Preparedness Part 4 – Security Considerations

Preparedness Part 4 – Security Considerations

Don Hodge for 4^thTriage

In collaboration with Will Stewart

This is a controversial and very emotional area. Emotion and panic can kill you. Many people are horrified at the thought of pointing a firearm at another human being. Many feel that civilized behavior comes from gun control. Many point to the daily news and reject gun control as hazardous to one’s personal health. Unfortun-ately criminals often use our humanity against us. This is a decision you will have to make – even by refusing to discuss the issue – which may have a large impact on you and your family.

If you don’t want to have firearms in your security plans, consider a sturdy walking stick 3’ to 4’ long - which is quite useful against animals as well as people.

Another alternative to firearms is the air rifle or air pistol. These use compressed air to fire a pellet (Commonly .177 and .22 calibers. The .20 is less standard with fewer options ). They provide some protection against and can be used for hunting small game, birds, and animals up to the size of a medium dog. Most are single shot. Use models with cockling levers rather than compressed air cartridges. See considerations for firearms below.

Otherwise if firearms or air guns are not a part of your security package, then good luck and proceed to the next part.

If you choose to carry weapons or firearms, you must keep tight control on your emotions. Human life is very precious. Fear and anger are not excuses. Don’t make a bad situation worse. You will be held accountable for your actions later.

That said, it doesn’t make sense to do all that work to save your life and your family’s from a disaster, then let them be murdered.

Firearms and Security.

As you debate this issue with yourself some things to consider are:

1. Federal law prohibits state and local officials from taking your firearms during a disaster.
2. The police and authorities will be busy. Even in the best of times the police react in minutes after being notified of a problem, criminals act in seconds.
3. Criminals are called such because they choose not to obey the law. Any law. Perhaps they may act differently in a disaster. It seems unlikely.
4. Desperate, scared people will do things that would have horrified them even just a few days before.
5. To you it doesn’t matter if the six guys determined to take your vehicle (or break into your home) and take your supplies (and/or kill you) are thugs or just scared – the outcome is the same.
6. Most religions and moral codes allow for self-defense.
7. Most of us are not 6’6”, 250 lbs, and martial arts experts able to twist 20 thugs into pretzel-like shapes – without breaking a sweat.

If you choose to include firearms into your disaster supplies, please consider:

1. Firearms, like cars or any tool, are really dangerous to you if you don’t know how to properly use them.
2. Safety courses are available at low cost or free from the NRA, shooting clubs, and some gun shops.
3. Like everything else, safety and skill come from practice, practice, practice.
4. Skill with firearms does not exist automatically just because you have a firearm. It takes work and practice, practice, practice.
5. Some people – even trained military (and perhaps you) – hesitate to point a firearm at another person and pull the trigger. If the life of your family or your life is involved, hesitation could be tragic and fatal.
6. Criminals know that many people will hesitate or can’t hit a moving target.
7. Some police and trainers recommend overcoming this hesitation by loading the first two chambers of a revolver with bird shot (called shot shells – not shotgun shells). The bird shot is unlikely to seriously hurt someone. If someone keeps coming after two shots, they mean deadly harm to you. After two shots, it is easy to fire the third – and fourth, etc. Aim for the chest.
8. Different firearms - like hammers, wrenches, and other tools – are designed to do particular jobs well (and will do other jobs less well).

• Shotguns – designed primarily for hunting birds and defense inside the home – effective to 25 yards (with slugs in a slug barrel up to 100 yards and effective for hunting large animals). The smaller the gage the greater the kick/recoil. 12 and 20 gauges are most commonly available.

The .410 (The Smallest commonly available Shotgun) has the least kick (Recoil) and can be used by young children and smaller adults. Some have the added benefit of being able to use common .45 hand gun ammunition.

