Hypothetical question, assuming it’s complete economic collapse, threat level: Red

You can take 2 long guns and 2 pistols out of your safe.

Everything else must stay behind.

Which guns are you taking and why?

I’d prob go with my 10/22 (for ammo sake) and 308 bolt gun for sniping.

Pistols would be a Glock 9mm and a cheapo Taurus 9mm for bartering.

What say ye?

I agree on the rifles. A 22 and a larger center fire for hunting big and small.

On the pistols I would have a dilemma. I’m love my 45s but that scenario calls for a 9mm and a 22 in my mind. Weight of ammo being a giant factor.

2 of my .22’s and two 9mm’s

No questions

I’m not sure where you will bug out too that will be safe. You’ll likely find yourself stuck on a clogged highway with everyone else trying to leave the city. Maybe you have military background on evasion and survival but most don’t and won’t survive the bug out situation. IMO it would be better to have extra food and water and work with your neighbors on how to protect each other.

I could arm my entire street.

I have studied up quite a bit on what a disaster scenario would look like. Likely there would be little time to prep and if communications were shut down you may or may not have mass exodus’s out of Urban and suburban areas immediately. That’s an unknown.

What is likely is there would be a run on supplies and groceries that would be exhausted in a day or three. Then everyone would hunker down and try to defend what they had against those who had not. This would include neighbors and friends. Which may or may not possible. Two weeks past as people start starving you will see large groups of gangs forming and moving out of urban areas and making their way out looting and pillaging what ever they can find.

Two schools of thought on numbers, some say it’s better to band up with a small number of people, others don’t advise it outside of your nuclear family unit.

Regardless, if you do decide to take flight, be prepared to literally walk out of your home and hoof it to your final destination. It would be an ugly scenario regardless. Everyone is a suspect and enemy. Being able to arm the street is a moot point when everyone is starving, it just makes for a better gunfight

People that live in rural areas to begin with will most likely fare better than those in dense urban regions.

Ive have never contemplated this scenario and dont plan to(any time soon.)

Long guns: .22 caliber being in AR platform. other self defense auto shotgun both with extended mags

Pistols …Semi auto .22 high capacity magazine same as 9mm.

Staying put. I know I won’t last long being urban, but I will be known to be one of the last places to “take” due to the body count in front of my home.

I have considered this sort of thing over the decades. The one conclusion I cannot get around is when it's time to bug out..... it's too late to bug out. But in respect to your question Dusty, I physically cannot bug out. But in the near rural area I call home, the major roads are jammed up much too often. It takes so very little to shut down Interstate 81 that bugging out would only get me stranded on the side of the road. I would suggest that if the roads would already be open where you live then you already live in your bug out location.

As for specific guns I prefer the ones I shoot the most, are stupid reliable and I am inherently the best with.

I already have quite a few guns stored down at the Ranch, so, it really wouldn't matter much what I took with me as long as it got me there. But, if I didn't have any at the ranch, I would take a .357 lever and Blackhawk in 357. Throw a lee classic loader, primers and a bottle or two of powder in the backpack with it. Also grab a 9mm pistol and either an AR or a bolt in .308.

For me, a S&W 15-22 and a Ruger LC Carbine in 5.7x28

Both work with my YHM suppressor, and ammo weight is minimal.

Handguns: Ruger 22/45 Lite and Glock 34

I sadly lost all of my guns in an unfortunate boating accident


But if I had any I would go with any 5.56 AR and any 9mm glock. Mags and ammo are abundance for both.

10/22 SBR, Volquartsen Mini Mamba 22/45, PS-90 and a Glock 19.

Glock 19 w/ 250 rounds of ammo
Wilson 1911 .45ACP...100 rounds of ammo
AR-15 (SBR w/ suppressor)...500 rounds of ammo
Ruger 10/22 (takedown)...250 rounds of ammo

Glock and AR are carried. 1911, 10/22 and ammo are in the go bag.

SUB2K
P95
Shield 9
22/45

If you relay on medication you'll only be as good as the supply you have.

Bug Out? Forget it!

15 years ago my wife and I left Charlotte, NC behind and had a new home built in the foothills. For 25 years we had planned for this land to be our BO location so we just got a head start on most people.
With that said, my main everyday weapons are an AR-15 in 300 HAM'R and a S&W M&P 2.0 9mm. Both of these weapons have a twin sitting here. Plus, there are also a variety of other firearms "just-in-case."

Being a reloader, I count my ammo by the thousands instead of by the box.

