Backup Plan

General General Discussion
1

I am a fundamentally cautious person. I like to have a Plan B for just about everything I do (sometimes a Plan C).

With what I consider surprising turn around in the gun rights conversation from just a few months ago in reference to AR, semi-automatics, standard capacity magazines, I have begun to think I need a Plan B. If you had asked me in September of last year what April of this year would look like related to gun legislation, I wouldn’t have even been in the same library much less on the same page as where we are today.

Right now, I pretty much use AR type rifles, Glock handguns, and Benelli shotguns for all my shooting needs.

While I don’t plan on “giving up” and I plan on fighting tooth and nail to keep these guns and use them openly, my fundamental nature is pushing me to form a backup plan. Especially considering the recent news of a $500 reward being paid for turning in people with “illegal guns”. Considering that I, as are most people, am surrounded daily by members of the “Free Shit Army” that wouldn’t hesitate to turn me in to the Stasi for much less.

I have been considering purchasing some guns that might not be on the top of the ban list on the assumption that widespread civil disobedience might not be forthcoming if a ban is eventually passed in the future and there would be financial incentives to rat out those who still own banned weapons and I still will need/want to shoot.

Anyone else thinking about the same thing?

Am I just being a little too cautious?

If you are, what are you looking at?

I was thinking about Remington 700 rifles and maybe some S&W revolvers, not so sure about the shotguns though.

Thoughts?

Please don’t post write legislators, etc. I am doing that, being stuck at home for the last few months on medical leave, I don’t have much else to do and it is cathartic to harass public “servants”. :smiley:

2

I’ve long thought that this was prudent.

Here are some things that might be useful in the future, which would be less likely to turn heads:

SKS sans bayonet. Looks like a hunting rifle or other “normal” wood stocked rifle. ETA: back in early 94, Chinese SKS rifles were 70-90$ a piece. I bought one. I wish I had bought more. I saw people walk out of local stores here in Utah with a whole case (10-12) at a time. They are easy to teach people how to use, hold 10 in the internal mag, can be charged easily with stripper clips, and have a shorter pull (at least the Chinese ones) due to shorter stock, and are not heavy, so women and smaller statured men and teenagers can easily use them.

Lever gun. Especially something like a 357 or 44 (or my 480 :wink: ) which can be paired with a couple revolvers in the same caliber. A pistol calibered lever gun can hold 10 or more in the tube often and you can use the same ammo in your sidearm. And they just look like cowboy guns.

Revolvers in general. Old fashioned looking.

“Hunting rifle” type guns. Wood, laminate, or normal synthetic stocked bolt action rifle with appropriate optic. Just a normal hunting rifle, nothing to fear.

22 rifles. Kid’s plinkers. Nothing to fear…

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3

I have the luxery of still living in free America. My AR’s and a Glock (or an M&P9) are still ok. No $500.00 bounty to be collected here. But not everyone can say that now…

I’m old enough to have trained with and carried a K-framed revolver. I would still prefer a Glock/M&P 9mm, but I wouldn’t feel naked with a revolver.

If I could go back in time, I’d buy a couple of crates of those NIB Chinese SKS’s when they were $75.00. They are a bit more low profile. But not much, depending on where you live. You’d be amazed how many still view them as an “Assault Weapon”. Some of my officers even refer to them as an “AK”. Many of the inter-city “clients” of my officers use SKS’s when they can’t access AK’s. so to many, the SKS is viewed in the same light.

A Remington 870 with a 18" barrel would be my choice for a low profile long gun. A 357 lever action would also be a good idea. But I have no experience with the Henry lever actions. The Marlin would be my choice. But the are hard to find, and expensive when you can find one.

To decide if this is even an issue one should concern themselves would depend greatly on where you live, and the political climent there.

4

Mauser K-98 rechambered in a modern cartridge 7.62 nato (BTW also works with Mauser stripper clips). Keep the stripper clip feed operational nd add modern optics.

5

Luckily I live in TN, and at least for now it seems like we would be one of the last holdout states barring any federal action.

I was more concerned with general usage rather than specifically defensive arms.

