Survival Archives - Gunners Den

Well, the leftists and misinformed politicians are at it again. Recently the attacks against gun ownership have skyrocketed. But there is another sleeper concern, ammunition. Increasingly politicians are beginning to zero in on ammunition purchases and requirements for ownership of ammo. Take heed! I’m sure many readers have numerous firearms available to them. Good. But the long term concern, at least in my estimation, is the ammunition to feed those firearms.

While we are enjoying the right to keep and bear arms, it’s worth noting that Constitutional protection may not include ammunition. Ponder if you will the prospect of having firearms, but not ammunition.

While many readers are surely prepared in the ammo supply arena, from conversations with students, I’d venture a guess that most aren’t. The question is not just for you, but perhaps generations to come. Teaching students on an ongoing basis, I find it not uncommon for folks to struggle to come up with a couple hundred rounds of handgun or carbine ammo to conduct even baseline training.

Today’s political climate is yet again all about gun control and along with that ammunition is more and more the focus of restrictions. Consider in just the last few years there have been attempts to control or restrict ammo via several rationales. These include such as environmental, public safety, requiring your fingerprints to purchase (registration), higher taxation and quantity restrictions (to include internet purchases).

**22 rimfire is always sought in trying times.**

Let’s not forget the bare shelves of just a few years ago because of the political climate. The supply of 22 rimfire and many common handgun and rifle calibers have just again become reasonably available. Prices, also, are at last settling into normal levels.

So how much ammo is reasonable to keep and store? Well, it depends on what your primary, secondary, or other uses may be. That of course varies from person to person. Aside from the fact that many folks are very accomplished hand loaders requiring a good supply of powder, primers, casings and bullets in their own right, many don’t have the time or inclination for hand loading.

Here, grouped by purpose, are some thoughts on the reasons to build and maintain a good supply of ammunition.

Gun Training

This is where things could get interesting. Shooting well is a perishable skill (yes, dry fire can take place of live fire to some extent). I shoot almost on a weekly basis, at least handgun. That may not be sustainable in tough times. I focus most of my weekly handgun shooting on 9mm to keep it economical. I like to keep a minimum of 5000 rounds available if possible.

**Store several hundred rounds or more of your most-used calibers.**

Defensive use

I store several hundred rounds of good quality handgun, shotgun and rifle ammo that fits this category on hand … per caliber or gauge. A sub category here would be the battle rifle or fighting carbine, at which point there is no such thing as too much ammo.

Hunting

For most standard big game considerations, I could probably get by for quite some time with a couple hundred rounds. But thinking down the road for many years, I would like to have 500 to 1000 rounds per caliber of any hunting rifle. Small game means shotgun and rim fire, the round count here could increase substantially.

shot gun ammunition — **Don’t forget shotgun ammo.**

Sport/Competition

If it’s USPSA, IDPA, 3-gun, SASS, trap, skeet, silhouette, or others, start thinking in the thousands of rounds or even higher for the long term.

Bartering

The sky’s the limit. All common calibers and rimfire ammunition is in high demand even now. Imagine over-the- counter availability of ammunition being gone overnight! In really tough times or during a run on the supply, ammunition will always retain a high trade value. So the question is, how much do you need to have for yourself and family versus how much you can afford to sell or barter with?

Ammo Storage

It goes without saying that the cost, storage and transportation of ammunition may require logistical planning. Ammunition is heavy! Storage can have its own challenges. Basically, prioritize cool, dry, durable storage. The military style 30- and 50-caliber ammo cans or the sealed spam cans of ammo make good long-term storage options.

Finding Ammunition

Other than your local Wal-Mart or hardware store where might one find ammo today without breaking the bank? Some obvious choices may be your local gun shows (or similar events) and some online ammo sales sites (these sites have also been under fire in recent months). A few less obvious locations to find ammo at sometimes below wholesale prices are flea markets, estate sales and garage sales.

**Maintain a supply of several hundred rounds, or more, of your most-used calibers.**

How Old Can Ammo Get?

This may bring up the question, how long is ammo good for? In my experience, if it has been stored properly and out of the elements, it can be good for decades. I have shot military surplus that was 50-plus years old, without issues. Not to disparage any hand loaders, but I stay away from reloaded ammo that I do not know the source of. I say this because you will run across such ammo at flea markets and garage/estate sales.

**Military surplus ammo cans are great for safe, dry storage.**

Someone once called ammo the precious metal of the future. I couldn’t agree more … take heed, and stock up on your ammo while you still can!

(Author’s note: thanks to Federal Premium Ammunition and Sig Sauer Ammunition for sponsoring some of the ammunition that appears here).

FIVE GUNS NOT TO BE WITHOUT WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS

Let’s pretend for a moment that the world of tax-funded public safety and well-stocked grocery stores are a thing of the past and you, perhaps with a handful of family and friends, must fend for yourself in a tough and perhaps hostile environment. Among the considerations for survival are, of course, firearms. Which would you choose?

