[older gunner]

I've been wanting to share some thoughts that have been on my mind and, since Katrina, have prompted me to take some action regarding survival.
First of all, I've changed my weapons collection. I got rid of my Taurus 627. I have been in love with the .357 mag for something like 50 years now. I just couldn't get comfortable with the Taurus. It was the hardest kicking handgun I ever owned. So, I'm now the proud owner of a Winchester 94 in .357 mag. (I also have been in love with lever actions.) I haven't had a rifle for a while now, and I realized that this was an omission I just couldn't afford if I wanted to better prepare for any breakdown of law and order in the future.
I also updated my pistol selections. I now have a Ruger 944, a Glock 23, and the newest aquisition, a CZ 40P. All are in .40 S&W. I also have two Sigs, Model 232 in SS that my wife shoots.
I also have coming a two week supply of MRE's with assorted supplies of water, first aid materials, light sticks, several flashlights, several knives, my Surefire, and a 6500 W generator for if we stay home but loose power.
I hope I never use any of the supplies, but I personally think the odds are in favor of having to do so sometime in the future. Living in Florida makes weather hazards real, plus the terrorist climate and proximaty to the Miami area makes me stop and think.
Don't know how you folks feel about these things, but I thought it was time to take some action. Of course buying a gun or two is fun anytime. Sorry for the long post, but I've wanted to get this off my chest for a while now. Thanks.

 

[Team American]

I hope I never use any of the supplies, but I personally think the odds are in favor of having to do so sometime in the future. Living in Florida makes weather hazards real, plus the terrorist climate and proximaty to the Miami area makes me stop and think.

Sounds like solid steps for preparation against future hurricane damage...and if global warming causes more hurricanes, we could be in for a stretch of them....the solar cycle (based on data of Martian polar caps melting) seems to be on an up-swing...all good reasons to upgrade readiness (like you need a reason to buy new guns :biggrin: )

P.S. I like the "Ranting Geezer" avatar :silly:

 

[DirksterG30]

older gunner,

I'm glad to hear you're getting more prepared. After Katrina, my wife and I have begun similar preparations/precautions. I think you will see a lot more people doing similar things after we all witnessed the debacle in New Orleans.

Congrats on the new pistols - especially the 40P. I've got one and it is a great pistol. Hope you like it!

 

[rocky]

things to consider if you don't have em. Batteries, spare flashlight bulbs. small cook stove for canned goods. Sleeping bags. Life jackets? Water purification system. Plan for several situations. Stay and ride out a storm, travel plans, ect.

 

[Tangle]

Older Gunner,
I had the privilege of shooting my rangemaster's Marlin .45-70 in my last Gunsite class. There were only three of us in the Advanced Tactical Pistol Class so we had time on our hands more than once.

I fell in love with the lever action, but I had no use for such a powerful loading. Since then I have been trying to figure out a good defensive caliber for a lever action carbine. I just like'em.

I know they are available in .357 and .44 mag. but I'd really like to have one in 9mm. I know that's an "under" kill, but that's what I carry in my handgun and I wouldn't have to stock and transport two different calibers.

In N.O. type disasters, I haven't seen that a AR or AK would be especially advantageous and even in the hills, it would probably be rare that one would be defending himself over 50 or so yards away. I mean if they're that far away, I think one would be dead, or at least shot, before he knew they were there.

Finally, sounds to me like you've put some wise thought into your preperation and I may use some of your ideas.

 

[FortyFive]

Sounds like your right on track to a healty future in case something happens where you need to survivie for awhile. It woke us all up hearing the tales from the destruction and bad guys running around. We too are trying to get better at preparation but its slow but sure. Good luck and your topic is great.

 

[Rob72]

Hey, guys, here's an economical little goodie I picked up:
http://www.wholesalehunter.com/product/Katadyn/katades/accessories.htm

It's not shown in the pics, but click the pull-down "Buy Now" menu, and you'll see the siphon filter, for $50. It is exactly what it says. If you have two buckets, you can gravity filter your H2O. Roughly 1 gal/hr; if you buy two filters, you double the rate; 3- triple, and so on. Not the best "Bug Out" choice, but I'm more of a Bug-In setup. We live near a reservoir, so....... :wink:

 

[P95Carry]

Ron - if you want a 9mm ''companion'' then the CX-4 Beretta Storm is handy - very compact, 15 round mag's and well accurate to 100 yards.

I like OG's logic re the .357 - I have for a long time tried to cover pistol cals with long arm alternatives and so have Win 94 myself in .357, and a Marlin lever in .44 mag. Beyond those, the Storm of course for 9mm plus also in 9mm a Camp 9. The Camp 45 also can see useful duty.

