Standardization is good; however, a bit of variance is reasonable as well, depending on the need. Standardization allows one to stock spare parts, simplifies ammo stocking, makes training easier.

IMO, here's a good home armory:

1. Battle rifle. AR15, AK-47, something along those lines. One or more. Two is better than one.

2. Varmint rifle. .22. For hunting small game.

3. 12-ga shotgun. Common caliber, allows hunting birds, good home defense weapon.

4. Deer Rifle. Large game, in other words. 30-30, .30-06, something like that.

5. Pistols. I like semiautomatics like the Springfield XD, but others may like wheelguns. Personal sidearm for when not carrying one of the above. Or even when carrying them.


For me, once you have the above, you have the basics covered. Then it's a matter of how many one needs given one's family or extended-family situation.

One shouldn't forget ammo along the way. Woe is he or she who has a great armory but nothing with which to feed the weapons.

 

This guy is about where we are. Our rifles,shotguns and handguns are as follows.

One battle rifle AR-15 Bushmaster .223 , 1200 rounds ten 30 round mags

Backup battle rifles one Remmington 740 and two 7400's with extended 10 round mags in 30-06 600 rounds (double as deer rifles) all are scoped.

Back up Deer rifle Winchester 32 special model 94 100 rounds.

Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber backup defensive rifle 1000 rounds of high velocity CCI ammo and six -30 round mags.

Marlin 981T bolt action .22 rifle with 10,000 rounds of bulk .22 long rifle for small game hunting. Rifle is scoped.

Remington semiauto .22 tube fed . Backup small game rifle is scoped.

Shot guns, 20 gauge 870 express 20 inch barrel no choke riot gun. 7 shot tube. two single shot 20 gauge both with full chokes. 500 assorted rounds for them slugs, buckshot and assorted bird shots.

Remington semi auto 28 gauge 100 rounds fine bird shot.

New England arms single shot .410 100 rounds bird shot and 20 slugs.

Ruger P-89 9mm hand gun three clips and 400 rounds for that.


We also have full battle dress including ammo belts and web gear , packs and Cammo uniforms. We are after all Michigan Militia members so we have full woodland BDUS.

We would like a second AR-15 for my wife and another handgun in 9mm. More ammo for those rifles and some more high velocity .22 for the Ruger 10/22 but feel pretty good about our little armory now. Kingfish

 

Pistols are your primary/most important weapon, because you can always have it on you. You have 3 good ones. I'd rather see 3 that are the same, but that's not really here nor there.
A remington 870 is around $300.00 well worth to have around Yeah, ammo is a little pricey, but shop around for deals and/or just add a little at a time.

Rifle's not that critical as to choice. all the big names will do, if you will.

and you are right, training is crucial. More so than particular weapon choices

 

1.) With the cost at about $1 per shell for buck or slug, plus the carry weight and space requirements - is a 12ga shotgun really desirable? I get the power and psychological factor, but . . . ? For clarity - we dont live in an area where upland bird hunting would be ideal.

For clarity's sake, if your stocking up on 00-Buck and slugs, your obviously not planning on doing any upland game hunting. That being said I am assuming your talking about defending your home from bad guys in what ever format that choose to arrive in. A 12 guage inside of 40 yards is a very formidable weapon, one that can make some one with ill intentions change their minds real fast or die quickly wishing they would have. Yes the ammo is a bit expensive if buying it by the 5 round packs. I shopped around and picked up 960 rounds in 15 rounds boxes for about 6.50 a pack from wally world. Need to go a little cheaper then start reloading your own. At the cost of factory ammo it wont take you long to recoup the cost and start seeing a advantage with something like a Mec 600 Jr. I was saving about 75% reloading my own and it gave me something useful to do on cold and snowy days when there wasnt much else to do. Yes it does weight a bit. But you got to consider that a 25 round bandoleer doesnt weigh that much and gives you a good bit of ammo for an initial conact. Survive that and you can feed your gun at a defensive position from a 50 call ammo can that will hold about 175 to 200 rounds of 12 gauge ammo. If they can weather that I am kinda thinking your in over your head and should have been beating feet post hastely.

2.) Home Defense Rifle - again, keeping in mind that we live in an area that is heavily wooded with very few open meadows - my typical shooting range would seem to be about 100yds. Not so sure I'm a fan of the AR/AK platforms and not sure of best caliber (.223? .308? 30-30?) However, I know that many local folks have been building up AR-platform armories and stocking .223 ammo. Would that make it a logical choice since there may be an opportunity to barter for ammo/spare parts? Some have recommended a regular ol' deer rifle in something like 30-30 since its pretty common too - I guess my thinking there is that there is not enough standardization in the 30-30 realm to provide opportunities for spare parts or repairs if needed.

