Revisiting Tappan

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For those of you who are unfamiliar with his works, Mel Tappan was one of the leading voices of survivalism back in the ’70s. His two most classic works are “Survival Guns” and “Tappan On Survival“. Like a lot of scribes on this topic, he appeared in various gun magazines as well as, from time to time, popping up in Soldier Of Fortune (remember them?).

Tappan’s opinions were based on the times he lived in. The US was facing inflation and unemployment, as well as a Cold War, when Tappan was doing his writings. As such, his worldview was predominantly of the economic collapse being the most likely catalyst of TEOTWAWKI, In typical 70’s survivalist fashion, Tappan’s work was long on guns and everything else got far less ink.

I’ve been re-reading his book, Tappan On Survival, and it’s interesting to see how dated it has become. You have to remember that at the time Tappan was hammering his typewriter there were no Glocks, .40 or 10mm, most AK’s were bringbacks from VietNam and finding ammo was unheard of, your only choice for .223/5.56 guns were AR15’s and Mini-14’s, revolvers ruled the cop world, and the ‘wondernine’ was still a good five years away from becoming a thing.

So, after re-reading Tappan, what seems like it would have been updated to reflect the modern times, had Tappan made it this far? I think that he might have moved from being a 1911 devotee to enrolling in the church of the double-stack 9mm. With the advent of bullet technology gains, the 9mm of today would far surpass the limited and limiting offerings of his day. Perhaps Tappan would have remained hidebound in his relation ship with the 1911 and the .45 AARP ACP cartridge, but at least the modern 1911’s would run out-of-the-box.

As far as rifles, Tappan disliked the .223 and preferred the .308. In his world, the only real choices in .308 were the HK91, the M1A and the BM59. Today we have the AR-10, SCAR, FAL, AK, and a few other platforms to choose from. Even if Tappan eschewed the .223 I would think he could have appreciated the ergonomics of the AR-15 and found one in .308 to be a ‘best of both worlds’ sort of thing.

Would Tappan have been a Glock guy? Maybe. Perhaps in .45. Or maybe he’d crunch the numbers and find that he preferred the .40 Smith for its increased capacity of .45, and for its heavier weight and larger diameter over the 9mm. Or maybe he’d have decided that the new crop of defensive 9mm ammo was so good that a 17-rd pistol was just what he wanted.

Tappan was also a subscriber to the Elmer Keith school of revolvers shooting big heavy bullets. And, while I am probably the worlds #1 .44 Special fan, I think that as a general purpose revolver, the .357 is a bit more practical. Oh sure, for claws and teeth its the .44 Mag in a revolver, but for day-to-day around the ranch or whatever I think a lighter weight .357 (L-frame or GP100) is pretty much ideal.

If you get a chance to read Survival Guns, Tappan recommended something along the lines of two dozen different guns for the ‘survivalist battery’. It was quite a gamut….22 revolvers, .38 snubbies, .45 Colt, .30-06 bolt guns, .308 battle rifles, .223 carbines, etc, etc. I’m a major gun nerd and even I think it was a bit excessive.

But, as I said, we are all products of our time. Despite being written over fifty years ago, Tappan’s books provide something that is still relevant even half a century after his death. While the choices of tangible things like guns and gear may be outdated or even obsolete, his attitude, mindset, and outlook remain just as important and just as valid today. He had the view that something bad was coming and that the prudent and wise man should prepare for it. Once you’ve that idea in your head, the rest of it….deciding what guns and gear….is really secondary.

Anyway, if you haven’t read his books I’m sure there are online copies around you can view. They’re worth a read, especially Survival Guns, just for the step back fifty years to see what the survivalist of the day thought was necessary.

25 thoughts on “Revisiting Tappan”

  1. Both of Tappan’s major works Survival Guns and Tappan on Guns as far I am
    concerned are must have books for your survival library. Yes they are dated as
    you have said. But they are still worth reading. Along with James Wesley Rawles’s Patriots and Boston’s Gun Bible. Many things were not available when these books were written. But they are still relevant. As relevant as the Army 1911A1 45 pistol.

  2. Soldier of Fortune is actually still around in a digital form on the web. Robert K. Brown is also still around, now in his 90s. I loved the magazine all through the 80s and 90s.
    I still have my copy of “The Compete Survival Guide” published way back in 1983 that I pullout from time to time to flip through the every yellowing pages of time.

    Oh, the memories of my youth!!!!

