Best Survival Guns: Handguns, Shotguns and Rifles for the Survivalist
OL blogger Tim MacWelch picks his favorite rifles, shotguns and handguns for survival situations. What's your go-to survival gun?
What makes a good survival gun? Well, there's no one perfect survival gun, because each life-or-death situation is different. But at the very least, it should thrive in tough conditions and shoot commonly available ammo. It also doesn’t hurt if the gun is affordable and the rounds it shoots are affordable enough to allow for lots of target practice. Check out my list of the best handguns, shotguns and rifles for a variety of different survival situations. AdvertisementRelated PhotosSUBMIT YOUR PHOTOSADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement |
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Comments (36)
For a shotgun, I'll take a single-shot H&R 12 gauge --- no wasted shells by spraying & praying. If you can't hit what you're pointing at with a scattergun, you're REALLY in trouble.
Rifle? Mosin Nagant M44 carbine --- kicks like amule, hits like a .30-06 & killed more Nazis than the Russian winter. Ammo is ultra-cheap, too.
For a pistol I'd go for either any 9mm for easy ammo availability or a Taurus PT145 .45 ACP & make every shot count.
I live in the new Madrid seismic zone, for those who don't know the last set of bad earthquakes here lasted about 3 months. So I've given survival some thought. Agreed, first and foremost is food/water/fuel. But with respect to guns, the ar is a very bad choice. 1st, very complicated action, lots of smallparts, heavy maintenance. A better choice would be the ruger mini-14 if you must have a survival gun in .223/5.65nato. very few moving parts, self cleaning gas chamber, garand action is like an anvil. Is it as accurate-no. can it be used skillfully for hunting varmints of the 4 and 2 legged kind? absolutely. For small game I have a 40 year old Winchester .22lr single shot bolt action, gets the job done, for deer/hogs/ whatever, a marlin 336 in 30-30. pistol, a s&w mod. 640 in 357mag. all the bases covered with simple designs that require little maintiance. But to reiterate, I really think the mini is a much better choice for a self defence carbine, unless you are a gunsmith.
I feel as though you should choose the right weapon for the right situation. If your going to mobil you would need travel light. By that I mean the weapon of choice would bee 22 LR or 22 MAG. You can carry so much ammo for it's light. Just be sure to but the good stuff not the cheap lead. The second on my list is a good 12 GA shotgun or 20 GA. You can take that and high powered shells and it's very deadly out to 20-30 yards, and throw in some buckshot or slugs and your out their. For handguns I carry a 1911 Colt MDL 70 and my second choice is a Ruger Mark. One other thing one should consider is a good blade. Their is allot of good steel out their on the market but in pocket knife is a CASE and the one on my side is 6" CASE XXRAZOR. Always remember a bll bat swings better than a rifle, so should you not have plenty of ammo for each weapons just buy a couple of ball bats.
I have three guns on this list...the 870, the 500, and the Ruger 10/22.
The .22-over-.410 M6 Scout and Model 24 Savage aren't in production anymore, and those that have them won't let them go. I'm pinning my hopes on the new Savage Model 42 .22-over-.410. Similar to the 24 but with a plastic stock.
all these guns except for the 22's are very costly and make noise. If an armed band of bullies show up they might kill you to get your food. I keep an air gun, cross bow and even a hunting sling shot handy. You never run out of rocks!
I prefer A Marlin.22CAL bolt action with 3-9*32 or 40 scope with over & under see through rings. it's for small game to medium such as rabbits to Caribou, plus you can buy lots of ammunition & it's light to carry. plus H&R 410 ga with 3" chamber, can do just about anything with it, shoot game from small to big game plus fowl game, ammunition i prefer #4 or #6 & slugs for big game, also ammunition is light to carry you can buy lots of these shells. Oh dont forget to carry a Bushnell-Arbor bore sighter kit at all times! :)
i think as far as guns go a 12 guage shotgun fits the bill nicely i personaly wouldnt need much more than an 18.5 inch shotgun light enough to travel enough punch to take on nearly anything you might encounter wildlife or otherwise its great to carry if your walkin those trails out there but other than a shotgun i'd definetly be packin one or all of my blades(i have 3 a millitary fighting knife survival knife and my little bootknife which is handy in a pinch)now if were talkin handguns then definetly a revolver ruger blackhawk convertable because both .357 and 9 mils are extremely common ammunition type and itd be nice to pop off a 9 when you dont need the magnum round well i suppose thats my two cents for this neat little post
Any brand basically, a good 12 ga. pump and a good accurate bolt action high powered rifle. I guess it would depend on the situation also. A bow and arrow could also work.
