Awhile ago I watched a video that rated ten military rifles. It rated the AK47 as the best. It rated the M14 as tenth, behind bolt action rifles used during the First World War.

I thought that was wrong. I am not an expert on guns, but I think the AK74, the M14, and the M16 are the three best, and that each has advantages over the other two.

What do you think, and why? Have you fired any of these rifles?

 

Yes, and many more besides.
DL, to be honest, you could compile a list of a hundred "rifles", and each one will have it's advantages in certain circumstances.
At least that's what your likely to hear from a number of members.
Is your "target" at 1000, 2000 yds?
Desert, light bush, jungle, etc.?
High wind, high humidity hot, cold etc.?
Under what circumstances, at a range, hunting, combat?
Give some specifics, you'll receive a more precise answer.

 

What would be a good weapon to defend a store. a home, or a community during a black ghetto riot? I am thinking of efforts by Korean immigrants to defend Korea Town in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots.

What would be a good weapon to use during an armed home invasion?

What would be a good weapons to use to defend a farm?

 

if someone has already gotten inside a rifle is of little use
thats what shotguns are for
fire a rifle in a house and the bullet can go through the walls and injure someone else when you miss, then add to that the adrenaline and fear and that tiny assed round wont do much to help you unless you are trained
a handgun works at closer ranges but lacks one key feature of a good pump action shotgun
that fear inducing sound when you rack a shell into the chamber

 

What kind of shotgun would you recommend?

 

I have also read that wasp spray can stop an intruder. Does anyone have opinions on this?

 

DL you have always been anti gun so why ask now?

 

I've had this delusional OP on "ignore" for some time now, so I haven't read the first post, but, judging from the thread title alone, anyone who offers advice on firearms to such a deranged individual who is so far removed from reality would be stupid on the same level as Adam Lanza's mother.

Since I've, unfortunately, now been forced to think of this OP's existence, I might as well share the way I like to think of him when it can't be avoided:

​

 

A black ghetto riot?
Just a point, whites and every other ethnic groups riot as well.
Also, taking your family to a secure area is the preferable solution.
Property can be replaced, lives can't.
Let the police do their job, don't set out to do it for them.
And you seriously need to learn the law under various circumstances.
But:
If all else fails!
Warning shots will most often send people in the opposite direction. Failing that, under your listed circumstances, a rifle isn't necessarily your best bet.
You'll likely find yourself at close quarters, and if you haven't had training, you'll likely be stripped of your weapon before you have a chance to gain any semblance of control, and you've just given them what they need to end you and your family.
A couple of semi automatic hand guns with extra clips, lots of ammo, and a really good knife. Your good to go. Just don't shoot a member of your family who's gotten up to use the washroom in the middle of the night. I'm not kidding. It's happened.
Also, children find them, and shoot people thinking the gun is a toy. Take precautions. Lots of them.
Just a note. Most people using a hand gun can't hit a target at 30 feet. You'd better learn how, and practice. You should prearrange your escape routes, and have a practice run at using them.
Also, at longer range, any quality lighter calibre semi automatic rifle will do the job. Do not get a bolt action, because under riot situations, your dealing with masses of people, you'll need rapid fire, and bolt action has far less advantage for the untrained. Hell, even the trained.
A light calibre, because the higher recoil of higher calibres will play havoc on your shoulder if there's extended firing taking place.
I'm assuming you haven't had training, as well as the fact that it appears there's a very real possibility that combat pieces will be taken from the public, so domestic pieces should be you first choice so you won't have to replace them.
Have you thought about moving?

 

A lot of typing, and everyone has left some posts. LOL
A shotgun was mentioned.
WARNING. in a house, one shot of a shotgun, and your deaf. You won't hear anyone else coming after that.
So think about that one.

 

Well, military rifles as a general rule are very similar in function and relative effectiveness relating to rifles of the same time period. Rifles of the first world war were bolt action in design, generally very powerful and well made which contributed to their having great accuracy at very long ranges. The model G98 Mauser rifle used by the Germans was second to none and in fact served as the benchmark for military rifles of all other nations. Designed in 1896 it was powerful, accurate and very well made. The United States used the Mauser rifle as the pattern for the fantastic model 1903 Springfield rifle in caliber .30-06. We copied the Mauser action so closely that Springfield Armory had to pay royalties to Mauser, even during the war.

