With all this civil unrest have you considered making your car gun a carbine or SBR?

[Armybrat]

This "civil unrest" is pretty minor stuff compared to what went on 40-50 years ago in Watts, Detroit, Chicago, etc. and VERY mild if you look back a century or more at the intense race riots and labor union wars.

Don't let the media capture your imagination and make you get panicky.

Unless you are a trained police officer or a combat serviceman, you will not be able to react in a emergency conflict. It doesn't matter what weapon you have. You will not be calm, you will not be rational, and you will get hurt or killed. Stay away from a storm at all costs.

Actually, except for the last sentence, that is a lot of hogwash, IMO.

The mob is not coming to y'all's neighborhood.

 

[orionengnr]

Unless you are a trained police officer or a combat serviceman, you will not be able to react in a emergency conflict. It doesn't matter what weapon you have. You will not be calm, you will not be rational, and you will get hurt or killed.

This may be the case, or it may not.
Sweeping generalities are generally suspect.
While having Max Training is a Good Thing, do not assume that someone with No/Min/Some Training will utterly fail to perform.
We all no about assumptions, n'est ce pas?

 

[Telekinesis]

Unless you are a trained police officer or a combat serviceman, you will not be able to react in a emergency conflict. It doesn't matter what weapon you have. You will not be calm, you will not be rational, and you will get hurt or killed. Stay away from a storm at all costs.

I think we have a little case of projection. YOU may not be able to react in an emergency situation (fight, flight, or freeze), but just because you think that you'll freeze, it doesn't mean that everyone else will.

Point 2: get some training. The more training you have, the more likely that you will respond in the correct way.

Regarding having a SBR in the vehicle, I don't think that I would unless there were very extenuating circumstances. Plans A, B, and C all involve not being there, but if all else fails I would like the ability to "join" the crowd for as long as it takes to get away to a safer place. It will be much easier to do that with concealed weapons rather than a long gun, and I certainly do not like the option of leaving a registered SBR unattended in my car during a riot.

Now if I'm at home and a riot comes by (also very unlikely given the area I live) either my SBR'd AR or my title 1 Arsenal AK will be very near by.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I'm not putting/leaving an NFA item in my car. I can see that going poorly if it was stolen from your car or your car was stolen.

Depending on where you live I can see a "truck gun" if it's PC there. If not, I can see something in the trunk but I think I would go with something a but less military oriented like a pistol cal lever gun.

 

[silicosys4]

No changes here.
So far this bout of civil unrest has been pretty tame compared to past events. So far isolated looting, and destruction of unoccupied businesses and property seems to be about it. Definitely not cool, but lot of media hype much like the "terrorism condition orange" after 9/11 that was used to keep people scared and glued to their tv's... nothing to be concerned about unless you are near to one of these riots, and even then it's been a far cry from the LA riots, let alone other historical riots events.

 

[Ash]

Faced troubles, faced gun shots, even had the fun of being in a Cesna 180 feet above the ground when the engine sputtered out. I'm okay, especially when I am so far away from population centers that a riot could fit in an SUV.

 

[JamieC]

Besides whatever handgun I'll have with me at anytime, my folding 9mm carbine is in the car, (my handguns are 9s also).

 

[WardenWolf]

I have two handguns available to me in the car: my Polish P-64 on my hip and my Ruger P90 next to my seat. One to carry, and one available in the car. I really don't need a rifle, as I'd have no time to deploy one in an emergency.

 

[Sam1911]

Don't keep a "car gun," and I'm not toting around some version of a rifle because of these little tempest-in-a-teapot "riots" happening with lots of warning and in very limited areas many miles from anywhere I'm going to be.

 

[Twiki357]

Unless you live, work, or have to commute through a metropolitan and/or ghetto area, I don’t really think there’s a lot to worry about. And, unless you’re one of those people with an i-pod and ear buds glued in your ears, there’s usually enough warning broadcasts that you should be able to avoid the trouble areas. If I couldn’t avoid the trouble, I would have to rely on my carry and truck hand guns.

Now an unforcast natural disaster like an earthquake or tornado, that a whole different bird.

 

[rcmodel]

Quote:

Unless you are a trained police officer or a combat serviceman, you will not be able to react in a emergency conflict. It doesn't matter what weapon you have. You will not be calm, you will not be rational, and you will get hurt or killed.

That is not at all true.

I have seen full grown Army Sergeants with combat experience feint at the sight of their own blood from a small injury.
Or an inoculation shot in the arm.

I have been blessed through-out life to be able to get calmer in those situations.
I had to saw my fathers wedding ring off his finger with a hacksaw while he was dangling 4' off the ground from a combine auger when I was 8 or 9.

