Face it, you’re not Burt Gummer. Most of us aren’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for disaster, but I’ll admit, it would be nice to have all the toys and survival gear the character has on the Tremors movies and television series.
The underground bunker with hardened panic room and escape tunnel, five-year supply of MRE’s (meals ready to eat), 1,000 gallon fuel storage, backup generators, percussion grenades, tricked out four-wheel drive truck, Barrett .50 caliber and a room full of other firearms, weapons and other assorted gear.
I’m getting excited just thinking about it. But, getting back to reality, I know I’ll never be able to afford all that and chances are you won’t either. But that’s okay, because we can be prepared for disaster without spending a lot of money. I’ve done it and you can too.
You don’t have to be rich or spend a lot of money. Unfortunately, emergency preparedness has been commercialized to the point where most people give up before they start, thinking what’s the use, I’ll never be able to afford all this stuff. Why should I even try…
I often hear this from readers who have just started reading the blog. Like I tell them, there is no need to spend a lot of money, there are alternatives to big budget survival planning.
Let’s take a look at three areas that we all must consider…
Survival Food
There is nothing wrong with commercial survival foods, they take up little space, are light weight and have a long shelf life – but they are expensive. A basic years supply can cost several thousand dollars and most of us don’t have that kind of cash.
Most of what you need can be bought at your local supermarket or grocery and best of all you don’t have to buy it all at once. Since most canned foods from the supermarket shelf have a self-life of two to five years if stored properly you can add to your supplies as finances allow.
The key to keeping a fresh supply is to eat what you store and to rotate – first in, first out. You can build a rotating canned food shelf or you can buy one prefabricated and ready to go like this one to make rotation automatic.
What should you buy at the supermarket you ask. That depends on your particular needs and tastes, but this post “10 Things To Do Now!” should start you in the right direction. Be sure to read the comments as there’s some great advise given by readers there.
The bulk of my food storage consists of whole grains from the farmers market, however, a lot of people aren’t interested in processing their own foods from basic grains. That is a shame, because stocking up this way is the most cost-effective way of building your food storage and saving money on your food budget.
Even if you skip the farmers market and buy your grain pre-packaged for long-term storage through one of the commercial survival food vendors the saving can still be huge compared to an equal amount of other commercial survival foods.
Just be sure to use what you store in your everyday meals to avoid the shock that can result from a drastic change in diet and be sure your not allergic to gluten before stocking up on large amounts of wheat.
Water Filters
A source of clean drinking water is essential to survival and while there are many ways to go about this, from boiling to purification with sunlight, I think an effective water filter still makes a lot of sense, especially for a family, but they can be expensive.
I’m a fan of the Berkey Filters but most of us can’t afford to spend $250 for a water filter (I got mine through a barter deal with an advertiser) luckily it isn’t difficult to make your own for less than half the cost.
Firearms For Foraging and Defense
I recommend starting with a reliable .22 caliber rifle. A .22 rifle will allow you to take both small and large game with proper shot placement and it can be used for limited self-defense if needed. Best of all ammunition is cheap enough to allow stockpiling of thousands of rounds without emptying your wallet.
As to budget rifle choices, I’ve received good reports from several readers about the Romanian M-69 .22LR Training Rifle, however, I can’t vouch for these myself, because I’ve never owned one, but I think they are worth looking into.
If anyone has any experience with these rifles please share with us in the comments below.
A good used break open single shot shotgun such as the 12 gauge H&R Pardner can often be found for under $100. I’ve seen several recently at the local pawn shop priced for under $75. A 12 gauge shotgun is a very versatile survival tool.
Any retailer selling ammunition will carry at least a few different sizes and weights of shot shells, but in my option #6 shot offers the most versatility for hunting small game. Slugs and #00 buckshot work best for larger game and self-defense.
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 Military & Police Revolver is the most successful handgun of all time. This revolver has been manufactured since 1902 and has been produced with many variations for both commercial and military use.
