Your Pro Citizen Newsletter 78: Should you practice Caliber Consolidation?; weekly discount code

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Caliber consolidation - what it is.

“Caliber consolidation” is just a term that describes the practice of diverting priority in a personal arsenal to focus on a select few calibers. It is related to standardization but is a bit broader in scope since it accounts for caliber decisions only. The pro move is to roll with full standardization vs caliber consolidation. Quick aside before we dive into the subject; we will continue to somewhat misuse the term caliber as a catch-all to denote specific cartridges…of all types.

Why?

It is a simple disciplined approach to prevent chasing solutions or collecting vs attaining arms and ammo as tools. It is put into practice if there are limited resources that can be applied to arms and ammo. Consolidating (or focusing) on a set of calibers allows an individual to optimize the solution set and more importantly to standardize it. Look, we are all human. Us gun owners have a tendency to creep into collecting, even the ones among us who pursue the endeavor from a defensive perspective. And as such we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to expenditures and a combat focus that drives our personal armory choices.

How

Before anyone gets their thong in a knot this is just an idea / concept you can adapt, use in part, or disregarded altogether. It is an approach I used a few years ago when I felt like I was expending resources without focus and ended up collecting things (firearms) that I never used or really didn’t serve me. You guys know how it happens, admit it. If you have been around firearms for any length of time the “good deal” or “damn I need one of those” happens a few times and you end up with a .17 HMR, a couple of .357 magnums, maybe a 28 gauge over/under and a .30-30 that start crowding out the necessary stuff like the 5.56 AR pattern carbines. The other facet is you have to feed them a one-off caliber which starts to add up financially and in storage / safe space. Chasing new ballistics because it is the latest hotness can derail any of us as well (I’m lookin at you .40 SandW). We all remember those dark years and the recoil-o-matic Glock 27s. You know…when only women were supposed to carry the anemic 9mm according to the gun writers of the time. But I digress.

You guys have heard me say “you don’t need another AR, you probably have plenty on hand”. The intent behind that statement is we should all be using our time and financials in an optimal and focused manner. Choosing to take first aid classes, food storage, buy good optics, more ammo vs getting another one for your collection…the list goes on. An approach or “A” way to stay focused is this idea of caliber consolidation (sticking with just a few cartridges for shooting and storing ammo).

When I went on the consolidation ammo diet years ago, I was pretty clear on what I needed (you may be different). I knew my long gun was going to be a 5.56, my pistol 9mm, my shotguns all 12 gauge. I allowed the .22LR to be the stray dog that I would gladly feed and house. Let’s break this down farther so it makes a little more sense.

Across any of these there is plenty of latitude to experiment and optimize. Take the 5.56 cartridge for example. SBRs and 20 inch ARs all “qualify” for this as do any other 5.56 (.223) guns. However my approach was one of standardization as well as caliber consolidation, so I went a step further and stuck with magazine fed AR platforms only (no Mini 14s, no one off 5.56 bolt guns, no weird 5.56 AK etc). Same for 9mm, nothing but Glock pistols to feed. The downstream requirements are nightmarish when you swap pistols after being in one family for a decade or two - magazines, holsters, sights, upgrades are all heavy expenditures. But again, my approach was more for standardization, not consolidation - so it is a bit of a tangential discussion.

What I found by doing this years ago is I focused on buying and shooting a lot more of what I really needed to. Range trips were no longer the schizo truck load of shite - you guys know the ones; 12 different gun cases with a little bit of everything. I didn’t mean I had to get rid of the ones that no longer “fit” it just meant they held no priority for care and feeding. And along the way it turned out there were guns I just didn’t need any more, so some (not all) got sold off in the process to fund things like LPVOs, NV systems, and plenty of upgrades for ARs. Now listen, it doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t ever shoot or add anything new. This is just “A” way to look at the problem set and manage your defensive armament in a manner that ensures they are your priority. More of a how to think vs a what to think exercise for this one.

Summary. Screw that Jack, you are off the reservation with this. Maybe, maybe not. I’m not saying sell grandpa’s 16 gauge, just don’t make it a priority to stockpile ammo for it “just in case”. What I would recommend is if you want to apply the approach don’t acquire anything new (firearms) that don’t fit your necked-down caliber list. This is obviously more difficult the more seasoned (older) one is as well; years of gun show or LGS habits die hard. Hunters and dudes who shoot specialty matches have to adjust for their requirements, but it isn’t a free pass to de-prioritize defensive firearms. Keep in mind everything takes up space. And it isn’t just physical space; it is financial, training, and even mental space. Sometimes fewer choices are better. But as always you do you.

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