Best choice for common ammunition?

[Christian]

I got my LTC just as the last panic hit, which in turn made 9mm and shortly thereafter .223/5.56 very scarce if not impossible to find as everyone and their brother was grabbing as much as possible. There was only a handful of occasions where I was limited on either simply because some of the LGS clerks weren't brought up to speed, and others caught on that .40 was readily available(at that point I already had plenty).

Which is why I skipped over both calibers and went with .40 S&W and .308/7.62. I know a lot of folks aren't fond of the .40 but I don't give a sh*t, if I can't feed my pistols they're paperweights. I went with .308/7.62 after talking to some guys I know that hunt and reading online and the consensus seemed to be that .308/7.62 has enough punch to take down anything in N.A.(cue the "I could take down a Griz with a .22lr, it's all about the shot placement" crowd.

That and I really wanted a M1A so...

Also, if the fantasy of the zombie apocalypse/SHTF ever did happen I wanted to know I can punch through cover if need be(really though, I just wanted my M1A).

And yes, I've got some .22lr guns for plinking.

So if you're going to go with 9mm and .225/5.56 I'd do as others have suggested and buy as much as you can afford every week before the next thing happens.

 

[M60]

The just rite AR carbine uses Glock magazines.

 

[whacko]

A lot of fantastic information here guys, thanks very much.

I think what I need to do now is basically decide between picking 22lr or 9mm, as I had guessed.

Both of them have benefits and drawbacks. I do like that a lot of the 9mm weapons can share magazines, which lowers the 'specialized hardware'
necessary for each firearm.

Someone asked about the 30-06 and sniping/hunting comment. I think for me this is wrong time to start going down that road, as I could easily get into the "MOAR GUNZ!" trap. My itch I'm trying to scratch is having something available that I can use for my own defense, light hunting, and peace of mind. I think I'll avoid the larger caliber / long range guns for a while. My budget just doesn't allow it.

I suspect what it may come down to is what fits my (large) hands the best. I like the Ruger 22 pistol mentioned before, but I'm concerned how well it'll fit. Probably my next gun show I'll go in with a shopping list and choose from what fits best there.

Let's put it this way. You say you are a pepper. What good is prepping.......and having nothing but a 22lr to defend your supplies? You may as well not prep at all because someone with real fire arms is gonna take your stuff. Just pony up and get a real gun is my advice. Start off with the shotgun.......200 bucks gets a nice used one.......and its a swiss army knife of guns.....slugs, buckshot, game loads........all the shotgun ammo is relatively cheap too. With a shotty you can defend your home and supplies.....take a deer......squirrel......rabbit......or birds......all with th same gun just by changing the load in it. Now that's a prepper gun for someone on a Budget. I'm not trying to come off like an ass......but I'm having a hard time picturing someone defending their supplies in a shtf situation with a 22lr or 9mm.

 

[SubieGuy4]

I'm looking for advice on a caliber (or calibers) to settle on for my firearms.

To give some context, what I'm looking for is to settle on a common caliber that will be flexible . I'm something of a prepper, so I'm putting together hardware primarily for emergency use. What I don't want to do is end up in a situation where I'm collecting many different round types. That gets unwieldy and inefficient.

I'm relatively new to firearms, though I have experience using and maintaining a few things. I've worked with 22 rifles, 410 and 12gauge shotguns, 22 and 9mm pistols, even handled some larger caliber items, just for the experience.

So, here's the questions, and please don't poke fun, I'm here to learn

1) Is there a common form factor that is used in both rifles and pistols? I'massuming not, as rifles tend to have a larger charge, and need a larger cartridge.

2) Assuming the above is true, I'm leaning toward 9mm for pistols (I like the size and commonality. I want something that is easy to get ammunition for). Iam in good health and relatively strong and have large hands, so I'm not worried about something I can't handle. I like the size and feel of, say a Sig 938, but I'm also keen on the 92FS, which fits me best.

3) For rifles, for no other reason than "it seems like a good idea", I'm leaning toward 30-06 caliber. I will be picking up a 22 rifle for practice and teaching others how to use a rifle, but I'd like something with long range accuracy and punch, and 30-06 seems right. I see -some- 9mm 'rifles' (which are presented as 'carbines') but they appear to be short-range skirmish type things. Nothing I'd use for hunting or sniping.

Unless there's a simpler formula that will let me have something small and carryable, something with decent handheld punch, and something with long range and accuracy, I'm already looking at stocking 9mm, 22 long, and 30-06 ammunition. Is there a way to make this simpler?

Thanks very much, looking forward to hearing from folks!

For pistol, 9mm is a good choice. The good 9mm ammunition is as effective as any other of the major calibers, but 9mm is more plentiful and less expensive. For a pistol I strongly recommend a Glock if you're a prepper. Most modern handguns will serve you well, but the simplicity and durability are big selling points. Also if you so desire you can very inexpensively procure a set of spare parts for a Glock. Basically the slide, barrel and frame won't break (barring catastrophic failure). All the other parts can be ordered in OEM form for very little money.

For rifle I would recommend against 30-06. .308/7.62x51 is much more available and plentiful. It also has plenty of punch and long range accuracy. That would be a far better choice.