Oldie but goodie.... If I had to choose just one firearm....

[Jay]

I have been thinking about this alot, and if (God forbid) I was ever forced to choose just one weapon, say possibly in a SHTF situation be it zombie attack or natural disaster, I really think I would have to choose one of of my .22 rifles  , probably my little semi auto tube fed Marlin.

It is lightweight, short enough to pack fairly easily, fires cheap and easily accessable ammunition (which by the way I could carry LOTS of without too much of a weight or space burden, fires quietly enough that I could take game without giving away my position, and while definatley not the BEST caliber for self defense or taking larger game, would be best capable, in my opinion, of suiting the widest array of functions I would rely on it to do. Now, if this was Alaska Firepower or something like that, I might be singing a different tune... or maybe not....

What do you think, am I crazy? 

[JimP]

I KNOW yer crazy, but that is beside the point...... One gun? for which emergency.

Zombie attack? Poor choice. You can't kill zombies. They are like the Brady Bunch- they'll keep coming until either you destroy them or they get you and make you one of them......  You need something capable of blowing off arms/legs/heads. My choice: Rem 870 12 guage

SHTF? Something powerful enough to punch through body armor, yet low tech enough to be user maintainable. Preferably in a caliber used by the military.  My choice: M-1a in .308WIN

Apocolypse? Low tech, because eventually you and your tribe are going to have to MAKE ammuntion for it. And repair it when it breaks. Because it will, eventually. SAA in .45 LC

Now...... I only have ONE of these guns............ the 870, which is the emergency least likely (as in "only in the movies") to occur......... unless the Brady Bunch attacks. They wouldn't do it personally- the only things they have personally attacked are the characters of gun owners, their civil rights, and any Lunch Buffet they cross paths with- They'd send Federal Agents from the various Alphabets of agencies, and Federal Troops if necessary................. they've done it before. But I digress....

[Jay]

I KNOW yer crazy, but that is beside the point......

Been talking to my wife, have ya??? Just remember, there are two sides to every story!

I'm not thinking about any one emergency in particular, I'm just trying to put the finishing touches on my "survival bag". Actually, it's more like a camping, first aid, road trip accessory, storm shelter, zombie attack, rabid dog kind of bag. Well, obviously space and weight are critical considerations when packing "the bag" and as of right now, I have no ammunition in it. I always just figured if I needed the bag, I would grab whichever weapon and ammunition was most suited for whichever emergency was causing me to grab the bag in the first place.

But after thinking about this more and more, I wonder if in that type of circumstance, would I be able to make the correct choice, and make it quickly. I'm thinking that with a wife, kids, family and friends, there should be much more time spent on other considerations than which firearm I am going to be in most need of. Therefore, I want to go ahead and stock "the bag" with some ammunition, and maybe even the weapon  itself. That way, worst case scenario we grab the bag and run and at least have that one particular weapon along with the pre thought out supplies. Hopefully, we have time and the means to carry additional supplies and weapons to cover as many bases as possible.

This is why I am thinking of a .22 rifle. Availability of ammunition, space, weight, and versatility. The .22, especially out of a rifle, is capable of stopping human threats, taking game (including large game) and is not particularly prone to catastrophic failure. Plus, it is a relatively inexpensive weapon, which is definitely an important factor considering it is going to get banged around in a bag and the chances of ever having to use it are slim to none.

[David Hineline]

One firearm would be a silenced 22lr pistol, with that I could aquire anything else I needed.

[1hickey]

Jim is making a lot of sense, but I might be with J on this one.  A .22LR will get you a long way for food acquision in the bush (in the parts of North America we frequent, anyway), and make those without a weapon think twice before getting too aggressive (especially if it has an impressive bull barrel).  Simple, cheap, and reliable can more than make up the distance between capabilities.  This is why most of the gun-toting world uses an AK/SKS platform.  They're not terribly accurate, but cheap, common, durable, reliable, and ammo is available just about everywhere.

A .22LR with a collapsible/flolding stock would be a great choice for the "survival bag".   Compact enough to store reasonably, but usable for traditional shooting.  Compact ammo.  As cheap as ammo is, you could afford to empty a mag of the little suckers into a Brady Buncher trying to make you a buffet.

My close second choice (maybe first) would be a Ruger Ranch Rifle (.223, not necessarily the Mini-30, but that weapon is probably a better choice than even an AK) with a folding stock.  Ammo is still widespread and inexpensive.  The weapon is very robust and reliable (unless someone gives you magically exploding ammo) when compared to other weapons in the caliber, and you can hunt with it effectively in a pinch.  It's got pretty decent penetrating power under 400 meters, and can be made to look impressive enough to mitigate foolishness.

I guess the discussion will always come back to a "shotgun, rifle, and a 4WD".

[Jay]

The weapon is very robust and reliable (unless someone gives you magically exploding ammo)

Let it go 1hickey, let it go...... 

[1hickey]

It's too beautiful...never gets old. :-*

[Administrator]

My close second choice (maybe first) would be a Ruger Ranch Rifle (.223, not necessarily the Mini-30, but that weapon is probably a better choice than even an AK) with a folding stock.  Ammo is still widespread and inexpensive.  The weapon is very robust and reliable (unless someone gives you magically exploding ammo) when compared to other weapons in the caliber, and you can hunt with it effectively in a pinch.  It's got pretty decent penetrating power under 400 meters, and can be made to look impressive enough to mitigate foolishness.

*cough*AR-15*cough*

Hickey, we all know that an AR-15 is superior to your mini-14.  I don't have any problems with all three of mine, and any one of them would be the weapon I'd choose in a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situation.

[1hickey]

You obviously haven't used one long enough in the field to get it dirty

[joemerchant24]

Dusting off an old thread, I know...

That said, I'd pick something in a caliber that would be less difficult to replenish.

.22LR fits the bill.

However...

In a no-law type situation I am not going to trust my life to 35gr of rimfire.

So, probably my AR. Parts and ammo are as close as the nearest armory, cop shop, or abandoned cruiser (remember, we're talking zombie hordes end of world stuff here). It will punch through body armor. Granted, it doesn't have 300+ standoff power, but anarchy is usually a CQB/urban environment.

[1hickey]

Keep coming back to the old .22-- Hard to argue with one for a "Crash bag".

[Chad McCumbers]

If I were to have just one...

My Blaser R84 in .375 H&H.  I can kill anything from squirrels to elephant with it.

The silenced .22 has a lot of good points, but I like kill power.