The British had another really wonderful rifle, the Lee Enfield rifle. Chambered in the .303 British cartridge it was powerful, accurate and had the advantage of having a ten round magazine as opposed to the five round magazine of the Mauser and Springfield. There were a host of other very good rifles made at the time including the Mosin Nagant, the Carcano (Oswald used one to shoot JFK) all of them were very well made, reliable and accurate. Choosing the best of the lot would be in many instances a matter of opinion more than practical differences.

Moving up to World War Two things get a little more fuzzy. Rifles began being designed for more specific purposes. The Germans shortened the G98 rifle in the mid 1930s to become the Mauser 98 karabiner or carbine. It was still largely the same rifle but shortened for better handling. The germans also begain development of a number of revolutionary rifles that would become the blueprint for military rifles up to the present. The FG42 or Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 was a rifle developed for German paratroopers that incorporated a detachable twenty round magazine and selective fire capabilities, much like the future M14 rifle. The MP43 was developed in secret against the express orders of Hitler himself. It was a selective fire rifle firing from a detachable thirty round magazine and firing an intermediate powered round made by shortening the 7.92mmx57mm Mauser round and using a lighter bullet. Hitler didn't know that it had been issued to front line troops until he reviewed an SS Panzer Grenadier unit on the Eastern front and discovered them carrying these rifles. When he asked about them the troops said it had been a godsend to have them. The name MP43 meant Maschinenpistole 43, but it wasin fact a rifle, not a machine pistol. He was pissed about the deception but was generally forgiving when things worked out well and he renamed the rifle Sturmgewehr 44 or "Storm Rifle 44."

The Americans were the only ones that did anything else of substance with the common infantry rifle. At the outset of the war most troops were still armed with the model 1903 Springfield rifle but the Army had resently adopted the M1 Garand which was a fantastic, powerful semiautomatic rifle chambered in the powerful .30-06 round. Feeding from and eight round enblock clip that was inserted into the open action it offered infantry soldiers a great deal more firepower than the five shot bolt action rifles.

The only other real development of any note was the M1 Carbine. Chambered in the .30 caliber USC or U.S. Carbine round which was essentially a really hot .30 caliber pistol round, it was developed and issued as a replacement for the Colt model 1911 pistol. The army reckoned that the average infantry soldier couldnt shoot a pistol with enough practical accuracy to make it very useful and it would be prferable to issue a small, light weight rifle to rear echelon troops who might need to protect themselves but didnt need a full powered battle rifle. The M1 Carbine was so well recieved because of its light weight, fifteen round magazines and the fact that they were detachable as opposed to being built into the rifle like the Garand that troops demanded more of them. They became general issue for NCOs and other troops fairly early on and also became a favorite of paratroopers. It was adequately powerful in most cases, although it did have some issues with stopping power mostly in the Pacific, it was light and handy and well liked. The French Foreign Legion loved it so much they initially refused to give up the M1 Carbine when the MAS rifle became the standard issue rifle.

Later we come up to rifles like the M14. It was a good rifle. Accurate, powerful, well made but it did have certain drawbacks. The magazines could be tricky in a fast reload situation thanks to the method of inserting and extracting the magazine from the rifle. It was also very heavy, and needlessly powerful since most infantry engagements take place at ranges under two hundred yards and the M14 was still deadly out to over one thousand yards.

That's when the M16 enters the picture. The famous plastic poodle shooter that would jam on the first trigger pull with alarming regularity. It was originally issued without a cleaning kit because you weren't supposed to need to clean it. That was later debunked and cleaning kits were issued. Then there were the teething problems with the ammunition which contributed a great deal to the unreliability of the rifle.

It never really did overcome its reputation for being a plastic pile of crap until the late 1980s when the M16A1 was replaced with the M16A2. A substantially upgraded rifle that improved the reliability of the rifle tremendously. Its still not perfect and in point of fact, if they had to do the trials all over again it would have lost to other rifles from makers like H&K, but it works well enough.

