One and Only Survival Gun

[WestKentucky]

Still building, but here it is. Second option would be a 30-30 Marlin 336 carbine.

The AR pistol is purpose built as a truck gun. It still needs a light attached for navigation and night time hunting and defense purposes should those become needs. The .223 is enough for defense, deer, black bear, hogs, and any other critter I might run across in the southeast. Pistol form for compact carry and weight. Easy to shoot accurately, easy to change mags, and cheap enough to actually build.

Option 2 in the 336 is for very similar reasons. Slightly more power and range, a little more weight, easy to use as a club should the need arise. A Winchester would work too but I just prefer the Marlin action. Tradeoffs are ammo capacity and reloading it is slow.

 

[huntsman]

I live back in the woods, a shotgun if I stay put or a .45 handgun if I go mobile.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Specifically for your area or region, if you had to pick a single weapon to help you survive in a societal collapse situation, what would that weapon be, and why would you choose it?

For a WROL situation where repelling goblins will be the primary function of the weapon as opposed to game getting, the AR-15 is the obvious choice. Whole different scenario than survival in the wild, where my "one gun" would likely be whatever I had on me, but ideally something like a .308 over 12 gauge with .22 LR chamber inserts.

 

[PapaG]

OK. One gun. German vierling. Four barrel drilling made the right way. SXS 16 GA, 8mmX57 bottom and 22 hornet in the middle. Shotgun barrels came regulated ic/mod with 1 oz of #6, left also for SSG buck and right for Brennekes. One gun. Wish I still had it.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Lots of good guns and reasons for the selection. I guess it's time to give my own opinion.

I live in a very rural area. The closest town only has 1200 residents. My main concern here would be food and water. Water I can cover, but everyone needs to eat. The biggest game around here is a few deer, but they're not plentiful. Lots of grey squirrel, rabbit, etc..., and if that runs out there's always birds, and if things get desperate, cats, rats, dogs, etc.. That narrows down my choices to a shotgun or 22 lr; and just because there is a chance I might have to relocate, I'll stick with my Marlin 60. It's very accurate, lightweight, tube fed, and 2000 rounds of various types of ammo weighs only 16 pounds. I can also hunt with subsonics without attracting too much attention.

 

[chicharrones]

OP said one gun . (1) numero uno . One gun - of one caliber. Seems like many want to cheat Stop it ! LOL !

Alright, alright!

Just a .22 WMR bolt action carbine with mostly .22 WMR ammo and maybe some .22 WRF ammo for theoretical shorter range softer hits. Per Mr. Flintstone's ammo weight chart, 500 rounds of .22 WMR would weigh about 4.7 pounds.

So, a rifle that's light on the shoulder or in the hands, and ammo that's not too heavy in the pack.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

First of all, consider weight limitations? What ELSE will you be carrying, and how much added weight can you take? If you plan to "bug in" as I do and stay on my farm, you can have a whole gunsafe full of guns and all the ammo and components you want.

If you're hiking, every ounce counts, and both gun and ammo add weight. In that case, I would consider the following:

A Savage Model 24 shotgun/rifle combination. Probably .410/.22LR would be best. Add a couple of boxes of .410 and a brick of .22 LR.
A good .22 pistol -- in my case, either my Ruger MKII heavy barrel, or my 1938 Colt Woodsman and a brick of .22 LR.
An M1911 with a supply of shot cartridges, ball rounds and a conversion kit with a brick of .22 LR.

