[gatling]

I know this subject has to have been covered before but bear with me. I know everyone has a "I want" list of firearms for survival. But what do you have "to make do with"? When I got started, many years ago, I started out with a .30-30, an old bolt action 20 guage shotgun and a handed down .45. Through the years I have bought better firearms, but I haven't forgotten the importance of making do.

 

[swwjeff]

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=91210

 

[GENT]

there are many, many, many threads on this topic or close to it- have a rummage though the firearms section of this forum.

 

[Bravo1]

Get as many and whatever firearms you can,they are all useful to survive.

 

[Varmit]

There's something to be said for having just a few competent
firearms, and the skills to use them.

Your original list (30-30, 20 gauge, and a 45 pistol) would seem
to make an excellent collection for pure survival needs. (One
might argue that a .22 would be a useful addition, but that's
kind of beside my point.)

I actually find I've got a few too many toys, so my familiarity
with some of them is not real finely honed. For part of my collection
that doesn't make it out of the gun safe that often, I find that
I may occasionaly fumble with the location of the safety, or
forget the odd quirk that this or that gun may have. (Mossberg
20-gauge pump with an annoying tendancy to trigger the
safety back to "on" after a couple of shots, that sort of thing.)

Don't know the source of the quote, but "Beware the man with
only one gun -- he probably knows how to use it."

 

[Chick Norris]

well, i'm in that position right now, lol. I have a Baretta .22 Minx (it was my Dad's and the first gun I ever shot, so i'll always have that one), a Buffalo .22 revolver that my husband got me, and i'm currently buying a 9mm HI-Point rifle. Actually, I'm pretty happy with the rifle, but plan on getting a shotgun of some sort eventually and a larger caliber handgun too.

 

[MikeK]

It's the shooter far more than the gun. A good shooter is effective with his weapon, regardless what it is. All the capacity and tacti-cool gadgets in the world won't make up for that. But people are caught up in that aspect more than the aspect of getting training and putting in the time to do real practice.

I think a skilled shooter with a good bolt action rifle will probably fare better than most of the average Joes with their high cap whatevers, but of course you can't tell them that.

As for making do, many folks have to. There's nothing wrong with it. Learn to shoot the guns you have well. There will probably be plenty laying around later on.

In years past, when saner heads prevailed in the survivalist movement, the "ideal" survival gun was usually something like a shotgun/rifle combo or lightweight takedown .22. I still see these as far more useful than the battle guns with crap sticking out all over. About the only place where they wouldn't be as useful is in purely urban situations where you might encounter waves of looters and attackers.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

I know this subject has to have been covered before but bear with me. I know everyone has a "I want" list of firearms for survival. But what do you have "to make do with"? When I got started, many years ago, I started out with a .30-30, an old bolt action 20 guage shotgun and a handed down .45. Through the years I have bought better firearms, but I haven't forgotten the importance of making do.

your weapons should be based on your terrain if you live in a dessert terrain you will have little need for a shotgun but you will have a greater need for a long range rifle. the same is true liveing in a dense forrest a shotgun would serve you well and you will have little need of a long range weapon. BUT if you are living out of a backpack a med. range rifle would be more apealing due to space and weight.i do believe the one weapon EVERYONE needs to have is a personel defense weapon (handgun).