Your choice(s) for SHTF weapons

[David]

In another thread, Bob began discussing choices for SHTF situations. It's always a good topic of discussion so I figured I'd get the ball rolling and start a thread.

This thread can be about the 'one gun' you think every prepper should have, or which three guns they should have or simply about the ones you have. Is there one platform that covers all your needs? Do you have specific platforms for specific purposes? Which do you recommend? What about ammo selection and amount of ammo to have on hand? What about maintenance and cleaning for the long term? What about storage and keeping the weapon(s) safe?

Varied opinions can be helpful to someone new looking at the topic.

[Bmyers]

I will jump in.

If you only have one gun, then it is the G19. The reasons, 9mm is very popular round, the pistol is able to be concealed on you, it has enough rounds to get you out of most situations, and very reliable. Most situations, you aren't going to walk around with a rifle slung on your shoulder. Yet, the pistol allows you to have it, not be noticed, and be prepared to get out of situation. Would I want to go to war with only a pistol? No. Yet, i think most SHTF situations aren't going to be a battlefield, but the occasional mobs and robbers, which the G19 should be able to help you escape. Could it be used for taking food, yes, but not the most effective at that.

Now, if we get to pick three guns. I still would want the G19 because of the above reason. I would add a PCC because it would work with my pistol mags, it is easy for the wife and daughter to use, and it is effective out to 100 yards. It could be used to take small game and deer. In addition, the report of it isn't as loud as a typical rifle. The third firearm would be the Mossberg 500 with interchangeable barrels. The different barrels allow the one firearm to go from self-defense to a good hunting choice. I realize that the wife and daughter wouldn't use the shotgun (even though they are both able to shot it).

Since I have the reloader, I'm able to keep us stocked with 9mm, so that is another advantage to the Glock/PCC platform. I have able cleaning supplies and with the Glock loose tolerances, yes cleaning is important, but it will tolerate dirt better than some other models.

[Ronin.45]

I agree with Bmyers on just about everything. My first choice would be a reliable 9mm handgun. As he stated, it's something you can easily keep on you, powerful enough, good capacity, and easy to find ammo for.
The PCC makes a great long gun as well. It has a touch more power and can get the average shooter out to 100 yards pretty easily. Sharing ammo and mags with your pistol is also a plus.
The third option is where there's some flexibility. Depending on location and available game you could go several different directions. Around here where the biggest animal is a whitetail deer, I'd probably pick a good rimfire rifle. It can take all manner of small game while still being capable of brain shooting a deer or bad guy if required. Ammo is so cheap and plentiful you can really stockpile it. If you may be relying more heavily on big game or may have to hunt at longer range, a centerfire rifle could be your best bet. The shotgun is usually my last choice, but does have a leg up in versatility. Like everything else, we have to consider out specific circumstances.

[David]

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to weapon platforms i.e. guns. What is a great choice for many might be a bad choice for one or a few.

Shotgun.

Case in point is the 12 gauge shotgun which Bob referenced in another thread. I agree that the 12 gauge is an excellent choice for many/most and is among the most ubiquitous of platforms. Any discussion on the topic of home defense and long guns will include the 12 gauge shotgun. There isn't a land animal on earth that can't be taken with a 12 gauge and the proper ammo. So it's great from taking birds and small critters to taking large animals to defending against large animals to defending the castle. Not everyone can handle a 12 gauge however, particularly with the stouter loads.

Pros:

• Ubiquitous in that it can be used for hunting (anything that walks) to defending the homestead.

• Shotgun shells are relatively inexpensive overall. Birdshot shells can be purchased in packs of 100 for about $25.

• Barrels can be easily changed out for different uses i.e. hunting birds or defending the house.

• Many of the better models will shoot forever and a day and are fairly easy to maintain.

• The stocks can be changed out easily. You can have a normal stock for hunting or one of the folding/tactical stocks for defense.

• Additional ammo can be stored on the weapon in shell holders and pouches.

Cons:

• Big and heavy means concealability will take a long coat and some effort.

• Shells are large, heavy and take up room.

• Can have stout recoil can be prohibitive to the young, small in stature, elderly, injured, sick or with other issues.

If one can handle the 12 gauge it is probably on most preppers 'must have' list because it can be so useful. And if one can handle it, the platform can make a good primary choice. It is still a platform you need to practice with.