 

[qwert65]

If I had to Bug out/get home - I'd use what I use now my hunting pack with a little extra water and what ever long gun I have with me(either browning bl22, 12ga, win 94, or BLR 308 depending on what season it is) and my ccw if I had to pick one it would be the 12 ga hands down
I don't know why everyone is wrapped up on capacity of by myself I plan on shooting and running not hanging around to finish the job- besides 6 rrds of 00 buck can handle quite a bit of social work when not looking for trouble.
A mossberg 500 weighs like 8lbs add 5 slugs 10 buck and 15 #6 it's like 11-12 lbs total

 

[jmf552]

I read a very compelling article that my link no longer works for written by a guy who survived a year in Bosnia in basically a full-on SHTF scenario: No electricity, running water, medical care or police. Roaming gangs, the whole apocalyptic scenario in an urban environment. His two cents was that the best one gun to have in that environment was a concealable, high-cap handgun. His reasoning:

• You could be attacked at any time, in your house or outside of it. A long gun, even only an arm's distance away, was too slow. You needed a gun that was always on you and could be deployed quickly at close quarters.
• Most gun battles happened fast and at close range. You would not typically see a siege-type attack on your house. Even bad guys avoided prolonged shootouts, because that could attract even worse bad guys. So there was little need for long-range accuracy in that enviornment.
• There was a problem with snipers occasionally, but for a defender, you would not be doing counter-sniper stuff. You kept an eye out and tried to stay behind cover at all times outside. Usually traveling any distance on foot was only done on dark nights, moving quickly and not on main roads.
• Guns and ammo were valuable commodities. If you were seen with a gun, which you would be if you had a long gun outside, someone would eventually come while you were asleep and try take it and your ammunition. You did not want that kind of attention. You always concealed.
• If you had to use a gun, the louder it was, the longer the sound carried and therefore the more people heard that there was a gun to be stolen in the area. So a suppressed handgun would be ideal.
• Hunting for food was non-existent in that enviornment.

I live in a suburban enviornment, so I think I would go for a major-brand full-sized, double stack 9mm handgun, with a rail and a threaded barrel. I think I would find a way to fit a shoulder stock to it. It's illegal now, but in a SHTF situation, who cares about that? I would also get a rail mounted scope for it, so it would have a little more long-distance accuracy. Finally, I would have a suppressor.

BTW, the author of that article says now that things have settled down in Bosnia, he has six guns with 6,000 rounds of ammo each. I think the best gun is the one you have a lot of ammo for.

 

[Radagast]

For the period in our history when rural households had one gun and it was a 'survival gun', keeping food on the table and goblins from the door, the three most common would be the .22lr in any format, 12 gauge shotgun in any format and .30-30 lever action. Small game, wing shooting and large game food gathering, depending upon the environment. A single round fired, usually even just presenting a firearm will make 'targets of opportunity' scavengers run.

Currently I'm working on my parents rural property. I've had large kangaroos block the road and a 5 foot long lizard walk in the door at breakfast and hiss at me when told to move on. There are brown hares and ducks. A .22lr would be capable of dispatching any of them at close range, with no excessive meat damage.
Last time I was up here I disturbed a burglar 'looking for his little dog'. He was out on probation and went back inside the same day. Even in a 'WROL' situation, any firearm would have been enough to send him elsewhere.
Survival in the city? A concealed center fire handgun. Just like the single shot 12 gauge behind the door in a rural setting, a tool to hand if needed but not likely to be needed.
Survival in a city where power, water, medicine and/or racial harmony has failed? Why haven't you already left?

 

[Dr.Rob]

12 ga. 870 pump gun in my case, 21 inch Remchoke barrel with rifle sights.

Good variety of shells available (bird shot to slugs), pretty easy to reload shells with a primitive hand loading tool one at a time. Only real downside is weight of ammo.

A 22 LR rifle would be a good choice as realistically, you might not need to kill a deer to get through a few days of being lost and you can carry a LOT of 22 ammo, enough to harvest rabbits and grouse and the like.

 

[BrocLuno]

OP said one gun . (1) numero uno . One gun - of one caliber. Seems like many want to cheat Stop it ! LOL !

Please - no offense to anyone meant.

I got that, but that is why I asked questions. I think maybe the OP was thinking small enclave and just family or something... He (assumed...) may even be single...

