How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It - James Wesley Rawles [90]
I consider the following figures minimums:
2,000 per battle rifle 500 per hunting rifle 800 per primary handgun 2,000 per .22 rimfire 500 per riot gun
If you can afford it, three times those figures would meet the comfort level of most survivalists. In an age of inflation, consider that supply better than money in the bank. Ammo prices have recently been galloping, so do some price comparisons before you buy. Bring photocopies and “print-screen” printouts of prices with you when you shop, as bargaining tools.
Some Internet ammunition vendors that I recommend are:
AIM Surplus (snipurl.com/hoft7)
Cheaper Than Dirt! (snipurl.com/hofrw)
Dan’s Sporting Goods (snipurl.com/hoftv)
J&G Sales (snipurl.com/hofvt)
MidwayUSA (snipurl.com/hofx9)
AmmoMan.com (snipurl.com/hofy1)
Natchez Shooters Supplies (snipurl.com/hofz6)
The Sportsman’s Guide (snipurl.com/hog02)
Both to save money and to maximize your privacy—since umpteen heavy crates being unloaded from the back of a UPS truck is pretty obvious—I recommend that you be willing to drive a distance to take delivery in person from a regional vendor. Ammo is best bought by the three-quarter-ton-pickup load. Also, keep in mind that by buying in large quantities all at once from a big vendor, you will typically get ammo for each caliber from the same lots, which will result in more consistent accuracy.
Affordable Yet Reliable Night-Vision Scopes
For versatility, I prefer weapon-mounted scopes that can be detached for use as handheld monoculars. Make this your first purchase. If you have a big budget, then you can go on to buy goggles, but get your weapon sight first.
I’d recommend that you purchase a professionally remanufactured U.S. military-contract Gen 2 scope such as the AN/PVS- 2B. Beware the many “kitchen-table” remanufacturers out there. Buy a full mil-spec scope from a reputable vendor such as Ready Made Resources or S.T.A.N.O. Components (snipurl.com/hoiuh) that will have a genuine, new Gen 2 image intensifier tube with a bona fide data sheet.
Late-issue Third Generation (also called or Third Gen or Gen 3) starlight scopes can cost up to three thousand dollars each. Rebuilt First Gen (early-1970s technology) scopes can often be bought for as little as five hundred dollars. Russian-made monoculars (with lousy optics) can cost less than one hundred dollars. One Russian model that uses a piezoelectric generator instead of batteries is the best of this low-cost breed. These are best used as backups—in case your expensive American-made scopes fail. They should not be purchased for use as your primary night-vision devices unless you are on a very restrictive budget, but they are better than nothing. Buy the best starlight scopes, goggles, and monoculars that you can afford. If you can afford to buy only one, make it a weapon sight such as an AN/ PVS-4, with a Gen 2 (or better) tube (or the bulkier AN/PVS-2 if you are on tight budget). Make sure to specify that the tube is either new or has very low hours, that it has a high line pair count, and it that displays minimal scintillation. Again, it is important to buy your starlight gear from a reputable dealer. The market is crowded with rip-off artists and scammers.
Even passive night-vision gear casts a backlight. This is the light of the image that you are seeing being cast on your face. Through another night vision device this looks like a bright flashlight. For this reason, I discourage buying any night-vision scope that does not have a baffled (“flap”) eyecup-type eye guard. The baffle opens only when you have the scope pressed up against your eye, minimizing backlighting. This fault is common with nearly all of the commercial night-vision gear on the market.
My recommended suppliers for