BP's for Survival

This has been covered many, many times.

Yeah Jack it has, but sometimes ya just gotta sit back an let all the new members have a crack at it too, :wink:

True. :thumbsup:

Some good reading here...
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/206649
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/254230
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/210172
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/252327

 

[Claude Mathis]

I have read some posts on the web of people who like the idea of bugging out to the wilderness and returning to the old ways in the case of disaster or civil unrest, including use of BP arms. The idea seems far fetched to say the least. Better to get a Ruger 10/.22 or similar with several bricks of ammo in reserve and practice until you shoot it very, very well.

Everyone has their own fantasy about what it would be like after the "collapse". Everything from, sitting it out for a couple weeks, to having to mine your own lead for roundballs.

Everything from having to maybe shoot it out a couple times, to a full-scale war where you'd need thousands of rounds.

I guess a muzzleloader would be a good choice after all the modern ammunition on the planet was used up. :wink:

 

[Billnpatti]

My first choice for a survival gun would be my Ruger 77/.17 Mach II. It will bring down a lot of small game for food and I have a full ammo can (something over 2,000 rounds) of amunition for it. For self protection, I would take my .45 ACP and its full can of ammo (probably somewhere around 700 to 800 rounds). I think I'd leave all of my muzzleloaders in the gun safe. :hatsoff:

 

[Lonegun1894]

For hunting use, IF your area is fairly safe, which I wouldn't count on, I dont see a problem with MLs, and can actually see several advantages seeing as you could make all your own powder, flints, and then recast all your used recovered modern bullets and other lead if you have it. HOWEVER, for defensive use, take something modern that you trust. I have ideas there too, but would rather not start that kind of debate here. Lets just say make sure YOU trust it and can shoot it.

And as to the comment a few posts above calling the military "the enemy", I just hope you dont include our military and LE in that. If you mean foreign troops, I'm right with you, but I think most politicians would be very surprized at what our military/LE will do if/when that happens. I know what I would have done when I was still enlisted--pretty much the same thing now that I wear a badge. I know there's some bad apples, but the vast majority of us took out Oath seriously.

 

[crockett]

Steve W: I think I know where you are coming from. As a kid I read a lot of the Foxfire Books about the mountaineers in the Great Smokies and nearby areas. Incredible how they made do with virtually nothing. Some of them knew how to make a blast furnace and from there- steel- forge welded into barrels and used with home made black powder- all from what the area provided. In short- a knowledge that provided firearms from nothing. They might have been monetarily poor but their ability to make do was something indeed.
Survival? I was (still am sort of) a fur trapper. Trappers think differently. traps for animals, trotlines nets, etc for fish, multiple set rigs for turtles, etc.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The best thing about using a percussion revolver for home defense is that if you miss you can still escape through the smoke screen like a squid spraying ink.

Not all "survival" occurs out of doors.

If I had to have a weapon to fill the tummy I would choose my Rossi 62A pump .22LR. Another choice, surprisingly, my S&W M-14 .38 Special with lead wadcutters. It's great for squirrels and rabbits. With hotter 125 gr jacketed loads it's light but capable for defense and mid-size critters; and hits to the same point of aim at 25 yards. And I actually have it with me when I'm out doing chores or gathering wood. The best of weapons, if left at home, is the same as no weapon at all.

 

[LeMat1856]

Lonegun1894,

please, don't use quoted material out of context...the entire post is predicated on this scenario:

after "they" do the big sweep and round up (vis-a-vis Red Dawn).

~d~

:thumbsup:

ps. i too took the oath "... to support, protect, and defend the Constitution..." at my enlistment.

 

[cynthialee]

I figure that if there is a home invasion situation I am gonna lay down 3 or 4 rounds and then after a couple seconds scream 'omg the house is on fire'. I figure the bandit types don't know much about BP and all that smoke in the house may convince them they are in mortal danger.
:idunno:

 

[wojciste]

Great discussion from LeMat1856 and Crocket. My strong interest is in the French and Indian War and the Fur Trade era's. I especially like Terry Johnstons series with his character Titus Bath.

