3 Guns To Get You Through Armageddon
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine…
Here’s a thought experiment. Whether it’s a zombie pandemic, the pouring out of God’s wrath a la Revelation, or my ex-wife’s Spanx developed a rip right as she bent over, but it’s happened–the world is coming to an end. In the Spanxpocalypse, you only get to pick out three guns to take with you as you head for the proverbial hills. You know that moving on foot is your best bet, so you’ll have to carry all three of them on your person. Since the SHTF and you might have to forage for ammunition and rely on your own gunsmithing skills, they need to be reliable, easy to feed with commonly available ammunition, and reasonably compact. So what three guns do you pick? Here are my choices:
1) Rifle: 6.5 Creedmoor Steyr Scout
Made to Col. Jeff Cooper (of Gunsite fame)’s exacting standards, the Steyr Scout rifle has been around for 21 years. Part of Cooper’s vision was that the Scout needed to be extremely accurate, highly dependable, and chambered in a cartridge capable of taking down any size North American game. Recently, Steyr updated the line with a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, one of the hottest and flattest-shooting calibers out there. Because the 6.5 Creedmoor has become so popular among hunters and target shooters, it’ll be easy to raid the smoking husks of sporting-goods stores for ammo. (Although I’ll probably still disdain Dick’s.) It’s got three attachment points for a Ching sling, so I’d be able to carry it hands-free until such a time as I need to hunt down my dinner. Since the 6.5 can take me from rabbits to moose, I’ll be eating good for a long time. Plus, as a bolt gun, there’s just a lot less that could potentially go wrong with it that I know my sorry-ass gunsmithing skills couldn’t fix. $1787 and it’s yours!
2) Shotgun: Mossberg 590M Shockwave Mag-Fed Pump Action
The same principles apply here: The 590M Shockwave is a pump-action, so it’ll be hard for me to accidentally break it while I’m fighting my way out of the encircling ring of Spanx-mad zombies. Additionally, because it’s mag-fed, I’ll have 10 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, which is a pretty fair number of zombies to take on without having to reload. Since it’s a 12-gauge, shells will be easy to find (but not at Dick’s). The Shockwave is a relatively new release, but Mossberg is, like Steyr, an old name with a sterling reputation for reliability. It’s only 27.5 inches long in total, and weighs only 6.5 pounds unloaded, so I feel pretty confident that even my desk-jockey physique could handle carrying it through the shattered, burning shells that remain of civilization. $721 and you’re apocalypse-ready!
3) Handgun: Colt King Cobra Revolver
This is another relatively new offering from a storied company, but I still feel good about it for a number of reasons. First, it’s a Colt (duh). Second, it’s a revolver…although it’s of course possible for a cylinder to jam, it’s just not as likely to happen as it might with a semi-auto. It’s a bit of a tradeoff in that I’ll only have six shots to work with before I’ll have to reload, but in my opinion it’s worth it. Thirdly, it’s chambered in .357 Magnum, so I’ll have the choice of loading it with 38 Spl. or .357…thus doubling my ammo-scavenging opportunities. With a heavy-duty frame and stainless-steel barrel, it’s guaranteed to withstand me dropping it in terror the first time I see a Spanxzombie up close. At 28 ounces it’s no lightweight (just like my ex–heyo!), but the extra weight will offset the gun’s recoil. For $899 you can be ready for SHTF Time!
What three guns would you choose for when the Earth goes pear-shaped? Tell us in the comments!
I couldn’t agree more! A revolver for the end of days? I assure you if anyone takes this article seriously then I suggest you do more research on weapons in general. I can tell you my top three, if limited to just that.
1. My P30 in .40 cal that holds 13/1 round mag. (Plenty of 165gr JHP.) One gun that will not fail if you are lacking the other 2 weapons or need to fight back to your long gun.
2. Ar-15 preferably my HK416 or something close, as long as it is gas/piston.
3. A Semi-Auto long gun and if given an choice the HK G28 noggin knocker. One of the few rifles that has a 16 inch barrel that has the ballistics of other rifles with 18-20 inch barrels. It reaches out and touches someone or something without the weight of most other DMR’s.
