VIDEO: "Top 5 Guns for TEOTWAWKI"

 

VIDEO: "Top 5 Guns for TEOTWAWKI (Short Version)"

Paul Harrell (21 min.)

He also has a long version (2 hours long) which I have not yet watched. Most of the videos or articles I've seen on this topic either deal with too general of categories (e.g., you should have a rifle, a pistol, a .22 rifle, etc., without any more detail) or suggest very specific choices. Harrell seems to strike a middle ground, offering up a few categories of weapons (a medium to large handgun, a carbine/rifle of some sort suitable for combat, and a pocket pistol of some type for deep concealment), but also providing some context and requirements to help you narrow down your choices, and then, finally, noting some of his choices and why he chose them. 

    For instance, as to your primary handgun, his chief criteria is that you be able to shoot it accurately, which he considers far more important than magazine capacity or caliber. He gives the example, for instance, that if you are very good with a revolver, but not so accurate with a semi-auto, that you should pick that revolver over other handguns. 

    Some other points he goes over are that: he believes that you need at least 15-rounds capacity in your magazines for both carbines and your primary handgun; he wants to minimize calibers so, for instance, he recommends a pocket pistol be the same caliber as your primary handgun, nor does he believe it important to have different calibers to maximize your probability of successfully scavenging ammunition; he discusses some issues particular to .22 LR weapons; and he explains why you should comply with your jurisdiction's firearm laws. I would note that it seems an unspoken assumption in his video that you would be limited in the number of weapons and supply of ammunition. I'm not sure if this is because he assumes issues of bugging out or having to relocate, or if he is approaching the issue from the point of view of someone that doesn't have any weapons yet and is trying to figure out what to buy. 

    He mentions in the video that he would provide some tips if you lived in a jurisdiction that restricted you to only 10 rounds, but other than noting that there sometimes exceptions for .22 rifles with permanently affixed tubular magazines, he doesn't revisit this topic. I can only assume that it is dealt with in the longer video. 

 

    The only real criticism I had dealt with his discussion on .22 LR weapons, because he seemed to assume that you would be carrying both a rifle and a handgun in .22 LR. I have thought long and hard on this, mostly in the context of the issue of what if you could only have two weapons, and concluded that you are better off mixing a .22 in one type (a rifle or pistol) with a combat/hunting caliber in the other: e.g., a .22 rifle with a combat pistol in 9mm or larger, or a .22 pistol with a carbine or rifle suitable for combat and hunting small to medium game. My reasoning is that this allows you to tote a lot of ammunition in .22 LR, and allow you to take small game (rabbits, squirrels, larger birds), but still have an option should you need something more effective.