I would want my S&W MP serries M4 223 and about 100000000000000000 rounds for Deer. And my Glock 17 pistol and a 700 nitro express for rabbits
For a pistol I would say either .22 or 9mm just for the ease of getting and carrying ammo. A shotgun can be used for a multitude of shooting scenario's especially if you have a model where the barrel swaps out with a rifled barrel.
Up here in Canada a Lee Enfield .303 british is good for any north american big game.
Hi...
Okay, here's my two kopeks worth on the ONE survival weapon I would prefer.
That's a 12 guage shotgun. Simple, eh? Slugs for big game...or "other" things that go bump in the night. Buckshot for the same use...(kinda like firing a handful of .45s)...!!
And, of course, smaller shot for smaller game.
That should cover most bases for most of North America.
When I hit the woods I carry a Taurus Tracker .44 Magnum in a Diamond D Guides Choice chest rig. It is small enough to carry and big enough to count. I keep the first round loaded up with a CCI shot shell for critters I might find tasty along the way. If it is long term, add my Ruger 10/22 with a folding stock into the mix and I am content. I have other military grade weapons in the safe if I need to defend me and mine, but that will not likely be in the woods.
My pick for a handgun would be either a 357 magnum revolver: my Ruger Blackhawk single action fits this perfectly (actually has the 9mm extra cylinder); or a 1911 45. Either handgun provides the user easy to find ammunition or supplies to hand load. Either also provides the power to put down game or fight off 2 leg predators. Hard choice to pick one but I love my Kimber 1911 so much if I had to choose that's what I would pick.
Rifle choice would come down to be a semi-auto 22lr such as a Ruger 10/22 (high-capacity and ultra ammo availability; 30-30 lever action (for power and high ammo availability); or a possibly an AR-15 orAR-10 . My pick if just would be 30-30 due to my prior experience with it and high reliability of the action(either Winchester or Marlin).
The shotgun would be either a 20 or 12 gauge pump Mossberg for no other reason I have a 20 gauge pump Mosssberg.
When I think of survival, I think of getting something to eat/drink (gun might not help with the water), therefore, I think of small, therefore, I think of my Ruger 22LR pistol. I can carry a lot of 22LR shells in my pocket or backpack, it will kill a heap of edible crits, is accurate out to about 30 yards or maybe more, and small enough to holster and carry. Mine in the Mark II model, very reliable. Now, I am not talking about defending myself against bears here, just real survival. Where I live and wander, it will suffice; and no talk about it not being good enough for the two-legged kind of varmints who might want to do harm - it will work.
I am frequently impressed by the the diverse points of view and knowledge that contributors bring to this forum. I see WSU and 3030 making very sensible contributions to the discussion. One fellow bases his opinion upon experience with natural disasters that have forced him to focus on the realities of survival circumstances. 3030 guy, who makes his living repairing firearms, says the best survival gun is the one least likely to breakdown.. ie the least complicated firearms have less to go wrong. I have my share of opinions but have learned to defer to expert advice. Thanks guys!
