Quote:
Originally posted by legion
Once again, this is not for home defense in the typical sense. I have no intentions of trying to shoot an intruder. This is for ensuring the safety of my family (wife & I--no kids) in the highly unlikely event of a breakdown of law & order. We hope (and fully expect) that we will never take it out for anything other than cleaning and range practice.
|
This is what you need for what you describe (including things like your wife not being experienced with firearms):
http://www.tommygun.com/ao_aom110_f.html
Of course, you are going to have to check to make sure an M1 carbine is legal in your area. Illinois does not have uniform firearms laws throughout the state; each local government can enact their own regulations on firearms. It makes the law there a complicated mess.
The best thing to do is to stop by some of your local gun shops; generally they will be able to tell you what is legal. If the M1 carbine is legal, make sure you buy a new Kahr/Auto-Ordnance one (you should be able to get one for around $550).
Do not let a dealer sell you a "vintage" M1 or some other "brand." These can be fine, but does not meet your needs for the situation you describe.
With the M1, you will want GI 30-round magazines. You should be able to get like-new ones for $20-25 each. For what you describe (the break-down of civilized society outside your front door), you will want at least ten 30-round magazines and enough ammunition on hand to be able to load all those magazines.
You should probably buy a case of .30 carbine ammo (that's 1000 rounds). The ammo will last for decades if stored in a cool dry place. I like Sellier and Bellot for the quality and price (they're out of stock now, but Natchez's is a good place to order from):
http://www.natchezss.com/ammo.cfm?contentID=productDetail&ammoRecID=1&brand=ZY&prodID=ZYSBA03001&CFID=732488&CFTOKEN=84039982
Your shotgun idea is not the best for what you describe. If lawlessness prevails outside your door, you need what is referred to as "fire-power" -- that is the ability to shoot and keep on shooting for an extended period of time. The M1 carbine is a battle-proven design; it played a major role in WW2. In the hands of either you or your wife, having had reasonable practice with it, and with enough 30-round magazines, it will give you the sort of fire-power needed to defend against the gang attacks that will happen if civil unrest occurs for an extended period of time in your community.
Joe