cornfed83
Member
Arek,
The Springfield SOCOM is a variant of the M1A Service rifle chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62x51 NATO. It is a highly reliable and battle proven design capable of making accurate shots out to 800 meters while still being an effective platform for CQB (close quarters battle). When loaded with any practical ammunition that I can think of it will is more capable of stopping power than a 1911 in .45 ACP.
The reason that many of us have suggested a rifle as opposed to the 460 is because a rifle is much more capable of being used at distance and when you are in a SHTF situation you will be glad to have a rifle in your hands! The increased capacity and handling/accuracy will make a difference. I'm not experienced hunting black bear but I would imagine that a .308 will suffice, but you also mentioned worrying about hostiles wearing body armor. I know from personal experience that when working on a two way firing range that capacity makes a huge difference as does reload speed. With the 460 although it is accurate and capable of defeating armor the capacity and speed of reloading makes it impractical for use as a main arm against a potentially armored bad guy. The M1A as with most battle styled .308 rifles have a standard magazine capacity of 20 rounds and being magazine fed allows you to reload relatively quickly. If you do chose to go with a rifle styled like this there are several offerings available from approximately $600 and up.
The other option that I'm not sure has been mentioned yet is rechambering your 1911 to .460 Rowland. The .460 Rowland is comparable to the .44 Magnum round and your 1911 is easily converted with a new barrel and recoil spring while still using the same magazines and other parts.
The other thing that is most essential is no matter which firearm you decide to use for protection and daily carry is that you practice and become intimately familiar with every function of your firearm so that you can use it simply by muscle memory. This is extremely important for any situation that your life may depend on. I believe the old saying is "luck is a combination of preparation and opportunity."
The Springfield SOCOM is a variant of the M1A Service rifle chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62x51 NATO. It is a highly reliable and battle proven design capable of making accurate shots out to 800 meters while still being an effective platform for CQB (close quarters battle). When loaded with any practical ammunition that I can think of it will is more capable of stopping power than a 1911 in .45 ACP.
The reason that many of us have suggested a rifle as opposed to the 460 is because a rifle is much more capable of being used at distance and when you are in a SHTF situation you will be glad to have a rifle in your hands! The increased capacity and handling/accuracy will make a difference. I'm not experienced hunting black bear but I would imagine that a .308 will suffice, but you also mentioned worrying about hostiles wearing body armor. I know from personal experience that when working on a two way firing range that capacity makes a huge difference as does reload speed. With the 460 although it is accurate and capable of defeating armor the capacity and speed of reloading makes it impractical for use as a main arm against a potentially armored bad guy. The M1A as with most battle styled .308 rifles have a standard magazine capacity of 20 rounds and being magazine fed allows you to reload relatively quickly. If you do chose to go with a rifle styled like this there are several offerings available from approximately $600 and up.
The other option that I'm not sure has been mentioned yet is rechambering your 1911 to .460 Rowland. The .460 Rowland is comparable to the .44 Magnum round and your 1911 is easily converted with a new barrel and recoil spring while still using the same magazines and other parts.
The other thing that is most essential is no matter which firearm you decide to use for protection and daily carry is that you practice and become intimately familiar with every function of your firearm so that you can use it simply by muscle memory. This is extremely important for any situation that your life may depend on. I believe the old saying is "luck is a combination of preparation and opportunity."
