Ot: Arm yourself

[Brother in Arms]

Here we got what would you arm yourself with given the likely opportunity in today's world where you are now located?

I would probably grab my semi-auto M14 and Glock 19 because I have the most magazines and ammo for them. That or my Semi-auto Ak's for the same reason.

I know you might not all have access to firearms, but if you could access one what would it likely be? Something old/outdated? Muzzle loader? Bow? Air rifle? what would you do? Try to get something from the police? or Black market? Hidden cache?

Or would have to be a sword or spear, knife?? what would you do?

BIA

[raketenjagdpanzer]

I like what comedian Bill Burr said about "preppers" in urban and suburban areas who buy food and supplies - but no gun.

"You're gathering supplies for the warlord before the fact!"

[Cdnwolf]

I orefer non conventional weapons.... McGyver style. Can of hairspray and a lighter, bleach in a spray bottle, cup of hot coffee. The moment your guard is down I am on you and your gun is now mine. And I am not above sacrificing a pawn to get to you... (nubile 18 year old in daisy duke shorts)

People know you have a gun just makes you a bigger target for someone with a bigger gun.

[dragoon500ly]

My trusty M1 Garand and Colt Mark IV Series 70. Nothing beats the classics!

[.45cultist]

Either an M1 Garand or a retro AR15 and a Colt Series 70. The AR has a 1-9 twist barrel. To link to the knife section, An M5 or KCB70 bayonet.

[Brother in Arms]

CDnn

At least you live in canada and could potentially own a firearm. I think id go with anything over a hot cup of coffee. Seriously.


as for the other guys sounds like M1's and 1911's are pretty common. I also have retro AR's I am just over 5.56 as a caliber for other than plinking. Other than my GF's lightweight AR I am over it.

[.45cultist]

I orefer non conventional weapons.... McGyver style. Can of hairspray and a lighter, bleach in a spray bottle, cup of hot coffee. The moment your guard is down I am on you and your gun is now mine. And I am not above sacrificing a pawn to get to you... (nubile 18 year old in daisy duke shorts)

People know you have a gun just makes you a bigger target for someone with a bigger gun.

I put my firearms in dog food bags, so most don't know I have them.:)

[Cdnwolf]

CDnn

At least you live in canada and could potentially own a firearm. I think id go with anything over a hot cup of coffee. Seriously.


as for the other guys sounds like M1's and 1911's are pretty common. I also have retro AR's I am just over 5.56 as a caliber for other than plinking. Other than my GF's lightweight AR I am over it.

Coffee laced with ExLax.... yaa I think I win...

[Targan]

Realistically, at home on an immediate basis all I would have ready access to would be a stick about the right length and weight to utilize my limited Kali stick fighting training, my extendable steel baton and my Gerber multi-tool with its one-handed-release serrated knife component.

I gave my compound bow to my brother years ago, but they're legal without a permit here so I guess I could try and source one from a retail shop or archery club if I had to. Crossbows are a controlled weapon here and not easily available (FFS). Not many urbanites (legally) have firearms in their homes here. I guess if everything went completely to sh*t there'd be police .40 pistols floating around. Ammo would be a real problem.

Like pretty much anywhere, all manner of firearms can be had on the black market in my city. Back in the day I knew a guy who new a guy etc who could source firearms for cash. Shotguns (single or double barrel break-open types) are pretty easy to get. Pump action shotguns, semi-auto rifles and various handguns can be had if you have the coin. Military weapons are rare on the black market here. Having said that, over the last decade caches of as-new Chinese-made SKS rifles (some still packed in their original protective grease) have turned up from time to time as a result of police raids, usually in the hands of bikie gangs and their associated drug dealers. I can only assume that some time in the late-90s/early-2000s someone smuggled a shipment into Western Australia and they've been distributed piecemeal over the years. Once again, sourcing decent quantities of ammo would be a real problem.

In a SHTF scenario an Australian Army SLR from an Army Reserve armory would be highest on my wish-list. It's the weapon I've put the most rounds through and could maintain with the greatest competence. And it goes without saying that it's a DRT weapon. I'd gladly have me some of that :D

[stormlion1]

My AR-15 and M1911A and a good trusty Kabar knife. I also have a Windlass Viking Sword if its needed. I have plenty of loaded mags for both and extra's in the bug out bad with a few boxes of ammunition.

[headquarters]

I like what comedian Bill Burr said about "preppers" in urban and suburban areas who buy food and supplies - but no gun.

"You're gathering supplies for the warlord before the fact!"