I found a nice survival long guns last year, being a revolving shotgun handling .410 and .45 l.c.. I have no problems with heavy pistols as long as not packed on the hip for other emergencies. after a while they tend to get pretty heavy on the legs cutting down travel time. depending on the amount of ammo you want to pack the smaller is a little better since the .410 is a lot easier to pack a few boxes of shells but the drawback is that most of these little combo guns handle only the 2.5" shells which are great for small game. 12 ga guns capable of handling both the slugs and shot shell (improved cylinder to keep from messing the barrel up) are ok but more than 2 boxes of ammo gets pretty heavy. the ak 47 could have been left off. I have one and you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it due to the chrome lined bore. it does hit hard but at 50 yards it hits all over the board no matter how you set the scope up on it--so definitely wouldn't be my first choice. another thing to look at is stuff like the marlin 882/883 .22 mags are good solid guns but the 882 has magazines that need to be modified since they usually come as 7 rd mags. a little modification to them allows 9 rounds to be carried in the mag but the mag catch leaves a lot to be desired since carrying with an arm near it will cause the mag to drop out costing you ammo and a way to shoot more than one round (watch snow walker since that is what he uses and loses). the 883 is a tube fed so much safer.
i would use a small caliber like 22.cal for small game. Then in dangerous situtions i would use a hi.point 40.
Savage model 24 combination would be a nice choice in .22/20 gauge.
Reliable, simple, versatile, and fairly accurate at reasonable ranges.
I am with Jason W. and Robert D....probably kill myself trying to move the arsenal from one place to another though...one thing to remember about a firearm is how simple are the interior mechanics. You don't want malfunctions that cannot be repaired. Glock pistols are very simple inside even to the point of replacing a firing pin (I am a Glock armorer and they don't back anyone doing anything unless you have their blessing ie. certificate but hey, in a survival situation all that certificate is good for is starting a fire..) Marlin rifles are also very simple as are Remington pump shotguns with exchangeable barrels..revolvers and bolt guns are usually pretty easy too. Stay away from SigSauer-extremely complicated inside....just my .02
There are all kinds of situations to prepare for. Could be like the 1918 flu epidemic,could be blizzard in the NE, hurricanes in the SE, droughts or floods in the midwest, or earthquakes on the West coast. I personally have experienced two earthquakes, a volcanic eruption,a week evacuation due to a forest fire and a week long below zero power outage. Firearms are important, but not at the top of my list.Food, water, shelter, and alternate fuel are. When it is below zero and you have no gas or electricity,you can't shoot cold or a fire that is threatening your community. You can go hunting though if the food supply is contaminated.
Handloading can improve the performance of any cartridge especially the 9mm.
I'd lose the 9mm's - the cartridge isn't much good as a people shooter or as a game getter either.
What exactly is the situation that I am suppose to be surviving? Unless the world as we know it comes apart most of us need never consider survival situations other than those that may befall us on a hunting trip where things go wrong. In that circumstance, we have our goose hunting gun or our big game rifle in hand. Meaning we have everything covered in terms of necessary firepower. If we are at all risk conscious we have a some of the bare essentials with us on any such outing.... flashlight, matches or a lighter and fire starting material, a knife, a compass and such. I tend to agree with one of the contributors to this forum article who suggests this is heavy on advertisement and short on reality for the topic it claims to address. The truth be known none of these toys are a substitute for some common sense and composure in the face of unexpected and frightening events. Those forum members with a military background can surely attest to the accuracy of that statement better than the rest of us!
Really the manufacturer of a firearm is only as important as so far as the firearm is accurate, reliable, and of such quality as to be durable. Haveing said that my picks would be a good 22LR rifle and pistol for the light weight and cost factors. A good 30-06 Hunting rifle or 308, but I preffer the 30-06 personaly as it gives an edge with heaveyer bullets. A good simi-Auto handgun 9mm or better, and a good revolver 357mag.,44mag., and either the 460S&W or the 500S&W. A good rifle in a large enough caliber to stop even the biggest and meanest bear or whatever. A pump shotgun set up for any bird huntting, Deer hunting, and selfdefense. Inother words a shotgun with a 28" barrel with screw in chocks, a rifled slug barrel, and a short Improved Cylinder Barrel.
Getting so tired of all the "survival" gear and articles.
