Food's done, now to protect it... Questions

[ITZombie]

Okay all the mentions of elections and panic buying and such kept nagging at me. I decided to move some things around in the budget/buying windows as I'm worried that black guns are going to be at the top of the list for price increases.

I put in a order for 2 uppers, LPK's and 20 magpul pmags from PSA just now, there goes my bonus money. But I did just get another 600lbs of dry goods so it's not like I'm not focusing on the important stuff first right? My UPS guy really really really hates me for starting a 'bakery' out of my house...

FYI: If you can't find it locally, honeyvillegrain.com is wonderful to do business with. $4.95 ships your whole order regardless of how much you buy. They ship fast and correctly. Buy rice, beans and oats at your local Costco/Sam's, it's cheaper but for wheat and corn I just couldn't beat their pricing at honeyville.

I assume LPK is short for lower parts kit, everyone uses a butt load of acronyms in relation to ar-15s, most of which I'm slowly figuring out by process of elimination. I need to find a FFL dealer I can use to receive the lowers and then I get to put them all together. I added a 1000 rounds of ball ammo for break-in and a box or two of everything else they had in stock to see what they like best.

I'm also assuming a complete upper, the lpk and lower is all I need to do this thing. Aside from whatever tools would be necessary which I should have unless they're really unique and I can probably fake them if they are with some stock and appropriate abrasive tools.

I'm going to have to start reloading again, it's been 20 years since I've done that. Yet more money to find room for in the budget. Got a fourth hand single stage press from a friend back in the day to reload 308 and had a shotgun reloader as well. I'd reload the 12 guages till they wouldn't crimp any more.

Okay in all honesty it was the putting them together that finally sold me. I got my first erector set, the real one made out of metal when I was 8 and I still have a massive lego set that I play with. With the children of course. It would be wrong for a grown man to play with legos by himself. But the risk of prices skyrocketing didn't help my wallet/decision either.

[BHP]

Lots of uppers come without bolt carrier groups and charging handles. Not sure of PSA is like that or not as I usually go with BCM.

[ITZombie]

Okay to get caught up - if I miss anyone it's entirely accidental, please don't feel I'm ignoring or disregardig your post. I appreciate everyone's input.

@huntingohio - A handgun for everyone is on the list definitely. Part of the problem is 3 of us 5 are not yet 10. This leaves a .22 as the only viable option for a long gun for a few years. I would definitely otherwise have a shotgun for everyone because your points are valid although the spread for a legal length barrel at 'insde the house' distances isn't enough to guarentee a hit by any means it certainly doesn't hurt. Although I do have a shot spreader choke for my spas that will turn a cloud of buck into something more line shaped. But it's more novelty than anything as it's rather reckless in most situations other than the range.

@bhp These uppers are 'complete' per the site. The only adds I did were to upgrade the forearms to MOE's for potential picatinny and add flip down iron. I do plan on putting glass on them, not sure what yet. I can guarentee it won't be an ACOG though.

I looked at bravo company but they were a bit more costly for one but spec wise came out the same and have some serious lack of stock issues at the moment or did around 5 this morning. That's not to say PSA doesn't either but they did have the configuration I wanted. Both seem comparable based on second hand evidence, at least both have their fans for sure. As we all know though, the proof's in the shooting.

If I have issues with them after a suitable break in period, I'll just hold them as an investment for the price swings that everyone is predicting, make some cash and then buy later when the prices come back down. The long guns are tertiary to me. I just bought them first thinking longer term savings would be had than putting them off till last.

[jeremy1391]

If you want a decent relatively inexpensive optic i would suggest a millet DMS-1 on a burris PEPR mount, 1-4x magnification with a red illuminator. I like mine

[Czechnology]

If you want a decent relatively inexpensive optic i would suggest a millet DMS-1 on a burris PEPR mount, 1-4x magnification with a red illuminator. I like mine

Be aware that optic combo is ENORMOUS and HEAVY for the magnification/FOV it offers. I had one.

[ITZombie]

@jeremy1391, Czechnology (awesome nick by the way)

Thanks for the information guys (or gals)! I haven't been paying attention to what's 'good enough' for over a decade so that kind of information is gold. Back in my day if it wasn't glass it was most likely an aimpoint. Now the field is hella crowded as I'm seeing and very hard to pick a winner or even a top 10 to consider. Heft wise, while I'm a pretty big guy so it might work for me, my wife is a lightweight so I'd definitely have to consider her limitations. I do want the two weapons to be twinsies so no matter who grabs what, there's no hesitation or lag caused by 'this isn't what I'm used to'.

[hatchtrikk]

Did you remember to get stocks as well?

Those, along with what you ordered should be all you need. Also, you can get nearly twice the amount of magazines for the price if you go with USGIs rather than PMAGS.


Otherwise, money well spent, IMO.

