# Gold or Guns



## Ripon

Over the years I have heard countless bullion critics say you can't eat gold / silver ets. There is a common prepper theme in that you don't dare barter guns, and one could argue that with 300 million firearms in America that guns post SHTF will be plentiful. "Laying in the streets" is a term I once saw promoted by a prepper. 

I speak or ask only in terms of dollars right now, this minute, and of course that can change quickly. However if you had $1375 to spend it's easier for many to buy and hide an ounce of gold. It's hard to buy a gun "for some" but for $1375 you can buy a nice AR and accessories like magazines and precious ammo. Or as I debated my brother I bought a P series 9mm, magazines, and ammo and still had enough for 25 ounces of silver vs his ounce of Gold. 

When we move beyond SHTF and turn to bartering I suspect Gold will do much better then a P series Ruger or AR when trying to buy land, equipment and large ticket items. Until then I just like having an arsenal over a coin collection.


----------



## jimb1972

I think anyone who invests exclusively in either will most likely be in trouble, I like the Ruger and silver option better than either gold or guns exclusively, plus guns are more fun to take out of the safe and play with than precious metals.


----------



## wesley762

I still say lead covered brass. And if you really where going to invest in PM I would say Silver over gold. Silver has more real world uses vs gold.


----------



## PrepConsultant

Ripon said:


> Over the years I have heard countless bullion critics say you can't eat gold / silver ets. There is a common prepper theme in that you don't dare barter guns, and one could argue that with 300 million firearms in America that guns post SHTF will be plentiful. "Laying in the streets" is a term I once saw promoted by a prepper.
> 
> I speak or ask only in terms of dollars right now, this minute, and of course that can change quickly. However if you had $1375 to spend it's easier for many to buy and hide an ounce of gold. It's hard to buy a gun "for some" but for $1375 you can buy a nice AR and accessories like magazines and precious ammo. Or as I debated my brother I bought a P series 9mm, magazines, and ammo and still had enough for 25 ounces of silver vs his ounce of Gold.
> 
> When we move beyond SHTF and turn to bartering I suspect Gold will do much better then a P series Ruger or AR when trying to buy land, equipment and large ticket items. Until then I just like having an arsenal over a coin collection.


If it is a true SHTF global or even country scenario. I wouldn't worry about buying land. There will be such a population decrease that you just might be able to homestead land again..


----------



## Denton

Silver and gold is a store of wealth with thousands of years of proven record of being _money_, and not _currency_. No matter what the decoration on the bullion, it is still worth the silver or gold. Not so with currency, whatever the form.

A weapon is more of a currency as it will degrade over time and with neglect. Having said that, my weapons insure my precious metals as well as my currency.

The notion of preferring one (weapons) over the other (precious metals) is absurd, to me, no matter how the question is arranged and rearranged. At work, I don't just use a screwdriver. I find it to be a painful way of measuring voltages. :lol:


----------



## dannydefense

I think I'm stubborn, but honestly it's a rock. Pretty rock, but it's a rock. Unless you can throw it at a deer hard enough...


----------



## Denton

dannydefense said:


> I think I'm stubborn, but honestly it's a rock. Pretty rock, but it's a rock. Unless you can throw it at a deer hard enough...


No, it is a metal, not a rock.

Why is it that people have understood the value of gold for centuries, yet preppers can't even understand what our forefathers knew?

Why is it that China has been hoarding tons of gold, while building its military - at the same time? I'd like to think I am as smart of a communist.


----------



## Denton

And, sexier. Much more sexy than your run of the mill commie. Look how my bones shine!


----------



## dannydefense

Denton said:


> No, it is a metal, not a rock.


Often referred to, however incorrectly, as a rock. 



Denton said:


> Why is it that people have understood the value of gold for centuries, yet preppers can't even understand what our forefathers knew?


I understand it, but I'm stubborn. Gold and silver have no inherent value. None. We assigned it that value. There's no reason any other metal couldn't become the dominant currency if everything was reset.

I know we need some form of currency and as such it makes the most sense. I just don't like where it leads; diamonds. Another pretty rock. We'll kill for it, or ignore the fact that many died for it, because it's pretty. Diamonds are excellent tools, but we'd rather set them in gold and wear them.

Silly rocks.

(Don't tell anyone that I have some, they'd probably think I was a hypocrite or something.)


----------



## Fuzzee

I only see buying gold if you've got all the supplies you could possibly need, not only guns, but everything and still have a large surplus of cash left over. That's what's worth turning into gold for after shtf when things level out again and there is law and order again. I say law and order because anyone trading with gold will be a target for someone when shtf hard. "Oh, if they've got that gold, they've got to have more. Let's hit them and find out. Best to kill them all too. Loose lips sink ships and I don't want my ship sunk later." For me it would really have to be a very large surplus, because there's always something else I know I could use like a blacksmith setup and a large amount of steel to make tool and weapons with. Or horses, other livestock, etc.











:stackredboxes:


----------



## PrepperLite

jimb1972 said:


> I think anyone who invests exclusively in either will most likely be in trouble, I like the Ruger and silver option better than either gold or guns exclusively, plus guns are more fun to take out of the safe and play with than precious metals.