Baby Desert Eagle II 45 acp/Steel frame/ 10 rd magazines
Kel-Tec CMR-30 22 WMR/Leupold Fixed 2.5 power scope/BUIS/30 rd magazines
Kel-Tec RFB 308 Win High Effeciency Rifle/Leupold Fixed 6 Power scope/BUIS/20 rd magazines
In my pack is the 500 rds 50 grn Solid Point 22 WMR/Box of 50 45 acp ammo.
10 20 rd .308 magazines
6 10 rd 45 acp magazines
The CMR is my work horse/ ability to harvest and defend to 100 yards
Three of the stupidiest choices! Actually it may not be SO stupid because im thinking NO gun writer is that stupid and ignorant so this is probable a well veiled commercial for three different gun compan ies!
#1 – Springfield Armory Saint Edge AR Pistol 5.56mm , short , sweet will do anything .
#2- Any Ruger Mark pistol in 22LR .
#3- Rem 870 with smooth bore slug BBL in 12ga , can use slugs and/any size of shot .
You’ll make it with these !
If it’s all about zombies, bad guys, enemy soldiers and looters, join an army or marine unit. One guy and his family won’t survive long. But if it’s hide in the boonies and live off the land, and you have to carry it all, weight and size matter a lot more. The deadliest round in history remains the .22LR, and for the most plentiful forms of game it is plenty. At around 140 per pound and almost unlimited availability it provides WAY more shots. .22LR = less flash, less bang, less recoil, easy to train, reliable.
The most reliable .22 rifle will be single shot break-action. It takes any length .22, has fewer moving parts, requires little maintenance, and the most likely sources of misfires are ammo or a broken firing pin. The M6 Scout fits the bill, includes a .410 and carries several rounds of ammo for both. (OBTW, .410 slugs can take people and deer, and are WAY lighter and smaller than 12 gauge.) It is very light and folds to suitcase or small duffle size.
Next would be a long barrel, accurate .22LR semi-auto pistol, with about six magazines of its favorite round. That round will also dominate my stash of .22LR ammo, because semi-autos can be picky.
The HOLY S–T gun will be the author’s 357 Magnum, for the reasons stated. It would be on my hip, and the others slung or in a ruck.
I think it was Bill Jordan who said in effect: The.357 magnum is the single gun you need. With it you can acquire any other gun you desire.
It would take more than that to take my weapons away. I think if anyone approached me with a revolver I just might laugh to death…then you can take my weapons LOL
This article is meant to be fun to read and lighthearted yet as expected there are numerous alternative suggestions. I think you made some good choices and have brought some interesting guns to people’e attention or at least are providing food for thought. The zombie apocalypse theme is just a theme, not the focus.
The only real problem I see is the price of the so called, best “thing” for the apocalypse or best sample of a product. Of course there are other choices in rifles, shotguns and pistols, so no need to get upset over what you suggest.
I do think you’re choices reflect the theme of simplicity, which is most relevant. Much as we can all appreciate magazine fed semi-auto firearms, shotguns and rifles with tubular magazines that are either pump, bolt or lever action models do not require the added expense and complexity of magazines and carriers for them. And revolvers don’t require magazines meaning that these choices can always be loaded. All one needs is the ammo. Regardless of caliber or gauge, if you’ve got the rounds, you can shoot.
Rifle = AR probably Colt LE 6920 or FN/FAL depends on scout range
Shotty= Mossberg 12, but in riot trim, Magpul furniture & tube mag
Pistol = G19 9mm, easier to find parts and 9mm is everywhere.
Bonus = suppressed Ruger 22/45 LITE .22lr for discreet harvest
You think the way I do. 6.5Creedmore & Styer parts are going to be hard to find.
Been there ,done that ,got the t-shirt, Y2K wasn’t shit. If you were raised right , you would have the skills to use anything available .
My Charger Arms Pathfinder.22/.22 mag
Ruger 10/22
Mossberg 12 guage Thunder Ranch model
Mossberg and 10/22 both have folding stocks
A handgun for consideration. Ruger New Model Blackhawk .357 with an additional 9mm cylinder. Triples my ammunition choices and keeps the mechanics simple, being a revolver. My accompanying carbine would be the Ruger PC Carbine. Same 9mm ammo as the Blackhawk. Also breaks down easily for pack carry. Rifle? Have to stay with .30-.06. I prefer Savage with a good scope and wooden stock, better for clocking whatever is coming atcha.