The most critical consideration for firearms in our scenario would be reliability … does it go “bang” with every trigger press? Does it cycle the widest possible spectrum of ammo available in that caliber? Is it simple to maintain? What ammunition is likely to be found in the area? It’s a given that one of each major civilian classification of firearms will be needed—a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun. Our task here is to pick an ideal group of five.

THE TOP THREE

Carbine

A carbine, with its shorter barrel, offers maximum portability as well as the capability of reaching out to larger game, within limited range, to provide for food. Larger capacity magazines and quick reloading capability may be necessary to defend against attackers of the two-legged variety.

My choice for a long-term carbine partner is the AR-15. The platform is proven as reliable, and most owners have accumulated a supply of spare parts. Ammunition and magazines as of this writing, are readily available.

The .223/.556 cartridge is admittedly not the most ideal for down range energy. Thanks to the other virtues named here, though, it garners top billing on the list. I have personally taken deer sized game with the .223/.556, and feel that it works well in many different situations.

Handgun

A Glock 17, Ruger Bearcat, and Kel-Tec PMR30

The Glock 17/19 has a long track record of reliability and the other criteria here. While Glock offers a wide variety of calibers and models the 9mm is a commonly available cartridge worldwide, and less pricey. Like the AR-15, parts are currently ubiquitous, and many are interchangeable between models/calibers.

As a true aficionado of the 1911, it’s hard to think of turning my back on that old standby. Indeed, it’s more accurate. But it falls behind, quickly, where ease-of-maintenance and magazine capacity are concerned. Newer models are, in my experience, less reliable than Colt originals

Concealability, which may or may not be a consideration in this scenario, isn’t easy with the G17 but the Glock 19 can bridge this gap.

Shotgun

This was the easiest choice. A shotgun in general has nearly endless applications based on the variety of loads available, especially if one has reloading equipment. The Remington 870 pump action, chambered in 12 gauge, has endured as one of the most reliable shotguns in history. It’s inexpensive, made for utility, and rugged. Semi-auto shotguns abound on the market today, but none have the reliability or simplicity of the 870. The gauge selection is due to the wide range of loads available in 12 gauge.

The Mossberg 500 was a close runner-up, but the 870 edged it out thanks to personal experience and the references of friends in law enforcement. It’s capable of earning its keep by obtaining large and small game and is an effective defense weapon.

Traditional hunting models are probably the most common 870s in civilian homes. The police model, with its shorter 18-inch barrel and larger magazine capacity, offers more practicality. Either one will serve the owner well, with greater reliability than most semi-auto shotguns. I have taken everything from birds to varmints to big game with a 12 gauge 870. Not to mention the shotgun is an effective deterrent against two legged pests.

TWO MORE

Now imagine for a moment that we have the luxury of two other guns at our disposal. To me, the ideal ones are—

A Bolt-Action Rifle

Remington 700 in .308 with custom shortened barrel.

As with the AR-15, the brand and model are less important as there are many choices with legendary track records. It’s comforting to know that, with the assistance of an optic, the little arsenal includes something that can be effective at long distances for most game and any precision shooting needs. The ideal caliber would be .308 or 30-06, both of which are more or less commonly available. Both can effectively take any game in North America and of course provide greater long range precision capabilities.

Rate of fire and weight are potential drawbacks with this firearm. In comparison to others here, this platform requires greater knowledge and time investment on the part of the operator to accomplish the long-range feats it’s capable of.

A .22 Rimfire

The Ruger 22, the Bearcat revolver and 10/22 takedown

There’ll be plenty of nay-sayers for this cartridge as a final choice, but the .22 has been a ballistic tool of choice for hunters, assassins, farmers, and housewives for over a century. It’s eliminated countless barnyard varmints and more good and bad guys than I care to count. If we as consumers discount the memory of the days when .22 was three cents per round, the cost and availability factors aren’t as dire as it once was just a mere year ago.

Notice there’s no make and model named in the subheading—that’s a reflection of how difficult it is to choose among the many candidates. In the end, utility is king. Some my favorites are the Ruger 10-22 takedown, Ruger 22 Bearcat, S&W Model 17 Revolver or the KelTec PMR or CMR 30 in 22 magnum (if you have a good supply of 22 mag ammo). Choices in this category are endless and should boil down to what you have experience and confidence in. Another consideration, five hundred rounds of .22 is portable in comparison to other calibers.

Many will likely argue that a .22 rifle is preferable to a .22 handgun. And I’d not argue back much, especially when discussing a firearm for a beginner to use effectively. In a world where the return on investment of both resources and calories is key, perhaps a .22 should be at the top of this list.

IN CONCLUSION, this is obviously one person’s opinion. There are virtually endless choices and considerations—for example, what if the environment was urban or in a foreign country? List your own version of this TOP 5 in the comments.

Survival