KISS theory of firearms- thoughts?

[JUSTIFIED]

The advantages and disadvantages are listed by every guru gunwriter in the world between the 2. If you have it, can shoot it and I mean really shoot it under pressure and at varying distances, know it inside out then stay with it. CCW is very doable with them as i have several friends who carry them. It takes effort on the way you dress but then so do autos. I could care less what you have IF you have something at all times. The zorchiton ray gun looking competition high cap auto with a laserrrrr does no one any good in the glove box or worse yet being a safe queen while you are in the public with badguys or needing to fend of the zombie hoarde when SHTF.

I agree Matt. I'm very comfortable with my .38s for CCW and will stick with them...but always with my eye out for just one more....I do like that sweet shootin' AR but that will wait for now. What the AR costs, with a scope, represents about 6 months worth of food for me and Patriot Lady.....or about 3.5 years worth of coffee...or about 2 years and 11 months worth of charmin...

[JUSTIFIED]

Justified, I'm far from being an expert but my experience is that modern revolvers and semi-auto pistols are, in general, equally reliable but there are much more qualified folks here that might feel differently and be able to explain why. I own some of both, single action and double action revolvers as well as a few different semi's; there are too many variables to simply say one is better than the other. Besides, why limit your self to one style? Lol, one is never enough!

Yesss!...and "just one more" is always the motto!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Question: I'm not worried about what's easier to carry or conceal though I think semi autos are better in that category. What are the thoughts on advantages of a revolver over a semi auto, or visa versa, reliability, etc...? Maybe there's no advantage and I should simply look at individual gun history?

The advantages and disadvantages are listed by every guru gunwriter in the world between the 2. If you have it, can shoot it and I mean really shoot it under pressure and at varying distances, know it inside out then stay with it. CCW is very doable with them as i have several friends who carry them. It takes effort on the way you dress but then so do autos. I could care less what you have IF you have something at all times. The zorchiton ray gun looking competition high cap auto with a laserrrrr does no one any good in the glove box or worse yet being a safe queen while you are in the public with badguys or needing to fend of the zombie hoarde when SHTF.

[brokedownbiker]

Lot's of interesting and "make you think" comments. I'm not a gun expert but I agree with Admin. about having the same types of guns. I've got 2 .22 revolvers, 2 S&W .38 revolvers and a S&W .357 revolver that takes .38 ammo, a marlin .270 4+1, a Stephens .410 and a breakover pellet gun. I've got a variety of guns but the .22 and .38 ammo are easy to find and not overly expensive and if one gun breaks I've got another that takes the same ammo. Keeping my eyes open for another .38 revolver. Lots of neat guns for those that have the money to spend and are more into guns than I am but I tend to stick with more basic models.

Question: I'm not worried about what's easier to carry or conceal though I think semi autos are better in that category. What are the thoughts on advantages of a revolver over a semi auto, or visa versa, reliability, etc...? Maybe there's no advantage and I should simply look at individual gun history?

Justified, I'm far from being an expert but my experience is that modern revolvers and semi-auto pistols are, in general, equally reliable but there are much more qualified folks here that might feel differently and be able to explain why. I own some of both, single action and double action revolvers as well as a few different semi's; there are too many variables to simply say one is better than the other. Besides, why limit your self to one style? Lol, one is never enough!

[JUSTIFIED]

The one thing a lot of new preppers don't consider is COMMONALITY and LOGISTICS.

Why don't you rush out and buy the latest hybrid clone of an AR with AK reliability, HK sights and lightweight construction like a Glock? Cause it probably hasn't been really proven yet, because at $3K price tag you can bet their isn't a lot of them out on the market and because parts and mags are probably scarce and/or pricey.

Having the latest/greatest is fine for the COLLECTOR and casual shooter IMO, but not always the best bet for the person who has weapons for survival.

I get a lot of guys "Rob have you seen the new blah blah blah model?" Nope sure haven't. Then I get the sideways glances like "I thought this guy was a shooter?"

I don't have a lot of guns anymore, but I have a lot of the same types of guns that work. The wife doesn't have to try to remember that "this particular rifle functions in this manner" which is different than the others. The M1A functions almost the same as the AK's (safety being only difference). Under stress this may mean quite a bit.