Yawn
sig 365 tucked in my belt, PCR on my side. Scorpion slung, and my Mossberg on my backpack. All with extra clips and shells. I would probably have my FNX .45 in my backpack with extra mags
savage 22mag/20guage noreen30-06 freedom arms pistol in 44mag or 454
Well I”ll play too. I’d keep my glock 17 9mm, my Keltec CMR30 (Can carry a whole lot of bang in 22mag) And my AR 10 for power and distance. 9mm and 308 ought to be about as easy to find as anything, And everyone seems to skip the rimfires so it ought to be findable as well But I’ll be starting with plenty from home since I can carry lots of it.
Glock 19x
7.5” AR Pistol in .223/.556
Remington 870 pump with Magpul Accessories
Would be tough to leave out the trusty Ruger 10/22 or the Savage .17HMR too
what ever I find laying around!
Beretta ARX 100 5.56mm rifle w/30 rd mags of regular and green tipped ammo & a 10″ SBR kit (it’s an apocalypse, so tax stamps are obsolete :-))
Beretta M9 9mm pistol with 20 and 30 rd mags
Tavor TS12 shotgun
1.) Springfield XD .45
2.) Henry .22 survival rifle (VERY COMPACT, floats, accurate at bunny distances, carries it’s 3 10 round mags packed, simple mech)
3..) Rock Island stainless 12g pump (it’ll take the deer and bear just fine)
Why limit yourself to 3- except for the purposes of this discussion, and if you’re going to carry them all for any distance. For the latter, I’d choose a “cowboy carry” of Henry Big Boy in 357 Magnum, S&W 686+ 7-shot revolver in the same carry, and backpack a Henry AR-7 22-caliber survival rifle. Common ammo for the first two, the ability to also use 38 Spl (but only 165-grain in the Henry,) and the wide availability of all the ammo calibers mentioned.
For survive in place situations, I’d already have those 3, but for the purposes of this 3-gun discussion, I’d add an AK-47 (dependability!), either a Remington or Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, and a bulllpup-design rifle in 5.56. I choose the latter as it takes standard AR-15 mags with widely-available ammo, is shorter for navigating around tight spaces for clearing a house or other building, yet still has a longer barrel than AR-based pistols for reliable accuracy at greater ranges, as well.
You should add a medium/long range supressed sniper rifle with optics and night vision. I’d select 7 mm Mag for flat trajectory and terminal balistics. Why let them get close? Why let them know where you are?
And a big, strong, gentle mule to carry all of that and surplus ammo, or a deuce and 1/2. You’d do better to fort up where you are and let the rats come to you, rather than after you. They see enough bodies laying around at 400=600 yards they’ll figure out that there are softer targets than you. Don’t forget a big, well trained dog – they’ll save your ass long before you are even aware of danger. 125# German Shepherd or Lab: both can be taught to do it all.
I would choose:
1. AR15 pistol chambered in 5.56 with a .22LR conversion. The 5.56 will take larger game and fend off spanxzombies from a distance. The .22LR conversion will take smaller game and I can carry 10x as many rounds.
2. FN 509 9mm pistol. FN’s 509 is built like a brick shit house and utterly reliable. 9mm. Cheap, easy and effective.
3. Mossberg Shockwave 590 12Ga. Close up work with nothing more than soup and bones left.
Oh, and I wouldn’t choose the 590M version. Too many extra parts to carry and you can top off a tubular magazine without taking the gun out of action.
I’ll go with what I have. Ruger P95, Ruger AR556, and a Mossberg SA 20. I know ammo for the 20 could get iffy, but my shoulder is so damaged that after 10 rounds of 12, its useless.
Glad to see mention of the P95.
Nothin’ Fancy
– ruger 10/22
– Remington 870, 12ga
– Ruger Amer. Preditor, .308
– M&P, 9mm
– Springfield XDS, 9mm
Believe me, when the “world ends”, there is a lot more, .22, 9mm, .308 and 12 ga out there, than 6.5 !!!!
Glock 17 with 4 clips, mossberg 590 Mariner coat 9 shot pump, tarus raging judge tho only 6 shots there ro
My choices are dictated by my terrain. I’m going with a Ruger SR762, Ruger 10/22, Glock 21, and just because, a Rock Island Arms VR80 shotgun.
Seams Everybody missed the Most Popular Gun In The World,The AK47. And The Most Used Round 7.62 x 39 Used In A Lot Of Guns !! Easy To Scavange Rounds Everybody Can Afford An AK47 and Cheap To Shoot !!