The wake-up call (calls) this year have in one respect at least been useful - in as much as they have made most of us think harder and out of the box too even.

There is preparedness and survivalism - I think for most part the former is our priority, without necessarily having to go to extremes.

 

[Tangle]

Oh sure, Chris, try to distract me with facts! :biggrin:

 

[older gunner]

Update

Took the new guns to the range today.
First, the Model 94 in .357:
I bench rested with the open buckhorn site at 50 yds. I put 8 out of 20 in the black, 5 in the 7 ring, 1 in the 5 ring, 2 in the cardboard backer, and the other 4 I couldn't find. Boy, the old eyes really make a difference. Then, I put the target at 60 ft. and fired 5 rounds off hand from a standing position, fairly fast. Much better results. 3 in the 9 ring 5/8" apart, 1 above them in the 8 ring, and another in the 7 ring just above that. Overall group was 2-1/4". That boosted my confidence. For what I want the rifle for, I'm satisfied that I can be effective.
Then I fired 200 rounds through the CZ. It is very accurate and fits my hand well. However, it doesn't like HP's. I've been reading about the need to polish the ramp, and I may do so. However, it was flawless with jacketed ammo. So, I've ordered some Corbon Pow'Rball, some Winchester Silvertips, and some Federal expanding FMJ. The Winchester and Corbon produce 500 ft.lbs, and 526 ft.lbs, respectively. If they work as well as I think they will, I'll probably settle for them and shoot cheap FMJ for practice. Anyone with a CZ , (DirksterG30), please comment.

 

[P95Carry]

With the old eyes deal OG - and so you can still use open sights - try and fit a ghost ring - that is about the only open sight method that works for me any more.

I have actually right now got red dots on the levers - they work good but look horrible, on guns with such good looks.

 

[BigSkyGuy]

I just couldn't afford if I wanted to better prepare for any breakdown of law and order in the future.

when you speak of this happening, most people roll their eyes and immediately dismiss you as some sort of kook. i just cannot understand how people can watch video of the LA riots, of reginald denny being dragged from his truck and beaten...of the looting, robbing, etc. going on in new orleans, etc. and really believe it cant happen to them.....or even worse, that the police will protect them. if nothing else, the LA riots/new orleans proved the ineffectiveness of law enforcement to protect you during times of widespread crisis. if they didnt teach you the importance of self reliance, nothing will.

I also updated my pistol selections.

have you also stocked up on ammunition? i would recommend at least a few hundred rounds in every caliber you own. without exception, every single time an emergency happens we see people run to the gun stores in search of weapons and ammo. i say stock up now while its not hard to get ahold of.

I also have coming a two week supply of MRE's

MRE's are the ultimate in food reserves! keep in mind that the shelf life of MREs is based upon keeping them below 80 degrees. the colder you keep them, the longer they will keep beyond their inspection date. although i rotate my stock, i keep my MRE's (enough to feed each member of my family for 90 days) in the basement during the summer and in an unheated garage in the winter.

I hope I never use any of the supplies, but I personally think the odds are in favor of having to do so sometime in the future.

exactly. be it a natural or man-made disaster, history has shown us that complacency can be fatal.

 

[BigSkyGuy]

Batteries, spare flashlight bulbs. small cook stove for canned goods. Sleeping bags. Life jackets

dont forget pet food. you gotta keep your pets fat because ultimately you might just have to eat them.

 

[BigSkyGuy]

There is preparedness and survivalism - I think for most part the former is our priority, without necessarily having to go to extremes.

i would respectfully disagree. yes, you have nuts who see government conspiracy and black choppers, but they have little to do with realistic survival preparations. "extremes" would certainly be relative. to the new orleans refugees sitting in the back of government trucks waiting to be fed, a stockpile of MREs with other basic preparations would have made one hell of a difference.


to quote myself (from another forum):
"Sadly, I recognize that it’s not only our world that is changing.....its our country, our state, our communities, and even our next door neighbors. No amount of denial can change that we live in a time of hatred. Bottom line, as you read this; radical Muslim children are being taught to kill your children. As you read this, state sanctioned and funded radical Muslims have declared jihad on your children and they are plotting to blow up your child’s school, your workplace, and to bring about the ultimate destruction of the American way of life.

The threat doesn’t stop there. The aftermath of hurricane Katrina as well as the L.A. riots showed us that even law abiding, god fearing citizens can find themselves totally helpless amidst anarchy, at the complete mercy of the thug element. It also demonstrated the ineffectiveness of law enforcement to protect the citizenry during overwhelming crisis that history has repeated again and again.

