Ugly Guns

Note: The following article was written by my friend, William "Butch" Reid, a skilled, competitive trap shooter.  He has graciously shared it for readers of this Blog and it is hoped that he will become a regular contributor.

My love affair with the scattergun started at the grand old age of 12 when I became the sole inheritor of a 1950’s era Stevens 311 side by side.  This blocky, heavy, and unbalanced gun was complete with double triggers and chokes tight enough to head shoot hummingbirds at 40 yards. This was the gun that I learned to wing shoot with.

These painful lessons began on the opening day of dove season. Our yearly allowance of hunting was on opening day at my great-uncle, Newman Ferguson's farm in Sedalia, North Carolina: a small, 65 acre farm that held just enough cut corn for a decent day of hunting.

The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader for Defense and Survival

Hurricane Katrina provided a glaring example of the jeopardy that can become present when typical municipal services are disrupted by a natural disaster. A successful terrorist attack could cause a man-made disaster of greater proportions, resulting in even lengthier disruptions of services. Current economic turmoil and political tension present realistic concerns regarding civil unrest and images of the mayhem of the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 easily come to mind. In such situations, a reliable and effective firearm could be invaluable to the preservation of self and family. Those who have not included a firearm in their emergency or “survival” preparations due to tight, recessionary budgets should consider the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader.

Introduced in 1961, the Mossberg 500 has proven itself to be a reliable pump action shotgun that remains popular with hunters and law enforcement agencies alike. With the addition of a metal safety, metal trigger guard, and bayonet lug, the Mossberg 500 became the 590A1 which is used by the U.S Military. In its Special Purpose Persuader form, the Mossberg 500 provides a proven, no nonsense, defense ready 12 gauge platform with an 18 inch cylinder bore barrel, three inch chamber, five shot magazine (with 2 and ¾ inch shells), and a bead front sight that can occasionally be purchased new for under $300 and for substantially less when found used. This is quite a bargain, considering the well regarded effectiveness of the twelve gauge shotgun as a short range defensive weapon (about twenty-five yards with buckshot and about forty yards with rifled slugs shot with a bead sight).

While primarily configured for defense, (i.e. as a “riot gun”) the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader does have the flexibility to take a variety of game from squirrels to deer with proper ammunition within the modest effective ranges provided by its cylinder bore and bead sight. Some, who interpret survival as foraging for food and living off of the land, may criticize these limitations. However, for most, survival will mean either weathering the storm until services are restored or evacuating to a safer location, perhaps to the homes of friends or relatives, as quickly as possible. In either instance, taking game will be happenstance at best, dictated by opportunity, circumstance, and individual hunting skills (or lack thereof). Thus, while the option to collect game could be valuable, the primary purpose of a firearm that is incorporated into emergency preparations (especially if only one firearm is available) should be defense and the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is well suited for this role.

Sometimes, the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader comes with a pistol grip that can be optionally installed in place of the butt in order to convert it to the more compact, Cruiser version. Some will be tempted by this because it looks “cool”, allows the shotgun to be stored in a tight space, and perhaps even carried in some duffel bags or backpacks. Unfortunately, this greatly compromises the effectiveness and utility of the shotgun by rendering it awkward and best suited for extremely close ranges. A better solution which provides a compact package without sacrificing serviceability is a folding or collapsible stock as manufactured by Knoxx SpecOps and ATI, respectively.

Shotguns are occasionally recommended for the unskilled and chosen for defensive applications with the erroneous belief that all that is necessary is to point one in the general direction of the target, pull the trigger, and the scattering shot will do the rest. Nothing could be further from the truth and it is quite possible to miss with a shotgun, even at very close range. Shotguns require the same commitment to safety and the acquisition and maintenance of fundamental marksmanship skills that are necessary for the effective use of any firearm. Additionally, if a pump action shotgun such as the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is chosen for a defensive application, combat loading from a shell carrier is a skill that must be learned and practiced so that the shotgun can be kept in action in the event that the magazine runs dry.

The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is a proven design that is reliable yet inexpensive enough to be acquired despite the constraints of a lean budget. It offers the flexibility necessary to provide for both opportune foraging and effective self defense in emergency situations, provided one develops the skills necessary to effectively use it. The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader should not be overlooked as a viable tool for self defense and survival, especially if one is limited to just a single firearm.

Defensive Firearms for Tight Budgets

Opinions vary in regard to the types of defensive firearms that are ideal for worst case scenarios but contemporary semi-automatic pistols and rifles designed for military and law enforcement purposes (e.g. pistols such as the many derivatives of the the Colt 1911-A1 in .45 ACP and the Beretta Model 92-F in 9mm Luger and rifles such as the AR-10 in 7.62x51 NATO or the AR-15 in 5.56x45 NATO as now produced by many manufacturers) are frequently recommended. This is sensible since these firearms were designed to function under adverse conditions and offer reasonable accuracy and stopping power at combat ranges. Sadly, the most basic arsenal, consisting of a pistol and a rifle from this category, can easily exceed $1,500.

