Just for fun...name your optimal SHTF gun. I think 22 and 22 mag are affordable for ammo and have minimal recoil. Lighter to lug around with lots of ammo, but lack real punch/stopping power and aren't great at penetrating lighter barriers. I feel that a lot of "threats" could have homemade armor on. 9mm is decent, especially out of a 16" carbine, but again, lacks real penetrating power. Pretty affordable ammo and again light on recoil. A step up from the rimfires for sure. I think the medium-big pistol calibers shot out of something like a carbine or a lever gun can be real fun to shoot. 45acp, 10mm, 357mag, 44 mag etc. Usually limited to around 7-10 rounds. Recoil is so-so. Manageable for most. Ammo can get on the expensive side and is physically larger, so carrying a lot at once may be trickier. Better for busting through tougher barriers than the above options. The speedy rounds like .223/5.56 and 22-250 offer great speed which offers great penetration. Too much penetration for some situations. Going through unintended walls and other things. Usually they can be set up for larger 20-30 round capacity mags like many AR15 rifles, mini 14's, etc. Ammo is more expensive than rimfires, but fairly "affordable" compared to many big grain monster rounds. Mid size rifles like .270, .308, 30-06 etc. are realistically too big for most SHTF scenarios. Ammo is bigger, heavier, more expensive, and more cumbersome. Over penetration is a real concern. For long distance shots, they'd be great, but heavier recoil would require more time between shots. Fast big boy rifle cartridges like 300 win mag, 338 Lapua, etc. are certainly too big, bulky and expensive to carry around. Recoil is much more of a concern, as are follow up shots. Not realistic imo for SHTF. Far too great of a chance of over penetration. Big boy hand gun rounds like 500 S&W, 45-70, 454 Casull, etc. are again too powerful with too much recoil to be a realistic choice. Firing these out of a handgun is a tall order for most people. Shotguns are great for close quarter shots, and certain rounds like buckshot don't require the greatest of marksmanship. The variety of round types and loads really make them an attractive choice. Something like a tactical shotgun can easily be outfitted with things like flashlights, red dots, and many are short and compact for close quarter shooting. Rounds are big and bulky, so carrying many at a time isn't a realistic endeavor. Then again, a 12 gauge double aught is like nine 9mm's at once. All in all, for mainly "at home" defense, I think it'd be hard to beat a tactical 12 gauge with a shortish 18"-20" barrel. Slugs for penetration, especially harder and heavier slugs like a Brenneke. Buckshot for multiple threats at once, and birdshot, for non lethal... "GET OFF MY PROPERTY" WARNINGS. All in all, for mainly traveling "on the move" defense, I think I'd choose a 9mm carbine. Over penetration isn't as big of a concern, and most threats will realistically be fairly close by. Ammo is fairly affordable, and easy to carry. If only larger capacity mags were easily available. It would be critical to have multiple pre loaded 10 rounders on hand for quick reloads. Lighter and much less recoil than the shotgun for quick on the run maneuvers. If it’s the most common police round out of a handgun, a 16" carbine should be a real workhorse in the field. What do YOU choose???
If I could only have 1 gun? Probably my suppressed 10/22 it has factory bull barrel, iron sights and a scope. Got a silencerco sparrow suppressor on it. If I could have 2 guns I would choose my suppressed rpr in 22lr with my 44mag super Blackhawk as my side arm. In a true shtf situation I would want stealth over raw stoping power.
If I'm on the move hunting small game then my Ruger 10/22. If I'm staying at home holding my ground I'd want something simple and reliable that could reach out a ways like a bolt action rifle chambered in 0.308 or similar. If it's long term I need something crude where I can cast my own bullets and make black powder: enter the muzzleloader. Firearms are tools and like a backyard mechanic, having just an adjustable wrench or set of needle nose pliers isn't going to cut it. But if I had to pick just one, I'd go with the muzzleloader because it's easier to be semi self-sufficient when all the stores have already been looted.
Great point Eric. Ammo availability will be a huge concern. Sticking with an immensely popular round like 22lr, 9mm, 5.56, .308 seems like a round you’d be more likely to find and/or barter for
A bolt action .22LR. Capable of taking any game I need to for food. I prefer to have garden gnomes around the yard loaded with tannerite. Especially covering the backsides of trees etc for home security…
Along those same lines, a shotgun with an adapter kit that'll shoot a variety of ammo is an excellent choice too. You'll sacrifice accuracy, but gain versatility.
The 22 is an under appreciated cartridge for sure. I put a lot of squirrels on the ground between my fathers Stevens 22 pump and my Marlin 60 I got as an early teen. Was quite the jump up in power from the .177 Pumpmaster I had at the time. Still have the Marlin today. Would love to add a 10/22 Sporter to my collection someday
To me a suppressed 22 is hard to beat. I've got around 20k rounds, always adding more. It wouldnt be horribly hard to transport a lifetime supply if you had to bug out and were stingy with firing
I've had the same pellet gun since 2011 and in all honesty I'd consider it essential in a SHTF situation. You can harvest a lot of squirrels with a cheap 0.177 and save your ammo for when it's needed.
I have a Benjamin 397PA I’ve had since I was about 15 and a Ruger Blackhawk I got maybe 12 years ago or so. My favorite pellets are German made RWS.
Mel Tappan gave this subject a lot of thought, and then wrote Survival Guns. He died in 1980, so no plastic guns and modern calibres are included. Here is a link to a free version of the book: Survival Guns - Desert Publications : Mel Tappan : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The other main consideration is ammo availability, 5.56/.223 and 9MM are everywhere. This allows trading bartering for ammo, some of the other "better" calibers are hard to get especially if SHTF. Same for 12ga.
I use that logic as one of the main considerations on which firearms I choose. Sure there are some sexy and spicy rounds like 6.5 Creedmoor and 22 Creedmoor. However, they usually have shorter barrel life's and can be harder to get your hands on ammo. I like to stick to the basics.
An accurate, scoped 22lr bolt action or aftermarket 10/22 variant, with back up iron sights. I can carry 2000 rounds of that in back pack. Try that with 5.56 or 9m. I think the vast majority of firearm usage will be food getting vs urban warfare. At least where I live anyway.
If I had to pick only 1 it would by my 10/22 with a red dot and irons. Can put meat on the table and send a swarm of angry bees to any 2 legged varmits. You can carry 500 rounds in your pants pockets too. If you put a can on it, all the better but not 100% necessary. If I could pick 2 I'd add an 870 super mag. Nothing you can't kill with that here. Not much need for long range rifle work here...can't get a line of sight for much more than 100 in 90% of places that aren't corn fields. If I had to add a rifle it would be a bolt action .308.
Good question and lot's of opinions for sure. I think a big factor is where you live. If you live very rural hunting and putting food on the table would be more prevalent so your .22 and other's would be popular. However if you live in suburbia or in an urban environment, urban warfare is flat out going to happen. Here in development land, your going to have people trying to take from others. I don't have much area or game to hunt, and the little area's I do have will be completely overrun with others trying to hunt. So your looking at defending yourself and what you have prepped, that includes your firewood! Shotgun is hard to beat for me personally. I can defend, hunt small and larger game with it. Downside its bigger and bulky but am not looking to be out and about much unless it's an absolute must or am forced to. My shotgun personally has an interchangeable barrel for defense and hunting. Ammo availability is huge & already mentioned several times. I wouldn't get cute with different not as common ammo, keep it simple for sure.
