Militant HippiesLet’s talk about weapons!
I want to talk about what I think that you should own in your Arms Room for a SHTF event. By SHTF, I am talking about an event that isn’t going to be over in a week or two. I am talking about a catastrophic event that is going to require you to either need to fight or defend your group without any government assistance. We all know how well it works out for people when the government tries to assist them.
There are numerous options out there. I want to go over what I think that you need to own to be prepared for what is coming. Money is always an issue unless you are part of the group that currently occupies Washington DC. Then you can just buy whatever you want.
I know that there are higher quality weapons on the market than what I will recommend, but I don’t know too many people that can afford to fill up their arms room with the most expensive weapons, so I spare some expense where I can to be able to acquire multiple weapons. I would rather have 10 medium quality weapons and two high quality weapons than one $3000.00 rifle and two boxes of ammo. I can get the same result for $500.00 or even less. Then I can spend the rest on ammo and survival supplies.
I believe that at a minimum you need a sidearm and a battle rifle for SHTF. By battle rifle I mean something that can accurately engage targets from 10 meters out to 500 meters. It also needs to be able to use a high capacity magazine. After you acquire those two, it is time to start really getting armed.
There are numerous weapons on the market in all price ranges. The calibers that I choose are for a specific reason. I find that ammo is usually easy to purchase and most of my choices fire NATO ammunition. Therefore, I will be able to acquire more in a collapse. I don’t like boutique calibers that are not easy to find because in a collapse the gun shop probably will not be getting a shipment of .45/70 anytime soon.
I believe that your SHTF Arms Room should contain the following types of weapons:
Long range rifle
It needs to be something in a large caliber that can easily hit at 500 plus meters. Different calibers are more popular in different areas, so that may help you chose which one you want. In some parts of America people love 30.06, some it’s the 7mm. Ammunition will be more available in the caliber that most folks like in a SHTF scenario. Also, in a barter situation, the folks around you may have what you need to feed your weapon if they shoot them same caliber as you.
Everyone, including me wants a .50 caliber sniper rifle. But a new M82A1runs upwards of $8000.00 and the rounds cost $4.00 and up each. Plus they weigh more than 30 pounds without the ammo and optics. So unless you are independently wealthy and have arms like Arnold, you might want to drop it down a little. Plus it is tough to find a range that allows .50 caliber weapons due to the distance a .50 caliber can travel.
I like a .308/7.62x51MM. As always, my main reason is it is a round that our military uses a lot of. In a SHTF scenario, you should be able to get a lot of it. My tank carried several thousand 7.62 X 51 rounds in Iraq. Plus it is a pretty mean round. There are also numerous types of rounds when it comes to feeding it.
My choice for an entry level long gun is a Mo
I paid $350.00 and it came with a cheap scope mounted on it. The MSRP is $425.00. I chose this one because it is a quality weapon that doesn’t break the bank. I was able to acquire this weapon and have enough cash left over to get set up with the dies to reload .308. There are a lot of higher quality .308s out there, but paper currency was my deciding factor. I have had no issues with this rifle at all. Bolt action rifle don’t need to be expensive in my opinion. They are simplistic in nature and you don’t want too many bells and whistles on a simple weapon.
Battle rifles
Preferably something that can take a high capacity magazine and can carry various accessories. This needs to be able to serve as both a close-quarters weapon and out to 500 meters. There are a ton of choices when it comes to these weapons. I want to talk about what I think are the top three. Try not to become a mall ninja with your battle rifle. There are so many accessories that can be mounted on a battle rifle that you could end up with a 30 pound rifle if you get everything. Try to envision what you will be doing with it when looking into additions. I like a holographic sight and backup iron sites and maybe a forward vertical grip. You don’t need much more on a battle rifle. There are a lot of gizmos out there that can help, but sometimes simple is better.
The first one I want to talk about is the .308/7.62X51MM. This is a great idea if you already own a long range .308 because you can interchange ammunition. I recently found a good deal on a PAP M77 PS .308. This is a great way to get a battle rifle in .308 that doesn’t empty your checking account. It was imported by Century Arms and comes with two 10 round double stack magazines. Magazines with a larger capacity are hard to find though. I have read articles about milling M14 magazines to fit the M77. I plan on attempting this soon because the M14 magazines are very affordable. A lot of people like the AR 10, but that can cost more than double what the M77 costs. If this was going to be my main battle rifle, I would have went with the AR 10 over the M77 due to quality. Overall though, the M77 is a great weapon for the money.
