Para Bellum - Preparing For the Worst

                                              

 

Are you prepared, gun-wise, for a societal breakdown?

By Steve Adelmann     

Have you seen the movie “Something Wicked This Way Comes?” Unfortunately, I have, but aside from bad acting, ’80s clothing, a weak plot, terrible special effects and the 94 minutes it sucked out of my life, the movie had one thing going for it: a catchy title.

 

That phrase is on my mind more and more these days, except it is not an evil (and cheesy) carnival owner who threatens us, it is genuine trouble on a global scale.                               

                                                     

A quick scan of news headlines, market trends or simply paying attention to the nearest protest yields multiple red flags. Attitudes and conversations with just about anyone tell me I am not alone in my thoughts. I have no idea how the country will be doing when this column is printed, but I am positive things will not be any better than they are as I write it. Actually, they may be much worse.

 

So what should you do about it? Prepare. In this case I am talking about preparing your firearm game plan for a sustained societal breakdown—imagine a violent mob or gang is within a half-mile of your residence, intent on taking whatever or hurting whomever they want, and then plan accordingly.

 

Like most other folks, a handgun is my go-to choice for dealing with an immediate threat in the home or at close range on the street. But, I will choose the rifle’s ability to keep bad things as far away as possible if I see them heading my way. If trouble is inevitable, make use of any warning to be as well armed as possible. Get your go-to gun out of mothball storage and have it within arm’s reach at all times. Deployed troops learn to live with rifles strapped to their bodies, always. The practice is now taught in Basic Training, which makes a lot more sense than some of the idiotic parade stuff we did a quarter-century ago. There is no handier place for your primary fighting tool than across your body or in your hands. Plop down $40 for a decent tactical sling and get used to it. Consider that gun an extension of your arms and don’t get caught without it when the heat is on.

Fodder
 

The U.S. military’s switch to the new “green” ammunition has resulted in excellent prices on surplus 5.56 NATO M855 ball ammo. M80 ball overruns have pushed more surplus 7.62 NATO FMJ ammo to the market, too. Both are good general-purpose rounds to keep on hand in case the premium stuff becomes scarce. AK ammo—particularly in 7.62×39 mm—is very cheap and still available in sealed tins. The 40 rounds of .308 Win. my local hardware store keeps in stock will be scarfed up during the first 5 minutes of a crisis, so I know better than to rely on purchasing ammo around here.

 

Several retail outlets offer bulk deals on ammunition in the most common rifle chamberings, so stock up—now—on what your rifle will digest. Be sure to store ammo in a location that is temperature and humidity controlled. Old ammo cans with intact rubber seals make good containers, but place desiccant packs inside each one, and avoid leaving them in extreme heat or cold. Buy as much spare ammo as you can afford and store safely. Some is better than none, and a lot is better than a little.

 

Properly cared for ammo will last for many years, so if things get all rosy again, have fun with it at the range or will it to your heirs. Ammunition has real value, unlike the dollar, so it will be useful for barter, too.

 

You may not convince your neighbors to have gun or caliber commonality, but consider doing so within your family. Logistics will be much simpler if your family firearms are the same—anyone will be able to pick up another’s rifle or spare ammo in a pinch. Remember to plan for spare magazines, including extras to replace those lost or damaged during a protracted emergency. Think months, not days.

 

During a protracted and potentially violent crisis, your primary arm cannot be too close. A simple, inexpensive and effective combat sling like this B-Sling from Sheriff of Baghdad will be indispensable.

 

Gun Gear

A wide variety of equipment is available to carry extra ammunition and/or magazines. Find something comfortable enough to wear for at least a few hours at a time, handy enough to get on quickly and able to carry extra personal gear like medication, a light, knife, etc. If you have never had to live in, run with or go prone while wearing a military-style assault vest, borrow one, fill it up and try these tasks before you spend a week’s pay on the latest “rack” system. Many models were designed by people who meant well, but never fought while wearing a full vest. Less bulk and greater simplicity equal more agility, comfort and the ability to wear for longer periods.

 

A spare parts kit is also a good idea. At a minimum, extra faster-wearing parts like extractors, firing pins and springs are good to have around. Maintain a set of critical parts for each rifle you plan to have in someone’s hands during a crisis. I recommend at least one spare bolt for each rifle type, too.

It will never expire, so if the worst never happens, you have a part that will be useful down the road.

 

Think about a backup plan for optics, too: iron sights, a backup scope—something that allows you to aim the rifle if your primary sighting system is damaged when there is no way to get a replacement.

 

Training

The best rifle is not worth a lick if you cannot use it fluently under stress. Practice practical shooting.

 

Shoot at partially exposed targets at or beyond the distances your house/yard/property may present. Shoot in hasty, uncomfortable positions and in low light, if possible. Learn to shoot from cover and understand the ballistic differences between cover and concealment. Ensure someone else in your family is able to implement the home-defense plan without you present—you may not be there when trouble strikes, or you may need help.

 

The concept of a zombie apocalypse used to get a passing laugh. It is no longer a joke. Such talk is now thinly veiled code for a violent, man-made catastrophe. Do not be complacent with your approach to defending your family when—not if—things turn nasty. The rifle in your hands may well become the great equalizer you need to keep bad people away from you and yours. I truly hope I am wrong about where we are headed, but I will be ready if I am right. I hope you will be, too.

