A Primer On Guns For Survival, By The Last New Jersey Conservative

Before his untimely demise, survivalist author Mel Tappan wrote his book Survival Guns some four decades ago, yet it still remains the authoritative source on the topic. Mel also wrote columns for various magazines, expanding upon his previous writings and clarifying some concepts. It is those columns and articles which formed the basis of not only this essay, but also leaving what is now an indelible impression upon my thought process for the same subject. Mel Tappan had a rifle as his first acquisition and a shotgun as his third acquisition; I flip flopped it for this piece due to the fact he lived in the wilderness – where I live in the jungle; an asphalt jungle. That being the case, here goes:

First and foremost, a decisive firearm capable of ending any fight should be your initial purchase. It is here the shotgun excels. The shotgun is the most versatile firearm there is. Based upon the hundreds of loadings, it can take small, medium, and large game as well as zombies in all shapes and sizes. There is no more devastating impact upon an evil doer in and around your home. The 12 gauge pump action shotgun with a short, 18 inch barrel fits this bill nicely. Get a model with “ghost ring sights” and an attached flashlight and you can identify close in targets from contact distances out to engage long range targets with slugs over 100 yards away. At close encounters of the worst kind, “#4” buckshot serves up a multiple pellet rat wound. In law enforcement circles, this round is referred to sarcastically as a ‘crowd pleaser’. As the range extends, fewer yet larger pellets may be the answer, all the way up the high end of the scale at “OOO” buckshot. “OO” buckshot is the law enforcement and military standard loading for anti-personnel use. The exact middle of the scale size is “#1” buckshot, probably the best round to utilize when usage is not defined as to target types and distances. I keep “#4” buckshot in warm months and “OOO” buckshot in cold months in my home protection shotgun – it is a matter of penetrating coats and jackets and vests and whatever else a bad guy may be wearing in the winter versus a likely t-shirt in the summer. The shotgun slug is an awesome round. You should practice head shots on a full size silhouette target at 50 yards with only a bead front sight – then you can rest assuredly hit effectively out to 150 yards and sometimes more with slugs and a “ghost ring sights” setup. Have a spare 28” barrel for hunting birds and fowl with birdshot loads and you’ll expand the utility of the shotgun exponentially. There are also numerous special loadings available in shotshells including: flares, flechettes, gas (riot control agents such as CS or CN or OC), incendiary, etc. Another special loading is the door breaching round, and it is phenomenal when employed correctly to forcibly enter through a secured door. The 12 gauge is the most common caliber for law enforcement and military applications, as well as a majority of hunting uses. However, a 20 gauge shotgun might be better for use by smaller statured adults and younger shooters. The pump or slide action is better because you can use the most diverse types of ammunition without a hiccup, plus there are less moving parts to break. With the shotshell tube attached under the barrel, one has about half a dozen rounds readily available and no fear of losing any detachable magazines. If you can’t end the fight with half a dozen well placed 12 gauge rounds, you probably need some help. Regardless of caliber (gauge) selected, get the 3” chamber so both 3” and 2 & ¾” shotshells can be used.

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