UPDATED THURSDAY - JULY 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Jessie Jackson wants Obama's Nuts!
Jesse Jackson commented over an open microphone:
“I want to cut his nuts off.”Jesse Jackson should get in line. Many people want his balls. I personally know of 30 men and women who would love to shorten the Junior Senator from Illinois.
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Guns still elusive for D.C. residents
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State Legislators Want Your Ammunition
-- Fellow hunters and shooters take notice. Our firearm rights are under attack. However, the issue at hand has nothing to do with eliminating access to hunting land or imposing minimum age limits for hunters.
This time the threat comes in the form of bullet serialization. The manufacturing process of bullet serialization is where each bullet and its casing is laser engraved with a matching serial number.
As early as 2009, if legislation is passed in a number of states currently discussing these bills, our reality could include the surrendering of our currently legal, non-serialized ammunition; a colossal jump in ammunition costs for individuals, law enforcement and the military; an end to reloading ammunition altogether; a tax on each round of ammunition. This will also potentially cost ammunition companies boatloads of money to convert their manufacturing processes.
Additionally, our personal information and the ammunition serial numbers will be added to a database. We will be forever tied to every box of ammunition we purchase.
The bullet serialization idea was cooked up by Russ Ford of Ammunition Coding Systems. Ford claims an optical character recognition system used by the United States Postal System, among other companies, could be incorporated by ammunition manufacturers. However, some of the country's largest ammunition manufacturers state this process would make it impossible to turn a profit.
According to the National Shooting Sports website, 18 states have considered or are considering bullet serialization bills. You can track the bills here. Because politicians across the country have failed time and again to directly take away our firearms they are going after the next best thing - ammunition.
While there are many noticeable flaws with Ford's bullet serialization proposal, the bottom line is that his claims have not been tested by a single ammunition manufacturer. As of today, Ford's proposal is nothing more than a theory.
Now is the time for sportsmen and sportswomen to be proactive even if your state is not considering this piece of legislation. Go to http://www.congress.org to find your state legislators and tell them that you strongly oppose bullet serialization legislation.
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Ammunition Coding System - A Revolutionary Way to Identify Bullets
Ravensforge has developed a patent pending technology: the Ammunition Coding System ("ACS"). ACS will assign a unique code to every bullet sold. By maintaining a record of purchases of ammunition, law enforcement personnel will be able to easily trace the ownership of any ammunition involved in a crime.
The ballistic fingerprinting system which is currently under consideration is an alternative plan to ACS. However, ballistic fingerprinting has many weaknesses. Most importantly, it won't deal with the millions of guns currently owned. It is estimated that at any given point in time there is only a four to five year supply of ammunition in the marketplace. Because of these ongoing sales, ACS will provide current and updated information on all ammunition users. This information won't be available if gun ownership is used as the primary source of identification.
In 1992, approximately 5.4 billion bullets were sold in the US alone. It is safe to assume that this number is trending upward. We estimate that 8-10 billion bullets were sold in the US in 2002. ACS has the capacity to accommodate this rate of sales for decades to come without duplicating the codes.
The design of our engraving system will allow law enforcement personnel to identify the code on a bullet, if even as little as 20% of the base remains intact. Since bullets are designed for the base to remain solid and in its original shape, the probability of our codes being legible after use is very high. Tests have shown a 99% success rate in determining the code after firing the coded ammunition.
We are soliciting ideas on how to implement ACS, as well as recommendations for improvements to its use or design. We will be happy to meet with you to further discuss and explain this unique and potentially valuable system to aid law enforcement professionals.
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(Getty Images)
The European Central Bank actually did something. After a year of inactivity, the ecb raised interest rates for the eurozone to 4.25 percent, effective July 9. Across the Atlantic, the U.S. Federal Reserve has spent the last year slashing rates. Did America make the right choice? The ecb obviously doesn’t think so. If the United States is wrong, not only will the dollar take another hit, but the whole U.S. economic system—whose reputation is already suffering—will stand to lose serious credibility.
Central bankers face a tough choice: Economies are slowing, but inflation is rising. If they raise interest rates, inflation, theoretically, falls. If they lower them, inflation increases. Economic growth works the other way. A low interest rate makes borrowing easier, artificially juicing the economy. A higher rate slows it down.
The dilemma comes when the economy is weakening but inflation is rising—the exact condition facing America today. To stimulate economic growth, the theory goes, interest rates should be cut. But to control inflation, interest rates need to rise.
