best gun investment - planning for bad times

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"Besides, if things start to deteriorate, practically any government's first reaction is to suspend the constitution and outlaw all guns." .............. If you have guns, it stands to reason that you can take a government's guns, one at a time.....................
 
"Besides, if things start to deteriorate, practically any government's first reaction is to suspend the constitution and outlaw all guns." .............. If you have guns, it stands to reason that you can take a government's guns, one at a time.....................

Yeah, that's fine on a very small scale, except the Government has a WHOLE LOT OF FREAKIN' GUNS.

As soon as you're detected, isolated, and hemmed in, you're dead.

You can't hide well from modern technology. Ever see footage from a 130 gunship or Apache?? Those little glowing dots with two arms and two legs disappear pretty goddamn quick when the chaingun goes buzzzzzzz at 1.5km+ away.
 
We already have chickens and a pond full of fish. If it gets real bad a milk cow is on the "to buy" list. The guns are just to protect the food.
 
I dont worry about my neighbors who are simply unprepared but worry about the guy who is armed without supplies.
 
For pure monetary value, registered MG's. For guns that will still be useful and operational even after a nuclear war, well the Mosin Nagant is sure to survive. AK's, AR's, and most bolt action systems will make it. Invest in Nagants for an absolute worst case survival scenario. Also, built huge reserves of ammo and Hoppe's #9, because those guns won't work without the logistics.
 
Maybe lots of extra ammo will one day become valuable for those who did not buy it before some politicians quickly ban imports of low-cost Russian-made ammo, although this is very unlikely without a "trade war".

My only question is whether shipments of drugs such as insulin could ever be shut off for many weeks/months at a time by some sort of prolonged attack on our banking computer software, or electrical distribution equipment-or both.

If there is a reasonable chance that it could happen, then what type of gun could help me legally procure refrigerated insulin for my wife, who needs it to survive very long?
The best "gun" might be a standby portable generator, but we can't store much gas (outside the car tanks) in our neighborhood.
 
"In 1930s there was no destabilized government.

A complete anarchy when you need to stockpile guns and ammo to fight off angry hordes takes quite a bit more than financial depression. At least in a highly developed country."

I don't think this country could survive another "Great depression" like they did in the 1930's. People (especially city people) these days have no religion, no ethics and no self sufficiency. If the supermarkets and gas stations had shortages, I think people would start pouring out of the cities into the countryside looking for supplies.

As for the gov't, well, I wouldn't trust them to leave the Constitution alone. They'd probably enact some sort of martial law. The last great depression was when our gov't passed most of the biggest socialist programs of this country's history.

Maybe guns wouldn't be the best investment, but some sort of tangible investment is good to have if the banks go bankrupt or the dollar becomes worthless. I like the suggestions to stockpile ammo, components and accessories.
 
I would think that guns for trade would be a bad deal. I once read the line bleow somewhere.

"He who has gold and trys to trade for guns will soon have neither"

Now other things I can see trading with, best would be skills that you have or things that you can do. Hard good I would think that a lot of the little everyday things that we don't realy think about in the day to day operations of the world would be good in a total meltdown.

But be sure to have all your bases covered. Have little or no debt. A home that is paid for would be real nice. If it were out in the country (away from the city) might be even better. Food and water to get you and your famly through the winter and so on.

I think a lot of guys use the idea of Preping as an excuse to buy more toys.

But thats just my ramblings on it.
WB
 
Depends what you mean by bad. If we're talking about total disruption of society and serious breakdown of critical supply lines that's one thing. I'd leave my nice suburban home, pack up the cars and head into the country where I have family. In that kind of disaster I'd be focused on food, water, shelter, and safety. I'd probably get the food with a bolt action hunting rifle from .22 on up.

I have to laugh when I hear about people saying: well first I'd take my super match grade AR-15 and 1500 rounds. Really? What for? Do you have an elite infantry team you operate with so that you can employ defensive squad tactics? And what are all y'all operators going to do when you run out of MREs and Walmart's already been sacked?

Sheesh.
 
I don't think this country could survive another "Great depression" like they did in the 1930's. People (especially city people) these days have no religion, no ethics and no self sufficiency.
I agree. The moral fabric of our nation is not what it was in the 1930's. Back then we saw lots of hungery people looking for work. I think in a similar situation today we would see lots of hungery people rioting in the streets. Not to mention our government is not as stable as it was in the 30s. Our money is worth less and we are more easily affected by events overseas than we were back then. So I think a economic depression like what we saw in the 30s would produce far more dire results.
 
Depends what you mean by bad. If we're talking about total disruption of society and serious breakdown of critical supply lines that's one thing. I'd leave my nice suburban home, pack up the cars and head into the country where I have family. In that kind of disaster I'd be focused on food, water, shelter, and safety. I'd probably get the food with a bolt action hunting rifle from .22 on up.

I have to laugh when I hear about people saying: well first I'd take my super match grade AR-15 and 1500 rounds. Really? What for? Do you have an elite infantry team you operate with so that you can employ defensive squad tactics? And what are all y'all operators going to do when you run out of MREs and Walmart's already been sacked?

Sheesh.
+1 Alex...the total disruption of our society and supply lines would quickly deplete the urban areas and quicker than you can say "BOO" there would be mass exodus to the country or "government stabilized compounds". The majority are too dependent on Wally World to be prepared for any sort of apocolyptic event. Investing in stockpiled weapons? Not logical, practical and plain foolish.

