Gun Picks for Preppers.

Gun choices for the prepping type is a highly debated topic on the forums. With this said, I'm sure someone will argue with me over these picks. Before you argue though consider the logic following the decision.

Here is my breakdown of what people should consider for their arsenal based on the situation and the uses for each gun.

For the rural household planning on bugging in.-

1- A medium range semi-automatic rifle should be the first gun added to the collection. Some of the choices include the popular AK-47 rifles and their variants, and AR-15 variants. I personally own a Smith and Wesson M&P-15 MOE Edition(about $1200 out the door). Its not the current version that is offered in 2012 and I hunted for it for about three months before I tracked down an older version of the gun. The reasoning behind this was because the new version doesn't have a chromed bore, which increases the durability as round after round is fired quickly. Non-chromed barrel bores initially have a slightly higher accuracy, but as hundreds of rounds pass through the barrel it degrades and hurts overall accuracy. This is particularly true when firing quickly and getting the barrel smoking hot.

2- A 12ga shotgun.I would recommend a Remington 870. It isn't expensive and there are a lot of modifications than can be done to the gun. I personally own an older, but like new Savage 5 shot pump action that was picked up for a steal at a gun show. Another option would be a Sagia 12 because it is semi-automatic and can get alot of shot downrange quickly. About any pump gun around $300+ ought to do the trick.

3- A long range, accurate scoped rifle. The Remington 700 is a hands down choice here. It is the best quality, most accurate, out of the box bolt action rifle you can buy for under $1000 dollars. Another good choice would be the Springfield Armory M1. It is more expensive, over $1000 but the difference is worth it because its semi automatic. These guns should be of a larger caliber than the medium range gun. I would say a .308 is a good choice. My current long gun is a Mosin-Nagant M91-30. Its not my primary choice, but at $80 for a good quality gun and super cheap high power ammo, it will work till I buy one of the rifles mentioned before.

4- A side arm. Any good pistol can fit into this category. I bought a .40 S&W Sigma last year, and it seems to be a popular choice around central ohio. Glock like, without the Glock price.

5- A good .22LR like the Ruger 10/22. Not really meant as a defense gun, but it is good for hunting small game and practicing without killing your wallet.

For those bugging out-

The point is to pack to save weight and you have to balance protection against supplies.

1- A lightweight rifle that can be carried long distances such as an AR-15 or AK.

2- A side arm.

3- If you are big and strong and can deal with the extra few pounds I would recommend a AR-7 survival rifle for hunting small game.


Another thing to be concerned with is ammunition. For those defending their home, you can never have too much ammo. The worst thing in a SHTF moment is lack of bullets. Chances are your life will depends on outgunning raiders/zombies/Russians or other bad guys. Try to coordinate your arsenal if you have multiple weapons. Having to try to buy 20 different types of ammo for 20 different guns is tedious and expensive. Keeping your guns fed with common ammo will help amass a large arsenal. .223, 12ga, 9mm, .308, 40S&W and many other common examples are good choices.
Something else to think of when buying ammo is that you are buying something that can be traded VERY easily when SHTF. I would rather have 1000 common rounds than an ounce of gold.