What type of handgun would be best for a SHTF situation?

reply to post by awakentired


Oh don't get me wrong. I've seen firsthand what a .22 can do, infact I would suggest getting one if one wants it. But I wouldn't have it on hand as your sole firearm. Yea, a few rounds is going to bring someone down, but why waste time with that when a well placed .357 round to the chest will do that much quicker?

.22 handguns are great starter handguns though, infact a good little .22 revolver could be a great stepping stone.



[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

Originally posted by awakentired

Originally posted by airvicemarshal
WOW! WHAT ABSOLUTE RUBBISH!
You are all on the wrong track.
If the SHTF, you DO NOT want a gun, you need... a Long Bow.
Why?
[edit on 12-6-2010 by airvicemarshal]

Nice if you have years to practice and become adequate. 1 hour with a handgun and you will hit what you aim at. Can you say the same with a bow?

If you do, then you haven't even shot a bow!

If you are panicking enough to buy a gun and use it after one hour, then, if you are not dead in two hours, you will wish you were and the authorities will be all over you.

THE CENTRAL CONCEPT OF SURVIVAL - SURVIVAL 101 ....BE PREPARED.

Buy a bow NOW and practice NOW.

It's cost effective, it needs no licence and you will not draw any attention to yourself.

Why put everything into one or the other?

Just because he's looking into a handgun or shotgun doesn't mean he can't pick up a Bow.

A bow isn't the answer to everything either.

I'd say diversify, no reason you have to have one or the other.

[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

reply to post by TheFinalTruth14


The type of handgun that you need depends on where you live.

If you live in the USA then a .22 handgun is perfect.

If you live in a country where people are already killing one another, then you had better get a 9mm with lots of extra clips.

reply to post by Judohawk


I chose a 22 for the reason that it is a very accurate round and a head shot is game over. Lastly and in my general survival plan is to keep my footprint small and my noise minimal. A subsonic round's sound will not travel far and wide like that of a 357 or shotgun.

Don't forget that if there is one bad guy nearby then there are likely buddies nearby that you haven't spotted.

In the city the 22 can be shot in an apartment and most people wouldnt think twice about it.

The best gun is clean and doesn't have to be fired..Avoid conflict if possible. Plan your encounter if unavoidable.

reply to post by RussianScientists


Eh that sounded rude, I was just wondering. NM.

[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

A HARD MATHEMATICAL FACT...

As you can only die once, but there are some people who kill more than one person in combat, ON AVERAGE, you are massively far more likely to die being shot than to shoot anyone else. A massive majority of soldiers who go into combat die without firing a shot.

...So, more important than a handgun or weapon, get yourself and your family a BULLETPROOF coat.

Bulletproof coats do not have to be obvious. There si an Isreali company who does an amazing range of bulletproof vests that look and are worn simply as black waistcoats so that you would never know that the person is wearing one.

Remember, if the SHTF, staying alive si more important for you and your family than shooting the other guy.

Originally posted by Judohawk


Just because he's looking into a handgun or shotgun doesn't mean he can't pick up a Bow.

A bow isn't the answer to everything either.

I'd say diversify, no reason you have to have one or the other.

[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

Actually, plans that have been leaked with regard to Operation Garden Plot and the experiences fo peoplein the KAtrina event shows clearly that if the SHTF, the first thing that the PTB will do is to immediately DISARM anyone with a gun, if not mark them up for transportation to "camps" to be "euthanised".

With only a bow, you are way below the radar - the authorities won't touch you, but you will be well armed if you are forced into a confrontational situation.

reply to post by TheFinalTruth14


If you like the glock, you'll love the springfield XDM 9mm. 19+1. It won't have the same knock down power as a .45 or a .40, but you can carry a lot of ammo and if you have 4 magazines, that's 77 rounds. You should be able to accomplish something useful with that much ammo. And as was stated already, extremely easy to field strip. Also would recommend a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 with 00 buckshot, don't want anyone getting up. Just my 2 cents

reply to post by airvicemarshal

A confrontational situation with one person maybe, or if you can stay hidden long enough to fire off a few bolts before they notice if confronting a few.

No matter what happens in SHTF situation it's going to be tough.

My main worry if that ever happens is to get food, and here in ND there's alot in the wild to eat. Not only that but there's a TON of wide open land to lay low, with relatively few people occupying it aswell.

You can use a bow for confrontation, but if you're confronting anyone you'll have to kill they'll probably have a firearm themselves and all I can say is good luck.

I'm done in this thread though, TC can figure out what he wants from here on out.


[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

You may want to look into this new to market lead thrower. The Kel-Tec PMR 30 semi auto pistol. It throws 31 22 Magnum rds at it's target as fast as you pull the trigger, at that rate the bad guy is going to shut his pants, It also will have a rifle stock to attach to it if you would like. 22 magnum will be good for self defense and small game. One of these, a 223 mini 14, and a 20ga pump. All of these have low recoil so as not to flinch as you pull the trigger. Shoot once with any of these and people start moving in the other direction. Big guns cost alot to operate, heavy recoil to bring back on target....all the fire power in the world is useless if you can't hit your target!

Originally posted by janon
My vote goes to 9mm due to availability of ammo. It is one of the most popular handgun cartridges so in a SHTF senario, it will be easier to come across 9mm than other cartridge types. Also 9mm is more than capable of causing lethal damage and is easier for novice users. My wife loves to shoot my Glock 19.

Definitely. Not the most stopping power you can get, but lots of battlefield pickup potential, meaning you can swipe ammo from your enemies and use it. I'd stick to NATO rounds for that reason. Stay away from odd ammo that nobody uses.

