Aftermath firearms and ammo

[Gunrnr]

Greetings to all! This is the first time that I have ever tried to communicate on a forum. I am a master gunsmith and am trying to get prepared for the absolute end of civilization as we know it. I have made or acquired weapons from the "David's Shepheard Sling" to blow guns to wrist rockets. I have just gotten a black powder revolver and am building a black powder rifle. I know that I can buy a cap making device, but I really want to make one. My question for the forum is, does anyone have blueprints to make one of these things? I have the military background to manufacture my own black powder and primer compound. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Greetings, Gunrnr! Welcome to the Castboolits Forum. A master gunsmith! Perhaps we can count on you to add to the Forum's knowledge bank, as there will be some questions that are right down your alley. You will find yourself among some other very knowledgeable people.

Blowguns, slings, and wrist rockets? Just buy some more ammo!

DG

[GhostHawk]

I'm with you Gunrnr!

Crossbows, airguns, wrist rocket, blowguns, shepherd's sling all have their place.
Anything that lets you put down a varmint without having to waste a cap is a good thing IMO.

I know there are several people who sell gas check makers and cap makers. Trying to find all the specific's could be a little tough.
Hang in there!

[Hick]

If I were worried about the end of civilization I would learn to make black powder and get a flintlock rifle. No need for primers. If you will recall from history those old Kentucky long rifles and similar weapons were very, very effective!

[45workhorse]

If I were worried about the end of civilization I would learn to make black powder and get a flintlock rifle. No need for primers. If you will recall from history those old Kentucky long rifles and similar weapons were very, very effective!

I like my muzzle loaders and they are very accurate.........but they mark you location, all the smoke! Shoot and move fast!

[M-Tecs]

If lots of people are left none of the items you listed are of much use. If few people are left the items you listed will not be needed.

Master gunsmith means different things to different people. What is your definition off a master gunsmith?

[Winger Ed.]

Welcome to the forum.

I figure I'd have plenty of other things to be concerned with other than getting pinned down in firefights,
or assaulting enemy positions- so the need to make primitive weapons and learn to use them is pretty far down on my list.

If a single 20 round magazine won't solve the problem of the day:
You don't need to know how to make Black Powder or primitive weapons. You need well armed friends with modern day weapons.

Since I don't plan on providing arms to the neighborhood,
because anyone that doesn't already have them-- probably doesn't know how to use them anyway.
I'd figure several hundred rounds of a favorite caliber should do just fine.

Rather than learning how to make black powder, and sourcing the stuff to do it with, much less the weapons to shoot it-
It'd seem more practical to just buy or make a thousand rounds of what I'd ever plan to shoot.

[Sasquatch-1]

Personally, I wouldn't want to live through the apocalypse. But if I did and I am mainly worried about feeding my family and not worried about weirdly dressed gangs of Australians driving strange looking Rat Rods, a flintlock will definitely feed you.

Sorry in advance to our friends in Australia. I just could resist the Mad Max reference.

[jdfoxinc]

The blue prints for a Tao-o-cap type cap maker are out there on the web. Increase your Google foo.

[Electrod47]

Me, your best bet is make peace with the Lord.

[dverna]

If lots of people are left none of the items you listed are of much use. If few people are left the items you listed will not be needed.

Master gunsmith means different things to different people. What is your definition off a master gunsmith?

I like a no BS person.

As to this from Hick:
"If I were worried about the end of civilization I would learn to make black powder and get a flintlock rifle. No need for primers. If you will recall from history those old Kentucky long rifles and similar weapons were very, very effective!"

You cannot engage effectively with a flintlock against modern weapons. If/when the SHTF, hunting is not what needs doing. What needs doing is killing others as efficiently as possible. You will need to kill to protect what you have. If you have not planned well, you will kill to take from those you have what you want.

Let me put this in perspective. I live in Michigan. There are 2 million deer in MI and 10 million people. If 90% die during a SHTF event and 1 million are left, how long will 2 million deer last? There will not be much small game (or dogs etc) after the first couple of months either.

