In my last column, I recommended three firearms every man had to own in order to retain his man card. The theme of the column was threefold – 1) Protecting one’s home, 2) Protecting one’s loved ones while away from home, and 3) Raising children with respect for firearms (and, of course, knowledge of responsible firearm use). Since only three essential firearms were recommended, I was bombarded with emails asking me which should follow. I am certainly glad they asked. And I am happy to provide the next three choices needed to advance those three important interests:
The Mossberg 500 .410 shotgun. The 12-gauge is clearly ideal for protecting one’s home from intruders. That is why I recommended it in my previous column. But home defense sometimes involves taking care of predators in one’s yard. For me, that is most likely a copperhead snake. Where my parents retired in Huntsville, Texas, it was almost always an armadillo tearing the yard apart. Either way, the .410-gauge shotgun is absolutely ideal for these kinds of threats. I don’t need to blow a snake to bits with a 12 gauge when I can do the job with a .410. Even in residential areas in the county where it is legal to use a firearm there is a need to be mindful of one’s surroundings. It is a matter of both safety and courtesy to avoid using more firepower than is necessary to complete the job. Thus, something less than a 12 gauge needs to be in every man’s shotgun defense arsenal.
Smith & Wesson Model 640. I previously recommended a 9mm for concealed carry because I wanted to suggest something a man could use - and that he could also let his wife use should the need arise. My second recommendation is also good for both man and wife. Men will definitely want to use the .357-magnum round in this snub nosed revolver, which features an internal hammer. (I use 145-grain silver tip hollow points). The knockdown power is more than sufficient for a concealed carry weapon. But women will also love shooting this snub nose with a lighter .38-special load. (Many will prefer 110-grain hollow points).
Marlin 30-30. The process of raising children with respect for firearms and with firearm proficiency begins with a .22 long rifle. But it continues with a good lever action rifle capable of taking down a deer. The 30-30 Marlin is my weapon of choice – and I am certainly not alone. This gun has dropped more deer than any in the entire history of this gun-loving nation. But it also has important defensive purposes. It has more than enough firepower to level a coyote. And, as a duel North Carolina/Colorado resident, I definitely advocate having one of these around if you ever have contact with black bears. Using 170-grain soft points, this gun can definitely lay any black bear on its back. And the ammo is also relatively cheap.
One last note: The deer hunter who is hunting in brush and taking shots between 50 and 100 yards can hardly do better than the lever action 30-30 (although the .44-magnum lever action rifle is a close second). Of course, long-range deer hunting will require another rifle. And that just means my column series will have to continue.
As usual, all deranged feminists (pardon the redundancy) and totalitarian progressives (pardon more redundancy) offended by this column should write to Chancellor@uncw.edu. Make sure to explain that you are writing in opposition to my continued employment because I am a) exercising my First Amendment rights by writing about guns, and b) exercising my Second Amendment rights by using the profits to buy more guns and ammo.
If you do write to UNCW, please be sure to remind them that I just don’t give a damn about the feelings of my hoplophobic critics. The statement will be accurate. Much like the fine choices in my ever-growing collection of firearms.
… To be continued.