[Regular Guy]

Alright, here's my two cents.
Get as many Glock 19s as you can afford. They are amazing guns that work well for everyone but the giants. I'm 5'11" and the Glock 19 fits me very well. Glock in 9mm, good call.
AR-15s, another great call, again, as many as you can afford. Right now is a great time in the AR-15 world, there are a good number of companies that make great affordable guns. Do yourself a favor and look at Colt, Bravo Company Machine and Palmetto State ARmory. Each one is top tier, IMO. Don't go crazy with add ons, get an attached light, sling, mags, ammo and a red dot sight (Eotech or Aimpont). Done.
Addressing the 10/22. Cool, good choice, get the threaded brl models. Get 2 then stop. Do not pile a bunch of stuff on them. Iron sights and magazine. The 10/22 is for plinking, small game and teaching kids to shoot. My son will easily go through 200-300 rds in an afternoon. Only bring one 10/22 per adult watching one kid. If it's you by yourself teaching 3 kids, bring one gun. If it's you and your wife, and she's not watching a shooting kid, bring one.
On shotguns, skip the 870 tactical. Shotguns are heavy recoil and low capacity compared to the AR-15. Now, that stated get one or two H&R single shot 12 guages and a chamber inserts. www.gunadapters.com has 22LR, 9mm, 223 and other shotgun guage inserts. Two people carrying a couple of 12 guages, even single shots, will harvest a bunch of game. Add in a couple 10/22 and you should be able to get lots of small and medium game.

[ITZombie]

@Hatchtrikk Yes, stocks come with the LPK from PSA. Man zombie survival is choked with acronyms.

@Regular Guy I kind of am a giant. 6-5" and big boned (with surplus meat on them big bones but the bones are big too).

I was planning on getting beau coup glocks. Still undecided on the 19, I know a lot, and I mean a lot, of glock perople, especially CC's love the 19. But I need to get some hands on before I fully settle on it. But I hear you and you're repeating what I've heard from people I know IRL who's opinion on guns I respect based on experience.

Threaded barrels, I assume you mean threaded at the muzzle end. Let's just say in my younger days I may have had such things and even may have known how to do such things with access to a moderately equipped machine shop and leave it at that.

I'm honestly not seeing hunting as being a viable option in terms of calories expended verus gained at least in this area. A person might be able to relocate to an area where it's plentiful enought to survive but hauling young children there and enough gear to survive au natural is unlikely were things to get bad. It's not off the table in the event of a fallback and regroup but it'll be near the bottom of the list. And I would have concerns that such places would already be occupied by the more rural population in this area. I know finding good deer hunting areas can be crazy hard. areas that actually have deer on them.

Even with the likely end game result of a PA event once the semi's stop rolling in, game is simply too scarce and would require siginificant travel. The missus is now contemplating zoning laws and means of getting a colony of cottontails going sooner rather than later. We also have a budding relationship with a family that raises goats and pigs among other things that we're going to cultivate and see where certain topics may lead us.

[Regular Guy]

You'd be surprised at the game around. Lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, squirrels, etc. All viable. Birds are everywhere as well.

[omega_man]

You'd be surprised at the game around. Lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, squirrels, etc. All viable. Birds are everywhere as well.

I think I side with the zombies on this one Well, just leave the Passerines alone, they're nature's juke-box and art museum!

[Regular Guy]

You'd be surprised at the game around. Lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, squirrels, etc. All viable. Birds are everywhere as well.

I think I side with the zombies on this one Well, just leave the Passerines alone, they're nature's juke-box and art museum!

I love birds. But sorry birdies, if I'm hungry, really hungry, you're a snack. If I can get enough of you, you're soup. IF I get a big enough one, you're dinner. Once things get back up, I'll go back to grazing. And you know what, if the tables are turned, you'd try to eat me or at least snack on my corpse.

[ITZombie]

That's it, I'm calling the SPCA. Or would that be SPCB? No SPCA would work- A = avians. Yeah, I'm calling them. You're all gonna be so busted.

[ITZombie]

My word but it's difficult to find a Glock 19 or a Glock 17 around here. Hit multiple locations this afternoon, Sports Academy X 2, Bass Pro Shop and 2 local establishments and found a single 19 for sell. And definitely not on sale, I paid a premium to get it but felt it was worth it to get it now given the apparent demand, JIC. I found a 17 for a much more reasonable rate and sighed heavily and bought it as I'm feeling nekkid these days.

I didn't hit any pawn shops, I want NIB's for this particular purpose.

A whole afternoon of running around and all I have to show for it is a single 19, a 17 and a 10/22. And I had to go to 3 different places to get those. Kind of weird really. I couldn't find any 870's or Mossberg's in a defender model 18" / 7 capacity (ish) either. Actually unless you were looking for a bird gun there were no black shotguns in 12.

Every clerk I talked to said they can't keep 17's or 19's or the 'tactical' 12 gauges in stock. There were other models of Glocks in all the locations, 22's, 23's etc. but I'm sticking with 9mm for now.