Unless you are active military in a behind enemy lines survival situation, I would not recommend any of the pistols or semiautomatic weapons. There are too many things that can go wrong with them that you can't fix in the field. If I did carry a pistol, it would probably be a Smith & Wesson K frame revolver. My personal choice for a survival firearm would be a good bolt action .22 rimfire. I have an AR-7, had it for 40 years. It's fun to shoot, but bulky and not very accurate. I miss a lot of squirrels with it. .22 Long Rifle ammunition is cheap and light. There is no real reason not to have 50 or 100 rounds. I would be tempted to carry something bigger in bear country and that might be a revolver or the Marlin 1895 GS in Grizzly bear country.
There are some very nice weapons on this list, but sorry Tim there are some that just don't belong on a "Survival" list. I'll point out the most obvious as the Redhawk 44magnum. Come on. Really? It's a beautiful weapon, but NOT a survival weapon. Way too heavy. Way too wasteful for space in carrying. It may be intimidating to someone who is unarmed, but in a survival situation, wether it be in the woods or in an urban "SHTF" scenario it's too big and slow with only six rounds. Yes there's lot's of 44mag ammo to scavenge, but if you're lucky enough to have plenty, the ammo is also heavy. If you have speed loaders, more weight. In a survival situation ounces add up to pounds real fast. I could go on, but I would rather see the article written again for real. Just my opinion.
I found a new Springfield a few months ago and it was a lot closer to $700 than it was $200.
Why wasn't the S&W model 63 not on the list?
Why would you put a VFG on an M4 if you are going to grab it by the mag well? If you aren't going to use it, ditch the grip and the extra weight.
Some good thoughts and choices but it's mostly just a list of the advertizers.
Lots of weapons would be a good choice but with the wieght of ammo ... a .22 cal rifle/pistol would be hard to beat.
I would have to go along with DSMbirdog. Excellent choice all around.
Make that a 3 inch cylinder
The Judge also comes with a 3 inch chamber.
Good luck finding the Mossberg Flex. Not on the market for us folks yet. Just sayin'.
Instead of the AK I would go with an SKS...cheaper...easier to clean...more accurate (just my crappy opinion)...an a great deer gun to boot. I have a pistol from the list (again I go with revolvers because of lessening the chance of a jamb) and the 870 or the 500 for the shotguns... good overall list with a lot of thought put into it.
I generally would want a 357 revolver w/ a 4 inch barrel. A 22LR bolt action would be good for small game. My 870 Wingmaster and a good 30-06.
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Some good thoughts and choices but it's mostly just a list of the advertizers.
Lots of weapons would be a good choice but with the wieght of ammo ... a .22 cal rifle/pistol would be hard to beat.
There are all kinds of situations to prepare for. Could be like the 1918 flu epidemic,could be blizzard in the NE, hurricanes in the SE, droughts or floods in the midwest, or earthquakes on the West coast. I personally have experienced two earthquakes, a volcanic eruption,a week evacuation due to a forest fire and a week long below zero power outage. Firearms are important, but not at the top of my list.Food, water, shelter, and alternate fuel are. When it is below zero and you have no gas or electricity,you can't shoot cold or a fire that is threatening your community. You can go hunting though if the food supply is contaminated.
Handloading can improve the performance of any cartridge especially the 9mm.
There are some very nice weapons on this list, but sorry Tim there are some that just don't belong on a "Survival" list. I'll point out the most obvious as the Redhawk 44magnum. Come on. Really? It's a beautiful weapon, but NOT a survival weapon. Way too heavy. Way too wasteful for space in carrying. It may be intimidating to someone who is unarmed, but in a survival situation, wether it be in the woods or in an urban "SHTF" scenario it's too big and slow with only six rounds. Yes there's lot's of 44mag ammo to scavenge, but if you're lucky enough to have plenty, the ammo is also heavy. If you have speed loaders, more weight. In a survival situation ounces add up to pounds real fast. I could go on, but I would rather see the article written again for real. Just my opinion.