I snicker when I think of the preppers with a 10 000 dollar armory and 100 dollar larder...

[headquarters]

I am reading into this that the question means that arming yourself is an act of self defense etc in an emergency situation. Also that the premise is that you may list whatever is realistically available at your location/area.

Up here hunting is pretty common and shotguns and hunting rifles are pretty commonplace. Also competitive and recreational shooting is pretty common. All told I think estimates are around 700 000-1 000 000 firearms in civilian hands counting legal and illegal weapons of all calibers including collections and museum pieces. The population is below 5 million. Goverment arsenals are thought to hold app. the same number of firearms - mind you decommissioning programs have been in place for decades to limit this number. Our license produced G3s are next on the list...

For both hunting and sport semi auto weapons are restricted to some extent meaning that most makes of semi autos and some calibers are not common.

12 gage shotguns, most bolt action rifles and .22 rifles are somewhat prolific.

I guess that in such a catastrophic event civilian weapons like these would be used.

[stormlion1]

The real fun is figuring out what is the most common ammunition type to be found in a area. Once the SHTF no food or new ammunition is coming in so soon enough your scavenging. And you know how frustrating it will get when all the ammo you find is .22's and you only have a 5.56?

[Olefin]

In my case it would be a 12 gauge shotgun with four round capacity, a 20 gauge single shot and a single shot 22 rifle - with about 50 rounds for each gun

plus several very good hunting knives and a crossbow that I bought off my neighbor a few years ago

Now if it was 1997 and the TDM - would have been at my grandfathers house and would have had quite the arsenal to choose from including a Thompson he brought back from WWII and several pistols

[Brother in Arms]

Sad that Finland changed there gun laws.....probably the only reason I don't live there right now.

[bobcat]

AR15 and M1911. i can load my own as needed and i can always pick up more from most of those who would make me use the ammo. for hunting i'd use traps why waste ammo and energy hunting game when i can trap it far more efficiently.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Well if it was T2k 1st edition timeline, I'd have a .44M lever-action Marlin 1894 carbine, a .22LR semi-auto Ruger 10/22 and a 12g pump-action Winchester 1300 Ranger with slug barrel. As for bladed weapons, I'd have an Australian Army issue machete (that I "acquired"), an Austrian combat knife (made by Glock before they were known for their pistols) and an Australian .303 SMLE sword-bayonet.

Having joined the Army Reserve around that time, I'd be issued either the F1 sub-machinegun (or later, the M16A1), the SLR or the M60 and bayonets as appropriate.

If it was T2k 2nd Ed. I'd be able to add to the above a .22LR bolt-action Stevens single shot and a .30C M1 Carbine (with 15- and 30-rd mags and a portable reloading kit).
Added to the cutlery would be a Japanese made copy of the USAF Pilot's Survival Knife and a Russian made AKM bayonet/wire-cutter.

Still being in the army reserve at that time, I'd be issued either the F88 or the F89 and the F88 bayonet.

As of the present due to the Australian gun buy-back, I'm left with the .44 lever-action and the .22LR bolt-action. I've still got all the blades though.

I'd like to offer a minor variation of what Targan mentioned however, there are still a large number of legal firearms owners in the cities of Australia even today. Percentage wise it's a small number compared to the population size but we're still here, we just keep a lot quieter about who we are now-a-days.

In regards to the illegal firearm market here, we have a lot of coast and very few cities. There's plenty of places for smugglers to try their luck with landing whatever cargo on our shores.
While we were out bush on Exercise K89, one of our sister units dug up a crate of Chinese AKMs when they were extending their trenches. First call was put through to the SASR to ask if we'd dug up one of their caches. They said no.
The belief at the time was that it had been stashed by Indonesian special forces posing as illegal fishermen. This belief was reinforced a few years later on Ex Spiderman 91 when a Pilbara Regt patrol picked up a foreign national who was wandering the bush without any visible means of survival and with no registration of having entered the country.
He claimed he was a tourist but he was ID'ed as Indonesian and he "just" happened to be innocently wandering around in the exercise area. We were told officially that no such thing happened but the senior WO of my unit mentioned that they were pretty sure the foreigner was Kopassus... that and we were told to be alert for any foreigners paying extra attention to the Ex.

[Targan]

I'd like to offer a minor variation of what Targan mentioned however, there are still a large number of legal firearms owners in the cities of Australia even today. Percentage wise it's a small number compared to the population size but we're still here, we just keep a lot quieter about who we are now-a-days.

