Should I buy a SHTF rifle ASAP?

[stormryder]

My advice for whats it worth.
Get the following in wheelgun, pump or lever.
Get a .22 mag -fits a.22 short,long, long rifle and Magnum.
.357 - fits .38 & .357& 9mm w/Star/moon clips.
.44 Mag -.44 spec. &.44mag.
9 choices in 3 weapons.

 

[dieselman]

my shtf stash:
ak47 w/ one drum mag and 4 regular mags, 500 rds
.357 wheel gun w/ cowboy style gun belt
pistol grip only shotgun w/50 shell bandolier

looking at replacing the shotgun with a .22 pistol

 

[BumpShadow]

my shtf stash:
ak47 w/ one drum mag and 4 regular mags, 500 rds
.357 wheel gun w/ cowboy style gun belt
pistol grip only shotgun w/50 shell bandolier

looking at replacing the shotgun with a .22 pistol

Why in world would replace a shotgun with a .22. Not knock'in the .22, but it just doesn't make sense to me. If anything replace the .357 wheel gun for a .22 wheel gun. But to each there own, just my

Great setup otherwise.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

Saiga in 7.62x39 or 7.62x51, built to last. Got em both with several thousand rounds for each. For a SHTF scenario you want something that will put whatever your aiming at down. I just don't see a .22 doing that. It WOULD be good for hunting small game, that is all.

I'll take my chances any day in a gunfight at 100 yards with a 10/22 against anyone with a pistol of any caliber. If you don't know the range, capabilities and ballistics of a .22 and can't effective employ one there is no way you can do the same with any other direct fire weapon system.

my shtf stash:
ak47 w/ one drum mag and 4 regular mags, 500 rds
.357 wheel gun w/ cowboy style gun belt
pistol grip only shotgun w/50 shell bandolier

looking at replacing the shotgun with a .22 pistol

Interesting solution. Your AK ammo load wouldn't last 2 minutes in a firefight. Unless you face someone down in the street at high noon, don't know what the .357 brings to the game other than if its like mine its a bona fide flamethrower. Pistol grip shotguns are great for shooting zombies in movies or doing entries but i don't think so much for hunting man nor beast.

Not questioning your choice, after all your choice is your choice. If I was going to be a SHTF warrior I would want weapons that I could speed load. 4 magazines and a drum... How long does it take you to reload them? Do you have speed loaders for your .357 or shotgun? Have you ever had to reload a magazine when someone was shooting at you?

Again, as I've said a thousand times, learning to hide and avoid is much easier and better than engaging, unless you are a super-cool Oakley-wearing SpecOps operator.

 

[Slapstick]

Here's my . If I had only one weapon it would be a 12 ga. shotgun. It has to be the most versatile and devastating close to medium range weapon you can own. Depending on the ammo it can take down anything from a dove to a black bear. Price wise a decent shotgun will run you $300 or so, well within your budget. There's nothing better for home or property defense. While it's somewhat fun to think of SHTF ultimate scenarios it's better to think practical when acquiring basic items for preparedness.

After that a good .22 rifle and then think of a good center fire rifle to get. Again just my but you can't go wrong with a good shotgun.

 

[Cpt Caveman]

The answer to your OP is YES! You should buy a rifle and I'm gonna go against the prevailing advice and say the sooner the better. If you have to sell something to do it, do it. Get it done and get some ammunition(+ mags and a way to carry them) so it'll go bang when you want it to.
If you change your mind later about what you want( which is the rule rather than the exception I've found) you can always sell or trade it for something else. But at least you'd have a rifle( or shotgun... some kinda full size, full power long gun) to use in a bad situation if one came up.
From the things I'm seeing folks are waking up . People I know that have owned a 410( or nothing) for HD for years and I couldn't talk into getting anything else are taking about buying more and bigger guns. I predict that the price of guns is gonna go up and quick here soon. Not to mention inflation.
The writing on the wall is getting pretty easy to read I think
Oh yeah getting training was good advice too.

 

[ViperJock]

The answer to your OP is YES! You should buy a rifle and I'm gonna go against the prevailing advice and say the sooner the better.

This. ^^^

 

[tooleman]

I third the 30-30 lever action there cheap 300-350 depending ammo is not bad priced and most of all a overall general purpose gun. You can hunt with it (in some areas not Indiana) has good knock down up too 100yrds it's compacked enough to carry it's fairly reliable. Something to think about


QUOTE=03A3;1855306]I don't know a lot about a Kel-Tec. Will they reliabily hold up to longterm use with 7.62x51? How new are they and is it a proven platform?
This weekend I looked at a bullpup that might have been a Kel-Tec though I may be mistaken. To me it was an ergonomic nightmare.
Have you considered an M1 Garand from the CMP? They aren't a compact gun but they're proven to be tough and effective beyond any doubt. Another plus is that they are easy to work on and parts for them are plentiful, which should always be a consideration for a SHTF gun. Given the price of a Service Grade and the condition of them it's a hard deal to pass up.
I understand all to well the deal with money being tight. But settling for a sub-par platform is false economy.
I think you're on the right track with wanting to go with .30 cal.
Don't never turn your nose up to the lowly .30-30 lever gun. They may not be black or have a pistol grip and picatinny rails, but they have been the deciding factor in coming out on top in many gunfights.
The world isn't going to end tomorrow, or next week. Save some money as you can and think about all of the options.
One thing you might do is decide on your choice of cartridge and start laying in a supply of ammo a little here and a little there. Ammo prices are said to be going up. No doubt it will.