  3. I read his column for years. I was reading Guns&Ammo while my classmates read Hot Rod. He was the first of the Prepper breed in those days. Of course growing up on a farm we always had a lot of canned food we put up. Freezers was full. We gardened and fished and hunted. It was just common since to me as it was our way of life.
    Elmer Kieth was very influential to me. I had a nice Smith & Wesson model 57 .41 magnum. I liked it better then the 44 mag. Less muzzle flip and it shot a lot flatter. I used it for deer hunting. I have a couple of Jack O’Conners books one of which is signed by the author. Today looking at the survival movement. The recent development in ballistics and rifles. Not to mention pistols and some of the new calibers. It can be mind boggling.
    The old guys were very helpful. They pushed the edge in those days. With most if the people in those days using surplus military surplus rifles that had been sporterized. I have many rifles that fit that description. And they still get the job done. My Springfield 1903A3 is my favorite but my Swede Mauser type 36 is a favorite as well. I have several Yugoslavian 8mm German knockoffs made on German tooling. Great guns. Built like tanks. Tough and well made with old world chairmanship. Knives are another area. I collect and make knives. It’s amazing the types styles and I’ve seen more new knife companies in the last five years then in the rest of my years combined. Marbles, that is the original knives made in Gladstone Michigan. Not the junk bring made and sold these days under a once proud name. Another favorite is Ka Bar. Military but utilitarian. I had a couple of uncle’s that were issued Ka Bar knives during WWII. They swore by them.
    Another very good brand that makes rugged knives that won’t great the bank is Condor Knife and Tool. I have three of their offerings. The large bush knife. The Hunter and their version if the Hudson’s Bay knife. They are all well made and haven’t failed me yet. I carry every day. My Buck Oydessy liner lock and my Swiss Army knife which is the Climber model. Both are with me whenever I leave the house. Rule #9.
    Speaking if Soldier of Fortune. I recently ran across several boxes with SOF magazine. Most are from the period when the Russians invaded Afghanistan. Very good articles. Many with good information as far combat shooting. CQB hadn’t been developed then. But is existed in just other terms. Thanks for the trip back in time. There were a lot of good authors writing for Guns and Ammo. Bill Jordan. Skeeter Skelton. Col Jeff Cooper. Col Charles Askins. Those old boys had wisdom that was earned by have been there and done it. And they could really write as well.

  4. Well remember Tappan and his writings. We HAVE evolved, haven’t we?
    I’ve gone from a 1911 toting Cooper API graduate to carrying a small plastic 9mm. Hornady ammo made most of the difference.
    Still, it’s not about stuff; it’s about TRAINING. Best class I’ve done lately has been John Murphy’s ” Street Encounters”. Full disclosure I go back 30 years with the guy ( we both worked for the same outfit) but his training is beyond what I’ve gotten at my own or government expense.
    Tappan was right about what’s coming; it’s just taking longer than we all thought it would.

  5. One of your best screeds, Commander.

    Reflecting on our modern choices compared to Tappan’s, I say “what an age to be alive!”

  7. This brings back memories. I got a copy of Survival Guns at a gun show when I was in high school… early ’80s sometime (FTR, I’m an early Xer, not a Boomer). I have a 1911, but never really got as obsessive over the platform as Tappan and Cooper did… however, I’ve circled back to the .45 with a double-stack XD. It’s not that much bigger than my Glock 23 and runs at lower pressure.

    Tappan inspired me to get an HK-91, and to this day, the worst financial decision of my life was selling it when I needed money, not too long before Bush banned their import. I still grieve.

    • I feel your pain. I bought an HK93A3 at right about the same time….and sold it because mags were $35 ea.

      • LOL

        When I first learned of them, an HK91 was about a months pay (before taxes) for me.

        It was a long time before I was able to buy one….And the cost remained at around a months pay despite my pay getting larger and larger.

        Then when CTD was selling unused surplus G3 mags for a buck, I decided the PTR-91 was my MBR so I got a few of them. Much more reasonable than decent (ie not SA) M14/M1A’s. Although in a rare instance of good investment I did buy a case of M14 mags from CMP when they were available so the M14s were practical. FALs (I have two) were never practical because of mag costs.

        Then the AR-10’s started getting realistic, and with Magpul mags I switched.

        • I bought my first two 91s from an outfit in North Hollywood for around $400.00 each. A good weeks pay at the time.

        • you should check out the AR 10 magazines made by c- products in stainless steel. they cost about the same as Pmags do but are a lot tougher.
          I keep the PMAGS i have left for the range and keep the c-products ones in the go bag.
          SG ammo has them at a very good price if you buy 10 or more. I thought about getting a M1A for a while , but then went with the Sig 716 piston model
          put a 18 inch barrel on it and it good out to 6000-800 yards. good enough for me.
          I had Magpul magazines break on me when loaded
          and they fell off the bench. besides there are a lot of small parts that work in both the AR15 and 10.
          picked up a lot of piston parts from CDNN sports when they had them on sale a few years back.
          like 2 or more of everything !

          • Funny…I just bought a bunch of Ruger SFAR .308 mags for $12.96 from RSR and it turns out they are C-Products/DuraMag manufacture.

  8. Good links, Doc.
    Also, Anna’s Archive strives to have every book in existence in digital form for free if anyone is interested.