There is just too many different directions here to go. Im not a huge fan of the AR platform but I am getting there quickly as its a very vesitile platform and a fairly reliable one although maybe not the most durable or the one requiring the lest amount of maintenance. It does a lot of things very well. It doesnt penetrate material object all that great, from shorter barrels it looses effectiveness with FMJ ammo pretty quickly after about 300 yards. Doesnt seem like this will be a issue in your area. It can be pretty devestating of soft targets like humans though! 223 aint good enough for you then there are a ton of other options available caliber wise. Of course none of them are as cheap as the 223. Want something a little more politically correct, something that looks a little more at home in the field, then the 30-30 is looking pretty good. Its fast handling, got 6 rounds on tap, will definitely punch a BG's ticket just as quickly as it will a deers. It can be top off in a brief lul in the fire fight, and be back to full capacity right quick. Using Leverlution (sp?) ammo from Hornady its can reach out there about as far as anyone needs to be shooting in most cases. Its a fairly simple robust design thats been around in most cases for a long time and has seen very little change or development.

These are not the only options or the only points to think about but it should give you some food for thought and a place to start.

 

I believe in having both rifle and shotgun... and extras of each. I have a lot of friends. If TSHTF... I won't be alone. And my friends are well supplied and well prepared.

There are a couple rifles that are inexpensive and extemely reliable... the Saigas top my list. They average between $250 and $299... for the mid-caliber models.

Similarly... the NEF Pardner shotgun sells for $170 in most places... and it is made to exceptional standards.

10/22 rifles sell for $200 and are the survivalist dream gun. Your great grandson will be shooting your 10/22.

Handguns are NOT and never will be a primary weapon. It doesn't matter that you can hide them on your body. It is much to hard to hit a moving target or anything more than 25 yards away. Anyone with a rifle will add your handgun to his collection. (Don't get me wrong... only a fool doesn't add hand guns to his collection. But any soldier will tell you that 99% of the time they used their long gun. The hand gun only came out as a last resort.

You will get an endless amount of advice on what is the "best" gun. Go to the gun shop and check out all of the different options. Then look realistically at the number of people in your family that you would arm... and what your budget is. You don't have to buy everything at once and can add over time.

Store as much of your primary weapon ammo as you can.

BTW... there is a very valuable reason to add one 30/30 to your collection. Most survivalist don't think of a lever action 30/30 as the best choice of primary rifle... but if you go to the sporting goods shop and ask them what they sell the most of to the common Joe... it is by far a box of 30/30 ammo... followed oddly enough by 30-06. Most preppers stock up on 223, 7.62x39 and 308... and they ignore the ammo that is sitting in more homes across America than any other round. I bought a Marlin 336 solely so that if I am ever forced to forage for ammo in abandon homes... I may luck out and find the one round that most people buy one box of and shove away in a back closet.

 

Handguns are NOT and never will be a primary weapon. It doesn't matter that you can hide them on your body. It is much to hard to hit a moving target or anything more than 25 yards away. Anyone with a rifle will add your handgun to his collection. (Don't get me wrong... only a fool doesn't add hand guns to his collection. But any soldier will tell you that 99% of the time they used their long gun. The hand gun only came out as a last resort.

If you can't hit a man size target at 100 yards with your sidearm then you need to get off the sofa George. Practice counts.
Also "Beware the man with only one gun, he most likely know how to use it".

 

Kind of off topic, but if you have a Duhnams near by they have 22LR and 00 buck on sale right now. I got both, and don't even have my 12 ga yet. But I have access to one and intend to get one of my own fairly soon.

The 00 buck is 25 rounds for $12.99. Not the expensive home defense rounds of course, but should work just fine for stocking.

The 22LR is $16 for 550, which seems to be a decent price right now.

 

1) Shotguns. Shotguns are extremely versatile weapons, capable of firing stuff ranging from the usual - slugs, buckshot (00 is the equivalent of putting 9 .38 caliber bullets in flight), and birdshot - to the exotic stuff like flames and flettchetes. Yes, they and their ammo are heavy, they only hold a limited number of shells, and they're not long range weapons. But for defense, back up, and all around use, they're hard to beat.

2) If you're surrounded by lots of trees, you want something that can make sure that's concealment, not cover, by being able to drill through tree trunks if need be. A high powered deer rifle in the .30-06 range will do that. Heck, so can a Mosin. In fact, if you want plenty of spare parts and ammo, you can probably buy several Mosins and a TON of 7.62x54r for what a single AR would cost.