Even after a full century of technological advancements the Model 10 is still hanging in there as a reliable weapon with respectable stopping power. As a survival handgun one could do much worse than having a model 10 strapped on your side. Used ones start at around $200.
As you can see you don’t need a lot of money to prepare but you do need realistic expectations. In the words of Burt Gummer; “You have to do the best you can with what you’ve got”.
We would love to hear your ideas on how to prepare on a budget in the comments below… I’m sure we can all learn something new.
{ 35 comments }
Very nice article I really like coming to this site and reading all the stuff, especially the comments. I agree a .22 is excellent for hunting and has some limited defense capabilitys ( although I would really want something bigger but its all about shot placement not size). Also Tremors is awesome and Burt Gummer kicks ass.
I have a Romanian M69 .22 trainer and its pretty accurate – I recommend them. They are getting a bit more difficult to find though – in their heydey, were going well under a C-Note. Now, you are lucky to find for less than $150.
Those H&R / NEF single shots are good guns, but their light weight and dropped butt has a price – RECOIL, especially in 12 gauge models. I have an old 088 30″ barrelled 12 that is one of my most brutal kicking shotguns I own – not a pleasant experience. I recently purchased a 20 gauge nickeled finish NEF, the one with Choate stock that carries extra ammunition. That I can recommend for a ranch / farm behind the door gun.
I own a m69 trainer. It is overeall a good rifle. It is accurate.It has adultish size to it.The rear sight is kinda cool, it is a 3 leaf folding sight. The uncool thing is it is marked in meters and being someone who likes to keep the metric system at work, that is a downside for me.The tigger is nice for a surplus rifle especialy a 22. The ugly. It seems the scope rail that is in the reciever is also metric and will not hold a standard 3/8 inch mount securly,at least on my rifle. I talked to the owner of a gunshop in my ereea and he stated (have`em drilled for a scope.. The factory magazine holds 5 or so rounds and replacement mags are kinda spendy.My son lost the mags to it somehow and I have been told that replacement mags are 49.95 or something like that. kinda expensive for a rifle that I paid 89.99 or 99.99 for. I forget exackly.I bought it when Gore was running for pres. I would like another one so that is good in my book. Steve
To my shame, the biggest thing I struggle with in survival prep is getting over the WRONG idea that newer is better. Thinking of getting a single shot 12 gauge instead of a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 makes me itch, but alas… It is better to have the single shot that nothing when it “all goes down”.
I prep 1 week for every month just in the typical canned food world, in my opinion 1 week with food is a small price to pay rather than 1 week without food and it only takes an extra $50 to accomplish a month.
i keep myself poor. i won’t blame it on preping.
burt knows how to use the stuff he has. buying stuff new, and never actually practicing with it because you want to keep it nice…
you have already failed. i scour all the local thrift stores, flea markets, used book stores, farmers markets, yard sales etc. for my gear. there are very few items i’d buy new. you can’t buy preparedness. wal-mart can’t sell it to you. you can’t get it in one shopping trip.
the ruger 1022 is a nice rifle. a glenfield 25 bought used at the local gun shop cost me about 75% less. coleman makes several nice camp stoves. for less than the price of one new one, i bought two at a flea market. (never bring a used prep item into your home without thoroughly cleaning it and inspecting it for pests)
knowing why you need an item is more important than where you shop for it.
…contrarywise, even if you got a prep item for free, it’s no bargain if it doesn’t work right. know, before you need it.
Prepping didn’t keep me poor – reckless spending and taking on too much debt to support an impractical consumer lifestyle did that. Fortunately I have learned the error of my ways and adjusting accordingly. Prepping for me is now just another investment strategy to help make me “rich”. It also helps to determine out exactly what rich means to you, and I bet for most here it isn’t having a sports car and a penthouse apartment….
I bought a M69 in 2008 for $85 and am pretty happy with it. Pretty accurate and the price was right. Down side is the 5 round magazine. Wish someone would make a 10 round.
