Let me start by defining myself and my purpose. I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America, as I'm sure you are too. I believe that Freedom is the greatest gift we have and also the most costly. Thank you to those who are reading this that have and are contributing to it as I write! The freedom of this country was not established by a standing military as there really was none. It was established by individuals who united behind the common cause of freedom. That spirit must remain alive, or this nation will collapse from within. That being said, the individual's ability to maintain personal and collaborative freedom relies heavily upon arms. My thoughts in this realm are not regarding defensive firearms deployed in the home against an intruder. The options there are well-established and I have made my choices as I feel are appropriate.
Instead, I wish to explore what weapon(s) are most practical for defending the freedom of myself, my family, my community, my state, and my nation from any and all threats regardless of their source. I realize that this is subjective to a certain extend based upon geographic conditions. Thus, I will define mine: Southeastern United States, 40 miles Northeast of Atlanta, GA. Suburban/Rural with access to Smoky Mountains 1.5 hrs away.
Primary: Pistol - as a licensed concealed weapon carrier, this is what I am most likely to have either on my person or within close reach. This is what the majority of my training thus far has centered around. My choice is a Glock 19, YMMV.
Secondary: This is where I begin to struggle. Semi-auto is appealing due to larger/more rapid volume of fire and I have some minor training with the AR-15 platform. I also have gear and mags to support the AR-15 platform. The exact iteration of this platform is, however, up for debate. In my area, Intermediate range is most likely (100-300 yds) However, the AR-15 also falls into my HD scenario, so it needs CQB capabilities as well. I find a magnified optic to be a plus (not a necessity) beyond 100 yds. My thoughts here are either a 1-4 variable, or a 2.5-8 in conjunction with a Micro Dot. Weight is a consideration, so that gives the edge to the 1-4, but the 2.5-8 earns the edge in precision. (In my experience, things never go as planned. For instance, if you plan on the deer walking out at 200 yds and you're dialed up to 9X, he walks out at 10 yds and vice versa) This also is a tic in favor of the dual optic setup.
Third: Remington 700 20" HB .308. I have the utmost confidence in this platform and have intermediate training with it. I know with all confidence that I can make hits at 700 (probably further, but that's as far of a range as I've been to thus far). Due to the bolt action and mag capacity, this does not serve well as a primary fighting arm, but would do well in a role of 400yds+ as needed, and is also a large enough caliber to take large game.
Wildcard: As an alternate to the AR in the secondary role is an AR-based .308, FAL, M14. This is heavier that a 5.56 AR, ammo is heavier to carry, but more devistating likely requiring less to fire (am I thinking correctly here?) This rifle could potentially serve in the role of the bolt gun and the AR (do you think?) I would run the 3.5-10 off my bolt gun in conjunction with a micro Dot and essentially have a do-everything gun. The problem with that is, it's not as good as an AR in CQB, and not as good as a bolt gun at long range.
Deployment: CC rig for pistol, Carbine and Chest Rig take things to the next level if need be. If bugging out to the mtns is required, the bolt gun goes in a McMillan or similar pack with survival items.
Likely scenarios IMHO: Religious uprising, Natural disaster, Socio-demographic uprising
Less-likely scenarios IMHO: Foreign invasion
I'm always reminded/haunted by the quote from Admiral Yamamoto from WWII where he says "You could never invade America, there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." I'm afraid this is not the case anymore with our PC state of affairs, but I at least want to make sure there are still some rifles behind grass if/when needed. IMHO it is the individual's responsibility to provide for his own security and the security of his family.
These are my thoughts. There may be flaws. I invite you to discuss, critique, offer advice.
Thank you!
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