Without a doubt, one of the most useful survival tools you can have when you start stocking up for when SHTF is a reliable firearm.
While a firearm won't help you to plant crops, build shelters, or aid in the general day to day jobs around your bug out property, it will help you to defend the things you do have.
There will be those who haven't prepared, and they will be as desperate for survival as you are. Having a firearm will aid you in convincing them that the things you've saved aren't worth their trouble. Not only that, but guns will be useful in hunting to “bring home the bacon.”
There are a lot of features which can make or break a weapon in a SHTF situation. To see some of the top features for a prepper gun, check out what you should look for in a gun on the next page.
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AK47, they’re reliable in all weather conditions, a large round that can put damn near anything down (from wildlife to people if need be) easy to maintain, easy to find ammo and cheap to start stocking ammo now. Also a cheap all around purchase. It’s only a $600-$800 purchase (compared to the $800- $1200 of the AR) AND the AK has no trouble firing steel casing ammo where I don’t personally recommend firing steel casing ammo out of an AR platform (although I know people who’s AR does fire steel casing just fine). Only downside to the AK is the weight of the weapon and ammo (but suck it up buttercup. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger). Just my personal view on the situation 🙂
AK reliability is a myth. Doesn’t even pass the mud test. Tolerances are too loose.
Incorrect my AK is rock solid in all weather conditions.
Mine seemed to work just fine. What weapon would you prefer, Travis if you don’t mind me asking. Just curious to broaden my horizons on different reliable weapons.
My SKS meets all of these criteria
Don’t forget small game food on the table. Buy good quality break barrel .177 or .22 pellet gun with built in muzzle silencer. Small game is all around, you can get food & someone a block away will not hear you. Big gun for protection & big game. Pellet gun for stealth & small game.
Mini-14, better reliability than an AR, less prone to fouling because of piston actuated bolt.
10/22, best all round semi auto , and when combined with the Ruger 22/45 an excellent survival package.
Ruger…all American, all the time rugged dependability !
A good old scout rifle in .308 would be great for this
Tank, buy a tank.
People take air rifles for granted with hunting small game. I have a .177 Crossman break barrel. Best gun I have ever used for squirrel and rabbit. And I have killed hundreds of squirrels with mine in my lifetime.
AK- 47 covers everything mentioned.
Not in North America.
In North America, the AR15 chambered in 5.56 is the only choice. Have it first, then all else is a bonus.
J.B. Moniker : That was my opinion, what’s yours?
AR15 in 5.56
Most versatile with readily available ammo: 12 gauge shotgun. I prefer the reliable Remington 870.
Only thing a shotgun is good for is hunting
Round for round the shotgun is an awesome weapon system. Slugs for long distance. Buckshot for close range. Flares rounds for signalling. Fletchette rounds for jungle clearing. You should take a shotgun utilization course. I have carried machine guns, rifles, pistols, and even antitank rockets. Shotguns are without a doubt an excellent weapons system.
J.B. Moniker you think? Any police officer will tell you that in most cases, all you have to do is slide the pump and rack the action and that is enough to deter many home invasions.
J.B. Moniker different loads for different situations = versatility. I have hunted and killed everything from a mule deer at 100 yards to doves and been successful.
J.B. Moniker this is about being prepared for self reliance, not going to war.
Soldiers of WWI,WWII, Korea, Veit Nam used shot guns, just to name a few.
What you in vision SHTF to be determines the weapon
Your nor going to be fighting all the time.
You are going to need to hunt various game.
You may need to travel and not draw attention
Basically either get an ar15, ar10, mini14 mini 30 or ak47 and youll be good to go
They’ll also tell you about watch guys with shotguns getting killed why trying to reload.
It’s already a home invasion when the perp is inside the house.
A shotgun will draw the same attention in SHTF as an AR
Someone breaks into your house, it’s war.
My philosophy is only for the AR15 because of the availability of parts, cartridges and mags. Every single PD and the military have them, as well as being the most popular civilian rifle.
Can’t say that about any other platform.
Though, if you have a 5.56 AR, all else is a bonus. Such as a shotgun for hunting small game.
J.B. Moniker The World Bank estimated more than 100 million Kalashnikovs exist- about 75 million of them the AK 47 variant. However, Russia, who holds the patent on the Kalashnikov, estimates that more than a million are made each year without permission of Russia- and more are made with permission. So a best guess would be more than 75 million. It is the most common assault rifle in existence.
Ideal would be an over under!
Honestly most ppl I know that own an AR own an AK as well. Id say both are tied as far as the US is concerned as far as part availability and ammo availability. Id say the AK is slightly more reliable, but where the AR lacks in reliability it makes up for in accuracy, and for M4s/M16 rate of fire
Or the mini 14, travor, ect. There ate so many guns out there that chamber that round or .223. Yes you can chamber a 5.56 NATO round in a weapon designed for 223 and vise versa.
The AR 15 is$#%&!@*in a post apocalypse environment. It is$#%&!@*to clean when you have the time, if the fucker fails you better hope or was a$#%&!@*round.
Ok in shtf if you are trying to be a sniper you’re dead.
“It should be easy to find” makes sense but why the$#%&!@*am I going to strip down a working weapon to fix a broken weapon? Why not just use said working weapon? Just make sure ammo is easy to find, don’t buy an AR platform, bolt action, pump action, and lever action are your best bet, buy a side arm.
Mini 14, no. Tavor, yes. AR a$#%&!@*to clean?!?
I never have any trouble cleaning them..
J.B. Moniker yes I have been cleaning them for six years. The AR15/M16 platform is not that great in the mud blood gut and beer, there so many small moving parts. The m14 is based off of the M1 Grand, the mini 14 is the smaller version. You really don’t need full auto to fight.
I know my$#%&!@*
Full auto, your correct.
Mini14 mags are not common, so they’re out.
The AR is a lot easier to clean and will take a lot more abuse than you give it credit for.
All rifles have a lot of small parts.
In SHTF in North America, if a person does not have an AR15 chambered in 5.56, that person is a moron and literally Fk’d.
In SHTF in North America, if a person does not have an AR15 chambered in 5.56, that person is a moron and literally Fk’d.
AR platform fanboys can’t be reasoned with.
Not so much a fan boy of the platform as I am a realist.
You want a rifle that is very common so you can keep it running and fed. That’s the AR15 platform.
Every single law enforcement has them, all branches of the military has them, and it’s the most popular rifle owned by civilians.
Even all NATO nations use the ammo and mags.
One could do well with an auto loading rifle that is chambered in 5.56 and uses 5.56 (stannag) AR mags. Such as the Tavor, SA-80, FN Scar 16, IMI Galil Ace 23N, etc. Heck, you can get An AK chambered in 5.56 that uses AR mags.
Ammo mags, and more so parts. This is why I say AR15 only.
For shotguns I’d ad the Rem 1100 & Mossberg 500
But all of those AK’s are on other contents, with thousands of miles of salt water between.
Buy an AR platform, an AK platform, a good bolt gun, a good lever gun, and a sidearm. Not just one of each, but at least two of each.
Remember, two is one and one is none.
https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1793160
https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1793160
Well AKs are pretty prominent in the US as well. Many of the AKs in other parts are cheap knock offs.
Works if you live in the middle of no where
Most common ammunition will be the 5.56. So the AR for all its issues will be the way to go followed by any rifle with 7.62.
12 gauge