So what is more important? The Fed has focused on economic activity, and cut rates. The ecb has focused on controlling inflation and raised them.
We may be about to find out which method works better. Some argue that America needed to slash rates to keep money flowing through the economic system as banks became less willing to lend after the subprime fiasco and house price drop. Others say that if the U.S. had kept interest rates high, this would have supported the dollar, keeping oil and other commodity prices lower.
At the moment, however, the fact that the U.S. sacrificed long-term economic prospects, the dollar and low inflation for short-term economic stimulus is hurting Fed credibility.
The point is not so much whether the Fed made the right choice or not, but the fact that most of the world seems to think it made the wrong one. When large investment bank representatives like Tim Bond, the chief equity strategist at Barclays Capital, say the Fed has zero or even “negative credibility,” it’s a sign that people have little trust in the U.S. central bank.
While the ecb has remained cool and collected, the Fed looks panicky, cutting rates willy-nilly. The economy has continued its downward trajectory, and now the Fed is talking about raising interest rates again to combat inflation. In contrast, European interest rates have remained fairly stable, instead of shooting down, despite the crisis. And economic growth has continued, even above expectations. Where are you going to put your money? Europe seems the less risky, more reliable choice.
There is worse news for the Fed. In what Spiegel Online calls an “unheard of” event, the International Monetary Fund (imf) has decided to conduct a general examination of the entire U.S. financial system—an x-ray of the whole economy.
Major banks and financial institutions will have to hand over confidential documents to the imf. Their employees will be interviewed. Their systems will undergo stress tests to simulate worst-case scenarios, such as a drop in the dollar or the failure of a large bank.
U.S. President George W. Bush has blocked the painful assessment for the past seven years. He only allowed it to go forward on the condition that the results are not published until after he is out of office. He is obviously not expecting a good report.
The U.S. economy is being transformed from a world power to a world pariah. Subprime mortgages from the U.S. infected the whole world. Now, the perception is that the U.S. is handling the crisis poorly. And when the imf reports in 2010, the U.S.’s economic reputation will sink even lower. For the first time in years, the world believes Europe is handling its finances better than America is. As a result, watch for world economic leadership to move to Brussels. •
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Iran’s TV interrupts broadcast to announce second batch of ballistic missile tests
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
July 10, 2008, 12:16 PM (GMT+02:00)
Shehab-3 is the middle missile
Iran test-fired more long-range ballistic missiles in the Gulf Thursday, July 10, the day after its launch of 10 missiles including the Shehab-3, which is capable of delivering a one-ton payload over Tel Aviv. The second round was announced by Tehran state TV on Day Three of the Great Prophet war games.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the 20 missiles of assorted ranges tested so far (including the Fajar and Zelzal series) were put on show to convince the United States and Israel that Iran has enough missiles and launchers to keep on firing on consecutive days.
This was more posture than reality. In fact, only one 2,000-km range Shehab-3 was actually test-fired. However, accentuating the Gulf as the location of the second day’s tests, instead of an inland desert location like the first, raises the threat level. It was Tehran’s answer to the bland comments delivered Wednesday by US undersecretary Nicholas Burns that Washington is not nearing a military confrontation with Iran and that Tehran’s response to the latest six-power incentives package makes it possible to keep diplomacy going.
Iran clearly prefers to continue talking from a position of strength and flexed military muscles.
White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Wednesday. "The Iranians should stop the development of ballistic missiles, which could be used as a delivery vehicle for a potential nuclear weapon, immediately."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged the US will defend its interests and its allies. The US has enhanced its security presence in the Gulf and “we take our obligations to defend our allies very seriously and no one should be mistaken about that.”
Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama said the missile tests showed the US needs to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy backed by “tougher sanctions.” His rival Senator John McCain said the missile firings mean “Iran continues to threaten the security of their neighbors.” But he was sure that European allies are ready to impose financial and trade sanctions that “can be effective in modifying Iranian behavior.”
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YOUR POLITICIANS RUNNING FOR OFFICE ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
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NOSE CLIPS TO BE ABLE TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER 2008
(CNN) – During Thursday's GOP debate, John McCain was asked to respond to comments made by his notoriously outspoken mother Roberta during a C-SPAN interview taped yesterday.
