What apocalyptic guns are perfect for when the grid goes down?
While anything that shoots is better than nothing, these are the top choices I came up with for when the SHTF.
These six apocalyptic guns with pull double duty when times get rough.
1. Mosin Nagant Rifle
These tough Russian military surplus rifles can still be had at lower prices. The powerful 7.62x54r ammunition is great for big game needs, bear protection, or engaging an enemy farther than you can see them.
Surplus ammunition can still be found at lower prices, and these tough bolt action rifles really never wear out.
2. Remington 870 Shotgun
The Remington 870 is a pump action shotgun that is well known for its reliability. When its chambered for 12 gauge, you have plenty of firepower for any game or defensive need you may need. It doesn't exactly have long range power or accuracy, but with shotgun slugs a shooter can make any attacker sweat from a good ways away.
Buckshot loads are the number one defensive choice for various needs. You just can't go wrong with this great shotgun in any configuration.
3. Just about any AR-15
The AR-15 format is made by various manufacturers and offered with many options. You can figure they are the Legos of the gun world.
They stand up well to abuse and are very accurate. The calibers offered total more than I can list here.
Personally, I would stick with a standard military caliber such as 5.56mm to assure ammunition will be easy to find. This rifle is also very serviceable as a hunting rifle, good for food harvesting in situations where efficiency is key.
4. Ruger Takedown 10/22 Rifle
It's just a .22 caliber rifle, you may say. Except that .22 rifle can be fed by 50-round magazines and can fire in a semi-automatic action.
The good parts: .22 ammunition is really light and you can carry a ton of it. When suppressed, this gun really becomes a great quiet food maker, pest dispatcher, and up close defender with precise shots.
No, it is not a battle rifle, but a great packable option that can do much more than the big calibers can for daily duties.
5. A good AK-47
The iconic AK-47 style rifle is as tough as nails. They survived wars and continued to function under horrible conditions.
In the semi-automatic configurations, that have been proven to be great feral hog rifles and defensive firearms. Surplus 7.62x39mm ammunition allows for cheap shooting over other rifle calibers. It is an all-around great rifle for many survival needs and requires very minimal maintenance.
6. Saiga 12 Shotgun
The Saiga 12 is actually a beefed up AK-47 style action that now accepts 12 gauge shotgun shells. It is dependable like the AK and will shoot any 12 gauge, 2.75" and 3" ammunition from a detachable magazine of various capacities. The semi-automatic action is fast and reliable. If you like the feel of the AK style rifles, this shotgun is the right pick for you.
There are other fine choices, but for a real life disaster situation, these are what I'd rather have. What would you pick?
Do you like articles about the outdoors? Click here to view more articles by Eric Nestor. You can follow him @ericthewoodsman on Twitter, The Classic Woodsman on Facebook, and @theclassicwoodsman on Instagram. You can view more Nestor Photography photos at Nestor Photography.
NEXT: HUNT WITH A HENRY: A REVIEW OF THE HENRY ARMS .45-70 LEVER-ACTION RIFLE
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