What exactly is the situation that I am suppose to be surviving? Unless the world as we know it comes apart most of us need never consider survival situations other than those that may befall us on a hunting trip where things go wrong. In that circumstance, we have our goose hunting gun or our big game rifle in hand. Meaning we have everything covered in terms of necessary firepower. If we are at all risk conscious we have a some of the bare essentials with us on any such outing.... flashlight, matches or a lighter and fire starting material, a knife, a compass and such. I tend to agree with one of the contributors to this forum article who suggests this is heavy on advertisement and short on reality for the topic it claims to address. The truth be known none of these toys are a substitute for some common sense and composure in the face of unexpected and frightening events. Those forum members with a military background can surely attest to the accuracy of that statement better than the rest of us!
I am with Jason W. and Robert D....probably kill myself trying to move the arsenal from one place to another though...one thing to remember about a firearm is how simple are the interior mechanics. You don't want malfunctions that cannot be repaired. Glock pistols are very simple inside even to the point of replacing a firing pin (I am a Glock armorer and they don't back anyone doing anything unless you have their blessing ie. certificate but hey, in a survival situation all that certificate is good for is starting a fire..) Marlin rifles are also very simple as are Remington pump shotguns with exchangeable barrels..revolvers and bolt guns are usually pretty easy too. Stay away from SigSauer-extremely complicated inside....just my .02
When I hit the woods I carry a Taurus Tracker .44 Magnum in a Diamond D Guides Choice chest rig. It is small enough to carry and big enough to count. I keep the first round loaded up with a CCI shot shell for critters I might find tasty along the way. If it is long term, add my Ruger 10/22 with a folding stock into the mix and I am content. I have other military grade weapons in the safe if I need to defend me and mine, but that will not likely be in the woods.
Hi...
Okay, here's my two kopeks worth on the ONE survival weapon I would prefer.
That's a 12 guage shotgun. Simple, eh? Slugs for big game...or "other" things that go bump in the night. Buckshot for the same use...(kinda like firing a handful of .45s)...!!
And, of course, smaller shot for smaller game.
That should cover most bases for most of North America.
Instead of the AK I would go with an SKS...cheaper...easier to clean...more accurate (just my crappy opinion)...an a great deer gun to boot. I have a pistol from the list (again I go with revolvers because of lessening the chance of a jamb) and the 870 or the 500 for the shotguns... good overall list with a lot of thought put into it.
Good luck finding the Mossberg Flex. Not on the market for us folks yet. Just sayin'.
The Judge also comes with a 3 inch chamber.
Make that a 3 inch cylinder
I found a new Springfield a few months ago and it was a lot closer to $700 than it was $200.
Why wasn't the S&W model 63 not on the list?
Really the manufacturer of a firearm is only as important as so far as the firearm is accurate, reliable, and of such quality as to be durable. Haveing said that my picks would be a good 22LR rifle and pistol for the light weight and cost factors. A good 30-06 Hunting rifle or 308, but I preffer the 30-06 personaly as it gives an edge with heaveyer bullets. A good simi-Auto handgun 9mm or better, and a good revolver 357mag.,44mag., and either the 460S&W or the 500S&W. A good rifle in a large enough caliber to stop even the biggest and meanest bear or whatever. A pump shotgun set up for any bird huntting, Deer hunting, and selfdefense. Inother words a shotgun with a 28" barrel with screw in chocks, a rifled slug barrel, and a short Improved Cylinder Barrel.
I am frequently impressed by the the diverse points of view and knowledge that contributors bring to this forum. I see WSU and 3030 making very sensible contributions to the discussion. One fellow bases his opinion upon experience with natural disasters that have forced him to focus on the realities of survival circumstances. 3030 guy, who makes his living repairing firearms, says the best survival gun is the one least likely to breakdown.. ie the least complicated firearms have less to go wrong. I have my share of opinions but have learned to defer to expert advice. Thanks guys!
Any brand basically, a good 12 ga. pump and a good accurate bolt action high powered rifle. I guess it would depend on the situation also. A bow and arrow could also work.
all these guns except for the 22's are very costly and make noise. If an armed band of bullies show up they might kill you to get your food. I keep an air gun, cross bow and even a hunting sling shot handy. You never run out of rocks!
