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Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 12, 2020

And when your parts run out, what can you do?  In your Bug out you may have parts for one rifle, but what will you leave for your children in the infrastructure does not come back? On the topic of amo, how long do you thing, you will be able to get smock less powder to be able to feed your AR-15?  Without proper infrastructure and economy, you will not be able to produce it.  No chemical industry and proper supply chain, no smock less powder.  You will have to use black powder, as it is lo tech and can be produce in your yard. Try running your AR-15 with black powder….  Ak could handle it. Your preparation is very short term.  If you need to be that prepared, there will be no short term comeback to civilization. Technology vise we will go at least 100 years back if not more. And then, there are the statement about weight and accuracy – AK 74 weight the same as most AR-15, the amo is the same weight, has more stopping power and is as accurate or if not even better. AK47 will stop a charging maniak way better than AR-15.  The most you can hunt with AR-15 is a coyote, or a small pig.  Try stopping actually dangerous charging animal with AR-15. And then some tech stuff – welding requires power , but generating electrical power for a simple welding is a generally low level technology.  You can create portable dynamo run on basic water well with some coper cables and metal parts by hand. Producing replacement parts for your AR-15, so you can use only a wrench as you did say, requires a much higher level of technology, which would not be available in disaster scenario.  Your general prepper will end up with broken platform in a year or two if they stick to AR-15.  If they have AK, they will be able to leave it to their kids, and the kids will still be using it, because it will last forever. In a prepper based scenario, you can not relay on tools that required extremely high level of technology to still be functional.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 11, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 11, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 11, 2020

Hi Thomas You are coming from a point of view where all the stores and manifacture3s still exist.  Your idea of fixing something is to take a part that is broken and replace it with a new part.  In a situation where there are no more stores and no complex manufactures, where are you going to get your new parts from? You have to constantly clean the bolt group on and AR-15, which is not the case for AK.  When you are in a situation where you can not get new stuff anymore, and the stuff you have, needs to last as long as possible the AR-15 is not a good choice.  Nor is it a good choice for society collapse situation where you need to relay on the simple industrial base available. If the gas tube of AR-15 breaks and you do not have replacement, can you fix it in any way?  I can guarantee you that I can weld a broken gas rote on Ak with no problems and it will still works.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 10, 2020

Not enough love given to the AK family of guns and their ammunition, nor long guns that are not AR pattern. I have never seen any discussion in here for the long term maintenance of guns, especialy if we assume that modern type of supplies run out. To keep AR-15 running you need space age lubricants, where on another hand you can keep AK working in perfect order with lard as lubricant. Also, no discussion of the over engineering of guns to ensure “accuracy” by scarifying the durability and simple maintenance. The AR-15 is prime example here too.  It is accurate, because it propels a small bullet at high speed, by using high pressure generated by the cartridge and high tolerances.  the draw back here is that it eats up the rifling on the barrel much faster compare to something like the AK.  The question then comes to this – in a situation where there would be no new parts or replacement weapons, what would I like to have – a rifle that is gone after 5000 round or one that is still working after 20000 rounds.  My grips that most of the prepping rules here apply to short duration of the emergencies, and not taking long terms implications in account. No love for example for bolt action guns, which by nature will last you way longer than any semiautomatic rifle.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 10, 2020

Velocity is not everything, when it comes to stopping power or damage. Velocity will generally give you flat trajectory and better accuracy at long range, but will not necessarily better stooping power.  Good example is the constant argument about 5.56 Nato (AR-15) and 7.62×39 (AK 47).  the 5.56 generally has higher velocity, but because of its lower mass, can not deliver penetration power like the 7.62×39 at longer distances, nor can transfer its energy as efficiently as 7.62×39 when it hits the target.  There are enough videos on Youtube to show the differences in wounds made by the two calibers.  Another consideration is the tumbling ability of a bullet.  Some bullets are specifically design to tumble or start rotating when they hit a target. A prime example is the 5.45×39 , the caliber of the AK-74 family of rifles.  By having a hollow cavity in the tip of the bullet, you get a very nasty tumbling patter when a target is hit.  That is why this caliber has the nickname “Poison bullet”.  Finally you have to consider the type of caliber designed on purpose to be slow or “sub sonic”, such as the .300 AAC Blackout subsonic versions, or even better the Russian 9×39.  The idea here is that you have bullets with very large mass, traveling at slower speed( slow enough that it does not create sonic boom) that can be used with suppressors. By having such heavy bullets, you ensure that the bullet does not lose it energy as fast as lighter bullet, when it travels through the air, and can deliver large energy when it hits its target. That is why the 9×39 is rated to be able to penetrate Kevlar helmet at 400 meters, even if it travels so slow.