I have a couple of 12 gauges and they have a definitive role in my preparedness plan. Although I know my wife would be unable to handle the platform in all but the most dire of emergencies due to medical issues and even then it would be a one-and-done scenario with a platform she is completely unfamiliar with and unable to train with. I keep the shotguns mainly for me since I've been using and teaching shotgun for decades.

Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC).

I really like the PCC and there are a LOT of great choices on the market at reasonable prices. My preference runs towards the models that use Glock magazines since that is a primary platform for me. While not as powerful as a regular rifle, they don't particularly need to be for the intended role i.e. self defense and plinking. They can be less expensive to shoot than many rifles (not counting .22 rifles) so practice is easier to accomplish. Less recoil and noise that many other long guns. Increases accuracy of the round and can even slightly enhance the performance of the round. A bit of care needs to be taken in ammo selection to ensure that the increased performance doesn't take the round outside of it's performance perimeters. For example, most rounds have a velocity threshold needed for the round to perform as designed. Too fast or too slow will negatively effect the rounds performance. More specifically if the round is a hollow point and less important if it's a full metal jacket.

My wife and I both have a Keltec Sub 2000 PCC that uses Glock 9mm magazines. She is able to handle this platform and enjoys shooting it. The slight recoil doesn't negatively effect her thus it is usable to her and doesn't intimidate her. I like it because it is a lot of fun to shoot.

Handgun.

For the vast majority of people, particularly folks that don't consider themselves as a 'gun person', the handgun is the one and only choice. And that's fine. As I've mentioned elsewhere, a good 6-shot revolver, a speed loader and a box of ammo will cover 99.9% of your possible needs providing you train with it for proficiency.

The Glock 19 was mentioned above and I'll give that a +1 because it's a great handgun. I'll toss in the Glock 26 as well simply because it is a bit smaller and uses all the magazines of the G26, G19 and G17. But the G19 will also use the G17 mags and of course they all use the 'fun' sticks i.e. 30+ round magazines. Handguns, regardless of preference are the most concealable which is important when you're not wanting to stick out like a sore thumb. Actual caliber will depend on the persons preference. 9mm is 'normally' a very solid choice though for some even the 9mm is a little stout.

More to follow and I'm sure others will chime in with their thoughts, preferences and experience.

[Bmyers]

I agree with Bmyers on just about everything. My first choice would be a reliable 9mm handgun. As he stated, it's something you can easily keep on you, powerful enough, good capacity, and easy to find ammo for.
The PCC makes a great long gun as well. It has a touch more power and can get the average shooter out to 100 yards pretty easily. Sharing ammo and mags with your pistol is also a plus.
The third option is where there's some flexibility. Depending on location and available game you could go several different directions. Around here where the biggest animal is a whitetail deer, I'd probably pick a good rimfire rifle. It can take all manner of small game while still being capable of brain shooting a deer or bad guy if required. Ammo is so cheap and plentiful you can really stockpile it. If you may be relying more heavily on big game or may have to hunt at longer range, a centerfire rifle could be your best bet. The shotgun is usually my last choice, but does have a leg up in versatility. Like everything else, we have to consider out specific circumstances.

The reason I went with a shotgun verses a 22, was for birds. We have lots of duck, geese, quail, ect, that would be a lot easier to hit with a shotgun than a 22. I thought about my Ruger rifle, but then realized if I was trying to feed my family, the shotgun was going to be my best option. It an take everything from squirrel and rabbit, to anything with a slug, to birds in the area. So I thought the flexibility was more important not knowing what game I would be available.

[ratf51]

I am of the opinion that it is best to fill particular categories of firearms. The following is based on someone not having any guns and looking for a starting point for building a minimal battery. And if I were starting from scratch again this would be my sequence.

1: Start with a full size centerfire handgun. Semi-auto or revolver, caliber of your choice. 9mm in a semi-auto is the smartest move; .357 for a revolver.
2: Next add a longarm. Two guns would be my minimum comfort level. So you now have a handgun and a longarm. If this is your stopping point the argument for a shotgun is very strong. The broad versatility of a shotgun is functionally unmatched by any other single firearm.
3: A .22lr rifle. If there is one single gun or type of gun everyone concerned with disaster preparation should have it is a decent .22 rimfire rifle. A semi-auto would be preferred although a lever action has strong merits. Bolt actions, while capable of providing exceptional accuracy, are much slower on follow-up shots. A .22 rimfire is much more a commodity or an appliance than anything else. I don't think it should be the first gun. And depending on where you live and what you anticipate as probable needs from a firearm it could easily be the second gun to get.

