Top 4 Survival Guns?

[recon]

Could this be the list of the top 4 survival guns to own? Maybe.



1. Glock 19 (9mm), Caliber is extremely common and ammunition will be easiest to obtain. Very reliable, accurate, and highly owned pistol for all around use.

2. Remington 870 (12 gauge), Highly customizable and well respected reliable pump action shotgun.

3. Ruger 10/22 (.22 LR), Well renown respected all around 22 that is highly configurable, accurate, and reliable.

4. AR-15 (.223/5.56x45mm), Just about everyone has one. Acuurate,reliable if kept clean.

[El Jefe]

Hmmm...no pumps, levers or bolts. All semi auto's, I dunno, not what I'm doing anyway.

[recon]

Should have put the AK on there also.

[Gunreference1]

Hmmm...no pumps, levers or bolts. All semi auto's, I dunno, not what I'm doing anyway.

Not true! You really should take another look at the Model 870.

Steve

[slamfire51]

I'd go:
870 w/extended mag
SIG 9mm w/ a lot of extra mags
Ruger 10/22
AR

[Justin]

I don't own any of those guns. The closest thing I have to them is an AK, Marlin 795, and an over and under 20 gauge. Keep in mind I have many other firearms, along with lots of ammo as well.

[El Jefe]

Not true! You really should take another look at the Model 870.

Steve

Damn, not sure what I was thinking. Hell I own an 870. For some reason I was totally fixated on semi auto. Jeeze.

[coppertales]

Hmmm...no pumps, levers or bolts. All semi auto's, I dunno, not what I'm doing anyway.

Uh, the Rem 870 is a pump.....chris3

[old Grump]

Well none of mine make your list but I wouldn't trade any of my choices for your choices.



Not that your choices are wrong or bad but I am a dinosaur and dinosaurs like dinosaur guns. Gotta go with what I knows best.

[American Rage]

AR: Check
10/22: Check
Glock 19: Check
870: Nope
Mossberg: Check

Yep, 22, 12ga, 9mm, and 5.56 is all I have these days

[rahatlakhoom]

I would add a Saiga 12 to the list.

A Hi-point 9mm carbine is a cheap date.

AR 15 is highly effective.
why the Ruger?

It depends on what survival conditions constitute.

[Mark Ducati]

I agree with the OP and the orginal top 4 picks...

And, when I look in the mirror and imagine a true SHTF scenario and IF for some reason was told I could only bring and have one single gun for the rest of my life... it'd have to be the 10/22... why? Because I can carry a crap load of ammo and kill just about anything on the North American continent (land mass) that I might want/need to eat (its all about shot placement)... even a .22LR to the eye socket of bull moose will kill.

BTW, when I used the word "could", by no means are my skills worthy of killing a moose or polar bear with an eyeball socket money shot... but at least I've got the chance.

[Bluntforce]

Looks like a sensible selection.

The good news is the selections are probably the four most common calibers in the U.S. right now.

[American Rage]

.

The good news is the selections are probably the four most common calibers in the U.S. right now.

And fairly cheap too, those are why I chose those caliber.

As for the 22 it will feed you more often than any thing else. In the old days, more dirt poor farmers had a 22 than any other type of gun. I easily killed small game, and some even poached deer with them. Yeah, they're not the best for self defense, but beat a sharp stick easily. The 22 is also a great trainer and plinker. Would I hunt griz with one? Hell no! But then again, there is no griz in my AO to be hunted.

[Schuetzenman]

The original 4 are OK. I would argue a good bolt action .22 LR is just as good if not a better pick especially if scoped, threaded and suppressed. With Subsonics hollywood kind of quiet.

AR, yes OK, though I'd put my SAR-3 up against my basic AR rifles any day, especially in the reliability catagory. I don't own enough .223 ammo to dirty that SAR-3 enough to make it stop, not so with the AR rifles.

870 Rem 12 ga. yes a good all around shot gun. I don't own one I have a 1200 Winchester. It works just fine, but it is old school, can't handle steel shot. Then again in survival mode do I give a shit about no lead shot when shooting at a goose or duck if I am starving.

Glock 19, yes a very good pick, I own 2. Though I think the 17 is just as good a pick.

[American Rage]

How About Top 4 And Substitutes?

Top Pick: AR

Substitutes: AK47, AK74, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, FN Fal, M1A, AR10, Cetme/HK91, HK93, SKS, others?

Top Pick: 10/22

Substitues: Any high quality 22lr that you are comfortable with

Top Pick: 870

Substitutes: Mossberg 500, 590, 835, Winchester 1200, Benelli, Saiga 12, or any high quality shotgun you can get a deal on.

Top Pick: Glock 19

Substitutes: Any high quality handgun in 380, 9X18, 9mm, 38, 357, .40S&W, .45 acp, 44

Be sure to stock up on magazines and ammo for whatever floats your boat.

Feel free to add whatever I've missed


Whoa another aftershock just hit from the great earthquake zone of Oklahoma!
Fast movin' wave that seemed to just shoot through my house!

[slamfire51]

Whoa another aftershock just hit from the great earthquake zone of Oklahoma!
Fast movin' wave that seemed to just shoot through my house!

I saw the results on the news.
We may be next...the New Madrid fault.

[gpwasr10]

I think you would do well with those... I would go with a 20" AR (or at the minimum a 16") over the 11.5 depicted in that picture... and a flat top too. I also do not see a need for a "survival shotgun" when a man has a good carbine (ala the aforementioned AR-15).

But all of those guns I think have acceptable substitutes...
Glock: XD or M&P
AR: Mini-14 or AK
Shotgun: Any of them will basically work.
10/22: Lots of .22's that will work, and while they are nice... I don't see them as being a "need" per-se.

This list of course is a small sampling.

I could even get it down further as I think a man would do well with a 1894SS Marlin in .44 Mag along with a matching stainless revolver. They work, are incredibly weather proof, effective, and are useful from SD to hunting (even small game with snake shot). Plus they don't raise a whole lot of eyebrows and VERY easy to reload (robust straight walled cases can take A LOT of reloads especially if loaded "light").

I have been VERY impressed with my Mini-14 Tactical that I picked up recently, it is light, well made, more then accurate "enough", much cleaner shooting then the AR, and much less finicky when it comes to it's diet and it can also be fitted with a true folder IF that sort of thing appeals to you. With the ease one can buy 20 and 30 rounders nowadays, I feel they are an excellent choice.

The down side of the Mini is the lack of spares on the market vs. the AR... but almost every gun on earth has a deficit when compared head to head to the AR platform. However, the mini seems fairly robust and don't hear of many parts failures.

I think there ARE so many great combos when it comes to guns in this arena that it becomes hard to make a bad choice.

[Schuetzenman]

I think you would do well with those... I would go with a 20" AR (or at the minimum a 16") over the 11.5 depicted in that picture... and a flat top too. I also do not see a need for a "survival shotgun" when a man has a good carbine (ala the aforementioned AR-15).

You must not bird hunt. A 12 ga. is not only for combat, first it was for getting birds on the wing to eat. Eating is important if you plan to live. A shotgun is your best means to getting flying food. Times get rough a crow, pigeon, dove, blue jay, hell anything you can bag with some birdshot is a snack.

[O.S.O.K.]

I think that there are a number of good "survival gun" choices. The fact is you can't know ahead of time which one will be the best fit for the actual situation. So, really, if you have a capable arm, become capable with it and have plenty of ammo and maybe some spare parts... you are doing well. IMHO

My own choices are many. If you judge by the amount of ammo you have, my number one survival arm is the AK-74 clone followed by a .22LR.