The Modern Miniteman

As I approach my "gun goal", it's time to evaluate my situation. The intention of being a gun owner was and is not for it to be a hobby or a collection. That's a separate concept, and I'll get to that later. My purpose is the old 2nd Amendment goal of exercising my right to be armed and defend myself and my family if the need arises. I've extended that to include what might be necessary in the event of a temporary breakdown of societal norms (aka SHTF, WROL, etc). To that end, I've decided that I'd like to have the following weapons:

• Service Pistol: A pistol designed to handle defensive situations over possibly an extended period of time and therefore uses a "standard" caliber round and of sufficient power to stop an adult human. I have a Walther P99 with 9 magazines.
• Pistol Caliber Carbine: A carbine length weapon designed to use the same caliber ammunition as my primary pistol which would be easy to use by someone not as familiar with firearm use. I have a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 (Gen 2) chambered in 9mm and takes the Beretta magazines (7 mags). Beretta and Walther magazines can be interchanged with minimal modifications. 
•  Survival Gun: A general use, adaptable weapon that can be used in a variety of situations. I have a Fedarm SS-12, 12 Gauge single-shot with a chamber adapter for 9mm. I'll also be getting chamber adapters for 22LR and some other calibers as well. This gun has a synthetic stock, a paracord sling and folds down to roughly 18 inches.
• Battle Rifle: A full-sized main "battle weapon" designed to either offensively attack an enemy or fight off one or more concerted attacker(s) chambered in a standard caliber. I have an AR-15 clone in .223/5.56 NATO along with 14 magazines. 

It's in my plan to also get the following as time and finances allow:

• Home Defense Shotgun: In all probability, this will be a Mossberg 500, or Remington 870 pump shotgun in 12 Gauge. 
• Concealed Carry Handgun: 9mm "single-stack" handgun for ammunition commonality and adequate knockdown power. In all probability, this will be the M1 version of the Walther PPS.
• Small Caliber Small-game and Practice Handgun: 22LR, Walther P22. Similar handling characteristics to the P99.

That puts the count at 7, and that my seem like a lot of guns, but it's really not. Each has it's own specific job and none of them overlap. There's not really even a "back up" to each other. 

As you can see, the majority of the guns I own or aspire to own are "Minuteman" type guns. What does that mean? I own guns because I believe in being responsible for protecting myself, my family and being a sheep dog to my neighbors. And if it came down to it, I'd do what I'd be called on by my country if things went seriously out of whack. 

Note that all of my guns, whether owned or projected to purchase are chambered for "standard" calibers; that being 22LR, 9mm Para, 223/5.56 NATO, and 12 Gauge. These are rounds that are easy to get, cheap (relatively) to buy, and more easy to scavenge in case of a breakdown. These are serious considerations since, guns become fancy paperweights without ammunition! 

In addition, it's my intention that I have the capability to reload virtually all the calibers listed above...... with obvious exception of the 22LR of course since it's "Rimfire". Right now, I'm set up to do 9mm and 5.56, so I'm most of the way there. I just need 12 gauge. So, is there anything else that I need/want for completion?

•  An Smith & Wesson SW99. A backup/ Truck Gun with in everything but name (and price) is a Walther P99, in 9mm of course. These can often be bought for less than $250.
  
  
•  A 300 "Blackout" AR. There's a number of ways I could go on this. The main idea of a 300Blk being something with better knockdown power inside of 200 yards than the 5.56. I could go with a pistol length weapon or carbine length. Mostly, it would be a "hog gun". Technically, I already own it since I bought another Aero Precision lower receiver.
  
    

•  A Breakdown/Take-down 22LR for obvious reasons. The Henry AR-7 shown at the top would be over $100 cheaper than the Ruger AND espeically if the Ruger 10/22 is equipped with the Magpul X-22 stock.I guess, we'll see on that. 

 So, I guess, that's it. I'm halfway to an overall goal of 10 guns total, with three which that could be considered optional. They would give me that ability to do just about anything I needed to do. I seriously doubt that I would get into collecting. Not that I'm uninterested, it's just that they are simply too expensive! 

Sure, we own a Winchester 1873 in 38-40, but it's a family heirloom and will probably never be shot. Otherwise, these things just get into too much money and something a teacher-father of two just can't afford to get into. So, I'd have to say that I'm pretty satisfied in the progress to my goals as a Modern Minuteman.