Smith M14 Rifles

Smith Enterprise has returned to the civilian market with a M14 receiver machined from bar stock.

By NRA Staff

  Smith Enterprise, Inc., of Tempe, Ariz., has established itself through its M14 rifle modernization projects for various U.S. military units and through component sales and gunsmithing services aimed at the civilian market for semi-automatic clones. More than 20 years ago, the company produced semi-automatic M14-type receivers—machined by Ron Smith and his father, Richard, from forged billet and investment cast 8620 steel—that became highly regarded among highpower service rifle competitors.

 

Recently SEI returned to the market with a receiver machined from 8620 steel bar stock. Rather than sell complete guns, Smith decided to distribute receivers through R-Guns, giving customers the flexibility to enlist its expertise in building rifles to individual requirements. We evaluated a Smith-built rifle that mated its new receiver to an SEI standard-weight 18-inch barrel. It was mounted in a Sage Int’l, Ltd. Enhanced Battle Rifle aluminum chassis stock and fitted with a U.S.-military-specification SEI steel scope mount along with the company’s heavy duty steel rings to hold a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10X 40 mm riflescope. The resulting package, although weighing 13 pounds, was nonetheless extremely sturdy and reasonably compact.

Exemplifying Smith’s approach to offering features and processes not typically available, the barrel featured four-groove, 1:10-inch twist rifling with a chamber cut specifically for M118LR match 7.62x51 mm NATO ammunition. But in addition to that load’s 175-grain bullet, it was still able to safely and accurately handle M80 ball and commercial loads. The barrel was treated inside and out with a magnesium phosphate finish and was fitted with an SEI combination gas cylinder lock/front sight base that allows the use of standard-height front sights. We chose the company’s tritium bar stripe unit to complement its rear non-hooded National Match sight that offered 1/2-m.o.a windage and elevation adjustments. The muzzle was capped with SEI’s proprietary Vortex flash suppressor, an open-prong design that greatly reduces the gun’s flash signature.

Enhancements to the gas system included an SEI gas piston made from 420 stainless steel that was hard-chromed and cryogenically treated for toughness and lubricity along with a gas plug manufactured from 420 stainless steel that was also treated to resist corrosion.

The only original U.S.G.I. components used in the build included a TRW bolt and a Winchester trigger housing containing a Springfield hammer. Otherwise, even the trigger group’s pins and hammer spring—made of hardened S7 tool steel and silicon-chrome, respectively—were upgrades supplied and installed by Smith.

We fired the Smith rifle with a variety of ammunition including 110-grain Hornady TAP and 175-grain Federal Gold Medal Match, and achieved sub-1-inch five-shot groups at 100 yards with each. The rifle exhibited no malfunctions during several hundred rounds of testing, and spent cases were ejected in a consistent pattern.

The SEI extended bolt stop allowed shooters to chamber the first round with the weak hand while keeping the firing hand on the pistol grip. And although the rifle’s weight made handling rather sluggish, its adjustable length of pull and cheekpiece, along with its expanses of Picatinny rail, allowed for quick customization of fit and accessories to individual shooter preferences. Of course a customer seeking a lighter gun could specify a more conventional stock, including the old standby U.S.G.I. fiberglass unit.

Therein is the attraction of having a rifle custom-configured by experienced builders working with their own high-quality components: a high degree of performance in a configuration ideally suited to the customer’s needs.
In the case of Smith Enterprise, its receiver, components and services are not inexpensive, but are among the best available at any price.

Mark 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle

This past week, I was watching the History Channel's new show Top Guns, and found it rather interesting. Particularly, I found interesting the mention of the M14 being used as a "sniper rifle" in modern combat. Since I have heard and read a little about this before, I decided to do some checking up on it, and found some very helpful information in a 2011 copy of the Combat Arms magazine.
I discovered that the EBR is produced by a six-man team of civlians contracted to TACOM, who work in Rock Island Arsenal.
To be technically correct, the M14 EBR isn't a sniper rifle, it is a Squad Designated Marksman (SDM) rifle.
To build an EBR, M14s are shipped in from Anniston Army Depot, after being upgraded to good or better-than-new condition. The team unpacks the M14s, and takes off almost everything except the barreled action. The team leader Doug Calrstrom said, "We disassemble and use all but five parts."
To upgrade the M14 into an EBR, one of the workers installs a Sage International aluminum chassis system.
At the next station, another worker mounts and boresights a Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm tactical scope on meduim-hight rings, attached to a six inch section of Picatinny rail.
With the chassic resting in a wood fixture, one of the workers starts to build up the barreled action.
After the action is rebuilt ans seated into the chassic, a worker inserts a trigger assembly. After the action has been seated, the alignment of the chassis' holes to make sure the screws are aligned. Next, the chassis fore-end is attached to the operating guide rod in three points to free-float the barrel.
A new piston assembly is then installed, and screwed into place with a special wrench that helps align the gas system.
After the rifle is built, each one is tested at a 100-yard range, and checked for accuracy standards. Rifles that shoot more than 1 1/2 MOA will not be accepted, but the average group is 0.97 MOA.
The rifle is issued with the scope, (6) 20 round magazines, (1) sling, (1) cleaning kit, (1) Harris bipod, a combo tool and instruction manual.