Survival Food: Storing bulk beans, rice, wheat, etc. in 5 gallon buckets is the best and cheapest way to have an emergency backup. Keep buying your normal canned food and buy a couple of extra cans each time and rotate them and incorporate the beans, rice, wheat into you diet. We buy bulk on foods that are already on sale and use coupons to save even more money, then store them in the pantry until we need them. + Prepping saves money.
Some people worry about not being able to cook their food because fuel is/will be too expensive. Check out solar ovens and fresnel lenses. I recently made several solar ovens with my daughter for her science project. The solar ovens were made from cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, and glue. The cooking containers were glass jars that were spray painted black. The temperature of the water in the glass jars went from 80 degrees to 140 degrees in just one hour on a day that was about 70 degrees. The solar ovens can be very simple or very complicated (with racks, insulation, glass covers, etc.), but they all work a lot like a crock pot to cook meals. With several solar ovens, you can cook all the different parts of your meal at the same time and then combine at mealtime. After you have constructed the solar ovens (for < $5), the $$$ used to cook your meal = Zero. + Prepping saves money.
Here is a good website for more info about solar ovens: http://solarcooking.org/plans/
Another interesting solar powered heat source is a 'fresnel lens'. Here is a youtube video showing someone cooking eggs in seconds using only a fresnel lens and a frying pan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NgOfr2k1k
Water:
The EPA has a good list of emergency disinfection procedures, including using granular calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) to disinfect water. Pool shock stays stable longer than normal bleach and is much more concentrated that standard bleach. A small 1 lb. packet costs a couple of dollars and will purify about 10,000 gallons of water. Not having to worry about water after SHTF will let you concentrate on food & shelter. + Prepping saves money.
http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm
Weapons: If I didn't have any semi-auto weapon, I wouldn't get a bolt action .22 as my only rifle. I have a Ruger 10/22 and it is a great little rifle with a great reputation and lots of available parts. It costs about $200 new vs. $150+ for the used bolt action romanian rifle.
If you only have one real defensive long-gun, I wouldn't get a single shot shot gun for $100, when you can get a brand new Maverick 12 or 20 gauge pump shotgun for $170 at most big box sporting goods stores.
Just about any S&W, Ruger, or Taurus revolver in .38 cal or .357 magnum is a good bet, and you can find a good used one for about $200-$300 if you look around. (a .357 magnum revolver will fire both .38 and .357, this gives you more ammo options, but they are a little more expensive)
- Self defense costs money, but buying the right weapon the first time saves money in the long run.
I suppose it goes without saying to put away for tomorrow you have to make sacrifice today. We live on a budget and like many others we enjoy the benefits of others who overspend and resale their item cheap. Our Katadyne filtration system was new in box for $125(ebay), likewise with most of our gear I think it is more about the ability to resource oneself and use ones mind and faculties. I suppose most who are preppers do not spend a lions share of their day time or money tied up in the types of pursuits that waste ones time and life, but then again I have been wrong more than once and being poor is a state of mind. Being the oldest of 10 kids whose folks never broke the 20k a year, I never felt poor just luckie to have what I did.
Good Article, However I must say that the commercially available rack systems for can rotations don’t even make a dent in a years worth of can goods. I bought one about 3 years ago, filled it and found it to wholely inadaquet. For about $100 I made one twice the size out of 1″ pvc and some aluminum angles, It is only slightly better. So don’t believe you can become totally organized with them. They are a good idea, but any large amount of can goods will still require cases stacked up in the corner. Make sure you date everything. We date anything and everything that comes on the property,, OK I don’t date fire wood pieces. but I do date the face cord. I am actually considering getting an inventory control system with a bar code reader from Intuit…I know I am nuts…….
carl
Carl
I’ve never made a lot of money during my life, but I’ve been careful what I spent and I’ve managed investing what little I earned. I built my preps up over many decades, saving for the big items and adding to others gradually. For most of us that’s the only way to do it.
