My "on an extreme budget" SHTF home arsenal.

[311thewiser]

Hi Point .40 cal pistol new: $156.00 Mosin Nagant : $89.00 New Haven 600AT 12 gauge: $170.00 all i need now is my ruger 10/22 and i think i am good. I have run 160 rounds through my hi point thus far without issue so i am happy.

 

[INMIline]

Don't clean it!

I have run 160 rounds through my hi point thus far without issue so i am happy.

 

[Kuting]

It's understandable that you've got what you can afford, but I'd suggest kicking back money toward something reliable. It took me a long time to get where I'm at, but I'm much happier with my M&P9 and BCM AR than I was with a Sigma and WASR-10. Skip the 10/22 and put that money toward x54 ammo.

Pick up some quality gear and train with what you've got until you can't get it wrong. As time goes on you'll be able to pick up better stuff.

Just my $0.02

 

[Sailor]

I would have spent the money on handgun that is easier to carry and had it with me everywhere. Then I would have gotten a generator and started kicking back food

 

[Que]

Hi Point .40 cal pistol new: $156.00 Mosin Nagant : $89.00 New Haven 600AT 12 gauge: $170.00 all i need now is my ruger 10/22 and i think i am good. I have run 160 rounds through my hi point thus far without issue so i am happy.

Sounds like you thought it through. Make sure you shoot them as much as you can.

 

[DHolder]

Sounds like you thought it through. Make sure you shoot them as much as you can.

Learn how to use them. Start putting up some extra food and ammo. Most importantly, YOUR DOING SOMETHING!!!!! Read the threads and ask questions, we love to help. Carry on...

 

[gunman41mag]

Hi Point .40 cal pistol new: $156.00 Mosin Nagant : $89.00 New Haven 600AT 12 gauge: $170.00 all i need now is my ruger 10/22 and i think i am good. I have run 160 rounds through my hi point thus far without issue so i am happy.

To save some money, I would've gotten a HI-POINT 9MM, ammo for the 9MM is cheaper than 40 S&W

 

[Steve]

Sounds like a good basic start. As your finances grow, I'd get a .40 cal "something" that you can carry all day comfortably and turn the Hi Point into a stash gun in the house or garage. There is a big advantage to having multiple guns in the same caliber. IMO, one needs to carry 24/7 to be truly prepared for a SHTF situation. Most SHTF events don't give you a 24 hour notice to get ready. Sometimes you're lucky to get a 10 second warning.

Stock up on ammo for all the guns you own at your own pace. Having 5000 rds of 12 ga shells sounds cool, but you can't eat them. It's far more important to have 30 days worth of food and water than to fill your closet with .40 cal ammo.

READ, READ, READ! Study anything and everything about prepping, 1st aid, sheltering, canning, cooking, useage of hand tools, water purification, and anything esle that you can think of. Then start praticing these skills.

Once you've done all the above, you'll realize how much you really don't know. Then, you'll be a full fledged prepper and continue to learn from there.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Delmar]

Hi Point .40 cal pistol new: $156.00 Mosin Nagant : $89.00 New Haven 600AT 12 gauge: $170.00 all i need now is my ruger 10/22 and i think i am good. I have run 160 rounds through my hi point thus far without issue so i am happy.

No Hi Point carbine? A 4095 would go great with what you have.

 

[Keith_Indy]

160 rounds thru 1 gun, how many thru the rest?

For $415, you could have bought 1 firearm that was better quality, and put a lot more ammo through it. Just my opinion of course.

I'd rather have a guy next to me that can shoot one gun well, then 4 half assed...

If you can't carry over 50% of the time, I'd make it a 12 gauge sitting at home w/ low recoil OO and slugs in/on it. Or an SKS w/ ammo. Even a 10/22 if you want to get good at shooting a rifle.

Sorry, people can want to over complicate things, like having 3 (or more) guns that cover close, near, mid, and far ranges. But how many people put equal practice into each of those? There's something to the old cowboy practice of one cartridge, 2 firearms (pistol and carbine.)

So does anyone make a .468 SOCOM revolver yet?

 

[strahd71]

I agree with the above, i read this thread earlier in the day and thought the same thing. i didnt want to say anything because on these internet forums people have a tendency to be pretty judgmental and its their way or nothing. but yea i think i would be happier and better prepared having just one decent quality gun, and spend the other money on ammo and actually practice with it and build my skills. 4 or 5 different guns will do nothing for you if you cant effectively use them. its odd to me that you titled this with the term SHTF. is your life worth the comfort of having something a bit more reliable?

i admire your desire to prep, and i totally understand the lack of funds to do so. good luck to you

jake

 

[insidethebunker]

You did fine. I started very similar to your list and now I have upgraded everything considerably. Get the 22 like you said and buy tons of 22 ammo, you need it to practice. The 22 is your best, most affordable training gun, so learn how to shoot it well by signing up for an Appleseed and you'll get some good basics. Project Appleseed Home Then circle back and build up your other ammo and work on upgrading your guns.

