I’m back from travelling, which always seems to spur me to make apost about how I need to have dedicated travelling guns. Why? Because it is not unrealistic to suppose that it is possible you could wind up getting caught in a Katrina-type situation and be on your own for a few days…and while its true you can live without water for three days there are some times where you wont live more than three hours without a gun.
The criteria? Pretty simple:
Common caliber, if possible, to streamline supply and resupply
Arms must be compact enough to fit in small case
Must be affordable to the point that their loss isnt a disaster
In a perfect world, it would be an AK and a Glock. But, cheap Glocks are still $400 and a decent AK is about $350~…more for a folder. Add the logistics headache of two different calibers, two types of magazines, and the possibility of getting caught in the wrong place with an ‘assault rifle’ and we move on to another choice…
Glock and KelTec carbine or Ruger pistol and Ruger carbine. Better choices. Requires only one type of ammo, one type of magazine. Drawbacks are the calibers….40 & 9mm. Plus the Ruger autos are cheap but the Ruger carbine isnt. And we still have the ‘expensive’ Glock. The KelTecs ability to fold in half has alot of appeal though.
So after much thought, I figured the way to go is a Marlin .357 and a Smith .357 (or Ruger…them Ruger guns are built like tanks). Cheap enough to assemble the package for less than $500. Caliber gives me two different chances at scrounging ammo (.357 & .38 spl.), the .357 has good stoping power, the removal of the stock makes transport of the Marlin easy. Add a ghost ring sight, sling, a pile of speedloaders for the Smith and youre good to go. The major drawback, obviously, is the limited speed of a lever action. Tradeoffs. Why not .44 carine and pistol? Certainly better terminal performance but ammo is harder to scrounge and weighs more. Yes, I could get an autoloader .44 in the Ruger but the magazines only hold 4 rounds and there are no ‘hi-caps’ for them.
If someone made 25-rd mags for the Ruger 10/22 Magnum (or .17 HMR) it might actually make decent choice.
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Lessons learned on this trip:
- Have some plastic zip ties/cable ties in your bag. They were very handy for an impromptu repair to my duffel bag in the airport.
- FRS radios are mighty handy – I waited at the luggage carousle while the bunkerbabe brought the truck around. Coordination. It was like Princess Gate, it went so smooth.
- An Altoids tin, lined with bubble wrap will hold 6 AA-batts. good way to keep spares for the FRS and other items. Interstingly, TSA didnt have a cow about how it appeared on their x-ray machine. Oh, and line the tin with pbubble wrap because otherwise you’ll discover that those tins will conduct electricity and short out your batts.
- Double- and then triple-check your carry on for ‘things you shouldnt take through security’. Seriously.
- Always carry a bottle of water, some kleenex, and a book.
I think this http://gunblast.com/Taurus_Thunderbolt.htm might work better than the Marlin. Faster, easy to shoot accurately and not to expensive. The only bad thing to my mind is it’s not very corrosion proof, maybe a trip to Wilson for their Tuff Coat might help?
if youre travelling on the road I old beater battle rifles plus a spam can of ball are also good. keltec’s and rugers are nice, but when you really need to stop a car or take an agressor out using a car for cover, 303 or 7.62x54R are really nice(tm).
atek
I just visited Taurus’ website, and they do offer stainless steel models, as well as models chambered for .357mag/.38spl:
http://www.taurususa.com/products/gunselector-results.cfm?series=TH3
Be advised, though, if you are planning to travel, this weapon would still be illegal in some parts (such as here in the PRK) due to its 14-round capacity.
You can fire .38sp out of a .357 carbine?
Neat. I didn’t know that.
Yup..same way you can shoot .38 out of a .357. This is what makes it handy…can scrounge ammo.
You can also shoot .44 Spl out of the .44 Mag carbines and .44 Russian as well although they might have to be loaded manually.
But then we get back to the ‘having to keep two different calibers’ thing. Im the first to admit that any carbine cartridge that has use in a pistol is going to be a poor choice compared to a dedicated carbine round like 7.62×39 or .223
But then we get back to the ‘having to keep two different calibers’ thing. Im the first to admit that any carbine cartridge that has use in a pistol is going to be a poor choice compared to a dedicated carbine round like 7.62×39 or .223
I should mention, we do keep a Yugo SKS and 200 rounds on stripper clips in the truck.
A 26″ barrel is a wee bit long for what Im planning on. The Taurus might be modifiable but that would mean cutting down the mag tube as well, which just complicates things. An old IMI Timberwolf .357 carbine might be nice but they arent terribly cheap nor easy to find.
Have you considered a 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun as a travel gun? True, it would mean carrying a second type of ammo & the size of the ammo is relatively large, but they can be made very compact, are legal to poses almost everywhere and as far as scrounging goes, I think the only type of ammo more prolific than 12 gauge shells is .22LR.
A 1911 and a Thompson ;p
As far as radios go, you should get your ham license and pick up a pair of small HTs (Yaesu VX-2R, for example), which will serve much better than FRS (transmit on 144 and 440). Plus they receive all bands and double as a scanner – an excellent value in a shirt-pocket size.
I don’t see the problem with two cartridges, you have two boxes of your pistol cartridge and a 540 rd spam can of 7.62x54R… save the invasion of the USSR I don’t see any “car-situations” that would warrant any more ammo
Any take down rifles in .357 that would work? I know that Wild West in Alaska makes some take down lever guns, but I think they are pricey and in larger calibers.
Hee, well I’m partial to 1927 w/a Cutts and a 50 round drum, heavy as hell tho. FRS stuff is CHEAP! that Yaesu is way spendy.
Oh Shiny! is my reaction today when I went to look at one in SS. The blued had all ready sold out. I think if I get one I’ll do it in SS and still send it to Wilson. I agree w/Commander on ammo, .357 & .38 is everywhere and very cheap too. I have the .45LC snub made by Taurus, it is a great SD gun but I’d love to see it w/a shrouded hammer or DAO like the Smith 642 for winter coat carry.
But a HT can do much, much more and actually costs less than a good FRS, a good scanner, a good receiver, a good mobile (HT + mag mount vehicle antenna), a good APRS, etc. The VX-2R is tiny, handy, and only $155 or so. Compared to gun toys, that’s not very expensive for a good survival communication tool.
you fly?
as a passanger? or as air frieght in a cage? I am amazzed!
All of this is true, but, you knew there was one coming… didn’t you? FRS is IMO “Good Enough” in less than all out SHF. TSA clowns will destroy/maul any electronics when they can so why give them reason to do so?