With the government adding a trillion or so dollars per month toy the supply, inflation IS going to happen. Metals are just another piece of the puzzle when it comes to investing.
For me metals can work in an "end of the world as we know it" event, but like most things you need to figure out how to keep it safe when there is no "law". I really think though, that if things get that bad most of us won't live through it. Those that do will appreciate food, alcohol, smokes and women more than silver or gold.
Again, just for me, the real value of metals is going to be during a hyper-inflationary period where the government is still "functioning" but inflation is in the double digit zone. Wiemar Germany-Argentina-Zimbabwe and Venezuela are all examples of hyper inflation. And also during those times that the price is high in relation to more normal times (normal bounces). Metals have intrinsic value but unlike other stores of wealth are easy to keep as "money" in your pocket. More difficult to do that with anything that has a shelf life or requires another item to work (cars need fuel, firearms need ammo) or takes up too much space to be very practical.
I first started purchasing (and holding) silver bars when it was around 7.50 an oz in the early 1990's. In around 2011 it bounced up over $50 and I sold enough to buy my house...
In the future, with our government currently using about 40% of tax revenue to support interest payments, and STILL creating trillions more in debt, its just a matter of time until inflation comes to the rescue of our government. Inflation will be the only way to pay the debt short of default. We all got a small taste of that in the last year or so and it will get worse, quite likely much worse. If you don't believe me just look at how bad they want to lower interest rates (because it affects debt obligations) saying that the economy is performing poorly, but most indications show its actually growing and that inerest rates should actually go UP. To me, THIS scenario is where metals are important, way more than any other SHTF event.
