I may be stirring up a hornet’s nest here, but I assure you that this is not my intention. Over on YooChoob, some guy named Bear Independent has a go at the gun industry, claiming that they are “lying” to us gunnies. (It’s nearly half an hour long, so get some coffee and settle in.)
Basically, the executive summary is that he has come to realize that his gun hobby has cost him a lot of money, and he’s spent WAY more than he should have on all the different kinds of guns available. I know nothing about the man, but from what he says on the video I gather that he’s a prepper extraordinaire, and he has an awful lot of guns: guns of different types, of different calibers, and of different utility. (You can see them carefully racked on the wall behind him in the video.)
All those guns have essentially sprung from his need to be self-sufficient, in gun terms. Need to take a 1,000-yard shot? Got a gun for that. Clear a house of bad guys? Got one of those too. Close-range work? Check. Trench warfare? Yup… and so on and so on.
All his guns are meticulously camo’d up and worn in all the right places, denoting hours and hours and thousands of rounds of usage.
And after all that he’s come to realize that when the S finally does Hit The F, he really only needs one rifle — what he calls a “GPR” (general-purpose rifle) — which is essentially an AR-15 with a scope and night light. It’s very much “operatized”, to be sure, but it’s no different from any black rifle of that genus. Here’s what I’m talking about, more or less:
(One thing Bear says that I agree with is the need to own two identical guns — as he puts it, the best source of spares is a gun like the first.)
Now I had to laugh when he talks about how the gun industry “lies” to gun owners about all the guns it has to offer — basically, of course, it’s really catering to gun owners, or rather to their tastes and perceived needs. And the best way to do all this, from the manufacturers’ perspective, is by marketing the product(s), which means both primary advertising (in magazines etc.) and through third parties: originally, with gun writers like Petzal and Seyfried in Guns & Ammo, and now by YouTubers like GarandThumb and their ilk. There’s nothing new about this, it’s been going on ever since the gun industry started and there’s nothing wrong with it. (He himself sells Bear merchandise through his website, publicized, of course, through his channel, and there’s nothing wrong with any of that.)
Here’s the point. Nobody forces you to go down the rabbit-hole of your hobby — any hobby — your own fascination does. Are you a long-distance shooter? We have just the gun(s) and assorted gear for you. Are you a varminter? Say hello to Cooper Arms. Are you a hunter? Ho, do we have the right gun for you, says Winchester, Browning, Remington and the rest. Need a carry piece? Say hello to S&W, Ruger, Springfield Armory, SIG, and the rest of the alphabet soup.
Are you a… wannabe operator? Oh boy, say all the AR-15 makers and purveyors of allied products like slings (2-point or you’re nobody), scoped sights (red-dot? IR? we got you covered), telescoping stocks and on and on and on.
So on and on (and on) you go until one day you suddenly realize that you’ve just spent thousands and thousands of dollars on gun stuff, when all you need to combat the Zombie Apocalypse is a single rifle that you’re very familiar with — and just like that, you become a one-gun man, philosophically at least. You’re no different from the old Fudd living in the Pennsylvania hills who owns but one Marlin .30-30 lever gun because that’s all he needs to fill his annual deer tag.
(Look on the bright side: instead of being a chastened wannabe-operator who has twenty guns he doesn’t really need, at least he didn’t decide to be a dedicated bird shooter — because in that world you could drop well over a quarter-million bucks on just five guns, none of which can take a 30-round magazine or a red-dot scope. By design.)
The same, of course, is true of hunting: plains rifles, deep-woods rifles, bighorn sheep rifles, African dangerous game rifles… you get my drift. Unless you’re like Mr. Free Market, who has done (and plans to do still more of) all those kinds of hunting — and has the necessary wallet to do so — you’re not going to get one of each kind, UNLESS: there’s a faint chance that one day someone will invite you to go hunting with them, and you don’t have the proper equipment to do so. (Don’t even get me started on the different calibers…)
Which is precisely the situation our self-sufficient prepper finds himself in.
Me? I’m not an operator, never been one except when I had to be, and now I’m at the age when all that is behind me. I carry one handgun, a 1911 (okay, and occasionally a .38 S&W snubbie as backup); for “social work” I have one very reliable semi-auto rifle of Communist origin, and if I feel like plinking there’s a sufficient number of rifles and handguns in Ye Old Musket Sayfe. I’m unlikely ever to go hunting again — I’m too old for the exertion and frankly, I’ve killed enough animals to satisfy me — so other than the odd .30-30 Winchester lever gun and single-shot .45-70 Browning 1885, I don’t have a “proper” hunting rifle anymore. (When my lovely scoped CZ 550 6.5x55mm disappeared in the Great Gun Theft Of 2021, I never replaced it.)
My gun hobby is, as any Loyal Reader knows well, a weakness for old military bolt-action rifles, which take up the rest of the safe — but I’m unlikely ever to add to them because, well, over the years I’ve owned enough and fired them all — and moreover, my old eyes are too crap to use their iron sights anymore. One day I’ll just go to the local pawn shop and offload them all, the ones that the Son&Heir doesn’t want, anyway.
But after all that swimming in the pool of gunny goodness, none of it is the fault of the gun industry. I did it all by myself.
And oh yeah, I still get the urge to buy a new gun, even after all that. It may be a good thing I can’t afford to satisfy that urge, or else… there’s this one.
After sixty-odd years, they still call to me. [sigh]
But it’s not Mauser’s fault. Damn them.
I’ve had a lot of hobbies and collections over the years and now that I am in my golden years some of them have become albatrosses. I don’t really want to get rid of anything but at the same time I am tired of moving stuff around to make room for other stuff. The obvious solution is to have a bigger building and better organization, neither of which is ever going to happen. Regarding guns. My only regrets are the ones I let go in the past.