I have had to take workers to the ER who were bleeding all over my truck seat on the way with missing finger, or a 2' long wood splinter stuck up their arm.

Each person reacts differently to blood, or a threat.

Myself?
I get calmer & more focused the worse it gets.

I think it's hard-wired in your head how you react when you were born!
And it has nothing to do with 'training'.

It has everything to do with putting your mind in a calmer place to react correctly, while all around you is panic.

PS: I only get the shakes after it is all over and the adrenaline rush wears off.

rc

 

[Gun Master]

I have a Handgun Carry Permit. In my state I may carry a multitude of handguns (concealed or not), but no: rifles, shotguns, cannons, knives, swords, clubs, or other weapons, nor do I intend to do so.

P.S. - I don't intend to let any media hype change the above (including steel toed shoes).

 

[Gun Master]

Deleted - double post. Sorry.

 

[Browning]

Loaded spare Glock 17 mags in the door of my truck and extra ammo in the center console. I alternate between carrying a 17, a 19 and a 26, those work in all three. That way if my truck gets broken into then I'm out some mags and a bit of ammo, then I'm not providing a gun to a criminal who'll use it to blast some innocent.

I'm more terrified I might run out of ammo at the range, but I guess it could be used to defend myself too.

 

[Jim K]

Fortunately, I have never been involved in any way in a riot or mob violence. But I have seen some film/videos of that kind of thing, and with a real worked up mob, even a belt fed machinegun would serve only to take some of the rioters along with you. The rest would tear you apart, literally. Think you would be safe in an armored car? Not if they pour gasoline into the ventilation slots and toss in a torch.

As for a carbine, shotgun, or handgun, forget about it! You might as well take on a swarm of hornets with an ice pick. Sure, an ice pick will kill a hornet, but if there are a thousand hornets, they will get you, no matter how fast you are with an ice pick.

The best thing anyone can do in a period of "unrest" is to stay the heck out of the area; if you are there by bad luck, get out as soon as possible, by the most direct route you can.

Now, I watched the Baltimore "riots" on several channels, including the three major city channels. There were some looters and some burning, but the overwhelming impression I got was of a peaceful demonstration. Nor was it racial, as Ferguson was. The TV media never pulled their white and Hispanic personnel off the streets, as they did in Missouri, and demonstrators were willing to talk to white reporters without signs of hatred or distrust. Also, three of the cops arrested are black, another mitigating factor.

Jim

 

[CoalTrain49]

These riots only happen in cities. Do you live in a city? If you do you better have a plan. Driving down a city street could be a problem. You do not need a carbine or rifle. You need a large caliber pistol with lots of ammo and spare mags. A dozen should be plenty. Keep your mags and other essentials like water in a bag that you can carry on foot if you have to abandon your vehicle. Your rifle, SBR, carbine, or shotgun should be locked in a safe at home. When you get home reclaim it if you have to.

 

[DeepSouth]

These riots only happen in cities.

That is simply not true, the town I live in has grown slightly for as long as I can remember. I'd say the population now is under 2,000. It was smaller in the 60's We are not incorporated, no mayor, no city council, no police other than the county sheriffs, no red light, but one four way stop.

Although before my time, Most everyone over about 60 Can tell you about the local problems in the 60's. Some are older women telling you about being to scared to leave home for days at a time. Some can tell you about shooting randomly at cars going down the highway, my great grandfather's store was burned down 3 times, one of which was an accident. I have heard more than one person talk about the time they thought they had killed someone, some of these people are close family. My great grandmother once ran over a man laying in road (a dirt road no less) to get her to stop while others stood on the side of the road with bricks, she panicked and floored it.

Being such a small town the simple numbers may not qualify it as a"riot" but when roughly half of the people have aggressive intentions toward the other half, it is a very bad situation. Fortunately the community survived and today we get along fine, partly because an armed society is a polite socity. I'd say over 80% of the households in this town have a firearm in them, and probably half carry outside of the home, legally or otherwise.

 

[RPRNY]

In most places where civil unrest merits carrying a firearm in the car, a shotgun would be the better choice and, the DA would demand life in prison for you if you used it, because "guns are evidence of psychopathy".

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

With all this civil unrest have you considered making your car gun a carbine or SBR?

Nope. I just carry my carry weapon.

If there's all kinds of civil unrest going on, I'll try avoiding driving in that direction. Or if I'm in that area already, I'll work on getting out of that area. A car is already a fairly well protected mobile weapon all in itself, if push comes to shove.

Besides...I'm an engineer. Once I start tinkering with things like guns and cars, there's no telling where it'll lead to. I get pretty grandiose, sometimes.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

To the original OP's question the answer is no. The current round of protests have not made me consider a change. Even though I live in a major city in the suburbs, I have made no changes.