I have three guns on this list...the 870, the 500, and the Ruger 10/22.
I feel as though you should choose the right weapon for the right situation. If your going to mobil you would need travel light. By that I mean the weapon of choice would bee 22 LR or 22 MAG. You can carry so much ammo for it's light. Just be sure to but the good stuff not the cheap lead. The second on my list is a good 12 GA shotgun or 20 GA. You can take that and high powered shells and it's very deadly out to 20-30 yards, and throw in some buckshot or slugs and your out their. For handguns I carry a 1911 Colt MDL 70 and my second choice is a Ruger Mark. One other thing one should consider is a good blade. Their is allot of good steel out their on the market but in pocket knife is a CASE and the one on my side is 6" CASE XXRAZOR. Always remember a bll bat swings better than a rifle, so should you not have plenty of ammo for each weapons just buy a couple of ball bats.
I live in the new Madrid seismic zone, for those who don't know the last set of bad earthquakes here lasted about 3 months. So I've given survival some thought. Agreed, first and foremost is food/water/fuel. But with respect to guns, the ar is a very bad choice. 1st, very complicated action, lots of smallparts, heavy maintenance. A better choice would be the ruger mini-14 if you must have a survival gun in .223/5.65nato. very few moving parts, self cleaning gas chamber, garand action is like an anvil. Is it as accurate-no. can it be used skillfully for hunting varmints of the 4 and 2 legged kind? absolutely. For small game I have a 40 year old Winchester .22lr single shot bolt action, gets the job done, for deer/hogs/ whatever, a marlin 336 in 30-30. pistol, a s&w mod. 640 in 357mag. all the bases covered with simple designs that require little maintiance. But to reiterate, I really think the mini is a much better choice for a self defence carbine, unless you are a gunsmith.
I generally would want a 357 revolver w/ a 4 inch barrel. A 22LR bolt action would be good for small game. My 870 Wingmaster and a good 30-06.
I would have to go along with DSMbirdog. Excellent choice all around.
Unless you are active military in a behind enemy lines survival situation, I would not recommend any of the pistols or semiautomatic weapons. There are too many things that can go wrong with them that you can't fix in the field. If I did carry a pistol, it would probably be a Smith & Wesson K frame revolver. My personal choice for a survival firearm would be a good bolt action .22 rimfire. I have an AR-7, had it for 40 years. It's fun to shoot, but bulky and not very accurate. I miss a lot of squirrels with it. .22 Long Rifle ammunition is cheap and light. There is no real reason not to have 50 or 100 rounds. I would be tempted to carry something bigger in bear country and that might be a revolver or the Marlin 1895 GS in Grizzly bear country.
I'd lose the 9mm's - the cartridge isn't much good as a people shooter or as a game getter either.
I would want my S&W MP serries M4 223 and about 100000000000000000 rounds for Deer. And my Glock 17 pistol and a 700 nitro express for rabbits
For a shotgun, I'll take a single-shot H&R 12 gauge --- no wasted shells by spraying & praying. If you can't hit what you're pointing at with a scattergun, you're REALLY in trouble.
Rifle? Mosin Nagant M44 carbine --- kicks like amule, hits like a .30-06 & killed more Nazis than the Russian winter. Ammo is ultra-cheap, too.
For a pistol I'd go for either any 9mm for easy ammo availability or a Taurus PT145 .45 ACP & make every shot count.
Why would you put a VFG on an M4 if you are going to grab it by the mag well? If you aren't going to use it, ditch the grip and the extra weight.
Savage model 24 combination would be a nice choice in .22/20 gauge.
Reliable, simple, versatile, and fairly accurate at reasonable ranges.
i would use a small caliber like 22.cal for small game. Then in dangerous situtions i would use a hi.point 40.