With my physical limitations, my best bet would be to dig a hole big enough to put in all my firearms and ammo and do the best camo job possible. If I had to limit myself to three, my choices would be my Ar-15 .223/5.56 along with a conversion bolt to accept .22 lr, a .22 lr pistol,, and a Walther PPQ M2 .45 with 12 + 1 capacity.
I’m with you. And when I’ve run out of ammo and the energy to swing a club, I can pull the dirt in over me. While I’m waiting, I’ll be working on my grave marker.
This all takes me back to the 1950s and people building personal bomb shelters. When it’s all over, do I really want to live in the world that is left? Struggling to find food, safe water, etc.
To paraphrase Dylan Thomas’s words…
I will not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
FN 5.7×28 pistol
FN PS90
AR 5.7
All well rounded and all accept same caliber.
Fostech Lite AR with Echo Trigger in 5.56
– Alternate: Springfield M1A
– Bug Home: FN PS90 in 5.7
Sig P226 9mm or Glock 17
– Alternate: Colt Python
– Bug Home: FN Five-Seven
Suppressed Barrett MRAD Bolt Action Rifle 7mm Remington Magnum 24″ with ATN X-Sight II 5-20 Rifle Scope
– Alternate: Barrett M107A1 50BMG with Barrett QDL Suppressor
Extras: Sig P380 Ankle gun
Suppressed .22LR pistol and scoped long gun.
Stick to NATO standard ammunition. NATO standard mil spec ammo is sealed for long term storage and right now it is going at very competitive prices. Do not out think yourself. We learned a very valuable lesson from the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN); the best is the enemy of good enough. You simply need to outlast your opposition. Face it, if the dung hits the fan most cops are going home to take care of their families. Look at any recent major hurricane. If you are in solidarity with your neighbors and family, stockpile food and supplies and have prearranged understandings concerning food, water and security you can last quite a while. Everyone must have a specialty ranging from food procurement to medical services. Everyone carries the burden. Be capable of reloading and making basic weapons. If and when order is restored your little corner of the world will be ready to get back in to action. Not so much for the blue utopias better known as our major urban areas. They will be a free fire zone because folks who live there do not live under a cooperate to graduate culture. Semper Fidelis
Agree. Stay with popular ammo eating firearms, .308, .223, 9mm,.357 mag. 45 acp . 6.5 creedmoor isn’t widely available. !2 ga., OK, revolver, OK
1 A Good Pistol with a common round 357, 38, 45, 9mm etc.
2 A 22LR for common game
3 An AR-15 again because it’s a common round
4 A high powered rifle again with a common round 30-06 or 308 etc
5 a 12 gauge Shot Gun with a variety of shot Rifled slug, 00 buck shot and some bird shot
I chose 5 because only 3 limit you ability to survive!
The author did not care about survival. He just wanted to have fun, Leaving out .the 22 showed that he didn’t care. The 22 will be the most valuable of all. You may want to have 2 in case one fails and you can’t repair it.
You summed up perfectly on what I was going to post, that is the list. And yes – a good 22 is critical and a suppressed 22 would be even better but not crucial.
The author’s list are cool things he would like to have – not what you would actually need to survive.
An AR 15 in .223/5.56, and a S&W M&P 2.0 Compact in 9mm or similar pistol. That’s all you need. A shotgun would be more of a burden than asset. Shotgun ammo is too large and heavy to carry more than a few rounds. A revolver only holds 6 rounds and they are also heavy compared to a polymer handgun,
The AR is versatile enough to take medium or small game with the right ammo. And it is also better suited for a defensive role than a bolt action deer rifle or small capacity shotgun. Same goes for revolver vs semi auto handgun.
I can’t really think of a third firearm that would do anything the other two can’t, without being a huge burden. If you are on foot, carry extra water, rations, or ammo, instead of a third firearm. Okay, maybe a 10/22, if I absolutely had to.
My 3 gun choices would be my Henry Big Boy .44 magnum lever action, my EAA Bounty Hunter .44 magnum SAA revolver ( 2 guns using the same ammo), and my model 12 20 gauge shotgun ( I find it very light and easy to use).
Not #1 a 30-06 or 308 Rem 7600 would be my choices – ammo availability