So The Ammo Is Gone, What’s Next?

by NC Scout | Jul 17, 2020 |

Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you’ve probably noticed that guns and ammo are being sold at record levels- surpassing 2008 & the post-Newtown hysteria by a long shot. And while I’ve heard some say the gun control debate “has been settled”, there’s Dementia Joe’s ghost writers reminding us that its not a debate, its a power differential. That aside, like the animals fleeing Mount Saint Helens weeks before it blew its top, people are hoarding the first thing that comes to mind- that which provides security.

You were warned, for decades now.

And many heeded the warning, thankfully. But arms and ammo are just one piece of the equation. Its a bellwether for what’s coming down the pipe in the big picture. Take a look at the second and third order effects- what comes next? We’ve already seen the food shortages that were threatened by the social impacts of Covid 19- whether the virus itself is worth the concern or not, there’s no debating the social impact- which are a preview of things to come should widespread violence break out in the US. I think that it will.

Something I’ve talked about numerous times in classes is understanding the importance of growing seasons. In generations past, people ate certain foods at certain times of the year because that’s either when they were harvested or they provided a certain survival requirement. For example, in the South we eat watermelon in the summer as a way to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes lost when working the fields. its an easy crop to grow and requires nearly no maintenance other than making sure the soil is not over-moist underneath the melons. The just-in-time supply system has all but broke that cultural knowledge. People are in for a major shock when the real shortages start.

One thing I’ve always admired about the Mormon Church was their approach to preparedness, advocating a year’s worth of food in storage. This wasn’t because they were preparing for doomsday, it came about because crop failure is a real thing, and starvation was a real threat. Still is. And in those same generations past everyone pressure canned the surplus bounty from the fields- nothing, and I mean nothing went to waste on our Grandparents’ table. Again, there’s a learning curve to it, and a pretty steep one at that, so if you’re behind the curve expect some whoops! moments.

The best bet is to have some insurance for yourself and your people in the meantime. While you can, plus up on your bulk food storage and check out what freeze-dried options are out there. I have bulk raw staples on hand, rice and beans, along with bulk canned meats for protein and vegetables for critical vitamins. Freeze Dried foods are a good supplement to those meals and breaks up the monotony of the same meals over and over, having a long shelf life as a safeguard for the very lean times.

The next thing that’s going to get scarce in the coming months is magazines. How many do you have? Whatever your answer is, its not enough. It doesn’t matter whether you’re buying into the myth of the ‘battlefield pickup’ combat resupply (its mostly a myth, been there, done that, got the pictures). You have to be prepared to be your own resupply. Get yourself extra magazines, because as everyone who’s done a combat weapons course with me knows, your life is not worth pausing to worry about magazine retention, but you also risk blowing through mags for other issues, like physical damage or long-term wear. A magazine is an expendable item, you ain’t.

On the topic of being your own resupply, are you prepared to store extra fuel? Even in a relatively tight space, there’s a number of fuel storage options on the market ranging from a couple of extra gas cans to larger capacity tanks. There were rumors of a potential gas shortage when the Covid hysteria started and thankfully that didn’t materialize, but if widespread violence follows the shutdowns from ‘protests’ we’ve seen on the highways, you’ll come to appreciate those extra few gallons you’ve put back. Don’t forget the fuel stabilizer.

Take heed. We’re not living in ‘normal’ times. We’re in the first stages of a genuine, well-orchestrated insurgency that began overtly with the release and calculated response to a virus coupled with made-for-tv newsframes designed to cause outrage and get people in the streets. Its a 5th Generation War right now- get ready for when it shifts back to the 3rd.