Grocery stores, pharmacies, gun shops and liquor stores are the first to be looted!

All I gotta do is stay home.

Just as important as the weapons you choose is a thermal scope. Much easier to kill deer at night to keep yourself fed.

In an end of the world as we know it situation, I wouldn't want to rely on anything battery powered. I'd rather have a scope that gathers light exceptionally well, and hunt by moonlight.

You have that one right Angus! One of the big issues is we assume the medications we are given are good for us. Maybe that was once the case but big pharma and modern docs are not so concerned about your health but pushing profitable drugs no matter the real need. Personally, I work to get off every drug I can. No, it's not all of them but most were prescribed without much thought about patient health. Some are only needed short term. Many are given because that is what docs get paid to do.

In other words... you'll live longer if you question everything.

This, where are you going to go to get away from anything.

Hunkering down and appearing to be suffering like everyone else is the only choice for me.

Remember that the more you carry, the more of a target you become. No backpack and empty hands are the only way you will not be a person of interest. The further you try to go, the faster your odds of failure increase, because it is impossible to defend yourself against someone hiding with a rifle. With all due respect, if you're serious about the subject, you already know this and have moved away from any metro areas that would force you to bug out.

Most people will run out of basic necessities much faster than they realize.

I stay away from the urban/metropolitan areas. I'm stocked up with food, ammo, and gasoline for generators. I grew up in Ft. Worth but left the metroplex in 1995 after a divorce. I go back a few times a year to visit my brothers.

Love it here in northeast TX. I was flat broke when I arrived. Got remarried here. We have since paid off a nice 2-story home, raised a daughter who is concluding her first year as a practicing veterinarian. I wouldn't go back and live in the metroplex for anything!

Same here.

I don't think Bokchito, OK. is on the attack list so I'm good. My only worry would be folks coming out of the city looking for my stach.

Note, my family is young so I view this hypothetical with that context.

2x 9mm pistols, probably the 2 glocks i own so one for me and one for the wife.
The 2 rifles is hard. One would for sure be a standard AR15 in 556. I'm torn for the second rifle between a 10/22, a bolt action 223 or a bolt action 308. Honestly I might lean towards an AR15 and a 223 bolt combo.

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but hey, let's light the fuse... The whole thing seems like a fantasy, or an excuse to buy another gun/more gear.. "Honey, I need this gun! If the United States collapses overnight do you know how much .308 ammo weighs?" or "Do you really wanna be sneaking out of major urban area in Magellan camo honey? The looters will find us for sure! Kuiu only!"

Reality is we don't have anyplace to go so we will stay put.
I'm a Type 1 diabetic and have a good supply of meds.
Have a generator to keep the vital equip running.

Have 4 long rifles, 3 shotguns, and 10 handguns.

I can start dropping bodies at 400 yards and keep dropping bodies up to 4 feet.

With the .22s I can shoot a lot of squirrels and dove to eat.

I've been a "survivalist" (now we're called "Preppers") since the 1970s and like Bluetopper and Greycard I already live at my bug out location and when the SHTF I don't plan on leaving. My plans are more in the line of preparation and ranch defense so having a wide choice of guns and ammo isn't an issue. The gear I use weekly will be my primary.

WC SFX9 Compact 9mm
300 HAM'R with day scope
300 HAM'R with thermal scope

With all that's going on in the world now a SHTF event becomes more and more likely everyday!!!

hahaah, paranoid much?!?!? if so then #metoo. I'm totally stealing the "survivalist" term. I hate being called a prepper.

Btw, I love the 300 ham'r as a caliber but in SHTF mode. But I go under the assumption that most common calibers is a high priority.

Assuming I make it to my Ranch, I have enough ammo for each gun that I own there to last me and the next Generation if it is conserved. Technically, I've already "bugged out" once. When the Covid shutdowns started happening, I took off in advance of the Texas shutdowns. We lived down there for about 6 months rather than dealing with the idiocy of what was going on in Frisco. It was actually kinda nice. I wouldn't mind another pandemic in that regard. Hope fully I will have enough advance warning to bug out in time to get there before the next SHTF scenario.

I would take my Win 12 Ga pump, T/C 308 Win and a 22 revolver. Anything else is just extra weight and I'd rather use that weight for ammo,

I hate to say it but agree. Had i known, i would have spent more time out side of my house and at a more rural location.

Whatever you're carrying

If you want to know the difference between a "survivalist" and a "prepper" All of the survivalist have gray hair and the preppers have a better PR team.

Revolver has less parts to have problems with. No maintenance.

