A shotgun is a valuable tool that should be in every survival toolkit. In today’s environment the shotgun can be a bit of a question mark; it’s more powerful than a pistol but has less range than a rifle, and limited magazine capacity. It’s not always clear when or how to deploy the shotgun. Here are 6 good reasons every survivalist needs one.
This article is Part 1 in a series of guest posts on the Survival Shotgun by mr. Smashy (Flickr) Part 2 and Part 3
1. Power and Performance
A shotgun is a large step up in force from a handgun. Since their inception they’ve been know as a solid performer. The they have been the backup long arm for law enforcement for at least a hundred years. Shotguns have been used to such great effect in the closed-in trenches of World War I that Germany protested their use and threatened execution for any troops found in possession of them.
2. Versatility of Ammunition
Shotguns can fire rounds that other small arms usually can not. An example is bird shot, which can get small game for food, or less lethal rounds like beanbags that are meant to stop violent encounters without causing serious harm. There are less lethal weapon systems, but they are expensive and can only deploy less lethal rounds. Only the shotgun is capable of firing both rounds (and more.)
3. Price and Availability
Shotguns have a high availability, and are cheaper than most rifles. With a few hundred dollars you can walk into a local superstore and purchase a shotgun in most of America. This means you can afford to upgrade your preparedness right now. You should still save up for that semi-auto rifle, but you can bump up your firepower now. Shotguns are also cheap enough that you can hand one out to upgrade a member of your team’s loadout if they do not have a long arm.
4. Legislative Protection
The shotgun is looked at as a sporting arm by legislators and usually the last type of weapon to be banned or legislated against. This is not always the case, but even in cities like Chicago it is legal to own a shotgun where handguns and large capacity magazines are completely banned. This may be extremely helpful for the urban survivalist.
5. Ease of Maintenance
Most shotguns are very easy to maintain. You can clean and maintain a pump shotgun cheap and easy with both commercial and improvised supplies. A cleaning kit can take up no more than the space of a coffee mug if you wish. You can pack a spare cleaning kit in your Bug Out Bag and not worry about it going bad or ruining the contents of your pack. Improvised supplies are all dual use items, making maintenance even easier.
6. Modular
Shotguns are modular. You can take a basic “home defense” model and swap the short barrel with a long game barrel and hunt rabbit or duck. You can change the furniture from wood to synthetic to reduce weight and increase strength. You can swap the stock for a pistol grip if you want a backpack gun. The options are endless, but you have to make wise choices; one bad part could compromise the reliability of your shotgun.
I am not suggesting the shotgun be the only weapon in your survival toolkit, but it is a powerful tool that can be adapted for many situations. There are some big limitations that you will be made aware of, but it should be obvious that force, cost, diversity, and adaptability are the main strengths of the shotgun.
Part 2
Part 2 of the Survival Shotgun series by mr. Smashy : Survival Shotgun Part 2: Choosing Gauge and Type
Visit Our New Survival Gear Store – Forge Survival Supply
Leave us a Comment Below
My name is Scott and I run SurvivalCache.com along with the help of several great contributing authors.
You can read more on the
{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
Amazing timing on this article… I just purchased my first shotty today… I got a Mossberg 590 SP… It is tactical, but I plan on getting another barrel for hunting when I get a couple more coins together. I agree that if you have nothing else, you need a decent shotgun… versatility is the key… you can do alot of different things with one. Nobody is going to want to carry around a full arsenal WTSHTF.
This is basically what I got… I couldn't find a link on Mossberghttp://www.impactguns.com/store/015813516631.html
Nice shot gun but they are heavy when fully loaded and when you have too carry it a long time they can feel like they are 20 lbs !
so now my very small aresenal consists of.. the new mossberg, a hi point 380, and a .22 rifle w/ a cheap scope. I am tempted to add an AR to the mix, but not sure if it is just my mandhood talkin' or if it would really be a good addition for a survival arsenal.
