Your Choices for SHTF GUNS

[sgt127]

Ok...I'll play, and, I can grab everything I need out of the trunk of my car or my gun safe right now:

I see a combination of urban warfare and maybe some open range fighting mixed with a rare, though deadly, close up encounter.

My Remington 11-87 Police. 20" barrel and rifle sights and as much 00 buck and Sabot Slugs as I can carry. Great for repelling boarders, holding the fort, door to door fighting. What someone thinks is cover becomes merely concealment if I'm shooting slugs. (If you haven't played much with the new generation of Sabot Slugs, give them a try, just tremendous penetration)

My AR-15 M4 with ACOG Compact sight mounted and, again, as much .223 as I can carry.

A pair of Govt Models or Browning Hi-Powers. Like the stopping power of the .45, easier to carry more 9 mm ammo....dice toss. Two so I can arm a friend if need be.

A Ruger 10-22.

 

[Dr.Rob]

AK in .223 and a BHP... very reliable and you can carry a lot of ammo. Shotguns are great for zombies but the ammo weighs a lot.

 

[Ala Dan]

Uum, I guess I will also use what I got:

Kimber Raptor II with eight magazines.

Colt AR-15 16" Match Target H-BAR competition with a Bushnell HOLO-sight
mounted on the rail of a Calvary Arms mount, with detachable carry handle
and a four position collaspsible stock in .223 One 30 round mag, +
2-20 rounders.

and a

12 GA Remington 870 Marine Magnum stoked with 3" magnum 00
buckshot.

You think I'd be ready for a SHTF scenario?

 

[thunder]

New to the Rifle/Shotgun scene, and just a relatively new shooter, but here's what I'd pick right now.

Revolver- up reliable, can't beat the good ol' SW 10, I like the 38 spl.
Maybe even a couple, very easy to operate and handle, just give one to a friend/whatever and say the button opens the cylinder.

Rifle- From what I've heard it's hard to beat an ar-15/m4 here. I'd have to go m4 with plenty of magazines with some optics that can be taken on/off easy.

Shotgun- Not the best for carrying around with you, but what better to 'hold down the fort' with? Most confrontations at your 'base' will most likely be shotgun range (if you bug out to a forest or such). Probably a Mossberg 590. Maybe evenbag some deer with this to.

Of course toss in a .22 rifle for small game and such.

 

[GEM]

Yep, I'd live on a mountain top with Hudson. Maybe not Yancy - she is rather erratic personally.

Gun - oh yeah - forgot about that. VEPR AK and a bizillons rounds of 7.62x39.

 

[Kalashnikov]

Weight, Schmeight

Shotguns are great for zombies but the ammo weighs a lot

Meh, weight never concerns me. I've shouldered back packs full of shotgun shell and 54R before. Weight about 50lbs, maybe more. Never bothered me. Of course I go to the gym

 

[Dr.Rob]

let's move this to GENERAL...

 

[TheStook]

Zombies? When on patrol id carry -
-remington 870 - 20" rifle sighted barrel - 00buck and slugs
-S&W 686 6" - 3 full moon clips of .357 mag - 18 extra bullets
-S&W Sigma VE - Two High cap .40 mags - 28 extra bullets

Invasion hmmmmm, id have to load up a friend too. I live in phoenix so my setup from above would probably still be good.
Me - Same as above Plus backup ammo for friend, prolly .223.

Friend - Glock 9mm, two high caps, extra rounds
-M14 - lotsa ammo!

This is only using things we own.

 

[AZgunstudent]

Assuming I survive the initial SHTF event, and I am not immediately called to military service, and I have a place to go hide, and I have a way to get there, and I can safely store my weapons and ammo at the hide site or move them there, and I can gather my family, and I'd prefer not to stick around and try to help rebuild civilization....