Agreed!

I was until lately in the crowd of "PMs are useless post SHTF". After doing research and talking with friends I do say Silver would be the way to go. Even if you are just going off spot coins are interesting to collect and not disappointing if you are looking to put away $50-100 a month away in PMs.


----------



## Ripon

But let's say that is the point. You have everything you can percieve as needed. You even have gold and guns already. Now you want to set aside $1375 more. Is the gold or the gun the better addition?


----------



## HuntingHawk

Simple question. How many people have a tester for gold or silver purity? How do you judge value without knowing the purity?

I believe come SHTF initially gold & silver will have no value. Can't eat it & won't keep you warm at night. Only upon recovery might gold & silver start to have value. Only true value of gold is in electronics. Only true value of silver is to silver solder with.


----------



## Doomsday

Gold and silver has always maintained a constant value in reference to materials and labor. Theoretically you could by the same number loaves of bread in 1970 with an ounce of silver as you can today. Due to inflation money/currency will not! This is the reason to have gold in silver in a SHTF situation. As much as you think that you are prepared there will always be food that goes bad, equipment that will break down or some service that you will need.

No matter what you use to barter, gold, silver or 22LR you will have a target on your back! *Guns first silver down the line!*


----------



## PalmettoTree

Doomsday said:


> Gold and silver has always maintained a constant value in reference to materials and labor.


That simply is not true.


----------



## PaulS

Gold has always had value because it doesn't corrode. Silver is a better conductor of both heat and electricity but silver corrodes. Contacts in electronics are usually silver with a plating of gold or in high capacity switches it is silver and cadmium - to prevent corrosion and wear. Gold is used in jewelry because it is easy to work and it doesn't corrode. It's pretty and it lasts. It will wear quickly so it is often strengthened with other metals. Gold is relatively rare and so is silver but not the rarest metal by far. Gold has always maintained its value against inflation and it is likely that it always will. 

As far as prepping goes precious metals are the only way to maintain your wealth beyond land after the SHTF returns to some level of normalcy. You can always use gold or silver to pay your taxes. It is unlikely that any form of currency will hold its value through a SHTF event and after. Diamonds might well be another form of wealth that might retain their value but (BIG BUT) they are always more in demand during good times than they are in economic downturns. Much like art and books their value is moderated by the free wealth of others but during the second world war many pieces of art and books were saved at great risk and cost because they were "valuable" in a world after the war.

I like silver to store wealth in much the same way that I like canning jars to store food. Gold is better for storing larger quantities of wealth in smaller space.


----------



## tango

Gold and silver have always had value and always will.
First-- get your beans, bullets and, band aids, then get some PM. I think silver (pre 64 coins) is a better way. It comes in various sizes, better for barter, and is cheaper to accumulate.
Some say PM's will have no value post SHTF, I say not much will have as much value---


----------



## PaulS

I don't deal in coins. They have a face value and that can get in the way. I have silver in various forms and gold in non-denominational "coins" is one of them.


----------



## Scotty12

I tend to think that gold may be valuable in the intermediate time frame, but that won't really mean jacks**** when people start starving. Having said that if you use the gold wisely before it becomes worthless like everything else except food and sometimes ammo and fuel you can possibly extend yourself a lot longer. It's a matter of timing.


----------



## HuntingHawk

The seller has the advantage in any deal. They can charge whatever price they want. You might need something & they say 10 times what you think the gold is worth. "Take it or leave it".


----------



## dannydefense

Acronyms drive me nutty. What's a PM in this particular case?


----------



## HuntingHawk

Precious Metals


----------



## Prepadoodle

If all your bases are covered, I would go with silver instead of gold because it would be easier to use for smaller items.

I'm also thinking I should get a couple hundred pounds of raw lead once I move. Something tells me lead is going to be hard-ish to find someday soon. Yeah, I could scrounge some from wheel weights or batteries or something, but would rather have a good supply on hand. Used to be you could find the old window weights easily, but that supply has dried up a bit too. Lead is cheap now, I might as well stock up.

By the way, I think lead might be a good barter item too.

AMAZON: Whole Lyman #2 Bullet Ingot (90% Lead, 5% Tin, 5% Antimony)


----------



## Denton

HuntingHawk said:


> The seller has the advantage in any deal. They can charge whatever price they want. You might need something & they say 10 times what you think the gold is worth. "Take it or leave it".


Same as with anything. People, for whatever reason, prefer to treat gold and silver as if they are new ideas. They are not. Gold is even mentioned in Genesis.

Some of the people I knew scoff at those of us who buy silver. Then again, these are the same ones who think we are a tad touched because we are also the same people who pay attention to world events and the markets, as well as prepare for things that may never come. At least, that is what the scoffers say. They tend to believe everything will be A-OK. After all, CNN and FNC will gives us plenty of head's up, right? Sure. They oughta keep believing that if they prefer. Meanwhile, the various tools, as well as the silver, can all be passed down to my son. The stored food gets rotated with use, so it is not going to waste.

