Home Defense Rethink

[cu74]

Was it given to a sitting US President or something? I can't imagine ANY 'field grade' M1 Garand being worth $50 G's.

It could be a gas trap model, in which case it would be worth some serious money, although I doubt it's worth that much.
HTRN

A "Field Grade" Garand is pretty rough, (I have one). I agree with HTRN's doubt that even one of the early Gas Trap models isn't worth $50G. The CMP was selling non-Gas Trap Field Grades for less than $500 a couple of years ago. I can see a Gas Trap selling for perhaps $5,000 to a deep-pocket Garand fanatic, but IMHO $50,000 is ludicrous.

[blackeagle603]

Now if it had been carried by one of the "Band of Brothers" at the Bulge then used and autographed by Audie Murphy in "To Hell and Back" and subsequently shot by Carlos Hathcock at Camp Perry... Yeah, maybe $50G.

[Combat Controller]

My Saiga has two 20 round drums. They work fantastic.

WTF with the guy getting stabbed once by 15 guys? Amateurs, could have left the door closed and they would have either left or stayed long enough for the cops to show up.

[HTRN]

I agree with HTRN's doubt that even one of the early Gas Trap models isn't worth $50G. The CMP was selling non-Gas Trap Field Grades for less than $500 a couple of years ago. I can see a Gas Trap selling for perhaps $5,000 to a deep-pocket Garand fanatic, but IMHO $50,000 is ludicrous.

It may be worth a bit more than that, because of the original 50K made as Gastrap guns, most were remade as we currently know them during arsenal rebuilds, so their is precious few of them floating about. If it's one of the 80 model shop rifles(the first batch of Garands, meant for evaluation and testing), then I can see a fair bit more, but I'm not a Garand guy, so I can't tell you what a model shop rifle would probably fetch at auction.


HTRN

[Whirlibird]

This happened in town overnight:



Reports vary, most stories say 15 guys stormed the house. WTF? Mr. 12 Gauge has seven rounds in the pipe, Mr. .357 has six. Dang, do I need to keep one of the EBRs and a spare mag or three at the ready??? Have a bunker at the end of the hall? I used to have a sheriff's deputy as a neighbor, we were talking about home invasions, including a couple just down the street. He said that unless I'm dealing drugs, I have very little to worry about. Nowadays you just don't know, though... some people know I have a um, modest collection of firearms. People talk...

BTW, you'd think two gold Caddies with "rims" might not blend right in around town...

You'd think wrong.

Even out here in the sticks, those rolling deathtraps can be found.

Probably a dope deal gone wrong as before or the victim insulted the wrong bunch of bangers.

The MS-13 types aren't beyond that type of retaliation and activity. Nor the wannabe's.
Last I knew, you had a fair number of them down that way.

Think, AR, AK or FAL. (and amplified earmuffs)
Back up with that CZ .45 and you're good to go.
Let the significant other handle the scattergun and back your play.

[Darrell]

This happened in town overnight:



Reports vary, most stories say 15 guys stormed the house. WTF? Mr. 12 Gauge has seven rounds in the pipe, Mr. .357 has six. Dang, do I need to keep one of the EBRs and a spare mag or three at the ready??? Have a bunker at the end of the hall? I used to have a sheriff's deputy as a neighbor, we were talking about home invasions, including a couple just down the street. He said that unless I'm dealing drugs, I have very little to worry about. Nowadays you just don't know, though... some people know I have a um, modest collection of firearms. People talk...

BTW, you'd think two gold Caddies with "rims" might not blend right in around town...

You'd think wrong.

Even out here in the sticks, those rolling deathtraps can be found.

Probably a dope deal gone wrong as before or the victim insulted the wrong bunch of bangers.

The MS-13 types aren't beyond that type of retaliation and activity. Nor the wannabe's.
Last I knew, you had a fair number of them down that way.

Think, AR, AK or FAL. (and amplified earmuffs)
Back up with that CZ .45 and you're good to go.
Let the significant other handle the scattergun and back your play.

Oh, I dunno... I was reading just yesterday about the downside of using an AR or such for home defense--namely, ammo overpenetration and the neighbors, ya know. I was thinking about loading up my '92 .357 and putting it in the mix. And I don't have a significant other, confirmed bachelor here (old Benny Hill joke--Q. What's the definition of a confirmed bachelor? A. A man who's never seriously considered marriage? Retort: No, a man who HAS seriously considered marriage. )

I've wondered if the PLR 16 might not work--decreased muzzle velocity from the 9" barrel might slow the rounds down enough to decrease overpenetration of walls and such? It's a very handy little gun, and takes 30 rd mags, of course.

ETA: Here's the article I was reading about the downside of using ARs for HD, over at Hell In A Handbasket:

http://hellinahandbasket.net/?p=4509#more-4509

Here's a bit of it, link above for the rest (and there's some linked articles there too):

Not A Fan
Can you use an AR style rifle for home defense?



Sure! Why couldn’t you? It would work just fine and dandy, actually. Easy to control, hella-accurate, effective. I can see why this particular design has some very dedicated fans.

But, after saying that, I have to say that I very strongly urge most people to avoid them. Very strongly!


Consider my niche. Urban home defense, and concealed carry. In both roles, an AR rifle sucks major hose. I don’t think I need to go over why a long gun is not suitable for concealed carry, so let us concentrate on why they aren’t a good choice for defense in the home.

You can get AR’s chambered for a variety of calibers, but one of the more common offerings is the .223 Remington cartridge. This is an underpowered and small round, and it is sneeringly referred to as a “poodle shooter” by the many, many critics that hate the cartridge with every fiber of their being. The main complaint is that it is simply too weak to be effective in a combat situation.

And yet the .223 will zip right on through several houses without falling below lethal velocity. Is it a good idea to use a gun in an urban setting when it considers entire houses nothing more than insubstantial fog? Might be acceptable if one lived in a community with a lot of brick houses, but I wouldn’t want to risk it.

How many houses will a .223 round go through before finally coming to rest? Impossible to say, as houses are full of stuff that acts to absorb some velocity from high-velocity bullets. If it struck nothing more than siding, insulation, and sheetrock it would probably zip through at least ten or so. If it encountered appliances, pets, and innocent residents then I suspect it would stop sooner. But I don’t think the ability to blindly and unknowingly shoot my neighbors and their stuff up as a side effect of protecting my life to be a good thing.

ETA2: Perhaps the M1 carbine would be a better choice? Small, light and handy, 30 rd mags...

[Aglifter]

? The whole point of using a 223 is the little zippy bullets break up easier than a pistol round... (Or buckshot)

[Combat Controller]

LOL Chris, SBS. I have almost the same set up. I'll take pictures in a bit....

As for and AR for home defense, I have brick walls. The .308 will smash through them but the 5.56 will not, that and I use 65 gr frangible ammo for indoor work just to be sure. Out in the woods it's a free for all, no neighbors close enough really. So .308 and 12 ga. The Saiga and 870's really get top billing, can't really go wrong indoors with a 12 ga, particularly with a Saiga, the gift that keeps on giving.

[Kommander]

Chris please get rid of that horrible stock on the SIAGA. It's for the children. Won't someone think of the CHILDREN!

[Fill]

The ACE skeleton folder I put on my PTR-91 is the bee's knees. They make some quality gear.