[pico]

Less than 1% own an assault rifle, or true assault rifle? I would think that many on this site own an AR, AK, SKS, or equivalent carbine. Perhaps I am mistaken, but they are pretty popular down here in Florida.

I would look to perhaps have at least one semiauto in .308, such as an HK91 or M1A/M14. These would allow you to have sustained long range fire, and be able to reload quickly.

[ezearln]

One point I haven't seen brought up is that often the primary purpose of high capacity semiauto battle rifle, machine guns and heck even artillery pieces isn't so much to kill your opponent as to rather to deny him the ability to occupy or operate in a particular piece of real estate! If you make his goal so very lethal as to almost ensure his defeat wheather or not you've dropped any of his personnel if he decides to look for greener (safer) pastures then you have won.

[rockman7]

would a 12 guage ultimag with a rifled choke be considered a assault weapon..............5 rounds of #4 buck skattered by a rifled choke?

if not i'll just have to stick with a bevy of hunting/sniper rifles

[SightNSqueeze]

Quote:       Originally Posted by ezearln

One point I haven't seen brought up is that often the primary purpose of high capacity semiauto battle rifle, machine guns and heck even artillery pieces isn't so much to kill your opponent as to rather to deny him the ability to occupy or operate in a particular piece of real estate! If you make his goal so very lethal as to almost ensure his defeat wheather or not you've dropped any of his personnel if he decides to look for greener (safer) pastures then you have won.

Consider too the ability to resupply and restock ammunition. In a truly SHTF world, where there is no government and the presence of roving bands of armed thugs, ammunition will fall into the category of hard currency as it did during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. Read the biography of Colonel Wendell Fertig and you'll get a picture of American and Filipino holdouts and insurgents crafting their own bullets out of fishing weights and brass curtain rods, mixing their own powders and saving their brass cases. I don't know what they used for primers, but they managed somehow. Handmade ammunition was used in 1903 and 1917 service rifles and factory arsenal ammunition was saved for use in BARs only. That went on for about three years until the American Army and Navy returned to the Philippines on October 1944.

Basically, you would need thousands and thousands of rounds to shoot full or semiautomatic weapons to their rate-of-fire capacities and you could deplete that in just a few good shootouts. Looking through history, we will see holdouts and guerrilla fighters doing quite well with iron sighted, bolt action rifles in popular and effective calibers with no more than 100-200 rounds of ammo, a blanket and a light pack. Extra ammunition could be cached somewhere and retrieved later if needed. If a good rifleman ever got into a situation where he was up against determined and well armed groups using fire and maneuver and siege tactics, the best course of action would be to simply disappear as quickly as possible and reappear later at a more opportune time and place. It is always best to avoid an Alamo/Waco/Ruby Ridge scenerio. Taking the defense is half the battle lost.

[JMcDonald]

They are exactly right. The primary reason for high capacity / rate of fire from a tactical perspective is, to put it simply, to scare the enemy. However, from a survival / defensive perspective, the purpose must be to either destroy your enemy with as few shots as possible, or avoid being in a situation requiring those shots in the first place. Thus, in all but perhaps a few cases, your BAs will suit you just as well as, if not better than, a semi-auto rifle of the same or similar caliber. And, in almost all of those possible rare cases, your 12g will suit you JUST fine!


Now of curse, with a .22, that high capacity and rate of fire just to take out a couple of BGs .

[Lex1785]

WOOOOO! AM I glad to see this post! I've been fighting myself up and down left and right on wiether I pick up another bolt action rifle or save up for an AR.

I have always been about shot placement over fire power. now.. I have to decide if I want a .22

GAH!

haha! good post thanks!

[cjleete]

The primer cups and anvils could be made from copper or brass shim material, or even soda and beer cans. The primer can be made from silver nitrate, or even fulminate of mercury. Stuff you used to do in high school science class. Corrosive but very effective.

[thrillbilly]

Quote:       Originally Posted by cjleete

The primer cups and anvils could be made from copper or brass shim material, or even soda and beer cans. The primer can be made from silver nitrate, or even fulminate of mercury. Stuff you used to do in high school science class. Corrosive but very effective.

NOW that^ has to be the most obscure/random post EVER!

[ArkansasHunter]

Have your vo-tech school's machine shop make you a cannon barrel.

[FS00008]

Quote:       Originally Posted by cjleete

The primer cups and anvils could be made from copper or brass shim material, or even soda and beer cans. The primer can be made from silver nitrate, or even fulminate of mercury. Stuff you used to do in high school science class. Corrosive but very effective.

He's referring to the Philippine post earlier in the thread. As an AP Chem project when I was in HS, I made a batch of primers and demonstrated them. I got an A on the project :-P

It really isn't difficult.

[thrillbilly]

^ I figured that out, after 2 minutes of reading, I was being gently sarcastic regarding the lack of a "quote" justifying the replying post.

[thrillbilly]

I thought I should point out that my area's low population and terrain impacts my firearm choices. If i lived in a hi-pop, urban area, I would have a box-mag, semi-auto for sure. although I still think my shotties would be sufficient. Also, if I was planning on bugging out, I would probably pick a carbine in .223 for lighter weight and easier portability as well as more cartridges per pound.

[jeclif]

I have what I think will work for me ---one CZ527 carbine in 762x39 --extra mags
---one CZ527 carbine in .223 ---extra mags and 22rf adapt.
both weigh less than one of the 308 battle rifles I have handled even after I put scopes on both.
what do you think

[JMcDonald]

Every time I see a jam in any semi-auto weapon, even in my 10/22 when I know it is just due to cheap ammo, it makes me desire less and less to have a semi-auto weapon for any type of survival.

[thrillbilly]

^ plus 1,000!

[rl69]

m1 garand it is just fun to shoot if the shtf never happens you have a weapon you love to shoot

[Recon 173]

It will take a variety of different firearms for people to survive when troubled times hit. The majority of times, a decent hunting rifle works but there will be times when tactical rifles will probably be needed. In defensive mode, a tactical rifle is worth its weight in gold. Rifles are like tools. You can't live with just one kind of firearm the same as one lone tool isn't good either. After all, when you only have a hammer then every problem begins to look like a nail. And we all know that you need other tools to build things and other tools to different jobs just like with firearms.

[Oxford]

One more consideraton for you SHTF defense when you defend your lives in a farm house. Consider this...fire could destroy your surroundings above ground.

In that case...excavate a room underground where you go in case the above ground place is set afire. Put SHTF supplies in there, too. Don't forget Oxygen tanks.

[thrillbilly]

^ It's a rock house with metal roof. While not fireproof, it's highly fire resistant. I'll not get too detailed here, plan on a post about it, but the place will be hardened.

[Mike U.]

You know, it couldn't hurt to have an AK-47 and a thousand rounds or two laying around. Couple that with half a dozen 30 round mags and you have one man suppressive fire at your fingertips.
It may be a measly medium power round, but, I know of no one who wants to try to take ground defended with a weapon firing that round.

But, y'all are on the right track too, even without an AK or SKS. God knows shooting what you hunt with is just plain smart as who knows where those bullets are gonna land better than the person who hunts with that particular weapon?

Still, AK-47? Couldn't hurt!