I'd recommend a centerfire rifle, a shotgun simply doesn't have the range. The AR-15 is a good mid-range rifle with excellent ergonomics and firepower, but unless you reload or spend money on a supply of quality ammunition, terminal ballistics can be anemic at range. Surplus/import/bulk ammo can have questionable stopping characteristics. Especially with the more popular shorter rifles with reduced velocity. For engagements less than 200 yards this becomes less of a concern. But 200 yards is still twice the effective range of a shotgun slug, and a 20" AR-15 with M855 ball has an effective range as an area weapon out to 850 yards.
I was in the USMC (93-99) so I'm fairly confident that if I needed to hunt w/ an AR that I could…. Once upon a time I did qualify as an Expert. Ultimately, I'm looking for the most versatilty (defense and hunting) and I think a decent AR would fit that bill. Unfortunately, I'm not really knowledgable about the big variety of weapons out there. (while yes I was in the USMC, I was in the Air Wing which really explains my lack of knowledge)… I saw on your flickr stream (which is really well done btw) that you had a STAG AR-15, is that what you would recommend? I really don't want to break the bank on this weapon…, but I do want something that I can depend on and won't leave me hangin' when TSHTF.
I have several AR-15s, two with STAG lowers. I recommend getting either a quality rifle that meets your requirements, or joining a quality upper receiver assembly and lower receiver assembly. I do feel that STAG makes a quality product, one rifle with a STAG lower has a round count over 5,000 rounds. All failures have been magazine, ammo, or lubrication related. I liked the STAG product so much that I purchased another lower for my carbine project, which has been working fine. STAG rifles are high quality but come with a 1:9 barrel twist, which precludes it from firing heavy bullet premium match or self defense loads. I have standardized on the 1:7 barrel twist among my AR-15s because I wish to fire a specific bullet type (the 77gr Sierra MatchKing and similar).
If you're comfortable with a 1:9 barrel twist, STAG is a good choice, as well the S&W M&P carbines, and Rock River Arms. You will be limited to firing a 69 gr. bullet, if you choose to shoot premium defense ammunition. The RRA rifles have a two-stage trigger, which is a benefit to accuracy but some have reported short service life. This has not been my experience, I have a NM rifle with a RRA two-stage trigger, but it's worth mentioning.
mr_smashy,
Do you have any experience with CMMG guns? Their Gov. Profile line looks especially promising and I have heard good things.
-fully chrome lined and 4150
-1:7
-excellent m4 feed ramps
-properly staked key
and for the price it seems really good.
You will not regret getting an AR. The patriots' weapon of choice. Like em so much I bought 5.
AR's can have issues with how clean they need to be. My personal choice is the AK47 Under Folder or better yet the Hungarian AK 47 AMD 65. They may only reach out to a 100 or 150 yards but that's ok because most firefights won't be long distance events. You can drive over these things, bury them for later use etc. and they always come through with flying colors.
i like pump action shotguns, but im thinking about getting the Saiga 12, was wondering if anyone on here has experience with these. theyre a little spendy, but nothing like a benelli, and they are very modular. also get great ratings for reliability and accuracy etc.
truemonster,
I don't know much about the Saiga 12 except that most saiga's in general have a decent reputation for reliability.
Scott will probably be able to chime in with a better response.
If you get one be sure to come back and share your thoughts and pictures.
Saiga's are beast….I love them. I regularly shoot mine and blow 200 rounds a session, and the thing is rock solid.
In my opinion a Saiga 12 may just be the ultimate defensive shotgun-the only other is a 50 round full auto that they came out with a couple of years ago i believe. In the Saiga you have an proven ak action, which I believe you can only get in semi-auto mode. Russian special teams have a full auto. The beautiful thing about this shotgun is that it has 10 round mags. So intead of feeding it shells one at a time, you just slap a mag in. If you've handled a ak47 your going to love this weapon. You may have to modify a tak vest to except the magazines. Its a great get out of dodge defensive or offensive weapon, but once in the woods using any weapon that makes noise will sooner or later give your position away. one needs to run silent or else everyone within hearing distance is going to want what you have. Not good
Just reading your comment I thought: if it's the same use and reliability as an AK, why not just carry an AK?
you get 30 or more rounds in a mag and close range it definitely has the knock-down power.