Fair enough, that was a clarification worth making. When I said not many urbanites legally own firearms here, I meant per-capita. I have at least half a dozen friends who legally own firearms, including IPSC pistol shooters, one person with a permit to collect older military firearms and people who like to do a bit of rabbit, roo or pig hunting from time to time. SSC is absolutely correct when he says that legal firearm owners keep their collections on the down-low. They're major targets for thieves.

There are still half a dozen LAW-66s floating around the black market following a theft from an Army armoury in Sydney in the mid-2000s. From memory an Army Captain was convicted over the theft back in '07. There was a suggestion that one or two of the weapons ended up on this side of the country.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

When I said not many urbanites legally own firearms here, I meant per-capita.
Ah now I get ya! Fair comment.

There are still half a dozen LAW-66s floating around the black market following a theft from an Army armoury in Sydney in the mid-2000s. From memory an Army Captain was convicted over the theft back in '07. There was a suggestion that one or two of the weapons ended up on this side of the country.
Oh yeah I remember that one although I only have a vague recollection of all the details. Weren't they stolen for some white-Australia/fascist wannabe para-military group?

[Targan]

Weren't they stolen for some white-Australia/fascist wannabe para-military group?

That rings a bell. Makes me wonder how long a LAW-66 remains safe to use. A couple of decades?

[Olefin]

That reminds me that during the LA Riots in the 90's the Marines and National Guard units were all worried that the gangs in LA had several LAW's and supposedly two Redeye SAM's as well based on reports from the LA cops

can see the Mexican Army coming into downtown LA during the invasion and thinking they have no worries - then getting a couple of their APC's and armored cars nailed by the Crips and the Bloods

[jester]

M1A Scout with scope
1911A1 Sig
1911 Commander Model by Kimber
AMT Backup in .45
Pheonix Arms .22 with additional barrel (that would have a silencer in short order)
Modified for the occasion either a Marlin 60 series or AR-7 with wire stock, scope and silencer.
Browning Buckmark .22 with long barrel
Remington 870 with folding wire stock
NAA Mini revolver firing all .22
Medium handaxe
Large knife
small knife
Gerber MKII combat knife
OLD Style G.I. Pick and mattock

If a vehicle is involved, then the list gets much bigger and better. If I am at work, the list gets even bigger and better to include Armored Vehicles.

OLEFIN; if anyone drives APCs down some of the steets in L.A. they'll loose em anyway either due to the poor condition of the roads or if they go slow enough they'll be stripped over everything to include the gold fillings in the drivers teeth.

[.45cultist]

And my girlfriend would get my HB CAR-15 and a Mauser S80 HP clone. The stock fits her small Asian frame better. She likes kukris as well.

[Schone23666]

For me it's simple....whatever's available at the moment, whatever else I can get my hands on, and if there's enough (or any) ammunition for it. Oh, having the weapon in working order helps too.

I know, sounds rather T2k....but that's the point, right? :p

[stormlion1]

The best bet is to see what's available commonly in your area and what's the number that's actually out there. I went to the range yesterday here in South Jersey and noticed a lot of 9mm pistols with only a few 45's and mostly AR-15's and derivatives with a small number of bolt action rifles of various caliburs. I saw next to no shotguns and only one black powder rifle. So going by that 5.56 ammo should be plentiful in peoples stockpiles as should 9mm. That's what you can expect to scavenge and find in wrecked gunstores or for trade.

[.45cultist]

If one doesn't frequent a gun or sporting goods store, check out the local wally world.

[jester]

The question though,

Would gun stores, ranges and Wally World have anything left? And I mean anything, not just ammo, I would wager that a mega store would be cleaned out lock, stock and barrel in the advent of some kind of event unless it happened instantly and during a time where people were hunkered down or the event was so great and it hit in the blink of an eye. Like, a nuclear strike, or a wild fire engulfing the city which would happen after a nuclear event or massive earthquake or volcanic event or even a terrorist event using fire.

You would need to be at the store or in close proximity and have time and funds to purchase what you needed, or a gun on you and willing to use it as well as luck to take what you needed and get away without a response.

[Silent Hunter UK]

I'm British. I might be able to get a shotgun at best. Personally, for various reasons, I'd rather go for something like a cricket bat.

[Targan]

Personally, for various reasons, I'd rather go for something like a cricket bat.

All the better for silent hunting with :D

[.45cultist]

I'm British. I might be able to get a shotgun at best. Personally, for various reasons, I'd rather go for something like a cricket bat.

Or stumble onto an AFO vehicle! Actually, use the shotgun to gain a brigand'd weapon if necessary.