Shtf firearms

[gutpile]

Folks,

I see many postings on SHTF firearms......Here is my thoughts
on a BUDGET(most folks are) singleshot guns (handirifles and Rossi)
with multiple barrels are vesatile. Mosins and SKS are bargains still savage ruger and mossberg all make under 350 dollar decent rifles..calibers get stuff you can reload for easy and shoot well... Handguns try different models and calibers, get something of decent quality that is comfortable and you shoot well. If you cannot shoot accurately then missing the bastard with a 500 mag does not hurt them as much as a center mass hit with a 22LR 32 or 380 9mm works for me and my wife. I am comfortable with larger calibers but she is not.
Look at some inexpensive reloading and casting equip IT can be done on the cheap.......look at some of my posts I have ONE bullet mold to feed my 308, 30-06, 7.62x39 7.62x54r 303 enfield for combat and or hunting....one 32 roundball mold for small game loads and practice or training.
Practice .....be a active shooter....Snipers are feared on the battlefield and in urban combat because of steath and that one shot one kill...AND they use a BOLT gun.....they do not spray 1k of rounds
Sure an ak or ar or Hk is nice but if you got no ammo or a way to get or make any....Think about the WHOLE package in a logistical sense.

Gutpile

 

[kawasakiridrzx6r]

I by no means like hi point but a great gun and cheap ammo for the hi point 995 would be a great all around gun .... it is small ...a young man or woman can handle it easily and a 9mm could take out a squirrel or a medium size animal ....keep ya fed and a cheap gun to shoot ...thanks for thread

 

[bstewrat3]

I agree on your choice of a single shot which will work for the majority of situation most of us will never see. I would also throw in the T/C products which start off at a higher price point, but give a much wider selection of barrels to choose from.

 

[wrnyhuise]

I can see the value of reloading certain rounds but I looked into it and as of right now my house has a 22 and a 9mm. It is not cost effective right now for me to buy all the equipment just to reload the 9mm. At what point do you see the true value come into it? I am very interested in learning the trade not only for self reliant reasons but also to pass the trade to my kids as well.
Just some of my thoughts. We are more than likely going to purchase a few 10/22's first because even my small kids could learn on one and then buy larger calibers later.

 

[H.T.]

"SHTF" Indicates to me a combat type situation. As a vet I would say any weapon from a Springfield 03 to a M249 are good SHTF weapons.

 

[wrnyhuise]

"SHTF" Indicates to me a combat type situation. As a vet I would say any weapon from a Springfield 03 to a M249 are good SHTF weapons.

do you seriously see a 249 as rational? Think about most people locations now days. It is all urban. no need for a long range sniper type rifle. and if SHTF i don't see there being enough readily available ammo for something that sprays mass amounts of ammo. Go light and fast on your feet. granted smaller calibers don't have the "knock down power" everyone rages about but honestly. A 22 round to the head will drop anybody. They are light and you can carry a crazy amount of rounds for it compared to the larger calibers.

 

[Glock22c]

do you seriously see a 249 as rational? Think about most people locations now days. It is all urban. no need for a long range sniper type rifle. and if SHTF i don't see there being enough readily available ammo for something that sprays mass amounts of ammo. Go light and fast on your feet. granted smaller calibers don't have the "knock down power" everyone rages about but honestly. A 22 round to the head will drop anybody. They are light and you can carry a crazy amount of rounds for it compared to the larger calibers.

do you not think that if a .22cal was as deadly as you are saying that the military would not be issuing it for more than just practice(if they even do that anymore)

COMBAT accuracy does not include head shots for most people in a real life real world situation

we are talking a center of mass shot IF you are lucky

will it hurt? yes
will it kill? sure but before the bad guy with a large caliber can take you out as well? not likely

the truth is that you need the biggest guns you can PROFICIENTLY use in a combat scenario

taking game and such can and most likely should not ever take a gun

 

[NathanJefferson]

do you not think that if a .22cal was as deadly as you are saying that the military would not be issuing it for more than just practice(if they even do that anymore)

COMBAT accuracy does not include head shots for most people in a real life real world situation

we are talking a center of mass shot IF you are lucky

will it hurt? yes
will it kill? sure but before the bad guy with a large caliber can take you out as well? not likely

the truth is that you need the biggest guns you can PROFICIENTLY use in a combat scenario

taking game and such can and most likely should not ever take a gun

Not to mention a .22lr has so little penetration that it is almost laughable as a offensive round.

I'm not going to volunteer to test it out, but I'd bet a simple bike helmet would be enough to save your life from being 'headshot' with a .22lr. A heavy coat and 50-100yards enough to really take the bite out of a body shot.

Most bulk pack .22lr that I've shot won't make it through plywood at 75yards, it just bounces off. yep, would hurt, probably even kill (if you wait long enough...) but don't expect to win a fight with it.


Save the .22 for training and hunting small game.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

do you seriously see a 249 as rational?

You must be new around here.

 

[avboiler11]

Not to mention a .22lr has so little penetration that it is almost laughable as a offensive round.

I'm not going to volunteer to test it out, but I'd bet a simple bike helmet would be enough to save your life from being 'headshot' with a .22lr. A heavy coat and 50-100yards enough to really take the bite out of a body shot.

Lethality_of_the_22_LR

For the record, I wouldn't want to ever use a 22LR as an offensive (or defensive, for that matter) weapon against a human adversary...but I wouldn't dismiss its lethality either - men have been killed with a LOT less over the years.

