[carver]

Originally Posted by Redd

I've done quite a bit of searching and can't find the advice I'm needing on my situation. I've been looking for a shtf weapon and I've acquired a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 at a great price and it's in even better condition and have started trying to stockpile ammo. I also have a good sidearm which I've started getting ammo put together for it.
Now I'm not a super paranoid person, but I have seen enough that I want to be prepared. I plan on bugging in if/when something happens, so I'm good around the house as far as hunting firearms. But if I have to go out I'd like to have something smaller and compact with semi-auto capability. But here lies my problem.
I know I'll get slammed so I'll say before hand, I'm on kind of a tight budget and I'd like to get it before the end of the year, and there's no way I can spend over a grand on a gun right now AND stock up on the ammo I'd like to have.
That being said, I've got it narrowed down halfway.

First - Norinco SKS - Cheapest, can save money to buy more ammo all the way around.

Second - Century Arms WASR 10 - Still can get a pretty decent price and still be able to get enough rounds to break in and start a stockpile.

Third- AR of some kind; the lower echelon/entry level group like Bushmaster DPMS or I've even considered buying a complete upper from a reputable dealer and putting it together myself to cut out the middle man.

I know I shouldn't be, but I'd really like to buy something before the election because I'm afraid of the price hikes that may occur. I'm not looking for a hunting rifle, just something for self defense in case, God forbid, the need arises. In the future I can either sell or just get a different gun in a different caliber and start from scratch.
Thanks in advance.

I have both the SKS, and the WASR AK, and I love them all. They shoot! One SKS has a folding stock, and the duck bill 30rd mag. The other is stock. They may not be the most accurate rifles out there, but at 150 yds. I can hit a man sized target without a problem. For hunting deer, I would keep my shots inside the 100 yd. mark, they just aren't accurate enough for that clean humane shot at any further distances. As a SHTF weapon at 150 yds, they will work. The 7.6X39 cartridge is comparable with the 30-30 out to about 100 yds. These guns are battle rifles, they are not target rifles.