• Both pump and automatic loading shotguns are available.
• Semi-Automatic (one squeeze of the trigger gives one shot) handguns – used for personal defense (because it’s cramped or you must use your hands and can’t carry a rifle). May have more rounds than a revolver.
• Revolvers – since you can rotate the cylinder and select the chamber you fire, much more versatile. Usually 5 or 6 chambers which can be loaded with bird shot, special ammunition, standard, and that load to stop a bull.
• Hunting rifles – many different calibers for many different sizes of animals. Not suited for combat. Parts will break under the number of shots in a firefight – barrels will lose accuracy and even droop. Usually bolt-action as most states limit hunting with semi-automatic rifles.
• Battle (I.e. Assault) rifles - .223 (5.56 mm NATO), .308 (7.62 x 51 NATO), 7.62 x 39 Russian (SKS, AK-47) are the common calibers. The .223 is effective to 165 yards and has such low recoil that a child can use it effectively. The .308 NATO, a much heavier bullet, can punch through brush and knock a man down with one hit at 500 yards. The 7.62 x 39 Russian is accurate at short ranges and has impact (if you hit anything) at 500 yards. Magazines contain 20 or 30 rounds. Semi-Automatic.
• Note: what are commonly called Assault rifles are only Semi-Automatic look-alikes. A true Assault rifle has the option of fully automatic fire.

9. 95% of all pistol gunfights occur at 7 yards (21 feet) or less.
10. The goal is not to kill, but to stop life threatening actions.
11. Stopping power (in pistols) against humans depends largely on the diameter or caliber of the bullet. The larger the caliber the more stopping power. Hence a .45 has more stopping power than a .22, a 9 mm (.355), and a .38. That is why hollow points which spread on contact boost the stopping power of a caliber.
12. Both the .38 and the .357 are actually a diameter of .357 with the difference being that a .357 has about twice the powder in the cartridge and about twice the force. You can fire the less expensive .38 cartridges in a .357 handgun. Never, NEVER fire .357 cartridges in a .38 handgun.
13. For reliable stopping power in a pistol use a .357 and larger caliber (10 mm, 40 S&W, .41, .44, .45, etc.). .38s and lesser calibers need boosts in stopping power by using special ammunition (like Federal’s Hydra-shoks® ).
14. While the largest bear killed in North America was shot with a .22, the .22 does NOT have stopping power. There is a case of a man going berserk and murdering the 3 people with him. During the process, the victims shot him 18 times in the chest with .22 LRs. He still murdered them and then walked several miles to the hospital – where he died 3 days later.
15. In any situation you are thinking about using a firearm, ask yourself “Does this situation require or merit the use of deadly force?”
16. Rules for using firearms:

• Most firearms have safeties, so keep them set on safety. Know how to take the safety off so you can shoot.
• Never bluff with an unloaded firearm. If it is serious enough to consider using a firearm, it IS serious enough to load it.
• Never point a firearm at anything you aren’t willing to shoot.
• Never shoot at anything you aren’t willing to kill.

17. Always, always ASSUME a firearm IS LOADED.
18. If you keep firearms in the house, display signs in your house that read: “All Guns In This House Are Loaded” – whether they’re loaded or not.
19. Teach firearms safety to all family members and visiting children.

Recommendations for the general public:

• a revolver (.357 or a .38 with Hydra-shock ammo – include shot shells for poisonous snakes)
• a pump shotgun (More reliable than the semi automatic and requires less maintenance.)
• the addition of a hunting rifle of large caliber or an assault rifle could be useful in chaotic situations - possibly a Ruger Mini-14 (the popular .223 caliber, rugged, inexpensive, and a child could handle it) or an AK-47.
• When choosing a firearm The availability of ammunition should be a high priority. The most common ammunition (that is the most produced and greatest quantity such as ammunition used by military and police) is the best choice. For rifles the .223, 7.62X39, and .308 are the most produced in the world. For handguns .9mm NATO (9X19), .45, .38 and .357 Magnum.

A more in depth article on Firearms specifications and terminology will be posted shortly.