But to function, I have to move around more than an acre and prolly help neighbors on their garden to table stuff. So I need access to guns where I'll be working, prolly w/o carrying ... So I said one behind kitchen door, etc. In other words staged weapons. Maybe some even at neighbors so if we get hit and all taken here, there are still some in reserve...

I just can't see one gun working for me ...

If I was absolutely restricted to just one, it would be 22 WMR rifle and 1K ammo split up in a few locations ...

 

[Deaf Smith]

Short 16 inch barrel AR-15 and a handful of .22 lr. inserts. That way you have a 5.56mm carbine for defense and with .22lr a small game gun.

Deaf

 

[everydefense]

OP said one gun . (1) numero uno . One gun - of one caliber. Seems like many want to cheat Stop it ! LOL !

Nowhere in the OP are we restricted to one caliber. I feel that having different options for uppers (AR) or slides (handguns) as well as survival guns purpose-built with both a rifle and shotgun barrel are creative solutions to the scenario given.

I read a very compelling article that my link no longer works for written by a guy who survived a year in Bosnia in basically a full-on SHTF scenario: No electricity, running water, medical care or police. Roaming gangs, the whole apocalyptic scenario in an urban environment. His two cents was that the best one gun to have in that environment was a concealable, high-cap handgun.

I remember reading that article, too- great read! This doesn't look like the exact same one you and I remember(?), but it's interesting, as well:
http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-p...ugh-shtf-in-the-middle-of-a-war-zone_10252011

Definitely worth thinking through a plan of what you would do if such a situation were to occur.

 

[jmf552]

I remember reading that article, too- great read! This doesn't look like the exact same one you and I remember(?), but it's interesting, as well:
http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-p...ugh-shtf-in-the-middle-of-a-war-zone_10252011

Definitely worth thinking through a plan of what you would do if such a situation were to occur.

That's not the same article or the same author I referenced, but it is a great read also and corroborates a lot of what that article said. A couple of things from the article I referenced were interesting:

The author had been an ambulance driver and paramedic before the SHTF. He became the de facto "neighborhood doctor." This kept the BGs off him somewhat, because they all knew their lives might depend on his skill at some point. He also bartered his medical services for food and other stuff he needed.

Also, he made a big point of one barter item he had that illustrates how basic barter can get. He had a five gallon can of fuel oil for cooking. But he found it's greatest use, strangely enough, was to fill people's Zippo-type lighters. I didn't know Zippos would even run on fuel oil, but I looked it up and apparently they can work on almost any flammable liquid. Also, I would not have thought having a working lighter would be that big of a priority in a SHTF situation. But to the author's surprise, people would show up and trade him a can of food or something else of value in exchange for him just filling their lighter. That five gallon can of fuel lasted him the whole year as a barter item.

 

[bannockburn]

I would go with a Colt Government .45 with a .22 conversion unit for it.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

OP said one gun . (1) numero uno . One gun - of one caliber. Seems like many want to cheat Stop it ! LOL !

I got that, but that is why I asked questions. I think maybe the OP was thinking small enclave and just family or something... He (assumed...) may even be single...

Nowhere in the OP are we restricted to one caliber. I feel that having different options for uppers (AR) or slides (handguns) as well as survival guns purpose-built with both a rifle and shotgun barrel are creative solutions to the scenario given.

It's all good. Remember, I said "You may deviate from the original question slightly, but try to stay true to the spirit of the question." I think, for the most part, everyone has done that. I'm not a stickler for "you have to answer my question directly and precisely."

Everyone has given me food for thought. I hadn't really even thought of multiple caliber, over/under, and matched pairs of rifle/handgun.

 

[Ed Ames]

This is one of those areas where my "in theory" and "in reality" answers diverge pretty wildly.

In theory, a threaded barrel "light" Ruger Mk pistol with a silencer, detachable shoulder stock, and scope would probably be at the front of my list. Lighter than almost any rifle, decent accuracy, not ideal for everything but usable for many things.

In reality? I suspect my weapon of choice will be an old CRC handbook of Chemistry and Physics.

