• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

Question Of The Month. (August 2020) (Prepping)

carbinemike

Global Moderator
Staff member
Global Moderator
"Philanthropist"
Howdy,
This is a monthly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the questions may have a poll, and some will not. Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer and vote in the polls...

We are having the worst gun and ammo shortage since 2012 (post Newtown). When the Wuhan flu resulted in much of the country home quarantining many grocery stores etc. were bought bare. Has the last 5 months resulted in you changing, or planning to change, the amount of supplies that you have available (prepped)?
 
I need more MREs and medical supplies.

2013 ammo And gun crisis already had me buying during salad days under Trump.

guns and ammo I’m good on.
 
Back about 2 years ago there was the June 2018 QOM that asked:
In a crisis situation, how long should a household be prepared to survive?

I went back to that thread to remind myself what I was thinking at that time to compare it to this month's in 2020:
Has the last 5 months resulted in you changing, or planning to change, the amount of supplies that you have available (prepped)?

So I post this from the WayBack Machine for reference:
In a crisis situation, how long should a household be prepared to survive?
In this discussion I'll be a thief and steal John A's answer: "So, I'm going to say at least a months worth of food/water alone. Plus emergency fuel for heat and cooking and everything else that you can't live without. Medicines, feminine hygiene stuff, diapers and formula for babies, etc."

I think that is a doable approach for most families.

Then I'll steal Cadd's statement: "water is the major concern. I have enough on hand for several days without having to drain fish tanks and boil water. I have enough liquor for 2 years, and food for 2 weeks, but we will run out of milk in 2 days."

Actually, I don't have fish tanks to drain, but H2O will last about a week. Residual liquor is nil but not zero.

After I run out and it gets critical I'd try to get to a non-crisis area where my money is still good. Otherwise I guess I'd have to be a thief and steal your supplies. Actually, I'd try to work for your instead.

I will probably die of old age or stupidity before such a crisis hits here. But now you've got me thinking.
-----
August 2020
In the last months I have not really changed the amount of supplies. I don't see too many shortages of things I need to restock like paper, cleansers, water, etc. My ammo supply is not historically high but I've got at least 1K of .45, 9mm and 30-06 and I'm not shooting much right now.

I just hope I can recover or replace all those guns that fell off my boat.


 
I am still ducking around The real ID law, and haven’t bought ammo since April.
I currently have a lot of lead and reloading supplies saved up.

But my stock of .22 mag is pitiful at under 200 rounds & .45-70 stock is low.

I have enough of everything else & enough shotshells for the Zombie Apocalypse. As long as I don’t run out of primers I can Muzzle load the long 16ga too. I don’t have a handheld muzzleloader but I definitely want one.

And I have been thinking about a shelter under the house.
 
Not much of a prepper but sure wish I would have put back some more ammo, as it stands I have enough to last a few minutes...

I hit 3 or 4 places yesterday and there`s birdshot available everywhere but buckshot and 9mm ball is non-existent. I did managed to find a 15 round box of Winchester slugs at a Walmart...
 
Not much of a prepper but sure wish I would have put back some more ammo, as it stands I have enough to last a few minutes...

I hit 3 or 4 places yesterday and there`s birdshot available everywhere but buckshot and 9mm ball is non-existent. I did managed to find a 15 round box of Winchester slugs at a Walmart...

I’ve been shooting clays every weekend cause ammo is readily available and pricing hasn’t changed.
 
Just a couple of thoughts for your consideration. Like minded folks today seem to fall into two ddifferent categories regarding preparing for the unknown or SHTF situations.

First, those who prepare for an event driven change to their normal day to day lifestyle. Changes that are more situational focused in nature. Examples might be the threat of a tornado, hurricane, earthquake or even a wildfire. These preppers typically focus on stockpiling supplies to get them through short term disruptions in their normal lifestyle. They anticipate runs on groceries and fuel as an event is predicted to happen and stock up. However, in many cases are dependent upon their neighbors for help if events actually occur or linger.

The other group is focused on developing a self reliant lifestyle through a balanced approach toward both skills and supplies. Developing survival skills in many cases is viewed as more important than actually stocking of additional supplies. In many cases the long term focus is on the establishment of a standalone survival homestead. Preparing the mind is of ultimate importance and embracing the ability to fallback on 100 year old technology as a learned skill. Year's ago these folks were call survivalist and tended to be loners. Not so today and their ranks are growing. They tend to live this lifestyle daily.