But I too think about "what if" all is gone. The confiscation of our modern firearms, or the "not for sale" of modern ammunition. My BP's are not on a list and I like that. I am extremely patriotic but I fear for what is happening today. Don't want this to get political as this is a great site and there are other sites for that stuff. Want to keep it real with all the real people on The Muzzleloading Forum.

Steve

 

[hanshi]

I thought some more about this subject (always a bad idea) and came to some conclusion. 1. Call the police (if you got 'em. 2. forget this combat mindset; get real, it's really a deathwish. If they want you they WILL get you. 3. The occasional roaming no-good-nick; almost any gun will do okay. 4. Finding food and protection when needed; ML's might do as well as anything provided you have more than one. 5. On the run, trying to stay ahead of scouts and/or renegades; Crossbow or bow and arrow is fast on the run, silent, effective, high rate of fire-we're talking "injuning" through the woods, sneaky-like. There's more but I'm exhausted.

 

[gearheart]

Lots to be said for flinging arrows. No noise is definitely a plus. Recovering arrows might be less successful than imagined as I get pass throughs all the time.
The big negative about any firearm in a stealth situation is the noise. You advertise your presence if you use it. A .22LR rifle with a suppressor would be my first choice of shooting iron.

 

[MSW]

I agree... if i elected to bug out, i'd take my bow, a 12 gua pump, and a .308 ...


just one guy's opinion, free and well worth the price.

 

[VEARL]

Shoot all my BP rifles at 'em. Then walk up to the ones that aren't moving and take their's.
Then run like hell from there.

 

[Matt85]

steveW,

i'm in the crowd that says "not so fast, mr. modern..."

there are some advantages to BP as a defense/offense weapon that begin right with the purchase - none of my BP are on any list, form, database and nobody even knows that i have them, so "when" the SHTF and they come to collect all those modern registered beauties, i'll be busy slipping out the back door all by myself.

not all of us live in the communist state of california. :wink:

there is no firearm registering system in WA state. you can also sell firearms face to face without an FFL. heck ive sold 3 moderns in the last month to fund my new incoming flintlock. i sold all of them in my living room without paperwork and it was perfectly legal.

when you buy a firearm in this state all they do is a backround check and off you go.

 

[necchi]

when you buy a firearm in this state all they do is a backround check and off you go.

Yeah but,
Those background checks are for a specific purchase w/serial# and other relivent data like where you live.
So your right, off you go,,
Right into the world of perminate records

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm in trouble big time because nobody tacks the ones that have been sold. They'll kick my door down looking for a hundred guns that have moved on to new owners over the years.

 

[wojciste]

When you fill out the 4473 Form for every firearm and the call on the background check you are in the system. The best guns are the ones with no paperwork.

 

[Dphar]

I viewed most current posts on this forum before posting. Not sure if it has been brought up before but because we all are familiar with BP, what do you think of our BP guns for survival, or civil un-rest? Might be far fetched but we are in turbulent times. Sorry if I am opening a can of worms.

Get a good accurate 22 pistol like a S&W Mod 41 or a heavy target Ruger semi-auto and learn how to shoot it. Then buy a few thousand rounds of the ammo it likes best.
It will keep you fed with little noise or expense.
Then carry an AR for social work.
ML are not competitive in this sort of scenario.
Noise, smoke, slow to load.
Look at what happened to old west posses when the outlaws had smokeless powder arms and they were using BP arms. Its written down and it went very poorly for the posse.
Dan

 

[Lonegun1894]

Lemat,
I meant no offense, so hope I didn't ruffle your feathers too much. The comment made that I was answering to didn't specify if it was referring to an invading force, or our own being used against us. I have full faith in ours, but also know how to welcome an invading force, should that be needed. I know you understand. And thank you for your service.

 

[pab1]

IMO the best BP rifle for a survival situation would be a smoothbore flinter. With a smoothbore as long as you have powder, you can stuff pretty much anything down the bore for a projectile. If I remember right, one member of the Lewis & Clark party got lost, shot all his round balls and wound up using a stick to shoot a rabbit. With a flinter there is no need for caps which is one less thing to worry about running out of.