I am disappointed that no one has mentioned the winchester 1300 "Defender" I have one my dad purchased back in the eighties and it is my out-of-safe home defense gun to this day, 7+1 capacity and no choke.
I love my 870's, I have a Browning pump, SKB Over/Under and a Ruger Red lable, and several semi-autos (browning, remington 1100, etc) but for defense I always default to my Defender.
Well, it depends on your environment (wshtf) and the application or purpose that dictates what may be a better option. Simply put, and if you talking about short distances like your house, back yard, neighborhood and such, my preferance, its shotgun. If it’s an AK that is a semi, you can’t lay down cover fire like you could if it was full auto so you’re limited. Therefore even if you have a 30 round magazine you still produce one 30 cal. (plus or minus) bullet for each time you pull the trigger. A semi auto shotgun, if shooting 12 gauge 00 buck produces nine 32 cal. (plus or minus) lead balls toward the target each time you pull the trigger. If your opponent is, say, 20 meters out, with an AK you pulled the trigger five times, there are five lead bullets in that area. If you pulled the trigger 5 times on a shotgun you have 45 lead balls in that same area. If it was a full auto AK, that would be a totally different ballgame and I would be the first one in line to get me one.
I moved to a 20 ga. pump with two barrels. I have several different rounds including slugs that will kill a deer, or a man, out to 120 yds….yes I can hit you at that range. It is light and doesn't kick the heck out of my shoulder. Big plus is that my wife can shoot it without flinching. It goes well with my hand guns and carbines….but If I have to choose just one gun it will be the .20 ga. with a variety of loads.
Every gun mentioned has its pros and cons. I personally feel the shotgun is the way to go when concerning a B.O.B. Any shotgun out there can be modified to reduce the weight, ammo capacity, range and lethality/power. I personally am not going to be concerned with the long range capapbilities of my Bug Out Gun. I want versatility for hunting and defense. If you have a Bug Out Bag and Gun, you already a step ahead of most of the population and will not likely find yourself in need of long range capabilities for defense. To be on the safe side, simply keep yourself on a path that oferes good cover from such attacks. The shotgun is the best option for hunting. Even the people who scored 'expert' at the range in the military will have a hard time hitting a rabbit on the run while using a rifle of any kind.
I recommend a 12guage shotgun with an 18inch barrel and the plug removed as a 'starter model'. This will allow for all around better mobility and more ammo capacity. From this base gun countless modifications can be made to cater to your personal preferences/needs. I recomend 00 or 4 buck for 'defense' loads. I wont waste my time with bean bag loads, rubber bullets or other 'less lethal' loads. It is important to note that they are called 'less letal' and NOT 'non leathal'. If not used put to use properly they can kill. My personal preference is the Remington 870 Express. This shotgun has been made since 1951 and as of 2009 there have been10million produced. This translates to reliability, easil found spare parts (in any scenario), a variety of inexpensive aftermarket mods, and a great weapon for a relatively low price. This model also has an excellent choke system for a variety of uses, as well as a great selection of barrles. Again, very versatile. All in all, a great Bug Out Gun to keep you safe and well fed on the way to your main survival location where you can store your extended arsenal.
Another weapon that I absolutely love is the DPMS Panther Carbine in 6.8 SPC. I know its not cheap ($900) nor is the ammo cheap (almost a buck per round) but its a great shooter and the terminal ballistics are outstanding (better than the 7.62X39 round). It is compact, very accurate, and packs a solid punch.