After these categories we begin to think in more specific niches-- a hunting rifle, a defensive rifle, a smaller more easily concealed handgun, etc. etc.

Bottom line-- I think that with guns filling these first 3 main categories you are covered for the majority of possible contingencies.

[Ronin.45]

Filling roles is my advice too. Primarily defense and hunting.
I think we all agree that a good handgun should be your first. It's the only option that offer defensive capabilities at home and on the move without being obvious or cumbersome. A common caliber is best for availability and price.
From there it becomes a lot more personal. Depending on your preferences and your location, your needs could vary greatly.
I like a rimfire because most of my sustenance hunting would be small game. Headshots on squirrels and rabbits ruin much less meat than a 12ga. Songbirds could be a last ditch food source and headshots would protect what little meat they have as well. We don't have many game birds in my area except turkeys and they will take a headshot as good as anything.
A 9mm carbine makes sense for me because it extends my defensive range quite a bit and offers a viable option for hunting deer. While it isn't perfect for a deer gun, it will absolutely suffice. If I lived around big game I'd have a 308. Again, a common caliber and capable of killing anything on the continent.

[Gnepig]

Choices for Stuff Hitting The Fan, umm, My 1 gun choice would be a 9mm carbine= as defense would probably be the main focus for shtf, it's pretty good for that- light, maneuverable and real accurate up to about 100 yards. In an SHTF event I would be less concerned with concealability. If they are farther away than that, they are not likely a threat at my AO.
Could also be used for hunting all suburban animals, most rural animals that are at close enough distances.

3 guns, would be the 9mm carbine and a 9mm pistol for continuity of ammo/ less to carry or fiddle with...
Altho a semiauto .22 rifle has lots of good merits, nothing says breaking in this house was a real bad idea like the sound of racking one into a 12ga shot gun- thee second MOST recognizable sound on the planet.

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[bdc]

1. a leatherman tool model with a scissors;
2. a minimal Swiss Victorinox knife with a scissors;
3. a pocket knife - probably a Buck 110;
4. a fixed blade knife - your choice;
5. a pellet rifle - your choice;
6. a pellet pistol - your choice.

Now I explain. Harry Callahan: “A man has to know his limitations.”

Go watch "There Were Expendable". There is scene, based upon a real person, wherein an old man runs a ship repair facility and helps the US Navy. I am older than that actor. US Army - more than 50 years ago.

In the 1930s depression, large edible game animals in the USA were nearly hunted to extinction. And, that will happen again here if shtf for a couple of years. Your "game animals" are going to be mice/rats/squirrels/earth worms/grass hoppers and so forth.

A few days after my 31st birthday, I was walking through the Khyber Pass with my late wife. At the narrowest point, you could fit two cars side-by-side - that wide. And, I actually saw one car. I looked straight up about 3000 feet and said "if I had to fight up there, I wouldn't make it". And, that was a long time ago.

You best tool or shtf weapon is your mind. It is always going to be with you. You fill it with skills. You try to keep the physical structure in good operating order.

Jeff Cooper once related a third hand story from a man purporting to be an escaped German POW in the Soviet Union. Guy supposedly went down the rail track from an arctic POW camp, killing soldiers at outposts and making his way back to Germany without speaking any Russian. Probably just a story, but it would be grist for a movie.

Now, get real. Read the book (skip the movie) about survival in shtf and the Bielski Brothers. Your survival, if any, will be extended if you are able to find a group of like minded people and engage in a division of labor.

[Mac66]

I am thinking a 22 rifle would be the best choice particularly since I have many 10s of thousands of rounds stashed away. A 22 out of a rifle is formidable but shot placement is key. Next choice would be a 12 ga shotgun which handles anything from birds to bears. It is pretty easy to reload 12 ga shells with just about anything you can scrounge up, if you have the powder and primers.

For three guns an AR15 (though just about any centerfire rifle would do), 12 ga shotgun and a 22 pistol I think would cover all the bases.