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.