This is a specific area of weapon, a type as exemplified by that list that, while compact in size, can deliver protective, suppressive fire-power from 100 to 200 meters and maybe more, depending on model and caliber. They are designed to be carried in a vehicle or RV with you while on vacation, encased in such a way as to not draw undue attention. The talk about undue attention is to avoid alarming folks, even those in gun-friendly areas. As a cop, I take seriously this level of care, since my home jurisdiction is many miles away and I won’t be running across any officers that I personally know. Especially as a civilian, make sure you’re aware of any and all state and local laws regarding the transportation of weapons through the places you travel. Some states don’t recognize the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, nor the lawsuits rendered against various jurisdictions for arresting and charging law-abiding citizens who drove through their boundaries legally armed. Because of the restrictions in New York and New Jersey, even as a cop I won’t go there, first in protest, and second because I don’t trust that all cops in those states will recognize my badge under the National Peace Officer Safety Act. Beyond that, there is just no reason to alarm the innocent, and you don’t want people calling in on you as a potential active shooter.
The reason for the travel long gun is simply that we don’t have any idea when the balloon will go up. I looked up the origin of that term, and it’s a phrase that relates to the use of observation balloons in the first World War. The sight of such a balloon rising was nearly always followed by a barrage of shells soon after. The expression was reinforced during WWII, when the hoisting of barrage balloons was part of the preparations for an air raid. Further research indicated the term may even have gone back as far as the American Civil War, when observation balloons were first used. What the term and its origins all come down to, though, is that we can’t be assured we’ll remain secure in our safe houses and bunkers when a calamitous event occurs, and I sure as heck am not going to hang around in mine every day waiting for some future event, even if I was retired and could. Add in the additional variables such as whether the disaster will be more or less localized in nature (fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, unknown localized disorder), or one that is national (economic collapse), and you’ll realize daily preparedness is crucial.
My carrying a long gun with me everywhere actually began while I was on the S.W.A.T. team at the Sheriff’s office as both an entry officer and sniper. Since the likelihood existed and occurred on several occasions that I would have to respond from my full-time job if called out and would not have time to gear up, I just kept my gear with me. When I took my current position at the Village of Baltimore, Ohio, as a Sergeant, I kept carrying the long guns for the same reason. As a member of a small, village PD, I am available for call-out 24/7. I wanted then and want to now have an adequate tool for dealing with an active shooter or barricade-type event.
In addition to the original reasons for having it with me, having a long gun with me allows me a better chance of fighting my way out of a chaotic urban situation and making it back home, each day, every day. Too, I drive an hour each way to work every day, and I like vacationing in the contiguous states of Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia, and often further away in Tennessee and North Carolina. On that note, I think there is more of a need for a long gun when going on an extended trip, such as on a vacation, when you are hours instead of minutes away from home. (Keep in mind, though, that this practice is valid only if we’re talking about driving someplace, rather than flying.)
Getting back home from work in the event of sudden disaster requires more forethought and preparedness than just packing an off-duty or concealed carry handgun. The locale and habits of the population you travel through to get home will dictate just how much gear you will need in your vehicle with you daily. As you consider the choice of a long gun to pack with you for daily carry or extended travel, try not to select one that’s expensive or irreplaceable. It shouldn’t break your bank or heart if stolen. As with most of the other firearms I’ve recommended, keep these rifles or shotguns clear of add-ons so that they can be brought into action without turning anything on, adjusting anything, and diverting your focus to something other than your threat. Also, keep them light and easy to carry in case you end up on foot, and make sure they have a sling so you can actually carry them with some comfort. One of the reasons I like the A1 and A2 AR/M16s is that they have a carry handle, providing a second option for hauling over a long distance. M4 or A3 rifles without a handle are a pain to slog around over the miles.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tactics
Now that you’ve obtained at least a part of your gear, we need to talk a bit more about tactics and how to deal with what may be coming.
Our weapon deployment, outside the use of a concealed handgun for defense against singular criminal attack, is going to occur when the 9-1-1 system and any sort of reasonable organized law enforcement response has been compromised. In the rural tornado belt of the Midwestern portion of the United States, tornados that bring destruction to human beings, their homes, businesses, and livelihoods are an almost routine matter. Particularly in light of the doubling of the U.S. population since the 1960s, there is more chance that a tornado is going to damage and affect some portion of the populace in that central U.S. region. In those regions, at least to date, there has been little evidence of unlawful activities, such as looting, in the aftermath of such a disaster; people have been too busy taking care of themselves and each other. Have you noticed that in those states, in areas where towns have been totally flattened, no one is out crying for help from FEMA? People there tend to pull together.
In these areas, during these events, the likelihood of even having to display a long gun is remote. But if such a need arose, if your guns have been plucked out of a closet and flung to another end of your county, you’re in trouble. So I’d recommend that you buy the biggest, baddest fireproof safe you can afford. Based on testing, even if your safe is picked up and taken to Oz, it’s unlikely its door will have been blown off. If I lived in that region, I’d make sure my safe was bolted to the basement floor as an additional precaution. (This also points out why you should have a long gun with you in your car when disaster strikes. In fact, if your safe isn’t in the basement, it might prove to be a good idea to take one or two guns, kept at the ready, to the basement or cellar with you when taking cover from a storm.