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To expand a bit, I am thinking in terms of a transition from AR to shotgun, probably 870. An AR should handle pretty much anything from contact out to 300-400 yards if I do my part. As a trapped urbanite, I'm wondering how much I should realistically be concerned with anything greater than 100 yards or so, a range, as I understand it, a properly set up and fed 870 (or equivalent) should handle. I realize that there are give and takes, that a shotgun may theoretically be more difficult to learn to handle well when compared to an AR, that I may very well "need" longer range at some point, etc, but a shotgun is more politically safe for the time being and should fall under the "sporting" umbrella in light of an AWB and/or magazine capacity limitations.

In these trying times and the ones certainly to follow, I'm looking for some sense of long-term sustainability in relation to my Second Amendment rights. I'm not planning to roll over for anyone or anything...

It's been a process putting the thing together complicated by health issues...long story. Again, the intention was to get serious with actually using it this year. I'd add that not having any experience with the platform made me want to take it slow as to not have to unlearn any bad habits when finally enjoying some training. That may sound a little goofy, but despite having hunted and been around guns all of my life, I had to unlearn some bad habits when I decided that I wanted to be able to do more with a pistol than punch holes in paper.

The militia consideration was part of the decision process. I share many of those thoughts and a great deal of those concerns went into selecting the AR I finally bought, a BCM 16" mid-length, and support equipment. No rails, no fancy stuff hanging off it... I didn't want something that would simply survive the occasional range trip, class, or predator/hog hunt; I wanted something that will stand up to hard use. Thanks, TAM, for that reminder...

My long-term concern supporting the AR is with adequate magazines and ammo as well as a duplicate to the rifle that I have now and spare parts. I do enjoy the research and planning, but I'd like to think there is some method to my madness and that I'm taking a long-term approach.

I'm normally a pretty laid back, fairly patient kind of person who tries not to let things outside my lane get to me and spoil my time on planet Earth. However, all of this AWB talk and associated craziness has really began to sour me on my AR. I'm a civilian, so I have no professional need for an AR. I wanted one as a challenge to myself to learn about it, take some serious training classes, and then add it to my small collection of firearms. I should emphasize that I didn't purchase it to become a safe queen but intended to it get dirty, scratched up, and be well used.

I did months of research on the subject and then spent several months putting together what I believe to be a very decent system as money became available. I intentionally dedicated 2012 to getting the hardware and planned to work on the software during 2013. I will admit now, however, that I wish I'd bought more ammo instead of the Aimpoint a few weeks ago and that I'd been buying magazines and ammo all along as I suspected I should have. I see some folks writing about how these things should normalize somewhat over the next few months, but others are sure it's the end for AR and related weapons. I'm thinking that it may be time to get out of the AR world and plow those resources into an 870 and reloading equipment and other items to keep me running with 9mm...

Anyone else feeling this way? Am I all gloom and doom? Will things rebound as they did after the 2008 election?