Forgive my naivety but perhaps you all can clarify

[VMI 2002]

Hey man. I have the same goal, defense and protection--before those ideas are completely illegal. I have a military background and occassionally hunt. But my chief concern is my wife and 2 little boys.

I read these postings all the time and it seems like there are two universal truths: Everyone has preferences. You get what you pay for.
So I will buy the best of the best** for my small collection. Heres what I have so far:

Tactical Rifle: Smith and Wesson M&P15T .223/5.56mm
Field Pistol: Kimber Gold Combat II .45ACP
Concealed Pistol: Ruger LCP .380ACP
Distance Rifle: Don't own one yet, I plan on buying an equally nice 30-06.
Shotgun: I currently have a cheap Mossberg 12gauge which has been my huntining shotgun since teenage years. But, again, I plan on buying a really nice tactical rig eventually.

I would rather save for a few months and get "the best" (my opinion) than blow a couple hundred on something sub-standard. **At the same time I feel like a great factory weapon is the limit, custom built benefits are negligible at best, and outweighed by the price-tag.

One other consideration I make...Ammunition Caches. If you do end up in a situation where you are fighting your way out of somewhere with your family. And you have only you to rely on. You are going to need to find/steal, etc. So I believe you should have a collection that has the highest likelyhood of ammo stocks in the US. 9mm, .45, 30-06, .223, 12ga shells, these are the bread and butter on every shelf in America.

Just my thoughts. I worry about a day when either regionally or as a collective country we will need to fight back. Call me crazy...

[goon]

I agree on planning ahead with the ammo.
Eventhough I don't have the money for a whole lot of it, I still think that it isn't too much of an obstacle for the average guy to fill a .50 caliber ammo can for every caliber he shoots.
An ammo can ain't as much as I'd like to have, but it is affordable and a convenient package to grab and toss in the car as you're running away from the nearest natural disaster.
However much you feel the need to have, have it before you need it.

As for the actual rifle,
In a crisis, I'd rather have $400 in a rifle that is completely functional, along with the necessary cleaning supplies, accessories, and ammo than have an AR-15 on layaway during that very same crisis.
IMO, the best way to go is get a decent rifle first to have around and learn with. Then, after you have shot enough to know what you want and need, start saving for your ideal rifle.

[VMI 2002]

Originally Posted by goon

As for the actual rifle,
In a crisis, I'd rather have $400 in a rifle that is completely functional, along with the necessary cleaning supplies, accessories, and ammo than have an AR-15 on layaway during that very same crisis.
IMO, the best way to go is get a decent rifle first to have around and learn with. Then, after you have shot enough to know what you want and need, start saving for your ideal rifle.

I agree on this point particularly. If you don't have a lot of experience shooting to begin with, you need to get some buddys that have a decent collection so that you can become proficient AND figure out what YOU like.

[andrewjs18]

good video I found on youtube.