Weapons For Disaster Survival

Disaster means different things to different people.  When disaster strikes such as civil unrest, war, famine, end of the world scenarios, etc., weapons for self defense will be an important necessity when it comes to increasing your survival chances. 

Thugs, criminals, looters, etc., will be everywhere, usually working in groups and law enforcement depending on the nature of the disaster may be non existent.  Good luck finding a truly suitable weapon after a disaster has ocurred.  You need to have your weapons and sufficient ammunition available to you before a disaster has ocurred rather than hope you can locate some after.

There are many choices in weapons and even if you have a whole locker full of them, the reality is you cannot individually use them all at once.  Therefore it is necessary to have primary types of each major weapon available to you and to make sure you are fully versed in using them properly. 

For firearms this will include loading, unloading, clearing malfunctions, cleaning, zeroing, aiming and  making sure your point of aim equals your point of impact.  For knives this will include sharpening and overall handling capabilities.

I have divided my weapons groups into 4 categories with my final selections based on reliability, functionality, durability and dependability.

• Category 1:  Primary Shotgun = Mossberg 590 A1 12 gauge
• Category 2: Primary Handgun = Smith & Wesson M&P 45
• Category 3: Primary Rifle = DPMS AP4 Panther Carbine 
• Category 4: Primary Knife = Elite Forces Fixed Blade

Whatever your primary weapons choices are make sure you are proficient in their use.  Do not instigate or invite trouble, your weapons should be for defensive capabilities only.

SOG Jungle Primitive Knife Review

The SOG Jungle Primitive Fixed Blade Knife is an incredibly sharp knife right out of the box.   It is a large knife; 9.5 inches with a partially serated 420 hardened black, stainless steel blade.  The handle is a molded Kraton material but I found it works better after I wrapped it four times with black, cloth hockey tape.  It increases the thickness of the handle and I find the grip works better that way.   The total length is 15.3 inches, weighs 14 ounces and comes with a nylon sheath with accessory pouch and a lifetime warranty.

On the pro side the knife is large, sharp, ergonomic, comfortable and durable and both the sheath and the knife are well made.  On the con side the accessory pouch for the sharpening stone does not come with the sharpening stone; and the handle which has a designed drilled hole in it, to accomodate a wrist strap or paracord does not come with the strap or paracord.

I also found the handle to be a little too thin; but as mentioned earlier that was quickly remedied by wrapping the handle with black cloth hockey tape.  I added my own paracord by running it through the hole in the handle; and then knotted the ends and sealed them by using a lighter to keep  the cord from fraying.

Retail prices are all over the place.  On average you should pay between $25.00 and $35.00 for this knife.  I’ve seen places selling the exact same knife for $60.00.  Don’t do it.  You can find these knives for between $25.00 and $35.00 dollars.  Overall it is an excellent knife for the money.

You can get a free preview of my first five post apocalyptic fiction survival books by clicking on the book cover images to the left of this blog post, on my blog page, which will take you to the Amazon.com website. Then you can click on the look inside option which will give you a free preview.  If my survival fiction books interest you; then consider purchasing them.  Book titles include American Rebellion Book 1 of the Revolution, American Rebellion Book 2 of the Revolution, American Rebellion Book 3 of the Revolution, American Rebellion Book 4 of the Revolution and American Rebellion Book 5 of the Revolution.

How To Choose The Proper Weapons When The SHTF

When the SHTF, weapons for defensive applications will be an absolute necessity.  Disaster scenarios can bring out the worst in some folks and if people start resorting to a criminal mentality you have to be able to protect yourself and those that you love.  So in order to choose the proper weapons, it is best to have a general understanding of what each weapon is generally used for.

• Rifle – The purpose of the rifle, depending on caliber, is to engage targets from 0 to 1000 yards using either single or rapid rates of fire.  The rifles ability to cover extended ranges makes it an excellent and effective distance weapon.  For distances 0 – 200 yards I prefer to use the .223 remington cartridge in my semi-automatic AR-15 rifle chambered for the .223 cartridge and for distances 200 to 1000 yards I prefer to use the .308 cartridge in my bolt action rifle chambered for the .308 cartridge.
• Shotgun – The purpose of the pump action shotgun is to engage targets from 0 to 25 yards using 00 buckshot when overpenetration is not an issue and using 6 or 7.5 birdshot at closer ranges when overpenetration is an issue.  The pump action shotgun is the most devestating of the close range weapons and is both easy to operate and highly effective at close ranges.  I prefer to use my 12 gauge pump action shotgun using 2 3/4″ 00 buck, 2 3/4″ 6 bird or 2 3/4″ 7.5 bird depending on distance and whether overpenetration will or will not be an issue.
• Pistol – The purpose of the pistol is to engage targets from 0 – 50 yards.  The pistol’s concealability makes it the best choice for concealed carry applications.  I prefer to use the .45ACP cartridge in my semi-automatic handgun chambered  for the .45ACP or the 9mm cartridge in my semi- automatic handgun chambered for the 9mm cartridge. 
• Knife – The purpose of the knife, either fixed blade or folding is to engage targets at close range where silence is a necessity.  Your knife is an important piece of survival gear and must be kept sharp and ready for use at all times.
• Compound Bow – The purpose of the compound bow is to engage targets outside the range of the knife where maintaining silence is a necessity.  The flat trajectory which the compound bow shoots arrows results in accurate shots out to about 50 yards.