AR15: 5.56/.223
There have been a lot of articles written about how the 5.56 is under powered and doesn’t have the stopping power of the larger calibers. A lot of that depends on the round that you use. You need to have a velocity of 2500 fps on impact to create the “tumble” that is needed to tear up the target. If you go too far under that velocity, the bullet could pass through the target and require additional rounds being fired.
I recommend a 5.56 chambered AR15 with a 16 in barrel, 1:9 twist. I like the 1:9 twist because it can stabilize the heavy and the light bullets. The faster twists can’t stabilize the lighter bullets and the slower twists can’t stabilize the heavier bullets. The 1:9 is a good middle ground.
Some folks may want a 20 inch barrel on their AR15, but my opinion is that if you already have a large caliber long range rifle, you don’t need a battle rifle that is more cumbersome than the shorter versions. If you can’t get both, or will be on foot and can’t carry all of your weapons, you may want to think about the 20 inch version to serve as a longer range weapon and a battle rifle. Always go with an upper that is chambered for 5.56. If it is chambered for 5.56, you can shoot .223 or 5.56. If you fire a 5.56 in a .223 chambered rifle, you will get more pressure than with a .223. This could damage the weapon and possibly kill the shooter. However, .223 is fine in a 5.56 chambered rifle. What if you pick up some ammo from somewhere during any conflict and you are unaware of whether it is 5.56 or .223? It would be nice to know that you can fire either safely. .223 rounds generally reach a PSI of 55,000. 5.56 can go up to 60,000 psi. The throat or leade which is the portion of the barrel directly in front of the chamber is longer when chambered for 5.56mm. If you chamber a 5.56 in a .223 weapon, you are creating way too much pressure when firing.
AK47, 7.62X39MM
This is a proven weapon. It has been around since the 1940s. More than 75 million have been built. I would have no problem owning one of these as a battle rifle. Personally, if money wasn’t an issue though, I would own an AR10 over an AK47, because the AR10 and my .308 bolt action rifle use the same ammo. The AK47 will require you to buy different ammo. The only reason that I don’t use an AK currently is because it would require me to purchase additional reloading gear for another caliber. I fired one recently at my range and love the weapon. It fires damn near every time and there are a lot of them out there.
Shotguns
There are a lot of options when it comes to a good tactical shotgun. I like Mossberg Shotguns. They are reliable and affordable. A good tactical 12 gauge is aMo
I also like, but can’t yet afford the Kel-Tech KSG 12 gauge. It has twin magazines that hold 7 rounds each. You can load slugs in one side and buck in the other. It has a quick flip switch to rotate between magazines. They cost over $900.00 without any optics, if you can even find one. I hope that I get to own one of these one day. Imagine what you can do with 14 12 gauge shotgun shells for self-defense.
.22 rifle
You need one of these for small game. When you can find it, ammunition is also very affordable. The AR-7, by Henry Re
Side arms
At least own a revolver and a semi-automatic handgun. Some folks like a revolver, some like a semi auto. I like both! My personal side arm is a Baby Eagle .45. It is a mean bullet to send at your target! I can also send ten of them before changing magazines. If you can’t stop them with ten 45 ca
9MM/.40
Of the two I like the 9mm best. I carried a Beretta 9mm while I was in the Army. It never failed me. It is a great side arm. I still prefer the .45 over the 9MM because of the knock down power of the .45. The 9MM bullet is a little lacking in weight. However, NATO uses this ammo and it will be easy to acquire when the SHTF. .40 is gaining a lot of popularity with various government agencies lately though. So it would be a good pick as well. I believe that the .40 caliber is for those that want the lower recoil of a 9MM, but the stopping power of a .45. It is a good middle ground choice.
You need a good revolver as well. Hammerless revolvers are great for concealment, but they do have one fault. Not having a hammer forces you have to pull through the full trigger each time you fire. That can throw you off on hitting your target, especially if you have a short barrel.
When looking for a revolver, don’t overlook The JUDGE. If you haven’t heard about the Judge, it is .410/.45 Colt revolver. These are great for self-defense. You can load all .410, or all .45 Colt, or you can load every other one. The .410 shotgun shell can be one hell of an asset at close range for personal defense.
Whatever you chose to fill up your Arms Room with, be sure that you learn everything you can about each weapon that you own. Fire them often. Become proficient with each one. If needed, seek out professional training to ensure that you are able to use your weapon to it’s maximum capabilities. You need to make operating your weapons like driving your vehicle.
The author served in the U.S. Army for over 14 years left as a Staff Sergeant. He served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm. While on active duty he also served as an instructor at Ft. Knox, Ky., where he trained soldiers on numerous weapons and weapon systems. He can be reached at steve@militanthippies.com for questions or comments.