I have a family of three. Wife and daughter are both reasonably accomplished shooters. My solution:

2x intermediate-powered semiauto rifles for defense (anything from SKS through AR15 is fine, but they should be the same in the event parts need to be cannibalized)
1x full-power scoped bolt action rifle for taking large game and “designated marksman” role in a fight
1x Remington 870 12 gauge for winged game and in-house defense
1x scoped .22 for small game
3x handguns (anything from medium-frame .38s on up, but they should be the same in the event parts need to be cannibalized)

In a fight, two family members would use the semiauto rifles, with the best shooter using the bolt gun. This basic battery can be expanded on a per-person basis by adding one semiauto rifle and one handgun.

I’d want to store at least 400 rounds for the semiauto rifles, 200 for the bolt gun (mix of ball and HP), 5000 .22 (could be good for barter if necessary), 250 birdshot, 25 buckshot, and 300 handgun rounds. Military or other common calibers are easier to buy in quantity at reasonable prices. As an aside, lots of people choose military calibers on the theory that military ammo will be easy to find in the aftermath of an event. I am unconvinced. I seriously doubt my own National Guard unit will be roaming the countryside dispensing largesse in the form of ammunition, if the SHTF. (Humanitarian rations? Sure. Ammo? Step away from the crack pipe.)

This little battery could be put together fairly inexpensively if shopping is done carefully. With surplus SKS rifles, a used or Wal-Mart special bolt gun, and used S&W M10 revolvers, it could be done for probably under $1500 (before tax, ammo, and accessories).

I might also consider adding a .50 caliber muzzleloading rifle and the formula for black powder for an absolute worst-case scenario.

 

[Rebar]

First, you have to feed the guns, so I'd want the most common calibers for ease of scrounging:
9mm
.223
.308
should be in the greatest supply.

from there, I'd go beretta or glock for handgun, mini-14/AR for general purpose, and a .308 bolt gun for longer shots.

 

[pezo]

a few .357 revo's around. 870 or mossberg pump shotty and or m14 style rifle.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

M4 Rules the day the Zombies come(lol)

2 shots in 1 second, into a 6 inch circle off-hand at 100yds, has got to have some kind of advantage. Carrying ~300 rounds in 10 mags(some downloaded for "tactical reloads") weighs next to nothing when compared to the M14 and shotgun with a similar load. What is that quote again? Oh yeah,something to the effect of," Quantity has a quality all it's own"

Remember these will not be perfect conditions...Moving targets, adreniline dump, fatigue, and many other stressors will affect your hit probablility. If I have a 25% hit ratio with my 300 rounds, that only gives me 75 hits, of which only a few would POSSIBLY be ,"Instant one shot stops" . So quantity is most definitely a benefit...

Of course this is all contingent on my ablility to fire off all 300 of my rounds before becoming a variable in someone else's 25% hit ratio ...

Sidearm would have to be my Glock 23 in .40 with 2, 10 round mags and 2, 15 round mags for a total of 350 rounds that is ,"Rapid-aimed fire friendly" and easily man portable...

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Out of my collection I'd stick with my Henry Lever .22 for survival and my M48 for large game / zombie head busting

 

[sheepdog_556]

Sheep

 

[Ravenslair]

My trusty Crossman .177 caliber BB Gun

 

[Father Knows Best]

Why all the handguns? As the old saying goes, "a pistol is what you use to fight your way to a gun." If I've got time to select a weapon or two for a SHTF scenario, I'm sure not gonna bother with handguns. I'm taking a centerfire rifle for sure. If I'm staying put, a 12 gauge pump shotgun would be my second choice. My third choice would be a .22 rimfire rifle for small game.

 

[xdoctor]

I think it depends on the scenario. If its Mutant Ninja Zombie Bear Apocalypse, I'm going into survival mode and heading for the mountains with my model 94 in .44mag and my .44mag ruger. If China invades, I'm going offensive and I think it'd change to my 1911 and my scoped 300 win mag.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

Guys Don't knock the Glock....Please

A pistol has it's place. Like when the rifle runs out of ammo/ breaks(murphy anyone?), effectively becoming dead weight(pun intended). How about in VERY TIGHT spaces, like a tunnel or hallway...