Reply to: Official Discussion: Best machete and kukri Posted December 10, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 10, 2020
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Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 12, 2020

And when your parts run out, what can you do?  In your Bug out you may have parts for one rifle, but what will you leave for your children in the infrastructure does not come back? On the topic of amo, how long do you thing, you will be able to get smock less powder to be able to feed your AR-15?  Without proper infrastructure and economy, you will not be able to produce it.  No chemical industry and proper supply chain, no smock less powder.  You will have to use black powder, as it is lo tech and can be produce in your yard. Try running your AR-15 with black powder….  Ak could handle it. Your preparation is very short term.  If you need to be that prepared, there will be no short term comeback to civilization. Technology vise we will go at least 100 years back if not more. And then, there are the statement about weight and accuracy – AK 74 weight the same as most AR-15, the amo is the same weight, has more stopping power and is as accurate or if not even better. AK47 will stop a charging maniak way better than AR-15.  The most you can hunt with AR-15 is a coyote, or a small pig.  Try stopping actually dangerous charging animal with AR-15. And then some tech stuff – welding requires power , but generating electrical power for a simple welding is a generally low level technology.  You can create portable dynamo run on basic water well with some coper cables and metal parts by hand. Producing replacement parts for your AR-15, so you can use only a wrench as you did say, requires a much higher level of technology, which would not be available in disaster scenario.  Your general prepper will end up with broken platform in a year or two if they stick to AR-15.  If they have AK, they will be able to leave it to their kids, and the kids will still be using it, because it will last forever. In a prepper based scenario, you can not relay on tools that required extremely high level of technology to still be functional.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 12, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 11, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 11, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 11, 2020

Hi Thomas You are coming from a point of view where all the stores and manifacture3s still exist.  Your idea of fixing something is to take a part that is broken and replace it with a new part.  In a situation where there are no more stores and no complex manufactures, where are you going to get your new parts from? You have to constantly clean the bolt group on and AR-15, which is not the case for AK.  When you are in a situation where you can not get new stuff anymore, and the stuff you have, needs to last as long as possible the AR-15 is not a good choice.  Nor is it a good choice for society collapse situation where you need to relay on the simple industrial base available. If the gas tube of AR-15 breaks and you do not have replacement, can you fix it in any way?  I can guarantee you that I can weld a broken gas rote on Ak with no problems and it will still works.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 10, 2020

Not enough love given to the AK family of guns and their ammunition, nor long guns that are not AR pattern. I have never seen any discussion in here for the long term maintenance of guns, especialy if we assume that modern type of supplies run out. To keep AR-15 running you need space age lubricants, where on another hand you can keep AK working in perfect order with lard as lubricant. Also, no discussion of the over engineering of guns to ensure “accuracy” by scarifying the durability and simple maintenance. The AR-15 is prime example here too.  It is accurate, because it propels a small bullet at high speed, by using high pressure generated by the cartridge and high tolerances.  the draw back here is that it eats up the rifling on the barrel much faster compare to something like the AK.  The question then comes to this – in a situation where there would be no new parts or replacement weapons, what would I like to have – a rifle that is gone after 5000 round or one that is still working after 20000 rounds.  My grips that most of the prepping rules here apply to short duration of the emergencies, and not taking long terms implications in account. No love for example for bolt action guns, which by nature will last you way longer than any semiautomatic rifle.

Reply to: [Official discussion] Total beginners guide to guns Posted December 10, 2020

Velocity is not everything, when it comes to stopping power or damage. Velocity will generally give you flat trajectory and better accuracy at long range, but will not necessarily better stooping power.  Good example is the constant argument about 5.56 Nato (AR-15) and 7.62×39 (AK 47).  the 5.56 generally has higher velocity, but because of its lower mass, can not deliver penetration power like the 7.62×39 at longer distances, nor can transfer its energy as efficiently as 7.62×39 when it hits the target.  There are enough videos on Youtube to show the differences in wounds made by the two calibers.  Another consideration is the tumbling ability of a bullet.  Some bullets are specifically design to tumble or start rotating when they hit a target. A prime example is the 5.45×39 , the caliber of the AK-74 family of rifles.  By having a hollow cavity in the tip of the bullet, you get a very nasty tumbling patter when a target is hit.  That is why this caliber has the nickname “Poison bullet”.  Finally you have to consider the type of caliber designed on purpose to be slow or “sub sonic”, such as the .300 AAC Blackout subsonic versions, or even better the Russian 9×39.  The idea here is that you have bullets with very large mass, traveling at slower speed( slow enough that it does not create sonic boom) that can be used with suppressors. By having such heavy bullets, you ensure that the bullet does not lose it energy as fast as lighter bullet, when it travels through the air, and can deliver large energy when it hits its target. That is why the 9×39 is rated to be able to penetrate Kevlar helmet at 400 meters, even if it travels so slow.

Reply to: Official Discussion: Best machete and kukri Posted December 10, 2020
Reply to: [Official discussion] Best first gun for preppers Posted December 10, 2020