Gun Stuff: Sierra Hotel Tango Foxtrot

The term “armed self defense” covers a lot of territory, and the firearm or firearms suitable for one self-defense scenario may not be what you need in another situation.

For example, the compact, concealable handgun you carry outside your home is not the ideal choice if you face a burglar in your home at midnight or the sudden violence of a home invasion. This calls for a 12-gauge shotgun and plenty of double aught buckshot or rifled slugs.

The above is a plausible urban or suburban home defense scenario, but what if you live ten miles outside the nearest city limits and you have livestock such as chickens, horses or cattle that are vulnerable to hungry four-footed predators? What kind of firearm do you need now?

Remember, you might still face a a burglar or home invader(s) late some lonely night, with a law enforcement response measured in hours, not minutes.

Obviously, these are questions that need a lot of thought. Some of the scenarios might apply to your life and others, not so much. However, these issues concern only ordinary life in ordinary 21^st Century times. What if SHTF?

I won’t spell out what these initials stand for, other than to say it’s a phrase that might offend some people—but its literal meaning is not important. It has become the popular term to mean a disaster that causes a catastrophic breakdown of society. It might be localized, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Or it might be a widespread, even total, breakdown such as a worldwide pandemic or, heaven forbid, World War III, nuclear or otherwise. Imagine death on such a large scale that the dead go unburied. No food distribution, no public source of clean water, no electricity, no gasoline, no sanitation.

Your only hope is to escape— to get away from hungry and desperate hordes—to find some refuge where you can survive until order is restored—or not.

You will need a lot more than just guns, but guns are an indispensable tool to help you and your family survive such a disaster as is described here.

Personal defense at close quarters is more critical than ever. What if you’re away from home and have to fight your way back? You’ll need to hunt to fill hungry bellies. You might have to engage looters and other criminals at fairly long range. So, what guns would YOU choose to include in your “bugout bag”?

So, what kind of guns would you want (and need) when SHTF? Would it include a .22 LR survival gun such as an AR-7 or Marlin Papoose? A shotgun?

How about an AR-15 or AK-47? Something heavier? Maybe a 30-pound Barrett .50 BMG or a bolt-action sniper rig such as my Armalite AR-50?

Think about it and let me know your thoughts.

Story by Stan Skinner