Here are the remarks host Tim Russert was referring to, according to a transcript provided by the network:
C-SPAN’s Steve Scully: This is a political question in terms of how he gets the nomination, but just from what you have seen, how much support do you think he has among the base of the Republican Party?
Roberta McCain: I don't think he has any. I don't know what the base of the Repub–maybe I don't know enough about it, but I've not seen any help whatsoever.
Scully: So can he then go on and become the nominee of this party?
McCain: Yes, I think holding their nose they're going to have to take him.
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Limbaugh Says HillaryWill Get Democratic NominationBy Bruce Marshall
7-9-8- On July 8th at the end of the 2nd hour of his program, Rush said that according to his sources Hillary Clinton would become the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party at the Denver convention in August. Of course, Rush knows this is possible because an official nominee will not be decided until the delegates cast their votes at the Convention in Denver.
- Rush knows that Hillary has not conceded, that she has not released her delegates, and there is along way to go until the Convention.
- Rush knows of the Obama scandal sheet and has discussed Obama's recent betrayal regards FISA, Iraq troop withdrawal, and a hardened attitude towards the plight of American's suffering under high gas prices.
- Now there is the growing PUMA movement that is calling for an open convention not a coronation, stating that it only takes 175 delegates to make Hillary the nominee.
- It will be an interesting summer as Democrats realize the truth about Wall Street puppet Obama and fight against his hijacking of the party by an elite clique.
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From www.survivalblog.com
"Today Americans would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order; tomorrow they will be grateful. This is especially true if they were told there was an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will plead with world leaders to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well being granted to them by their world government." - Henry Kissinger, speaking at a Bilderberg Group meeting in Evian, France, May 21, 1992.
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The .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle
By Chuck Hawks
All .22 rimfires (except the WRF and WMR) are ancient black powder designs and use tapered heel bullets. If you examine a .22 S, L, or LR cartridge, you will see that the case and bullet are the same diameter. The part of the bullet inside of the case (the heel) is reduced in diameter to allow it to fit inside of the case. In all other modern cartridges the bullet shank is of constant diameter and the case is slightly larger than the bullet to allow the heel of the latter to fit inside. The modern design gives the bullet a longer bearing surface and forms a better gas seal on its trip down the barrel.
The rimfire principle was used to create the first successful self-contained metallic ammunition. Rimfire cases are constructed with the priming compound spun inside the rim of the case, which is crushed by the blow of the firing pin to ignite the main powder charge. This means that the rim of the case must be far weaker than the solid rim of later centerfire cartridges and is the primary factor limiting the pressure to which any rimfire cartridge can be loaded without erratic ignition or blown cases. As a practical matter, rimfire cases are not reloadable.
The standard .22 rimfire cartridges are the .22 BB, .22 CB, .22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle (LR). Although the cases differ in length, all can be fired in a LR chamber. Rifles and pistols for all of these cartridges have an actual bore diameter of about .218 inch. The groove diameter (and the bullet diameter) is about .222 inch. The BB (round ball) and CB (30 grain conical ball) are shooting gallery ammunition, rarely encountered otherwise.
The recoil of all of these .22 rimfire cartridges is essentially negligible. This makes a .22 LR rifle or pistol the natural first gun for a beginning shooter. But, because of its broad application and the many fine firearms available in .22 LR, .22's are also widely used by the most experienced shooters.
.22 Short
The common .22 rimfire Short cartridge dates from the period of the American Civil War. It was first used in a S&W pocket pistol introduced in 1857 and it is the oldest cartridge still being loaded today. The .22 Short is used mainly as an inexpensive, quiet round for practice by the recreational shooter. It is also used in pocket pistols and mini-revolvers, as well as in international and Olympic rapid-fire pistol competition. The Short is available in target, standard velocity and high velocity versions. There is also a .22 short blank for use in starting pistols.
Bullets are lead (usually coated with grease or wax or copper plated), in round nose or hollow point styles. The standard velocity .22 short launches a 29 grain bullet at 1,045 fps with 70 ft. lbs. of energy from a 22" rifle barrel. As a hunting round, the high velocity hollow point Short is useful only for tiny pests like mice, rats and small birds. Stick with the Long Rifle cartridge for small game hunting.