Many consider caring or keeping guns for self defense but many also have it for other reason which is very unfavorable. Anyways, It is indeed a brilliant idea to have one for the house for family safety against theft etc. But make sure that the kids have no access on it or else…
Saiga's are good shotguns, but get them while you still can as Izhmash is no longer making them I'm told. They stopped production about 2 months ago and it is unknown at this point if they will ever restart production. It is worth noting that to date no body armor exists that will save you from a 12 gauge slug. Not even the latest military "Dragon Skin" which will stop even a hand grenade while lying on it. Watch the video….impressive!
Hey G.D.,
A Dragon Skin wont stop a 12g slug?????
Only today I was reading about the fantastic performance of that armour AND its suspicious knockback by the military, when soldiers are spending their own bucks to buy one “over there”.
How would a 12g outdo VERY hipowered weaponry?
I’m no expert on weapons – my army days were in bomb disposal and constructive demolitions – I didn’t have to be accurate!
Think common ammo people! .22, .45, 9mm, .223, 7.62 x39 & 51, and 12 gauge. Exotic calibres may be marginally more effective, but where are you going to get .338 Lapua in the post apocalyptic world?
We talk about our weapons often enough without thinking about their most common use. As for close range defensive uses, a shotgun is the weapon you are least likely to HAVE to use. The intimidation factor of looking down a 12 GA bore (it appears about the size of a basketball, based on personal experience) means that you are less likely to have to pull the trigger(s) (I like a double since the side by side presents TWO basketball size tubes to look down). Anyone who keeps coming after the sound of a pump racking a round or looking down that bore is on something and will most likely have to be killed. Based on Phoenix PD information, back when I worked for them, a lady officer was most likely to need her firearm and a semi-auto was more likely to be fired than a large caliber revolver. BGs wouldn't believe the "little lady" was going to try to take them in and looking at all those rounds in the revolver was apparently more intimidating than the slim auto. In the 5 years I was there, I don't remember a single case where the shotgun had to be fire. Most BGs realized that riot gun was going to gut them like a catfish and simply backed down.
Why give away your position by racking your shotgun? If the BG already has his gun on your you will NOT have time to rack yours and end up on the wrong side of the gun fight. Just my 2 cents.
Always a tough call. I currently have my double at the head of the bead. The choice is yours, of course, but I would not want to just open fire. You are correct, if I am already under his gun, and I need to rack the pump I am at an extreme, perhaps terminal, disadvantage. The point is to rack the pump as soon as I pick it up. If it is nothing, then I clear and reload before returning it to its ready position.
One of the few books that I refer to for survival info is "How to Stay Alive in the Woods" by Bradford Angier, and he suggests that on page 68 that a flat hard shooting rifle is the best choice for securing food. In my opinion a shotgun is not a good survival choice if food is your target. As I don't live in the city but in the mountains of eastern KY, where rifles abound, the land very up and down and cities are small the limited range of a shotgun will not allow one to compete with the long range of the 30-6 .30 and .50 cal rifles that most serious hunters have in their arsonal. We also have elk and bear out here and a shotgun is not efficient enough. I am however looking at an AR 15 style semi-full auto for protection from other human interlopers.
This is a freaking great set of articles. Super helpful. Thanks Smashy!
the 7.62x39mm round will not penetrate an engine block, i have tested the more potent 7.62x51mm nato round and the average round is stopped by .5 inch mild steel (excluding steel cored A.P. rounds).
Well mine is as simple as it gets, a Rem 870 with 3 inch chamber, stock is cut down to a 10 length, that works well for me and my wife, it has a 20 inch barrel with mod choke, has a 4 round side saddle and 5 shot mag tube, has a mil-spec nylon sling and a sure-fire light, mounted directly into the front as part of the pump, model 618lm, this rig works well and requres very little to maintain. any additional sugesstions would be appreciated, I have never been much of a shot-gunner…….just an old Marine Rifleman!
