Hypothetical (inspired by "Survivorman"): Which gun would you choose?

[bestseller92]

LONE STAR: "Your list of guns seems very odd...Do you really have much background with firearms?"

Yes, I do. I intentionally picked an odd list of firearms to make it interesting, though I don't see that the guns on the list are anything truly odd for this scenario.

And since it's hypothetical, we're not worrying about gun laws.

And as a P.S., I'd much prefer my Ruger SP101 over your Smith M60.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Glock 20

 

[golden]

No Handgun For Me

In the jungle or out in any survival situation, I would much prefer a compact rifle. In the AMAZON, I would go with a stainless steel .44 magnum like the MARLIN 1894. My second choice would be an AK-47 for its proven reliability and anti=personel capability.

Jim

 

[JackCrow]

I voted for the S&W 29 as I prefer revolvers.

Given my own choice I would take a .22lr revolver such as a Taurus 94SS os S&W 617-10.

 

[jpwilly]

Taurus Judge! 45LC is lots of handgun power + a shotgun with 000 or 00 buck in the face of any animal would be quite a deterant or possibly food!

 

[Hunter0924]

Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum.

 

[ryan in maine]

I'd be wanting things like, oh say:
- Remington 870 Marine Magnum with synthetic stock and Electroless nickel plating
- Mossberg 500 Tactical with adjustable synthetic stock in Marinecote finish
- Mossberg 590 Mariner with 9 shots and Marinecote finish
- Mossberg 4X4 scoped with synthetic stock and Marinecote finish in .30-06

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'd say, visualize using this gun. If you're carring it for defense against a jaguar, and a jaguar never materializes, then it's just a useless hunk of metal you have to hump around. If you carry it for small game hunting, you'll use it every day. And if a jaguar appears, it'll do him, too.

So pick something designed for small game hunting. That's why I'd choose my Colt Woodsman.

 

[ryan in maine]

Am I the only one who doesn't think a .22 LR is going to kill a jaguar?

1). If a jaguar attacks you then you probably wont see it coming.
2). A handgun cannot be used to put space between you and the jaguar.
3). Jaguars are extremely powerful.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If you don't see it coming, how will any gun be of use to you?

But I suspect in any real survival situation, your odds of dying from starvation will be much higher than your odds of being attacked by a jaguar.

 

[ryan in maine]

Well, with a long gun you can use it to shield yourself to some degree and can swing it like a club if need be.

I agree starvation is a higher concern than jaguars. That's why 3 of my choices listed were rust-resistant shotguns (I had to throw a scoped rifle in there just because). I went with shotguns since I would assume your primary source of nutrition would be birds. I also made sure they were rust-resistant, because even stainless steel will readily rust in the Amazon. Having a critical internal part rust out would make a firearm useless as well.

I thought of taking along a .22 LR rifle but I'm just not sure if I'd want to depend on it. There is always the possibility of jaguars and other humans. I'd want a better option, is all.

Not knocking anyone who wants to take a .22 LR. I just don't think it would kill a jaguar is all. Even with a clean shot. We're talking about a big cat that can carry a 600 lbs animal across a river and then drag it up a tree. A big cat that can crack turtle shells and skulls with a single bite. It's tough!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I choose a .22 handgun because I know I can shoot it well enough to keep myself fed, and because every ounce you save in one department is an extra ounce you can add in another.

 

[ryan in maine]

Do you think birds would be your primary source of nutrition as well?

 

[Zen21Tao]

I would take the Glock 20 or 29. I reload my own 10mm and know that full powder loads are ballistically close to 44 mag. Also, as other's have said, the Glock will be better resistant to the elements. Also, its larger bullet capacity could be the difference between life and death if facing multiple predators. In fact, I would also have some 29 round Scherer magazines handy for just such a situation.

 

[bestseller92]

The GLOCK 20 could certainly be used to harvest small game.

 

[Gustav]

I would go with one of the two Glocks mentioned light weight easy to use high magazine capacity its good for small game (albiet a little too much power) and large critters with little chance of rusting or jamming.
The 10mm is more than enough for anything one would encounter and under the strain and stress of an actual attack those extra rounds in the magazine may make a difference that and the constant short & light trigger pull with the quick trigger reset would win over any DA revolver for aimed fast on target shooting and higher hit probability.
The .22 MAY be enough for 95% of what you come across but with my luck I would only be a fugitive from the law of averages for a short time before the other 5% would find me.
If possible a .22 conversion kit for the Glock would find its way into the bag or pack with a brick or two of ammunition.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The problem is, when game is present, and you have the 10mm conversion on the gun, the game escapes while you switch to .22. And if you have the .22 conversion and the jaguar appears . . .

 

[Eyesac]

"Your list of guns seems very odd...Do you really have much background with firearms?"

Jeeze. What a sweetheart.

I voted for G20. Great capacity, great round, great reliablilty. Lets face it the 44mag is a better round, but carring a pistol is a compromise to begin with, and 10MM is a great choice seeing as how you can carry 15rds.

 

[obxned]

What, no .357???? It will kill a jaguar, but will also do for small game gathering.

 

[bestseller92]

I inadvertently omitted the .357 revolver, which is one of my favorite handguns. I'd go with a GP 100.

 

[Michael_2112]

I'm with the group who says, "Why not a rifle"?

I think the Amazon environment and the AK seem to fit the bill pretty well.

7.62x39 should be an excellent round to take care of all those bumps in the night and the dreaded the Jaguar... Plus, it's a fairly feasible medium game cartridge.

I know that a handgun is less cumbersome... but for some reason, I think I would sleep just a little better at night with the rifle.

From the list of handguns... I guess I would pick the model 29.

Mike

 

[rbernie]

I choose a .22 handgun because I know I can shoot it well enough to keep myself fed, and because every ounce you save in one department is an extra ounce you can add in another.

Vern - you're thinkin' like a guy who's actually been outdoors and carried his life around with him on his back and in his hands. Most folks haven't had the luxury of that experience.

 

[roscoe]

But I suspect in any real survival situation, your odds of dying from starvation will be much higher than your odds of being attacked by a jaguar.

Thank god - a breath of informed air. Think how much more .22 ammo you could carry than 10mm. People are talking about hunting small game with a .357 - you might find a scrap of monkey after blasting it with 158 grains.

There are several hundred thousand Brazilians/Peruvians/Bolivians living in the Amazon, and how many do you think get killed by jaguar? Anyways, if a jaguar wants you, you probably won't even see it coming. East Africa, with lions, well, that would be different, but jaguars are not big predators of humans.

Don't worry, though, if a jaguar gets you, it'll be quick. They have special nerves in their gums so when they get your neck in their jaws, they can feel the vertebrae and bite between them. It will be over before you know it.

 

[bestseller92]

I've hunted rabbits many times with 125 grain .357 JHPs, and it's an excellent round for this purpose.

 

[TWBryan]

None of the above. Ruger GP100 stainless six-inch barrel. Use .38 spl's for small game. Use hard-cast .357's for jaguars,tapirs,caimans, and 110 foot man-eatin' anaconda's . I'll hang onto the spear for poking at stuff I don't want to get close to,or taking out the jaguars.It worked for Sasha Siemal.

TWBryan