Another Part of the Guide

This is another part of the guide which was posted earlier. It discusses choosing a rifle. I hope you find it interesting and informative. Everyone has their own preference based on their experience. Take this for what it is worth; a compiled group of opinions.
BASIC EQUIPMENT - A DETAILED LOOK
1) RIFLE: There are many choices available when choosing a primary weapon. Because military rifles have been subjected to extensive testing and have been designed to withstand tough battlefield conditions, we suggest that your rifle be of a type similar to that used by some military forces at some point within the last 100 years or so. Even a brief study of the history of military conflict, and a look at current events will reveal that this does not narrow your choice by any measurable degree. Any type of weapon can be used in a pinch.
For our purposes, we will rule out extremely rare and ancient weapons. Muskets, blunderbusses, and repeating crossbows are better than no weapon at all, but not very practical to discuss in this guide.
Theoretically, you could carry a pistol or shotgun as a primary weapon. Indeed, there are many specific situations where a pistol or shotgun will be the best thing you can have, but for general purposes, a rifle is what is required.
We will look at some of the options available to the novice militia person.

Military surplus bolt-action rifles. For the average citizen, the first consideration in acquiring that first weapon will be cost. (One should also factor in how much value they place on the survival of themselves, their families, and their Nation.) Military surplus bolt-action rifles are among the most inexpensive weapons available. Just because a rifle is inexpensive, that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with it. Many of these old bolt-action rifles have served admirably in conflicts around the world.
With just a bit of effort, some of these old war-horses can be turned into impressively accurate sniper-rifles, which would be perfect for guerrilla-type, shoot-and-run operations.
One consideration when looking at military surplus bolt-action rifles is ammunition availability. They can come in some pretty obscure calibers, so ask around before buying one. Some fairly common, affordable rifles come in 7.62X54, .303, and various 8mm cartridges. The 6.5mm Swedish Mauser has been increasing in popularity recently, and it is still fairly affordable. Of course, any rifle is better than none, as long as you have ammunition for it. The M44 Carbine chambered in 7.62X54, and the Turkish 8MM Mauser are very affordable options, and would serve well as militia weapons.
Check at the next gun show, talk to your local dealer, or spend some time reading "The Shotgun News" (available at any good bookstore or newsstand), to get some ideas on what you can afford.
Another relatively inexpensive option would be to purchase an SKS. These are 10-shot semi-automatic carbines, with either a 16- or 20-inch barrel. Made in China or Russia, these are chambered in 7.62X39, the same round as the AK47. You may still be able to find some with a built-in bayonet. This may, one day, be a useful feature.
The fixed 10-round magazine may be seen by some to be an overly limiting feature, but beware of after-market conversion kits intended to allow a detachable-magazine. Section 922R of the arbitrarily made-up federal regulations could make adding this item a felony. More importantly, most people who have tried these conversion kits have found them heavy and difficult to operate, and they have quickly returned to the stock, 10-round fixed magazine. Loading a fixed magazine with stripper clips is a completely acceptable method of operating this weapon, anyway. There are some SKS rifles that will accept the AK47 magazine. These are hard to find, and are certainly more expensive than a 10-round SKS, but they are dependable weapons.
Also accepting the AK47 magazines are the many civilian versions of the AK47. The most commonly available version of these is the MAK90. They cost more than the SKS, and are just as reliable. The big improvement is their ability to accept larger capacity magazines. Since there are such large-capacity magazines available, you may wish to consider a heavy-barrel version of this rifle. Most of them will be designated as such. A heavy-barrel will allow a greater rate of fire, because the heavier barrel will be less likely to overheat. A drawback to a heavy-barrel is the additional weight. This is a personal decision, with no clear right or wrong way to go.
The AK47 is considered one of the most successful military rifles in the world. Its use by armies and others worldwide will attest to its worthiness as a militia weapon. In our experience, however, the typical AK is not very accurate. The most accurate AK variants are the newer VEPR rifles, and some of the older ones with longer, heavier barrels.