When it comes to a rifle, my first question is what do you see as the primary mission of the long gun. As I've said in other places (we are in a shotgun thread but …) the mission determines the caliber. If you are looking for a combat rifle to bug out of a town, that is one thing. If you are looking for a survival rifle to feed and defend your family at a BOL, that is another. There is a thread here on the AR as a survival carbine. I much prefer 30 caliber anything over an AR but that is me. In my neck of the woods, a 30-30 lever gun is absolutely adequate for hunting and home defense. Not bad as an E & E gun either. In big bear country, I think I would move up to something with more punch (but the 30-30 was designed to give bear protection to the pioneer so it might still be considered). For urban settings, a carbine in a pistol caliber 9 mm, .357, or 45 would serve just fine. The major pistol calibers would work for Black Bear in close but I'd not like to face a Grizzly with anything less than a .375 H&H Mag or a 45-70.
I favor lever guns because they are low maintenance, reliable as all get out, shoot a variety of rounds (the advent of Hornady Leverevolution Ammo mitigates the tube magazine issues for Spitzer type bullets) and the lever action is very natural for me. I can put aimed fire down range just as fast as most semi-auto rifle users can. If you are interested in spray and pray then you need something in semi-auto but I don't see the need for close quarters combat in a 'many on one' scenario as part of my prep. If you want a rifle, an old M1 Garand from the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program) would work quite well. Just a quick thumbnail but you should read the series on survival rifles. It contains a lot of information.
ya better publish an article on hunting next b/c any average Joe going hunting for rabbit or duck most likely will only see the tail end of either. . . squirrel is easiest, that and robins!
True enough. If you are planning to feed your family by hunting you had best be a hunter! If you've never hunted, after TSHTF is not the time to learn. I'd suggest finding an outfitter in the general area you intend to bug out to, tell them you are new at hunting and want a guided hunt/instruction experience. Get them to show you how to clean your kill as well as how to locate and stalk. Read what you can and take any hunting classes you can find from groups like the NRA or state hunting organizations. Then go hunting every year. The more you practice, the better you get and the more able you will be to feed your family. Bird hunting is the same way – skeet or trap is good target practice but to KNOW you can feed your family you have to have some experience actually hunting birds.
The 338 Lapua may not be as hard to come by. The US and several other nations are starting to utilize this round as a sniping weapon. It is becoming more of a mainstay caliber than it was previously. As for thinking "common ammo", the choice for a personal weapon is what do you feel comfortable with and afford to shoot to become expert and reliable in the weapons operation. Most of those same common calibers will be available after the fact, but so will the platforms that fire them if it turns into Armegeddon. I prefer using my favorite weapons and stocking ammo and reloading components for them.
Remember, you can break down 308 (7.62×51 NATO) ammo and use the components to reload your 30-06, which makes the 308 look like a toy in reality. The 308 is much better than a 223 (5.56×45) for anything other than recoil. AR platforms in 308 would be a very versatile weapon as it will take big game and has a much more effective range than a 223. I have several 22 LRs and they are good to plink with, hunt small game and can be used for deer if the need arises, plus they are reasonably quiet. I also have younger kids who can handle the 22 easily if it gets really ugly and just them firing will keep the BGs heads down (they only know several weapons are firing so look for an easier target *hopefully*). I also have a 410 pump shotgun which can be handled easily by even the 7 year old or 1 handed by myself. I hunt, so firearms are utilized heavily even under normal living conditions.
The 5.56 is the same caliber, just military ammo is loaded for greater pressure and some civilian platforms won't handle the added stress. Military brass has thicker walls, so actually loaded with the same powder measure, will create higher pressures. Rifles listed as a "5.56" are built to handle the higher pressures.
The other problem, I've heard, is that the head spacing on the 5.56 and .223 is different. While the 5.56 will safely shoot the .223, the reverse is not true. Since I can't tell them apart without reading the head stamp (which might be wrong if reloaded!) I'd get a 5.56 before I'd get a .223. Since I'm not a fan of the caliber, I don't own either but it is a good thing to know.
