An observation and advice to some

[ch139]

...from another website.

This kinda has a firearms/prepping orientation, would like to discuss and believe this might be the best place for it. I read this and it struck a chord with me on several different levels; helps me in defining many different thoughts I've had for a long time. I wanted to post it here to see what y'all might think of it.

I joined this site to increase my knowledge of Ak's...which it has done. It is also like buying a magazine. Which I don't anymore. It just makes you WANT more. I'm a Shooter. I enjoy shooting. I'm not a collector. Being here reading about, I got this and I got 5 of these, and stack it deep, just makes me realize there are a lot of rich guys,or a lot of seriously in debt guys on here.
Now that's fine either way. I'm not rich and I spend my check from the Range mostly on ammo which I burn a lot. I'm 52 yrs old next month and I AM the Weapon. What is in my hand is the tool....and I can't carry 20. Nor can I justify to myself having 14K rounds like some friends.

If SHTF. I am Going to Die. I'm not a Gang member with lots of back up and a chain of command. There is no local militia. There might be 10 shooters in my neighborhood,but I'm the only Ex Military.
Now I could put up a hellova fight,but I'm going down and I don't want to leave 14k rounds to the scum that put me down, or an Arsenal.
All these preppers I see on TV and sites, are DEAD. Without years of Military training their chances go from 50% to FUBAR before the game starts.
I just wanted to let some new guys know you don't need an arms room to be cool...though it is cool if you have one.
One rifle,one pistol,7 mags(rifle) always loaded,pick up your weapons EVERYDAY! Be familiar with them. Load and unload them in the dark ,field strip them in the dark. Practice,practice and practice more. there are many things you can do at home to keep your skills up. When you go to the Range,learn something from every round down range. Don't just throw rounds carelessly. Make it fun too. Never stay at the range if things are not going your way or you are not in a good mood. You should always be smiling on your way and looking forward to a good trip. Don't take your kids,wife,in laws,etc unlass they are shooting too. If they are bored....you won't be there long. Keep it REAL.
The best firearm in the world is the one in your hand when you need it. so make sure you can use it and not just be cool showing it to friends and posting about it.
Lastly and on that note.If you have a new Rifle/pistol and do not know how to operate it yet...It is just an expensive club. I can't tell you how many people show up with a new AR and do not even know how to load a mag.
If you can't operate it yet...it's not even a tool....... for you.
Take care and be safe.

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[Nwcid]

He has some points but one major underlying problem. What his situation and what HIS version of SHTF situation is not the same as others.

Lets take this in context of real/known SHTF situations. Where I live it would be stupid to prep for a tsunami but that does not mean that others should not. Where I live it is practical to prep for wildland fire, but I think it would be dumb for someone in downtown Seattle to do the same.

I have more to post but have to go for a min.

Ok, back to add to this.

So in the OP's position it appears he sees riots and gangs and he will be overrun. Again that is HIS SHTF not mine as mine are probably not others. Sure his is ONE of many possibilities for sure. But for me I do see that might happen in the cities for a while but I don't see long term Mad Max situations. For me I see a break down where people have to be self sufficient again. More of an "old west" style, or if we want to go "movie" style something similar to Postman (actually filmed in my neck of the world). In a situation like this if you only have low stocks of ammo how do you plan on keeping proficient? How do you plan on training inexperienced people that may join with you? How do you plan on training the next generation of youths since you will not be around forever?

Here is the big one for me and a factual, proven every day situation, inflation!

What does ammo cost now compared to 5 or 10 years ago? What will ammo cost 5 or 10 years from now? I don't shoot as much right now but some day I plan on it. So my options are to buy ammo "now" while it is at XX price or in the future it will be higher. Also I am working right now (not retired) so I am actively making income so if I put a little of that into ammo/guns/acc now it will be cheeper then later. It also works for times like now, some would call it a SHTF for ammo, I have NO worries about having ammo to shoot. In the future I will still be shooting .22 that cost me $8.88/brick vs the $20-30 now and who knows what in the future. Also with having ammo on hand as I do I have NO problem finding ammo for my guns right now. Yes I will have to replenish at some point but I can shoot and not worry about that for quiet some time.

 

[Martini_Up]

If SHTF. I am Going to Die

defeatist. don't need nor want him in my squad.

