"quite frankly, there is also the possibility that others will bug in.. and those that try to go house to house may end up on the business end of a hunting shotgun..."

"hence, a house where no one is living..."

"Bows are great, there bloke on an Australian survival site who goes into the bush and live of what he kills with is bow! I'm buing a compound bow off a mate, imagine if the government bans hunting in an economic collapse and you need to pouch, a gun is very loud."

"That brings up an interesting question though too. If the weapon is laying in the arms of a dead guy by all means take it. But what if it's still slung around it's zack owner? how far would you go to get a firearm if you didn't have one?"

"if you're at the brink of social collapse, then a revolution may not be on the cards.

In the great depression many animals were under extreme pressure because of hunting, so it would not be unlikely that in a worse economic collapse, say fuelled by peak oil, that game species would come under great pressure from hunting. The government may, in the end 'need' to ban hunting to save certain species from extinction. Whether it is write or wrong, a rifle would not be the best tool for 'poaching' animals undetected.

However we are getting of topic. In answer to the op's question. If you find one take it, but don't rely on it. By a bow and/or an air rifle. Practise with a bow and it can be as deadly as a rifle. "

"Or you just found a few perfectly serviceable guns while off on a supply run. You head back to your boarded-up home, sneak in through your secret entrance, and find that none of the guns are in calibers that you have. Or you decided not to get any guns before SHTF and you don't have any more than the few rounds already in the guns."