 

[kawasakiridrzx6r]

Ding ding ding .....haha

 

[Waveraider]

I by no means like hi point but a great gun and cheap ammo for the hi point 995 would be a great all around gun

Hey. Don't crack on the Hi-Point 995. Great rifle, other than the 10 round mag. It's about the same weight as my AR, and I trust it to fire every time I pull the trigger. Not as much range, but it's a fat pistol round vs 223.

 

[BigMoose]

Sorry, will be using an M14.

I know it's a honker, so i am hitting the gym.

M1 Carbine for the wife.

 

[Iroquois]

As far as real survival guns, it's hard to beat the old timers. A single action pistol is pretty reliable and a .45 can be loaded to deadly ballistics with black powder in a pinch. The old 30-30 can be loaded to nearly factory ballistics with a gas check and wheel weights. If you're starting out reloading about the easiest round to learn on is the. 38special. The. 45 long colt wouldn't be much harder. Most 9mm like jacketed bullets ...but some will reload ok with lead...not something you wanna learn about after SHTF. A .22 is a handy survival round...for small game. Big bears have been killed with. 22s but not by first choice. A single shot. 22 with a good scope would be enough, for game and training. A 16-20 inch barrel bolt action with good sights will kill a lot of rabbits, squirrels, or geese for that matter.

 

[kawasakiridrzx6r]

Im not crackin on the 995 ....i like it a lot ....just dont like any other hi points

 

[Trigger Time]

I'm just gonna say this and let whoever agree or disagree. It's no skin off my back.
In my opinion, especially for budget minded individuals, the single best all encompassing SHTF gun is a 12ga pump shotgun. (My favorite is the Remington 870) but there are others great as well and it's just a personal preference.)

Also, don't get caught up on "12 gauge" like some know nothing's advise like the gospel. A 20 gauge will be just as effective against a attacker and has less recoil so is more desirable and able to be handles by different builds or ages of people better.

A pump shotgun is a very reliable gun an is easy to maintain and repair if needed. It's a simple machine and replacement parts can be bought and found easily.

Ammunition is easy to obtain even now. Also shells CAN be reloaded.

A slug is just like a large rifle round! A big effin round!!! Also very accurate for at least 100 yards and over which is plenty for a civilian. yes soldiers need weapons that reach further but a prepper wont more than not. Also it will go through walls and other barriers an attacker may hide behind. Buckshot will also travel through walls, also is very effective on targets and accurate. The rounds are also great for opening doors!
Numerous game loads for hunting. So all around this is a close quarters and medium range weapon and a hunting gun.

The only downside I can find with a shotgun would be the lack of ammo capacity. But with practice it is EASY for all ages to become proficient and fast at reloading, and even doing it while under fire effectively.

No one wants to be on the business end of a shotgun.

Like I said, take this opinion as you wish. But if your preparing on a budget I would recommend an 870 for almost every person in your group. Sure buy a rifle for one person. But a 870 or a mossberg 500 can easily be had for $200 to $250 even now. And the more people with guns the better.
Also don't get hung up on the ammo capacity thing. More people will never even have to fire a weapon in anger when SHTF, another misconception is that when shtf it's gonna be a giant gun battle. Sure your now gonna see lots of idiots running around looking like weekend warriors, but those people are mostly made up of idiots who will fade away or be killed. Just being in a group armed with shotguns will be a very intimidating and effective security force and deterrent.

As with every aspect of prepping, it's impossible to prep for all scenarios. And no I'm not saying everyone must have a shotgun. But if you don't have enough money to buy an ak47 or a AR15 then a shotgun is affordable. And then keep buying another until everyone has one. I'd rather have 5 people armed than just 1 with a semiauto rifle. Later if you wanna upgrade then sell the shotguns.

 

[6mm Shoot]

In my way of thinking you will need a shotgun, rifle and a hand gun. I laugh when I hear that a 22 isn't any good to defend your self with. Some people need to get out with a 22 and some good ammo and test it out on just what it will go through. At fifty yards the stingers will go through the door of a van. They will go through 1/2" plywood with no problem. I have 4 rifles in 22 and that many hand guns in 22. If the family shows up in a SHTF stuff I will pass out the 22s and ammo to aid in protecting them selves and the rest of us. They will also be used for small game hunting. I am not saying they are the best or that is the only thing you should have. I am saying that I would not want to face a bunch of them in the hands of someone that knows how to use one. They will kill you as dead as a 357mag with out all the recoil.

 

[ZombiePanda]

In my way of thinking you will need a shotgun, rifle and a hand gun. I laugh when I hear that a 22 isn't any good to defend your self with. Some people need to get out with a 22 and some good ammo and test it out on just what it will go through. At fifty yards the stingers will go through the door of a van. They will go through 1/2" plywood with no problem. I have 4 rifles in 22 and that many hand guns in 22. If the family shows up in a SHTF stuff I will pass out the 22s and ammo to aid in protecting them selves and the rest of us. They will also be used for small game hunting. I am not saying they are the best or that is the only thing you should have. I am saying that I would not want to face a bunch of them in the hands of someone that knows how to use one. They will kill you as dead as a 357mag with out all the recoil.

+1

The .22 gets a fair amount of derision for being weak but no one volunteers to play .22 tag, so...

As far as SHTF firearms:

Any gun > no gun
Gun you're good with > FU-5000 Manstopper you've never trained with
Sharp stick > no sharp stick
A buddy watching your back = priceless

My

 

[kawasakiridrzx6r]

Anyone that thinks a .22 is not enough ...well they have never been shot by one then .....haha.....take one to the bicep and we will see if u think its not good enough.....

 

[Waveraider]

Im not crackin on the 995 ....i like it a lot ....just dont like any other hi points

Well... I agree with you there.