I've also been informed that the 7.62 NATO is just enough different that you can't safely shoot all .308 loads in an M14. Apparently there is a difference in the way the primer is seated in the NATO round and the M14 can 'slam fire' the .308 civilian. Embarrassing at best; dangerous at worse.
Being a cautious individual, I much prefer that my firearms safely shoot anything I put into them that fits. My 45-70 govt. single shot won't handle the 45-70 Marlin so I have to be very careful there but I don't expect to 'pick up' 45-70 ammo on the fly. Since I can't tell the difference between a 45-70 govt and a 45-70 Marlin just by looking, I am extremely careful at the range. I'd worry about rounds I had found while GOOD was in progress. One more thing I don't want to have to worry about in an already stressful situation.
Thank you for the comment and information; more data for the knowledge base.
I'm not a fan either, not enough trauma from impact, which is why they recommend multiple hits to stop a target. I had an Olympic arms AR style carbine for several years that I used to hunt coyotes with. The only advantage was the faster fire rate if multiples came in. I fired alot of military surplus ammo. 1 thing I did not mention and anyone deployed to a "multinational" incident will probably remember being briefed on, do NOT trust the europeon 5.56 ammo. They had alot of issues with it in Iraq not performing well in our weapons.
http://www.ar15armory.com/forums/556-223-Ammuniti…
A link for those wanting more info on the 5.56 vs 223 rem debate.
A friend of mine just got a H&R Pardner 12 gauge. Holds 5 in the tube and one in chamber. He added a 5 round capacity butt cuff , tactical sling, 3 sided rail and soon to add a tactical light and laser.
I recently bought a used, but like new 20 gauge H&R Pardner pump shotgun for $130 at a gun show. Although H&R, they are made in China, and they are a knock-off of the Remington 870.. Took it out today for the first time and was very impressed. It functioned perfectly and is well-made. If you don't mind "Chinese" and want a good but inexpensive shotgun, it is hard to beat!
No one said anything about two of the ones that I was thinking of:
The good ol' SURVIVAL rifle. One .22 round and one 410 round… that's it. The whole psychology with that one is that the whole idea is NOT to SHOOT unless it is the very, very LAST available option. When trapped behind enemy lines (or an all out disaster situation like Hurricane Katrina or worse) the idea is to STAY HIDDEN and not go Rambo. The 410 can hold different shot (slugs for defense or shot for small game) and the .22 has a little distance. Plus you will conserve ammo. You can even carry a pocket full of those little plastique "rat shot" rounds which are almost completely silent when fired. Those may come in seriously handy in an urban areas… I would much rather be able to pop off a few small .22 rounds in the dark, and not give my location away… then to expend several clips with an assault rifle… and let the entire town know where I was. Plus, survival rifles were designed for downed pilots… designed for the BOB. Really lite, rugged and completely simple.
The other one that I was thinking of was the good ol' .30 cal ranch rifle. It's slow, but it sure does pack a wallop. It will take out any game in North America and it's the rifle that one the west. It wouldn't be my first choice, I thought I'd just be a butt-nugget and give it some respect. It worked for the cowboys right?
I've seriously been considering picking up an AK and a few spam cans to have handy, but this article did expand the topic quite a bit. It's pretty hard to hunt small game like birds and varmints (which will probably be the most abundant food source available) with an AK or an AR. Plus those things are LOUD.
The best offense is STILL a good defense. ie, sneaking quietly by while the guys who stocked up on guns and ammo are shooting it out in the street. After the battle is over, use stealth to pop them in the head with your little .22 LR and jack their stuff
Even a freaking tank is useless when you don't have a really strong plan behind it. Everyone has their own strategy though.
