Vignettes 9

GUNS, OPTICS & KNIVES

I have written about weapons and conducted weapons training as part of the SPIKE program. Still there are many inquiries concerning the best weapons for personal and home defense. Spike Phase III, Gun Control, covers in detail the review here.

PISTOL: The most important firearm is a handgun in defense of your person, property, loved ones and others who depend upon you for security. A pistol doubles as both a personal weapon, home defense gun, and security during travel. The one best caliber is the half-inch .45-auto slug. This bullet was developed to knock-down Moro Indians in the Philippines, who bound their limbs with vines to stop the flow of blood when hit with .30 caliber projectiles. The .45 is designed to stop an advancing enemy, not just produce a wound. My personal first choice is the Colt Officer’s Model. It is small and light weight. If the weapon is to be used by a person with limited strength, check to insure the hammer spring is not so heavy that the owner can’t pull the slide to the rear, chambering a round and cocking the hammer. A very weak person can cock such a weapon by inverting the pistol, positioning the hammer on a carpeted surface and scrubbing (pushing) the gun forward, cocking the gun. The front and rear sights should glow in the dark to aid in aiming. The bullets should be hollow-point or liquid filled to expand on impact. Such a load should not penetrate walls to endanger innocent persons outside the structure or in adjacent rooms. Fire the pistol with both hands if possible. Practice loading a magazine, placing it in the pistol, chambering a round, releasing the magazine, and unloading the weapon. Keep the gun loaded, chambered, cocked, safety on, in a secure but accessible place.

SHOTGUN: The second most important individual firearm is a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with #6-shot. The Mossberg 500-pump is my personal favorite. It is inexpensive to buy (Chinese model for $100 @ 1-800-588-9500), short-barreled (18.5 inches) to be convenient in tight areas like a bathroom, hall, or closet. Replace the rear shoulder-stock with a pistol grip. Like the .45-auto, the #6 is more than adequate to disperse a predator, but should not endanger others behind interior or exterior walls. A pistol grip attached to the pump action may help control the gun during firing. At night, aim using a pointing technique by placing the trigger hand in the center of your chest, conscientiously depress the muzzle point at the target and squeeze the trigger. Insure you know how to load and unload the weapon. Know how the safety works. Keep the gun loaded, chambered, on safe in a secure place.

RIFLE - SHORT RANGE: People with considerable property may desire a rifle to extend their safe zone. The best overall short range (zero to 300 yards) rifle is a .223 caliber. I recommend the AR-15 firing ball ammunition. My personal weapon is a CAR-15 Bushmaster, while Judy has a Steyr Aug. I like the collapsible stock for ease of carrying in heavy brush. The last four rounds in each magazine should be tracer to warn you to change magazines. Keep a magazine loaded with tracer to point out to others any threat-target. The rifle should not contain more than a 4-power scope (iron sights are probably best) and be zeroed at 200-yards. Insure the ammunition and chamber stays clean to guard against malfunctions. Keep the rifle loaded, on safe, and in a place away from strangers. Rifle bullets will defeat body-armor without trauma-plates.

RIFLE - MID-RANGE: Shooters from 300-800 yards should use a .308 rifle with a 10-power scope. A good pair of binoculars with a wide field of view (8x75) will greatly aid a spotter or shooter in target acquisition. A decent laser range-finder will help establish a targeting card showing known ranges and zeroed landmarks. Set the weapon up for 500-yards. My favorites are the M-1A (M-14), SR-25 (Stoner), or AR-10, all chambered for .308.

RIFLE - LONG RANGE: Effective engagement of targets at greater than 1,000-yards requires a specialized weapon and ammunition. The best tactical long-range shooter in the world is the Barrett M82A1 semi-auto .50 caliber BMG. While spendy at $6,500, there is no substitute for the ability to pump out 10 half-inch rounds, as fast as you can pull the trigger, effectively at ranges out to 3,000-yards! Owning an M-82A1 changes the entire equation of security and threat analysis. The Barrett is like a hydrogen bomb at a national level. You will most likely never use it, but mere possession is a deterrent to potential aggressors. While the Barrett M82A1 has iron sights for point-blank ranges, the gun needs optics for accurate shooting out to its maximum range of 5,700 yards. Our Barrett is equipped with a Leupold, but like the best of anything, you get what you pay for. A Mil Dot range finding Leupold will cost more than a grand. Leupold is a family owned business and one of the female owners was greatly distressed that their telescopic sight was being used by the military on the Barrett to shot people. Barrett now comes equipped with the Swarovski 10x42. A 30x spotter scope, binos, and quality 1,800-meter laser range-finder are needful accessories. Armor Piercing Incendiary rounds have the best trajectory, Tracer the worse. Barrett Firearms is a manufacturer direct to you business. Call them at 1-615-896-2938, (x7313 Fax); new address: 5926 Miller Lane, Christiana, TN 37037; www. barrettrifles.com. Ronnie Barrett is a friend of mine - ask for a special price.

OPTICS: Quality Binoculars, Laser, Scopes, Night Vision Devices, IR, Thermal Imagery, and Camouflage all help detect and deliver effective fire on targets with weapons and ammunition designed for given situations. Limited visibility complicates target detection and engagement. Ideally, the well-equipped person or community will have a Thermal scope to see what is hidden to the eye. During times of emergency, I would use TI to spot targets, e.g., game, threats, etc, over a large area. Night vision equipped shooter-teams can then be directed via radio toward the target until they can acquire it with their sights. Minimum NVD is a "Pocket-scope." U.S. night vision is better than the Soviet stuff. PVS-5 and 7 Goggles allow you to see night as day. The best source for optics is Jim Jones. 1-937-849-4311 (x4469 Fax); www.laser-king.com; laser-king@email.msn.com; write to 32 Oaklawn Ave., Medway, OH 45341. Jim has a scope equipped with NVD that allows one weapon to serve both night and day requirements. Special Forces favors this aiming device. It converts from day to night in about 30-seconds!

KNIVES: A good knife can serve as the one best survival tool. The knife should have a heavy-duty corrosion-proof blade between six and 10 inches with a one-piece shank. It should be capable of a sharpened double-edge, part of which is serrated. There should be a guard, and blunt butt-end capable of hammering. The old reliable USMC Kabar has been updated and reissued with the best features, all for about $80.

Contact me via E-Mail at bogritz@msn.com. I check my messages every evening before bed. Continue your preparations for Y-2-K. Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent! To escape criticism - do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. Listen to FREEDOM CALL. Above all know that I am Forever Your Brother! Together, We Win!

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