I have used a budget system that is based on my real net income. All expenses throughout the year are put down on a spread sheet (a paper one). All categories of expenses are listed by month with a annual total at the bottom. I have a “preps” budget item. Sometimes I spend more in one month than the average, but that means it comes off the following month to make it come out right. This month I’m a little over budget, so next month I will not spend that money on preps.
Two budget items I will borrow from are: “entertainment” and “miscellaneous”. There has to be some wiggle room in the budget to account for variables (gas prices, heating oil, tax increases, etc.). I have always felt that having good personal finances is a necessary aspect to survival.
Those of you who are young should have a 401k at work and have an IRA through a financial institution – AND DON’T BORROW FROM THEM. Many companies offer a matching 401k payments up to a certain percent. By starting a 401k under these conditions is like signing yourself a raise. Start with having 5% withheld from your pay. The key is not so much the amount you put into your 401k or IRA monthly, but how long you do it. If you’re young, you need to start now – even just a little every month.
the cheapest thing a person can do is look around your house at what you already have. ive lived in my home almost 30 years mabe im forgetful but ive found stuff i had forgot i had that is now part of preps there are more things that i use every day that are preps . solar lights and a jump pack leap to mind with a 15 watt solar panel its a power supply. my can openers are in the kitchen .preps can be found free in everyones home look around its free fill in the gaps as you can.preps should be in use not baged and stored. you may forget where you put them sometimerz hits us all!
Great advice! Our homes are already full of prepping supplies. We merely have to recognize them as such.
Greetings. I have a Marlin semiauto in stainless steel that came with a cheap scope that i replaced with a deer hunting 3 – 9 valiable and can put holes in any target you can come up with in range. cost when i bought it about what you say the military surplus from Romania costs. will last about forever. no magazine, has a tube magazine under the barrel. no magazine to lose or dent. nice gun. for stocking up I deal with a health food store. buy supplies in 50 pound sacks at a small fraction of supermarket prices. get bread flour for $15 for 50 pounds when it is going for that for a 25 pound sack at the supermarket. get 50 pound sack of sea salt for $16 from the same place. Get dry yeast for about $18 for a 5 pound bag instead of the $4,95 for a 4 ounce jar at the supermarket. Keep her dry and out of the light and it will be good for years. Getting 50 pound sack of baking soda for $28 this week. with storing beans. I tried that and it is a short time thing. but there was a article in BackwoodsHome magazine on taking even long stored beans and putting 2/3 cup of cleaned beans in a pint canning jar. adding a little salt and maybe a little piece of bacon or fat back and fill to within a inch of the top with boiling water. then pressure can at 10 pounds for 75 minutes and you have beans that will last forevere darned near. And ready to eat even cold if you have to. I have a 5 gallon container full of pinto beans left from Y2K that i am going to put up that way. Hint. classico spagetti sauce comes in mason jar containers that take regular canning jar lids and work great. just clean them out and us like regular canning jars. Don’t have to have a fortune to spend to stock up. just have to be reasonable in what you put away for later. and it sure isn’t MRE’s or as we used to call them 3 lies in one. not a meal, not ready and certainly not a meal to eat on purpose.
Richard, what store are you buying from? Those are some good prices.
greetings. is anyone aware of where a low power stun gun can be obtained? I want one for snake and spider bites. know the FDA doesn’t approve them, but I don’t much care. FDA approved Thalidamide and all the drugs they are recalling now so their approval is not required for me. the stun guns were written up in Outdoor life some years ago and were being researched at Michigan state university Ann Arbor and the London Tropical disease college in London. used on pit viper bites, black widow spider, brown recluse, and for people who are alergic to bee and wasp stings as my wife is. the religious missionaries in south America have been using the stun guns for years for such bites. need a low ampehage stun gun, not one of the million volt jobs they offer now. anyone give me a hint on a supplier? sure would appreciate it. frog_rider88@yahoo.com
As far as budget firearms go, you’ve mentioned Mosin Nagants before, but there are other good surplus deals out there to take advantage of:
- Nagant revolvers in great shape for under $100. Not great defensive firearms compared to modern choices, but they are decent 7 shot revolvers that can work well as last ditch alternatives. I can’t afford to stash 3 or 4 Glocks all over the house, but I can put a couple of these (say, in the garage or bonus room) as quick grabs when I can’t get to the better options.
