[quote=@Vermillion]
[@RaeoftheLight] Even weapons have a 'use by date' so a pristine automatic rifle will be near impossible to come across in anywhere but an abandoned military base. However, ratchet and homemade weapons will be far from sparse - metal may rust and wither with time but steel is particularly durable.

Handguns etc while not common are certainly not rare by any stretch. I would think also that the upkeep and maintenance of such weapons would be emphasised and key during these times - thus maybe the reason why they are not used by everyone/ why they are still around to date.
[/quote]

Right. All the guns in the world aren't going to evaporate. Maybe you can include gun safes in people's houses. Players can opt to try to pick it. GM flips a coin to see if they succeed. If they fail, they have to get new lockpick stuff. You can always just go with "screwdriver and Bobby pins."