The Survivor's Guide To Firearm Evaluation

Here are some good rules of thumb to help you evaluate what weapons will serve you best after the grid crashes. Keep these rules in mind when purchasing your weapons. Even experienced users of firearms can benefit from these parameters, since they were developed from the perspective of a post grid crash world

Parameter #1 – Commonality (Ammunition and Weapon)

When choosing your weapons make sure you choose a weapon that uses a common ammunition type. The specialty rifle that fires custom made rounds is probably not your best bet unless you’re the one making the bullets.

In the event that you must scavenge ammunition it is far more likely that you’ll find a shotgun shell than a .50 caliber round. A 9mm round is more likely to be available than a .44 caliber magnum.

In terms of the weapon itself the more common the type of firearm the better a chance you’ll have of finding replacement weapons to match your ammo should the need ever arise.

Parameter #2 – Simplicity & Reliability

Simplicity and reliability generally go hand-in-hand. That is why the simpler the weapon the more reliable it will usually be and therefore the better a choice it is. Always choose a revolver over an automatic pistol. The revolver requires less maintenance and will fire more reliably than an automatic in a wider variety of situations. The lowered ammunition capacity will rarely be a problem, especially if the other guy’s automatic jams and your revolver goes “Crunch, BANG! Crunch, BANG!”

Bolt action rifles are the most reliable while most automatic rifles are on the less reliable end of the spectrum. Automatics use too much precious ammunition and bolt actions fire too slowly (or could depending on the situation). I think a good compromise is a semi-automatic rifle.

Most semi-automatic rifles are not overly complex, are very reliable, and use ammunition only as fast as you’d like them to. This means that repairs can be made more easily than with an automatic and you are less likely to be left helplessly outgunned than with a bolt action.

Parameter #3 – Stopping Power

How much punch does this gun pack? How much force does the round apply to the target? The more force, the less likely the target is to return fire once they’ve been hit.

If you put a 9mm round on a target, that target is much more likely to remain standing upright than if you hit it with a .45 caliber round. Weapons with greater stopping power usually have a bigger kick than smaller caliber weapons. It is for this reason that the smaller caliber is more accurate when fired rapidly.

Proponents of the 9mm will say that you can put many more 9mm bullets on a target much faster than you can with the .45. They’re absolutely right on that point but I still prefer stopping power over rapidity of fire.

My argument against the small caliber philosophy in the context of a post grid crash world is twofold:

• I would much rather fire less bullets to do the same job since it is probably going to be pretty tough to get more bullets.
• Dropping a target with one bullet is much cleaner and allows you to get on to the next target quicker and with more certainty, should you have more than one threat to deal with.

Parameter #4 – Time to Fire

How much has to be done to prepare the weapon to fire its first round? How large and bulky is the weapon? This will effect how quickly it can be brought to bear on the target.

In a firefight the most critical bullet is the first bullet fired. In a one on one situation the first bullet can be the one to end the fight. In a situation where you are outmanned, taking down your opponents’ leader quickly may demoralize the enemy causing them to flee or panic thereby saving your life.

Parameter #5 – Accuracy

How easily can the weapon strike a target at range?

If you miss, you neither get the bullet back nor do you bag the deer. A wasted shot is a wasted opportunity.

Accuracy can be extremely critical in a self-defense or combat situation. People, unlike deer, will shoot back given the opportunity. If your firearm can’t reliably hit a target at 50 feet, the weapon is not worth having unless you spend a lot of time shooting in caves, tunnels, or indoors (I'm kidding here, if you can't tell).

Parameter #6 – Ammunition Capacity

How much ammo does the firearm hold? You don’t necessarily need a 30 shot magazine, but a single shot weapon or one that only holds two shots (double barrel shotgun) is probably not very desirable, especially for self-defense scenarios.

Balance the need for ammunition capacity with the intended use of the weapon. A hunting weapon can probably stand a lower ammunition capacity than a self-defense or combat-oriented weapon.

Parameter #7 – Manageability
Simply put: don’t bite off too much to chew. A 100 pound 13 year old shouldn’t be using the sawed off double barrel shotgun. Grandma would probably be better off with the .38 special rather than the Dirty Harry special.