Subject: Weapons for food & protection

From: [email-masked] (San Joaquin Valley Library System)
Date: 16 Sep 1994 17:44:24 GMT

Fair warning -- this posting deals with survival from military, political 
or natural disasters, not from being stranded in the wilderness.  I don't 
style myself a survival guru, so I hope readers will post contrary views 
to my opinions where they disagree.  Here goes...

I think practical survivalists should concentrate foremost on avoiding 
people troubles.  Unfortunately, a successful survivor will, by 
definition, have things that others will kill to possess in difficult 
times: food, water, shelter, tools and so on.  So unless one can bug out 
with sufficient gear in his pack to survive while keeping perpetually on 
the move, survival plans will need to include defensive measures.

Consider first whether an exodus from an urban to rural area will be 
necessary.  Will you be attempting this on your own, or in a small group 
of family/friends?  Have you cached long-term necessities at your 
destination, or will you be living out of a backpack for awhile?  Have 
you investigated the type of cover available along your planned escape 
route, in all seasons?

The thing to remember is that travel during a major crisis is potentially
the most dangerous short-term problem facing survivors, and unless you 
can put together an armored convoy, it would be wisest to maintain a low 
profile and move quickly, preferably before a general panic sets in.  
Include a backpack in your vehicle in case you have to finish the trip on 
foot.  Choose clothing and other gear that is sturdy but looks cheap, since a 
hiker resembling a homeless wanderer will not attract as much notice as 
one clad by Armani and Gucci.

For travel, the most useful weapon is a high-capacity semiautomatic 
pistol of 9mm or larger caliber, with a couple spare magazines and one or 
two boxes of ammo.  If traveling in a group, one member might carry a 
high-powered handgun of the TC Contender or Remington XP100 ilk for 
accurate, long-range fire.  In either case, the weapon should be carried 
concealed but handy; openly carrying a longarm might encourage an ambush 
rather than deter it, since an observer will know you have at least one 
possession worth fighting for.

Assuming you make it to your prepared hideout (or that you never needed 
to leave it) before things go nuts, there are a variety of weapons that can be 
successfully employed for defensive purposes.  I won't coment on this 
except to say that at least one scoped, high-powered rifle (say, in .308 
NATO) should be included in any arsenal in case long-range fire should be 
required. 

For hunting purposes, consider the crossbow and airgun as useful 
auxillary weapons.  Both are short-range propositions, but their
relative silence could be of great advantage at times.  In addition, if firearm 
ammunition runs low, replacement crossbow bolts can be made from wood with 
simple hand tools, strings from linen or hemp fiber.  For general 
information on crossbows, see my FAQ in alt.archery.  Airgun pellets can
be had fairly cheaply and take up little storage space.  If you're 
willing to pay the extra cost, a round ball lead casting mould can be 
custom made in air rifle calibers; this would permit recycling the lead 
pellets removed from small game.

 - Dave
-- 
Dave DeLaurant		Shooter of crossbows, firearms and airguns
San Joaquin Valley 	Lover of women, cats, hunting and foreign cuisine
Information Service	Mender of books, Rider of bicycles, Reader of English
[email-masked]	Collector of modern military helmets & body armor