.22 Long
The .22 Long was developed around 1871 to increase the power of the .22 Short by increasing the powder capacity. It is becoming obsolete; it is no longer manufactured by Federal, Remington, or Winchester. It uses the same case as the Long Rifle and the same 29 grain bullet as the .22 Short. This has proved to be a bad combination, inherently less accurate than either the Short or Long Rifle. I am convinced that the .22 Long has survived for as long as it has because young or uninformed shooters think that it must be a hot number, given its light .22 short bullet in front of what they presume to be a .22 LR powder charge. I know that my father believed this when he was a boy. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The .22 Long comes in standard velocity and high velocity versions. The latter launches a 29 grain copper plated lead bullet at a velocity of 1,240 fps with 99 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle of a 22" barrel. This is 145 fps faster than the Short launches the same bullet, but 15 fps slower than the Long Rifle high velocity load fires its heavier 40 grain bullet.
There are better .22's than the Long for any purpose. Certainly, the more accurate and more powerful Long Rifle should always be chosen over the Long for small game hunting.
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle is an old cartridge developed by Peters Cartridge in 1887. It first appeared in Marlin and Stevens single shot rifles; the Marlin Model 1891 lever action, the predecessor of today's Model 39A, rifle was the first repeater chambered for the cartridge. It was quickly adopted by other rifle makers and also adapted to handguns. It is by far the most popular and useful of all the .22 rimfire cartridges.
The .22 LR is the world's best selling rifle and pistol cartridge. It is available in target, standard velocity, high velocity and hyper velocity loads, with either 40 grain solid lead or 32-40 grain lead hollow-point bullets. Practically every type of rifle and handgun is offered in .22 LR and there have even been smooth bore .22 LR shotguns chambered for the rather obscure .22 LR shot cartridge.
The .22 LR shot cartridge is loaded with a tiny amount of #12 shot. This shot cartridge has negligible killing power and is nearly useless, particularly when fired in a rifle barrel. I have read that it is used to collect mice, shrews, hummingbirds and other tiny species for museum specimens at very close range (probably no more than 10 feet based on my testing of these anemic cartridges).
The target version of the Long Rifle cartridge is extremely accurate and is the basis for small bore competition from the local club level to the Olympic Games. Target bullets are usually coated with grease or wax and should be handled carefully to avoid contamination. Specialized rifle and pistol target loads are available. These 40 grain lead RN bullets are loaded to a velocity just below the speed of sound, to minimize velocity loss and thus wind drift.
The standard velocity .22 Long Rifle takes a wax coated 40 grain RN lead bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1,138 fps. The muzzle energy is 116 ft. lbs. in a standard 22" rifle test barrel. The 40 grain .22 LR bullet has a sectional density (SD) of .216. This is a widely used and economical practice load, excellent for plinking.
High velocity LR cartridges are loaded with copper plated bullets to reduce lead fouling. These come in 40 grain round nose or 36-40 grain hollow point (HP) styles. For small game hunting the expanding hollow point bullet is a more reliable stopper than the solid lead bullet, particularly when body shots are necessary.
The High Velocity cartridge with a 40 grain bullet has an advertised muzzle velocity (MV) of 1255 fps and muzzle energy (ME) of 140 ft. lbs. At 100 yards the numbers are 1017 fps and 92 ft. lbs. The mid-range trajectory of that load is 3.6" over 100 yards. These are Winchester Super-X figures developed in a 6" pistol barrel.
The LR High Velocity HP cartridge is the queen of small game hunting loads. The MV of Winchester's Super-X load with a 37 grain hollow point bullet is 1,280 fps from a 22" test barrel with ME of 135 ft. lbs. The figures at 100 yards are 1015 fps and 85 ft. lbs. The mid-range trajectory of this load is 3.5" over 100 yards.
Zero a scoped .22 rifle using this load to hit 1.4" high at 50 yards and the bullet will not deviate more than 1.5" above or below the line of sight from the muzzle out to about 90 yards. This usefully flat trajectory allows humane head shots on squirrels and rabbits at the ranges at which they are usually hunted. CCI Mini-Mag, Federal Classic, Remington Golden Bullet and Winchester Super-X are all excellent brands of .22 LR hollow point hunting ammunition.
The latest development in Long Rifle hunting ammunition is the hyper-velocity load. Typical of these are the CCI Stinger and Remington Yellow Jacket. Hyper-velocity .22's achieve higher speeds than previous high velocity ammunition at permissible pressure by using light, copper plated, hollow point bullets of about 30-33 grains in front of an increased charge of slightly slower burning powder. This allows a muzzle velocity of about 1,500 fps and a muzzle energy of about 165 ft. lbs. The light bullet sheds velocity and energy quickly, however. At 100 yards the energy has fallen to 85 ft. lbs., about the same as a high velocity HP bullet.