As for the AK47...it is what it is. Its rugged, simple, reliable to a fault, easy to use, relatively powerful, adequately accurate...in short, its perfect for conscript troops that don't get very much training. Rating it the best would have to be based on distribution. More people have died at the hands of an AK wielding opponent than any other rifle. They are absolutely everywhere in the third world and are more common than teeth in most countries that use them. The AK47 really isnt all that great in terms of performance, but it does well enough that it deserves a spot on the list.

If you want quality...not just pure ruggedness but real performance as well, the rifles made by the British and the Germans are hands down better than anything else. Specifically the L1A1 SLR (C1 in Canada) the H&K model 91/G3 or the H&K 43/93. Another really great rifle would be the Israeli Galil or the Finnish Valmet M76 rifles which are essentially an AK47 built by guys who don't subsist on cabbage and vodka and can actually use a micrometer. They are an AK47 made like a Swiss watch and they are really good rifles. The FN-FNC rifle is another rifle that would easily beat out either the M16 or the AK in terms of every metric that could be applied to a military rifle. There are a lot of rifles out there that are really very good and compared to either the AK47 or the M16 they are frankly just better. The M16 and the AK have the advantage however of being the primary products of the two largest and most powerful arms dealers in the world, which makes it tough on better rifles made by other countries to compete.

 

SPAZ 12ga with alternateing loads of 00 buck and slugs. that'll take em down!:wall: the spaz is a gas operated "semi" automatic 12ga SHOTGUN! other then that, Uzi 9mm, Winchester 1862, B.A.R, or just go to the local hardware store, get a ton of tenpenny nails, cut the heads off em, grind the cut end to a point, bend 90 degres, take two and and weld together at the bend to make caltrops, make about a thousand of those and you'll be fine; unless the hoodlums think to bring a BROOM with em. Or Clorox trown in the face works too.:razz:

 

Damn...when I started writing there were no replies...

For a riot DL a good shotgun or semiautomatic rifle will do well. Although in a riot I would rather have an MG42. Home defense, a good handgun or shotgun will serve well. A farm becomes a little tricky because you have both close and long range to think about and precision is important. A good semiauto rifle would do fine.

 

DL, like I said, Property can be replaced, lives can't
If your ever in the situation where you feel you actually need to fire, if there are deaths, are you going to be able to deal with that?
Trust me, it's not all that easy to live with.
What if it's an innocent, young teen, or father with kids, a mother or God forbid, a child gets in the way and falls because of one of your shots?
It's one thing to have the means to protect yourself and yours, but, it's far wiser at the first sign of a riot situation, to take your family to safer grounds having the means to protect as a last resort.
Would you be able to live with the deaths of innocent people or a child, or even someone threatening your safety?
Trust me when I say, it stays with you.

 

lets see the mg42 and the BAR require federal permits to own
the spaz shotguns are good but the semuauto doesnt have the fear factor of a pump action and most criminals will run like hell when they hear it
a good quality handgun is good but noone realy needs a .50cal at home unless you hunt wild animals like bears

for land defense i have my barrtet .50 the m105 and a browning .308
then i have several ar15 styled rifles and a replica thompson submachine gun that is fullyauto

but you have to take into account with any weapon that there are innocent people around as well so training is key

 

Heavy shit

What is this?

 

Squirrel gun.
Those little rascals don't mess with my nuts anymore. LOL

 

LMAO- Yeah, true. I've seen better sling-shots.

 

Hi Hun.
Glad it gave you a chuckle.

 

If DL is serious about a home protection piece, I will offer what I believe was good advise given to me by a law enforcement officer friend.

A 12 gauge Mossberg 500 or a Maverick 88 with an 18.5" barrel. It is a pump action, lightweight shotgun with an uncomplicated and largely trouble free action. The tube hold five 2 3/4" shells, my friend advised large shot it the first four loaded and a blank (wadding only) for the last loaded. Since the last loaded is the first into the chamber when the action is racked, it acts as a relatively non-lethal warning shot that does very little collateral damage in a dwelling.

Usually the first sound (racking) stops an assailant, if not the blast from the first shot will either knock them down or cause them to leave quickly. If they are determined the next rounds will definately stop them.