Plan for the worse and hope for the best...

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GMAN26

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Still a noobie but have lurked around enough. After reading as much as I have on THR, I think there is a good balance of people here! So hopefully I've posted this in the right place. :)

My question.....
When planning for the worse (at a minimum) what firearms should be on my list for Hunting, Home/ Personal Defense and Property Protection? My wife and I are planning for our retirement future which is 2 yrs away. We wish we had started this earlier but it is what it is.

Since everyone's living situation is or will be different, I'd like to only focus on mine and address only firearms at this time.

Background and future...
Wife & I prior military and view things the same way. Politically we're on the same side. We both carry, have good, general knowledge of weapons and self defense techniques. We're concerned about this country's direction :fire: and I won't list all my current weapons because I'm paranoid. ;) We will be buying a parcel of land (20+ Acers) in the North, living modestly off the land. (with electricity) We're not big hunters and have a lot to learn. Growing veggies, general disaster and social preparedness will not be a problem. When considering weapons we keep it simple and tried & true works for us.

My thoughts about weapons are that you can't have enough of them and your choices should be based around ammo supply and pricing. But again I'm keeping it to minimum requirements. I'm not into reloading but it's not out of the question.

At a minimum I personally think we need three handguns, one hunting rifle for big game, one small game rifle, one Shotgun (Hunting and HD) and a AR. (Hunting, HD, PD)

(3) Handguns would be 9mm auto (1) for each of us and (1) for good measure.
(Glocks and a Kahr)
(1) Large Game Rifle would be a Marlin 336 in 30-30.
(1) Small Game Varmint Rifle would be a Marlin 39, 22 cal.
(1) Shotgun....Rem 870, 12 Ga
(1) AR - probably a M&P 15. OR-MOE maybe? (weakest area)

Considering weapon simplicity, reliability, durability, ammo availability/cost, weapon cost, do you think we're covered and on the right track? Am I overlooking anything?

Thanks in advance.
 
I wouldn't call a 30-30 the ideal choice as a large game rifle, but plenty of whitetail deer have been killed with them. There are plenty of flatter shooting rifles out there that would be suitable for real large game like moose or black bear and will give flatter trajectories and easier mounting for optics. A score of bolt and semiauto rifles will handle .308 or 30-06 and lots of ammo is available in many loadings in those calibers.

The rest looks fine from the standpoint for a rural household.
 
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Get an M1 Garand with adjustable gas plugs. then it will beable to handle all the 30-06 loads u throw at it. its also a proven battle rifle and is extremely rugged and relible. also it wouldnt be a bad defence rifle if your home was being raided.
 
Pretty solid choices as far as I can tell.

The only things I personally would change is the third handgun (after 2 9mm Glocks) should be something like a 4" .357/.44 magnum revolver. It's a handy weapon when you're out in the wilderness and don't want to lug around a rifle or shotgun...

I also agree with hso that a (scoped?) rifle in .308 or .30-06 would be better suited for your main big game rifle since it serves more purposes than a .30-30.

But as I said, that's my opinion. It comes down to what firearms fit you the best and can accomplish your desired tasks.
 
With that arsenal, it looks to me like you'd be prepared for anything up to repelling a Warsaw Pact offensive. ;)
 
Go with the .308 for a bolt rifle and a semi rifle so you only need worry about one caliber of ammo for both. Ammo, you need ammo! As I've been telling everyone for years, when the zombies begin their uprising, you'll need lots of ammo for zombie defense, as well as for hunting, bartering, or other uses....
 
While I agree a flatter shooting rifle than a 30-30 is a good idea, I would disagree that the 30-30 wouldnt be a good choice in the hands of a person who is used to shooting this particular rifle and ammo. I have seen a 30-30 take down a moose, blackbear and a boatload of deer. Like the old saying goes, "beware the man who owns only 1 gun, he likely knows how to use it. I would use my 30-30 for any of the above.
 
Swap one of the pistols for a .38/.357 Magnum revolver, Ruger or Smith & Wesson would be my recommendation. If you're going to be living in bear country, a .44 Magnum might be a better choice. A small revolver, loaded with snake shot, is also a good companion when you're working your land. A Smith & Wesson Model 637 is perfect; not too expensive and light enough to carry all day long.

If you're planing for a serious SHTF situation, I would dump the Glocks, too, in favor of the Beretta 92 - for resupply reasons. In fact, I would also get a couple of pistols like those used by the state police where you're planning to live (might be Glocks). You want to be able to get spare parts, magazines and ammo and with both types of pistol, you're set to take advantage of whatever comes your way.

Nothing wrong with the Marlin 30-30, but adding a 30-06 of some sort will take care of anything you're likely to encounter on the North American continent (unless there's a zoo break in your area). Plus the 30-06 is far superior for long range.

The Marlin .22 is good, too, though I prefer the Henry. A .22 pistol is a good idea, too. Ruger or Browning are good ones and can be had at a reasonable price.

The Wingmaster is a great shotgun - no disagreement there.

The S&W M&P is fine. I'd go for a Ruger Mini-14, because it's less expensive, but that's just me.
 
Ok...so far so good. Looks like I did pretty good with my list.

I considered swapping out one of the 9mm for either a 357/44 revolver but kept it that way based on pure ammo availability vs cost. You can always get 9mm where I am and cheap. As for the Glocks there are plenty around here. I also didn't like having to stock up on to many calibers of ammo.

I knew the 30-30 might take a hit here but I would have to agree with swiftak. You can put a lot of food on the table with it. However the 30-06 costs per round vs power and versatility, might be a better choice over all. Still up in the air on this too.

Thanks and keep em coming. More info on the AR's are welcome!
 
Is the AR15 solely for HD/SD? Then I'd suggest a 11.5" or 14.5" barreled model for better handling indoors and lighter weight (not sure about the barrel length regulations in the USA, though, somebody else can surely tell you more about that). You don't need a longer sight radius for SD distances. If cost is not a concern you can put an Eotech (my personal favorite) or Aimpoint on the rifle anyway. Those can greatly improve your performance in dynamic shooting situations where fast target acquisition is necessary.

Again, I'm not sure how much you're willing to spend on that rifle and what the laws are in your state, but a suppressor is also a nice accessory for a HD AR15. It's not silent, but much easier on the ears if you ever have to fire that weapon indoors. I also find a suppressor fitted AR much more comfortable to shoot for recreational shooting / training.
 
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I think the list looks pretty good. If I were anticipating the worst, I might select a bolt action .22 instead of the 39, but the 39 will be a lot more fun to plink with until the worst arrives :D

not sure about the barrel length regulations in the USA
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16" is the federal minimum for rifles without paying a special tax ($200) and filling out some extra paperwork and waiting for gov't approval in the U.S. Also, that is the absolute minimum in some states as their laws are stricter than the federal laws.
 
I'll second the notion to get a .308/.270/.30-06 or somesuch for large game, and use the AR for medium-sized animals. There is less overlap in capabilities that way.

Is the AR15 solely for HD/SD? Then I'd suggest a 11.5" or 14.5" barreled model for better handling indoors and lighter weight
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Having shot next to 14.5" barreled AR's in matches on occasion, I'll just say that IMO the slightly shorter barrel does not necessarily outweigh the increased muzzle flash and blast over a 16" barrel with a flash suppressor for indoor HD use. If you're running a sound suppressor (which would involve yet more red tape), then the shorter barrel may make sense to keep the overall length down (particularly an 11.5"), but an unsuppressed 11.5" AR has a lot in common with a .357 snubbie in the noise and blast department. The shorty AR's are also harder on parts.

The other thing is, if the AR is intended as an all-around defensive rifle that may be used both indoors and outside, a 16" is a good compromise between ballistics and portability, I think.

In the all-around-AR department, my own choice would be a 16" chrome lined barrel with a 5.56x45mm chamber, midlength gas system, flattop receiver, fixed front sight and flip-up rear, adjustable stock, and flash suppressor. Make sure the gas key screws are either properly staked from the factory, or have a gunsmith/armorer with the appropriate fixture torque and stake them, and stake the castle nut. I'm with the poster upthread who likes Eotechs (the 516 is a good choice that doesn't need a riser), but an Aimpoint is also a good choice and the battery life is phenomenal (5 years of run time per battery).
 
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I considered swapping out one of the 9mm for either a 357/44 revolver but kept it that way based on pure ammo availability vs cost.
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If ammo cost is an issue, consider getting into handloading. It's not a particularly complicated process, and you can quickly pay-off your used equipment with what you save on ammo.

Consider this: Friendswood bullet sells their 125 Gr. RN lead bullets for $52.72 for a thousand. A good local gunshop will sell you Unique pistol powder for 17.00, and primers for 34.00. Once fired .38 Special brass can be had as cheaply as 20.00 per thousand.

That's 124.00 for 1000 rounds of .38 special, and you can keep reloading the brass for a while.

It's just something to think about.

I would also consider going to at least one .40 S&W gun, because around here 40 ammo is easier to find than 9mm, as all our local LEOs use 40.

I'd also take hso's sage advice about moving up to a .308 or .30-06. For simplicity, I'd go with the .308. It's a current-use military cartridge and has significantly more punch than the .30-30. Since you have the AR, I would go with a good scoped bolt-action in .308. Again, handloading would make it much cheaper to stockpile a much larger run of .308 ammo.

Good luck,
KR
 
Go with the 308/30-06 instead of 30-30. Range, power, availability. If you get a 308 and later get a 308 semi, ammo will be for both. Consider a Ruger 10-22 for small game rifle, but Marlin a good choice.
 
A good .22 rim fire rifle for hunting small game. Get a few boxes of .22 shorts and you have a pretty quiet game getter. Don't knock the 30-30 to much, its killed every animal on this continent and probably accounted for more deer then all the other calibers put together.
 
Check out rock river arms for an ar-15. They can be pricey but you will get yourself a nice rifle that should provide you many years of service. They do make them in .308 caliber so you could use the same ammo for your hunting rifle.

I agree with swapping out one of the 9mm glocks for a .40 S&W. Just don't get the a .40 glock if you are going to be reloading. KABOOM! If you are wanting a DA/SA pistol, FN herstal makes a good pistol. They are priced about the same as a glock and they are good shooters. I had one chambered in 9mm and I loved it. It was stolen from my apartment. :mad: Wish I still had it.

Ruger makes a good revolver. They are rugged and reliable as well as cheaper than a smith and wesson. I have owned a couple of GP100's and have not had any problems with them at all. And I hit the target EVERY time.
 
It's not all about guns though. If you're serious you should start looking at long term food storage, and other items you may need if civilization fails. It's a balancing act though so good luck.
 
Ha! I did mean worst! Good catch! Lots to absorb here guy's....thank you!

danprkr

All set with that but wanted to keep this to firearms only cause thats a bigger convo for another time. :)

I was thinking of swapping a 9mm for a 357/44 Mag Revolver the getting a 336 in 357/44 and utilize the same ammo.

I'm still liking the MP 15.

Again for all the input!
 
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