Lot's of interesting and "make you think" comments. I'm not a gun expert but I agree with Admin. about having the same types of guns. I've got 2 .22 revolvers, 2 S&W .38 revolvers and a S&W .357 revolver that takes .38 ammo, a marlin .270 4+1, a Stephens .410 and a breakover pellet gun. I've got a variety of guns but the .22 and .38 ammo are easy to find and not overly expensive and if one gun breaks I've got another that takes the same ammo. Keeping my eyes open for another .38 revolver. Lots of neat guns for those that have the money to spend and are more into guns than I am but I tend to stick with more basic models.

Question: I'm not worried about what's easier to carry or conceal though I think semi autos are better in that category. What are the thoughts on advantages of a revolver over a semi auto, or visa versa, reliability, etc...? Maybe there's no advantage and I should simply look at individual gun history?

[Bama]

I akso try to KISS ,sticking with common calibers. It depends on where I am as to what I carry. My ccw is a taraus pt145. If I am at home I carry a smith & wesson .357 mag. I practice shooting my .357 at 50 & 100 yards regularly and am proficient enough with it to take out a wild hog or coyotee at range. But it is not easly concealed. I have several .22 rifles, .308, 12 gauge, and 7.62 x 39, I use each of them in diffrent situations.

[WiseOwl]

I implement the K.I.S.S. philosophy with everything I do.

As for firearms, I did extensive research before I made my purchases because when you pinch pennies, you gotta be smart.

.22
12 Gauge

are my two main, I think with these 2 calibers I can do just about anything I need to or WILL need to.

Then my .40 which has a tad bit of punch


Chose the .308 over the 223 or 7.62x39.....


With these 4 calibers I am set...............in my mind at least.

[610Alpha]

Under stress this may mean quite a bit.

I was mentioning shooting under stress to a coworker the other day and she was like "I perform best under stress" yet she has never served in the military, has not been a LEO, and has never fired her handgun. She said she would just keep shooting until they dropped...or she ran out of ammo and got her weapon taken away from her. She did admit that she needed to go to the range....I said under stress you will forget how to turn off the safety unless you practice under stress.

[1Admin]

The one thing a lot of new preppers don't consider is COMMONALITY and LOGISTICS.

Why don't you rush out and buy the latest hybrid clone of an AR with AK reliability, HK sights and lightweight construction like a Glock? Cause it probably hasn't been really proven yet, because at $3K price tag you can bet their isn't a lot of them out on the market and because parts and mags are probably scarce and/or pricey.

Having the latest/greatest is fine for the COLLECTOR and casual shooter IMO, but not always the best bet for the person who has weapons for survival.

I get a lot of guys "Rob have you seen the new blah blah blah model?" Nope sure haven't. Then I get the sideways glances like "I thought this guy was a shooter?"

I don't have a lot of guns anymore, but I have a lot of the same types of guns that work. The wife doesn't have to try to remember that "this particular rifle functions in this manner" which is different than the others. The M1A functions almost the same as the AK's (safety being only difference). Under stress this may mean quite a bit.

[rice paddy daddy]

KISS? You're talking to a guy that likes lever action 30-30's, 1911's in 45 ACP, revolvers in 357 and 44 magnum.
My "battle rifles" are exactly that - military surplus or clones (M1A).
I do own one 9MM - Walther P1; and one .223 - Ruger Mini 14.
Only my hunting rifles have scopes.
"My name is Rice, and I'm a Luddite" :cool:

[brokedownbiker]

I really don't put the piston Ar's into the 'whiz-bang" category, and as far as all the high-tech add-ons available for the AR and other platforms- to each his own as long as they work for you.

I was talking more about strange things that seem to be cropping up lately; i.e. the Kriss Super V, the new LAR-47 (an answer looking for a problem), Arsenal's Model 2011 (the double 1911), that sort of thing.

Not all of the strange ones have faded back into obscurity; some of the new, maybe odd designs that have come along have turned out to be workable guns, like the Saiga idea of using the AK design but building it to fire shotgun shells- outside the box thinking but reasonable successful, the Kel-Tec KSG shotgun ( if it really exists; I hear they are using unicorns to deliver them).

Grand, I can't believe I left my good old Mark I off my list, thanks for reminding me! It is one of my favorite handguns and rock solid dependable. I actually have two, one tapered 4.75"barrel and one bull barreled.

[Grand58742]

I think the piston operated ARs were, at one point, in a "exotic off-shoot" class. But since they first came out and went somewhat mainstream, they have established themselves as a viable class of their own. Problem with them is the lack of standardization between the types. I.E. POF uses a different version of a piston than H&K. The Adcor gas system is different than a LWRC. So on and so forth. So while the piston driven AR platform is established itself, the problem comes from standardization. Hopefully the ICC (if a piston comes out on top of the Improved M4 and is adopted...not holding my breath) will establish a baseline standard for piston ARs like the TDP for M4s is now. And that's still over a year away. But overall, the DGI on all ARs is the same (for the most part...carbine, mid and rifle length gas systems being the notable exception) and swapping parts between the two doesn't require proprietary parts like the pistons.