There is nothing wrong with either approach and everyone can choose what best serves both their needs and their budget.

There's an old saying that "One is none, two is one, and three is better."

We look to identify potential critical single point failures and work to eliminate them. Example might be a water well with an electric pump. What is your backup if the power is out for days or weeks? Do you have a generator and fuel? What if your fuel runs out or your generator breaks? Do you have adequate storage as a backup based on 5 gallons of use per person per day? What are your other sources of water and what's your ability to treat the water.

While most folks will focus on food, water, ammo and fuel, access to immediate medical care has already become problematic in some areas given the recent pandemic. Do you have adequate medical supplies and skills to treat a life treating gunshot wound or broken bone?

We're becoming our own first responders in case of fire, medical or intruders. We should all address these needs.

Best of luck. I really believe our worst challenges lie ahead.

Regards
 
My backup food stash is non existent since i got unemployed. Edit: Found a pack of Rice ( 500 gram )
Ammo is low. 2/3 is some cheap target loads.
Guns.. is ok, i think. I cant carry more than these two anyway. :)

During the pandemic, im mostly indoors.. either looking out through the window or i am looking at the computer screen. Spider webs on my prepper shelves...
 
Unemployed? That's a revelation @fellmann. So what's unemployment like in Sweden?
I was never unemployed much in my 65 years, but I have cashed a few unemployment checks.

I am losing weight now, working outdoors every day on various projects. I've been sanding & rubbing on a wooden plank for two days, and I'm moving heavy things around to reorganize the boatyard.

I had been over eating but by 4PM temps have been about 100F here, for the past 2 months. Working outdoors in the summer kills my appetite.
If I stay indoors with the AC on I'll start over eating again.
 
Has the last 5 months resulted in you changing, or planning to change, the amount of supplies that you have available (prepped)?

Yeah, I'm using some of the supplies that I have stocked up so I don't have to go to the store as often.

Wife replenished our paper products recently too in advance of the next wave of infections.

If you all want to know something really funny, my wife has typically kept no less than 5 of the large packs of toilet paper on hand since we have been married. I don't mean the little packs. I mean the biggest jumbo packs you can get. And this had nothing to do with the kung flu. This had been occurring since at least 1999 when we were dating.

There's been a bunch of times in the middle of snow storms when I'm glad that I don't have to go to the store to get something to wipe my rump with.

Kids these days wouldn't know what to do with an old cheaper than dirt catalog laying on the back of the toilet. That's the only thing that catalog is worth.
 
I have intentionally cut way back on my shooting trips to the gun club....I had not really been paying too close attention to ammo prices since I have so much stored up, but .....

I did over the weekend and ... boy was that ever a wake up call.

I can't even find brass 9mm for much less under FIFTY CENTS a round.

Shotgun 12 gauge 00 Buck is approaching $1.00 and slugs....forget it.
 
The one thing I am most concerned about are prescription meds. I buy them three months at a time and always try to refill about 3 weeks early. Maybe if things get much worse, the civil unrest, the prescriptions won't be such a concern. If that makes any sense ?

I was good on ammo, then back in May got a new caliber. In three months I have only been able to acquire about 500 rounds of that caliber. In Oklahoma that is unusual to say the least.
 
The one thing I am most concerned about are prescription meds. I buy them three months at a time and always try to refill about 3 weeks early. Maybe if things get much worse, the civil unrest, the prescriptions won't be such a concern. If that makes any sense ?

I was good on ammo, then back in May got a new caliber. In three months I have only been able to acquire about 500 rounds of that caliber. In Oklahoma that is unusual to say the least.

Meanstreak, I use a mail order prescription service which automatically sends 90 day resupplies. They typically use USPS (fee free) but I think you can get service via UPS for a small extra fee.

I get my doctor to prescribe a year's worth of medicine at a time. If your worried most doctors (if you ask nicely) will also give you an extra hand written script which you can get filled locally. Nice to keep an extra 90 supply on hand.

Regards
 
9mm is still elusive here in NE Oklahoma so no fun there but I`m starting to find some 12ga slugs here and there and I was able to pick up two 15 round boxes of Winchester 00....so I`m still pretty much running doubles with birdshot only.
 
Ernst, I have been pondering that service for a while now. The problem I see is if the shtf I won't be at the address they send too.
 
