firearms choices for shtf situation

[john riley]

While paticipating in a recent thread about grab and go kits for a tshtf situation some one asked what firearms you would bring in such a situation I was wondering what your thoughts were here are my choices in an ideal world (although in a in an ideal world a shtf sit. wouldn't happen) A marlin leveraction carbine in .357magnum A ruger gp-100 w/ a 4 inch barrel of the same caliber (as it allows sharing of ammo) these two would be adequate for 2 legged predators as well as attaining medium to large game such as deer. I would also bring with me my handi- rifle parner combo in .22lr and 20 gauge this would provide mw with all of my small game needs All 3 cartridges are common and easy to attain. what are your thoughts???

[AL MOUNT]

My AK-47

My 1911

My CZ .204 for "food gathering" .....

[Crpdeth]

John

If I had to hit the door running, although through conversation you know thats the last thing I want to do, I'd grab the Load Bearing vest which is equiped with some good reliable mags for the AR-15 and a few other things including quality mags for the .45, so of course I'd be taking the .45 as well...Are their better choices? I have no doubt that there are, but this would have to do for me. I think that the .223 is a darn sutable "middle of the road" caliber for medium sized game and may even leave a little meat on a squirrel if it came down to it, of course shot placement and projectile selection would be key, but I believe it would double as a sutable fighting rifle as well, some call it underpowered and I agree to some extent, but I also know that there aren't many other single calibers that would fill both needs, add to that the fact that I've SEEN this caliber at work, it will penetrate both sides of a military helmet with all the liners in place at 100 yards and keep singing along out the back side...Good enough for me as my AO is heavily wooded and I dont see myself taking alot of 200 - 300 yard shots anyway, I mean ya just dont see that far in most places and if you do it's just a matter of learning a little stealth.

The .45 is tried and true not only as a caliber, but the one I own is one that I've spent alot of time with, I handload all the ammo that goes through it and "preload" every round to make sure it will feed properly when it is called on, I'm not getting one hole groups with it yet, but I've done a little work on it in an attempt to pull those groups together...Bottom line is, I'd stake my life on it against a mad hog any day...And may just have to.

Crpdeth

[blackhawkkid308]

an m14/m1a in 308
an ar15 in 223
a 1911 in 45acp
one of my 12 gauge shotguns
a 629 smith 4in 44
my ruger 10-22 target
with this setup i can do just about anything but if i could only have 3 it would be!
m14/m1a
1911 45acp
shotgun
bhk308

[berto64]

22 RF Rifle One Pump...One semiauto.

1911 pistol...because that is what I have the most of.

Military KBar knife

[Pistolenschutze]

Assuming I had at least a few minutes to prepare, I think my choices would likely be:

1. Pump action, 12 gauge shotgun, most likely a Remington 870.
2. A good .22 rifle, probably a Ruger 10/22.
3. Two heavier caliber rifles, likely a scoped 30-06 and a 94 Winchester or 336 Marlin in 30-30 with open sights. I would also include a .223 if possible.
4. Two handguns, one a 1911 .45--or alternately, a Beretta 92 in 9mm--and the other a revolver, most likely in .357 mag.

One basic theme I would wish to concentrate on is the likely availability of ammo for any weapons I chose to include. Obviously, I would try to take plenty, but at some point, the supply could run out, thus calibers that are common here in the U.S.

[45Smashemflat]

Lets assume we are actually "carrying" this gear. I support the original list with the pair of 357's. I'd swap the 20Ga BBL for a 12. Two reasons - in America 12Ga ammo is more plentiful than 20, and it just plain hits harder.

If I had to run by my safe and grab what I could carry it would be a 1911, a 12Ga, and a .308 bolt gun on a sling. The 12 is for when they get to name time and place. The 308 is when I get to. The 1911 is just cuz you never know.

[ironsight65]

Assuming time is critcal and everything must be carried, I would grab my
Bushmaster M4, Kimber 1911, and Glock 17. I could carry a lot of ammo for
the AR15 and 9mm and enough 45 acp to use for a primary self defense
sidearm.

[southernshooter]

MY
Henry lever action .22
and my Xd-45acp
both of them with as much ammo as I can pack in a bookbag or duffel bag

[BobMcG]

If there was precious little time and I was going to be carrying and pretty much on the go at least initially, my grabs (aside from the .40 S&W already on my person) would be my AK-47 and .357 from the safe and a generous amount of mags, speed loaders and ammo. I also keep a vest and emergency hydro/filter and pack combo loaded, close by and ready to go into the field at all times.

[Light Coat]

I'd drop my .40 and grab both of my .357's. Take my 21" bbl 870 Remington 12ga and my FN/FAL. That's from the point of view of the rapid deployment, forage and survive option.

Under normal circumstances; I would fall back on my rural IRP. I keep a set of hand-crank equipment operable there and have a more than adequate supply of whoop-a$$. Having somewhere to run to is the question I would put to anyone thinking about flying poo. I made my dugout for the sole purpose of digging in and I put it in a place where the area around my rock is viable for survival.

[358 winchester]

I ain't running whit that said I think I may be able to hold off a small army for a week or two the wife loading and me shooting. If we did leave the wife would carry the 357mag revolver and lever combo I would carry the same in 44 mag the wife an AR 15 and me a SKS but what would I do with 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds of dried beans

[Shooter45]

Beans = WMD.

