I remember about a decade ago when you had two convicted murderers escape the state prison up in Dannemora, NY and there was a massive manhunt for 'em. This was after the SAFE Act was passed in 2013 and as a result, a number of my fellow Americans caught behind the iron curtain were somewhat restricted on what they could use. I recall news stories about area residents arming themselves with anything and everything that had a went bang. Hunting rifles, single-shot shotguns, rimfire plinkers, etc...
This photo was from the New York Times and it shows a Dannemora resident grabbing his two bolt action hunting rifles. The news story reported that he staged one in the upstairs bedroom and another in the living room.
I wrote a piece about that situation a while back and I was just recently thinking about it as I was going through my safe. I have a literal pile of "
tacticool" self-defense guns. Form 4'ed long gun, enough GLOCKs to build a bridge from Key West to Havana, and enough riot configured shotguns that I can equip the entirety of the Texas Rangers. But as I was digging through my safes; I of course came across my herd of Browning O/Us & Auto-5s, my bunch of bolt action hunting rifles, my plethora of .22 plinkers, and my gaggle of lever actions. Plus, all my old C&R milsurps and cap 'n ball front stuffers that today are viewed as antiquated yet are still capable.
And as I was handling 'em all. I was running scenarios in my mind of Dannemora. What if I lived in a location that restricted me to certain types of guns? What if getting a handgun like NYS was near impossible for the common citizen. But having a 21" barreled Browning BPS 20 Gauge or a Winchester 1894 in .32 Winchester Special doesn't raise much ire with the local government
thugs err... I mean authorities.
Would I honestly feel safe with nothing but my 12 Gauge Browning BSS or my Remington Model 700 Moutain in .30-06 Springfield? Yeah, I'd feel safe. But the more important question is "would I feel safe?" It is would I actually be capable of defending myself and my loved ones with such arms? The answer to that is emphatically yes. I wouldn't be happy that I was restricted to such and I would see it as an egregious violation of my civil rights as an American. But I and confident that I could defend myself with such class of guns.
The other thing that got me thinking was 2020's "
Summer of Love." The rioting in certain location along with the soft on crime tactics that resulted in a crime wave in certain locations. Plus the COVID-19 panic too. There was a huge run on guns by the buying public.
I recall walking into my local big-box retailers like Bass Pro and Academy. Their gun departments were stripped bare. All they had were a few rimfire and centerfire hunting bolt actions. Even their selection of semi-automatic rimfires like Ruger 10/22s and Mossberg 702s were cleaned out. They had Remington 783s and Mossberg Patriots in chamberings like .243 Winchester.
My local pawn shops also were emptied of anything that could remotely be considered "
tacticool." But they had a good selection of older hunting guns still. Aesthetically troubled but mechanically sound guns like Stevens/Savage Model 67s, Winchester Model 120s, and H&R Model 400s. Plus, the usual gamut of rifles like Browning A-Bolts, Winchester Model 70s, Remington 700s, etc. in chamberings like .270 Winchester, .22-250 Remington, .17 HMR, etc.
Would any of these guns be perfect for self-defense? Yes and no. Again, they aren't perfect. But they're capable. Especially some of the shotguns. Even basic bottom-basement generic 00 Buck or slug in 20, 16, or 12 Gauge all are viable for self-defense in one's home. Get a 28" Savage and have the local gunsmith cut it down to 20" and you have a viable and capable self-defense firearm. But even if you don't cut it down. It is still better than harsh words and 911 on speed dial. Same goes for bolt action rifles. A four or five shot bolt action hunting rifle in a chambering like .257 Roberts or .30-06 Springfield is nothing to sneeze at. Same goes with something like a Stevens Model 325-A in .30-30 Winchester.
So, enough rambling from me.
What "
fudd" guns do you own that you'd feel capable to use for self-defense?
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