So let's talk prepper guns.
I'm no expert on guns, not like so many of my compatriots here in the American Redoubt. A lot of those guys (and a fair number of women) can tell you all about barrel alloy compositions and twist rates off the top of their heads; and they will happily do so, sometimes ad nauseam.
Now I don't have a lot of guns, only 16, which around here works out to a reasonable starter set. But over a few decades, I've fired (and cleaned) everything from M2s to a belt buckle .22 Derringer. And my lack of esoteric expertise is probably a plus when it comes to recommending to the freshman prepper the best types of firearms for home use and protection.
If you search the Internet for "Best guns for prepper" you'll find hundreds of sites. For example, Guns and Ammo will hand you "Eight Must-Have Guns for the Doomsday Prepper" and Bio Prepper lists "Must have prepper weapons" that every prepper needs.
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Everywhere you look, you'll find recommendations for specific weapons as the "best" of class; recommendations made by real experts. However there's one thing you need to keep in mind when you check out these sites: all of these recommendations are for guns that suit the author.
But what's right for them isn't necessarily right for you.
One expert will tell you that the .50-70 M-1874 Belcher is the only gun worth owning, while another will tell you that you've got to have the .357 Thumblicker with binary rails if you've a hope of survival. (A special tip of the hat to humorist Patrick McManus for those gun names. If you've never read any McManus, then you're fortunate; it means you've got years of great reading ahead of you.)
Here's the skinny of prepper guns: You need to consider the "four C's" in determining what you should have in you arsenal: Caliber, Composition, Capability and Cost.
Caliber
Caliber is extremely important for the prepper. If you're buying a rifle for hunting, a big concern is having the right-sized ammo for the game you're after. If you're carrying a handgun for day-to-day protection, then the caliber you need is the one that's right for the game that's hunting you.
If you're considering the arms you'd need in a TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) situation, you want a weapon that will handle hunting and protection; but especially you want one that is chambered in a common and popular caliber.
There are simple reasons for this. If you lose your ammo but keep your gun, your chance of finding reloads is markedly improved. The .50-70 Belcher may be the best gun in the world, but at the Post-Apocalypse Dance and Swap Meet, finding a ready supply of .50-70 ammo is problematic. Same thing if you have lots of Belcher ammo, but the gun ended up in the creek. No one's going to want to dance with you and you'll be going home alone and without a new gun. (We'll discuss more on the "best calibers for gun types" in the next few articles.)
Composition
Composition includes quality, durability and ease of maintenance and repair. Let's talk repair first.
In an ideal world, every repair kit for each prepper gun would consist of another whole gun of the same model. It's one of the reasons, when I can, that I keep two of the same model for each weapon in my collection. However when I can't do that, I usually go to the after-market and buy – for each of my weapons – a complete set of spare springs and an extra firing pin. This is good insurance, and they're great trade items.
Now concerning durability and quality, the dirty secret is that almost every time-tested firearm will perform its primary function just fine: that of directing a lump of metal at high speed to its designated target at a given range while retaining the ability to repeat this performance with minimal input from its owner.
For the prepper, however, it's the "repeat" portion that's at question. If the gun fails for whatever reason, repetition is toast; and that can ruin your day. And when the SHTF, parts may be scarce for uncommon guns.
Price isn't always an indication of durability. A Purdey over-and-under may be a thing of beauty, but in a lights-out scenario it's unlikely to be a joy forever.
Now don't get me wrong. A Purdey is a solid gun, but a prepper weapon must be able to handle lots of physical abuse, occasionally infrequent cleaning, and mud, muck and blood. A speck of dust or a spot of rust can't shut you down. In other words, your weapons of choice should either be a military-grade weapon or a civilian weapon faithfully patterned on one.
However, even that must be tempered with the next "C."
Capability
Capability refers to the user rather than the gun. I know, I know; you're going to point to your Aunt Mildred who can knock down pins all day with her Marlin BFR. Lucky you. Make sure she's at your place when the lights go out. But the reality is God made us all different, especially men and women. And he didn't do that just so we'd know which bathroom to use.
Most women (and not a few men) aren't capable or comfortable using big-bore high-power weapons. That's just a matter of physics. So the choice of prepper gun has to be based on the user's ability to haul guns and ammo comfortably, fire a round accurately and to be able to get back on target quickly.
So, how do you find your "sweet spot" in gun selection? You try out a lot of guns. Become a member of a gun club/range. You'll need to find a good place to practice anyway, so why not? At the club, you'll meet a lot of like-minded folks, most of whom will be delighted to show you their favorite pieces and more than likely allow you to fire a round or two.
If you're specifically in the market for a handgun, you can hit one of the big gun stores that have their own range. For the price of the ammo and sometimes a small fee, you can shoot a variety of weapons and get good advice while you do. Since you won't be buying there (see last week's column), you can ignore the sales pitch. But do make sure to buy some cleaning supplies or gun accessories; these folks should be rewarded for offering their services and besides, they sell the registered guns to the folks who will eventually sell them to you (unregistered) when they don't want them any more.
Cost
Cost can be the most important factor in stocking your prepper arsenal. Every prepper should be armed. So next week, let's look at specific classes of weapons and how to get one without breaking the bank.
Until then, get prepared.