ETA : I see that during the time I was hunting and pecking that several other people posted too. Some of them advised a 7.62x39 weapon, another good choice. There's not a thing wrong with a bone stock SKS as long as you're still young enough to see the sights lol, I can't. But they are tough and almost unstoppable. If you take the time to look around you should find a nice one for a decent price. And once again, spare parts are available for them.[/QUOTE]

 

[Lucas156]

I second the shotgun and/or 10/22. 10/22 you can have a ton of rounds for cheap and they don't weigh much. The shotgun is versatile and can shoot small to large targets at close and medium ranges.

 

[Barbecue]

I would say yes, you need a SHTF rifle asap.

AKs are considerably cheaper and more reliable than ARs. I'd get an AK if I could find one in stock.

 

[cosermann]

Finish supplying your pistol first. My minimum recommendation is 6 mags. Given that, you're a couple short.

How about 9mm ammo? Do you have 1k stocked for your pistol?

Spare parts?

If cost is a factor for you, I'd also suggest rethinking the .308 idea. It can cost around twice as much to acquire, outfit, and feed a .308 semiauto rifle as it does a rifle in 5.56 or 7.62 x 39 (for example).

 

[rhino]

I am interested in what people's thoughts are on this.

Apologies if this is a repeat (it probably is). Buying a rifle is always a good idea, but if you're concerned about economic collapse, at this point your best destination for your $$$ is non-perishable food and also water storage.

 

[acarnahan]

Easiest is to grab a Mosin for less than $120 and span cans (440rds) for $95

I stand corrected, currently aimsurplus has the 440rd span cans for $70

 

[longbow]

get two, so when one breaks you now have spares for your other......

 

[ccolip2189]

i would have to say that your best bet would be some sort of russian type weapon becasue ammo is cheap and some of them can be very powerful

 

[sloughfoot]

Why do you think you would survive? No matter what firearm you have?

Get a 22 rifle. Bolt action and single shots are the cheapest. A pocket full of ammo and a jug-o-water puts you ahead of lots of folks.

If it starts going down, it is just random chance who survives. Your looks, smarts, skills, preps don't mean anything. Some of the smartest, best trained, soldiers get shot in the head from an unseen enemy.

The rest of us just go on.

I'm not sure who the lucky ones are....

 

[wolfts01]

Easiest is to grab a Mosin for less than $120 and span cans (440rds) for $95

I stand corrected, currently aimsurplus has the 440rd span cans for $70

Holy s***, batman!!

I may have to get one regardless of what else I decide to do. I knew they were inexpensive, but that's ridiculous.

Any places in the Fort to get a good Mosin-Nagant?

 

[wolfts01]

Why do you think you would survive? No matter what firearm you have?

Get a 22 rifle. Bolt action and single shots are the cheapest. A pocket full of ammo and a jug-o-water puts you ahead of lots of folks.

If it starts going down, it is just random chance who survives. Your looks, smarts, skills, preps don't mean anything. Some of the smartest, best trained, soldiers get shot in the head from an unseen enemy.

The rest of us just go on.

I'm not sure who the lucky ones are....

That's a good question, but I'm sure wits and a battle rifle put me much farther ahead than wits and a .22. Increasing the chance of survival is what it's all about. I'm not planning for war, just to defend myself from possibly well-armed bad guys.

 

[spencer rifle]

Holy s***, batman!!

I may have to get one regardless of what else I decide to do. I knew they were inexpensive, but that's ridiculous.

Any places in the Fort to get a good Mosin-Nagant?

There are several at Tomlinson in Churubusco - I just saw them there today.

 

[rugertoter]

My thoughts for what they are worth is that you should get a .22 rifle first. You probably want to leave the city if everything falls apart and I think that a .22 would be best for hunting small game. If you want something heavier maybe a sks or ak-47 because you could still get ammo for it. Another option is a mosin but get some ammo too. Other guns are nice but may be harder to get ammo for (say for example a .270 or .243). I am relatively new to this as well but that's the way I see it.

I agree with this reasoning 100%! I would first buy a Ruger 10/22 and lots of HV ammo for it. Yes, you can defend yourself with a .22 and a nice 25 round magazine from Butler Creek. Make sure it has metal feed lips in my humble opinion. THEN, get the larger caliber gun.