Survival Gun Discussion - List Your Favorite 3. Best Handgun, Best Shotgun, Best Rifle. And Why?

The guys that are saying: .45 pistol, AR, and Mossberg 500 are giving you the best advice your gonna get.

But I would say in a true survival situation, a good .22 is a must.

I personally believe you need a good high powered bolt gun too for any long range work. I reload and have a couple .300 magnums for this purpose but a quality .308 is all you would need.

Cover these catagories and you'll be set.

From my experience the best pistol is the Beretta 9mm Storm subcompact. Can hold thirteen in the clip and one in the chamber, or seventeen rounds with a rubber spacer and a standard clip. Modular design, never experienced any jams or malfunctions with thousands of rounds fired. Easily concealed inside back waistband with nearly zero detectability.

I personally would not recommend an AR or an Ak in a survival situation, but I just have to chime in and say that this person has no idea what they are talking about.

I build AR's, and I have shot over 10,000 rounds out of the AR platform over the last 4 years, I have never, ever, had even one jam or fail to fire. NEVER, in over 10,000 rounds.

It is one of the most dependable weapons systems you can get, if you get one that was built correctly, and is set up correctly.

For survival purposes, I would get a smith and wesson 627 8 shot revolver in .357 magnum, and a matching Marlin lever action in .357 magnum. Matching ammo for your Rifle and Pistol is an amazing thing, and .357 is cheap and easy to find. you can shoot out to 200 yards easily, and hit what you are aiming at. History also proves that there is nothing more reliable than a revolver and a lever action rifle!

Couple years ago, we did a 19pg post titled "Survival Guns"... Find it in the archives. I was timed out on the original post, so can't search on my name. Also did a 7 or 8pg thread "Lester On Riflery".

Not really the same old shit. AK guys always so emphatic, but you can't keep them away...



I don't care for shotguns as "weapons". Great for shooting doves, quail, waterfowl, clay games; but too limited in range and accuracy to be worth carrying. Maybe for urban situations, but I'm not going to be close enough to any threat to let a shotgun earn its keep. At close range, I want a .45acp with several spare magazines, same for daily carry.

Prefer the 20" AR-15 w/7twist chrome-lined barrel. A2 iron sights or a flat top scoped. With 77gr match handloads the rifle will perform to 500yds if you can. All the "longrange" I will need, but have you seen the Dominion Rifle Club of Canada report on the 90gr Sierra at 1000yds? 2" vertical spread from a bolt rifle at 1000yds 20 and 15 round groups...

A hit with a 90gr bullet at 1000yds is a formidable thing. Get a 6.5 twist barrel to try the 90 grainers.


Really only "need" a defensive pistol and rifle. .45acp and .223 work fine. Easy to carry plenty ammo for the 5.56 and with 77gr handloads you can take game animals just shoot them a few times. Probably want a .308win AR-10 or M1a if you live where there are Big Bear and Moose.

A quality semi-auto will do almost everything a bolt rifle can, but can deliver 20rds very fast.


You not only need weapons and ammunition; you need gunsmithing tools, spare parts, and handloading gear & components if you want to have some degree of self-reliance with your firearms.

On my guns post, I posted JB Wood's most common breakage parts for common rifles and pistols. You don't need to keep a 2nd gun for parts; just a few springs, spare ejector, extractor, firing pin and maybe a barrel or two. The Armalite pattern rifles are about the easiest to work on with a few basic tools. Buy parts and gun components at AR15.com on the forums. I have bought lots of loading gear on Ebay, also scopes, rings & mounts, chamber reamers. Be sure to look at Brownells.com for spare parts for any weapons your considering buying. I would not buy any gun I couldn't get parts for.

Got lots of guns but no loading gear or gunsmithing tools?
Think you are way behind the curve in your preparations.


Good luck to all and thanks for the chuckles...

Thunder-ous one...

I have had 2 S&W revolvers break. A stainless model 66 and a blued 29. Luckily I lived down the street from an S&W armorer and got the guns back promptly. Never had an auto break.

Think you are way over-optimistic about the .357 magnum. A 77gr .223round at 500yds has more energy than the 158gr started at 1400fps will have at 25yds... Now, if you're talking a .35 Whelen, Gibbs, or .358 Norma because you can handload .357 pistol bullets at low velocities, then I'd say you're on to something...

A .444 Marlin and a .44 magnum handgun is a similar working gun combination. Not interchangeable ammunition, but takes the same bullet diameter. Although I own a model 27 with 8-3/8" barrel it is about my least fired gun. Too light to carry where I live, still I do have a .35 Gibbs and a 200gr bullet mold to try with the handgun.

Of combos, the .454 Casull revolver and Rossi lever gun might be a working duo, but anything the carbine can do, I can do with a 7.5" barreled Super Redhawk; and it has QD scope mounts integral to frame. Shotloads in .45Colt, heavy bullets in Colt or Casull, as a hunter's weapon it can do it all...