What should you do if you have a limited budget and cannot afford such princely sums? I have seen more than one gun shop commando sneer at a gun of lower cost before condescending to state "I would not stake my life on that." Certainly it is prudent to buy the best defensive weapons that you can afford as they are tools that you may literally stake your life upon. However, there is no guarantee that the bad guys will wait to act until after you have sacrificed, scrimped, and saved for months to acquire your optimum defensive firearm. Hence, a working gun in the hand is far more effective than one perched on a gun shop rack, safely protected by its high price tag. Here are a few options:

Pump Shotguns: Providing impressive short range defensive capabilities, 12 gauge pump shotguns such as the Mossberg Model 500 are inexpensive (often under $300 new and less than $200 used). Originally used by the U.S. military during World War I and still in service today, 12 gauge pump shotguns have long been successfully employed by law enforcement. For defense, buckshot is typically effective to twenty-five yards; rifled slugs, shot from a smoothbore barrel with a bead site, can be reliable to around forty yards with practice. It is untrue that shotguns can simply be pointed in the general direction of an assailant to be effective. As with any firearm, a shotgun requires familiarity and practice if it is to be expected to serve you well.

Semi-automatic .22 Rifles: Semi-automatic rifles in .22 Long Rifle caliber are light, handy, and can provide impressive firepower while their mild report and lack of perceptible recoil lead to exceptional accuracy. Yet, the .22 Long Rifle cartridge is not typically recommended for defense, even though it has killed many people over the years. Effectively, it is not very powerful and it can provide a lethal wound that does not generate an immediate stop. On the plus side, their mild manner makes them easily mastered, even by children, and ammunition is cheap, providing the means for regular practice. Many good semi-automatic rifles in .22 Long Rifle caliber are available, new and used, for under $200 and finding a good one for less than $100 is not unheard of. One of my favorites is the Ruger 10/22 which can be found new for under $240.

.22 Caliber Pistols and Revolvers: Semi-automatic pistols and revolvers in .22 Long Rifle caliber provide many of the advantages and disadvantages of the.22 rifle in a more compact package that can be more easily transported (carried) unobtrusively. For many years, I carried some sort of a .22 caliber handgun in my vehicle to take advantage of opportunities for impromptu plinking sessions and to dispatch vermin when the opportunity arose. Though it is far from being an ideal defensive weapon, it can be pressed into service in the event of an emergency. The excellent Ruger .22/45, which has a ten round magazine capacity, was recently on sale at a major sporting goods chain for $239.

Former Military and Police Weapons: Former military and police weapons are sometimes available at bargain basement prices. Chinese SKS rifles (a semi-automatic in 7.62x39 caliber), the excellent Makarov pistol, and its kinsmen, the CZ 82 and Radom P-64 (all in 9mm Makarov) can be found for less than $300. Tokarev TT-33s and CZ 52s (in 7.62x25) are also available in the same price range but the Mickey Mouse safety on imported Tokarevs (and the lack of a safety beyond half cock on unmodified ones) and the firing pin design of the CZ-52 do not make them suitable for all users. Another excellent pistol, sometimes seen in the $300 price range and occasionally for less, is the Argentine FM Hi-Power, a licensed copy of the Browning Hi-Power.

Lever action carbines in pistol calibers have become rather pricey, probably due in part to the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting and many possessing Winchester Model 94s came to believe that they were instantaneous collector items after production was initially stopped in 2006 (it has resumed but currently produced Winchester 94s are expensive imports made by Miroku of Japan). However, the venerable (and better, in my opinion) Marlin 336 and its variants are plentiful. Some sell new for around $350 and used ones frequently sell for under $300 in .30-30 Winchester and .35 Remington. Offering the same level of power as the Russian 7.62x39 military cartridge made famous by the AK-47, Marlin's old lever action provides capable defense in a politically correct package that looks just like what it is: an old deer rifle.

While some of these suggestions will provide for more effective defense than others, all will serve the purpose at hand far better than a $1000 firearm that is not in your possession. Furthermore, neither is an imprudent waste of money as all serve a viable purpose even after more expensive, cutting edge firearms can be purchased. Shotguns, in addition to providing effective close range defense, are quite versatile for a variety of game. Rifles and handguns chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge provide such economical utility and practice, they are common on farms across the country. The SKS has proven itself to be a viable, three hundred yard combat rifle in field conditions, the Makarov is a popular concealed carry pistol, the CZ 52 is a powerful pistol with a cult following, and the Hi-Power is one of the most prolific military pistols of the Twentieth Century. The old Marlin .30-30 is as popular now as it ever was and it remains a favorite, handy to carry, easy to use deer rifle where ranges rarely exceed two hundred yards.