Eqzet, I am almost 100% sure that all of us here know not to bring a pistol to a Rifle fight... However, there is one rule that trumps even this one......Don't go to a gun fight, without A GUN . My ammo and guns weigh much less than 20pounds, so looks like I will be good to go with 30+ pounds of supplies(10-15lbs water depending on availability + supplies+toys) !

SheepDog, Drooooooool , but too much gun for me in a shoot and scoot situation...

 

[sheepdog_556]

SheepDog, Drooooooool , but too much gun for me in a shoot and scoot situation...

Old pic. That's my patrol rifle...now has an Acog, different stock. And you're right, it is a alot of gun, but it's what I train with 99% of the time. Plus it gives me what I feel is the combination of precision long-rifle or mag-dump keep-heads down while we E&E. Only thing it's missing now is a can...freakin ATF.

Wife's SHTF gun is an Oly/PAWS RR w/16" upper, Acog and can. And yes, she's good enough to use it.


Sheep

 

[Didorian]

Well, As to what I have for if it were to happen NOW..... I have my reliable Winchester Model 94, 30/30. And as my side arm, I have my Springfield Armory XD-40 with 3 13round mags. I know that it's not much, but I'd hope that it would get me to the local Wal-Mart.
Until I can get a better job, I'd just have to stick with what I've got and make my shots count.

If I had what I WANTED.....
One AR-15 with the sight system that want. (I don't know what it's called )
And at least a full battle load of ammo.
My XD-40 with at LEAST five mags.
And an old model Chevy Blazer with a few mods, as my mode of transportation.
In said SUV would by my mossberg 500, my airforce survival Rifle, and the rest of my gear and Ruck Sack.

 

[jefnvk]

Well, one of those small choppers in Blackhawk Down, with the miniguns.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

Jefnvk

An AH-6 "Little Bird", I like your style, but if price is not an object, I will take "Air Wolf" from the '80s t.v. show !

 

[Taurus 66]

A Smith & Wesson .357 mag 4" revolver (model unimportant).

I'd be searching high and low for a semiauto 22 LR with silencer.

 

[Father Knows Best]

Depends on the scenario. Are you mobile or hunkered down? If mobile, are you on foot or motorized? If motorized, how big of a vehicle? The answers to those questions will determine how much gear you have.

I'd probably want to be hunkered down, because it's always better to be defending a fortified position. Unfortunately, I'm not in a place that is easy to defend, and it doesn't have good natural resources. That means I would probably have to move to a better place before hunkering down. I would try to move via motorized transport, but I may not be able to depending on the situation. If traveling on foot, I would put a real premium on a versatile, light weight firearm that uses common ammo (so I can restock on the move). Still, my first choice for a one-and-only firearm would be a rifle, specifically an AR15. It's light, accurate, durable, a capable manstopper, and also useful on game. Ammo is pretty light, meaning a fair amount could be carried, and more could probably be found for it. As I said before, if I have the ability to take more (traveling by truck, for instance), I would add a 12 gauge pump shotgun and perhaps a .22.

 

[Taurus 66]

I've always wondered how guys figure on carrying 3-4 longarms, along with the 40 or so other lbs of necessary survival gear? I mean, do you tell the looters "time out" while you go trade off your scoped bolt action, .22, or shotgun, for your AK? Or vice versa? How are you going to know when it's ok to only have a .22 or a shotgun?

They read comic books and see Mr. RKBA Octopus with 6 long guns and 2 pistols in action battling the forces of evil. And so if he can do that, these guys can carry at least half that.

We know survival requires a whole lot more than just guns and ammo (food, water, body armor, clothing (to shelter from the heat, cold, rain, snow, and camo) first aid kit, knife, night vision gear, etc) but this topic is just about what would be the choice of your survival guns.

I'd personally go light on weaponry, bulk up mainly on ammunition, then have some tools, a few replacement parts, solvents, whathaveyou. I would move about slowly and invisible-like, always thinking ahead about my next move.