Gift link, with URL shortener so that Lemmy doesn’t remove the gift token
Additional reporting from Bring Me The News. They have removed the following text from their coverage:
Federal agents briefly detained our reporter at the scene, who says he was tackled to the ground and had a gun put in his face.
Shotguns are not a good buy. A standard 12 gauge has significantly more recoil than typical rifles, a lower rate of fire, significantly less range, smaller magazine capacity, and lower reliability due to the construction of the ammunition. It is also completely ineffective against hard armor plates that are now ubiquitous.
Suppressors are cool, but they’re not all that useful. Most people would not have them, so hearing protection would still be required. Simple foam ear plugs are the most effective, and very cheap. Electronic muffs with a pass-thru microphone and speaker system can be had for as little as $50, allowing you to hear everything around you other than the gunshots.
The purchase order for someone trying to make themselves a player in a democracy, is a semi-auto rifle, preferably an AR-15, a dozen magazines, ammunition, electronic muffs. Following that, a sling, an optic, a way to carry magazines on your body, ceramic armor plates. You can consider a pistol, a baton, around the time you’re getting a first aid kit, a radio, a helmet.
Price, availability, and ease-of-use make a 12 gauge pump action the best choice in areas where AR-15s and other scary looking black rifles are restricted.
Make sure to have ammunition appropriate to your environment. 00 buck is perfect for rural homes, #4 buck is better suited to neighborhoods where collateral damage is a concern.
Make sure to have some bird loads for drones, but use caution when shooting in, around, or toward populated areas.
Be advised, hollow point slugs are not effective against armor, nor is any kind of shotgun load.
And be warned, the instant you fire that thing indoors, you won’t be able to hear anything for a minute. Hearing protection can help, if you have time to put it on.
Even in areas of the US where AR-15s are restricted, it is usually possible to purchase one in a neutered configuration, which can be returned to standard configuration if you’re so inclined.
There are other box-magazine fed intermediate-cartridge semi-automatic rifles that are a better choice than a 12ga shotgun, and don’t run afoul of assault weapons bans, such as the Mini-14 and SKS.
A pump action shotgun is better than nothing, but it is most suitable for hunting ducks and deer.
I urge people to look into LoRa based motion sensors. Not as good as direct wired but better than WiFi due to range. This will give you the moment you need to get ready.
I’m okay with a shotgun. Blowing someone who just illegally entered my home back out the way they can sans lots of innards sets a precedent.