Two Classic Rimfire Handguns

As I've mentioned here many times and in my books, I'm a big fan of the .22 rimfire when it comes to all around hunting and survival weapons.  While there are many circumstances where other, more potent calibers are certainly needed, the lowly .22 rimfire does a good job as an all-around game getter and many experienced hunters and wilderness travelers would agree that if they could only have one gun, they might reach for their trusty .22, especially since so much ammunition can be carried in a small space.  I've always been more of a rifleman than a handgunner myself, and most anyone would have better results putting meat on the table with an accurate long gun than a pistol or revolver, but if one of these two fine rimfire handguns were my own, I think I'd invest the time and effort into getting as proficient as possible with it.

These are not mine, however, but I'm temporarily in possession of them as a friend who is out of the country shipped them to me for safekeeping until he can pick them up.  What you see here is a Ruger Single Six revolver in .22 Magnum, and the classic Colt Woodsman .22 Long Rifle automatic pistol:

Both of these models have long been popular with serious handgun hunters and marksmen, and either would do a fine job of bagging small game in the hands of a competent shooter.  The Colt Woodsman, in particular has a perfectly-balanced feel in the hand and a silky slick action.  Unlike many of today's lightweight .22 automatics, this is a pistol that is built to last and to be handed down through the generations.  The Woodsman is getting harder to find these days, and if you do find one, it won't be cheap.  Both of these came in old school fitted leather holsters, reminding me of the .22 revolver that was the first handgun I ever fired under my dad's watchful eye:

I might get better results with my 10/22 carbine, but I'd sure like to have either one of these in my bug out bag as well if I had to take off to the woods for an extended stay.

A Good Friend Comes Back Home

Last weekend my older brother brought back the Glock 21 I sold him a few months ago.  He needed the money for something else, so I bought it back from him for the same price he paid me for it then.  And at that time, I sold it to him for exactly what I had in it.  You just can't lose with buying and selling Glocks, and hey, you can never have too many.  I always liked the full-sized Glock 21 in .45ACP.  I seem to be able to hit with it better than with the compact Glock 19 that I always have close at hand.

You can see from the photo that this is the older "2nd. generation" version of the Glock 21, the grip lacking the finger grooves of the current generation.  This is the only .45 auto I've ever owned that has never had a single malfunction of any kind.  I have absolute faith in my Glocks going bang every time I pull the trigger.

Kel-Tec PMR-30: I Kinda Want One

I might have mentioned here before that I like guns.  If not, I'll say it now.  Not all of them have to be about bugging out or even about survival.  Some are just fun to shoot.  This new ultralight .22 Magnum pistol by Kel-Tec potentially fits the fun-to-shoot category well, but could have some practical applications too.  

With double-stack magazines containing 30 rounds fitting entirely within the grip, how could it not be fun for plinking or a day at the range?  And although more expensive to shoot than .22 LR, the .22 Magnum will cost a lot less when you dump those 30-rounders than your typical centerfire weapon.  This caliber also shoots flatter and has more punch than the .22 LR, and many outdoorsmen like it for hunting and as a general-purpose woods gun.  I could see it filling the role of a kit gun to put in the pack or dry bag for day hikes or day paddling, or maybe some camping trips.  In a defensive role, even though not ideal, it could get you out of trouble and solve a lot of problems with 30 rounds on tap as fast as you can pull the trigger. 

Kel-Tec is known for it's innovative weapons, especially it's range of ultralight pistols and compact, lightweight, folding carbines such as the SU-16 and Sub-2000.  A few years ago I was lucky enough to come across a deal on a Kel-Tec Sub-9 carbine, which is the older, more expensive but somewhat better-made version of the Sub-2000.  I'll be posting about my experiences with it here. I also have a Kel-Tec P-32 pistol, which is one of the lightest and most compact pocket pistols you can get, decent for a back-up or in situations when you just can't conceal anything larger.

The new PMR-30 is lightweight as well, only 19oz (loaded) in a full-sized frame.  That light weight, along with the light weight and small size of the ammunition, means you can carry a lot of rounds.  For some people who are competent with handgun hunting, this pistol could serve as a general purpose bug-out hunting weapon.  When it's been around awhile, time will tell if it proves to be reliable and accurate enough for such a task. Meanwhile, Kel-Tec is really pushing this idea of high-capacity, and light weight:

From the Kel-Tec Website:

The PMR-30 is a light weight, full size pistol chambered for the flat-shooting .22Magnum cartridge (.22WMR). The PMR-30 operates on a unique hybrid blowback/locked-breech system. This operation system allows for the use of a wide variety of ammunition as it seamlessly adjusts between locked breach and blowback operation, depending on the pressure of the cartridge. It uses a double stack magazine of a new design that holds 30 rounds and fits completely in the grip of the pistol. The trigger is a crisp single action with an over-travel stop. The manual safety is a thumb activated ambidextrous safety lever (up for SAFE, down for FIRE). The slide locks back after the last shot and a manual slide lock lever is also provided. The light, crisp trigger pull and fiber optic sights make the PMR-30 ideal for target shooting and hunting small game.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Calibers:	.22 Magnum	(.22WMR)
Weight unloaded:	13.6oz.	186g
Loaded Magazine:	6oz.	170g
Length:	7.9"	129mm
Height:	5.8"	89mm
Width:	1.3"	19mm
Barrel length:	4.3"	66mm
Sight radius:	6.9"	175.26mm
Energy (40gr):	138ft-lbs	187J
Capacity:	30 rounds
Trigger pull:	3.5-5 lbs	23N