These hyper-velocity .22 LR cartridges are the best choice for a .22 pistol used for personal defence. From the muzzle of a handgun their velocity is about 1260 fps and their energy is about 115 ft. lbs. The Stinger and Yellow Jacket have achieved a one shot stop rate of about 33-34% according to Marshall and Sanow.
Whenever best accuracy is important, test any .22 LR firearm with a variety of ammunition to determine that particular gun's preferences. The accuracy of different loads can vary widely in the same gun. .22 Long Rifle high velocity and hyper velocity hollow point ammunition allows humane hunting of game up to about 7 pounds in weight at .22 ranges with solid hits in the heart/lung area.
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Ruger MK. I, Ruger MK. II, MK. III, Ruger 22/45
Stainless Ruger MK. II with a 10" barrel
Ruger MK. II with scope mount and slab sided bull barrel
Ruger MK. II Fitted with a red dot scope
Ruger's new 22/45 MK. III
When it comes to plinking with a .22 pistol, the handgun most likely to be used will be some variation of a Ruger, whether it's an older Mk I, a MK II, the newly released MK III, or a 22/45. The Ruger .22's are kind of like the small block Chevrolet to the hot-rodders. They're inexpensive, readily available, and there's tons of after-market goodies. Ruger makes a number of variations available, (have a look at ruger's web site here), and you can then customize it from there. Of course, there's also lots of good used Rugers to be had, too.
The basic design was developed at a time when Hi Standard and the Colt Woodsman were dominant in the marketplace. Ruger, through innovative design, was able to come up with a .22 pistol that could be inexpensively produced, and thus eventually dominate the market. Instead of a more conventional slide, Ruger opted for a bolt that moved inside of a cylindrical receiver. Although novel, it has proved itself over the years.
All of the Ruger MK series use the more slanted grip angle, similar to the early Hi Standards and Woodsman. The 22/45 was a slightly more revolutionary design, employing the more upright "military" grip angle giving it a feel more like a 1911. The 22/45 also used composites in the grip/lower frame assembly. The grip panels cannot be changed on a 22/45, as they can on the MK series. The rubber finger groove grip sleeve seems to be a popular addition to the 22/45. I think it is an improvement, giving a better feel.
Many, but not all, feel that the trigger feel and pull need some work, and Volquartsen, and others, make kits to do just that, and to do it well. As for the sights, there again, there are lots of choices. The high visibility red glow from sights are a nice attition, in my opinion.
There are basically two ways to mount a scope onto a Ruger that is not already so equipped. One way involves drilling and tapping, then bolting the scope rail to the receiver. There are also a couple of "clamp-on" scope mounts that require no drilling and tapping. If you opt for one of these, be sure not to over-tighten the clamping screws, as it can distort the receiver, causing cycling problems.
My recommendations would be that if I was looking just for a plinker, they fill the bill well. This series, however, is slanted a bit towards rim fire race guns as you might use in local club competition. Out of the box, I think the Rugers need a little work to be all that they can be. Once they have been "breathed on" a bit, they can be VERY competitive on the club level. I personally like the feel of the 22/45 over the MK II, but that's just a personal preference.
The Rugers are the most popular .22 out there, there must be a reason…..
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Aguila .22LR Colibri Ammo - NO GUNPOWDER | ||
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| Product Number: | AU1B222337 |
| Product Title: | .22 COLIBRI 20GR SP 50/BX |
| Item Price: | $3.69   $2.77 |
| Availability: | In Stock |
| Shipping Weight: | 0.29 lb. |
| Aguila .22 Colibri 20gr SP, 50/box, 375fps velocity, 6 ft/lb |
| This is a cartridge that contains no gunpowder. the little 20g. bullet is solely propelled by the powerful Eley priming mix. For this reason, it does not generate any significant pressure. Due to the lack of noise when fired, the .22 Colibri may be shot indoors, even in the living room, provided a proper back stop is available. The .22 Colibri may be used to eliminate pests such as rats. It may be fired in any .22 LR rifle or pistol, however, it will not cycle the slide of semi-automatic guns. Has a Solid Point Made of Lead Weight 20 grains |
Wilderness Survival Rifles
By Chuck Hawks
This somewhat arcane subject is sometimes confused with "Rifles for Protection in the Field." But that article, intended as a guide to rifles carried for protection against large, dangerous predators has already been written and can be found at this URL: http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_protection_field.htm
This article is about lightweight, takedown rifles that you might use to survive in the wilderness if things go really wrong. After the crash of a bush plane far from civilization, for example, or on a wilderness canoe, kayak, or raft trip after your boat is damaged beyond repair and you must either walk a great distance to safety or survive for an extended period of time before help can be expected to arrive. These are the firearms that you might use for subsistence hunting to help fend off starvation during such an ordeal.
