Welcome back, lets continue talking about that “preppers” gun cabinet we started examining the other day. I think most of you did get the point of what I’m saying in this discussion but I’m going to say it again for that one fella that missed it!

 

   I’m discussing the firearms that I think make a well rounded “preppers arsenal”! This is only my opinion, as well thought out as I believe it to be, you are free to do ANYTHING you want when it comes to how you personally approach this area of your readiness.

 

   We have a number of readers that have yet to begin their firearms purchasing. I thought it might be timely to discuss what I have come up with as a minimum firearms battery for any prepper and especially someone just starting out. Many of us find that we are under strict budget constraints as well. Like a lot of you, it has taken me a lifetime to collect all those special favorites and I’m definitely not encouraging anyone to stop collecting, just to look at NEEDS vs. wants!

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

   Alright, the other day I briefly discussed what I consider to be the bare bones firearms battery that I believe all of us should acquire. It was a basic .22 rifle and a versatile shotgun. These two along with a supply of ammunition can readily be had for around $800. Most every larger town publishes some sort of “Penny Saver” style classified want ads. This is where I would suggest starting  your search for these tools. Not only are you going to maintain a level of privacy but you may be able to save the 5-10% sales tax, if that is legal in your local, as an added bonus.

 

   Now that we have the first two guns covered, let’s look at where we’ll want to beef up our capabilities. Since both of the guns we have now are for relatively short range we will need something that can reach out a bit further. Not only will we want the ability to take a shot at that (insert your favorite game animal) and hit it, we want that sucker down.

 

   I’m of the opinion that many if not all of the larger game in any particular area will be hunted out in short order if the poop ever does truly hit the fan. Considering this possibility, I still think that a versatile heavy hitting centerfire hunting rifle will serve us well. I know that each area of the country has its local favorite and I certainly am not familiar enough with all of the potential hunting calibers to make a selection for anyone but myself.

 

   My suggestion in this regard is that if you’re currently a hunter, fill this particular slot in the cabinet with your existing hunting rifle. If you aren’t already a hunter, find a mentor! Don’t feel bad about asking for help in any area, I’m in the same boat… I’ve never had much of a chance to go hunting, even though it’s a skill I have been meaning to acquire. Now, I do own a hunting rifle that will fill this slot just fine and it’s all sighted in, just waiting to get out in the woods.

 

   My approach to selecting a caliber for my center-fire “Hunting” rifle was to look to the proven and popular calibers. These in my mind were 30-06, .308, 270 and the like. I felt that sticking with a readily available caliber would give me the best chance at an ammunition resupply, if that ever became necessary. Once I had identified the caliber and action I was seeking, it took no time at all to locate a good quality rifle. I found my through said “Penny Saver” classifieds, there are plenty of good rifles out there for under $500. In our area of the country, there seems to be turnover of rifles shortly after hunting season and the bargains are plentiful.

 

   As an example of our guns doing double duty… Might a bolt action center-fire .30 caliber hunting rifle be pressed to serve as a defensive weapon? I’d say so, while the rifles that the police designated snipers use are much more refined, they are often in a similar caliber and possibly built on the same action as that hunting rifle you just picked up. I’m not saying that you and your hunting rifle are going to be qualifying as a sniper anytime soon but if the platform is sufficient to neutralize a criminal threat for a police officer, then it would probably work for us too.

 

   I’m fairly certain that even a soft point hunting round would discourage the friends of that Mutant Zombie Biker that could come looking for their friend… You know the one that came a callin while you were in the garden… Since there was more than just the one this time, no one will blame you for taking care of the problem from cover while they fiddle with the lock on your gate out by the county road… Just sayin??

 

   Something else to keep in mind when considering your ammo purchases for this rifle and it’s intended purpose, it won’t be going through a lot. While you may not be satisfied with less than 10K rounds for that AR or Ak, several hundred hunting rounds will last you for many years…

 

Cost: $500 for a good used hunting rifle w/ and inexpensive scope, $250 for a couple hundred rounds of ammunition. Shop wisely!

