Building an arsenal.....

[sgtsandman]

If you are going to put a light on your rifle, I would get one with a pressure switch so it can be instantaneously turned on and off. That is personal opinion.

Like stated above, flash the light to identify the target (if needed) and move. At minimum, drop to a crouch if movement is limited. But this is all generalization and each scenario will be different.

Also, if it's dark enough to need a light, the target will be to busy trying to adjust to the illumination changes to be able to do much.

 

[Flattop5]

My long term goal is to have a cache of AR's that may not even be shot for the next 2 or 3 decades after the initial purchase and break in. They will sit in a safe either at my house or at my sister in laws place awaiting the "Terminator Judgement Day" scenario.

I simply want to aquire and prepare.

I think I understand what you're saying. But in an effort to save you money, 2 or 3 ARs will be enough (plus a few pistols). As long as you can get to one, and to ammo, when the SHTF, then you're good. Don't forget plenty of gun cleaning products. And don't store the ammo in a hot environment. Heat kills ammo.


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[Tbat]

Seems to me the light on the end of your rifle helps the bad guy aim to return fire. Do they make a lens that looks like a bullseye?

A light on your rifle is not so much for touring/tooling around with the rifle but to help you quickly identify your target and accurately place your shot or shots on target. It helps you to line up your sights. The rifle light really should only come on momentarily to identify that you have the proper target and to ensure that you have a sight picture when you pull the trigger, whether it is a two legged or four legged predator.

If you don't have access to night vision equipment, try to get a sight picture on a night with no moonlight or outside lights, or inside a house or building with no lights on; you won't be able to see your front sight.

 

[iibgdi]

I think I understand what you're saying. But in an effort to save you money, 2 or 3 ARs will be enough (plus a few pistols). As long as you can get to one, and to ammo, when the SHTF, then you're good. Don't forget plenty of gun cleaning products. And don't store the ammo in a hot environment. Heat kills ammo.


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I just watched 13 Hours. Going to need a dozen AR's now....


Seriously though.....I am not worried about the money portion of it. IMO, spending an extra $6-8,000 or even $10k to accomplish my goal, it will be a good insurance policy. But that's just me.

 

[JaPes]

Seriously though.....I am not worried about the money portion of it. IMO, spending an extra $6-8,000 or even $10k to accomplish my goal, it will be a good insurance policy. But that's just me.

Do what you think is best for you.

If this is the path you wish to take, go for it. My suggestions:

1. Buy the necessary tools to build your own AR-15. You can then build rifles for specific purposes to your exact specifications.

2. Save your spent brass. Take a reloading class. Buy a decent turret or progressive press and learn to use it.

Building your own AR-15 and learning to reload are complimentary activities. You can then specifically build an AR-15 with the best potential for accuracy and then custom load ammunition to match your needs.

 

[TheMaineEvent]

Don't overlook the importance of having good tools and spare parts on hand. Of course, ammo and mags are going to be just as important, and given the election next year, you may want to buy those sooner than later as prices are sure to go up as the election draws near.

 

[JaPes]

The election is this year. Run! Panic! Buy Buy Buy!

 

[iibgdi]

Lots of good stuff. Thanks guys.

I just bought 3 Anderson lowers that a guy had a good deal on because of the advice I got here. I have a buddy that wants to start building AR's and loading ammo (he spent a ton of money on loading gear) so we will likely explore this together. Might be fun.

I do plan on buying a bunch of 30 round mags. At least a few dozen. at $13 a pop, it's also good insurance.

Again, I don't plan to ever sell anything I buy. Just going to get a really big safe.

 

[iibgdi]

What are your thoughts on storing ammo? I've read that you shouldnt keep it in the safe. makes sense I guess. You'd hope the safe would prevent it from getting hot enough to destroy your guns due to the ammo catching on fire/smoldering etc. But apparently not.

I have 7 brand new (plastic) ammo cans to fill. I suppose I could just store most of them in my basement, which would be far from my safe and less likely that a break in would find. Which is my biggest concern by the time I end up with thousands and thousands of rounds.

 

[TheMaineEvent]

Ammo cans with a desiccant pack are what most people use for storage, but I dare say that the metal cans are what are ideal for obvious reasons.

