Crossing America II
Well, Kim had done this a while ago, and I declined to participate, but this time, I think I will throw my ideas in.
In short; you are magically transported back to the east coast circa 1650, and must cross America over land using a horse, mule and dog all the way to The west coast where you will be magically transported back to the current time. You will have enough gold to purchase three days worth of supplies when you get there, besides the animals. You can only bring one long gun, one pistol, and two knives with you. Which guns and knives do you take?
Here are my answers and explanations:
The long gun is a stainless steel lever-action in 45Colt. This rifle will have to be used for all sorts of things. It will have to be used to fight off indians, shoot game, and defend against wild animals. It must be durable, compact, reliable, powerful, and relatively rapid firing. Semi-autos would be faster, but on a trip that will take months, I would be screwed if an autoshucker broke. The lever-actions require minimal maintainance, and they are very reliable.
The sidearm would be a Single action army in .45 Colt. Yes, I do want ammo commonality. Why SA instead of DA? again, if something breaks, the SA revolver is so simple in operation that even if things break, you can often get around it. If the trigger breaks, you can shoot it by fanning the hammer. It is so simple and reliable that it will always be there.
First blade: A Cold steel Khukri Machete. It works for brush, all kinds of heavy chopping, and is absolutely devastating as a melee weapon
Second blade: Folding Pocket knife. I would consult with Grim on the particular style, but it would be for all work requiring a blade that a khukri is too unwieldy for.
It is an interesting thought experiment. I figure that reliability and versatility will be the principles I should follow most strictly in such an endeavor.
Respectfully Submitted,
-doc Russia