SHTF Ammo

Seriously in a SHTF scenario as mentioned before how many gunfights do you think you will win. If you are winning then why the hell aren't you picking up their guns and ammo. It just doesn't make sense to me.

As far as hunting use a bow it doesn't give away your position to those that would kill for a meal.

a reply to: stutteringp0et

12 gauge.... it's everywhere. Hunting, self defense, police, and military all use 12 gauge shells. You can get them at walmart, or your local sporting goods store.

If we're talking rifle .22LR is available in large quantities most any place that sells anything sports related. .223/5.56 would be the other rifle round I would say would be popular. Abundance in homes, hunting/gaming stores, again some rounds at walmart type stores. 30-06 very popular hunting round, and 7.62 in all it's variants. Huge amounts of it out there.

hand guns, .45, 9mm, .356/.38 special. I like to think these are the most common. 9mm because it's been a service staple forever, .45 because it's the go to "man stopper" for self defense, hunting as protection, and police and military uses as well. because of it's notoriety it's going to be available some where.

Me personally, a 12gauge shotgun with zero choke so I can shoot all loads would be choice. If a rifle .22lr or .22mag. Pistol 9mm most likely.

I don't really worry about this though.

I don't want to get too detailed so as not to encourage anyone to undertake a dangerous experiment, but what about a chlorate primer? You wouldn't need nitric acid to produce it, but would it work?

originally posted by: caterpillage

For the best shtf ammo to have on hand, 22lr, 12 gauge bird and buck, 9mm, and 223/5.56. In that order.

Yeah, I like the .22 option and the 12ga. It seems like shotshells would be easy to reload.

www.youtube.com...
video alleges to teach you how to make your own primers....unless you know what your doing id avoid it. and as i think its classed as a high explosive and generally one of the more volatile explosive compounds in reloading(even on a professional level unexpected booms happen often) so good luck getting a permit.....

but if you did manage to get into it legally it could come in handy post SHTF

Principles and Practice of Loading Ammunition(Earl Naramore) and Making Ammunition(Nra book?)
are two relevant books on the matter for those wanting to give it a shot


en.wikipedia.org... key component in reloading
shock and static sensitive and toxic to boot

www.youtube.com... for the muzzle loader fans how to make your own black powder

www.madehow.com... informative link as well


gunhub.com... another forum so i wont post any excerpts but it does tell you how to make your own percussion caps at this link as well as describing how at least one ammo maker does its primer loading process and its much more complex then i figured at first (has to be kept wet and is clayish in nature)

www.freepatentsonline.com... this guy claims to have built a shot gun primer repair device but its just a patent and i have no idea how that stuff works

www.youtube.com... reloading primers another link

i guess you could try to go with electronic ignition if your smart like that as at least that would negate the need for a primer but not sure how you would do such a thing

www.ctmuzzleloaders.com... a way to mod electric ignition into a muzzle loader

www.americanhunter.org... or just buy it from the store from CVA

i wonder how hard it would be to convert modern firearms to use electric ignition(hopefully with solar charging an option)

www.remington.com... ewmmington made one already so i guess you could get this one

Here's how the Model 700 EtronX works: The electronic fire control has no moving parts other than the trigger. No sear to be released. No firing pin to strike the primer. Instead, an internal electrical circuit sends a charge through the system to our electrically responsive primer. Closing the bolt on the cartridge establishes contact between the firing pin and the primer. When the trigger is pulled, the electronic circuit sends an electrical pulse through the firing pin directly to the primer. This all happens in less than the blink of an eye. Ignition is even faster, with near zero lock time (.0000027 seconds, actually), which virtually eliminates the effects of barrel movement after pulling the trigger. In fact, the bullet exits the barrel of the Model 700 EtronX before a mechanical firing pin could even hit the primer in a conventional rifle. The system also creates an exceptionally crisp trigger pull with 36% less travel than standard triggers.

Primers would seem to me to be a thing to just stock up on beforehand if you plan on reloading. Reasonably cheap, don't take up much space, and they come in boxes of a thousand. Couple boxes of those go a long way and save a ton of hassle and potential danger of messing with chemicals.

Reloading is not a great option if you're bugging out on foot, too much equipment/weight. For those that suggested making your own BP, it won't give enough pressure in today's rifles. You can pick up a pretty cheap BP revolver or muzzleloader but then you're dealing with the primer issue.

I have heard folks using those red plastic caps on their revolvers but never tried it myself. A flintlock hunting rifle (.50) might be a good long term hunting rifle. Would work with homemade BP and you could, technically, use small stones as a projectile.

I did buy a 7.62x25 Romanian Tok, but also bought a 9mm barrel/bushing/mag for it as that ammo is more abundant. Although the 7.62x25 rd is fun to shoot!

originally posted by: Feltrick
Reloading is not a great option if you're bugging out on foot, too much equipment/weight. For those that suggested making your own BP, it won't give enough pressure in today's rifles. You can pick up a pretty cheap BP revolver or muzzleloader but then you're dealing with the primer issue.

