What Is Next..... The Modern Prep Dilemma.

Rifles...
Alternatives to the Colt:
For a little more you could have two Ruger AR-556 rifles. The only real difference is the Ruger has an unlined 4140 steel barrel and the Colt has a 4150 chrome lined barrel. 4150 would be my preference if it was for a machine gun, but for a semi automatic, even with heavy fire, 4140 is just fine. Chrome lining does make the bore easier to clean, but unlined barrels are dimensionally more accurate, and so have a greater accuracy potential. Some parts on the more inexpensive Ruger, like the A frame gas block are superior to the Colt. And then, naturally, there is the two is one and one is none thing to consider.

Another alternative is to get an Adams piston carbine or mid length rifle for a hundred or so less than the Colt. The nitrided VooDoo Innovations barrel has the advantages of chrome lining plus the same dimensional accuracy of an unlined barrel. You also won't have to run it wet, and cleaning is a matter of untwisting the piston from the gas block and tapping it on your shoe before reinstalling it.

Before you jump into a new rifle or pistol, however, what trigger are you using in your current AR? If it's the one that came with your rifle, you need a new one. Trust me on this. For 70 bux you can get a nice crisp single stage trigger (ACT) or around $200 get into some real nice two stage combat triggers like the SSA-E. For a $1,000 dollars you could get a Ruger AR-556 and a pair of nice two stage triggers...

Also consider optics, like the Vortex Strike Eagle 1x6 or Leupold VX-r Patrol in 1x4 or 3x9 with a nice QD mount. Another consideration is how good are the BUIS on your current AR? Get rid of them plastic jobbies and replace with some quality Troys or ARMS sights/

Oh, oh, oh - whaddabouda supressor????

 

How ya fixed for 7.62N battle rifles?

 

For me it would be a propane tank with a wet leg to refill small bottles and propane, stores for ever, use in portable heaters for green house, lights, cooking, run small generator, good trade item being able to refill small tanks. Already have sufficient guns and ammo and short term, a couple years, LTS food. Second choices would be diesel or kerosene, solar panels, wind generator, fertilizer for greenhouse, extra covering for greenhouse, supplies for greenhouse. etc. As much as I love firearms as a toy, I find the idea of more than 2 or 3 of each type redundant. I would be very careful about using them as a trade item, they require ammo and I believe it is more important to have a very deep supply of ammo for a few weapons. In my neighborhood there is probably 500 long guns and several hundred pistols etc. I know of two other greenhouse complex in use raising flowers and two other greenhouses that are not being used. A lot of the firearms, usually a common caliber, have less than 100 rounds of ammo with the firearm. If you have your common tools, hand tools, firewood tools, canning tools, heating sources, food growing tools, etc stocked at a nominal level, I would go to long term storage of supplies that are consumable. Fuel, fertilizers, primers, powder, pulled 9 mm , 223, 45, 308 bullets, jar lids, toilet paper, extra pair of good boots, couple new caches a little farther away of basic survival needs, some more parts for my tractor, rototiller, genset, etc.
As much as I love firearms as a hobby, would love to have a ar15 m4 style 300 blackout, I don't really think of them as long term survival items. I can only use 2 at a time, rifle and pistol, most of my prep friends are over supplied with them, my enemies will be well supplied with them and their weapons will either be available for my use or I will have no need of a weapon as I will be dead.
I like all of the items others have posted, chain saws, good axe, yurt or tepee, firearms, are excellent tools and I want them, the real question for survival is do I "need" them. I have a major problem deciding what is a want and what is a need.

 

Off topic, but my take on teepee's hasn't been good. First one, a 16 footer based on Labin's design burned and that was a dramatic event at the time as it was winter and I lost everything in it. Would not have been a good survival situation. Next one was made of fireproof material, set up on a friend's farm in Michigan and a week later it was stolen, made a 3 rd one and it wasn't stolen for almost 6 months. Decided that they were everything that the books say, portable, good living space, heatable with liner, etc, but they are not very secure, bullet resistant, and people sure like to steal them for some reason.

 

How about Dillon Precision Reloading Press Reviews

 

Yea how about studying for your General Class license and buying a radio!!!!!

 

When we had lunch I think there was talk about @BTPost being on his ass about getting licensed.

He needs HF comms gear and KNOW HOW TO USE IT

 

Unless its a Flex otherwise its just a listening device.

 

SM

He still needs to practice HF operations before he needs it.

I have a friend that is of the mind set " Post SHTF w/o a FCC he can just fire it up and talk."

I offer him a $100 bill if he could go up to the shack, turn on the radio, use my call sign and have a QSO with someone.

Everything was hooked upand ready to go. Just needed to find a freq, tune the antenna, and talk....

Over an hour later he looked at me and said "WOW i thought it would be like a CB, turn it on select a channel and key the mic..."

Needless to say I was not a $100 poorer that day