What about those of us who know the value of silver? Who will take it in trade? People who have things for sell, of course. Sure, you could trade a pig in a poke for a sack full of beans, but it's hard to make change with a pig, and pigs are a lousy store of wealth. Doesn't take an historian to know about silver and gold's track record, and we Southerners know about what happens when paper money goes bad. At least a Confederate note is a curio, but the Fed has insured there are too many federal reserve notes for them to ever become one.

Don't worry. It won't take long for people, even city folk, to realize the value of silver and gold. As a matter of fact, they might want to figure it out sooner, as there won't be much bartering with mad office skills or deft programming capabilities. :lol:

As far as being robbed, why would anyone be immune from robbery simply because they do not carry silver? Really? We can't have it both ways. Either silver and gold is valueless, or even simpleton thugs know it is valuable. And, no matter what you have, it isn't yours if you can't keep it.

For those who are stockpiling cash and think silver and gold is valueless, take a look at what the D-Mark is worth. Nothing. What about silver and gold bought with the now defunct currency, are those pieces also valueless, or are they still as valuable?

There is only one thing that will render this as bad advice. "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:17. In this case, we know gold and silver is no longer a store of wealth as there is only one thing of value that you'd better covet, and that is your eternal salvation.


----------



## inceptor

This subject has been hashed out, argued over and a number of nasty fights have occurred discussing this. Each has it's own upside and downside. 

I personally prep for both. Not being wealthy I do a little silver each month and make sure I have a decent supply of ammo. Each will have it's own time and place. Barter is a wonderful thing but if you have something they want and they don't have anything you want, or vice versa, whatcha gonna do? PM's give you another option


----------



## Denton

We never get tired of revisiting this topic. No sooner than one similar thread fall off the active topics list than another is created.

By the way, silver is down to 21.26, right now. Not a bad time to pick up a roll of Walking Liberty coins, or some one ounce .999 fine silver bars. :ugeek:


----------



## Eternal_Prepper

Ripon said:


> Over the years I have heard countless bullion critics say you can't eat gold / silver ets. There is a common prepper theme in that you don't dare barter guns, and one could argue that with 300 million firearms in America that guns post SHTF will be plentiful. "Laying in the streets" is a term I once saw promoted by a prepper.
> 
> I speak or ask only in terms of dollars right now, this minute, and of course that can change quickly. However if you had $1375 to spend it's easier for many to buy and hide an ounce of gold. It's hard to buy a gun "for some" but for $1375 you can buy a nice AR and accessories like magazines and precious ammo. Or as I debated my brother I bought a P series 9mm, magazines, and ammo and still had enough for 25 ounces of silver vs his ounce of Gold.
> 
> When we move beyond SHTF and turn to bartering I suspect Gold will do much better then a P series Ruger or AR when trying to buy land, equipment and large ticket items. Until then I just like having an arsenal over a coin collection.


You can never have too many guns


----------



## Fuzzee

Ripon said:


> But let's say that is the point. You have everything you can percieve as needed. You even have gold and guns already. Now you want to set aside $1375 more. Is the gold or the gun the better addition?


If you really feel you have everything you need, than I'd say it comes down to personal preference. You've got to have absolutely more guns and ammunition than you could ever possibly shoot in your lifetime and whoever else is with you, for that to be the case. Ammunition will be vitally important when that times comes you need it to put food in your belly.


----------



## Denton

Hey!!!!!!

Silver has dropped below 21 bucks! Don't let the Chinese be the only ones to take advantage of this!


----------



## Meangreen

I invest in precious metals because I'm not all that sure that my government retirement will be there when I'm ready to retire. I don't just purchase coins and bullion, I also have been hitting pawn shops and just returned from a trip thru Apache and Navajo reservation land and hit the pawn shops along the way. What I’m looking for is antique Native American jewelry, made from old dime silver. It’s beautiful and is both silver and rare stones. I latest find was a necklace with a famous Navajo artist marks on the back of the pendant, the shop owner paid the weight in silver, I paid him $50. It appraised for $450. Some of my best investments have been firearms but I’m not a firearms collector, I shoot all of my guns.


----------



## Inor

Prepadoodle said:


> If all your bases are covered, I would go with silver instead of gold because it would be easier to use for smaller items.
> 
> I'm also thinking I should get a couple hundred pounds of raw lead once I move. Something tells me lead is going to be hard-ish to find someday soon. Yeah, I could scrounge some from wheel weights or batteries or something, but would rather have a good supply on hand. Used to be you could find the old window weights easily, but that supply has dried up a bit too. Lead is cheap now, I might as well stock up.
> 
> By the way, I think lead might be a good barter item too.
> 
> AMAZON: Whole Lyman #2 Bullet Ingot (90% Lead, 5% Tin, 5% Antimony)


A few years back I bought a bunch of 10 pound lead bars of "wiping solder". I am not even sure what it was used for. - Maybe pipe-fitting on very large pipes? Anyway, I picked them up for 50 cents a piece at a flea market. I think I have around 20 of them.


----------

