posted on Oct, 11 2010 @ 06:45 AM
There is no, one, correct answer, as it is situational. If you are properly prepared, well in advance, you should have a lot of options. Spears,
swords and axes should be a last resort, unless you really are the B.A. that you think you are, and if you think that you are, then you probably
aren't. If that is the case, then I would just go back to the basement and video some more light saber moves for you tube. In a proper survival
weapons cache you should have a, brain, a plan, a group of like minded individuals, .22 rifle, 12 ga shotgun, AR style rifle and a handgun; all with
plenty of ammo, minimally. Of course, this assumes some sort of prepared location with some tactical advantage. If you have either, made no plans or
are only mobile and by yourself, then you are probably helixed. I know, I know! That rugged, Mad Max, individualist mystique that we all know and
love........It's just in the movies, it's not real, there is no John Rambo. You'll have to get over it. Typically those that have been operators
don't advertise it on websites like ATS etc. and any info from these experts would be suspect at best. Yes, if all you have is a sword, tomahawk or
spear then by all means you should know how to use it. However as Indiana Jones (yes it is a movie, too, just an example) showed, you can wave stuff
around and look all B.A. while you get yourself shot and killed. The object is to avoid all this. First, if you have no tactical skills or
knowledge, join the Guard or Reserve, or learn it yourself. If you were in the Army or a former Marine then brush up on your TTPs and METT-TCs. If
you were in the AF or Navy then learn some military skills. Don't even go there, just retired USAFR 37 years with 11 active duty, E-8. Fortunately
I was privileged to be in unique units that needed these skills and I was trained on them, the rest don't. No disrespect intended, just reality.
Now back to the weapons, get past the MM syndrome and get real. If I only had one weapon, it would be a Ruger 10-22 rifle with 5-10, 10 round
magazines and at least 1000 rounds of ammo. The fancy hi cap mags, stick out, are easy to break and are not as reliable as the factory 10 rounders.
This allows you to have the potential for a high rate of fire, low noise profile, cheap ammo for practice and stock pile. Now, trust me, while this
is not my weapon of choice for a firefight, it will cause terminal damage if used properly and in spite of the armchair Rambos, it will make people
stay down and it will hurt if you connect. Also if you could swing a can (suppressor) for it that would make it a very versatile unit, and these are
legal in most states, just have to do the paperwork with BATFE. Next is the 12 ga., get one. Most of our guys overseas use a Benelli M4s (expensive)
or Mossberg 590 Special Purpose pumps (like a rock). There are still some Remingtons in inventory and a few guys like them, too. Stock 00 buck,
lots, some slugs and squirrel and bird shot. You can have the pump tapped for a choke so it can be used to hunt with. Next, an AR style rifle is a
must for several reasons. Commonality of ammo and weapon with our troops, in case supply requisitions became necessary. Most people will not engage
targets out past 100 yards, regardless of the weapon's capability at hand, it's psychological and I don't know the answer, it's just reality.
It's easy to shoot, easy to maintain, inherently accurate to 300M and with the CORRECT ammunition it is devastating. Standard 55 gr ball ammo is
probably the best all around ammo and performs best on soft targets. The 62 gr (green tip w/ penetrator) is for targets wearing body armor or
non-tactical vehicle interdiction. On soft targets it over-penetrates (i.e. goes through them and leaves a clean hole, requiring multiple hits for
take down). However, to overcome this the Army uses a 71gr hollow point (this is allowed by Geneva Conv. if the HP is only part of the mfg'ing
process and is not for the express purpose of creating greater injury, I kid you not) that is authorized by the local commander if the situation
warrants. My son (Ranger, Brnz Star, CIB, 7 tours, PH) says they work great! Nuff said there. Any time you hear someone refer to them as plastic
rifles, it is someone that heard something bad about them a long time ago and has had no experience with them in the past 40 + years or more. My son
and his fire team don't have a problem with M-4s and he says he's never had a malfunction with his, course they clean them after every mission, like
you're supposed to. I carried one through two tours in the desert and never had a malfunction. Ask someone that carries an M-14 as the DM, which
one they would rather have in an urban environment...it'll be the M-4. Yes the M-14 (M1A civ) does have advantages in certain situations like
stopping vehicles or reducing "cover" to rubble but these are rare compared to the need for versatility and rapid accurate fire in open urban areas
or woodland terrain. I have 4 personal ARs and have yet to have a malfunction in any of them, ever! Next, pistol. Revolvers; no! Well, I'll say
the same thing about a pistol as I said about the AR, commonality of ammo and parts. Beretta 92F is the civilian version that most closely matches
the M-9. Let me say that I am a dyed in the wool 1911 fanatic, period and from that point of view the M-9 is crap. But, not to cut my nose off to
spite my face the fact is that the 9mm is the most popular pistol round in the world and I have several 9mm pistols to take advantage of this fact,
even though I will carry a .45 1911. At some point you may have need of your weapons looking exactly like those of the armed forces!!! Think about
it! Now having said all that, I do own an M1A and I highly recommend one, if you have all the others, you can afford one AND you really need one,
otherwise I would invest in a good .308 bolt gun with a good (not Chinese) scope. Keep it simple, ammo and magazines and good luck. 2cents