  9. I was a big follower of Tappan, Cooper, and others.
    I was a 1911 fan and shot mine a lot.
    I became a reloader then too.
    I also read the American Survival Magazine each month, as well as Solder of Fortune. It had articles on guns that wasn’t available elsewhere.
    That was when I became a survivalist. Prepper was not the word then.
    Still have Mel’s books and browse the now and then.

    • I still have every issue of Survival Guide, Amercian Survival Guide and Survive. Three different names for the same great magazine.

  10. Besides the 556 rifles you mentioned, the AR-180 was also a choice. Started getting into guns in the late ‘70s, and a SE Asia vet recommended that as he disliked the AR15/M16.

  11. Bought my first copies (had several since) of “Survival Guns” and “Tappan on Survival” in ’84, and it confirmed for me that my thoughts on preparedness weren’t stupid (as I was told by my classmates and a few adults). For long term “Survival Gun” use, I’m a PTR91/Glock21/XDs45 user, and my mindset on their selection and use won’t change.
    Besides both cartridges (and three model types) working well with cast bullets, another reason for pairing the .308 with the .45ACP is the ability to make .45ACP brass out of well used and/or damaged .308 brass. The same can be said for the 9mm with the 5.56, but using a cast bullet in a 5.56 isn’t optimal, unless you’re using a downloaded version for small game (won’t cycle the action), and cast doesn’t mix with an AR’s DI gas system (Mini-14 works well though).
    I agree that the number of firearms Tappan selected for a survival arsenal was excessive, to say the least, and if you have the number of firearms he was talking about, it should be due to multiple sets of the same firearms for caching or for future group members.
    Just like Ragnar Benson and Duncan Long’s works, read ’em and glean what the applicable, modern recommendations are, or could be, and move on. Many of these guys gave us mindset and planning info that is timeless, no matter what their gear recommendations were at the time their books were written.

  12. I remember it well…. I was in my local gun store (Martin B. Retting in Culver City, CA – still there. btw) to buy some likely .22 ammo…

    Survival Guns was on a rack, and I started looking at it….A quick look showed Tappan thought about the same as I did on the AR-7 ‘Survival Rifle’, so he must be a smart guy.

    Bought the book and discovered the ‘survivalist’ movement – I have been a ‘survivalist’ all my life (I grew up on SAC bases and when the Wing flexed, so did we at home and bugged out), but this book introduced me to fellow thinkers…. Still have that copy.

    It is sorely outdated, for the reasons noted. About 20-ish years ago Boston T. Party (Kenneth Royce) wrote Boston’s Gun Bible, which was an acceptable attempt to update Survival Guns…..But time marches on, and even with three revisions it’s out of date as well. I have thought myself of attempting a similar book, but I have other ways to occupy my retirement.

    Still, reading the books is a good way of framing the ideas of what guns are suitable, in design features if not specific model numbers.

  13. Tappan was also an early proponent of the T/C Contender w/ the .45LC / .410 barrel choice, as well as the Savage 24 combination rifle If I remember, he recommended the .357 Magnum / 20 gauge highly.

    For a few years, a company in Colorado sold copies of Tappan’s PSL (Personal Survival Letter) which was about 8 pages of double sided printed information on survival topics. I don’t know if copies of PSL still exist.

    RIP Mr. Tappan

    • I have digital copies of PSL.
      I like the Model 24 but very few were made in 12 ga and thats my preferred shotgun gauge. Saveage imported a Valmet over/under in .308/12 ga. and that is, as far as Im concerned, ideal.

  14. In you column you said Tappan has been dead 50yrs. All the things he feared never happened. We are preparing for more bad things which will most likely not happen. While this may cause some people to doubt what they are doing just remember this prepping we do is a form of insurance and hopefully we will never have to rely on our preparations to live. And remember how sorry we feel for those who suffer a disaster and have no insurance! JMHO. TTFN Phil

  15. “45 AARP” Lol. I blame Melrose for my H&K addiction and sound financial advice. Every H&K I own has appreciated at least 10x in value – despite the fact that I use them extensively.

  16. You ole farts remind me of my Grandfather, and are Priceless National Treasures. Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. I wish I had awakened sooner…

  17. one potential drawback to 9mm is that the majority of ammo that would be available from the typical sources would be FMJ, and that has a bad reputation as a manstopper. Wildly overpenetrative in various materials in that profile, the high dollar fodder will run out quickly due to cost. The similar vintage .45acp will still be a better performer in the common FMJ version.

    • Not sure thats supported by empirical research.
      Marshall and Sanow, I believe, determined that when comparing FMJ to FMJ, the difference was barely a few percentage points. This seems to be born out in this gelatin testing as well: https://youtu.be/mZ4OmUfI4z4

      It appears, in the gelatin dummy testing, that the difference between .45 FMJ and 9mm is niggling. Its only when you get to the hollowpoints that things start shifting.

      So, if its a choice between .45 FMJ and 9mm FMJ, and both give almost identical performance in FMJ, I’m going with 9mm for the magazine capacity.

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