If you have any fire concerns then buying a used deep freezer may be the way to go as that is about the best fire protection you can get for your ammo.

 

[LimaCharlie]

I have been buying and selling guns since 1962. I prefer quality over quantity. I am not a collector and do not have an arsenal. I am an accumulator.

 

[JaPes]

I have a buddy that wants to start building AR's and loading ammo (he spent a ton of money on loading gear) so we will likely explore this together. Might be fun.

Follow the manual. Find a credible, experienced reloader to mentor you. Do not chase the top end of the charge weights. Measure and double check everything. Be sure to incorporate several quality control checks into your process. Reloading requires absolute attention to detail and focus. One slip up and you can get into trouble. I had to learn this the hard way. Don't learn it the hard way.

I walked away with a scratch on my hand and soiled underpants. I got lucky. I didn't maim myself. I didn't blind myself. I didn't injure anyone else on the firing line. I developed an aversion to reloading .357 Magnum that I never got over.

What are your thoughts on storing ammo?

I have 7 of those plastic ammo cans. They're filled. I got the little dessicant packs in them. I learned that as long as I store the ammo in my normal climate controlled home, I'm good. Lately, I just store cases of ammo in the original carton. I store all my factory ammo in its original factory containers. The factory containers contain production lot numbers. If a factory round of ammo causes catastrophic failure of your firearm, you'll need that box with the production lot numbers.

You want to see something? This is a stack of .22lr ammo that is about 47 years old. I was born, and my mom and dad stopped going to the range because they had more important things to do with their time. Ammo can went in the basement. My dad died in 1984. The ammo can sat forgotten in the basement, in the same spot, in the crawlspace. The basement can get moist. Cool moist.

Boxes had some crud on them. Some projectiles had white oxidation on the exposed lead. Some of the brass cases were tarnished. Effect on the ammo? None. Oddly enough this old ammo has more potential for accuracy and precision than today's ammo.

 

[tcon]

Wow John. That must have been a "bear" load. I feel a bit better about not reloading.

 

[sgtsandman]

if you are getting into reloading, a good place to start is on youtube with 76highboy. He has a play list that goes step by step and why you need to do those steps for loading .223 Remington and (separate series) straight walled pistol. Both are very good series to go through and learn.

Like mentioned above, getting with an experienced re-loader would be a good thing too. There are things that a video series on Youtube can't cover or get over looked no matter how much they try to pay attention to detail.

 

[JaPes]

Wow John. That must have been a "bear" load. I feel a bit better about not reloading.

That was loading near the top of the charge weight, inattention, and an overcharge. There is nothing as rewarding as shooting a round of ammunition you made yourself. The only reason I stopped is that I no longer have the quality time to devote to reloading.

 

[keith.mills.31542]

I agree with reloading and have been stocking up on components to make ammo more than spare firearms. I suggest and plan to get an M&P 10 for hunting in a shtf scenario mainly. You will need to be able to take deer and wild boar etc to help feed the group. In the situation you describe, you may want a very light weight AR15 for the person on watch. walking the compound for hours at a time gets old with a heavy rifle.

 

[cyphertext]

I agree with reloading and have been stocking up on components to make ammo more than spare firearms. I suggest and plan to get an M&P 10 for hunting in a shtf scenario mainly. You will need to be able to take deer and wild boar etc to help feed the group. In the situation you describe, you may want a very light weight AR15 for the person on watch. walking the compound for hours at a time gets old with a heavy rifle.

While I won't discourage you from getting a M&P 10, it really isn't needed for hunting. Deer and hog can be taken with a .223... I've done it.

If you are building an arsenal for TEOTWAWKI a bolt gun can be cheaper.

 

[keith.mills.31542]

True, but I've seen the videos of hogs taking several rounds and still charging so I would feel better with a semi-auto.

 

[sodacan]

I think if you start buying multiples of the exact same gun, you will attract attention to yourself as being some sort terrorist, anarchist or sociopath. You certainly have the right to do it, but building a collection is lot more palatable, than building an arsenal. Take a breath.

 

[gman51]

People buy all sorts of guns but don't have hardly enough ammo stockpiled. In that case you are better off buying heavy guns to use as hammers to hit intruders with.
It isn't hard to drop a couple grand on just ammo alone.