I will often muse about what would be my ‘minimalist’ battery – the least amount of guns that would satisfy all of my perceived wants and needs, and does my current collection fill those roles? Should I sell off the rest and be happy with simply those? And inevitably I find a reason to keep this shotgun, or that handgun (or buy a new one), but it is an enjoyable thought experiment to contemplate
boston’s gun bible addressed this and makes some very good points. somewhat dated of a book but still well worth reading
Firearms can be expensive especially when adding in scopes, cases, slings and currently ammunition, reloading presses, range fees/club memberships, classes etc.
Devote yourself to a couple of firearms to cover your interests, wants and needs. Make prudent purchases. Is this something you want to get into or just a passing fancy. weight that against your finances.
This isn’t the fault of the gun industry. This is the guy’s fault for not being satisfied with what he has or it is the guy’s fault for pursuing more interests by choice.
I’m glad that we have the variety of hunting, self defense, sporting firearms. I’m glad we have all the do dads to add onto firearms and make them suit our needs and wants.
Needs:
Concealable self defense handgun
Social work rifle for when you need to join the Roof Top Korean Protection service
Hunting firearm, could be a rifle or combo shotgun for birds and a slug barrel for deer
22lr rifle and handgun for training, practice and small game
I think that most of your needs and wants can be covered by six firearms per person. You might not have the best of something but you’ll be close.
Sport shooting can be handled by many of the above. You can compete in several handgun sports with your carry piece IDPA, IPSC, Three gun, Long Range, various clay shooting sports etc. you might not do great but you can compete. The various sport shooting activities have developed over time to require some specialized firearm in order for you to be truly competitive with the top level shooters. This brings in the race guns and such. But that’s going down the rabbit hole to expand the basic battery into a collection.
JQ
I think it was Col. Jeff Cooper who asked a firearm executive what the new firearm displayed at the SHOT show was designed for?
The executive’s answer said it all. ” To sell.”
The executive’s answer is absolutely right. And that executive should be commended for acknowledging his responsibility to the company. It’s up to the consumer to wade through the salesmanship and decide what they actually need.
When I bought my first rifle for hunting, I researched and asked more knowledgeable people for advice on caliber. The answer came back mostly for .30-06 Springfield for North America with some recommending .308 Winchester. I think the distant thirds were .243, 300 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester and probably some others. Plenty to choose from but a .30-06 or .308 is still a fine cartridge.
JQ
I doff my hat in salute, you got to it before I did. Cooper did several essays on cartridges, pointing out that nothing made after 1920 did anything that pre-Great-War rounds could not do.
You NEED 5 guns, along with the accessories to make each optimally useful; i.e. holster, optics, sling, weapon light, etc. as would be appropriate. IMHO they should come in as follows, for reasons noted:
1) .22LR rifle – any of several brands would do, preferably semi-auto.
2) 9mm handgun, in a capacity of 10-12 rounds minimum – again, any of a number of brands make guns that work reliably. Should also have, at a minimum, an appropriate holster.
3) A semi-auto combat carbine/rifle for “social work.” IMHO, an AR variant in 5.56 is best, but an AK platform, if that is your preference, will work. There are other flavors, but availability of spares and/or ammo becomes a problem outside those two. It should have the appropriate optics for your circumstances, as well as a weapon light – it’s helpful to know what you’re shooting at. It should have a sling, and be further equipped as appropriate for your circumstances and preference.
4) A semi-auto or pump shotgun, either 20G or 12G, and appropriate variety of ammunition; i.e. birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. Useful both for hunting game, or “social work” with the right ammunition.
5) a long-range rifle, probably bolt action, with a sling and quality scope; 3-9×40 at a minimum. Again, your choice of caliber; there are a number of calibers that are capable here. Be mindful of supply; 30-06 or .308 can probably be obtained anywhere; your favorite gucci round, not so much. You should be capable of reliably hitting, at a bare minimum, a human torso at 300 yards.
You can probably do without the last one in a pinch, particularly if you can’t reliably hit outside 300 yards. And that’s at a minimum. I’d expect a competent rifleman with a good scope can hit reasonably reliably at twice that distance.
Why 9mm? Ammunition availability; it is easily the most common handgun round on the planet, is used by most of the world’s militaries, and is quite capable of effective use by nearly anyone. .45 ACP is a lovely cartridge, but it’s harder to find, harder to shoot, and results in significantly less capacity in the magazine. More bullets is always better than fewer bullets.
Odds and ends not to be ignored:
MAGAZINES! 30 rounders for your combat rifle, at least 10-12 rounders for your handgun, and PLENTY of them. They are the week link in the system, and the most likely failure point, so have plenty of spares.
Have a sling for your long guns, a decent holster for the handguns.
Spare parts and cleaning/lubrication supplies; guns are machines, and like all machines, must be maintained.
It goes without saying to lay in an appropriate supply of ammunition for each. I’ll leave you to debate how much, but in my book, any supply that doesn’t reach into four digits for each of your SHTF calibers is inadequate.
More is better, and the old adage “two is one and one is none” is relevant here. Beyond these basics, enjoy. While these are I think optimal, there are other viable options. If you want to bring a Garand or M1 Carbine for your combat rifle, and you’ve trained with it and have an adequate supply of clips/mags and ammo, go for it. You do you.
One other thing: get to know your neighbors and build relationships, to the extent you can. They may well be be, if the defecation strikes the oscillator, either your de facto “militia,” or your opponent. If they are like minded, be prepared to look out for each other; additional eyes and rifles in the fight is a good thing. If they’re not like minded, well – keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.