Keith
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Now for those of you who have not followed my blogs or read any of my articles, this may be a new concept. There are a lot of different tools/weapons you can use for hunting & defence. Without a doubt the best tool for defence would have to be the modern firearm, BUT, the modern firearm is not available to everyone for various reasons. I had modern guns in the UK because at that time there were no restrictions other than acquiring a shooters license. I used to hunt on farm land on a regular basis. I had a BSA .22 air rifle, which I still have, a .410 shotgun double, & a double 12 gauge. Both with external hammers. I also owned a .22 semi-auto handgun which I used to shoot at the pistol club.
For home defence shotguns are great. You can stock up on ammunition, & you can get a reloader & reload your own ammo. But for those who are going to have to leave home & survive in the countryside, carrying just a modern firearm can be restrictive. Good for defence yes, but the ammunition is heavy so you will be limited in how much you can carry. If you are a part of a family group, then perhaps you can carry more ammo distributed among you, but there are other priorities such as food, water, & medical supplies to say nothing of your regular gear such as shelter, bedding,cooking kettle etc.
So, you will need other hunting & defence tools. Traditional bows are good, do NOT get a compound bow. These require special strings & arrows & these can not be supplied from nature. Crossbow, slingshot,catapult,throwing sticks (rabbit stick), spears, tomahawk etc are all good for hunting IF you are skilled in their use, some of these are okay for defence too, but nothing will ever be as good as a firearm for defence. It is not just the power & accuracy, it is the implied threat from just the sight of this tool plus the shock from the sound it makes.
So here is an alternative that you may be able to acquire, a flintlock muzzle-loading gun, rifle & or pistol. Either in antique form or as a replica. These guns are used extensively in the UK in 18th century living history groups. These groups are a great way to learn how to survive. If you have one of these groups near you I urge you to join. They are family oriented, great fun to be a part of & you will learn many primitive survival skills. For anyone who is interested, you can find some groups listed here: http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/worldwide-groups-forums-f40.html
Advantages of a Flintlock Muzzle-loader.
1) Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent caliber firearm.
2) The smoothbore is very versatile, being able to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of these (can also use minies).
3) The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern equivalent sized gun.
4) You can vary the load if needs be.
5) The smoothbore will digest other projectiles besides lead.
6) Lead can be retrieved from downed game & remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.
7) You can make your own gunpowder.
8) You can use the lock to make fire without the need for gunpowder.
9) You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder fire lighting if needs be.
10) IF the lock should malfunction (these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.
11) If you do not have any spare parts & the lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock & continue using it.
12) You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too long.
13) Wadding for ball or shot is available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.
14) Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.
15) Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader registered in your name regardless of caliber (only NSW is looking at this legislation at present).
16) A .32 caliber flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small & medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks.
17) Damage from a .62 caliber-.75 caliber pistol or long arm is in the extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.
18) By using buck & ball you are unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one target.
19) There is less kick-back to a muzzle-loading gun.
20) Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW Australia.
For home defence shotguns are great. You can stock up on ammunition, & you can get a reloader & reload your own ammo. But for those who are going to have to leave home & survive in the countryside, carrying just a modern firearm can be restrictive. Good for defence yes, but the ammunition is heavy so you will be limited in how much you can carry. If you are a part of a family group, then perhaps you can carry more ammo distributed among you, but there are other priorities such as food, water, & medical supplies to say nothing of your regular gear such as shelter, bedding,cooking kettle etc.
So, you will need other hunting & defence tools. Traditional bows are good, do NOT get a compound bow. These require special strings & arrows & these can not be supplied from nature. Crossbow, slingshot,catapult,throwing sticks (rabbit stick), spears, tomahawk etc are all good for hunting IF you are skilled in their use, some of these are okay for defence too, but nothing will ever be as good as a firearm for defence. It is not just the power & accuracy, it is the implied threat from just the sight of this tool plus the shock from the sound it makes.
So here is an alternative that you may be able to acquire, a flintlock muzzle-loading gun, rifle & or pistol. Either in antique form or as a replica. These guns are used extensively in the UK in 18th century living history groups. These groups are a great way to learn how to survive. If you have one of these groups near you I urge you to join. They are family oriented, great fun to be a part of & you will learn many primitive survival skills. For anyone who is interested, you can find some groups listed here: http://eighteenthcenturylivinghistory.freeforums.org/worldwide-groups-forums-f40.html
Advantages of a Flintlock Muzzle-loader.
1) Ammo is less expensive than a modern equivalent caliber firearm.
2) The smoothbore is very versatile, being able to digest round ball, bird shot, & buckshot, or any combination of two of these (can also use minies).
3) The fusil is lighter to carry than a modern equivalent sized gun.
4) You can vary the load if needs be.
5) The smoothbore will digest other projectiles besides lead.
6) Lead can be retrieved from downed game & remoulded with a simple mould & lead ladle. This means that you can carry less lead, & more of the lighter gunpowder.
7) You can make your own gunpowder.
8) You can use the lock to make fire without the need for gunpowder.
9) You can use gunpowder for gunpowder tinder fire lighting if needs be.
10) IF the lock should malfunction (these are very robust & it is not likely) you can easily repair it if you are carrying a few spare springs & a few simple tools.
11) If you do not have any spare parts & the lock malfunctions, you can easily convert it to a tinderlock or matchlock & continue using it.
12) You do not need a reloader, brass shells, caps, or primers. The latter have been known to break down in damp conditions or if they are stored for too long.
13) Wadding for ball or shot is available from natural plant materials or homemade leather or rawhide.
14) Less chance of being affected by future ammunition control legislation.
15) Gunpowder is easily obtainable providing you have a muzzle-loader registered in your name regardless of caliber (only NSW is looking at this legislation at present).
16) A .32 caliber flintlock rifle is more powerful than a .22 rimfire, less expensive to feed, more accurate over a greater distance, able to take small & medium sized game, & other than not being able to use shot (unless it is smoothbore), it has all the attributes of the other flintlocks.
17) Damage from a .62 caliber-.75 caliber pistol or long arm is in the extreme. Wounded prey is unlikely to escape.
18) By using buck & ball you are unlikely to miss your target. This load is capable of taking out more than one target.
19) There is less kick-back to a muzzle-loading gun.
20) Antique Flintlock muzzle-loading guns do not require a license, registration, or a permit to purchase in NSW Australia.