2nd Amendment Arsenal Planning

It's my belief that if a person decides to take on the responsibilities of executing the 2nd Amendment, it requires some planning. Which basically means that you can't just run out, and buy a shotgun (or a pistol) and call it good! Does that make me a "Prepper"? Maybe, but not necessarily. I just think that if you want to do something like this, there's a number of things that need to be considered. The main one, is the "philosophy of use" or some version there-of.

Does this mean that I've taken on the concept that society is in death-spiral? I don't, but I will say that I believe that there might very well be periods where there could be an absence of the "rule of law". Whether that will be due to civil unrest, natural disaster, or economic disaster, I don't know. All I can say is that at no time in my life have I ever felt this amount of unease in relation to societal stability. Which means the following in terms of when I might need to use defensive force:

• Armed burglary.
• Home invasion for purely the creation of chaos and violence.
• Societal breakdown creating the lack of general policing by the normal agencies.
• Economic breakdown creating the need to move locations, support and defend the family and loved ones during this time-frame.

So, what does this mean in terms of firearms needs?

As you guys know; I've already started with a handgun, in the form of a modern 9mm, high-capacity-polymer-framed striker-fired pistol. The reason for this is that, it's the easiest to carry and handle as well as cheapest to practice with and get better. 

In my case, it's the Heckler and Koch VP9 with 15 round standard magazines. It's light, easy to carry and easy enough to shoot that anyone in my family could operate it. What ease do I need? Ahhh...... here we go......

I intend my next purchase to be a 12 gauge pump shotgun. These are easily the most intimidating to an intruder, yet simplest to handle by the user of any firearm. I've narrowed it down to either the Remington 870, or the Mossberg 500. These two models are pretty much the standard of virtually all police departments of the last 25 years. This means that they're easy to find and parts are universally available. I'll probably just prowl the pawnshops till I find one at the right price and condition.  Plus, if I ever decide to take up bird hunting or clays, I can still use it as well.

..... then there's the obvious. It's my intention to start building an AR15 clone in the very near future. This is where my philosophy of use goes from the purely defensive to a relatively offensive nature. Of course, as a gun chambered for the .223/5.56 NATO, it can be used for things like the feral hog (the plague of the south), and white tail deer, but in reality, it's purpose is, if things really "go south" in a "raging mob" or "Zombie Apocalypse" sense! Apart from that; these things are the ultimate "big boys' toys". They're like a full-on Lego gun. So, yes; I did say "build". If you didn't already know, this weapon can be bought in pieces and put together as one wishes in whatever manner pleases.

No, it's not short term memory loss. This is an AR9 (or any number of other names), basically an AR receiver adapted to take an upper with parts to fire the 9mm pistol cartridge. These can be set up as a carbine, or a pistol, or an SBR (short-barreled rifle), if you want to deal with the headache of filing for an exception to the National Firearms Act and pay a $200 tax stamp! But in any case, you can see the power of the AR platform and it's phenomenal adaptability. The philosophy of use is to have a weapon that can fire the same cartridge as my pistol but at greater velocity and accuracy while also a lower recoil. But then again, I might do this.....

!?!?!?...... it's a High Tower Armory Bullpup conversion of this......

..... the Hi Point 995, one of the ugliest firearms to ever come out of a factory anywhere (and it's American), but it's cheap. They can sometimes be found under $200. The conversion addresses a number of issues, but doesn't deal with the 995 woeful 10 round magazine. We'll see.....

The last of this set will be a "conceal carry weapon". It's my intention to take the classes and get a Texas CHL (Concealed Handgun License). The use philosophy is obvious for this. Yes; I'm that concerned. The above image depicts the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, which is considered a standard in the carry community, but at this point, I'm interested in the other one. It's the Taurus PT-111, which is a sub-compact 9mm that's close to the same size, but sells for around half the Shield's $400. Would I love to have a Walther PPS, or HK VP9SK? Sure, but saving $200 is a lot of practice ammo.

That brings us up to 5 very different guns with different jobs. Should there, will there be more? I don't know. I'd be that there probably will be at least one more, although, right now, I have no idea what I might want or need. Might be a .22LR, or very likely some sort of survival gun. Possibly a cheap single shot shotgun that would allow the use of multiple cartridge adapters which in a survival scenario, would give the possibility of scrounging multiple types of cartridges. So, that's it for now. Of course, I'll have more to say about each and every one of these guns as I progress.