- Tokarev pistols for ~$200. Good points: Surplus ammo goes for 7 cents a round and up, and the Tokarev is one of the few pistols that can penetrate soft body armor.
- Makarov pistols for ~$240. A solid, reliable pistol that many people use as concealed carry.
- Cheap AK74s (under $400). Ammo can be had for about half of what .223 is going for.
Prepping saves me money. I used to go to the local supermarket and buy a few cans of a variety of foods and pay the full retail price for them. Then, when I started prepping in earnest, I began buying at Costco and also buying in by the case when the local supermarket had a good sale. By buying a case of this and a case of that (all foods I like to eat anyhow), I have saved a few cents on each can and package – thus saving me money in the long run.
And I was buying guns from co-workers many years ago, when I could see the writing on the wall. My coworkers sold me their personal rifles and shotguns, always in great shape, and at reasonable prices. Ask around at work and see if you can’t find somebody willing to sell you his/her long gun. (Legally, of course. :) ) Buying guns from coworkers also saved me money.
Just the other day I bought 50 of those Life Gear glowstick/whistle/flashlight things for a buck apiece. They usually sell between $3.99 – $5.95. I bought a lot of them so I could give them to family and friends. At that price ($1.00), I saved a lot of money on stocking stuffers. Again, prepping saved me money.
There are many other examples where having a prepping mindset has saved me some money. Of course, I started years ago so I’ve had time to stock-up on sale items and used gear. I also like new gear, but buy it when it goes on sale. Look for bargains on camping gear, for example, during the early to late fall. Look for bargains on canned veggies in the early summer. And buying ammo is best during hunting season, when stores buy ammo by the pallet load.
Shop around. As the old Yellow Pages advertisement used to say, “let your fingers do the walking”. When shopping online, don’t forget to figure in the price of shipping, sales tax (or use tax, if buying from out-of-state) and shelf-life dates. When shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, ask the manager when s/he expects to be putting certain things on sale. Sometimes you’ll get an answer. And don’t buy #10 cans of food if only prepping for 1-2 people, unless you intend to use those big cans for barter or charity. Buy smaller cans and avoid spoilage. When buying them by the case at a supermarket, ask for AT LEAST a 10% discount off the normal price. Or, better yet, buy canned goods only when on sale. Read the newspaper supplements that tell you which stores are having sales. Also, check the stores’ websites to see what is going on sale next week and what is BYGO (buy one, get one). Keep a log, if possible, so you’ll recognize a good deal when you see one.
But whether you buy new, used, or make your own – get going. Things are not getting better. The politicians and the MSM are lying to us. Prep at whatever level you can afford, and then prep some more.
I have read Jackie Clay blogs and she says when you find a #10 can of something you like and it is at a good price go ahead and buy it. Then break it down into smaller sizes and can it either water bath or pressure can as called for by type of item.
Well, isn’t that false economy? If you are going to buy a #10 can on sale, break it down into smaller units, water bath or pressure cook it…haven’t you effectively spent just as much money as buying in small units initially? You have to own or buy the canning jars & lids & rings, you have to use some energy to boil the bath water, and you have to take the time to do it.
Whatever works for each of us as individuals is what counts, right?
Should have added above – a great foraging firearm is the combination rifle / shotgun. Single shot for each barrel, but you have BOTH in your hand, so whatever the menu item is, you are prepared for it. They are somewhat costly new, but can still be found used for decent prices. They are worth it, especially in rimfire over shotgun. My 24C is a heckuva carry gun.
Almost got a hold of an M6 Scout. That would have been the bee’s knees.
