Think Practically
Whatever weapon you decide to use as your primary should be something that makes sense. What I mean by that is, use something that would work well given what you plan on doing with it. It's the never shoot a large caliber man with a small caliber weapon type of thinking. I've seen a lot of people get into the pistol caliber carbines lately. While they are a cool weapon for sure. Effective body armor becoming far more prevalent make these weapons a liability. Many, also think that a shotgun or hunting rifle will also be enough. While there is something to be said for the man with one gun who know how to use it, they are not the end all be all. Now, that's not to say these weapons don't have their place because they do. However, you have to be aware of having the right weapon for the job.
Pick One And Stick With It
I'm not gonna get in to the AR v. AK debate again. They both have their positives and negatives. Just pick one and stick with it. Resources are limited for everyone and you don't need to waste your money investing in separate systems that are designed to do pretty much the same thing. Instead, work towards improving whichever system you currently have. If you are working within a group, it might be best that everyone is running the same system as well. Not everyone needs to have the exact same build, but it makes sense that everyone has the same basic platform. I know that everyone is not big on imposing standardization. However, in this situation it may make sense. This will enable you to pull your resources together to acquire ammo, magazines and most importantly, spare parts. People always overlook that the fact that shit breaks and this becomes less of an issue if you have a large supply of spare parts to make repairs. For the sake of simplicity and practicality, pick one and stick with it.
It really does make sense that everyone uses the same pistol too. I don't think I need to repeat the reasons because they're the same. There are many find options out there. I'm not gonna bother going into them all because well they're either Glock or not a Glock at this point. Only thing I would add is whether it's compact or full size models, pick one. At the minimum, just purchase the magazines to the full size model. It makes things that much easier while allowing for individual variety. Just an additional tip. Whatever pistol you chose, make sure it can accept a pistol light. It just allows for opening up additional tactical options.
Don't Cover Your Weapons In Crap
People do it all the time and it's very easy to do. You have to know what you need on your rifle and what you don't. It is very easy to fuck up your weapon. The only thing you absolutely need on a rifle are a sling, optic and a high quality light. If you happen to have access to night vision equipment then it would probably be a good idea to have a high quality infrared laser and illuminator as well. When it comes to a pistol, you should have a high quality mounted light and a holster of equal quality that is BUILT FOR YOUR MODEL OF PISTOL Everything else is strictly optional at best and nothing more than dead weight at worst. This is the easiest part to fuck up since most people of a tendency to get the cheapest lights and optics that they can get a hold of. This is a bad idea. Cheap shit usually eats batteries and isn't rugged enough to work long term. Most likely, the cheap shit you buy will just fall of your gun after normal use. Like your rifle is rejecting the garbage you put on it. Take this as a sign to not out dumb shit on your weapons.
You Need Ammo
I really shouldn't have to explain this. You already have a stockpile of ammunition for all the weapons in your possession. We have already seen that ammo is a finite resource so you should have as much as you can get a hold of. Reloading is a viable option too. Just be aware that supplies like this are also finite and it does take a degree of skill. Not only will you need this in order to keep your weapons useful beyond being used as a club. Ammunition can also be used for bartering for supplies you do need. You don't want to give away the ammo you do need though. In this case, it might be a good idea to have smaller stockpiles of ammo for other weapons that might be available in the area. Ammo for weapons like revolvers or the various hunting calibers. These calibers could be used to barter with locals who might have a weapon that needs that ammo. Another options is that if you scavenge or acquire one of these weapons, you will have the ammo necessary to make use of the newly acquired weapon. Just remember, you can never have enough ammo.
Train & Get Trained
It you have weapons then you need to know how to use them. You need to go out there and get training. There are a plethora of great firearms instructors out there. Luckily, most of them have YouTube channels and social media presences so it's not like they are hard to find. Though these instructors do travel the country, you will most likely have to do some travelling to get to a class. You will also have to pay a nice chunk of change for their training as well. However, their skills and knowledge are worth every penny. However, for every good instructor, there are a dozen shit heads. Before you take a class, do your research and make sure you are getting a quality instructor. Remember, gunfighting is a perishable skill. When you return home from a class, you have to remember to continue training on your own. These instructors provide you the skills but, it's your job to refine them yourself.
If you want to survive long term, it is most likely that you will have to eventually fight for your survival. It is important to have the best possible chance of survive a fight that will eventually come. You need to have the best weapons for the fight. You need to have all the support needed to keep those weapons in the fight. Most important, you need to know how to best make use of those weapons. you have to fight for your survival, fight the best way possible.