Bolt action rifle every time.
Lots of stories from the 60’s about Semi auto M16 being a jam-o-matic attached to a dead GI.
Lots of hand loading supplies.

Ah yes - the old bug out scenario. I suppose I wiill just stay home with my food, water, guns, and relative safety. Not nearly as exciting as some of you guys action rolling out of your trucks wearing your magic backpacks, but it will do.

When the shutdowns started across the country, I looked at my wife and said, "Babe, do you want to quarantine on this postage stamp? Or do you want to quarantine on 247 acres?" We were packed up and gone in about 4 hours. All the food in the house, my office, clothes, guns, reloading supplies, 2 pet bunnies and their accompanying children loaded up in 2 vehicles and headed out. I didn't know if they were going to have police enforced quarantine or what to expect, so we put priority on getting out before whatever happened, happened. Looking back, we did kinda over-react. We could have come and go as we pleased and not "bugged out", but we did not know how bad it was going to get. I was a bit impressed with how quickly we moved everything on short notice.

Longest replies would be the first ones to go

I agree with Mistereee. I cant quite understand the fascination with grabbing guns and bugging out. Like you are just going to be shooting your way through crowds without much resistance. Too much action TV watching. Worry less about those fancy guns that are going to get you in trouble, and focus on having the physical and mental fitness, and knowlege to endure hard times. Medicine, food, tools, footwear, warm clothing...when you start adding up all the essentials to staying healthy it becomes harder to imagine carrying it all. I don't imagine you'll get let into a refugee shelter carrying an AR15. And roadblocks, whether by govt or gangs, they will take your guns and maybe your truck too so enjoy walking.

THIRTY THIRTY AND A COLE NINE ELLEMUM HOSS

You’ll have to go an area lacking resources or everyone else will be there trying to live off it. Well thought out bastions built by survivalists will be targets and you can’t stay awake 24/7.

Avoidance may well be key here unless you can find a group of like minded, skilled, determined and principled group to join. Neanderthals will again rise to the top.

Edit - AR 15, bolt action 22 and 2 9 MM’s or maybe a 9 MM and a Judge if sufficient ammo can be along for the ride.

Dude, I am so jealous. I wish I were in position to do the same. Alas I am still beholden to this place until I've raised my children.
You and I must share some sort of kindred spirit. Your quarantine is basically an abridged version of my retirement dream, down to having rabbit as my primary meat source.

Dude, it's called a thought experiment. Lighten up a little.
What about some of us who do maintain a good/decent physical (yes partially in the event that SHTF), have endured hard times, have essentials and prepped for leaving a big city area if things were to get weird? And just what if said person happens to love shooting guns as a hobby? Seems foolish to NOT take a gun if they felt the needed to leave the city, even if I had no intentions to use it. Furthermore, it would probably make this person a smart, but probably a little paranoid, person to have premeditated what they would like to bring.

Honestly, just messing with you a little. Conversations can be practically useless and still be useful way of engaging the mind for fun. That's all.

10/22, 30/30 marlin. glock 19, taurus tx22. All are threaded and have cans for each already.

LOL. I am blessed for sure. But the Bunnies aren't for meat. They are my daughters' pets. When we got the Bunnies, I had a vision of how it would be. My vision did not come true. They are now house bunnies. More like cats. They have free roam of the house, litter boxes, their own beds, and in the winter, jump up on our bed and sleep at my wife's feet. I'm not even allowed to hunt rabbits anymore...well, I just skin them before bringing them back and call them squirrels now. It's amazing how rabbits and squirrels look exactly alike once they are skinned.

I can’t bug out unless there is a pharmacy close.

Don't forget if you have to "Bug Out" more than likely you'll be on foot for your journey. Size and weight of what your leaving with matters. Maybe. 22 or .223 only.

ARs have advanced slightly in the last 60 years. Those stories are no longer valid.

Amen and amen.

Here at the Grassy Knoll Shooting Institute, "bugging out" involves opening a vault or two.

Of course, there's the tactical idea that says that when you dig in you sacrifice initiative. Maybe so, but I'm too old, fat and tired to run these days. This place will get overrun but, by thunder, it'll cost 'em.

I suspect this mirrors the thinking of most of us who don't live in cities.

"They" better come being able to shoot small and shoot far. Because I can.

Long guns would be my Ruger 10-22 Takedown (with it's suppressor of course) and my Savage .308. Pistols would be my Glock 19 and my 10.5" AR15.

