Best Gun to have for when the brown stuff starts flying.

reply to post by Aliensdoexist


No need to get angry as I have pointed out some truths, none of which you could prove false.
I would not exactly be pushing the 22 LR as the military caliber as you suggested, I am pointing out that it is terribly underestimated.
It was even considered for a while back in the 90's by the FBI as a sniper weapon for its penetration, lack of recoil, Etc.
It was finally dropped as rimfire will not fire all of the time, I would guess 1 in 100 would be a generous estimate, but then again I'm not worried about a bunny getting the drop on me.
For this reason alone I choose centerfire cartridges as my personal defense ammo, but in a forced survival situation and a choice of 1 weapon, 22 LR is the go to win.
There are some areas where a larger caliber could be very useful, if you have a platoon of men and air support then I guess larger calibers are OK.
If you need to survive on your own then the idea of being Rambo is a dead fantasy.
Now just for grins and giggles, why don't you google AR 5 and AR 7, there you can find out what folks who need to survive carry.
AR 5 is a centerfire 22 on steroids and the AR 7 is a 22 LR both have military history here and abroad.
Hope it helps.

(Edit)
Norco robbery
In this story is a detective who commandeered a persons 22 LR as it was better suited than the shotguns and 38's they were using.
They tend to have better range and penetration than shotguns, 38's are pretty much just a bad joke.

An M1A2 will never let you down.

reply to post by g146541


I know about the survival guns air crews had in their survival packs, I know weapons quite well. I also know any gun that fires a projectile is dangerous regardless of size even the 2.7mm Kolibri Auto could be lethal. Heck there are plenty of quality pellet guns out there in .177, .22 and .25 that rival the .22 LR. On a side note I have a family member that tried to commit suicide 10 or so years ago with a .22, he shot himself 3 times through the roof of his mouth, neighbors called the cops because they heard gunfire, cops break down door find him passed out with .22 handgun in his hand rushed him to the hospital and made a full recovery after 1 week of doctors putting him in an induced coma because of swelling and 1 week after they brought him out of the coma he left the hospital and was checked into a mental health facility, 3 .22 caliber bullets rattled inside his skull and missed every vital part of his brain, yes it might've been a miracle and I thank god that he spared him, one in a million thing but had it been a .38 special, .357mag, 9mm .40s&w he most likely would've never survived that. And that is not a BS story either.

reply to post by OoohLaDeDa


Honestly any weapon that works and that you have ammo for will be a good weapon for a SHTF.

Having multiple guns is a great idea, but if I were somehow forced to pick only one, it would be either an
AK-pattern rifle or the already-mentioned Ruger 10/22 in the youth size.

AKs have proven their reliability/durability. If you survive an engagement with marauders, you will
get their weapons and most likely find other AKs as "battlefield pickups" and can use theirs as a source
of spare mags, ammo and parts. If society has seriously broken down, there will be no UPS
to deliver Brownell's parts, nor will large-scale gun parts makers still be in operation.

An advantage of the Ruger 10/22 is that you can inexpensively stockpile a huge amount of ammo
ahead of time. As mentioned previously, it's generally quite reliable with decent ammo and factory
mags. If you're trying to fend off bad guys, I don't care how they're armed or armored - only a fool
wouldn't duck from suppressing fire pouring forth from any firearm, even a .22.

What if your spouse/kid has rarely, if ever, shot a firearm? Or someone you are sheltering
hasn't either? If you're going to make those person(s) co-defenders of your homestead,
it's probably better to at least start a firearm newbie on something that's smallish
with low noise and recoil.

Now, by saying the following, I am not advocating any sort of unlawful concealed carry,
but in the absence of law and order, I'm sure all firearm restrictions will be "out the window."
The short-barreled 10/22 is also very concealable. Easily tucked until a trench coat,
or under a pile of goods you're pushing or pulling in a cart, it can quickly be brought to
bear.

For defensive carry, I would recommend a Ruger GP100 .357. Ruger revolvers are incredibly
rugged and reliable.

Glocks, too - again, outside of a few spectacularly defective samples, they have survived
independent torture tests and usage on the battlefield and in law enforcement situations.
And since the bad guys will likely have some amongst their numbers, if you survive
the encounter, you can use the pickups to replenish your stash of parts, mags and ammo.

Personally I would have (and already do have) the following:

1 - Shotgun (CQB - Home protection)

2 - Glock 9mm or .40 cal (Carry protection)

3 - SKS or AK47 or similar variant (for defense / offense)

4 - Ammo Press

I choose the AK47 or SKS because they are ridiculously stable weapons. You could drop it in the dirt, pick it up and 9 out of 10 times it will still fire. Also 7.62mm ammo is cheap, easy to find and particularly easy to press yourself. You have to assume that if something ever went down, the first thing that would be restricted is ammo. We can have all the guns in the world, but if we can get the bullets for them, whats the point?

Originally posted by DerekJR321
You have to assume that if something ever went down, the first thing that would be restricted is ammo. We can have all the guns in the world, but if we can get the bullets for them, whats the point?

Excellent point... (not that milsurp 7.62x39 is pricey, but...) that's why I advocate a .22 rifle as the beginning of a survival armory. A person immediately has a relatively effective, inexpensive weapon, and can quickly stock up cheaply on ammunition, and lots of it.
Most people have a fairly limited budget for survival supplies, and I think it makes sense to start with something they can get quickly and cheaply, focus on other items like water purification, food, etc, and then shift their attention and resources back to additional firepower.

reply to post by brickof22cal


Indeed That's why I have my trusty Ruger 10-22 in my gun cabinet. Best overall weapon to have.