There’s a couple of good mods I’ve seen and wanted to try out: replace the easily lost takedown pin and clip with a long shoulder bolt and nylock wingnut, 55o cord braided barrel wrap that includes a sling, extra ammo to supplement the box in the stock, etc.
Those Savage Mod 24s are getting spendy. I’ve yet to see one south of $500.
Prepping isn’t keeping me poor, I only spend what’s left after I pay for the necessities and save alittle for reserve. There’s no reason to prep if the bill collectors are coming for you. Its just another discipline mature adults need to apply to the real world.
Good gun bargains that I’ve found:
Mossberg 195 12 ga, bolt action with poly-choke. $100
Marlin Glenfield Mod 60, $125–poor man’s 10/22!
Ishapore 2A1, Indian reserve army rifle made on Enfield tooling with a stronger steel reciever–basically a No.1 MkIII in 7.62 NATO. Will fire .308 safely. The Nato round actually is a higher pressure round when you account for the units of measure: Copper units of pressure vs SAAMI piezoelectric method. Mine can reliably hit an oil drum at over 300 yds with the open sights, so I call it good.
Still hunting for a Marlin 336 on the cheap–I want to try out the trick I heard where you can load up a single 00 pellet with a few grains of powder (need to look up the exact amount) and duplicate .22LR ballistics. Would make for one very versatile rifle.
Echo the prep advice by others–buy used when you can, make your own when you’re able to, buy a little at a time (helps with recalcitrant spouses) and use what you store. I’ll add that I’ve had major successes at the recycler’s. Even in a small town people throw away quite a lot of good stuff.
There is several gunshops in my erea that sell used guns.They do consingment sales so the dealer does not have to buy the gun and they just get a percentage of the sale.That works well and sometimes it dosn`t. You just need to save up some cash and see what you run into.A guy in my town kinda inflates the prices and he will discount it if it does not sell soon.He has sold some nice guns that were overpriced but if that is what you are looking for, people seem to buy them.I like the idea of buying guns from friends and don`t be shy about talking to the oldsters. My best friend bought a 03 springfield that a marine caried on D day. He paid 800 bucks for it but he got what he wanted and was helping out a fellow marine.Also seniors seem to have some pretty cool old guns. Steve
Not really….Ive been doin it so long that most the more costly stuff i really want I already have and the other stuff I have taken my time, and nickel and dimed it, networked with other people and buy smart to get the most bang for the buck. A lot of my preps also overlap at some point with other hobbies which helps facilitate those arenas of readiness. I would like to have the money to just buy what I want, but over all, Im OK:)
The whole grain and flour storage thing was working ok for me – until a year ago when I ceased using grains, flour and other sugars as food. My whole SHTF food storage & gathering philosophy has been in transformation now that I eat mostly fat, protein, and some veges.. This Hunter-Gatherer diet itself is a prep for me in addition to saving my health. Once I get it right I may do a write-up on shifting food preps based on a major shift in diet. It is not easy. I can barter the grains I still have.
