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Thread: survival gun?

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    Default survival gun?

    what are ya'lls idea of a survival gun?, i have narrowed my selection to two. i have a 12 gauge pump with a pistol grip and forarm that is short and which packs a punch for self defense and critter gittin but is a little heavy. but i've also got a bolt action 22lr rifle, it would get small game ok and its light but self defense against larger critters would be iffy. i have a 22lr/22mag pistol, but i would need to be close and i see it only as a back up weapon. whats ya'll idea?, now i do own several more weapons including single barrel shotguns which are lighter but multiple shots are a good thing on a survival gun. i'm talking about a gun to overall do all that needs to get done to survive. i know there are trade offs for each type weapon, but which gives the overall best help to a person?, thanks.


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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    You've just asked one of the two most asked questions on the forum. The other being what is the best survival knife. Below are a few, just a few, of the many, many threads on the "best" survival weapon. Enjoy.

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...urvival+weapon

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...urvival+weapon

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...urvival+weapon

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...urvival+weapon

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...urvival+weapon
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    I like those over & under shotgun rifle combo. But after saying that, i don't have any guns these days{Australian gun laws are a pain in the arse}.

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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    I don't believe in owning weapons......I believe in owning firearms which is a constitutional right!

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    Quote Originally Posted by old fart View Post

    but multiple shots are a good thing on a survival gun.

    why.........?

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    I started to answer this question earlier today and then got distracted, so I will try it again. Geography plays a big part in survival gun choice as different locals have different animals, two and four legged that you might need protection against or wish to harvest for food. At the simplist level a shotgun is a most versitile survival gun. Shot for small game that runs or flys, buckshot or slugs for larger game or protection from humans. Problem with shotguns as survival guns is: short range, ammo weight/bulk, gun weight/kick. I do like the rifle/shotgun combos, especially the drillings (two shotgun bbls and one rifle bbl.) but they are expensive and heavy. Big advantage to shotgun & rifle /shotgum combos is the availability of sub gauge adaptors that let you fire smaller gauge shotgun shells or rifle cartridges from the larger bore/caliber bbls. My dream survival gun would be 12 ga shot gun under a 308 Win or a 7x57 Mauser and as many sub gauge adapters as i could find that fit. This make scrounging ammo a lot easier.
    If two legged predators are your concern, then something along the lines of an assult rifle/caribine in a .223,or 308. would fit the bill. If I wasn't expecting a lot of human conflict, I would look ar the Ruger Mimi 14 or Mini 39 or a KelTec that folds into a small, easy to carry package. The problem with these guns is that they are semi-autos and without fire discipline, you can deplete your ammo supply very quickly. For that reason some reccomend a leveraction carbine over a semi-auto.
    If you expect to see a lot of human conflict - you are in the wrong place to survive!!
    I personally have many quams about a handgun as a survival gun, although I am sure that I would carry at least one. Few people are really good with a handgun, either for hunting or self defense. a long gun, while heavier is likely to be more accurate and have greater range. My choice is an H&R single shot with a scope in .357 Mag. With the correct choice of ammo, I can take small game like rabbits or larger game up to deer or small bear. And it uses the same ammo as my snub nose .357 Mag which I will also be carrying. Some where in there I will have a .22 LR and /or .22 Mag in a rifle/pistol or both. Thus armed , I believe that I would be able to handle my survival need for fire arms in MY Geographic area.
    Last edited by Old Professor; 04-09-2012 at 08:27 PM. Reason: misspelling

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    So that's, what, seven perfect weapons you need plus adapters?
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    I was thinking the other day, why a survival gun? Why not a survival bow? You can take any animal with a bow that you can with a gun and more. With a bow fishing kit you can shoot fish. I can stick a frog in the head at 20 yards, squirrel, deer, moose, bear, rabbit. You can even get recurve bows that break down and will fit in your pack, granted I've never used a recurve, only compound. But with practice I feel they could be used to great effect. I got a light rigged onto my bow for night fishing and frog sticking, plus you can shine rabbits eyes (or any other night critter) and stick them. You can make your own arrows in a pinch unlike bullets....(ramble... ramble... ramble....)

    *edit
    And this thought wasn't due to "Hunger Games" haven't seen it yet, thought about it a while back when I was shooting bull frogs with my bow...
    Last edited by Sparky93; 04-10-2012 at 01:20 AM.
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    In the space of one arrow I can have 17 22lr. I was shooting my re-curve for the first time yesterday and all I could think of was, "A 22 is better" lol.

    An arrow may or may not survive 17 shots.

    SD asked, "why are multiple shots better", I think it's better to have higher capacity because it's less work when it's time to work. Say you break a finger, which I've done a few times in the woods. Racking a bolt will suck. A 10+ rd magazine in your rifle eases that pain and, the ammo is with the gun.