 

[JackThompson]

So... hmmm... I think Nwcid hit the nail on the head, but I'll expand with my two cents.

Airacuda described ONE single scenario.

The scenario Airacuda described is the one where law goes home to take care of it's family and criminals and marauders roam the countryside looting caches of weapons, food and ammo and adding to their gang as they wreak havoc Viking-style.

In that scenario you are a rare and lucky person if you survive. (But the "Get to know your main weapon and get to know it well" advice is good, solid advice.)

The preppers I see here at NWFA aren't setting up sandbag shields around the doors and windows and creating bunkers to fend off marauders. Most of them are learning how to plan their own food, generate their own electricity and purify water.

They're developing skillsets that just might save their community if it came down to it.

Keep up the good work

 

[308]

defeatist. don't need nor want him in my squad.

You have a squad?

 

[erudne]

I don't have an infantry squad but it would not take long to form one. Like I said before, I also have a moat-4 rivers.
back to the topic: I give the man 90%, if he is not handicapped he can plan a way to his LT
survival

 

[Mark W.]

I think the guys point is he's not in a squad and therefore does not have the slight advantage being in a squad gives someone in a SHTF situation. Of course even that depends on what the SHTF situation is. Since in some the Squad won't be of any help and could even be a drawback (pandemic the more people you are around the more chance you have of getting the pathogen)

 

[Jammer Six]

You have a squad?

No, he doesn't.

The stolen post is one of the most realistic assessments I've seen.

If he'd wanted it posted here, I imagine he would have posted it here.

 

[Grunwald]

What is in my hand is the tool

Why is he sharing this kind of information with complete strangers?
What a man does in a privacy of his own home is no one's business.

 

[rick benjamin]

Aircuda has embraced the suck.
If he's found dead, the area will be littered with empty shells.

I plan for a community buffer zone.
If I'm stuck in Damascus, my gun safe will equip many of the households around me. Give em 10 rounds each, and a marksmanship brief.
I've invested in basic food supplies (rice n beans packed in carbon dioxide, sealed 5 gal buckets) . I can feed my army when they need food.
Have I planned for everything? No, I've seen Murphy FUBAR the best plans.

I've received an offer to bug-out to an eastern Or ranch retreat. Also an option.

 

[ch139]

Thanks guys for the replies, I enjoy the discussion. I'd like to type a nice reply and include everyone's response, but have a ton-o-homework for tonight (between work and skool there isn't a lot of time leftover sometimes).

I'll start with "there is a lot I don't know"...I've never experienced austerity; have always had food on the table, roof overhead, electricity and running water. Sure there have been a few power outages from time to time (once in Arizona, went two days without electricity – no A/C really roughin it there). Have never been in combat and have never had any significant medical emergencies.

I don't know what real survival entails. I'd like to think I do... have watched a bunch of youtube videos, read a lot of books - paid particular attention to what guys like ferfal and selco have had to say. But have no real experience.

Firearms are passion and a hobby. Have bought and sold a few over the years. Enjoyed them and most of the folks associated with the culture, and even fancy myself as a pretty good shot (legend in my own mind).

In reading a lot of the "survival" or "prepper" oriented things, it seems I'm way behind the curve. Seems like folks have mountains of ammunition and prepps stored up, a castle with a moat and another bug-out castle with moat. They're trained, hardened professionals who eat lead and copper for breakfast and crap bullets. That's just not me. Would like to think I've got it goin on, but believe I'm no where near the rest of the folks out there. So, I read this post on akfiles and while I don't agree with some of it, it sounds more real than much of what I've read before. Not necessarily a defeatist, but realist.

Hey, if someone is all that and more, has all the gear, training and ability... thats just awesome. I don't, and think I need a big bite of the humble pie from time to time. While there is a lot of details that we may not believe are specific to out local areas, there is some stuff in his post that I think is pretty squared away. Just wanted to share the post and hear your thoughts.

 

[AMProducts]

Much of "prepper" culture is a continuation of the "acquisition" culture in which many of us find ourselves living in the west. The "I'm the best because I have all this stuff" is alive and well with most "preppers", and between that, and the showcase of crazy that the nat-geo Doomsday Amateurs likes to show off there is really very little content there.