I’ve read the Survivalist Blog for a long time and usually I don’t comment unless I think it’s important … I’ve read comments from many people on how inexpensive (CHEAP) some weapons are, some Russian, some Chinese and some eastern European and on and on … when it come to protecting your life and your family, you don’t have to spend thousands on tactical weapon systems and eight thousand dollar sniper weapons , but you do and must have the best weapon for what it’s intended to do …. Let’s just say things go horribly wrong next week … every thing shuts down … no more just driving to the store and pick up something .. no no mister your going to have to live with you have. Your Chi-Com AK 47’s trigger release spring just broke .. where are you going to get one now … your Romanian 22 rifle’s firing pin broke … you now have a club .. I could go on, but you get it … a S&W model 10 was mentioned.. I fired them (PPC version) in competition hundreds and hundreds of thousands of rounds … I wore out a barrel on one and a firing pin spring broke on one .. these types of American weapons are strong and are built to last … and they can hit a man size target at 50 yards all day even further with practice … stay with proven reliable weapons, one’s that have been around for years, and you can fine parts for .. ( S&W 10’s, Remington 870’s, Ruger 10-22’s Winchester, Remington … because there are millions of surplus parts for them in this country … and just like stockpiling food, tools, extra this ,extra that and things that you think you’ll need … buy and have a weapon repair kit .. firing pins, springs, barrels, sears, there cheap and there’s tons of them now .. maybe not later .. and learn to disassemble your weapons and exchange parts .. each time you clean you weapon disassemble it ,and you don’t have to be a gun smith .. It’s just an idea you might want to consider …
Never. Prepping is not too expensive for us and we totally enjoy it. It is so much fun to shop to stock up even if we get just a few things at a time such as five cans of this or five jars of that. We love getting cases of cheap tuna from a grocery outlet when we visit the store a few times a year. We also look for soups that are fifty-cents or less or near that price range, usually tomato soup is the cheapest on the shelves everywhere we shop. Two weeks ago our local store placed flour, sugar and a few other baking items on sale through their store coupons and we saved a few dollars there. We will sometimes buy several jars of salad dressing and mayo when they are in the range of 2/$3. Once in a while I will let my wild side out a bit and go for a few different items like corned beef hash (low-fat and low-sodium, if possible), some of those canned weiners that when you open them have that clear gel around them which is easy to rinse off before consuming, a few extra blocks of cheese for the freezer, unsalted peanuts and other canned nuts, pumpkin pie filling and sufficient spices to make a few pies and other on-the-cheap things as desired. A little of this and a little of that, and a good variety is going to be there for us which makes the thought of too much and too long of one thing or several easier to tolerate and get through. No matter what we have to eat we will be thankful and glad that our stomachs are full but we are so glad that we will have some variety and flavor to break up any monotony that we could encounter at some point.
I agree cl. another thought cl. Is buy from the us gunmarket also. heck a m700 remington in 06 or 270 would make a great sniper rifle and the humble 30/30 would do well in a limited firefight.And american milsurp such as the m1 carbine and garand and mia are no slouches iether.They may be kinda spendy but,they are good ol fashioned murican shooting irons and proven time and time again.I would rather cary a m14 or garand then any poodleshooting 223 anyway.being a career civilian and my first gun was a o3a3 i never bought into the 223 cult. Steve
I agree American guns are very good and I always like American made products but that dosent mean kick the rest of the stuff to the dirt. Those AK-47s Have been around scince 1947 with very few modifications to them and is the most used and popular rifle in the world so it wouln’t be that hard to find parts for them. Also Axelsteve I know your a civilean so you get second hand knowledge on things that deal with the military and killing people but the 5.56 or .223 has been killing people for awhile now and we havent seen fit to replace it yet and if you know how to shoot you can hit people out to 600m with it. Trust me, but I do like those M1 carbines as well.
Humorous Comparison of an AK47, an AR15 and a Mosin
http://www.mouseguns.com/compare.htm
Speaking of .22′s, I have an old JC Higgins, 14 round tube fed, semi-auto that I love. That thing is a tack driver! They use to sell them at Sears and Mongomery Ward. It’s a fun little rifle.
I got some McDonalds and Burger King straws (they are bigger than normal straws), some small finger cots and those tiny rubber bands they use for orthodontic braces (hair bands will do if they are small) and made 7 round ‘speed loaders’ for it. Put a finger cot on the bottom end of the straw, pop in 7 rounds oriented bottom to top. Snip off a bit of the straw if there is a lot of room left, plug the top with a small piece of cotton to stop any movement and tape off the top. Secure the finger cot on the bottom with the tiny rubber band and voila! When you need to reload, pull off the finger cot and slide them in. Just cover the feed hole in the tube with your fingers when you drop them in. Now I can reload my tube fed .22 in about 12-14 seconds.
If anyone can improve on my method, please let me know.
thats a great idea!
…straws, wow.
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