Top three ‘shit just hit the fan’ weapons
Everyone should have a gun just in case. But what weapons would be most useful in a scenario where law and order is either about to break down or is already breaking down. Imagine a scenario where some cataclysmic event is tearing society apart. Your goal is to survive and defend yourself. Which guns are effective, easy to use and have a widely disbursed and readily available supply of affordable ammo available to trade for or purchase? Our criteria for the choice below include: a retail price under $1,000 and commonly available, plentiful ammo supply anywhere in the United States (and probably other places too). Gun enthusiasts will never agree on anything but these are the specific choices we recommend:
- 9mm handgun – by far the overwhelming choice in an informal survey of gun enthusiasts, the 9mm pistol is a tried and true personal defense weapon used by police and military forces around the world. The specific recommendation we are making is the Springfield Armory XD(M)-9.
- 12 gauge shotgun – the all purpose home defense and zombie crowd control firearm of choice. Good for close quarters defense against multiple assailants. We like the Mossberg 590 for this purpose, particularly the 9-shot capacity model.
- M4/AR15 carbine – for when you need to reach out and touch someone at a little more distance. The M4/AR15 carbine rifle is a proven choice for putting down varmints and evil doers. Whether you need to put food on the table or keep someone out of your perimeter this rifle will do the job. We’re specifically enamored of the Bushmaster Carbon 15 Model 4.
We’d love to hear reader feedback on these choices and hear why you would pick something different. What do you have hidden in the closet and why? In the future we’ll be posting reviews of each of these weapon choices (or closely similar models) and trying to justify the choices.
| Weapon | SA XD M 9mm | Mossberg 590 | Bushmaster Model 4 Carbine |
| Price | $500 USD | $400-500 USD | $900-1000 USD |
| Ammo | 9mm parabellum | 12 gauge (varies) | .223/5.56 NATO |
| Damage | low-medium | high | medium |
| Accuracy | high | low | very high |
| Range | short | short-medium | long |
| Reliability | high | high | medium |
| Reload | fast | slow | fast |