I will say, that living on the gulf coast, I worry more about hurricanes and errant animals afterwords. I bought an M1 Carbine years ago for this duty since it is light, accurate enough for my street and easy to carry. Mine is set up in true WWII fashion with a cloth strap and butt cuff with dual mags.

After the last hurricane rolled in I just shouldered it up and wore it full time while I cleaned up my property. I was conspicuous with it and was the only one on our cul-de-sac who rode out the storm. During that period when it was just my family here, we had cars drive up and start to turn down the street. Seeing us out there cleaning up ours and others property with a rifle on my back every one of them did not turn down and continued on their way. After the place was clean but before the power came back on, I would sit up front under the trees in a lawn chair and read a book with the rifle resting next to the chair.

Where conditions necessary, I would do it again. No worries. 30 Carbine is plenty of power in short ranges and given 15 in the gun and 2 mags in the butt cuff, that is plenty of firepower a good tactical retreat from an errant skunk, alligator or other vermin that might come out after a hurricane hits.

 

[JRWhit]

s for a carbine, shotgun, or handgun, forget about it! You might as well take on a swarm of hornets with an ice pick. Sure, an ice pick will kill a hornet, but if there are a thousand hornets, they will get you, no matter how fast you are with an ice pick.

Make a good point. I've thought this out and think I've found the road map to escape. When blocked in and trapped in your vehicle, open the car door and step out. If you have a pistol keep it fully concealed. Immediately throw your fist into the air and begin yelling," We want justice." Steadily repeat, keeping a look of discontent while simultaneously working your way in the opposite direction of the mobs focus, or to a police line and say,"get me the H out of here." The possibility of success will be directly related to how convincing you are.

 

[Ash]

But unlike hornets, rioters scatter when gun shots happen. They don't charge into a hail of bullets.

Of course, the best advice is to avoid the riot altogether. The problem lies in the realm of property protection. We've used firearms to protect property. After Katrina I strapped on my .45acp during clean up (we got hit worse than New Orleans). In our rural area, away from news reporters, the folk just didn't go all Lord of the Flies. Heck, I had a woman walk straight into our house, uninvited, with a bag of ice from a relief truck because she heard we had a little 9 month old. We were to busy cleaning up and helping each other out. Now that I favor a .357, that is what I will strap on. I won't retreat from my home in a time of looting or disaster.

Those Korean shop owners saved their livelihoods by holding off rioters from their roof-tops. Ditto, from what I understand, with the Vietnamese men in New Orleans who stood about and protected their families without firearms.

If you are not in a rioting area, stay out. If you are stuck in one, it's your choice to either flee (and perhaps get stopped and dragged from your car) or defend your home or business (sometimes both at the same time). The choice must be a personal one.

 

[AR-15Nutt]

a 1911 in .45 ACP or a .50 GI



THAT would be my two choices.

 

[FROGO207]

I do nothing different than normal. I do have an assortment of firearms/ammo with me at all times as you never know when the range/pit will call my name. Situational awareness and remaining calm will rule the day IMHO. Use whatever means is at hand like a MacGyver and get outa dodge pronto if possible. Survival is priority one. That said sometimes nothing will help you. In my corner of the world a tsunami is the most likely threat, hard to kill that with a firearm.

 

[dogmush]

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter.

When Ferguson was kicking off, and they were calling for sympathetic riots around the country, I looked at where it was supposed to be near me, and the neighborhoods that the rioters would be coming from and realized that I would have to travel into the area for work. So I laid out my choices:

1. Call in Sick and skip it for a few days. (Avoid)
2. Reroute as much as possible. (Sorta avoid)
3. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

I felt that I couldn't just skip work indefinitely for something that was a very low order probability. So I did the best I could. I took a different route that minimized my exposure to likely street violence, I switched to my truck from my Mustang for a few days (Better visibility, harder to stop, less concerned about damage), I paid a lot of attention to the news before I left home and work, and I threw an AR pistol in the truck with a couple mags. Not because I anticipated using it, but it literally cost me nothing, and if, gods forbid, I had been caught in a riot, and they blocked/disabled my truck, and it got violent I would have something better then a pistol. Agreed, it's a low probability event, but low is not none.

So I wouldn't say just throw a rifle in the car and go about your business, but you don't always get to pick and choose where you are and where riots are. As the probability of local violence goes up, it makes sense to reassess your risk mitigation procedures and decisions.

In the end, while we did have some sporty protests within 1/2 a mile of me (rocks thrown, and cars destroyed) I was not actually in them, didn't need any of my preparations, and went on about my life.

As always, YMMV.