I use my M&P 15-22 all the time for pest control, my 5.56/.223 for coyote hunting/crow sniping, and a .308 AR for deer and I hunt with my Benellis all the time.

Even if said guns were restricted to 5 or even 3 shot magazines, I would use them because I prefer their manual of arms and I just plain shoot better with them.

However, I would really hate to be in the situation where some idiot sets off a legislative chain reaction where the laws changed overnight (read NY) and tomorrow, if I am seen outside my home with a rifle with a pistol grip, some jackass can turn me into the Stasi for a an extra toilet paper ration, and I have to try and find alternative guns and wind up having to try and purchase during a rush and/or under the umbrella of universal gun registration, purchase limit, weapon tax or other such proposed nonsense.

If I already own guns that are less likely to be on the first round on the chopping block, I will be able to fall back on them until something can be done with one of the boxes. (Soap/Ballot/Cartridge)

I am really leaning towards getting a couple of sporter weight 700s in .308/.223 for general use (my first real gun was a Marlin bolt action and Remington 700 seems to be the closest design) and I was already in the market for a 642/442.

Still not sure about shotguns though. I have owned Mossberg and Browning pumps in the past. No 870s though.

I actually figure that the next major shooting is as likely to involve a pump shotgun as an AR/AK, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up on the chopping block as well.

6

I live in Pa soon to be ban state in a coupe years, Isn’t the mini 14 exempted? I know its a pos but it’s something

7

Ditto these thoughts
Especially the lever cowboy style setups
Shared ammo etc…

Also a few nice collector WWII pieces :slight_smile:
M1 ! Great old rifle

8

I think it would be up for being on a list as well.

I figure we will either have an across the board ban on anything magazine fed and semiauto (eventually) or we won’t have any type of ban. I can’t see a ban on just some semi-autos lasting for long.

The big push always seems to be the comparison to Australia which is what I look at when I think about what will or won’t be on the chopping block. (Except handguns, I don’t think we will have the Australian handgun ban, at least during my lifetime)

That is why I am generally thinking bolt action rifles and maybe revolvers. Still not sure about shotguns. I really only like Benellis and doubles personally. Not a big pump fan, plus I believe that if the Aurora shooter hadn’t had a big evil black rifle as well as a pump shotgun, they would be having a fit about pump shotguns right now.

9

Well Id go with a lever action over a bolt any day a good 30.30 should fit the job

10

I own a couple of Marlin levers (30-30 and .22). While they are okay. They aren’t the 1st thing I usually grab. I shoot my old Marlin 881 way more often than the 39a.

I have thought long and hard about getting one of the .308 Criterion barreled Garands from the CMP though. Still thinking about it.

I just worry they may wind up on the chopping block as well, eventually.

11

Yeah agree :slight_smile: but better a lever than nothing :slight_smile:

I have pretty good faith we will be OK in the long run though :slight_smile:

12

I’m with ya’ on the plan B, but i already had plenty of mausers and wheel guns so I went with a Remington 750 auto in .308. I figured by the time they got around to banning that one Texas would have seceded and I would have moved there.

13

Bolt guns, lever guns, wheel guns, and shotguns(non tactical type IMO).

I have a bunch of AR’s, bunch of semi auto pistols(M&P’s, Glock, H&K) and a Mossberg 590 so I feel I am covered there.

I have been focusing lately on bolt guns(getting a 700 build going) and wheel guns.

Looking for 2 lever guns, a 357 and a 44mag. My local shop always has a couple, but I just never have the cash to buy them when I go in. Also wouldnt mind finding a Browning BLR in .308 and .223.

The other thing to focus on is reloading. My friends ask how I can still be shooting like I do and I say well over the past 3-4 years I have been buying reloading components in bulk. My buddy wanted some primers and I said no, he has money(more than me), he should have been buying the past few years. I keep thinking on getting a smelting/casting setup, but never can convince myself to pull the trigger.

14

Plan b. assault hammers, plan c. small rocks and pointy sticks . . . :help:

That is of course unless any of you happen to have a flux capacitor in a Delorean. That way I could go to the future and bring back a plasma rifle in the 40 watt range since energy weapons have yet to be regulated.