The .30 Cal. M1 Carbine is another rifle to consider. These were originally designed to replace the .45 pistol. They are relatively lightweight, and fairly accurate. Chambered for the .30 cal. round, they do not possess overwhelming penetration power. Several million of these were produced, so there are plenty out there. The .30 Carbine round is no longer used by any armed forces, so in the long run, it may become difficult to acquire more ammunition in the field.
Ruger manufactures both the Mini14, chambered in .223, and the Mini30, chambered in 7.62X39. These are both reliable and accurate, and not incredibly heavy. Either one would serve well as a militia weapon. They come in many variants, and many accessories are also available. They may be, however, a bit more difficult to break down, clean, and reassemble in a filed environment.
The Korean-made Daewoo DR200 is a favorite among some of our militia friends. It uses the same ammunition as the AR15/M16, .223 cal., the round used by our military forces, and it also accepts the same magazine. It is accurate and dependable, and it costs much less than an AR15. They have that terrible "thumbhole" stock, but if you don't mind that ugly bit of political correctness, these would make a fine choice.
The L1A1, the civilian version of the FN/FAL, would be a good option. These weapons are chambered in the popular .308 (7.62X51), these weapons offer possibly more range than the .223 selections. They are a bit heavier than many rifles, but they are made very well, and are dependable rifles.
The .308 CETME, a predecessor to the German G3 and similar rifles is one of the recent favorites among militia members. They are relatively inexpensive at around $350 or so. Field testing of the rifles at militia training has proven them to be excellent rifles. 20-round magazines for these rifles are fairly inexpensive, and ammo and accessories seem to be reasonably priced.
The M1 Garand, chambered for .30-06, a very hard-hitting round, has been called the greatest infantry rifle ever made, in one publication. These rifles have a unique 8-round clip that pops out when empty. For a powerful rifle with long range capabilities, they would be excellent. For a spray-and-pray enthusiast (someone with less emphasis on accuracy, and more emphasis on large volumes of rounds), this would not be a good pick. The .30-06 round is widely available, as it is used by many hunters.
Many people consider the M1A to be the ultimate rifleman's weapon ever developed. Chambered in .308, rugged, durable, and incredibly accurate, these will make excellent choices for militia riflemen. If you can afford these somewhat expensive masterpieces, then you should strongly consider it. For more on becoming a dedicated rifleman, and more about the M1A/M14, please visit http://www.fredsm14stocks.com/, or read "Fred's Column" in "The Shotgun News".
The AR15 is the civilian version of the rifle used by the US armed forces, the M16. As it is possible that militia units will find it necessary to fight alongside US units in defending our country, this would be an appropriate choice. These rifles come in so many barrel lengths, and with so many options and variants, that it would be very difficult to not find one that suits you. The AR is a precision made, close tolerance machine. This provides more accuracy than nearly any other standard military semi-auto rifle, but it requires fastidious cleaning to ensure reliability. Some loose tolerance rifle types, like the AK series, are famous for being subjected to mud and rust by illiterate rural peasants anywhere in the world, and still come up shooting every time. The AR is more suitable for Americans, who use machinery
every day (cars, phones, computers, doorknobs, flushing toilets), and are much more likely to be capable of maintaining it. Most of the US military surplus gear that is currently available is geared toward this weapon. It is a favorite of many militia types.
Keep in mind that the most commonly available rounds are .223, 7.62X39, and .308 (7.62X51). Availability of ammo is an important consideration, and we know of some people who have purchased a weapon merely because they came across a good deal on some ammo for that weapon.
There are many other options to think about. A lever-action 30-30 will work, if that's what you have. It would be a good idea to attend any militia range function, and see what they are carrying. We have even seen a 9mm Carbine used to qualify Level One with, so one of these would be acceptable, as well.
Given that the right to keep and bear any arms is continually coming under attack, one should give serious thought to acquiring that first weapon as soon as possible; buy a rifle while you still can.