This article is not intended for the hunter far from civilization. He or she would be better off carrying a few extra boxes of ammunition for their primary hunting rifle for use in case of emergency, rather than another entire rifle.
This article is primarily for the explorer, fisherman, photographer, or anyone else who is not in the wilderness primarily to hunt. All of the recommended rifles will be .22 caliber rimfires, as the ammunition is so much lighter than any centerfire cartridge that a far greater number of cartridges can be carried in the same amount of space.
I suppose at this point it is reasonable to ask, "Why a rifle instead of a rimfire handgun, which would be smaller and lighter to carry?" My answer is that if you are an experienced handgun hunter embarking on a non-hunting wilderness expedition, by all means pack a .22 trail gun, or "kit gun" as they used to be called. That is what I carry when I am out camping, fishing or photographing. But most people, including most big game hunters, are simply not sufficiently skilled with a handgun to be able to use a .22 pistol efficiently as a survival tool. If faced with potential starvation, a rifle will better serve them.
The .22 LR should be the cartridge selected for a survival rifle. The object here is to kill small animals and birds for food, not blow them apart with a powerful cartridge. The .22 LR High Velocity (not Hyper Velocity) cartridge loaded with 36-37 grain hollow point bullets is just about perfect for the purpose of harvesting such game. And .22 LR ammunition is so compact that a 50 round box takes up little more space than a single 12 gauge shotgun shell or three .410 shot shells or center fire rifle cartridges.
Clearly, for survival purposes, a takedown rifle with a barrel no longer than 21" will be advantageous. It is simply easier to pack. And space is likely to be at a premium on any wilderness expedition. The survival rifle may be scoped, but iron sights should be provided. There are at least four widely distributed (in the U.S.) .22 rifles that meet these requirements.
There is a pair of well known, classic takedown hunting rifles that meet our size requirement. These are the Grade I Browning Semi-Auto .22 (SA-22), and the takedown version of the single shot Stevens Favorite Model 30 falling block rifle.
And then there are a couple of purpose designed survival rifles, both autoloaders, that are widely available. These are the Marlin Model 70PSS Papoose and Henry U.S. Survival Rifle.
If you are purchasing a rifle solely for emergency survival use, one of the latter is the obvious way to go. If you also want to use your survival rifle as a plinker and small game rifle for recreational shooting, one of the more traditional models would probably be a better choice.
The Browning Semi-Auto .22 is the highest quality and best general purpose rifle in the group. It is has been used for decades by knowledgeable small game hunters and plinkers who have no particular interest in a survival rifle. This attractive and compact .22 autoloader comes with a polished blue metal finish and a high gloss walnut stock and forend. Its tubular magazine holds 11 rounds. This rifle comes with a 19.25" barrel, weights 5 pounds 3 ounces, and is 37" long when assembled or 19.25" long when taken down. The 2005 MSRP is $535. If you are seeking a fine .22 hunting rifle that can also double as a survival rifle, and you can afford the best, the Browning SA-22 is the way to go.
The Stevens Model 30 Favorite is a slim, under lever falling block design that weighs only 4.25 pounds. It is an external hammer single shot with a blued barreled action and a walnut finished hardwood stock and forend. Loosening a single thumbscrew allows the 21" barrel to be removed from the action. The rifle is 36.75" long when assembled. The 2005 MSRP is $249. There is a review of the Stevens Favorite rifle in .17 HMR on the Product Review Page. For the more traditional hunter/survivalist on a budget, the Favorite deserves a serious look.
