The Ultimate Survival Gun

[Average Joe]

A shotgun would be the most useful.

 

[mrt949]

SAVAGE 24 v.

 

[HoosierQ]

Wow...those other combos are neat. Kinda pricey but neat.

 

[wankerjake]

I'll take the 12 ga

 

[lamebums]

I'm surprised that so few people have said the AK. They are pretty much indestructible and fire a large enough round to be effective both in hunting and personal defense.

If the house was on fire and I had to haul ass and leave in less than sixty seconds in my underpants, I'm leaving the AR and all other small caliber weapons behind. I'm bringing the AK and as many loaded mags as I could carry.

To contradict myself, a 10/22 with scope would be a close second. One brick of ammo would be enough for me not likely to become concerned for years. If you don't believe the 22 is at least semi-effective for personal defense, remember Royal Oak:

On November 14, 1991 in Royal Oak, Michigan, Thomas McIlvane killed five people, including himself, with a Ruger 10/22 rifle in Royal Oak's post office, after being fired from the Postal Service for "insubordination." He had been previously suspended for getting into altercations with postal customers on his route.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_postal


So really, it's up to you.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

It's quite clear that anyone and everyone who recommends any of these since my last post:

Shotgun of any type
Rimfire of any type
2-barrel combo of any type
.45-70
Or any other centerfire for that matter, or anything else recommeded,


Did NOT read my post #14 in this thread, which is (of course) the end-all, be-all perfect answer.

I'll reprint it here for your convenience, with one small addition/change:

The Answer is a 20", 3-barrel drilling with:

1. 3" 12 gauge rifled barrel, with ability to take multiple screw-in choke tube extensions to unspin and choke shotshell shot, but also shoot saboted slugs or regular slugs without the choke tube extensions.
2. Rifled barrel in .223 remington, 1 in 9" twist, with chamber inserts for also shooting .22lr and either .22 magnum or .22 hornet in the rifled barrel, AND the ability to take a screw-in choke tube extension for shooting .22lr and .22mag shotshells, which will unspin and choke the shot, for shooting tweety birds for pot meat and other small game.
3. Full-powered rifle barrel in a caliber such as .270 win, .280 rem, .30-'06, .308, 7mm-08, .260 Rem, .338 Federal, or similar. Actually, since the 12 ga slug barrel handles short ranges / dangerous beasts, and even medium-range large game with saboted slugs, I'd want to focus with this one on more of a long-range caliber, so probably 6.5x55 swede, 6.5-.284 Norma, .270 Win, .270 WSM, .280 Rem, 7mm WSM, or 7mm rem mag would be the ticket, I think.

THAT's the ultimate survival gun, as far as surviving off the land goes. You could kill cape buff with hardcast brenneke slugs with the 12 ga in the morning, and then kill a nuthatch for an afternoon snack with the .22lr shotshell barrel, and everything in between, whether walking or flying.

12 ga saboted slug is your .45-70
12 ga with choke tubes is your 12 ga wingshooter
12 ga with .73 cal hardcast brennekes is your DG rifle
.22 lr chamber insert in the .223 barrel is your .22lr
.22 mag chamber insert in the .223 barrel is your .22lr
.22 hornet chamber insert in the .223 barrel is your .22 hornet
.223 barrel is your .223
.22 lr shotshells and .22 mag shotshells in the .223 barrel with choke tube extensions is your small game bird shotgun
Full-power bottlenecked centerfire barrel is your well, full-powered long range rifle.

I'm thinking the drilling will be arranged in the "V" shape with the full-powered centerfire rifle bbl on bottom, the .223/.22/.22shot bbl on top left, and 12 ga on top right. All well regulated of course. One set of iron sights on the middle, with a peep rear and brass bead front. The full powered rifle barrel should be regulated to 150 yards, the 12 ga shotgun to 35 yards, and the .223/.22/.22shot to either 50 or 75 yards.

You cannot top "my" survival gun, with the possible arguable exception of the AK47 or other HDR, only because it can do something mine cannot, namely semi-auto. Nothing else suggested can do something that mine cannot. I will thank you to bask in my glory.

Now, who can build this for less than $10K?

I love combo guns and currently own the following:

1. Baikal SPR 94, .223 over, 12 ga under
2. CZ / Springfield M6 Scout, .22lr over, .410 bore under
3. Savage 24f, .22lr over / 20 ga under
4. Savage 24v, .30-30 Win over / 20 ga under
5. NEF "Survivor", .45 Colt & .410 bore

These are all pretty darned good "meat survival" guns, particularly #3 and #4, but they cannot even come close to the versatility of my dream drilling described above.

Please note: There are several other kinds of "survival guns", besides "meat/wilderness survival" guns, depending on the specific scenario you are trying to survive.

 

[lions]

Nothing else suggested can do something that mine cannot.

How about being had for less than your, IMO wishful thinking, $10K price tag?

For $10K I'll carry my .22lr and hire two other guys to tote around a .223 and a 12ga for me.

 

[Extremely Pro Gun]

Kel- Tec Sub 2000. Fits in a backpack!!!

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I think the simple o/u combo shotgun/rifle would be more practical than a drilling. While drillings are cool, they are heavy and expensive. The combo's are expensive enough. The AK is a great and durable gun, and would survive longer than many combo guns in extreme conditions, but they just aren't as versatile. Sounds like a definite "compromise", no matter what one chooses.

 

[jhco]

I can't think of too many situations that a M60 couldn't handle

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I can't think of too many situations that a M60 couldn't handle

Quail, grouse, squirrels, rabbits, wild turkey and so on.