 

1) In fact, if you want plenty of spare parts and ammo, you can probably buy several Mosins and a TON of 7.62x54r for what a single AR would cost.

Single best rifle buy for the price in the US.

I kick myself repeatedly for not buying half a dozen of the Mosin-Nagant 44swhen they were available. Now you can only buy the 30s. The 30s are still and awesome gun for nickel... but the 44s would have been a little more compact.

I'm going to add 3-4 Mosin-Nagants to my gun cabinet as soon a Kalifornia decides to send me my drivers license. (It's been 8 weeks now since I requested it.)

 

Remember you probably want a couple Assault Rifles unless you are going to be the only one doing the fighting. The key is balance and variety.

I have my Ak47/SKS, a Saiga 12 shotgun, 30-30 for hunting large game, .22 for smaller, and even a pellet gun. Im in the process of picking up an AR-15 also to round out my collection. You need to be able to arm several people. And the more different kinds of weapons you have, the better chance of finding ammo post-SHTF. Its a double edged sword.

 

I suggest you go read Boston's Gun Bible. Actually, everyone should.

 

Find what is comfortable

A lot of guys and gals on this and other forums. Will tell you to get this rifle and or that handgun. However a lot of times something is missing. One should get what is confortable to shoot and load. Now let me repeat that Comfortable to shoot and load. If you have the snazziest badest most rambo weapon. You will get some awsome looks from your friends and family. but if it does not feel right and comfortable for you to use and carry. You might as well have spent money on a paperweight. Imagine your self after the SHTF.
The more useful weapon will be one. That you have no trouble packing along.
On your person and you will shoot better. If you are both familiar and comfortable with it in your hands. Like me I am an old stickler for a bolt action rifle. It fits my shoulder and I can cycle it just fine. Under pressure I can and will pur my life on the line. With it I can shoot in the black most every time. I carry an old 7MM Mauser for my MBR. And a ruger P95 for my side arm. Now it can be difficult to get rounds for my Mauser. However I can also make one round do my talking for me. And I do not fall into the trap of Spray And Pray. So my one round will do its business. When someone else is firing away down range. With some Full Auto MBR. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with a Hi Cap rifle. Just that I feel more comfortable Using something that can hit. And can in the right hands stop either a vehicle or a man in modern battle armor.

 

When it comes to shotguns, I'm the voice of dissent. I've been a shotgun hunter for most of my life, as well as a regular skeet, trap and clays shooter. I also believe that the shotgun is the king of home defense.

But at the same time, it's not the ideal survival gun in a lot of circumstances. While it has a lot of versatility, many of us can't utilize most of that. For example, there's little here in the way of small game that I couldn't take just as easily with a .22, and the distances required for deer hunting make a rifle a better choice. Combine that with the expense and bulk of the ammo, and my shotgun is not really part of my survival preps. I can carry a lot more rifle and .22 ammo and it will be more useful.

Really it's just a matter of taking a serious look at your personal needs and your terrain. A shotgun is an awesome tool to those who can benefit from it. But even at that, the ammo is still going to be heavy and bulky.

 

Gee, I suppose I am really behind on the preps. I have shotguns, rifles, pistols and ammo for all. How many people do I really plan to kill? Come on now...REALLY plan to kill! I do not want to kill anyone. If they push...I will introduce them to Jesus even if using a 22 pistol. We are not a society that will shoot each other for the fun of it. The crisis will arrive but common sense will prevail. At least I hope so!

 

just get a marlin 3030 its a good start and there great guns

 

1.) With the cost at about $1 per shell for buck or slug, plus the carry weight and space requirements - is a 12ga shotgun really desirable?

Yes. The shotgun is probably the most versatile firearm you can have. There is a huge variety of shells, most of which are inexpensive.

2.) Home Defense Rifle - again, keeping in mind that we live in an area that is heavily wooded with very few open meadows - my typical shooting range would seem to be about 100yds.

How about a carbine in a caliber that matches your pistols?

 

Soo many firearms, soo little time, not enough$, all the advice given here is good! Train, train, and train some more! If you have the place and time train everyone in you family on each weapon.

 

Im a advocate of the shotgun in most cases.

Handle a 50" long, semi auto with recoil reduction and a 26" barrel, plated whatever, big fore end/stock... Now pick up a 36" long tactical shotgun, 18.5" barrel, pump action, synthetic plastic fore end/stock. After wards my point might seem more valid but you will notice a weight difference. Mines lighter then my target .22 rifle.