Medical supplies, rope, duct tape, portable shelter and water are MUSTS. A dependable firearm(s), preferably a rifle and handgun both chambered in the same caliber, for food acquisition and self defense.

There's something to be said for country living. I don't know a rancher or farmer around here that need worry when the hammer falls. All this offered for what you paid for it and IMHO.
 
Guns are almost always a liabilty and not an investment. fyi, shtf threads are not welcome on this site. If you are truly looking for guns that will increase in value over time, thats a different story.
 
A guy with a handful of cheap guns might be someone who can barter his way through the tough times.
Agree with others that guns are probably not the best barter fodder ... but if you go that way, cheap is the thing. Any gun will likely have barter value, but it won't be commensurate with its original price. And don't forget the ammo.
 
I can understand the hesitation to barter firearms during an emergency, especially a long term one. The general thought is you are potentially arming your enemies. Well... you still have a choice and I would barter with my friends or people that I share some commonality with.

The real emergencies are almost too terrible to think about seriously. You have to prepare for a year. They entail mass starvation, no law and order, and no food or medicine deliveries from the established infrastructure we call "modern civilization". You don't know if you will have access to fuel or electricity. It is a tough one to prepare for.

Simply going to the country or mountains does not necessarily allow you to survive. There are people there already with the same firearms you have.

Hunting allows you to potentially survive for a while, but wild game will be quickly depleted in a long term emergency. Foraging will get you killed.

I see no problem bartering firearms as one of many things to barter that people associate value with. Having the ability to grind corn and other grain items would be of great benefit. Your skills would be very important and those without the proper skills would be turned away from communities who have banded together to survive.

In terms of money, I think silver will be a much more reliable currency for normal bartering/trade in a long term event. It comes in smaller currency amounts and a 1 ounce coin is not so hard to carry and most will associate long term value with it.

I think ammunition would be a very practical item to barter, but the same issue comes up with firearms. You don't want to supply your enemies with the means to destroy you or take what you might have cached.

Having a stock pile of salt for food preservation would be quite useful. Also the knowledge to dry or smoke meat would be quite valuable informaton.
 
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^^^^ Dried beans are great because they are cheaper, and lighter than canned. But keep in mind that for all the dried beans, you need a lot of clean water, and the ability to boil them. Otherwise, they tend to be a tid bit on the crunchy side.
 
I'd only barter or trade firearms with people I know and trust. I would not want to wind up on the receiving end of a gun I traded/ bartered for some other commodity, for fear of losing both.

A .22 rifle would be worth it's weight in venison, squirrel, rabbit and piece of mind moreso than a handgun for those who know how to efficiently use it. You don't see a lot of people harvesting meat with a 9mm pistol (unless they happen to be canibals) (which brings up a whole other topic).

What is teh best gun to defend against marauding canibals? :D
 
People watched too many Hollywood movies.

If the government collapses and is unable to control the situation, with rioting in the streets, the military will step in. There's always a guy that thinks he's Napoleon.

Every industrialized and highly developed country that was going through economic upheaval (and the 1930s in the US were nothing compared to 1930s in Germany) and faced government meltdown ended up with some form of a military dictatorship. Every single one. The complete deterioration with gangs roaming countryside and zombie filled cities happens either in Hollywood movies or in 3rd world nations for which this is the normal condition.
 
Yeah, that's fine on a very small scale, except the Government has a WHOLE LOT OF FREAKIN' GUNS.

As soon as you're detected, isolated, and hemmed in, you're dead.

You can't hide well from modern technology. Ever see footage from a 130 gunship or Apache?? Those little glowing dots with two arms and two legs disappear pretty goddamn quick when the chaingun goes buzzzzzzz at 1.5km+ away.

And it's not just the technology, although it alone gives an organized modern army a tremendous advantage.

Even a small group of well trained and determined professional soldiers will wipe the floor with a large group of ordinary citizens, no matter how well armed, in a face to face combat. The annals of the Revolutionary War are full of such examples. Don't forget, the British fought the war on two fronts and with a laughably small army. And they still nearly won.

Of course there's guerrilla tactics. And this is when the technology comes to play.

About the only chance the citizens have in defeating their government is by changing the allegiance of the army. And this is best done via non-violent resistance.
 
You need to think in terms of Egypt relative to our organized professional army. They would take over, but I think they would eventually establish a constitutional government.
 
Trent, the deer hunters in MI, OH, WI, IN, PA, and WV outnumber the armed people in OUR federal government. Like I said, one at a time. Besides, I said "a government", not necessarily OURS. ;)
 
Have you ever wondered how our government is going to staff a military when the budget gets cut due to a depression? Where are the taxes coming from if no one is working? What countries are going to do business with us after we default? I am not optimistic about the future. Everyone on ANY government pay is going to have to take a paycut, or get laid off when the tax base goes down.
 
My guess is in a depression, a 22 cal air gun, or a bow and brace of arrows would be useful. Squirrel, rabbit and squab at almost no cost, and stealthy enough to not attract attention if a family starving forced someone to poach.
 
One thing for sure the value of my guns is holding up better than my stocks and bonds. Gold might be a possibility, probably better than paper investments, but it's not much fun to play with. I think gun prices rise with the threat of government control threats more than due to an ecomomic collapse but it's worth having some and plenty of ammo especially in hunting type guns. Gold in Maple Leafs or Krugerrands would be worth having.
 
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