It is ok to play Daniel Boone when survival is not on the line.

If the SHTF, you may end up living like it was in the 1800's with no power, no gas, no running water, no flushing toilets etc etc. But you will be living in an era that has modern weapons.

[Nobade]

For a cap forming die, you could do what I did. Measure a bunch of different caps and decide what your dimensions need to be.
A 10/22 and a case of 22LR ammo will go a long way if you end up needing it.

[Lloyd Smale]

theres the answer. i have many ar15s and other weapons and many thousand rounds of ammo. that said ive always told people that if a bomb hits i hope its right on my head. even up in a VERY rural area your not going to hide in the woods hundreds will have that idea and wipe the food out in weeks. the rest will get ate alive by mosquitos in the summer and are sure not going to make it through a winter. so if i dont die fast and meet my maker i will sit tight and defend my home till the end. hell the old body wont even let me walk more then a mile today so im not harboring any red dawn phantasy dreams. best survival tool a guy can have is your bible

[Bazoo]

Howdy and welcome. Agreed, make sure you know the Lord.

Personally, I’d lay in a stock of 22 rimfire and primers enough to see me though. Nothing wrong with having a variety of choices, but a 22 rifle, and a lever gun in caliber such as 30-30 is hard to beat for long term survival. $5000 worth of 22 will keep you in pot meat for a long time.

Sure I’d go ahead and mess with the others, but I’d fall back on a 22 and a lever gun, probably a Winchester 92 or 94. That’s my take on it.

[Rockingkj]

I have a cap maker and found it to be a great way to be able continue to shoot when factory caps are unavailable.
If I were going to a wild place where the has not been people, the ability to survive by making and using primitive weapons would be useful. In that case a good knife and flintlock would be preferred tools. That being said the original poster is not accounting that in the case of collapse of the world as we now know it, there will not be a shortage of modern arms and ammo for a very long time. We can all hope it never comes to that and the appropriate quote “The living will envy the dead” comes to mind. Sharp pointy sticks and sling shots is not going to get you very far in post-apocalyptic world.

[Bazoo]

I'm looking at things from a similar standpoint as those in the old west. They didn't leave their Winchester rifle in town when they ventured west into the wilds because flintlocks had sufficed for 300 years previously. They bought all the ammo they could because they new it was going to be the most valuable tool they had. Back then it was common for a person have a rifle, and use it for 40-50 years. Wear it out before getting another.

How's an AR15 going to fair in a situation like that? It'll probably fair okay until you run out of cleaning supplies or you happen to break or lose a part. A rifle like a winchester 92 or 94 or a Marlin 336 or 94, or a bolt action of your flavor will be much more useful over the long haul than something that requires a lot of maintenance and parts availability.

[Sasquatch-1]

I feel that in a post apocalyptic world where say 75% of the population is wiped out, finding firearms and ammo will not be hard. If looking at it from the Hollywood point of view, you never see dead soldiers or police.

[dverna]

I feel that in a post apocalyptic world where say 75% of the population is wiped out, finding firearms and ammo will not be hard. If looking at it from the Hollywood point of view, you never see dead soldiers or police.

Agree. There will be plenty to salvage from the dead bodies. That is why I standardized on guns and calibers that most people, LEO's and military use. .223, .308, 9mm and .40 S&W. Now the .40 is losing ground so no big loss. My Glocks let me use 9mm barrels and mags in the .40's. AR's are cheap, plentiful and easy to work on. Much better than a lever action to my way of thinking.

[GregLaROCHE]

If you want to keep things as simple as possible, maybe skip the caps and go with a flintlock.

[Nobade]

I feel that in a post apocalyptic world where say 75% of the population is wiped out, finding firearms and ammo will not be hard. If looking at it from the Hollywood point of view, you never see dead soldiers or police.

That's why I suggest a .22 - you can always pick up something bigger. And if you use a suppressor, most things won't know they are being shot at.