Elbert, the way you go through ammo (which is a good thing) you should get a tax stamp and just buy ammo wholesale. Hell I'd buy mine from you.

I'm 99% certain we use some of the same calibers.
 
Ernst, I have been pondering that service for a while now. The problem I see is if the shtf I won't be at the address they send too.

The service I use, Express Scripts, allows you to select where you want your refill sent and when. They will do automatic refills or you can request them as you need them. I've used them for several years with no complaints. As with all refills there is a copay but you simply have them charge to your card.

Best part, no more waiting in line!

Regards
 
Interesting discussion. Especially Ernst differentiating the two types of preppers in post #7. I've been in the former category, but realize now I should probably move more into the survivalist category. I'm not sure I am economically able, at this point, nor motivationallly able to do this. Probably not. I'd have to talk the wife into moving to a more rural area, into a smaller place, with some sustainable energy capability. While I've been an avid camper in my day, I've never hunted, and despise any kind of gardening. I'm probably just not going to do any of that.

OTOH, I went literally batshit crazy back in 2015-2016 when I was worried Hillary would win in 2016, and for the entire election season, at some of my peak earnings in my career, I sank ridiculous amounts into ammunition, guns, and reloading supplies. My thought was she was going to win, and the 2A would be a goner in the not too distant future, and I wanted me, and my son, and my grandkids to never ever have to worry about that. I basically want for nothing, and never will for the rest of my life, in the battle rifle, pistol, hunting weapons, magazines, and ammunition area. Ever. I succeeded. Multiple weapons of every type, my reloading supply is embarrassing. I don't even like telling my shooting friends, they think I'm nuts. If the 2A was repealed tomorrow, I literally would not have anything on my firearms or ammunition shopping list (other than a security barrel for my Mossberg 500A) that I would feel I couldn't do without. I'm set.

But I've neglected other areas. Yeah, I have enough water and food to withstand a natural disaster, but measured in a few weeks. And staying in my home. If the anarcho-communists come to my neighborhood, I can arm all my neighbors with quality weapons, and ammo, and God help the Antifa types who want to mess with us here. That wasn't my goal, when I thought Hillary would win, it was to provide for me, my son's, and my grandkids' shooting needs over generations, regardless of a changing legal environment. But I have inadvertently made myself very well-prepared, from a defensive standpoint, for the chaos we've seen that almost none of us would have thought would have been so widespread and so long-lived. I certainly did not anticipate that, but I'm in a really good spot from a weapons and ammunition standpoint today.

Had I planned better, I'd have a cabin somewhere with a well, land to hunt and fish on, some renewable energy sources, and be more self-sufficient. But it's too late for me to arrange all that and, more importantly, learn and hone the skills it would take to live independently there. Or convince the wife we need to do all that. But, if the country continues to go to hell in a handbasket, I'm well prepared to go out in one hell of a blaze of glory! :lol:
 
Last edited:
JCinPA, I suspect your situation is certainly more prevelant than you can imagine. Each person must consider their own situation, their family willingness and their ability to afford dramatic changes in life style.

Food for thought. All of us, IMO, are faced with becoming our own first responders! Doesn't matter if you live in the city, the suburbs or rural, times are changing and unforurantly emergency response is getting worst not better. Today 911 calls are going unanswered in many cities experiencing protests and riots and for us living in rural areas response may be in hours not minutes.

With training you obviously have intruder respond covered. But how about fire and medical?

Easy to build multiple focused medical kits and get training. There are some great medical and emergency dental manuals free on line.

What's your fire plan? How many fire extinguishers do you have or need? Fires typically start in kitchens and garages so extinguishers need to be properly located. What's your backup?

None of us are ever to old to learn something new. Even at my age, my goal is to learn something new every day!

Good luck.

Regards
 
... I'm well prepared to go out in one hell of a blaze of glory!

JC, I feel the same way. I just don't tell many people about that because they'd misunderstand me. I'll bet we are about within 10 years of age... being grandfathers. I've been in firefights before. I know that there is a lot of randomness in who wins and who loses. I've seen the best trained and most skilled lose while a bunch of bolos survive. At least I want to be where the noise is and not expire with my head wrapped in a pillow.

I figure one of the best assets have is that I live in a part of TN where there is very little chance of anybody actually taking arms away from us good guys. But I could be wrong.
 
Back
Top