BLB68 said:
As for what to put in it, firearms-wise, nothing. Whatever you normally carry for personal protection should suffice. You're better off with a flare gun than a shotgun or rifle in a survival situation.
Now, if you're in a situation where you may have to defend yourself, such as a civil unrest scenario, I still go with your normal CCW, and avoiding trouble as much as possible. You aren't going to stand up to a mob unless you bring your own mob, and without medical help readily available, it's better to avoid contact if possible, as even fairly even encounters can prove deadly in the long run. A lot of gun fights seem to end up with bullet holes in both parties after all.
You have a point. You or I or most of the people reading this thread already have the guns we'd use for this. We'd grab our trusty Glocks, 1911's or .357 revolvers and call it good.
But IMO you're not the guy the JIC kit is marketed to.
Strange as it is to "us" there are people out there who don't have many years worth of firearms experience.
I think the appeal of the JIC kit to someone like that is largely psychological.
You were unarmed and unprepared before... then you bought the JIC kit and WHAMMO! You are now prepared!
Sure, that's silly. As others have pointed out, one of these kits doesn't make you prepared to do much. They're stuffed with cheap knockoff equipment (I think, having not handled one personally) and a gun that's probably not ideal for someone who's not going to be shooting it much. Still, they're at least a step in the right direction and even if someone isn't a gun enthusiast, I still think they should have a good tool to exercise their right to defend themselves and their loved ones.
Some would stuff a handgun in such a kit as a better choice than a Mossberg with a pistol grip. I have to say though, it took me a long time and a lot of rounds downrange to get competent with a handgun and after a winter's worth of not shooting much, it takes some rounds to get back to where I was. Handguns require frequent practice in my experience, so for me, that rules them out as a JIC gun for a marginally skilled shooter.
Rifles and shotguns are easier to shoot, and many shotguns only have a bead. Get that on the target, press the trigger, and let the spread of your buck shot do the rest.
They've got limitations and I'd prefer a rifle... but I'm going to be practicing at least once a month if not more. And so are you.
So rather than looking at what you would choose for yourself, what would you advise someone who isn't as much of a shooter as you are?
And yes, I realize that the best solution is just to get people to go to the range and practice with you... but it's just not always possible. Some people are
gun owners but not
shooters and that's just how it is.