Anyways, this is a great little blog. Lots of good, positive ideas floating around here…
Duder,
Actually, it was the double barrel shotgun in the hands of the farmers that won the west – yellow dog journalist press not withstanding! That said, you are right – the good old 30-30 lever gun is a very good piece of kit. I enjoy cowboy guns a lot. If you ever go to the Single Action Shooting Society website you can find videos of guys using lever guns, double barrels, and Single Action revolvers putting out an impressive rate of aimed fire. I can put aimed fire down range with a lever gun or a SAA revolver as fast as most folks can put AIMED fire down range with a semi-auto. (The professional/demonstration shooters who do 6 rounds in under 2 seconds are a different breed of cat. I don't get to fire 10,000 rounds of ammo a year unfortunately!) Your comment of a lever gun being "slow" only applies if you're doing "spray and pray" shooting. In that case, you need full auto, belt fed or your wasting your time and ammo. Just my not so humble opinion.
Great article, agree with all of it. If I had only one firearm to take with me it would be my remington 870. Nothing fancy…no lights or pistol grip or heat shield or red dot sight….why the heck would anyone put a red dot on a shotgun anyway I really don't see the point. It is the most. To me it is the most versatile firearm out there.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to miss with a scatter gun. At 10 foot ranges, a decent shotgun might give you a 3 to 4 inch shot pattern so you do have to be more or less on target. A laser and/or a light can give instant aim and point and shoot is dead easy. Hole up in a safe room, the shotgun with laser and/or light can very effectively "close" the door to the room. Things like a red dot do seem a tad over the top to me but on a hunting weapon, some might find it useful. I think it is needless complexity but I can see the motivation behind it.
Yes you are right that you can miss with a shotgun, especially at very close range but out of any firearm a shooter with expert experiance or no experiance has the best change of hitting a target with a shotgun. For the most part i don't "believe" in the lights and lasers for firearms. With a laser, alot can happen between the second you see the dot on a target and you pull the trigger and it is NOT going to go exactly where the dot is. A flashlight is helpful but I don't want to give away my position. Plus with all these accesories there is added weight and maintenace (batteries) I'm sure for a lot of people these are great but I am a barebones kind of a guy. Thanks for the comment
you are right! the sound of the pump action is not only intimidating as hell, the sound is so recognizable/familiar that most everyone would freeze or turn tail in complete darkness w/out even seeing the cannon.
Nice timing on the shotgun article. I'm a big fan of the 12ga Rem 870 and Moss 500 series shotguns. You almost can't beat this firearm for versatility, knockdown power, and simplicity. Two other firearms I don't think you can be without are the Glock 17/19, and a well built and reliable AR rifle in .223/5.56. However, if I had to choose just one firearm from the three I have listed it would be a simple Rem 870 Tactical with a spare barrel.
I know everybody has their favorite calibre or style of weapon, so in a WTF situation you're better off using what you know. I know that 22 cal is common, cheap, can be handled easily, and is flexible for use in many situations… (that's how I like my women, too) so it makes sense for ME. I know I can pack 1000 rounds in a back pack with very little weight and be able to run, walk or crawl away to safety. I don't have to kill somebody to neutralize them as a threat, besides, they'll use up more resources treating their wounds. The trick is to avoid the BG's… and/or avoid a FAIR fight at all costs
Danny, if you want to survive Get an Saiga AK-47, not AR-15.
A 30 Cal Bullet (7.62 x 39) has better Blistics than a .223 dia bullet.
Marines often use AK's instead of R's. AR's jam if dirty–AK's eat sand and keep going.
Read up on the Desert wars, AR's are a pain to keep clean & lubbed.
100 Million AK's can't be wrong. Try one, you'll like it.
Johnny Glock
AK47 is the gun. Stick it in sand/mud/water and it still fire. Try doing that with an AR15/M16.
No competion. AK47- so simple yet so effective. Also AK47 was designed to kill not to injure like the M16.
Not so sure about this. What is the other guy is armed. You have just given away your position and reduced you rounds by 1. Bad tactics. You sure you were a cop?
