Most (but not all) of us here are firearm collectors or we own guns that are for fun not just tools.
This poll is in regards to preppers, not collecting. (Even though collecting is cool too).
Do you diversify your caliber/firearms or do you stick to a few and stack them deep as possible?
If both, whats your general rule of thumb or personal beliefs on this?
There are two main perspectives on this and neither one is necessarily wrong. The first being:
• Diversifying your collection, so you can have firearms/ammo for any ammo/fireams you might come across.
• Stack it deep usually means you dont believe scrounging for ammo is a thing and you dont believe ammo will be a common bartering item. So you only have what youve stocked up and availability generally dosnt mean much.
I generally have been a “stack it deep” type of guy. I like .22 lr, 5.56 and 1 handgun caliber. I usually keep at least 2k each of these calibers.
Although , I do think availability and scrounging will be a thing. I dont think “battlefield pick ups” will be like COD and finding ammo will not be easy or something to rely on so I stack deep.
Who knows , my mind can be changed. I really have to fight with myself not to buy a 7.62x39 AK. The prepper side of me tells the gun nut side no and so on and so forth.
I use to buy more “novelty” weapons and calibers. In hindsight, i wish i would have stayed more “common”. I have offed some of the fun stuff & started building more of a standard arsenal of weapons and calibers. I’ve spent an a$$load of cash over the years! Cant help thinking, i could have had quadruple the stash i have now had i used this mindset in my younger years.
if you are doing it out of hobby and blowing things up - than diversity is great.
If you are stacking/stocking for the zombie apocalypse than it a waste of time and money. You can only carry so much and everything you have stacked gets left behind for someone else to find and take.
For me , it not about zombies but the U.S. is in rough shape so just keeping general preps does make sense and I do not consider it a waste of money. Thats not the point of the conversation , though. Its asking those that prep or base their firearm wants and needs on prepping , if they prefer to diversify their firearms or not.
You can carry some in a vehicle or use caches too. Plus you can always go to your ammo stash and resupply. Only if you are going long distances(such as bugging out) would you be limited to what you can carry, imo.
You can have one AR-15, with uppers and magazines in multiple calibers. Or you can have multiple ARs in various configurations and calibers, and use any that you run out of ammo for, as spare parts for the others. Or you can have a diverse collection, modest stash of ammo for each caliber, and ‘stack it deep’ in a few calibers.
Different people will choose different answers, and can make changes as their situation changes.
I’m currently building at least a modest stash of 10mm and .308, but those calibers would not be my first choices for ‘stacking it deep’, due to the cost.
Thats why I specified “neither answer is wrong”. I was just curious what everyone’s preferences are and seeing if they cared to share their opinion on it. I was looking for opinions and making discussion more than making a statement.
I started with a few calibers, built up around 3,000 rounds of .22lr and a modest stash of the other calibers. Then I started adding calibers and at least attempting to have a modest stash of the other calibers, before building up a larger stash of 5.56mm, 9mm, and (to a lesser degree) .45acp. I have since been gradually trying to increase the size of the stash in each caliber, while occasionally adding a new one.
I currently have sixteen .50 ammo cans, and one of the larger ammo cans (20mm?). The large can is mostly full of shotgun shells in different loads, while the smaller cans are mainly designated one caliber per can. Some of the .50 cans are not full, while 3 or 4 have been filled and I need to buy another can for that caliber. One .50 can has a few odd handgun calibers in it, that will be split up into different cans as the amount grows.
I’m still in the amateur category as far as preps but my theory is have 1 or more that can shoot the most common pistol and rifle calibers . I don’t have the 5.56 yet but I’m thinking 5.56 and 7.62 (.308 ) and 7.62* .39 in rifle and 9 mm and possibly .45 and .38 for pistol in that order. Also a.22 in both would be a must. Stack deep in those calibers.
If I were to do any real prepping, I’d rather have some diversity with a little stacking deep mixed in, maybe a 60/40 split. My reason? If I “acquire” “equipment” off of someone I want to have a better chance of me already having said “equipment’s” cartridges on hand.
If i were starting from scratch, thinking how i do now, i’d have bought ONLY several ar15’s (5.56) , 1 + precision rifles & 1 + AR10 rifles chambered in .308, multiple pistols in only 2 calibers(.45acp&9mm) 1+ 22lr rifle& 1+12 guage shotguns, 1+ ak47s 7.62x39( adequate amount of ammo for all). These would be the most common weapons and calibers of ammunition that could be the easiest obtained/affordable in my opinion.much easier to come by than the others i have, such as .40, 44mag, 50AE, 25-06,25wssm,204 ruger, 30-06,270wsm, 7mm mag. Again, just my OPINION.
Hang on to your seats boys and girls… i am about to drop the mic…
I do BOTH…
I do believe I have around 10,000 rounds of 22 LR…
More of 556
But I keep all commonly used types.
22, 5.7, 380, 9mm, 40, 45, .357 mag, 10mm, 44 mag, 556, 6.8, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7.62x39, 308, 12 gauge 50 BMG
I have more than one weapon for each caliber usually…
Ok, you can say “you own a gun shop, cheater”
Ok, yes… but I have been doing this for nearly 40 years. I have had time to refine…
This is what I tell clients. I do not buy calibers I cannot go to walmart to buy ammo for.
Sure, i collect and I have some weird stuff… like a case of 7.5 french for my MAS 49-56
Or the 2 cases of 7.62x25mm Russian…
And as for “bugging out” my vehicles cane carry a lot more than I can.
I pack with me about 360 rounds of 556 ready to go in mags. Only about 60 rounds of what ever flavor handgun I have on me…
So in short, I diversify with common, and I stack it deep as much as possible.
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