How Much Guns & Ammo Do You REALLY Need for SHTF?
When it comes to prepping, one of the biggest traps people fall into is overspending on guns and ammo. Don’t get me wrong—firearms and ammunition are critical for defense. But at some point, you’ve got to ask: how much is enough? How many guns do you actually need, and how much ammo is realistic before you’re just stockpiling at the expense of food, water, gear, and power? Today, we are breaking down what ‘enough’ really looks like for the average prepper, so you can stop guessing, save money, and focus on building a balanced plan that actually keeps your family alive in a real SHTF situation.
How many guns is enough?
- Depends on how many you want armed
- For each person, one pistol and one long gun (rifle, PCC, shotgun, etc)
- Each gun should be equipped to be effective - scopes, red dots, lights, slings, etc depending
- Sufficient magazines for each firearm
- Pistols - 1 in the magwell and 2 spare
- Rifles, PCCs, & other mag fed long guns - Mag fed - 1 in the mag well and 6 spare (on average), but depends on firearm role
- Chest rig, plate carrier, bandoleer, battle belt, pistol holster, or something to efficiently care your magazines and firearms at the same time. Critical this works while carrying bug out bag
How much ammo is enough?
- Bare Minimum is to fill your per person loadout for pistols and long guns.
- Loadout minimum being 3 magazines for a pistol and 7 for a magazine fed rifle like an AR or AK, bug again depends on role
- DMR Role AR using less 20 round mags vs a auto-rifleman role using many more 30 round mags.
- So for pistol if you have 3 - 15 round mags + 1 chambered is 46 - call it 50
- For rifle 7 - 30 round mags + 1 chambered is 211 - Call it 220
- This is the BARE Minimum, not optimal, but a start
- Reasonably enough is the bare minimum x 3 full kit reloads
- Pistol - We said the bare minimus was about 50 rounds (about 3 magazines worth) so bare minimum plus 3 full reloads would be around 200
- Rifle - We said the bare minimum was about 220 rounds (about 7 mags worth) so bare minimum plus 3 full reloads would be around 880 rounds
- This still isn't ideal, but a great start!
Other Factors on Guns and Ammo?
- Magazines are consumable, get broken, lots and have to be replaced so plan on a couple extra just in case
- This doesn't account for ammo for training. Need extra ammo to train regularly to be proficient and effective
How to balance Guns and Ammo with Food, Water, power, and other gear?
If money is a concern, for most of us it is don't buy everyone you want kitted up each a pistol and rifle and tactical gear, and accessories and ammo.
- Equip yourself with basics and the bare minimum of ammo. Rifle + Pistol + 3 pistol mags + 7 rifle mags + rifle sling + basic optic + chest rig/bandolier + pistol holster + bare minimum stored ammo. In this phase, account for training costs, target ammo, range time, etc.
- Bring your water up to 1 week for everyone in your home and food up to 2 weeks.
- Create the basic ability for your family to bug out.
- Bring your bare minimum ammo up to reasonably enough ammo (bare min + 3 full reloads).
- Bring your water to 2 weeks for everyone and food to one month for everyone.
- Prepare your family to live under blackout conditions for 3 full days.
- Equip your second person with gun basics and minimum ammo.
- Bring your water up to 1 month for everyone and food to 2 months for everyone.
- Enhance bugout capability to extend range and duration on the road, account for on foot to destination, make it real and viable.
- Invest in a generator and either fuel storage or solar panels to further blackout preparedness.
- Bring the second persons ammo from bare minimum ammo up to reasonably enough ammo.
- Then rinse and repeat, cycle through each prep bucket to keep things balanced.
Checkout the following video for the full story:
