a rant : firearms are not the magical key to survival

hey - a pet peeve of mine is the delusion that a fire arm is the key to survival

please abandon this delusion

a firearm will not :

locate potable water

locate foragable vegitation

locate game

assist your attepmt to navigate from way point A to waypoint B

etc etc etc

a firearm has many uses - but it is not a panecea

please realise that you need several vital skill sets to survive

a firearm will assist and enhance somoe oth them

dont use the fiearm as a crutch

It sure as hell will help protect those things if you already have them.....

Firearms make Excellent crutches and splints, plus rappelling T bars, dragging T bars, nutt crackers, Etc, there are many other uses for firearms other than the obvious and you can still trade them and their ammo for food and women

reply to post by ignorant_ape


My best survival weapon is ...my brain.

It's adaptable, totally destructive if need be, and highly empathetic as well.

And best of all....it came as standard issue at birth.

reply to post by ignorant_ape

I think you make an excellent point. If I were to be tossed out into the deep timber and offered any firearm I want with a case of ammo or 1 military grade Kbar knife with a whet stone to keep it sharp, it wouldn't even take thought to decide. The knife, every time. It'll provide warmth, food, shelter and...if it comes to that...clothing. The gun will kill living things, which will help for hunting, but not surviving by itself. Without the knife, I'm just the best armed corpse someone discovers, come Spring.

S/F for highlighting a point I think a lot of people over look when weighing the importance of a firearm for survival.

reply to post by ignorant_ape


I hear ya...

Many years ago, I read a book on survival tactics, and that author (it's been so long I've no idea) was opposed to having firearms at all for a survival situation.

His (her?) position was that a firearm induces a certain amount of arrogance on the part of the possesor, and they may not be as careful as they should be in a given situation. Not possessing a firearm puts an individual into the mindset of being potential prey (instead of potential predator), which induces a more cautious and alert mindset.

I'm not sure I entirely agree, but after seeing tons of fire-arm induced arrogance on many discussion forums over the years, I do think back on that advice from time to time.

Like most advice, the 'pure' form probably leaves some room for improvement. Even with the mindset encouraged by this author, a firearm would be really handy to have.

reply to post by ignorant_ape


Its a pet peeve as mine as well.
Just let the Americans think what they want and buy all the ammo and weaponry they want.....they won't be able to carry it anyways and if they can....what will they do when everything is gone?
Thats not exactly survival....thats relying on gear.

Ask the Iraqi army from the 90s how effective fire arms are against a technological military force that the US military has. If martial law was enforced in the USA and we tried standing up against it, I highly doubt our guns are going to be that much help to us against a dumbed down, brainwashed force so massive.

The only things guns are useful for are protecting ourselves from criminals and large wild animals attacking, the police and military aren't worried about our guns, they have lasers and satellites and energy weapons that could render us all impotent.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by ignorant_ape

 

My best survival weapon is ...my brain.

It's adaptable, totally destructive if need be, and highly empathetic as well.

And best of all....it came as standard issue at birth.

edit on 12-1-2012 by TDawgRex because: (no reason given)

What more to say?
I totally agree!

With a firearm i can disarm unsuspecting hostile personnel at great distances and retrieve vital survival supplies, plus quickly gain access to locked doorways and the hostile people hiding behind them, if I'm out of ammo i can fashion my weapon into many different useful implements that are just as affective and still have enough material left to use as a smaller version of the same thing

its true without a brain you're useless, but with a brain and a firearm you have a greater chance at success

However, there are a lot of situations where a firearm would be handy as hell, especially in more volatile regions. You make an excellent point though that firearms are a crutch and that the most important things to have are skills and basics

Thanks for the Thread. I also feel the same way about all this Gold hoarding, exactly what will it be worth when food and water are what people need desperately. I would not trade either for Gold.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by ignorant_ape

 

My best survival weapon is ...my brain.

It's adaptable, totally destructive if need be, and highly empathetic as well.

And best of all....it came as standard issue at birth.

edit on 12-1-2012 by TDawgRex because: (no reason given)

Yeah. But is it bullet proof?

100% agree.
a gun would be a useful thing to have but it's not key to survival.
whats wrong with a spear and a good throwing arm to hunt, you know like we used to do before tescos.

Originally posted by JibbyJedi
Ask the Iraqi army from the 90s how effective fire arms are against a technological military force that the US military has. If martial law was enforced in the USA and we tried standing up against it, I highly doubt our guns are going to be that much help to us against a dumbed down, brainwashed force so massive.

The only things guns are useful for are protecting ourselves from criminals and large wild animals attacking, the police and military aren't worried about our guns, they have lasers and satellites and energy weapons that could render us all impotent.

If what you say is true...then why all the attempting, by the current administration, to take them from us.

It's in the Constitution...the right to bear arms. Doesn't matter what reason people may have them...it's in the Constitution.

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States of America
Great Seal of the United States

This article is part of the series:
United States Constitution
Original text of the Constitution
Preamble

Articles of the Constitution
I
The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.

In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second Amendment decisions. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm, unconnected to service in a militia[1][2] and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Additionally, the Court enumerated several longstanding prohibitions and restrictions on firearms possession that it found were consistent with the Second Amendment.
en.wikipedia.org...[

reply to post by ignorant_ape


It WILL protect you from the looters trying to take your water, food, shelter etc

Originally posted by Aliensun

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by ignorant_ape

 

My best survival weapon is ...my brain.

It's adaptable, totally destructive if need be, and highly empathetic as well.

And best of all....it came as standard issue at birth.

edit on 12-1-2012 by TDawgRex because: (no reason given)

Yeah. But is it bullet proof?

Well, my folks used to call me a rockhead.

Bullets bounce offa rocks...not that I wanna test the theory mind you.

First, thank you for this post...it's intersting.

I'm an American and it's my Constitutional Right to own a gun to protect my country from enemies foreign and domestic. If my life or my loved one's lives are in danger I have a right to protect myself and them.

I WILL NOT BE A SLAVE! I AM A FREE MAN!! Given life from God not government!

The garbage you see on the MSM about drive-by shootings, etc is to dissuade people from owning firearms...those individuals are irresponisble...I learned something a long time ago...guns don't kill people...people kill people. A good person will only use a firearm to protect not murder and if you think shooting someone out of protection is murder then ask the 18 year old mom in Oklahoma who stopped a lunatic from harming her and her 3 month old son...that's not murder....that's survival.

I don't know what country you live in, but in America our Founding Fathers set forth our rights to be free and before our very eyes it is being stripped away. I pray everyday for a PEACEFUL miracle. Thank you.

You'll need the weapons to protect yourself, and your belongings once a SHTF...look at Katrina. They are not the only thing to have, but I have read where some say, thats all they are getting for a SHTF...reason is they think they will take by force whatever they need. I hope it never happens.
I do not agree with there thought process on this. ..I do think you should have something for protection..if it does happen though.
If you think this world is going to be one big happy place and we all sit around, singing peacfully...your crazy. Its not sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops out there. To many people want what the guy down the street has...many don't wanna work for it, they feel they are entitled to it...thats just wrong.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Your statement is complete lunacy.

If your statement had any basis in fact the "war" in Iraq would have been over in weeks and all troops gone shortly thereafter.

Make no mistake that if 10% of American Nationals took up arms to regain the freedoms initially won, there would be no stopping them short of self destruction of the nation by the use of WMD. Considering the criminal mindset of those who consider themselves leaders of this nation, they most definitely are the type that would rather destroy the country than allow people to be free.