 

[Salmoneye]

I agree with the Savage #24, but mine would be in .30-30 over 20ga...

I like .310" round balls in .30-30 for small game...

 

[jmorris]

If I don't know what I might be doing, I too grab one of my Savage 24's .22/20ga will do just about anything and can be expanded on too.

 

[chicharrones]

I don't know why everyone is wrapped up on capacity of by myself I plan on shooting and running not hanging around to finish the job- besides 6 rrds of 00 buck can handle quite a bit of social work when not looking for trouble.
A mossberg 500 weighs like 8lbs add 5 slugs 10 buck and 15 #6 it's like 11-12 lbs total

I mentioned 500 rounds of .22 WMR due to the light weight and the small space it consumes. My particular .22 WMR only has 33 rounds on board with 18 rounds in the buttstock storage and 3 magazines of 5 rounds each in the buttstock cuff. To just grab the gun, the small supply could be more than enough depending on the length of time we are considering. But, stashing extra ammo in a pack or bag wouldn't be a bad thing. 500 rounds plus my carbine with the extra 33 rounds on board is about 11 pounds.

One reason I like the .22 WMR over the .22 LR in this scenario is that the .22 WMR has about the same energy at 100 yards as .22 LR has at the muzzle. Another reason is, with fast .22 WMR ammo the zero at 50 yards is very close to the same zero at 100 yards out of a rifle. Specifically, if the gun is zeroed at 90 yards with decent ammo, the theoretical rise above zero at 50 yards is about a 1/2" high and the drop at 100 yards is about 1/2".

Yep, it doesn't have range like a centerfire rifle cartridge, but one has to pick something they'd prefer in this exercise.

 

[Radagast]

I've shot 40 year old .22lr with no problems. I've had split cases on ten year old .22 magnums and split necks on three year old .17 HMR.
I like the extra range of the more powerful rimfires and the .17 HMR is very accurate, but longevity of stored ammo, generally greater availability and the option to use sub sonics makes the .22lr my 'survival gun' choice.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Interesting, but mostly does not apply to me. I'm pre-bugged. Nothing to haul around, it's already here deep in the wilds of "Outer Montana". Water is not a problem, there are two reliable sources on the property with a long history of no-fail. But, trying to stay true to the question, bears are here, as in on the property. With that being said, the one gun just about has to be a 12 gauge, but I do get the extra barrel. I did kill about a 300 lb. blackie boar this past fall near here, & that was with my favorite hunting gun, in 6.5 Swede. But with Mr. Griz being a possibility, I'll stick with the 12. Veggies can be grown in the summer & canned in the fall, and that's not a supposition. There's a herd of deer on the property also & elk nearby. OTOH, I may have to become a chicken thief!

However, the reality of the situation is that my safe is both large and loaded. The reloading bench is good and the components are already on hand to provide as much ammo as I'll ever need for the rest of my life, and somewhat beyond also. Provided relatively nearby family can get out to here, they'd be set for awhile. Possibly even a-while-and-a-half.

900F

 

[CoalTrain49]

Some type of .357 carbine, probably a bolt gun. Small game is doable with shot shells or downloaded (low velocity) ammo, 38 spl in a pinch. You did say societal collapse, correct? You won't be going to the supermarket to buy food because there won't be any there. A shotgun might work but it's a poor defensive weapon past 50 yards. So is a pistol.

357 carbine for me. Good for 100 yards and then some. The ammo is easily traded as a lot of people shoot it. Probably the most versatile cartridge in existence. That's why you see so much of it on the shelf. You see more 9 mm but that's because gangbangers use an awful lot of it on each other and their shooting skills are dismal.

 

[chicharrones]

Some type of .357 carbine, probably a bolt gun. Small game is doable with shot shells or downloaded (low velocity) ammo, 38 spl in a pinch.

I like that. I wanted a Ruger 77/357 at one time. What I like about bolts over levers is that clearing a malfunction in a bolt gun has usually been much easier and faster for me than doing the same in a lever gun.