On The Topic of Standardizing Weapons
Kevin Felts 10.26.17
One of my esteemed colleagues wrote an article about “Standardizing Your Weapon Cache,” which is a topic my prepper buddies and I have discussed for decades.
I view weapons standardization as two overlapping circles. There is a technical name for it, but I do not know it. The more the two circles overlap, the better. Issues arise when members of a group disagree on what types of firearms to standardize upon. Which is okay, because everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.
Military-style rifles are pretty easy to agree on. Chances are the group will agree on an AK, SKS, or AR-15 platform.
Handguns may cause some friction. While Glock is the preferred handgun for military and police agencies all over the world, not everyone likes the Glock. For example, my buddies prefer Glock while I prefer the Beretta 92f or even a Springfield. This is because Glock ergonomics leaves a lot to be desired.
If someone is looking for a reliable low-cost handgun, there is the Ruger P-series. James over at The Firearm Blog put together an excellent video on the Ruger P89. In the video, James said he paid a little over $200 for the handgun.
The P-series has a reputation for reliability, but for some reason they are not very popular.
Besides handguns, the next challenge is hunting rifles. Not everyone hunts, nor does everyone own a hunting rifle. What defines a hunting rifle? A rifle chambered in a cartridge large enough to humanely take wild game in a given area. For example, a hunting rifle that’s perfect for big game hunting in Florida, Alabama, and Texas may be inadequate for somewhere else, like Alaska.
For most applications in the lower 48 states, chances are something from the 308 family should fit the bill:
- 30-30 Winchester
- 308 Winchester
- 30-06 Springfield
Those three cartridges have proven themselves time and time again to be effective on whitetail-sized game. This is especially true with the 30-30 Winchester, which has probably killed more deer than any other modern cartridge.
So, where does this leave us?
- AK or AR-15
- 9mm handgun
- Something from the 308 family.
If the group wanted a military-style rifle that members could hunt with, there are the:
- PTR-91
- DA Arms FN/FAL
- M1A
If we really wanted to streamline things, go with a military-style rifle in 308 Winchester and forget about the AR or AK. Then again, not everyone wants to carry a 10-pound rifle.
Do you coordinate with other members of your group? Are there any differences between what you like and what other members prefer?