As "far fetched" (howbeit, entertaining) all the Zombie movies (aka "The Walking Dead" TV show) may be there are some interesting scenarios where citizens band together, pool their experiences and resources to increase the odds of survival. Though zombies won't be the issue in our areas in the event of SHTF, we will have roving bands of SOTBP's (South Of The Border People) ravaging our neighborhoods. I am not ANIT-SOTHBP but I am PRO-Survival.
It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
I shoot 5.56mm and .223 in my AR. As long as your rifle is rated for 5.56mm it WILL shoot both safely!!! Actually my M1A owner's manual recommends NOT using .308 ammo due to a softer primer in civilian ammo, which can cause a "SLAM FIRE".
cheap long range rifle with cheap shells is the Mossin Nagant 7.62mm sporty. It is accurate up to about 1/2 mile and you can get the shells at Fleet Farm and other places for $90/440 rounds
cache consists of two 22 rifles, one 12 gauge, one 20 gauge and a 7.62. I am still buying up rounds but have most of the other stuff like tents and sleeping bags already.
You guys with little gun experience might want to listen to Cpt Bart, preference is preference, and people will recommend their particular gun fetishes all day long, but pick your most likely event and train it. Specialty calibers are sexy, but scarce and the first to go when the trucks stop running. 5.56 while not the end-all-be-all is a widely used and tested caliber. 7.62X39 is usually manufactured with bi-metal bullets which make them semi-armor penetrating. Shotguns are wrecking balls with triggers, pistols are a last resort, a secondary weapon right next to your knife. Whatever your choice is, train it, be the best you can be with it. Arguing about capabilities and which is the very best at a particular task is a waste of breath, opinions vary. It's a tool box people, fill it with tools you can use. A small woman can't effectively employ a twelve pound sledge, and neither can they continuously fire an FAL without hurting themselves. Find what works, use it well, peace out.
stick to what the cops and military carry 223 9mm 45 auto or 40 s&w and if your on a budget get an AK from the soviet block remington and mossberg are both inexpensive and geta twelve gauge cops carry twelve gauge shotguns and so do most households
hilariously stupid…. guns get you shot…. learn to eat plants….
With the whole thing which seems to be building throughout this topic, all your ideas happen to be honestly exciting. Having said that, I beg your pardon, but I do not give credence to your entire suggestion, all be it stimulating none the less. It seems to me that your observations are generally not completely validated and in reality you are your self not completely confident of the point. In any case I did delight in examining it.
This rifle: http://flic.kr/p/PvvDe has a CMMG upper with a government profile barrel and all the features you describe except I believe it does not have M4 feed ramps (not really necessary for a 20" rifle.)
Accuracy has been excellent and barrel seems to be properly made. The upper receiver is coated with teflon, which gives it a shinier finish than I'm used to, but in the end I'm not complaining, especially for the price I paid. The bolt and barrel perform very well and everything seems to be in spec. Here is a photo showing the differences in finish: http://flic.kr/p/4bEGCN
Very cool gun!
Thanks for the advice.
Like I said, I've heard quite a few good reviews about CMMG, but I don't have any experience with them.
I'll let you know how my build goes when I finally do it.
the saigas is a cool gun but dose jam dosnt like universal parts and a waste of time
I have a Saiga12 and have about 300 rounds through it and it has never jammed. AK reliability with shotty versatility. It is hard to beat. There's a reason it is the standard 12GA used by the Speznatz in Russia (i.e. Russian Navy Seals).
Fine weapon but how much ammo is going to be available WSHTF? That's why I have and AR15 in 5.56mm plus a Springfield M1A Scout in 7.62 NATO. My wife will carry the AR while I carry the scout.
Ammo availability is VERY important.
Ho about adding to that security of our firearms education about firearms to your children and grandchildren?!
You make a very viable point sir and I can find no error in your reasoning. I just recently added a tac. 12 gauge to or family and couldn't be happier. My wife was having a hard time with the sks but as we all know 00 buckshot dosen't require marksmanship. with our rifle, shotgun and matching ruger p-95's I feel we are prepared for most any situation.
{ 12 trackbacks }