 

[E5RANGER375]

160 rounds thru 1 gun, how many thru the rest?

For $415, you could have bought 1 firearm that was better quality, and put a lot more ammo through it. Just my opinion of course.

I'd rather have a guy next to me that can shoot one gun well, then 4 half assed...

If you can't carry over 50% of the time, I'd make it a 12 gauge sitting at home w/ low recoil OO and slugs in/on it. Or an SKS w/ ammo. Even a 10/22 if you want to get good at shooting a rifle.

Sorry, people can want to over complicate things, like having 3 (or more) guns that cover close, near, mid, and far ranges. But how many people put equal practice into each of those? There's something to the old cowboy practice of one cartridge, 2 firearms (pistol and carbine.)

So does anyone make a .468 SOCOM revolver yet?

im still waiting on a super top secret 10mm navy seal sig 226

 

[Fireaxes]

im still waiting on a super top secret 10mm navy seal sig 226

Army need not apply. Too high speed for you.

 

[sloughfoot]

Far be it for me to criticize someone elses self defense tool choices.

For SHTF, stealth and thinking tactically could be more important than rounds sent downrange. You have a pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Your desire for a good .22 is wise.

Some, or maybe lots, of those 10,000+ Japanese were preppers and ended up floating face down..... There just aren't any guarantees in this life.

 

[IndianaGTI]

Looks great to me. For SHTF, a handgun is for emergencies only. Why do guys in the movies always grab a handgun from the armory. If SHTF, I am grabbing the carbine or shotgun. A handgun is great in emergencies, but if I am protecting myself or my family, hand me a carbine or shotgun anyday. Also, a Hi-Point is perfectly carryable in SHTF situation. Why would you be concealing then anyway.

I think you have it right. I would just have gotten the .22 so I could have lots of ammo first.

 

[sloughfoot]

And it also occurs to me, we all know there had to be hundreds or thousands of preppers in line with those tornados last week in the American South and SouthEast.

How many of them watched their carefully laid in food, fuel, water, firearms, ammo, backup generators disappear and end up in the next county over?

In this SHTF event, just breathing afterwards and finding your children would be a victory.

Whether what is on your hip is a cheap 380 or the most exxpensive pistol around wouldn't mean a lot.

Think about it..........

 

[Barbecue]

And it also occurs to me, we all know there had to be hundreds or thousands of preppers in line with those tornados last week in the American South and SouthEast.

How many of them watched their carefully laid in food, fuel, water, firearms, ammo, backup generators disappear and end up in the next county over?

In this SHTF event, just breathing afterwards and finding your children would be a victory.

Whether what is on your hip is a cheap 380 or the most exxpensive pistol around wouldn't mean a lot.

Think about it..........

Well said, just hope SHTF doesn't involve a "natural" disaster in your backyard.

 

[dukeboy_318]

I see nothing wrong with what you have. Sure, a person could have the most fancy gun in the world but guess what, most guns, even cheap guns, go bang. Sure some aren't as reliable as others but i'd rather keep that hi-point in my tool box in the garage or the truck/car or whatever as opposed to a M&P or a Kimber or Sig or whatever other more $$$ gun you'd chose to buy and have it get beat up and scratched up. Granted a higher quality gun is usually more reliable but do the best you can with what you have to work with. You can always upgrade at a later date should funds allow. Having something lower quality and not needing it is better than needing something and not having it cause you were saving up for a "better" model.

I think you have a good start. That said, later on as your funds improve and you save up, you can move up in quality and performance and then you can kick the guns you have now into a bury vault/tube, tool box or garage or whatever else you can find to do with them and have them as back ups should you ever need them. The key is to practice with whatever you have and can afford to in your budget and time. Practice alot and get used to your equipment and weapons. That way you develop a sense of confidence and improve your skills should the unfortunate circumstance arrive that you need to deploy said weapon in a SHTF moment.

 

[Chase515]

As long as your happy that is all that matters Please continue to post updates with each of your guns. Make this thread a running tally of each guns reliability or failures. I have a sks that I would grab before my s&w m&p15. A mossberg maverick i would pickup before I would my 870. Just because its cheap dosnt mean it wont work!