SHTF: Firearms, guns, etc

Guns are a hot topic right now in the prepper and survival world. We have a new administration about to take office whose members and supporters, have a track record of gun control laws, support and proposals.

For those who own, shoot and like guns, this is no surprise. We knew this day could and would come.

The result has been a mini economic boom in sales of guns, ammunition and accessories like magazines. The media only reports the increase in sales, not the economic effect (which has obviously been in the billions of dollars of sales judging by what I have read).

The drawbacks are obvious; there is hardly any .223 or .308 ammunition available any where. Check out Impact for instance and look for ammo - there is none and won't be for months.

Magazines are near impossible to get and when available are as expensive as the gun they were designed for.

And the rifles themselves are hard to find and substantially more expensive than they were just 30 days ago.

Gun shows used to be a great place to scour for deals - not any more. All gun shows across the country are reporting record crowds and smaller inventories than ever before.

The problem is supply (limited) and demand (no urgency to buy after 8 years of a pro-gun ownership administration [see the expiration of the Assault Weapons Ban and Second Amendment rulings by the current Supreme Court and former Attorney General John Ashcroft]).

Now consumers, some who have never owned any sort of firearm, are worried they will not get their hands on a AR15 or AK and want one NOW.

And they want "bullets" to shoot out of their toy and want those NOW as well.

Oh, and some of those "high cap clips" as well. Yes, they want those NOW too.

Which brings us back to this blog and tips to survive the end of the world. What are the firearms options for you if you want to prepare but have neither the funds or patience to locate the proper tools for the job?

At this point, I am going to stray into a world heavy on opinion and most likely to offend some of my readers - not my goal, but it happens all the same.

Here's the deal, if you prep, you have to learn to adapt.

And if you prep, the goal which supersedes all others is to fly below the radar and out of sight of those who would take the supplies you obtained for your family and friends.

So here we go..

There are a lot of rifles and magazines being purchased right now. Don't suppose for a moment that some in the government (and those about to be) are making sure they have a careful eye open for WHO is making those purchases and WHAT they are purchaing. I am not a paranoid into NWO or black heliocopters - just a realist.

And if a law is passed in February or March regarding certain rifles and magazines and ammunition and their future private legal ownership again, don't be surprised.

Which if that does happen, where will it leave you?

Next, my first concern and the one I have nightmares about does not involve blue helmeted UN goons packing me and mine off to a camp somewhere.

No, my worries center around Katrina type situations on a national level (high possibility), terrorists activity which shuts down most of the U.S. (has happened already), and economic collapse also resulting in shutdown of most government functions i.e. law enforcement (highly likely these days).

And if any of these activities happen, having any type of firearm is going to become highly desired and advantageous.

And that being the case, I am going to suggest some easy to obtain (available and affordable) firearms solutions to those particular and possible situations.

Number one - The Shotgun

The Shotgun is the single most effective self defense weapon in the world. Nobody should buy a rifle of any sort until they own at least one shotgun.

For our purposes, you want a pump shotgun in either a 12 (mandatory) or 20 guage (distant second runner up).

There are three handy choices for purchase at any big box retailer:

Remington 870 (Home Defense Model)


Mossberg Persuader


Mossberg Maverick


The Maverick is the cheapest of them all priced under 200.00 at my Academy store whereas the Remington is the most expensive coming in at 325.00 and change.

Shells are cheap as well. On a trip to Walmart the day before Thanksgiving, Number One Son and I saw no .223 or .308 available (and none coming said the man) but lots of 12 guage shells available.

We want at least 250 each of buckshot, rifled slugs and 04 shot on hand at all times. I recommend picking up a box of each every time you step into WallyWorld, Academy, Big 5 or Dicks - like once a week.

Rifle -

Start with the basic most dependable and cheapest to own rifle in the universe. The .22. Kim du Toit said the .22 should be everyone's home, should be as common as a piece of furniture and makes a fine wedding gift for the young couple, or something like that.

There is only worth having in my opinion - the Ruger 10/22.



The price is under 200.00 for this fine rifle. High capacity magazines are available online but are going up in price and hard to get. You want 25 round mags if possible, but pick up 4 or 5 extra 10 round rotary mags. Why? because they are quick to change out and will not draw attention to your rifle like a long curved "evil" magazine will.

Rounds for the .22 will set you back next to nothing. A brick (550 rounds) runs about 15.00 anywhere. WallyWorld had closeouts at 10.00 for a brick of Remington last week. You are wrong to buy less than 2000 rounds and maintain such a stock from now on.

Center fire rifle -

You want a larger caliber rifle with range and stopping power. This rifle will be for hitting targets beyond 100-200 yards or hard to stop targets like vehicles.

My best bet would be a Remington 700, but they are pricey - The model number is the base price - around 700.00. Mossberg makes a lower priced rifle too. There is a Remington 700 SPS rifle just under 500.00 which makes it worth checking out.




As for caliber, there is only one real choice right now and that is 30-06. It is a powerful cartridge and widely available. Yes, a .308 would be nice, but the cartridges are simply not available.

Center fire rifle - multi/rapid fire

For reliability and since semi auto rifles are not available, consider a lever action rifle chambered in 30-30.



A 30-30 is easily accurate out to 125- 150 yards and can carry a decent capacity of ammunition. 30-30 ammunition is also readily available too. You are going to want at least a few hundred rounds each of 30-30 and 30-06 on hand at all times.

Others -

If hunting is on your plate, consider picking up a decent pellet gun. A pellet gun can pick off squirrels and birds and cost very little for the work. A good Crossman is available for less than 80.00 at the big boxes.

Handguns -

I have two differing opinions here which cause me a bit of consternation.

I have always been a wheel gun man. I like the simplicity and durability of a good revolver.

But I realize the need for quick rapid fire of a semi auto. Heck, a pistol is necessary to provide cover fire while I go for my rifle!

For pistols, I always recommend a .357 revolver (can also fire .38) which has stopping power and features ammo which is readily available anywhere.

For semi, I like 9mm over any other caliber. The rounds have little recoil which make the caliber ideal for almost anyone. And the ammo is everywhere.



Pricing on the semi is better than the revolver. Academy had a nice Taurus on sale for less than 230.00 Black Friday. It came with two spare magazines. Throw in 200 rounds and you have a good start which is better than nothing the day after.

In closing, I know I might have opened up the holy war of gun conversations, but there are a few things to take away.

1) Any gun is better than no gun the day after. Don't wait for an AR15 to fall into your lap if you do not have a good shotgun, .22 and pistol today.

2) All these guns flying off the shelves are either a great investment (post-ban) or will result in a glut next year when the economy tanks and no pending legislation regarding their ownership or purchase surfaces. If that happens, expect some great deals on some slightly used rifles next summer.

3) Low profile guns will be more desirable in the short term. Government officials and the media have already demonized these legal tools with extreme prejudice. It might be wise to not give them reason to pause when goons are prowling your neighborhood and there you are with a Colt or Bushmaster on the front porch.

4) Finally any rifle is worthless without ammo. There is very little .223, .308 or 7.62 x 39 around. Consider filling your firearms with readily available ammunition.

Be careful, be ready and good luck.