[.22guy]

This thread is going downhill in a hurry!

[Cyrano]

Years ago, Jerry Pournelle wrote a trilogy called Janissaries. Long story short: an alien race has a planet the is in a binary star system. Once every 600 years, the secondary star swings close enough to the system's one inhabitable planet (called Tran) to drastically change its climate and make the raising of a plant called surinomaz ("madweed" in the local dialect) in quantities possible to produce high quality drugs in massive quantities for 15 to 20 years. The aliens bring in groups of soldiers from Earth to compel the local humans to raise the stuff. When the secondary star has gone far enough away that the madweed won't grow in quantity any more, they nuke the town or towns the soldiers had headquartered in where the madweed was grown.

In the past the aliens successively brought in Scythian warriors, Celtic highlanders, Roman legionaries from the time of Septimus Severus, and Dark Ages knights. However, there's no sign of any of the soldiers that would have been brought in from about the time of Louis the XIth of France or the War of the Roses in England... the aliens want to keep the native humans at the early Iron Age or lower. They don't want the natives to develop anything that would lead to modern civilization and starflight.

It's time for the next pass of the Demon Star. The soldiers that were recruited this time were a bunch of CIA-paid mercenaries who were about to be killed by Cuban 'freedom fighters' in Africa. They brought their gear with them and the aliens keep them supplied with Terran items, especially ammunition.

There were two mutinies among the mercenaries. One deposed their original leader, who went off, allied with the local nobility, and became Captain General of the kingdom. The other was a mutiny, more properly a desertion, that cost the leader who replaced the original about a third of his men. One of those deserters made the following observation several years after they successfully deserted from the usurper of the mercenary command:

"He slipped on a patch of mud and caught himself with the rifle butt. Once again Schultz thanked the Lord that Gengrich and Warner had managed to snag H&Ks for everybody when they led the mutiny. M-16s never would have stood up to this kind of punishment and skimpy maintenance."

My point is that if a writer of fiction who never used either the HK-91/G3/CETME or the Poodle Shooter in the field (Pournelle was an artillery captain in the US Army between Korea and Vietnam) can tell the difference between a reliable battle rifle and an unreliable assault rifle, that ought to tell you something! In my opinion, anyone who bets their life on an AR-type rifle when he doesn't have to is a fool. Or do you think it is coincidental that when a USMC unit is alerted for service in the war zones today, the first thing the officers do is hand the senior sergeants all the money they can take from the unit's welfare fund and instruct them to go out and buy every M1A they can lay their hands on?

Those mercenaries are in a TEOTWAWKI situation on a permanent basis. The ones who survive into the third book are armed with HKs for the most part; a couple have Ingrams and one has a tuned sniper rifle in 7.62 NATO. Draw your own conclusions about Dr. Pournelle's opinions of the relative fitness for service of the M-16 line and the HK-91 line.

[Dragunov]

Quote:       Originally Posted by stinkybriches

ok, since my abilities have come into question. I: garden, save heirloom seeds for next crop. can vegies meats stews chili's, and have jars and lids in abundance fish, and do an alright job of it, have a long term shtf fishing kit hunt, have enough ammo to do it for a long time and quality guns make rope, soap, and candles, can build temporary and permanent shelters for myself if needed am constantly building my skill set, trapping is next on the list if you think that you wont have to deal with gangs and looters post tshtf, pass me some of what your smoking as it must be good. with the right loads the .223 will do what i want it to, and i like the AR platform. dont call me son

I've seen your posts, Your abilities are far from being in question.

[stinkybriches]

well, thanks dragunov.
cyrano, that sounds like a mighty interesting book series, im gonna have to read it.

[BloodCarver]

+ 1 on the books. sounds like a good read. thanks Cyrano.

I think that for a SHTF weapon, Dragunov has it right with the KISS(Keep It Simple Stupid) principal.
My father told me a few of his times in Vietnam with his A Team(SF Team) and the Mountainarde (spelling?) people. It was amazing what they did with just old Flintlocks and the knowledge of how to use them, then they were upgraded to simple bolt actions and became a phenominal asset.
It really doesn't matter what you pick as long as:
#1 you are comfortable/knowledgable with it.
#2 you maintain/care for it
#3 pratice with it often
#4 have ammo & more ammo for it
#5 - #? practice, practice, & more pratice......

I would like for everyone in my group to use the same calibers and platforms, but I am not the only one without an AR .223 weapon. We have decided to augment the group in other common calibers(12ga., .22, .45, etc...)
I personally have .308 as my MBR but that is my personal preference. I do know how to use it very well and I am always learning and practing. (not as much as I would like but as much as I can right know.)
My big weakness at the moment is transitioning from long gun to sidearm & sidearm to long gun drills. I need to get smoother = faster.

I commend you on your skill set. That is very encompassing and quite productive.

Remember: An Important Rule of Survival, Avoid Firefights whenever possible(high potential to get you wounded or killed & the high ammo expenditures), but if unavoidable Ambush/Snipe the hostile(s) leaving no one as a threat. Don't forget no matter how distasteful to some, they have carried to you both supplies and information that they no longer require so take it = Use it for your own stocks or barter.