    I absolutely love Ruger #1's. I badly want one in 45-70. I would hunt with it, but I wouldn't adventure with it. If I had a choice in a situation, I'd like to have an AR, but honestly, anything will work. I wouldn't feel naked with a lever 22 or a mosin.
    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

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    May I suggest that you stop doing whatever is causing you to break fingers? If you do it once, okay. It happens. But twice should be an, "Oh, snap!" moment. (get it? Broken finger? Oh, snap moment?) I slay myself.
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    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    Broken may not be accurate, sprained is probably closer. Firewood gathering has it's dangers, especially when you are clumsy.
    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Ya'know, I was running out of room for the 'perfect survival" guns....Till the robbery...The problem is that we need a perfect "survivial situation" to fit all those guns.......everybody keeps changing their mind....
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    Rick, yes there are seven possible "perfect" survival guns in my post but part of the point of the my post is that there isn't one "perfect survival gun", it all depends on your individual needs and the area where you live.

    Sparky93, I also considered a bow/arrow of some type as PART of a survival armoury. However the OP ask about a survival gun, so that was what I addressed. A longbow would be my choice for survival, followed by a recurve bow. Never would I consider a compound bow or cross bow, because they are too difficult to maintain and make arrows for. I think in a survival situation I would carry a long bow for hunting with a handgun as back up because I have been a archer all my life and own and shoot several longbows. Unless I am in really thick cover I wouldn't want to depend on a bow/arrow for defense as most any firearm out ranges an arrow and is probably more accurate.

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    As someone said above, your situation will dictate. If I'm taking a gun to head to the hills for, to hide out, during a civilization break down, I'm taking a .22. Light, easy to use(wife & kids shoot it well), and I can take a ton more ammo.
    I do like the bow idea too, as you can re-use arrows, & even make your own if need be.

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    OP - I was just pullin' your chain. It was a good post.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winter View Post

    SD asked, "why are multiple shots better", I think it's better to have higher capacity because it's less work when it's time to work. Say you break a finger, which I've done a few times in the woods. Racking a bolt will suck. A 10+ rd magazine in your rifle eases that pain and, the ammo is with the gun.

    I continue to quest for the perfect firearm for "ME". I just off'loaded $3,150.00 worth of surplus firearms at the last gunshow. I have no interest in defense from humans. I rarely see any now, and have never another human in the last 42 year when walking off the back of my property and into the wilderness.

    For me, for my needs it is the lightest firearm with the lightest cartridge that will put food into the camp pot. It must hit a nickle 99% of the time at 15 yards. In am not a tack driver.
    Last edited by Sourdough; 04-10-2012 at 05:57 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sourdough View Post
    I continue to quest for the perfect firearm for "ME". I just off'loaded $3,150.00 worth of surplus firearms at the last gunshow. I have no interest in defense from humans. I rarely see any now, and have never another human in the last 42 year when walking off the back of my property and into the wilderness.

    For me, for my needs it is the lightest firearm with the lightest cartridge that will put food into the camp pot. It must hit a nickle 99% of the time at 15 yards. In am not a tack driver.
    Actually.....in my neck of the woods, that .22 cricket that you were talking about in another thread, would be about the most practical. Keep some fishing line and some hooks, with some extra ammo in the stock, and you'd be set for the two most abundant "dinners" around here. Squirrel and catfish.
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    You can get pretty close to ptarmigan so a .22 would do it wouldn't it? Maybe some shot for things like otters, raccoons, geese and ducks?
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    I just found and bought one of my survival gun wants. A Savage Model 24 in 22 Mag over a 3 inch 20 ga shotgun bbl. Bought it on gunbroker.com. Just like one I owned back in the early 1960's and foolishly sold. While it can shoot rifled slugs, I am also looking into adapters for firing rifle cartridges from the shotgun bbl. From the 22Mag bbl, i can also shoot Winchester Rin Fire cartridges, which are roughly equivilent to the 22 LR cartridge but the case size is that of the 22 Mag.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Professor View Post
    I just found and bought one of my survival gun wants. A Savage Model 24 in 22 Mag over a 3 inch 20 ga shotgun bbl. Bought it on gunbroker.com. Just like one I owned back in the early 1960's and foolishly sold. While it can shoot rifled slugs, I am also looking into adapters for firing rifle cartridges from the shotgun bbl. From the 22Mag bbl, i can also shoot Winchester Rin Fire cartridges, which are roughly equivilent to the 22 LR cartridge but the case size is that of the 22 Mag.
    Nice find......I use a .410 adapter in my 20 ga m24 as I was given a bucket full of .410 ammo, and would like to pick up a couple of more adaptors.
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