A military armor and some rifle plates, just as you do when you start buying guns. You’ll end up with 2 or 3 sets of armor which are great to have for family members and spares. Just so you know, I got so desperate about body armor I ordered it from USA through internet (bulletproofme.com), I ended up paying a total of nearly 600 USD for body armor that costs 200 USD in USA.

Buy it while you still can. When the SHTF you’ll end up wearing it, believe me. I don’t wear mine all day long but I do wear it when I have to go some place dangerous, deal with people I don’t trust, or when I have to go teach Architecture Representation late at night, and must travel through a much dangerous road at 12 PM.

Teddy

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