If you've ever humped the pig, you know that you can't carry a lot of ammo and the gun -- and it eats ammo voraciously.

 

[Isher]

We're well into the "one size fits all" argument, here.

My choice: .22 pistola + 12 ga. pump.

OK. That's two guns, I know, I know.

The only improvement to my present rig

Would be a TC in 22wmr,

With, of course, all the potential of the various TC caliber offerings.

Right now, I don't have to spend but for ammo.

Add a TC? Say 500 bucks.

Hell of a lot less than 10g's.



isher

 

[LightningJoe]

In survival situations you're more likely to get in trouble by being a brave gun-carrier than a cautious unarmed person.

One of the sillier ideas out of Heinlein. Good book, though.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

My drilling is only 20" for weight savings, could maybe even go 18". Shouldn't be much too heavier than a 2-barrel with 24" bbls, as a result.

As for expensive, oh well, yeah, but I thought we were talking best, without regard to cost!

 

[DeepSouth]

A drilling

I chose the shotgun because it is the most versatile.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I'd take one of these.

Machete, 10 red flare shells, 32G shotshells, 5.45 hollowpoints. You've got fire, cutting implement, small game, and bigger stuff covered. See it here.

 

[Erik M]

Looking at the question posed by the OP from a utility standpoint, I would have to say that I would choose a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun in this situation. My only stipulation would be that I could choose a mixture of ammo, ie. slugs for large game/protection, lighter shot for small game/waterfoul.

I can see the usefullness of a light to moderate caliber centerfire rifle in this situation but personally Id go with the boom stick.

 

[inSight-NEO]

22 rimfire for versatility.

Maybe the 22 rimfire is quite versatile, but given the available loads for the 12 ga. (particularly a smoothbore), I would not feel as if I were "missing out" on something special...not in the least bit. Besides, at the base level, I would simply feel more capably "armed" with a 12 ga. vs. the 22 rimfire.

You cannot top "my" survival gun, with the possible arguable exception of the AK47 or other HDR, only because it can do something mine cannot, namely semi-auto. Nothing else suggested can do something that mine cannot. I will thank you to bask in my glory.

With all due respect, the "standard" smoothbore 12 ga. pump may not be as "cool" as your glory gun, but Im betting its just as deadly, just as reliable and not nearly as "complicated."

Now, who can build this for less than $10K?

Exactly...thats why Ill take my $450 12 ga. pump, thank you very much. Ill spend the remaining $9,500 or so on ammo and survival gear.

 

[jhco]

Quail, grouse, squirrels, rabbits, wild turkey and so on.

If you've ever humped the pig, you know that you can't carry a lot of ammo and the gun -- and it eats ammo voraciously.

I don't know, I'm pretty sure the M60 could take all of that and more.

 

[Blackbeard]

I voted for rimfire rifle. If it's truly a survival situation, and not a Red Dawn Wolverine-wannabe situation, then your main concern will be finding food. .22LR is ideal for taking small game, and you can carry about ten times the ammo of any of the other options. Since you're going to be lugging the thing all over creation, it should be light.

 

[mnrivrat]

My custom Savage model 24V . Upper barrel re-chambered for .223 , and a chamber insert stored in the forearm to convert it to .22 rimfire .

Lower barrel is 20ga. with screw in choke - I run IC in it, but Modified would be OK as well. The butt stock is modified to hold a container of .22 rimfire ammo. It sports a butt stock elastic holder for 5 rounds of 20ga. (not shown)

So I have availabe, .22RF , .223 Rem/5.56 Nato, 20ga. shot shell, or 20ga. slugs. I tuned the barrels to shoot to the same point of impact at a normal range that I consider for foraging game. It has a baked on guncoat finish on the metal and a quality rim paint on the stocks. A sling setup for carry. Butt plate and grip cap are 1/4 inch aluminum plate for durability.

 

[FROGO207]

A 22 mag bolt rifle would be best choice. simple, less problems, can be used single shot, ammo is light but effective, can shoot 22lr with reduced accuracy as well as shotshell. A SS platform would be more robust. A long barrel revolver in 22/22 mag would be choice #2 but may loose conversion cylinder and has more moving parts. My bailout is a Remington 597 synthetic in 22 mag. Have ammo, firestarter, knife, and a compass in the hollow buttstock.

 

[huntsman]

If you break this debate down to .22cal VS shotgun it seems the big advantage for the .22 is ammo is easier to carry.

The big advantage of the shotgun is versatility, but the shotgun has another thing going for it.

It's more forgiving in shot placement when using bird and buckshot.

If you need to hunt for food or engage in SD it may come at a time when you're not at your best, either physically or mentally.

The shotgun gives you the opportunity to be off slightly but still hit the target

 

[Lou McGopher]

There's an option missing from the poll:

Air rifles.

No need to worry about brass or powder. In a situation where manufactured ammunition is hard to come by, one could easily cast his own bullets. Throw in a manual air-pump and ammo shortages become a thing of the past.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Though my opinion's probably not worth much because I've never even tried to survive in the wilderness and I'm not exactly a skilled outdoorsman, I would say in theory a shotgun if you need to be worried about bears. It would need iron sights or an optical sight though so you could aim slugs.

In a situation where manufactured ammunition is hard to come by, one could easily cast his own bullets

That's actually an interesting idea. It probably wouldn't be easy casting pellets that are accurate enough and powerful enough to really hunt with though. Also, with some airguns you're not supposed to use a normal air-pump, you're supposed to use a scuba tank.