Lever rifles are pretty poor. Savage 99 and Browning BLR the exceptions, add Sako finnwolf and Winchester 88 to the list, although a .375 Winchester and .356 Winchester might make the grade.

Thanks man. Good stuff.

Thanks very much. I'll get to those other threads for sure.

taurus judge for all 3 catagories

you dont have to aim it
it sprays lead death everywhere
it clears a room
it vaporizes bad guys
its accurate out to 500 yards
it has no recoil
ammo is .05 cents a round
you can carry upwards of 50K rounds in your backpack

Last Edited by CRIMSON-KARMA on 11/29/2012 10:29 PM

Uh...500 yards?!?!? Which taurus judge are you referring to?

all of 'em, any of 'em

A plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.

Revolver at 500 yards?

A revolver is obviously useless at 500 yards.

The previous post to stick to standard weapons in your country's arsenal is valid and important.

M9
M4

at a minimum.

Much spare ammunition and parts thanks to the armed forces. Any other choices are foolish, at best.

590A1 special purpose - Mil spec heavy walled made for sailors bangin and clangin on bulkheads.

Glock 20 - pound for pound the most powerful handgun in the world. And before eryone harps on me but but the .44 mag or .500 would mangle a 10mm . Capacity is the key the combined ballistics of 15 rds of full house 10mm is more powerful than combined ballistics of any other handgun

AK 47 or any variant of - .30 cal stopping power , And you can leave a ak in a mud puddle come back two weeks later wash it off with water and it will fire.

.22LR - Excellent suppresion weapon. Everyone say .22LR? pffft thats a pussy rd. But they all get real silent real quick when you say " ok , let me shoot you with one " You can lay down a cheap effective field of fire on advancing enemy. Just aim high. You can carry tons of ammo , its cheap , available. And also doubles as a excellent small game food rifle in shtf situation. 10/22 takedown is the best model due to the pack it comes in being able to hold 4 bx-25 rd mags , 1100 rds of ammo the rifle and a good scope. I know cause I have this setup.


If you can carry all 4 if in a vehichle or bugout or defensive position and you have ammo for all . You're doing pretty damn good.

If you can only have 2 off these I'd pick the ak and the .22LR

Hatsan semi auto 12, SKS D with 30 round magazines, rock island .45 ACP, Mosin with Monte carlo stock

I'd like to thank everyone who contributed, it definitely helped to make my decision easier. And my sister's for that matter.

After much deliberation, I am going with...

Handgun: Glock 17 or 19

Couple of reasons. Common, which means ammo should be plentiful. Reliable and high mag capacity capability. Leaning towards the 17.

Rifle: AR-15

Seems to be the most popular choice. I'm considering going 9mm for this as well, but I'm not sold on it's stopping power. More research is required, but the AR-15 seems to be a unanimous for choice of rifle in a survival situation. Will probably pick up an SKS just for fun as well. The AK will have to wait, I guess.

Shotgun: Mossberg 500 Pump

Again, the most popular reply. I like what I've heard and researched about this gun. Pump action seems to be the way to go as far as performance.



Thanks again everyone. And, of course, hope this discussion continues. It was cool to hear everyone's input, I realize a lot of this is personal preference.

Suit yourself, just remember; there is a reason Glocks are not on the battlefield.

Buy extra parts for the AR - you'll need them. I would shy away from the SKS unless you find one that accepts AK mags, then you're golden.

Mossberg 500 - probably your most sane choice.

The term "survival" has definition to two types of concerned individuals.

Until its recent zombie-world preparation/prepper general acceptance; Survival in context of deliberate choice of weapons was pertinent to Survivalist/Survivalism defined by Kurt Saxon and Mel Tappan and others of the mid to late 70s who foresaw the collapse of American Society due to deficit spending and/or nuclear war w/Soviet Union.

A Survivalist took action and moved from city/suburb location to area unlikely to face economic collapse and chaos, plus also selected area as free from nuclear fallout as possible. Collapse of civilization being the main concern, self-reliance and self-sufficiency are the defining parameters for the Survivalist adherent.

Weapons for the Survivalist were defined by Mel Tappan as either Defense-worthy, or "working"; IE to serve extended service in defense of life & property, or for hunting, varmint elimination, daily carry in non-defense situations.


The zombie preppers tend to overlook the many millions of other human beings they share space with in populous areas and suburbs. Stockpiling goods only works until your stock runs out. Most Zombie-preppers think they will "survive" many shooting incidents and thus stockpile much ammunition and favor the relatively inaccurate AK-47 and SKS type rifles, plus old bolt guns of military flavor. They are not concerned with round placement as much as sending rounds down the barrel, whether they score a hit or not.