Or a bubble bath in a secluded stream .

[southernshooter]

[HiPowerKid]

Two sextillion pounds of dried beans @ what, half-pound of dried beans per can yielding 64.5 farts per can ? I think somebody better call the EPA. Your house could be a new Superfund site for the county. You could apply for a grant, get gobs of government money, then buy the place in Idaho and stock it with a million pounds of ammo. Just imagine the possibilities !

[Crpdeth]

Originally Posted by 358 winchester

but what would I do with 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pounds of dried beans?

Ed Zachary!

[southernshooter]

Put a dome over his house and we just got a new methane gas refinery

[ueckhaus1]

If the S that HTF was from the catbox or East, then something in an AK might be a good idea. That way I can scavange ammo from the lost.

Otherwise, if the S that's H'ingTF are wearing powder blue helmets or crossing the Rio Grande, I'd feel confident with my Bushmaster AR, my Kimber & Springfield 45's (they're such close friends I'd hate to split them up), and my Mossy M590 12ga.

Of course I'd need two men and a boy to carry the ammo!!!

Glenn

[charagrin]

No offense guys but if the sh#@ hits the fan you will be screwed. Think about it. Something like "Ill grab my AR-!%, 30-30, .308 bolt, .357 mag, .45 1911 and on and on" wont work. You wont be moving very fast with 50 pounds of equipment, firearms, and ammo will you?

That said I would grab My Henry .22. Light dependable, fairly accurate, and there will be ammo everywhere. Id also grab some survival gear. Unlike the rest of you, I wont be looking for a fight.

[Rommelvon]

well, I have my shtf pack ready, so in addition I would grab my springfield xd40, my mossberg590 w/bayonet and my bushym4 or my AK-47

[Crpdeth]

Originally Posted by charagrin

No offense guys but if the sh#@ hits the fan you will be screwed.

No offense taken, but when several BGs stumble upon your AO whether you are looking for a fight or not, you will be screwed with your underpowered choice...Is this a lever action as well?

You just have to keep in mind, in this unlikely scenario, that you wont be the only fish in the pond, if you survive, then many others will as well and they will be very needy and willing to risk whats left of their lives to take what you have...I haven't heard anyone here even insinuate that they would be "looking for a fight" but, one better assume that there will be many.

Also, I certainly wouldn't be counting on finding ammo anywhere that someone else has already been...Quite simply because they know that even if they do not need it, it will still be a good barter item in hard times.


Just my .002


Crpdeth

[358 winchester]

I have done a little more thinking
I am grabbing
"The last train to Clarksville"

[charagrin]

Originally Posted by Crpdeth

No offense taken, but when several BGs stumble upon your AO whether you are looking for a fight or not, you will be screwed with your underpowered choice...Is this a lever action as well?

I guess you are correct about its underpowered-ness but in the place of you carrying evn a few hundred rounds of .45, .357, whatever I can carry at least 500 rounds of .22 lr. And since you guys would most likely be carrying at least a 1000 rounds for whatever, I could carry 5000. Also I believe in the "double tap" principle which means shoot em once in the chest and once in the head quickly. That will bring pretty much anything down. That being said I will add the Marlin 336 I got kicking around here somewhere. And I will also add a solid caliber pistol. Ill probably pick up a .357, thatl do the job.
-Char

[JLA]

i think id grab the trusty 870 w/ a bunch of different loadings from slugs and buckshot to #8 birdshot, that oughta cover just about anything id need it for, and for back-up purposes, id probly grab my .44 mag with at least a full belt.

[clmanges]

The most important piece of gear you own is right between your ears -- assuming it works well.
Did you forget some other important items? My "Get the hell outta Dodge" bag has no guns in it, but it does have a hand ax and a sheath knife, a folding shovel, as well as some rope and a couple other items. If I were serious about this and thought it would do me any good, I'd probably add a camo tarp. I smoke, so I'm never without reliable fire.
What about water? (you need a gallon a day, at eight pounds per gallon) Food? Extra clothes for all seasons/conditions? Tent? Sleeping bag? Cook kit, stove, lantern (and its fuel)? Now, are we still talking about what you can carry by youself, or do you have to load the pickup?
I'm with Charagrin on this; smallest, lightest gun you have, because you'll really need the carrying capacity for other things. Then, practice making yourself invisible. Use the gun for bagging squirrels and bunnies until you can learn to get them with snares or other means.
Myself, I'd just stay home. I need a cane to get around with, so I can't run or climb anything. I'd be screwed. Or, maybe I'd get lucky, but knowing my limitations gives me freedom from worrying about it.
Actually, there are different possible scenarios, and some are worse than others. I think that if everything fell completely apart all at once (no utilities, fuel, total disorder), that would actually be easier, since the majority of the shooting, etc., would be permanently over in about a month. In that scenario, stay out of sight for a month, and anyone you meet after that can be assumed to have at least the same skill level as you, so you can then propose a truce and form an alliance.

The really ugly possibility would be if things didn't all completely disintegrate, but just enough to prolong the violence long enough for all the ammo and food to dry up.
Think about what not to take -- anything that runs on batteries or refined fuel is going to become dead weight pretty soon, so you're better off learning to do without it.
BTW, nobody mentioned taking Man's Best Friend along, either. What, you're gonna get out in the wild and not have a source of dog spit to heal your cuts and scratches? Tsk, tsk.