Best SHTF rifles have changed - What's the best now?

Can’t believe I was in elementary school instead of buying tons of cheap Chinese AKs back in the day

Garand Thumb already did the PSA test. They ran 6k rounds suppressed full auto before it stopped grouping.

I picked up a $600 AR15 . I am a 77 year old veteran with no m16 experience, As aNavy corpsman trining for FMF deployment, I qualified with te 1911 and an M14 as the M16 was brand new.

My Grandfather owned the largest privately owned sporting goods store in Washington State back in the 1980's. This was before REI, Cabelas, Bass Pro ect. Mosin snipers $100.00, SKS $75.00, AKM's 89.99, Russian ammo cans 880 count $59.99, Swiss K31's $129.99. Mt Gawd Ibwish I could go back in time. The Golden Years of the 2A were truly golden.

im surprised this video isnt just five seconds and says "AR-15" lol

Stockpiling ammo is more useful for trading in a SHTF situation than massive gun fights.

In 1994 my dad bought me a Norinco SKS for my birthday. New in the box, with the bandoleer and oil bottle, for $129. There was a whole pallet of them in the middle of the store and the used, beat to hell ones were stuck in a 55gal drum next to it. Norinco ammo was like $1 abox or something ridiculous. Still have it, and never modified it, thank god.

I purchased my M1 Garand in the early 90s for $300.00. Times sure have changed

Any well made AR-15. I have a Smith and Wesson M&P Sport II, I have had since 2017. It’s an “entry level” AR. I’ve put 5,500 ish rounds in it and NEVER had a failure to feed, jam or extraction failure. Just remember, that “entry level” AR today is the product of 60 years of research and development. As long as you do your part to clean and maintain it, it will work wonders. Also, since it’s “America’s rifle”, there will be ammo, components and replacement parts for it in droves to support it to keep it going, where other platforms are just not going to be supported anywhere near as well.

Rules of an insurgent from my study and experience...have a weapon that is good enough until you can upgrade from your adversary...also, you can get top name uppers and use PSA or Anderson lowers. It saves money and gives you advantages of top name stuff.

Just helped my neighbor assemble 3 rifles off of PSA lowers and parts kits. Used fully assembled PSA mid-length uppers. 3 perfectly good rifles for his grown boys, right at $1500. Just in case :)

I live in germany and recently brought an ak. In germany ak's run between 650-1499€ while AR's are somewhere between 1200-3500€ most of the at 2k. 7,62x39 is also a lot cheaper here. 350€ per 1000 rounds while .223 is at best 600€. Most of the time they clock at 800€ per 1000. Therefore i will say that in germany the AK is still a strong contender.

I was trained with, and carried the M-16 rifle during my 9 years of military service, U.S.M.C and later the U.S. Army, I used both the M-16A1 and A2 variants. I own a AR-15 which mirrors what I was trained and trusted my life with. ( Minus the giggle switch ) of course. My barrel is not chrome lines, it is nitrided, it operated fine for my purposes. Hunting, recreational shooting and self defense. I will never be without one.....

The movie with Robin Williams and Walter Matthau is called Survivors. An absolute awesome, hilarious movie. That was really a sleeper but is an absolute fantastic movie.

Proper video Tim. Relevant. Informative. Good stuff. This is Tim from 7 years ago making good videos. I like it!

My budget go-to rifle is a PSA. Blem receiver that bought back when PSA had their grand-opening at one of their stores, mated to a PSA blem upper that I picked up almost 10 years later (NOT one of the Freedom Series). Magpul sights, Sig Romeo red dot, Streamlight ProTac HL-X, PSA Nickle Boron 2-Stage trigger, WPS Sling, a bunch of P-Mags, and quite a bit of AAC Sabre Black Blade ammo...all for less than the inflation adjusted price of your 80's Colt. Add in the cost of the CMMG 22lr conversion and the mags for it, and a few bulk boxes of jacketed ammo, and I'm just over that price.

Another factor to consider is that most people are going to be on the AR platform. So you'll find it easier to get ammo, magazines, and other accessories if SHTF. There's just a lot of it out there right now in America. Now that you can pick up a quality AR for around $500, it just makes sense.

West central FL. New or pre owned AK, 800-900 SKS, 600-700 Cheaper manufacturer AR-15, new or pre owned, 550-800 And these are business or private sale prices.

Hi Tim , I really enjoyed this video 6:am in Commy Ct.needed something good to think about !!!! Thanks a lot for being there 💥🔫🇺🇸

Actually in the 80's the survivalist gun of choice was the mini 14. Got one in the late 80's right after graduation for a little under $300. At that time the AR market consisted of Colt, Bushmaster, and maybe Olympic Arms. The Ruger was the more affordable option and had a sizable aftermarket support, most of what admittedly was crap.