Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip
This is the crux of my question; is it? Yes in a ruined abandoned town, or in broken country, but always? Given that ammunition is hand made/reloaded, supply can be haphazard, and fire control can be undisciplined, I can blithely foresee a situation where it comes down to who has the bigger pile of lead.
But I don't have experience in using auto or semi-auto weapons, and I've never had to lug a long arm over hill and dale. So, can you clarify, add detail?
Happy if we discuss Plevna etc. Also, would a large calibre long barrelled percussion cap revolver feed carbine suffice?
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Yes, Semi-autos are ALWAYS better than bolt-guns and trap-doors. I'd say that lever action is more of a corner-case, but if I had an option, I would always pick a semi-auto over a bolt gun or trap door(though I have no practical experience with trapdoor rifles). A cursorary reading of Plevna seems to suggest that it's an excellent example of why repeating rifles out perform older designs.
Now, there's also a cultural element here: in the states, ammunition is plentiful. It's so plentiful that my momma(who doesn't have ANY guns) has several boxes of 12ga 00 buck and slug. Where'd it come from? None of us know? I've got a .40 S&W cartridge sitting a foot to the left of me as I type this, and I found it on the road by my driveway. There's just SOOOOO much of it, and so much of the equipment associated with it, that I can't imagine a plausible apocalyptic scenario where cartridges would be exceptionally rare. This of course, may not apply to Oz.
Percussion caps just seem to combine the worst parts of muzzle-loading and cartridges: they're fiddly, you have a lot of steps to get the rifle ready, and they're a logistical complication. And I feel like, if you can make percussion caps, you can make primers for cartridges.