Answer Man answers:
I’m prepared, like a prepper would be. I live near LA, where scientists claim the big one will strike within the next 30 years. Scientists are wrong on a lot of things, but hell, it pays to be prepared and its better to have it when you need it than not have it when you need it.
My SHTF situation preps include:
a 150 day (5 months) supply of mixed food- freeze-dried, MREs, supermarket sized canned foods, and those really big cans of food that some people get.
I have water, not much, I figure I’ll get more when the SHTF. I got plenty of money and some gold/silver around, There is enough water for a week or two, but in the long run not enough.
I have some supplies, ways to light my area, to cook, to provide heat, to cool things down. I’m working on a solar set up but waiting to see if PV panels are EMP proof. Pointless to spend 3k on a setup just to have it fry after a HEMP attack. Nuclear attacks, well, I’ll be dead before I know it. I would like a emp proof vehicle and some fuel, but that’s years away.
I have an extensive collection of tools, some power, some hand. If I can get that PV system set up and tested, then I can use my power tools.
Finally, defense. Since I said if a nuclear attack happened I’ll be dead before I know it, its apparent I live near a major target. Major targets can be of military value or a civilian target. I’m near a civilian target, and its a civilian target since it has people, lots of people. 191,000 in my city, 3.4 million in the county, about 14 million in the metro area. So that’s a lot of people. I need good defenses. Luckily California has a very negative attitude towards firearms ownership so I’ll probably be dealing with people armed with knives and sticks, and maybe a few gang members who are not more harm than the 500 people surely to be at my doorstep. Gang members do have guns, but they are limited by California magazine capacity and firearms availability. They take on average 30 rounds to hit a person once, and those with rifles are not of much harm to me. To the mob, yes, since they’re most likely to be hit instead.
I have a collection of long guns, as I am under 21 and can’t buy a handgun. I am looking into buying one as I turn 21 this august. I stockpile ammo and magazines as if guns will be banned forever soon, and they will. I have enough ammo to defeat the metro area’s SWAT and police, so that’s more than enough. I have enough magazines, even though they’re 10rd ones, to stop a 30 men strong raiding party made up of violent criminals. I’m also a good marksman so that helps some.
As for the weapons themselves:
home defense #1 is the shotgun. Its the nearest (next to my bed) and optimized for home defense as well as plinking. What it doesn’t do so well on is ammo availability. 20 gauge as it runs out I can find buckshot or slugs for. Well, indoors birdshot will do fine.
I have my Marlin 925r rifle, superbly accurate .22LR rifle. I can hit a beer bottle (that’s 2.5 inches wide) at 200 yards. Half my stockpile is in .22LR. Which is around 23,000 rounds. I have high velocity, standard velocity, subsonic, shotshells, CB, BB caps, blanks, and everything else you can imagine. Nearly all are Federal high velocity from Walmart though.
Next is my Ruger 1022 carbine, Its terrible in accuracy, but decent enough to pick off 5″ targets at 50 yards, I can probably hunt game with it or use it in some rapid crowd control.
Follows is my Norinco SKS, with two trigger groups, one has a perfectly good sear and smooth trigger pull, the other wit ha bad sear that results in full auto slam firing. Its like a select fire assault rifle that takes about 8 minutes to switch between modes. Semi is when its my combat rifle, full auto is again, rapid crowd control. I really don’t like full auto since its a terrible waste of ammo. And its bad for the gun.
The Kel Tec SU 16 CA carbine is my second “sniper”. Its not as accurate, but greater range up to 600 yards theoretically if I’m shooting humans. I usually shoot up to 200 yards ,so 600 yards is strictly “in theory”. Humans are about 15 inches wide and 50 inches effective target area. I know the carbine can shoot that far that accurately, and the .223 round capable to kill up to 900 yards, so in theory it can be done. The Kel Tec is also semiautomatic so with ironsights I can use like I would with an AR15.
I have a Mosin Nagant, I’ve avoided shooting it lately since heavy ball isn’t pleasant. I figure heavy ball can probably hole some engines if needed and decent anti-material round. I got blanks for it too, so as warning shots at night. There was a huge fireball when I did that last time.
Finally, the WASR-10 rifle, with monsterman grip to comply with state laws. I have a spare pistol grip so in a SHTF situation, I can swap that out quick. Who cares about state law when law and order comes to a dead halt? Same can’t be said for the magazine situation. I;m stuck with crappy 10rd for the time being, I’ll use the WASR if the “people” situation get too much for the SKS and Kel Tec to handle.
Wilderness survival I’m going with the Marlin 925r. Its accurate enough to shoot a little yellow bird at 80 yards out of a tree, it’ll be great for hunting.
Also, I nearly left out, I’m not the type to start shooting people when a mob forms outside my house with sticks and stones and a couple really badly shooting gang members. I have tear gas grenades and smoke emitters/grenades lying around, after some searching, I got ahold of several mil-spec tear gas grenades. I would use them first so make people go away if the smoke didn’t make them leave. The mil spec I’m told can stop even the most determined or desperate mob. People would be vomiting for hours. I got fireworks and firecrackers too if I feel using 100% CS gas grenades is a little too evil on a crowd of hungry, desperate people, especially if there’s children in it.
I also have a small emergency bag that I often carry in case of trouble, one for in the wilderness and one for the city. The city pack I always have, it has jumper cables, a cell phone quick charger, a small wad of cash, maps of local areas, first aid kit, 3 road flares, one signal triangle, one MRE, one flashlight, 2 glow sticks, one emergency food bar pack, and about 1 gal water.
The wilderness survival is when I get stuck somewhere and my car doesn’t work. Its more me focused than the car. I put 6 day’s food, medical handbook and 1st aid kit, 2 flashlights, glow sticks, batteries for flashlight, compass, some basic survival equipment, a foil blanket, hand warmers, fire starters, emergency water packets to around another gallon’s worth, some food related tools and supplies, some other goodies I think I might need. I thought about putting a compact pellet gun in it just in case I have animal issues or need to hunt for food, but so far I haven’t done so.
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