I like H&K or Sig for reliability, or a Springfield XD for how popular they are, and also reliability. That's what I'd get in a US made handgun if I were in the market.

Not to be all doom and gloom, but if the SHTF for real, there will be plenty of guns to be had for the grazing also, so these guys who buy lots of guns are wasting their money, IMO.

Originally posted by airvicemarshal

Originally posted by Judohawk


Just because he's looking into a handgun or shotgun doesn't mean he can't pick up a Bow.

A bow isn't the answer to everything either.

I'd say diversify, no reason you have to have one or the other.

[edit on 12-6-2010 by Judohawk]

Actually, plans that have been leaked with regard to Operation Garden Plot and the experiences fo peoplein the KAtrina event shows clearly that if the SHTF, the first thing that the PTB will do is to immediately DISARM anyone with a gun, if not mark them up for transportation to "camps" to be "euthanised".

They'd have to round up pretty much everyone, then. I doubt they'd get very far before they'd meet some real resistance.

reply to post by Judohawk


No rudness intended Judohawk. Simple deduction and logic.

In the USA there will never be a day when the SHTF in our lifetimes. Our military is too powerful right now in our lifetime. Maybe decades down the road another country may become a super power, but right now there is only one super power country and that is the USA by a far stretch.

In other countries of Africa, Asia or Europe, I can seriously believe that the S will HTF in our lifetime.

In some of those countries it's kill or be killed. In some of the others, it will be the same in the future; kill or be killed. If it's kill or be killed, then you don't want to be shooting a gun that will sting and piss off your target. You will want a gun to put your target down and his friends coming up fast behind him.

That is my simple and logical deductions.

I have two Springfield XD's one in 9mm, one in 45, don't have a word of complaint on either pistol. Have put 1000's of rounds through both.

I also have a S&W 500 I got just for the hell of it, gotta say if you see that revolver coming you are not going to stay around. Lot to be said about a revolver that can put down an elephant. I figure if the SHTF I can always use the 500 as a club when the ammo runs out.

[edit on 12-6-2010 by benrl]

[edit on 12-6-2010 by benrl]

reply to post by TheFinalTruth14

Guns? You mean firearms?

Those things that go bang, giving away your location, those things that will run out of ammuniton one day so that it becomes a small club or stick?

Waste of time and energy. Buy a good quality recurve bow and plenty of arrows. Learn how to use it properly. Learn how to make arrows and new sinew strings for the bow.

You will still have a stick, but at least this one will protect you, and help feed you.

reply to post by Tayesin


Don't tell me you are going to carry a bow and some arrows to a gun fight.

I'll take the gun every time.

People can dodge an arrow just as easy as animals, especially from a recurve bow.

The range of a recurve bow is not very good.

There must be a reason why the Indians all but disappeared.

Originally posted by middleclasssoldier
I agree with the Glock. Although i like the G22. Its a .40 cal. Little more stopping power than a 9mm but not as expensive as a .45 cal. Then again you dont need much aim with a shotgun at close quarters. If your gonna be bugging out when shtf id take the Ak47 for my rifle and G22 for my pistol. Just my opinion.

I have a G22 and love it. I can fire 10,000 rounds through it and never clean it and it just goes on and on, but 9MM G17 would be the best for ammo since that is what the military uses in ammo.

.22 is also very cheap and fits a rifle too for cheap hunting. You can buy 50,000 rounds of this without killing you bank account.

For me it is a mix with shotgun for reloads and the .22 for massive number of rounds along with .40 and 9mm for long term security, but then I also run heavier rifle rounds too.

I'd recommend that you buy anything with enough firepower to blow your brains out. Otherwise, don't bother. Surviving when the SHTF is about pulling together to survive, not pulling triggers. I'm personally not interested in surviving in a world littered with corpses especially where any were killed by my hand.

When you start shooting, when do you stop? If you go to the trouble of buying a gun, then how many do you buy and how much ammunition. Why buy the best gun for the situation when it makes more sense to buy weapons for every situation.

I've already started my preparations by planting veggies in the garden and learning more about how to grow food because if the time comes, the current distribution system will disappear and self-sufficiency becomes the norm.

I won't be able to defend any food that I grow from every raider using bullets so I'll have to rely on the community. If the community chooses to arm itself for defense, then weapons will be found as required.

Perhaps your gun ownership desire is motivated by the need to raid other peoples food stores rather than personal protection? That would put a different slant on your choice of weapon.

Originally posted by nine-eyed-eel
reply to post by TheFinalTruth14

 

I vote a shotgun, if you are not yet a practiced marksman.

Also, me, I want to go to that Frontsight training camp outside Vegas...I had been planning on doing that this summer myself, but then I wound up being out-of-work for some months (just got re-employed two days ago, praise God) so I gots to put that off for a little bit...

Anyway, my two cents worth 4 ya...

I agree. I own a pump action 12 gauge shot gun. I think it is a great gun for a woman because just the sound of loading the shell in the chamber is enough to make any halfway intelligent person head for the hills.

The bad thing is that it is really better used for targets at a distance. If your attacker is right on top of you the shot gun is most likely going to be a hindrance than a help and it is easier for your attacker to take it away from you. My motto is, "If my dogs are wailing and you have not called to let me know you are coming, you better pray to your maker that nothing vital is damaged when I pull the trigger."

That leads back to the OP's original question. What is the best "handgun" for protection. I would like to make this question gender inclusive. Meaning which handgun is best for a man and which better for a woman?