I found a nice survival long guns last year, being a revolving shotgun handling .410 and .45 l.c.. I have no problems with heavy pistols as long as not packed on the hip for other emergencies. after a while they tend to get pretty heavy on the legs cutting down travel time. depending on the amount of ammo you want to pack the smaller is a little better since the .410 is a lot easier to pack a few boxes of shells but the drawback is that most of these little combo guns handle only the 2.5" shells which are great for small game. 12 ga guns capable of handling both the slugs and shot shell (improved cylinder to keep from messing the barrel up) are ok but more than 2 boxes of ammo gets pretty heavy. the ak 47 could have been left off. I have one and you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it due to the chrome lined bore. it does hit hard but at 50 yards it hits all over the board no matter how you set the scope up on it--so definitely wouldn't be my first choice. another thing to look at is stuff like the marlin 882/883 .22 mags are good solid guns but the 882 has magazines that need to be modified since they usually come as 7 rd mags. a little modification to them allows 9 rounds to be carried in the mag but the mag catch leaves a lot to be desired since carrying with an arm near it will cause the mag to drop out costing you ammo and a way to shoot more than one round (watch snow walker since that is what he uses and loses). the 883 is a tube fed so much safer.
When I think of survival, I think of getting something to eat/drink (gun might not help with the water), therefore, I think of small, therefore, I think of my Ruger 22LR pistol. I can carry a lot of 22LR shells in my pocket or backpack, it will kill a heap of edible crits, is accurate out to about 30 yards or maybe more, and small enough to holster and carry. Mine in the Mark II model, very reliable. Now, I am not talking about defending myself against bears here, just real survival. Where I live and wander, it will suffice; and no talk about it not being good enough for the two-legged kind of varmints who might want to do harm - it will work.
My pick for a handgun would be either a 357 magnum revolver: my Ruger Blackhawk single action fits this perfectly (actually has the 9mm extra cylinder); or a 1911 45. Either handgun provides the user easy to find ammunition or supplies to hand load. Either also provides the power to put down game or fight off 2 leg predators. Hard choice to pick one but I love my Kimber 1911 so much if I had to choose that's what I would pick.
Rifle choice would come down to be a semi-auto 22lr such as a Ruger 10/22 (high-capacity and ultra ammo availability; 30-30 lever action (for power and high ammo availability); or a possibly an AR-15 orAR-10 . My pick if just would be 30-30 due to my prior experience with it and high reliability of the action(either Winchester or Marlin).
The shotgun would be either a 20 or 12 gauge pump Mossberg for no other reason I have a 20 gauge pump Mosssberg.
For a pistol I would say either .22 or 9mm just for the ease of getting and carrying ammo. A shotgun can be used for a multitude of shooting scenario's especially if you have a model where the barrel swaps out with a rifled barrel.
Up here in Canada a Lee Enfield .303 british is good for any north american big game.
i think as far as guns go a 12 guage shotgun fits the bill nicely i personaly wouldnt need much more than an 18.5 inch shotgun light enough to travel enough punch to take on nearly anything you might encounter wildlife or otherwise its great to carry if your walkin those trails out there but other than a shotgun i'd definetly be packin one or all of my blades(i have 3 a millitary fighting knife survival knife and my little bootknife which is handy in a pinch)now if were talkin handguns then definetly a revolver ruger blackhawk convertable because both .357 and 9 mils are extremely common ammunition type and itd be nice to pop off a 9 when you dont need the magnum round well i suppose thats my two cents for this neat little post
I prefer A Marlin.22CAL bolt action with 3-9*32 or 40 scope with over & under see through rings. it's for small game to medium such as rabbits to Caribou, plus you can buy lots of ammunition & it's light to carry. plus H&R 410 ga with 3" chamber, can do just about anything with it, shoot game from small to big game plus fowl game, ammunition i prefer #4 or #6 & slugs for big game, also ammunition is light to carry you can buy lots of these shells. Oh dont forget to carry a Bushnell-Arbor bore sighter kit at all times! :)
The .22-over-.410 M6 Scout and Model 24 Savage aren't in production anymore, and those that have them won't let them go. I'm pinning my hopes on the new Savage Model 42 .22-over-.410. Similar to the 24 but with a plastic stock.
Getting so tired of all the "survival" gear and articles.
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