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

   Ok, we have short range to longer range shots handled. We now have a firearm that is capable of taking anything from the size of a squirrel, on the small side, up to an Elk, on the larger side. We can bag a rabbit or even, get the fixens for a black bird pie! All while keeping our out of pocket costs at a reasonable level. What have we missed?  How about a good handgun to round out our meager collection?

 

   Some people might want to leave this last purchase out in favor of more ammunition or a higher quality long gun than what I described. To each his own. However, I feel that the extra expense would be merited in acquiring a quality handgun to add to our collection. There is a versatility and convenience factor that a handgun brings that the long gun can’t easily make up for. We have all heard the saying that the handgun is only so we can fight our way back to the rifle we shouldn’t have put down in the first place… Well, what about when we aren’t fighting?

 

   As “preppers” we may indeed have the occasion to need to defend our families or ourselves but I maintain that these instances will be in the distinct minority to other firearm uses. We have to eat every day and I truly do hope that I won’t find myself in a situation where each day is a life and death struggle against others just so I can feed my family. With this in mind I will make my handgun recommendation. Remember this is assuming that we will only be having these 4 guns and not the entire contents of a small gun shop at our disposal… I’m speaking to several of you that I know have EXTENSIVE collections and can’t imagine a scenario that wouldn’t allow you to select the exact specialized weapon for whatever you might choose to need it for!

 

   My handgun recommendation for this scenario would be a good quality revolver. Paired up with a solid belt holster and you can have this gun on your hip without undo inconvenience. I don’t really think that the caliber is all that important either, a good .22 revolver or a .357 magnum, both will serve you well. Myself, I would tend to go for something more in the range of the .357 as this will give a more versatile platform but a .22 would have some advantages too. The magnum could be loaded with a mild .38 special round for some situations or targets, while you would have the option for the more powerful magnum load if defense was a concern.

 

   There had been a lot of used Police trade in firearms a few years back as many of the departments made the switch to the semi-autos. I would have to say that these bargain guns were most likely already bought up but will undoubtedly have made it to the secondary market by now. A trip to the local gun emporium or even that same “Penny Saver” classified ads could turn up a great deal. Many of these guns were manufactured by Ruger and had very few rounds through them. These solid wheel guns would serve the variety of “prepper” purposes well.

 

   Again, for our purposes the ammunition supply that would need to be bought and stored wouldn’t be anywhere as extensive as that of other firearms. This isn’t to say that you couldn’t purchase a Glock or semi-auto platform and have great results. I’m just attempting to keep this exercise simple and a proven revolver is going to be an easily learned tool for most any adult that might be handy.

 

   In addition to all of the other attractive traits of a revolver, they are almost always less expensive to purchase. I regularly see Ruger revolvers in “Good” condition at the local gun show for as little as $200 dollars. Ammunition will of course be expensive like it all is now. Maybe its just me but a couple of hundred rounds for a wheel gun seems a lot more adequate than it does for my Glock?

 

Cost: $250 for a good used revolver, $200 for a couple of hundred rounds of ammunition.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

   Alright, there you have it a 4 gun battery that won’t break the bank… $2000 dollars for enough guns to do whatever you might NEED to do. I understand that this number of firearms will never satisfy the dreams of a true enthusiast but it will suffice to handle the chores we “preppers” will face, if times ever do get really tough, or should I say tougher!

 

   Just like many of you I have more guns than I need but far fewer than I want. A time may come where we have to make difficult decisions on what assets we can keep and which ones have to be liquidated. I hope that this won’t happen to you or your family but contrary to popular belief the recession isn’t over and I don’t see any reason why it’s going to be turning around anytime soon. Please someone tell me I’m wrong! With this possible eventuality on the horizon and or for the new prepper, these thought exercises can be valuable in making difficult determinations in what our NEEDS really are!

 

   I anticipate heated emails from all of the real gun guys that will disagree with what I’ve written. I think that I’ve come up with a short list of practical firearms that could actually be purchased when cash is tight for a motivated individual but fire away with where I’m wrong if you must…

 

 

Prepper