While I don’t see black choppers over my house, I do see that society is very different than it was when I was a boy, and I am determined to do everything reasonably possible to prepare myself to protect and defend my family from any source of harm. In the unlikely event that crisis should knock on my door, I refuse to depend upon my government to protect and feed my family. With proper preparation and training I can insure that my family will never become refugees, sitting on the back of a government truck waiting to be fed and sheltered. I refuse to be a victim under thug rule. I refuse to hand over the responsibility of caring for my family to a government that is incapable of caring for itself. No matter how far you shove your head into the sand there is a single given that will never change……yes, it can happen to you and your quality of life during/afterwards will be dictated by your level of preparation."

and i hear it from my wife who thinks i take it a little to far....she doesnt think most of my cache is necessary.....shes even said ive "lost it"....but should we get hit with a really nasty blizzard ill bet she wouldnt complain at all as our lives continue close to normal while our "neighbors" scrounge for whatever they can find.

 

[older gunner]

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I keep a minimum of 500 rounds of ammo per caliber at all times. I don't have pets to worry about, and I have an air conditioned closet all set for the MRE's. I am aware that shelf life diminishes if stored in heat.

 

[Bud White]

Sounds like your pretty well set hopefully you wont have to use the stuff but better to have than have not..


I know everyone talks about a Generator but only bad things i see with that is SOUND doesnt matter who made it there loud even if you have the quietest one made in a city with no power its one of the loudest things and would i think call people right to you

Espically bad guys ..

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

Sounds like you are off to a great start. The key is remembering that nobody will take care of you but you (bad grammer, but you know what I mean). I have definitely made some changes since Katrina along the same lines.

I have always camped and backpacked. I have a pretty good selection of tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, cook stoves, etc on hand. When it comes to lights, the glowsticks are a great idea. Also, make sure some of your lights are LED. The batteries and bulbs will last you a whole lot longer. Also make sure some of your lights are the "lantern" type. It is a lot easier to accomplish general work tasks with a broad light that casts all around you instead of a directed beam.

Bigsky definitely made an excellent point about pet food. Although we had made some preparations prior to the storms, pet food was not one we had thought of. We now keep a sizeable stock.

Does anybody have any particularly good ideas on keeping fuel? That, to me, seems to be the biggest headache. You can only keep so much gas on hand for any length of time. My wife's dad is a farmer and he runs just about everything on diesel. He keeps a large tank of it at all times on the farm, but he can also run his truck on it.

When it comes to firearms and ammo, I try to think "multipurpose". What will I get the most use out of in the most ways. Also, ammo availability. While you certainly want to stockpile as much as you can (within reason, I suppose), the time will come when you eventually have to buy more. I have told myself for years that I need to start reloading my own, but I never actually get around to actually doing it.

Gonzo

 

[P95Carry]

Gonzo - reloading is worth doing even if, as I have tended to do in latter times - you buy factory stuff.

Thing is - once set up even if basic you can have enough consumables on hand to represent a good extra quantity. I try and keep 2,000 each of most primer sizes, plenty of powder and I have bullet casting gear too so can even if power off, make those. I have boatloads of cases too.

Worth thinking about!

 

[DirksterG30]

Then I fired 200 rounds through the CZ. It is very accurate and fits my hand well. However, it doesn't like HP's. I've been reading about the need to polish the ramp, and I may do so. However, it was flawless with jacketed ammo. So, I've ordered some Corbon Pow'Rball, some Winchester Silvertips, and some Federal expanding FMJ. The Winchester and Corbon produce 500 ft.lbs, and 526 ft.lbs, respectively. If they work as well as I think they will, I'll probably settle for them and shoot cheap FMJ for practice. Anyone with a CZ , (DirksterG30), please comment.

Older Gunner, I have not had any similar problems with my CZ's. Have you tried Golden Sabers? They work flawlessly in my CZ's.

You may want to check out these 2 forums; the 2nd forum has a section devoted the the 40-P:
http://www.czshooters.com/modules.php?name=Forums
http://p201.ezboard.com/bczechpistols82792

 

[Geezer]

Congrats OG on your M94 in 357. You'll love it. I have the 94 in 30-30, 35 Rem, 45LC, and 357mag. Word of advice for the 357 (and 45LC), the M94 is extremely length-sensitive in the pistol calibers. I would advise buying only factory loads, or if handloading, seat the bullets to provide maximum length. Enjoy !