A quality pump is very reliable and id say 12G of many variants would be up there in the "most common ammo" class. The ammo weight argument is sort of moot IMO, since the ammo functionality is completely different. If you are shooting more then 2-3 rounds of slug or 00buck to assault a single target, your doing it wrong. Not the same with rifle/pistol ammo IMO.

Its very capable of hunting pretty much anything, maybe not the BEST option in all cases, but id rather have the versatility of a shotgun in all categories and only carry around many different types of ammo.

In addition..most things you can kill w/ a .22lr, you can kill w/ a hi powered pellet gun. Now thats cheap, reliable, light and quiet ammo. I love .22s but in SHTF world, id be in my backyard shooting birds w/ a pellet gun instead of screaming "here i am" with a .22.

It will all come down to your own opinion and impressions of the weapon systems. I would take peoples advice and info as things to consider, but still try the different firearms platforms yourself to decide what would work best for you.


Ficcochi rounds 10 for $5/$8 - 00/slug rounds - ableammo

 

For survival I'd go with a .22 rifle first. Cheap,(ammo too) and it can kill all sorts of small game out to ~100 yards.

Second would be a .30 caliber bolt action rifle/ with scope to reach out and kill game or Zombies.

Third would be a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun for in home defense. Great for fairly up close and personal, yet can be used for game too.

4th would be a handgun or 2. The only time they really come in handy is up close and personal. Not the best choice for but a last stand. For now, since it's not pure survival, and I have to venture out into the world I carry one. (or more)

Last would be any battle riffle with high capacity mags. Except for all out war they have hardly any use that can't be better achieved with one of the other mentioned guns. If it gets so bad that you have to use one then your chance of survival is already low.


Whatever you decide get lots (and lots) of ammo. Without it, or the parts and ability to reload, they all just become sticks far to quickly.

 

This whole thread could have been avoided with a little trip down to the firearms section of the forum.

Just sayin'....

 

Standardization of calibers is key.

Whether you can afford a half-dozen new AR's or a handful of SKS's, stock up on what you can afford and stack the ammo deep.

 

See I disagree. I would rather have a variety of weapons in a variety of calibers that way I have more of a chance of coming across ammo. Thats why I have weapons in 762x39, 556, 6.8 SPC, 12 Gauge, 30-30. Sure its nice to have all weapons that shoot the same caliber, but what happens if you cant find anymore of it? Your weapons are useless. Id rather have 5 different weapons with 1k rounds each than 5 of the same with 5k rounds.

 

I have three shotguns -- Remington 870 12 gauge, Remington 1187 12 gauge, and a Browning Auto loading 16 gauge -- all good for deer hunting in my area and interior home defense

I have a nice selection of handguns in a variety of calibers - .40, .45, .38, .380, .22 caliber

I have a hunting rifle with a scope in .243 Winchester

I have a nice Bushmaster AR in .223 and a Ruger mini-14 in .223

it all revolves around the job your tools need to do.........

 

I have a 12 ga Rem 870 and love it to death, I have a .38 spl revolver for conceal and soon will have a .40 cal Glock to add a hi-cap pistol. My ruger 10/22 is my fav of the bunch and will be forever, it is the most versitile weapon of the group.

get what you need and a lot of ammo

 

Handgun FN 5.7 I just got one and its awesome!!!

 

Even during the leanest times for ammo, elections and other scares, my local Wallyworld had 30.30 and 12gau field loads.
Just about everything else was gone.
I check.

 

Hello,

My name is Jessica Ribeiro an I am the Associate Producer for a new documentary series for the National Geographic channel about Preppers & Survivalists. The goal of the series is to showcase the motivations and strategies for preparing, and to provide a platform for such people to share their unique stories.

I came across your post on the Survival Boards. I would love to speak to you in detail about the possibility of you representing this lifestyle in our series. The movement is fascinating and inspirational, and we would love to share your story and your purpose with the rest of the country.

Please email me at jessicas@sharpentertainment.com. If you know anyone else who may be interested please pass my info along!

Look forward to hearing from you!


Sincerely

Jessica Ribeiro
Associate Producer
Sharp Entertainment

 

Not in a million years!!!!! All TV is slanted and I'd not play with them. You'll just come out defiled.

 

HK91 and a g-21 thet plus some ammo is about all i want to carry so thats all ineed

 

As far as a "large game " rifle I can see 30-06 bolt gun or something for long range shots if you had to but if you have an ak there is no need for a 30-30. I have hunted with a mini-30 ( 7.62x39 just like the ak ) for years and imho it is the ultimate rifle for hunting in the woods.