I have heard folks using those red plastic caps on their revolvers but never tried it

I did buy a 7.62x25 Romanian Tok, but also bought a 9mm barrel/bushing/mag for it as that ammo is more abundant. Although the 7.62x25 rd is fun to shoot!

Red caps meaning like for a toy cap gun caps? That's interesting if so, I'll have to pick some up and stow them away.

I've been wanting a tokarv forever now, cool gun. I have a makarov which I love but finding good ammo these days is tough. Guess I'll have to start loading my own.

a reply to: stutteringp0et

.22 ammo will be the new currency man...you cant reload the ammo. There will be .22 guns laying around all over after the shtf and the ammo will be so freaking valuable. Id stock up on it...its also lighter in terms of individual bullet and can be used to kill most animals and certainly humans in defense as well. Do you want to bring a .22 to a gun fight? Probably not at all but with you exchanging the ammo for food and water you may never need to be in a gun fight!

a reply to: caterpillage

Yes, the plastic, red toy caps. Again, haven't tried it, just read about it on another forum. Not the best but can be used. They may go off unexpectedly while seating them so be extremely careful, don't apply too much pressure.

I love my Tok! The 9mm barrels were cheap and plentiful but haven't seen them in a while. That also goes for the 9mm mags w/internal spacer. Happy I bought mine when I did, gives me options.

As for reloading the 7.62x25, most difficult part is trying to find the cases after firing them. They have a habit of flying a good distance. Out of 50 fired I was able to recover 46. Luckily I bought 200 empty cases...just in case.

For the OP's topic, I would think .40s&w is pretty popular now a days. 5.56/223 might be the most abundant round one could find along w/12 gauge. 9mm is still widely used.

originally posted by: The Vagabond
a reply to: stutteringp0et

Decent idea but having everyone carrying weapons chambered for the same rounds could save a lot of headaches all the same. And not that you can't kill anything with 5.56 but the round is designed to wound not to kill. Having to hit the heart or head or else track a wounded animal is less than ideal, to say nothing of the importance of being able to drop a human or animal predator immediately.

Same rounds and same magazines, if you run out you can just ask whoever you are with.

I've only hunted deer with a 30 06, so i'm biased. I have a lot of steel core for that rifle also.

12 gauge is a good idea, but taking their guns after you win is a major factor to consider as that poster mentioned. I have a fn tps with an internal tactical choke, but it will shoot anything. I'd go with a mossberg 590a1, because they pass the military torture test. The tube slide broke on the fn, I was not happy, but I welded it for real.

In a SHTF scenario, guns are good for a little while, but thats where are a lot of preppers should learn to use a Bow, or Crossbow. I have many guns chambered in .223, .22, 7.62 x 39, 12g, 410g, black powder. But eventually all of these guns will become useless. I do have 2 compound bows, 2 recurve, and 1 crossbow that will last much longer, as long as I keep my strings waxed, keep extra string, and reuse my arrows as long as possible, then just make more arrows if need be. A crossbow is extremly deadly and accurate, if you familiarize yourself with one. I suggest everyone at least own 1-2 bows.

a reply to: Glassbender777

+1 on bows/crossbows! I bought a crossbow since it has a trigger and it's more familiar to operate. My main reason was the ammo shortage; needed something to practice with. Bows are quiet and effective!

Should of bought one years ago.

Edit to add: great zombie killers!

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
Reloading your own ammo will get you by for a while. You can cast your own lead bullets, re-use your brass, and even manufacture your own gunpowder if you know your chemistry.

One problem:

Does anyone know how to make a primer?

A lot of "preppers" I've run into seem to think that because they have reloading supplies they'll be OK indefinitely. Not if you can't make a primer.

The info is out there on the internet concerning field expedient ammo reloading.
Primers can be refilled with the white tips of strike anywhere matches, but you need to remove the primers, deconstruct them a bit and hammer the dimple out created by the firing pin during the previous firing. Rimfire brass can also be reprimed and reloaded.
Smokeless powder can be replaced with match heads from paper safety matches.

Everyone talks about enough to take a man down etc etc.

Well, for eating.... get a .410 shotgun. And, you can get 3" slugs or buck shot.

I have a over under .410/22LR (single shots) for hunting only.

The AR, 12G, 40 Berretta and .22.... they for the special people I meet that warrant some bad times on them.

I would suggest a AR-15 in .556 along with a CMMG conversion bolt for 22LR. It cheap and dependable. It keep you options open for more ammo, it lite, and you can change over in less than 60 seconds with no tools.

30-06 is my main weapon.
I have a M1 Garand Scout Rifle.
In a emergency i can convert it to 308 with a navy conversion insert. but more likely it will be use to convert a bolt 30.06

I also have a AR with a .22lr conversion but that is for travel and hunting.

i live in a part of the US with wid open spaces where long range shooting is more likely.

a reply to: Grimpachi

I don't recall mentioning gunfights. I wanted to know if I missed any popular ammo. Bullets can be equivalent to currency when there's none to be had.

And, yes, I also have a crossbow and other primitive weapons and hunting tools.

.22 of course. Small, light, easy to carry a lot of them. And won't blow food into nuggets.