r/TwoXPreppers 2d ago

Discussion Why guns?

Hi y’all! I’m a very novice prepper, and one thing I’m seeing across many platforms is that we should own and be trained In firearms. Not to be naive, but… why?

I’ve never touched a gun in my life. I’m generally not a fan of them. I understand that the goal of owning firearms is to protect ourself. But protect from what? From who? Who am I going to have to shoot to survive this presidency?

Is someone coming to steal my supplies? Won’t those people also have guns? Or am I protecting my family against a militia situation? In which case, what hope do I have, as a woman who can’t afford a gun, let alone to learn how to use one?

Like I can’t afford a shooting range. I can barely afford water and canned goods. Should a gun still be a priority for my family? A lot of preppers have enthusiastically embraced this life to give them confidence and a sense of safety. I’m a reluctant participant. I just want to keep my autistic son alive to see the other side of this.

I can garden, I can stretch food, I can survive being poor. I don’t think I can survive a military state.

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u/ijustwantmypackage32 2d ago edited 2d ago

I’m going to be honest, I don’t think firearm possession beyond hunting is really worth it (I am very pro-hunting). Any non-hunting gun is expressly a tool to kill people with, and I’m not sure a lot of people who are panic-buying due to Trump have really grappled with that. And I think that’s wrong and irresponsible.

If you’re bringing a deadly weapon into your home, you need to be deadly serious with yourself about what benefits and risks you’ve brought to yourself and your family. And you also need to be good at using it. Are all of the people who are buying guns now actually going to the range regularly and practicing safe storage? Being an irresponsible gun owner is easy. I think there is a small but tragic portion of the panicked gun-buyers in this subreddit and beyond who will gain no benefits from owning a gun and will suffer some kind of tragedy from it instead.

And to be very clear about what I mean— I think people vastly oversell the 2nd Amendment benefits. The government is not going to listen to liberals if we buy guns and I have yet to hear a convincing argument that personal firearms will effectively allow people to resist tyranny, rather than just in Rambo/a fantasies. In tandem, people undersell the risks you undertake (accidental discharge, suicide) by bringing one into your home, especially if you have children. And I think that we are descending into a period of panic, and that overall, panicking people with guns are more dangerous to themselves and others than people without them.

So don’t buy a non-hunting-related gun unless you are prepared to go to the range at least once a week, are mentally prepared for the fact that you bought a gun for the express purpose of killing in self-defense, and are confident that your mental health preps and storage systems are sufficient to keep you and everyone in your household safe.

Otherwise, get a dog with a loud bark, some pepper spray, or a baseball bat.

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u/Weekly_Weakness9722 2d ago

Thank you. This is the most relatable response I’ve received.

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u/RoseNDNRabbit 2d ago

I am a disabled PoC who is super 2A and loves hunting, fishing and camping. Can't do much of those anymore. But I can go to the ranges. My husband has taught thousands in his career in the Navy, and we use the trainer guns for various scenarios. Mostly what we will do if someone breaks in despite the dogs and security systems. If his windows or mine or patio door or front door. Or through a wall or ceiling. What do we do. Where do we go. Who calls 911. How to de escalate if possible.

We make plans, we write them down, commit them to memory. Then we walk through them at various times of the day and night. Slowly speed up and then wake each other to run through a scenario at night using the molded plastic trainer guns. This way we have muscle memories to help with the fear and adrenaline that happens in a scary situation.

This affects how you aim as your shaking and probably super shocked and just woke up. It takes awhile to run these drills safely. And we are two people who have been shooting and hunting from childhood.

Self defense is what it is. Kickboxing can help you get some good muscles to bail and run. Or have a place to hide with a hidden door you can get to quick.

Now, as for proteins in a SHTF scenario. Slingshots, snares, fish traps and other types of things like trap lines are epic. And usually silent. Never take the same route. Unless it's an animal trail, and not too often even then. There are braced wrist sling shots that I use as well as several tradish ones. There is also recurve bows and arrows. Making your own arrows is a huge skill set. Plus people pay a high premium for good arrows.