The Survivalist, if he/she has made correct choices in relocation, has limited need of weapons which are not capable of precision bullet placement. Hopefully, they will NOT need to use their Defensive weapons at all, and hopefully their working guns are those used most regularly.

The Zombie-prepper is convinced he/she needs gunfighting training and much practice to "survive". They see themselves as a Rambo or Clint Eastwood action hero that will always prevail. Actually, suburbs and city survivors will have to contend more with snipers and death squad/gangs than anything else; like Bosnia-Hertzogovinia and Sarajevo daily life. Not much chance for self-sufficiency, or much life expectancy when/if the chaos begins...

Canada where the OP lives has great opportunity for Survivalist relocation. British Columbia coastal zone is prime for habitat, weather, growing seasons and hunter-gathering.

Much in the first 100 issues of motherearth news has direct correlation with Survivalism. Homestead lifestyle, your own food and water production and ability to fabricate things you need and live on renewable resources is what matters... Guns are merely tools to assure your safety and perhaps harvest meat when occasion presents.


Two very different definitions or "understood terminology" from the same word...

R700, AK-47, UMP-45, Sig Sauer P226

The handgun is in case I have to get out the city on foot. Hoping not to use it much once I'm back in the mountains. Never know. I'll check out some military issue stuff I guess. Thanks.

Very good points. And BC is definitely my bug out location. Just might take me a little longer to get there if EMP is the reason it happens.

Sidearm - Colt.M1911

Shotgun - Savage 12ga pump action

Rifle - Winchester 30.30

I purchased a century arms ak74 and 2500 rounds and it's the biggest pos ever. Jams all the time so it's a dead mans gun! I'm going to buy a real ak that is reliable plus when you go to have fun target practicing it's nice to actually get some clips through the damn thing! Never buy century arms EVER!

Handgun: glock19 9mm
Totally dependable no matter what.

Shotgun: 870 in 12 gauge with mag tube extension.
Very smooth action.

Rifle: without any doubts m1a squad scout 18" barrel .308
Light enough for patrol and 1 shot stopping power. Easily handle 300
Yard shots with plenty of foot pounds left.

In Mel Tappan's Survival Guns, he interviewed several notable experts on their choices for survival gun battery. Bradford Angier, the eminent camping and hunting authority chose .30-06 rifles and .22 handguns for he and his wife. His relocation area was "up The Peace River beyond civilization"...

Plenty of similar "beyond civilization" locales in coastal BC.

Unless you are headed to some lake cabin in a developed resort area, or on some bay popular with yachtsmen and fishermen; hard to see your need for primary Defensive weapons. Not that they won't serve, but if you will be in any remote area, you really need bear defense and big game ctg. Also would benefit you greatly to have handloading gear and bullet molds.

The Ruger Super Redhawk in .44mag is a fine hunting revolver. You can shoot mild loaded .44spec and use it for small game. With 300gr cast bullets it will serve for bear defense. A .444 Marlin lever gun will fire the same bullets but with much greater power than a .44mag chambered lever gun. The Ruger comes with integral scope mount and rings. Probably worth buying a 2x Leupold or nikon scope for the handgun and a chest scabbard holster for carrying the scoped revolver. Can also load shot ctgs for the .44 and I guess the .444. Speer sells empty shot ctgs, you fill with #9 or #12 birdshot and you have a mini-shotshell for close-in use.

Not like a defense guns won't work, but a .308win even loaded with 180gr premium bullets is not a rifle to choose for hunting moose, or bear. So, a magnum or .30-06 or .35 Whelen would be a worthwhile investment. A .358 magnum could share bullets with a .357 or .38sp chambered pistol. Load pistol bullets in the .35cal rifle at 1800fps or so and you can take small game with the magnum rifle.

The FN-herstal tactical bolt rifle in .300wsm would be a very good choice for hunting. Two models are sold with hunting profile barrels, so relatively lightweight. Has a chrome-lined barrel so will be very long lasting for accuracy. 200gr premium bullet from a .300wsm (win short magnum) will do about anything you would need, except bear defense.

One of the .30cal magnum revolvers would be a cool small game pistol and could share bullets with a .30 cal rifle.

I own .454 Casull super redhawk for carry in bear country and prefer a .340 weatherby with 250gr bullets for hunting moose or brown bear. I use cast bullets in both, for light loads in the weatherby and heavy in the Casull.

Hope you are set to be out of the line of fire...

.30cal handguns .32 H&R Magnum, .328 Federal... Will share .308 bullets with any .308 bore rifle.

.357/.38sp share bullets with any .358 bore rifle, like .35rem, .358win, .35whelen, .358 Norma or Shooting Times Alaskan..


handloader can probably load ammo for .22 Hornet cheaper than can buy .22 rimfire magnum or any of the .20 or 17 rimfires. .22 K Hornet is even better choice.


.177 pellet rifle like RWS Diana 34 and a companion pistol would take lots of small game and pests.