Among the purpose built .22 survival rifles, the Henry is unique. It is the U.S.A.F's quintessential survival rifle, weighing 2.5 pounds and measuring only 16.5" long when disassembled. This is the basic AR-7 design now manufactured by Henry. Its barrel, action, and two magazines store in its waterproof ABS plastic butt stock (there is no forend), and it floats. The steel barrel and action are Teflon coated for rust resistance. The look and feel of its bulbous butt stock has never appealed to me, but the rifle is actually pretty accurate. This autoloader comes with a 16" barrel and an 8 round detachable box magazine. The 2005 MSRP is $199.95 in black or silver; camo finish is an additional $50. A soft plastic carrying case is included.
The Marlin Papoose is based on their ubiquitous Model 60 autoloading action, modified for a removable 16.25" stainless steel barrel. Assembled, the Papoose is 35.25" long and weighs only 3.25 pounds. The detachable box magazine holds 7 rounds and the butt stock is injection molded black plastic (there is no forend). The Model 70PSS comes with a padded, floatable, Cordura carrying case. The 2005 MSRP is $318. Once in use, this relatively conventional rifle is probably the more comfortable of the two dedicated survival rifles with which to hunt.
There may be other, lesser known, survival rifles out there that I have failed to include. Until recently, Springfield Arms offered their bizarre M6 swing-action, over/under .22/.410 combination gun. But that ugly duckling is no longer listed on their web site, although extra magazines and accessories are.
The four rifles described above are sold by major American arms companies with national distribution and can be purchased from practically any sporting goods store or gun shop. That alone should make them the top contenders for the survival role, where a rifle absolutely, positively, has to work the first time and every time.
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Beretta Bobcat
 The same dedication to advanced design, uncompromising quality and strict quality control that make the 92F, Cougar and Cheetah such international standouts is found in all our small caliber, personal-size semi-automatics. | | ||||||||||||||
User-friendly design is common to all Beretta small frames.  The exclusive tip-up barrel allows the user to easily load a round directly into the chamber. It also assists in the safe clearing of the pistol by allowing a live round to be easily removed from the chamber and the bore quickly checked. Jamming and stovepiping problems are virtually eliminated by the open slide design shared by all small frame Berettas. To protect against the thumb web being pinched by the slide, the top of the grip area is curved to snugly accommodate the shooter’s hand. This feature also improves pistol control. Keeping an eye on quality helps keep Beretta small caliber semi-automatic out front. Beretta pistols in the 3000, 21 and 950 Series utilize the toughest of forging for their barrels, while slides are fashioned from solid steel bar stock. Frames are machined from solid aluminum forgings. 3000 Series Tomcat Pistol. Stopping power concealability- that’s what the new double-action Tomcat is all about. Using 60-grain .32 ACP hollow-point ammunition, this latest addition to Beretta’s small frame collection provides firepower equaling the punch of a .380. Yet, all this serious capability is packed into a compact, lightweight, 4.9 inch, 15 ounce package. With its 7 + 1 firepower, the Tomcat provides an effective level of personal protection, while Beretta’s exclusive tip-up barrel design offers the advantage of direct chamber loading and unloading. A drift-adjustable rear sight provides for superior accuracy. The Model The Model 950 Jetfire Pistol is an economical, single-action, semi-automatic with straight blow-back design. |
21 Bobcat Double-Action Pistol
direct chamber loading and unloading without working the slide. Target alignment with the Jetfire is enhanced by a notched rear sight with a blade front sight.
for .25ACP ammunition, the Jetfire is available in nickel and in EL models, featuring fine gold inlay on the slide and other gold accents | Small frame Pistols Specifications | |||||||||
| model | caliber | Magazine Capacity | Action | Overall Length (mm/in) | Barrel Length (mm/in) | Overall Width (mm/in | Overall Height (mm/in | Sight Radius | Weight Unloaded (gr/oz) |
| 3032 Tomcat | .32ACP |  7 | Single/double | 125/4.9 | 61/2.4 | 28/1.1 | 95/3.7 | 84/3.3 | 410/14.5 |
| 950 Jetfire | .25ACP | 8 | Single | 120/4.7 | 60/2.4 | 23/0.9 | 87/3.4 | 85/3.3 | 280/9.9 |
| 21 Bobcat | .22LR | 7 | Single/double | 125/4.9 | 61/2.4 | 28/1.1 | 94/3.7 | 88/3.5 | 335/11.8 |
| 21 Bobcat | .25ACP | 8 | Single/double | 125/4.9 | 61/2.4 | 28/1.1 | 94/3.7 | 88/3.5 | 325/11.5 |