I'm taking all the .22LR, 9mm, 5.56 and .308 ammo too, as long as I can drive my truck. I'm too old and fat to carry that much.

According to the parts diagrams I can find. A Smith and Wesson Revolver has 59 parts, a Glock has 33 parts. That's much fewer parts to cause problems.

Revolvers still need maintenance and cleaning. While they are very reliable, when a revolver does jam there is no way to get it back in a fight quickly. Dirt and mud will jam up a revolver fast. And not to mention slow reloads.

Stories from the 60's about M16's,, Come on, our fighting forces have been using the M16 for over 60 years now, the modern M4 is still an M16 at heart, I can take a brand new M4 upper and drop it on a 1965 M16 lower and it will run just fine. The US military has tested many other rifles and hasn't found a more reliable replacement.

I would take the AR .300 BO pistol, my RPP Model 94 30-30, Ruger 22/45 Lite and the Tanfoglio TZ-75. Hard choices against the others in the safe but that's why I live out in the country. Likely going to be bugging in if anything. However, the BO pistol because it's the easiest to manuever around obstacles and the ammo is small and light. The Ranger Point 30-30 because it is a deadly accurate rifle that has been gone through extensively and is as smooth as they get. The 22/45 lite for small game and the TZ-75 9mm for it's capacity at 17-19 rounds per mag and it, too is deadly accurate.

Long Guns:

Marlin .357 lever
AR 15 .223

Handguns:
Ruger 22/45
Glock 9mm

Owner of land where people would “big out”. I wouldn’t mind a good 1911, pre-war shotguns and rifles of any manufacturer are also a fave of mine. The backhoe will manage everything else.

Largely depends on what your bug out scenario could be. If you can not drive, or walking will be a potential issue, consolidation and weight has to be a consideration. Last thing you want to do is tote around 4 rifles/pistols with enough ammo for each. I'd probably go with a .22 rifle and a .22 pistol with 500 rds. You're better off carrying a book on edible plants and a calorie dense food (think peanut butter), as well as a couple water filters, good knife, fire starter, paracord and small med kit. Carrying 30 lbs of weight just in guns and ammo isnt going to be feasible for most people if you have to walk long distances. The biggest things to consider would be avoiding injury and the ability to evade. If you cant evade, talking your way out of a situation would be a lot better than shooting your way out of a situation. In a bug out scenario, even a small cut that gets infected or sprained ankle could be a difference maker.

If you're staying put, different story. Have all your mags loaded, every member of your family ready to defend the fort and pray for peace.

I would think the winner (if you can call it that) of this scenario would be the guy that can remain low key and hide well without ever having to fire a shot, if at all possible.

I'm with you 68A, make sure to pack a Cajun recipe book too. I don't think we'll be eating mule deer and elk much, more likely raccoons, possum, water snakes, grackles, turtles, etc. Snare wire would be a key item. A good fishing pole would be hard to beat too, and a net. I guess it all depends on where you are though and what the specific scenario is. Short term but violent scenario vs EOTWAWKI etc.

Shocked at the underrepresentation of the 5.56 AR15. Mags, ammo, parts everywhere.

Spot on


Stay light, stay mobile, stay alive.


Your not trying to engage an enemy. You're trying to evade detection and, failing that, defend yourself and keep moving.

Really, a gun and ammo are important but other items in the bag are equally important. I envision half of these folks carrying around two pistols, an AR and a shotgun and nothing else save for a knife and a couple extra mags. Can't live on bullets or drink gunpowder.

.22’s and a 12 gauge. ALL of my .22 LR, and there is a lot. At least 10k rounds of just cci quiet. Maybe a couple hundred rounds of 12 gauge, all my 209 primers and all the powder i can carry.

You can reload a 12 gauge with a wooden dowel, something to punch out the primer, and almost any kind of projectile if you have to.

If I have to go on foot we are only taking .22’s. Realistically I am gonna be carrying most of our stuff, all that .22 lr is gonna be heavy by itself. But my family could survive for generation on all that ammo.

Better yet I will probably just stay home, because I forgot we just closed on our first home on some land today! And kill anybody that tries to take what we have.

Build pipe bombs, whatever it takes. Nobody is taking our home without a fight.

I’m too fat to run anyway.

stay home....stay quiet....lock down and protect....not sure spouse could handle a true bugout survival and on constant evading manuvers. well fortified with 'prepping' and night hunting/fishing/trapping

Hm. In a "must bug out" scenario, weight becomes important, so:

Rifles: M4 in 5.56mm & Ruger 10/22

Pistols: Sig P227 45acp & Ruger 22/45

For the sake of the OP's question, I'm assuming that fire, flood, etc is making it physically impossible to stay home and defend the castle.