So do I need this pistol or will I actually buy one? I don't know yet, but I'll be keeping an eye on it as becomes available. In the meantime, my Glock 19, at 21oz empty and 30oz loaded, is not excessively heavy either, and though the standard magazines "only" hold 15 rounds, I can always put in a 33-round Glock "happy stick"  if I want extra capacity in 9mm.  For survival hunting, all around prinking, and accuracy, I'm sure the PMR-30 would clearly be a better choice.  But I've owned a lot of rimfire auto-pistols, and I've always experienced more failures with them than with centerfire pistols, so without extensive testing, I wouldn't bet my life on it for defensive purposes.  The Glock, however, has gone "bang" every time I pulled the trigger, and I have every reason to believe it will the next time too.

Today's Gun: Saiga AK and Glock 19

This is my pair for urban survival where the threats are on two-legs and hunting is not an issue - Saiga AK in 7.62 x 39, with Ace side-folder stock, and Glock 19 with full-capacity mags. 

Neither would be high on my list of choices for bugging out in most scenarios, as I wrote here.

Some Thoughts on Bug Out Firearms

I like guns a lot and over the years have owned just about all the ones that I found interesting; buying, swapping and selling and still ending up with more than I can use, much less carry in a bug out situation.  Here on Bug Out Survival the subject of firearms in general will naturally come up frequently.

I grew up hunting in rural Mississippi, and when I was first allowed to take off into the nearby woods on my own at about seven, my hunting rifle was a Benjamin .22 caliber pellet gun - very effective in slaying the wild gray squirrels that thrived in the tall mixed oak and pine forests of a nearby creek bottom, so long as I waited until they came closer to the ground.  That single-shot air rifle that had to be pumped up about 10 times between shots taught me a lot about making every shot count and the importance of patience in stalking close or waiting on game to approach.  Later, when my dad trusted that I wouldn't do anything stupid, he let me take the old Savage single-shot 20-gauge shotgun.  With a long barrel and a full choke, using number six shot, I became a real threat to the local squirrel population and occasionally brought home a rabbit as well.  Not too long after, I got my first .22 rimfire rifle, a bolt-action, tube-fed Marlin Model 781 that I still have today.  I came to love the .22 for its versatility and the ease of carrying lots of cartridges, though I really didn't need many for hunting, because that rifle with a 4-power scope was a tack-driver.

Most people discussing survival firearms on various blogs and forums on the Internet agree on the usefulness and versatility of the .22 rimfire rifle, and I'm no exception.  I've seen .22 rifles used to bring down everything from deer to wild turkey and all manner of small game.  In the jungles of Nicaragua and Honduras, along the Rio Coco and Rio Patuca, the Miskito Indians I've trekked with used well-worn, rusty Marlin Model 60 semi-auto rifles to shoot monkeys and birds the size of turkeys high up in the rainforest canopy.  Then, coming to small, clear streams, they would turn these same rifles to the task of shooting fish.  They didn't question their ability to take the occasional deer as well with the same rifles. They were very effective hunters and we ate a variety of exotic wildlife at every night's campsite. 

These Marlin .22 rifles were not the only weapons these guys had, by any means.  In every village there are at least a few AKs around, left over from their struggle with the Sandinistas.  These were the real thing, of course, not the castrated semi-automatics we're allowed to own here.  But ammunition for them was precious, so it was not wasted.  I saw one fired only once from a dugout canoe - our river guide taking a shot a crocodile that quickly sank from view, whether hit or not, I don't know.

I like the AK as well when it comes to defensive firearms and will be discussing that type of weapon here as well, including my favorite variations, and other combat weapons such as Glocks, AR-15s, etc.  I'm also a big fan of leverguns and one of my current favorites is the Winchester Model 1894 Trapper, with the 16-inch barrel.  Combined with a suitable revolver in the same caliber, this is a great compact and lightweight bug-out combination that can do most everything, from defense against human and animal aggressors, to hunting deer-sized game at reasonable ranges, on down to small game with .38 Special rounds.

But if I could take only one gun that would have to do for everything, it would probably be one of my .22 rifles, whether that trusty old Marlin Model  781, the Ruger 10/22, the Winchester 94/22, the Marlin Papoose or the AR-7 Explorer.

This is just an introduction to the subject, I will certainly get more specific as time goes on and I get around to posting more photos and articles.  I will also look forward to your comments and would love to hear your thoughts on bug-out firearms as well as see photos of your favorites.

Today's Gun: Kel-Tec PMR-30

The soon-to-be available Kel-Tec PMR-30:  An autoloading .22Magnum Pistol with 30-rd. Capacity: