Bug-out Weapons

[Vel454]

I'll avoid the drama and just reply to the OP.

K.I.S.S. is paramount, and .22 ammo is extremely light, compact and cheap.

I'd outfit one .22 LR to every member of the group. Either 10/22 or Marlin 60SS. 500 rounds to each.
The few people in the group comfortable with bigger guns, Mosin Nagant. Couple hundred rounds each for hunting and what not. Plus it's dirt cheap.
Could also mix in an AK or two for firepower. You can get 7.62x39 ammo for dirt cheap, an AK is cheap, and stupid simple.
500/870 shotty to a few peeps. 12 gauge, obviously. Mix of ammo types for hunting, birding, and defense.
And to avoid a "this is better than that" handgun puke fest. I'll just say, to pick a handgun you feel is simple to use and highly reliable. And go with a common caliber (9mm, .40, .45, .380, whatever you choose).

For bugging out, the primary concern is going to be weight and ease of carry, not it's use. I'd bet there's a 99% chance none of the guns will ever be used during your bug-out. Keep it light and compact as much as possible. Add in the shotguns, mosin/ak's for sake of hunting at your BOL more than anything else.

[Mooch9mm]

very logical choices Vel
And yes, if I'm smart and very lucky none of this will come to use.
(and to tell the truth, I was going to by all those guns for them anyway - even if all was well and peachy)
Our plan is to be up there next year and stable before things have gotten really bad. There is turmoil coming though and fear. Americans will feel a sense of fear we've not felt in many, many years.

[mantis]

So, mantis. I saw your kick-ass gun collection now which four would you keep and why if you had to throw them in the back of a truck and skeedaddle.

Maybe none of them. It all depends on the circumstances. The chances of me having to jump in a truck and bug out is next to nil to begin with. If I had to bug out, whether or not I'd take firearms or not would depend on the nature of the disaster. If it was a bug out to avoid severe weather or somehting, I wouldn't take any - there would be no point. If it was a bug out to get away from some kind of anarchy/alien/zombie invasion I'd probably take the short 870 (excellent hunting firearm, useful for defensive purposes), one of the M14s (again, a useful hunting firearm good for defensive purposes), the Cz-858 (could be used for hunting, useful for defence) and the Marlin 925Mn (excellent and very accurate small game hunting firearm). If I was leaving my house never to return, I'd take them all along with all my other survival gear, valuables.

[mantis]

Having said that, if you don't believe there's going to be some crushing financial catastrophe in the next five years, you should start The Ostrich Squad.

You can start the tinfoil hat squad while you're at it. It won't happen. We won't even get something along the lines of the great depression let alone a crushing collapse. Society isn't that unstable - world wars and the great depression didn't bring everything down around us and there is nothing even remotely that severe staring us in the face right now.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I think I've belabored the point that all I want is every family member trained and armed - who are capable - and redundancy.

Absolutely.

Also, guns can be a very useful barter item as well. (again, looking at the long-term future from a very gloomy perspective)

I hesitate on this one, not because you're necessarily wrong, just that I'm hesitant to trade someone something that they may get a crazy idea to use to get more of my stuff later on, you know?

Regarding the financial collapse stuff, I hope you don't mind that I hope you're wrong.

[therianthrope]

You want me to tack off a list of other tools and equipment for other purposes, let's save that for another category. You people seem to be saying I want too many guns. I haven't made a single political statement yet you assume I'm some Militia Commander. My family will be armed and trained. That is my responsibility. If you want to talk about water filters or bio-god-damned diesel we can have that convo elsewhere, mate.
This here talk is about guns.

Some people probably should have approached their response differently, i.e. in the context of a response to your question. "I'm not bringing any guns, here's why". But since all of your posts are firearms related (with the exception of your intro) and until your OP, you had only posted in the guns section of the forum, I think people were probably concerned that you were either ignoring or not aware of the most basic goals and other elements of preparedness. I don't think you can/should fault them for this.

And I don't think there's a whole lot of people here who would say you (or that anyone could) have too many guns. But this is a community geared toward education and aiding others, I think you should take the responses that seem to imply "you want too many guns" as efforts to share preparedness philosophy with you, not an attack.

[Mooch9mm]

therianthrope,
Spoken like a true Statesman. I'll be posting a Breedlove Foods review soon but my thing is guns, trucks, politics and patterns. My Spouse has the interest for food and alternate energies and so forth and she'll be posting about Berkey water filters. We compliment each other quite well.
I tend to come on strong because I'm a Type A in a lot of pain - LOL.
It's all good, fellas.
Yay, Canada!

[Drakon]

well, i'll skip the discussion on the canucks and our impending economic woes and just layout how my family does it. keep in mind my clan is much smaller than yours (only 4 of us) and we've been playing this game for quite sometime, we didn't go and buy all this shit yesterday.

AR15's x4: though the optics may vary between aimpoints, acogs, and variable scopes; they're pretty much all set up the same. 16" 1:7 twist barrels, carbine length gas systems, 7" MI non free floated rails, magpul moe buttstocks/pistol grips, tango down rail covers, vtac slings, and surefire m962s

yugo m70ab2's x4: dad has a thing for AKs, so when a local dealer had a sale on these i snapped up several of them. besides, they make good backup rifles and they can fold up into VERY small packages!

CAI AK74s x2: practically got these for a steal. they're cheap plinkers and actually make good low recoil trainers for people unfamiliar w/ the AK platform

l1a1's x2: these are really just there to fill in any long range holes in the collection. one is set up as a DMR and the other i'm thinking about cutting to 16" and putting a para folder on it

colt/SA 1911's x4: glocks or S&Ws may have been a better choice, but we all grew up shooting 1911s so why not go with what we already knew

thats about it as far as firearms, besides some old milsurps, .22s, hunting rifles, and a couple shotguns.

the way we're set now very few things would force us to flee and bug out to another location. obviously we couldnt take all of this with us so whatever we take it'll come down to how we can improvise, adapt, and overcome. good luck with your plans mooch and i'll repeat what others have said watch your priorities. no sense in having 30k rounds of 5.56 and only 3 days worth of water.

[Mooch9mm]

Nice collection Drakon
Nice calibers
When I rap off our collection of guns people's jaws drop a little and they think I'm buggin out with my own personal gun collection I couldn't stand to live without. Most of it is my collection, but I've got three teenagers and three Boy Scouts so they're in the process of getting willed their own guns from said collection.
And like I told the others, don't sweat our other preparations; this is the Firearms Board.
I just don't get as excited talking about flash-freeze-dried foods and inverters...

[Drakon]

i know what you mean. i spend most of my time BSing in either the firearms or bug out gear sections and occasionally over in the first aid area. if i'm not looking for a specific answer or trying to learn something its kinda hard to stay entertained talking about rice and pinto beans.

its like "hey guys look at this new 5gal bucket of rice i bought! its stacked up next to the other 12 buckets just like it!....you guys out there?...guys?....:crickets chirping:"

[Jeriah]

i know what you mean. i spend most of my time BSing in either the firearms or bug out gear sections and occasionally over in the first aid area. if i'm not looking for a specific answer or trying to learn something its kinda hard to stay entertained talking about rice and pinto beans.

its like "hey guys look at this new 5gal bucket of rice i bought! its stacked up next to the other 12 buckets just like it!....you guys out there?...guys?....:crickets chirping:"

My FIFO porn is quite fappable, thank you very much.

[Mooch9mm]

LOL
My Spouse gets excited about all the non-Action-Guy stuff
However, I did personally select our chemical camp toilet from the PX at Ft. Bragg ten years ago though. I take keen interest in where and how I...y'know...go

[Drakon]

LOL
My Spouse gets excited about all the non-Action-Guy stuff
However, I did personally select our chemical camp toilet from the PX at Ft. Bragg ten years ago though. I take keen interest in where and how I...y'know...go

that reminds me! jeriah didnt you start a thread over in the bug out gear section a while ago about "how to shit in the woods" or was it "my take a shit kit" or whatever, it was something like that? why the hell does my mind remember stuff like that?

[Jeriah]

LOL
My Spouse gets excited about all the non-Action-Guy stuff
However, I did personally select our chemical camp toilet from the PX at Ft. Bragg ten years ago though. I take keen interest in where and how I...y'know...go

that reminds me! jeriah didnt you start a thread over in the bug out gear section a while ago about "how to shit in the woods" or was it "my take a shit kit" or whatever, it was something like that? why the hell does my mind remember stuff like that?

I believe I did. It was basically just an excuse to use the clever acronym TASK for Take A Shit Kit. But it's handy as well: 1 roll toilet paper, 1 package biodegradable wet wipes, 1 little bottle hand sanitizer, and I need to add a trowel. Kit is best if it is in something that can be removed from the pack so you can take it, as a kit, over to where you choose to do your business.

Never saw the need for a chemical camp toilet myself. Either you're camping in an area civilized enough that there are toilets (or outhouses, whatever) or you're remote enough you can dig a hole to shit in. (Outside some crazy third world refugee camp or something, which I hope to avoid, even if they become common in the US after a disaster.)

Um...bugout guns, though?

[Mooch9mm]

You can never teach enough fieldcraft
Shiiting in the woods is definitely fieldcraft.
It's a hella lot easier to get a bunch of kids to crap in something that resembles a toilet out in the middle of nowhere when it actually resembles a toilet. We've used it for TEN years.
That's a good but of kit.

[Jeriah]

You can never teach enough fieldcraft
Shiiting in the woods is definitely fieldcraft.
It's a hella lot easier to get a bunch of kids to crap in something that resembles a toilet out in the middle of nowhere when it actually resembles a toilet. We've used it for TEN years.
That's a good but of kit.

Freudian slip?

[Drakon]

i love this place but i fear it has affected my mental health

[Mooch9mm]

How's that saying go?
If 'if'and 'buts' were nuts and whatever we'd all have another drink!

[mantis]

I just don't get as excited talking about flash-freeze-dried foods and inverters...

Unfortunately, freeze-dried food and inverters are 10x as important and useful as firearms in a disaster/survival situation.

[Mooch9mm]

I feel thoroughly chastized, mantis

[wamba]

I just don't get as excited talking about flash-freeze-dried foods and inverters...

Unfortunately, freeze-dried food and inverters are 10x as important and useful as firearms in a disaster/survival situation.

Until the goblins in the neighborhood realize that The Powers That Be are busy elsewhere & decide your preps will make a nice substitute for running to the 7-11 or McD's.

I have no children but if I did you can bet they'd have (& carry) weapons of their own once they prove capable & responsible. Let's face it there are predators out there that prey on the weak & we won't be able to always be on hand to protect our loved ones.

Now as far as bugging out & weapons go, my wife & plan to hunker down for any short term events. However in the event of something that would force us out of the city & to the family farm we'll be most likely carrying AR's in 5.56 with 1911's in .45. Much like Jeriah did I let my wife try out a variety & pick what felt best, with the understanding that I'd prefer we carry matching equipment. We both like the 5.56/.223 cartridge & decided to adopt the AR platform together after getting some range time with a friends. Imagine my surprise when after trying out a selection of handguns she announced she wanted a 1911, she now owns a pair & I wouldn't be surprised if she knows them better than I do. As others have said I hope we never actually need them but better to have & not need than to need & not have.
(Don't worry I'm also stocking Beans & Bandaids. )

[Mooch9mm]

wamba...sounds to me you're a very sane, pragmatic man.

[wamba]

wamba...sounds to me you're a very sane, pragmatic man.

Maybe..... Or maybe I managed to post while the voices in my head were on a coffee break.

On the original topic, while you know your family's strengths & weakness's best I'd urge you to consider standardization (as much as possible) for the family. This would make logistics & training a lot easier, not only could everyone use the same ammo (& maybe mags) but the muscle memory would be the same when picking up someone else's weapon. With your background I'm sure you've already thought of this but sometimes we wear blinders or rationalize choices concerning family. Also you might want to think about what you'll put aside for future sons/daughters in law & the grand kids. (just what you wanted to think about huh?)

For what it's worth I too think there is a chance that "interesting times" are in our near future. The key word is chance though & as others have pointed out there's plenty of other bad stuff to prepare for be careful of developing tunnel vision. Don't forget to plan for the little stuff & enjoy the good things when you can. By the way thanks for serving & pass that on to your son too.
Got to go now the second shift "voices" are due in.

[Mooch9mm]

Wow wamba
You appear to be one of the few who actually read what i wrote