Basic planning would be everybody in your family or group to have the same basic weapons. Say, an AR in 5.56 flavor, 1911 .45, 870 12 Ga, Ruger 10/22. Stock as much ammo/mags as you need to feel comfortable, and make sure you have a "bugout"stash that can be loaded quick so that you can hit the road if need be.

This is aside from stocking up due to speculation that ammo is going to be eventually unavailable or absurdly expensive.

Also, I wouldn't worry about making sure your gun is the same caliber as the enemy. If you've killed somebody dead enough to get their ammo, you can probably take their gun while your at it.

So to answer your question - I'd think you'd want everything as alike and interchangeable, within your group, as possible.

Does client have a somewhat good safe to keep his guns in? They could all walk off before the SHTF.

I say you have to have a little of both.

Redundancy - you need more than 1 weapon that fires the same ammo. For example: If 1 AR jams/fails, you need another that can take it's place, Else, you end up with a lot of ammo that does you no good and just takes up space.

Flexability - you also need to be flexible with weapon selection. A good Shotgun for CQB, pistol or 2 for backup, plus a medium range rifle/carbine (AR or AK), plus a little longer range rifle (.308). This way you have most all angles/situations covered, but with backup guns in each caliber...

I am suprised how little attention the lowly .22rf is getting in this thread!! They are useful and you can easily store tens of thousands of rounds!! I am not saying it is the most important choice for when the SHTF, but it should be on your list!!

What are ya'lls definition of SHTF? An invasion by foreign country, a take over from inside this country, a natural disaster, a total economic melt down or, all of the above? I'm with azcoyote, don't overlook the .22rf and lots of ammo. If all else fails it can be used to obtain what you need, be it food or other weapons, and done relatively quietly. I think it would also depend on where you live, city folks may have different needs then country folks. In any of the above SHTF situations I think it would be worse, at least in the beginning, for people in the large cities. You could be fighting an occupying force along with your neighbors and street gangs. Day to Day life may be much more about finding food then going up against an invading army.

I think any of those are definitely SHTF... as for going Red Dawn against real armies, that's not real smart... even a low level army is going to be tough on lightly armed and armored civilians...

Good points on different needs and different locales.

That was my point, I think it would be more about basic survival.

yep. definatly add a good 22 lr to the list, it will kill any food you can shoot at in the lower 48, and cant be heard very far away, so others can locate u, and as far as having what the enemy has, by the time you run out of what you have you should have plenty of theirs laying around as well

EDIT

also keep in mind, a few fishing poles and tackle for them sure wouldnt hurt to have laying around either

The basic's
44 mag pistol
9mm glock or sig (20 mag's)
2 AR15 (50 mag's)
1 remington 700 heavy barrel 308
1 remington 700 Heavy barrel 300 mag (win or ultra)
2 12ga. shot guns 1 pump 1 auto

min. 1000 loaded rounds for each and material's for 2-5000 more
and teach the ole lady how to load while your shooting.

The old lady outshoots most men in this world.... I'll let her shoot...


Tell me more of the pump vs auto idea? Why one of each? Why not two 870s or two Benelli's?

These topics are fun. I like guns, so I say buy as many and as much ammo as you can. Multiple calibers are fine. I keep two AR-15's basically configured the same and a couple of Ak's as well. The ARs are my primary toys. I keep the Ak's, well just because. I don't keep large amounts of ammo for them though. If you are going to keep 10's of thousands of rounds stored, ammo availablity/versitility is probably a mute point. Pick which one you like and stock up.

Though, if anyone needs 20 mags worth of 9mm at any one time, they are in deep pookey.

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Very true sir, very true.... even I only keep 5 loaded with each pack, and a few empties as spares