SHTF setup

[highpower]

Why do people think that if the balloon goes up that their life will the consist of a series of confrontations and gunfights?

This is pretty much a useless question. If you have to move, you need a place to go to. Walking will most likely be out of the question, so you will need a vehicle and weight won't be a problem.

Anyone that thinks that somehow they are going to walk out of a city like LA by themselves and survive, is smoking crack. Best thing to do is prepare to bug in and stock up on food, medicine and other survival supplies and learn how to garden.

Keeping a low profile is the best way to stay out of trouble. If you are really concerned about the end of society as we know it, get out of the cities and learn to live off the grid.

[Bansh88]

Walking will most likely be out of the question, so you will need a vehicle and weight won't be a problem.

We see it on a yearly basis. Just a bad storm will snarl traffic and make roads useless to vehicles. ***A key to that, know backroads, truck trails and fireroads.

[mikeyr]

how much weight can you carry ? that is the real issue with a SHTF situation.

I am more comfortable shooting my 45 Colt SSA and would prefer to take that along with my Henry 45 Colt. But that Henry is heavy and ammo may be hard to find.

So I likely would take my model 66 in 357 along with my marlin in 357, that gives me a good chance of finding either 38spl or 357 to shoot in them.

Now, if I am able to drive out, I will take both and my Berreta 92FS with over a 1,000 rounds for it, but no way I am trying to carry that and I assume in a true SHTF situation the roads will be clogged with traffic or too dangerous to drive. So our plan is short ride to the hills and then take the trails to safety on our motorcycles, she will carry her 22 (good for small game and the ammo is light), I will carry my 357 and both our bikes will be heavy on food and water.

[beretta929mm]

Please watch the movie John Wick and study his load out

[CandG]

Why not just carry a spare .40 barrel for your glock 20? That way you can have your powerful 10mm gun until you run out of ammo, then you can swap barrels and scavenge .40sw after that. Most people even say you can already shoot 40 in the 10mm barrel in a pinch, but it's not a bad idea to have a spare barrel anyways

[1CavScout]

I had wild fires nearly burn my house down years ago in SoCal. I loaded up a 20' enclosed trailer with all my guns and ammo in case of evacuation. My plan was to head to my place in AZ.

Not really the type of SHTF scenario you are probably thinking of, but I would take as much as possible and head to a place I feel provides more safety.

[bruss01]

I'm trying to narrow down the weapon(s)/ammo I would take in a SHTF situation where I would only have limited time to move. I plan on buying a plate carrier/plates along with a battle belt.

As a primary gun, I would be taking my AR, but as a sidearm, what would you all feel as most idealistic (shootability, reliability, etc set aside):

-SA XDm .40
-Glock 20c 10mm
-HK VP9
-Sig P229r .40
-Sig SP2022 9mm
-SA TRP .45

Also, if any of you could point me into the direction of some good (and not too pricey) plate carriers/battle belts, that would be much appreciated!

How many others in your party? Are you going solo? Will you have others? What do they have, or what do they have experience with?

If you have a group, then standardize the group armament around a standardized cartridge and if possible, magazines as well. You want commonality for logistics purposes.

If you'll be traveling alone (not preferred, but sometimes unavoidable) you want ammo commonality among the guns you carry. You did not mention what the AR is chambered in so I am going to assume it's a 5.56. Obviously a pistol in the chambering isn't very practical for bugging out if we are talking about general pistol purposes. I'd recommend assessing to see if any of your current guns can be outfitted with a .22 LR caliber conversion that is reliable. My thinking is that if you have an AR and a pistol in different calibers but also carry a .22 conversion for each, then in addition to a couple full magazines for each, you can carry a brick of .22 and have a built-in backup for each. Just a thought.

My bug out (with my wife) guns are a 5.56 AR and Springfield XD 9. Those guns aren't my first choice if going it alone but they match what she has, guns, mags and ammo. If going it alone I would swap out the XD for my CZ 75b which has a Kadet .22 adapter kit, and include the AR .22 adapter.

I have a "get home" bag which stores a CZ .40 Compact (on my ccw permit) and a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 (.40 S&W). I discovered that the KT will accept full-size CZ .40 magazines, so I have one compact mag (for carry) and an additional 3 full size mags to be shared with the KT.

I agree with the others about avoiding less common guns and ammo. Whatever may be gained by some novel feature will surely be lost if you have to resupply, replace, or loan out that firearm to an ally of convenience.

[bruss01]

Why do people think that if the balloon goes up that their life will the consist of a series of confrontations and gunfights?

This is pretty much a useless question. If you have to move, you need a place to go to. Walking will most likely be out of the question, so you will need a vehicle and weight won't be a problem.

Anyone that thinks that somehow they are going to walk out of a city like LA by themselves and survive, is smoking crack. Best thing to do is prepare to bug in and stock up on food, medicine and other survival supplies and learn how to garden.

Keeping a low profile is the best way to stay out of trouble. If you are really concerned about the end of society as we know it, get out of the cities and learn to live off the grid.

I agree with this post for the most part. Plan A should always be to stay put in a place where you have provisions, security, and a lawful right to be.

History has shown however that the fates are capricious and can be most unkind. Sometimes fire, flood or other circumstances makes it imperative to move regardless of the potential downsides.

Whether it is plan B, C, D or even F bugging out needs to be in there somewhere. I agree that motorized transport is usually the best option, but there are times when even that option is cut off due to mechanical failure or other circumstance. One of the last options to be provided for is making your way on foot. I think that is where the OP is going with his question... every other conceivable option has been negated, the only practical or possible alternative is foot travel towards safety.

This is where the sort of questions OP has posited become valid.

I certainly wouldn't want that as Plan A. As mentioned, you can do so much more by leveraging the cargo capacity of a vehicle, or the simplicity and ease of simply staying put and riding out the situation in a familiar place. You want to avoid becomming (or even appearing to be) a refugee if at all possible.

[SILENT GUNMAN]

To stick strictly to your question, I would take the ar pistol and the Glock 20. The weight saved with the ar pistol will allow you to carry at least a few more mags than if you had a full size rifle. The Glock 20 will give you devastating firepower until you run out of ammo for it. If you can't find any 10mm ammo to resupply you can just put .40s in it. Being able to run 2 calibers in one gun is always a good thing when finding ammo is difficult.

My second choice for your side arm would be the sig p229. Get a 9mm and 357 sig conversion barrel for it so, once again, you'll have the ability to run whatever ammo you can find.

[JDay]

Good luck finding 357 sig ammo.

[Sunday]

I would sell all the singles and buy 2 or 3 or the same firearms. Then lets talk SHTF.

[Bansh88]

I would sell all the singles and buy 2 or 3 or the same firearms. Then lets talk SHTF.

That's why I have Glock 17, 19 & 26. Well, not exactly the same, but interchangeable mags.

[SILENT GUNMAN]

Good luck finding 357 sig ammo.

Actually it's quite easy to find. During the last 2 panics it was one of the few calibers left on store shelves in my area. I would imagine in shtf it would also be one of the last calibers to dissappear from the stores.

[SILENT GUNMAN]

Good luck finding 357 sig ammo.

Actually it's quite easy to find. During the last 2 panics it was one of the few calibers left on store shelves in my area. I would imagine in shtf it would also be one of the last calibers to disappear from the stores.

[CAglock20c]

Actually it's quite easy to find. During the last 2 panics it was one of the few calibers left on store shelves in my area. I would imagine in shtf it would also be one of the last calibers to disappear from the stores.

The same could be said about 10mm but not sure how many LGS actually stock it