Prepping for a wildfire doesn't take 100 guns, or a million rounds of ammo, prepping for an earthquake doesn't take 12000lbs of hard winter wheat. The people who are out there stocking the larder are ones who have done precious little to actually understand the mechanisms that keep our society, and by extension ourselves alive. They don't understand plumbing, water pressure, water treatment. The importance of handling sewage with care. I have yet to see anyone on DP show you how to build a trash incinerator, because they're too busy building really crappy landmines, and faraday cages that won't work.

Rather than becoming some kind of prepper fetishist, eat healthy, cook your own food, exercise regularly. Maybe think about putting together a BoB, and then try it out, go spend a night in the back-yard, or in the woods. The overwhelming urge for most is to take a bag and then stuff everything they can into it, you will find 90% of that stuff is just dead weight. I've had a BOB since before it was a BOB, and back when it was still called survivalism, and I'm still trying to pare useless crap out of my bag.

 

[RBid]

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

Biology should be a far bigger concern for any serious prepper than battle rifles or gunfights raging in the streets. Preparing YOU (mind and body) is priority number 1.

Put the chili dog down, and go for a walk.

 

[EZLivin]

...In reading a lot of the "survival" or "prepper" oriented things, it seems I'm way behind the curve. Seems like folks have mountains of ammunition and prepps stored up, a castle with a moat and another bug-out castle with moat. They're trained, hardened professionals who eat lead and copper for breakfast and crap bullets...

Most of those goofball survivalist-wannabes would head to the FEMA shelter if they ran out of Pop Tarts or their toaster broke. AMProducts response summed it up well. Becoming as self-sufficient as possible through knowledge and practice will put you much farther ahead than the folks who only collect prepper toys.

 

[oli700]

If SHTF. I am Going to Die. I'm not a Gang member with lots of back up and a chain of command. There is no local militia. There might be 10 shooters in my neighborhood,but I'm the only Ex Military.

depressing, might as well hang yourself or something.....
coming from a big military family , interviewing , hiring and working side by side with many vets in my line of work I am here to say just because someone is in the military doesn't mean shat, the military takes anyone and a good portion are losers.
A good portion use the title to their advantage and never were a good solder or citizen, but riding on the coat tails of the good ones, and it sounds great on the internet gun forums.
I have worked with, been related to and fired "solders" that I wouldn't follow to the corner store......this guy is one of them, no good solder would have that attitude, I good solder might recognize defeat but never accept it.
I have had the pleasure to make acquaintance with stellar leaders, thinkers and action takers that have never seen a day of service.....I'll fight next to them before I would any military guy with this attitude or superiority complex.
If he were a good forward thinking leader learned from military service he would organize those 10 people and have a formidable guerrilla force of 3%ers

 

[Martini_Up]

Everything I've ever read and every lecture I've ever heard on the subject of crisis has in one form or the other the message to get involved and not to quit.

The definition of SHTF and crisis are as open to interpretation as any word and yet this guy jumps right in and says he's dead should one visit him. That philosophy goes against every grain of my being and I'm and befuddled how he is even part of our gene pool or how his defeatist opinion has made it to a prep/surv. board.

 

[Jammer Six]

There is a difference between a prepper and a survivalist.

One is preparing to be self-sufficient for three days to a week following a natural disaster, while the government and infrastructure comes back online.

The other is planning to repel an invasion of little green men from mars following a complete collapse of government during a revolution led by the downtrodden upper middle class.

 

[EZLivin]

...The other is planning to repel an invasion of little green men from mars...

Reminds me of this. I love this scenario:

"For thousands more years the mighty ships tore across the empty wastes of space and finally dived screaming on to the first planet they came across--which happened to be the Earth -- where due to a terribble miscalculation of scale the entire battle fleet was accidently swallowed by a small dog."

Douglas Addams, "The Hitchhiker'sGuide to the Galaxy"

 

[Blitzkrieg]

If SHTF. I am Going to Die

We'll there's your spirit of optimism.. why bother? I stopped reading after that

 

[Martini_Up]

No, he doesn't.

The stolen post is one of the most realistic assessments I've seen.

Sure I do. Every second Saturday when I sign in I am grouped with a squad. I've been doing so for over 10 years now.... So GFY

Practical Rifle | Tri-County Gun Club