Equipment: Guns, Knives, etc
 

Guns:
For many survivalist, the first thing they want to do is to go out and buy some guns and a bunch of ammunition. As a teenager, I wouldn't suggest this. First of all, most of us have a limited income and there are other things that are much more important for us to spend time and money on, including food, water and first aid supplies. Also, for most of us, obtaining guns would involve breaking the law. DO NOT BREAK THE LAW TO GET A GUN! There are other ways to get the experience/supplies that you need. If you are lucky, try to get your parents to get you a gun, LEGALLY, but then see if you can go to gun safety classes and the firing range with them, to show that you are responsible. It might even be better to go to the classes and the range before you get the gun, as it shows them that you are ready for the responsibility and actually gets you ready.  There are several ways for teenagers to get a gun.  One of these ways is if your parents will sign the papers for you to get your gun card.  Another, is to make a deal with your parents that, if you pay for a gun, they will buy it and hold it in their name until you are old enough to own it.  This might be a good idea as you never really know if you'll still be able to get a gun when you get older.

What To Get:  Admittedly, I have limited expertise in the area of guns.  But from what little I know, and from everyone I talk to, there seems to be a pretty good consensus on the first gun to get as a survivalist.  Just about everyone agrees that the first thing you should get is something chambered in .22, generally some type of long gun(rifle).  Some of the most popular are the Ruger 10/22, Remington model 522 viper, or a Marlin Papoose.  There are many reasons for choosing the .22 cartridge, I will try to give a few.  The .22 is one of the most popular cartridges in the United States.  .22 and 9mm are basically the too most often sold cartridges in the US>  So chance of resupply is better.  Becuase it is a popular cartridge, the guns that fire them are also popular, or vice versa.  So parts for .22 long guns are easy to find.  Heck, I can go over to Walmart or Sportmart and buy extra clips for these guns.  .22 shells are CHEAP!!  According to everyone I've talked to, it's generally about $10 for 500 rds!!  Lastly, .22 shells are small and light.  You could add 500 rds of .22 to your pack and have no problems carrying it.

Knives:
I agree with the other writers of this page in suggesting the Kabar as just about the best all-around knife, especially for the price.  Kabars can be bought for 30 to 40 dollars, and will take just about any beating you can give them.  Knives, as other edged tools, are only good if they are sharp.  You should keep a whetstone or other sharpening device with every knife.  I like the Eze Lap Diamond  drystones, but I also have several good old Arkansas whetstones, too.  With hatchets, you should also keep a small file with them, or two.  I keep one bastard cut file for each hatchet and one crosscut file for every two people.  Here are instructions for long term storage of knives(but this can be adapted to just about any hand tool).  First, wipe the blade down with gun cloth.  Then, wipe down with vegetable oil, wrap in waxed paper, and put in a sealed plastic bag.  For leather sheathes, wipe down with saddle soap, spray with silicone sealant (Camp Dry, at least 10% silicone), and store in a sealed plastic bag with sawdust.  For Kabars and other knives with pressed leather handles, I wipe down the handle with saddle soap, and then shoe polish, to help preserve the leather. For routine cleaning of tools and knives, I just use plain old WD-40. It can also be used to oil joints on things such as folding knives, though I generally prefer something like Marvel mystery oil for this job.

 


You're listening to "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!!"