Interestingly, ammo wise, there was no .223 on the shelves at either of the Sports academy's. I didn't check at the other places I went, this trip was taking more time than I'd planned already. Plenty of stuff in other calibers but no .223. Also both places were wiped out on 22LR, one had a bunch of subsonic and the other had some Remington bulk. Just a lot of empty slots on the shelves.

Still haven't heard anything from PSA much less gotten shipping notification. I find that a bit annoying that they don't even acknowledge the order, orders actually.

Arming up for a PA event is proving to be more difficult than I assumed it was going to be.

Foodwise, we've got another 300lbs of food stored away. I'm seriously considering renting a storage locker to avoid the eggs in one basket issue. Around here we have several rental places that are out in the middle of nowhere that charge peanuts for lockers in the 4x8 size. They're not climate controlled but for certain goods I don't think it's going to be a major impact. I've read accounts of wheat still being perfectly edible after 25 years of being stored in exterior locations. Add in vacuum packing on top of O2 absorbers and I think it could be fine for quite a few years. And it would give us a potential BOL to boot.

[huntingohio]

ITZombie, having youngones dose make that a bit more complicated.
I would like to pointout though i moved from a 20 gauge shotgun to a 12 gauge shotgun at 9 [but im a freaking giant], its not as recoil intense as advertized.
But seeing as you want a set of glocks anyway why not a look at the kel tec sub-2000 for atleast one child. You can order it with a glock magwell to use the same ammo as your handgun for commonality and it gives the youngone a little better punch than a 22 if god forbid they ever have to defend themselves. From a friends that hasent been cleaned or oiled in 2 years and maybe 3k rounds, and rides in his truck everyday they seem plenty reliable and tough.
From having shot animals with a 22 I can tell you that sometimes even put right in the boiler room it wont immediately kill a rabbit or racoon [and racoons will get you, if your kill dog dosnt grab em fast enough]. I would not want to leave my young ones undergunned should they need to usee thier weapon.

[ITZombie]

@huntingohio Interesting gun, I'd never heard of it before. It being able to accept same mags as the glocks is definitely a point in it's favor for multi-tasking. A quick check on the web and people seem to like it including G&A. Nice.

[huntingohio]

@huntingohio Interesting gun, I'd never heard of it before. It being able to accept same mags as the glocks is definitely a point in it's favor for multi-tasking. A quick check on the web and people seem to like it including G&A. Nice.

No problem
If funds were available id have one or even three, If they ever make on in 45acp i WILL have one. Another upside to it is its rated for +p ammo, so when the bullet comes out of the longer barrel its close to 357magnum power range. I have used my friends to kill possum, groundhog, racoons, rabbit, squirrel, and a highway patrolmen even allowed him to put down a crippled deer with it. All were one shot stops, the furthest being a groundhog at 103yards [think for a seond how small of a target that is to hit, pretty impressive for just using a scout mounted red dot]. Its relatively accurate at 100yds and 150-200 is kind of a potshot but it still connects most likely with enough force to ruin your day at the very least.
He keeps his folded in a bag in the accesory ompartment of his truck.

There are other options for a pistol caliber carbine for young ones and the lady, beretta cx4 storm, mechtech makes an upper for a glock [not that reliable], or you could even get a 9mm upper for the ar you want to get. these all would lack magazine comonality though whioch for me is a deal killer.

Another viable option for kids is the keltec su-16 uses ar15 mags is very light and folds downm or even a folding stocked ak-74 [5.45x39]. These both have relatively low recoil [my nephew is 6 and can shoot them] and the 74 stock can be shortened.

That all being said do get atleast 1 22 its much easier and cheaper to learn the basics on, but unless its a horde of angery squirrels, its not really relaible for defense.


Now from having taught younger children to shoot I can say one thing GIVING THEM A HANDGUN CAN BE DANGEROUS! Some just cant control the muzzle flip and end up pointing the gun at there face [or worse it recoils out of thier hands], and it is very difficult for a young one to learn how to properly align handgun sights. I usally say 10 and older for a handgun but some can go younger depending on there physical and mental maturity. Even then I A:WAYS start them with a 22 handgun, the last thing you want is a shot going off and that loaded handgun going flying. Only after they have proven with the 22 do I even think about the 9mm, and then you only load one round in the magazine just in case.

[ITZombie]

@huntingohio The using one round at a time for the first time shooting of anyone should almost be a golden rule. No risk in the child, wife or gun newb turning around and saying this is awesome! after the first shot and pulling the trigger in their excitement.

I've done some looking and the K2000 is OoS or BO everywhere. I believe there's a gun show in a couple of months within driving distance. I'll keep an eye out for one. I think it makes a better multi-tasker for certain situations where you'd be forced to otherwise break down your long gun to avoid problems. One you can deploy reasonably quickly from a pack could be important.