And cost is the other issue with piston systems since the craze started with the H&K being adopted by SFOD-D a few years back and drove the prices up on anything with a piston system. Most complete rifles start at around $1200 and move up from there, making them unattractive when compared to a $850 Windham or a $1000 Colt. It's not that they are rare, it's the price tag that scares a lot of folks away except serious shooters with a budget to spend on an upper end rifle.

I think the Kel Tec KSG is neat and a novel concept, but it's pretty much vaporware for the most part. I believe it racks up somewhere between unicorns and Bill Clinton's integrity when it comes to availability. Kel Tec is bad about that. Get folks excited about a new design (the PMR-30 and RFB come immediately to mind) and start the talking way before production even starts. And as estimated shipping dates slip further and further back, interest wanes and when you finally do release it, your production can't keep up with demand anyway. I think they are finely engineered weapons, but they just can't keep up with demand in a timely fashion. And the KSG is no different since you can hardly find it.

But for oddities in my own stable...

I have an Adcor BEAR Elite piston AR (if we are putting piston ARs into this class), a Tokarev TT-33 (Polish copy) in 7.62x25 and a CZ-82 in 9x18mm. Not entirely out of the ordinary, but unusual enough to be different than mainstream. Otherwise my arsenal is fairly standard caliber wise and my go to battery would go like this:

Palmetto/Bushmaster Frankengun AR in 5.56mm
Sig P226 or P229 in 9mm
Winchester Defender in 20 gauge (I thought I was a considerate neighbor until I found out shotguns were far worse in drywall than 5.56)
Savage Mark II in .22 LR

[jimmycthemd]

@ jimmycthemd - if you had to shoot through a brick facade to save your neighbors, would a "large caliber" still be dangerous to your neighbors? A .22 will punch through sheetrock or wood siding without much effort - don't think only large calibers have that potential.

I realize the danger of the .22/.223 going through sheetrock/wood siding. Once they do, they lose a lot of their energy. The main reason I'm sticking with the .223, which I should have stated, is so that my wife and I can share the same caliber. 30 cal's kick WAY too much for her (she's only 4'11"). Again, fewer calibers to maintain and KISS.

And, BTW, I have no problem with those that own the newer, hi-tech weapons. They're just not for me right now. I'm just beginning my preps and don't wanna get caught up with more tactical stuff until I have some other basics covered. Hope that makes sense.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I really like the ksg kel tec shotgun even though its strange in a cool way

This has me intrigued as well, trying to get my hands on one to give it a go over before deciding.

I dont have any exotics and keep mine fairly simple. There are weapons that get it right as we progress in life and hopefull the one above will be one. The HK416 is one that has it right and fixed many common issues. I remember a day when the Glock was an exotic so dont be too quick to discount all of them

People love making fun of hi-tech gun stuff. I'm a believer in it. I employ everything from gun mounted lights and red dot sights with folding BUIS to tritium sights and lasers. If you're overlooking these products because you think they will hinder your effectiveness, you are wrong. Make sure you train with and without them and remember, this is one category where you get exactly what you pay for.

I do agree that having a good solid weapon is a must. My primary fighting rifle is a POF M-4. It's a fairly rare, piston actuated, .223 carbine. I've owned if for about 5 years, and it's proven to be a rock solid, utterly reliable rifle. I trust my life to it. As far as the op's concern of it being a rare off-shoot, maybe so. That said, you'd think rifles were snapping in half all over the place and spare parts were laying on the ground at street corners for AR 15s and AKs. Both assumptions are false. The truth is that I'll probably go a lifetime with this POF, never breaking a single part. Same thing with my Glock pistol and 870 shotgun. I will break down before they do. Just in case, I do have a few basic repair parts though. But let's assume worst case scenario, it's TEOTWAWKI, I've bugged out and my rifle broke. That's just a bad day right there. I find a dead soldier with an AR-15. Wouldn't I just take his gun rather than try to repair mine with his parts?

And FYI, parts aren't as interchangable as you may think. For example, I own two AK-47s. The bolts are NOT interchangable between them, I tried. Maybe with some gunsmithing I could make it work, but I wouldn't trust that Franken-rifle until it was vetted. Go figure.