Stay where I am at and fight till I caint. Don't care to live in a world like that anyways.

Interesting. I also love my .45's but just picked up a 9mm after my wife got same one and incredibly lighter. Sent buddy that was Delta Operator and asked him on the calibers and he told me he runs both which didn't help me out much.......figure .45 for home and 9mm for away for me....

AR and 9mm pistol. Take 2 guns and use the saved weight for more 5.56/9mm ammo

We keep a well supplied bug out bag in vehicle all the time and only weapon is a 9mm and that is for defense to get us back home the rest is survival equipment. Son is at Univ of Arkansas and he has a bug out back pack with survival gear and maps to attempt to get back here, north of DFW, to our place. He knows to avoid people, get hoofing immediately and nobody is his friend. He has 9mm and can use it. If from what you read and hear, and been said on here, most people will be in shock for a few days and of course expecting the government agencies to swoop in and make it all good.....then the fear and panic start setting in as their small food supply dwindles and still no help in sight and likely no water.....then after a week or so the situation starts to really sink in and chaos begins.....we are rural and have food and water purification abilities and protein is abundant. One years supply of medications and stash of medical supplies, bandages, sutures, quick clot, antibiotics of various nature and wife knows all of them from dealing with animals. We also keep good hiking boots with us at all times. If away know the railroad networks, straighter lines and less people than roads if the roads become too dangerous to travel. Everything we have runs on AA or AAA and LED and headlamps chargeable by USB and have solar and hand cranked radio/generator that is also solar.

Was listening to a small piece of Joe Rogan going over EMP scenario and it was obvious how clueless many people are. Some said well I'll just go to the country not understanding their vehicle may not run and can only get as far as the gasoline and couple that with the rural people will not be welcoming. Our sole object is to get home and from here we live and defend. We have horse and bicycle transportation if needed. I fear for my daughter in Austin and know that there is nothing I can do to help her but daughter in Denton, marrying SWAT cop, will know to try and get here and thank god has a guy that can defend her.

We've prepared as good as we can at the moment, there are some items we would like to add but not unlimited supply of money. Wife has become very adept at sourdough starter and baking in dutch oven which is very important.

I hope I'm prepared for no reason but I would rather be prepared and not need it than vice versa.

As far as home guns, we streamline to 9mm 45 308 223 22lr and mag and 12 gauge. It's a very dangerous world when peoples families are starving and will do things they would never do otherwise....we don't advertise our preparedness and neither does son at U of A.....interestingly some of his buddies there have talked about EMP's and he was surprised by them being aware, not prepared but aware, and one said I'll go with you and son laughed it off but told his mom he knows he's on his own and his supplies are his....

I have been told over the years that I'm a bit nuts for thinking and preparing for bug out scenarios. Reading all these makes me feel better. If I am crazy, then I aint alone nor the craziest.
hahaaha.

funny you say this...I met USMC buddy in Uvalde for a hunt with guys from Delta.....I racked upstairs room with a guy, real quiet and didn't drink, and told him one morning when getting up "you know, I'm glad I met Moe (Delta guy) because I just thought I was messed up", didn't use word messed, "but now I feel a lot better about myself"....boy he laughed and couldn't wait to tell everybody.....this guy was a nut, funny as hell but boy he is a handful.......no telling how many times he repeated me to everybody there and they all knew it which made it even better......

Wife just got in car headed to North Dallas suburbs for Dr. and has bag, waterproof hiking boots with wool socks and 9mm all packed and ready.........it's tough but I know if something happens it's on her to get here but probably very good chance early and not that far......

We live in a rural area in the Coastal Bend, so "bugging out" is just having to reason with hurricane season. As much as I love my 10/22, if only two long guns then it's a 12ga and a .308. 9mm and 22 for hand guns. What we are really grabbing is our food/Berkey pack, power station/panels, 12v fridge, files, cash, silver and gold.

It used to be a normal thing. Think back to the 80’s, everybody tried to keep the minimum to at least get through a natural disaster. It might be 2024 but a big tornado comes through doesn’t care how technologically advanced we are, you’re still screwed. Hurricanes, even worse. Earthquake, etc. You should have the minimum to stay fed and hydrated for a couple of weeks, and fight off looters and other desperate people.

We are prepared for a much longer stay than weeks. Final piece we need to add is our solar generator and if SHTF before that we will just deal with a little less comfort.