| Woha, we are having a gun chat. Cool.
I love laxammo, in normal times they have great prices on reloads at the local gun show. A year ago I paid $.23/rd for .223 and $.28/rd for 45 ACP and .40 cal. Sigh.
For aircraft accessories I have at different times brought along a 22 pistol, a .380 auto, a glock 33 (.357 sig), and a 30-30 lever (I like the way you think, Dale).
Other than flying somewhere just to go shoot, I try to think of possible needs. Those seem to be hunting, self defense from critters, self defense from people, and possibly signaling.
If hunting for sustenance in an unplanned survival situation I like the .22. Unlikely you will be going shopping for that 8-point buck in a survival situation, possibly injured. Most likely small ground game is whats for dinner. I keep meaning to get a survival rifle but an accurate pistol would work well (which is why I have brought along my .22 pistol). Small, light, and inconspicuous especially with the barrel removed. Actually this might be a good time to get a survival rifle because everything else is sold out (Buds has them in stock). An AR7 would be the classic example:
For self defense from critters, pretty much anything will do. Lets face it, the scenario of a charging grizzly immune to the sting of .22 cal lead is pretty darn unrealistic. Sure, if you get into a fight with a grizzly and expect a .22 to save you at the last minute it wont work. But the realistic scenario is more like you are crashed and waiting rescue and that bear (probably black) or mountain lion, or wolf/dog pack comes sniffing around. He is hesitant, unsure. Even with the smell of blood in the air, a few plinks from a .22 is going to scare him off every time.
For self defense from people, by far the most likely reason to need a gun, the situation is also much harder to predict. Crazy person running around the airport? Maybe you need something to conceal for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want to take a little longer shot. Maybe you will end up needing something with quicker stopping power. You want it small an light yet durable and reliable. You can choose your own compromises there, my thinking goes something like this:
A full sized Glock or XD etc is pretty darn hard to conceal so those are pretty much out in my opinion. A 1911 is a little more doable.
The .380 is adequate up close and is extremely light and concealable with light weight ammo, but it looses accuracy very quickly with distance. This might make a nice combo with a survival rifle or 30-30 to keep in the plane.
For a single weapon, compact and sub-compact sized guns like mini 1911's, the glock 26/27 and similar offerings and are a reasonable compromise. Accurate and potent out at least twice as far as the .380 yet still very concealable. I have started to admire the .357 sig round of late. Inside of 20 yds it's FMJ round has the same stopping power as a hollow nose .40 or .45 (because of the speed of the round) yet improved barrier penetration and a flatter trajectory for longer shots. Whatever though, its all lead downrange.
The 30-30 has been around so long for a reason. It is light, maneuverable, low profile, and rugged. It just seems at home in a mountain environment. Obviously perfect for bringing along on a horse or mounting for easy access in a plane. It does an excellent job at everything we need except concealed carry.
Finally, the AR-15 is king for a reason. Primarily because of the light-weight yet effective ammo. Hunt small stuff at a much longer range than a .22, good protection from big things up close. Can put lots of lead downrange quickly in the unlikely (but not entirely unrealistic) event that is what you need for the particular situation. Compact, especially with a collapsible stock. But feature creep tends to make them a little more bulky. not nearly as sleek as the 30-30. Dale has a good point about the social unacceptability in some people's eyes. I cant see carrying one on a regular basis, but it would be the go-to if I ever had some sort of a real reason.
Airplanes, guns, beer... what could go wrong?
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