Best Guns For Self Defense & Civil Unrest

Best Guns For Self Defense, Civil Unrest

DISCLAIMER from Tactical-Karen: This is entertainment and/or satire in the same vein as fictitious “Zombie Shows” like the Walking Dead or sci-fi movies like John Wick, District Nine or The Terminator (T2 was the best). It’s fun for gun enthusiasts to think about what gun they’d use in these outlandish scenarios, so this is an entertaining thought experiment. Gun collectors, such as myself, may/may-not wish to own some or all of the firearms described here for the purpose of collection and personal recreational/sport shooting. While I do cite some real-world examples, this article is not legal or self defense advice. No matter which gun you own, the best thing you can do is educate yourself about safe firearm use, practice with your gun often and keep it out of unauthorized hands (children, criminals or the mentally unstable) by locking it up when not in use. Understand your specific guns and they pros/cons of using them: range, power, effectiveness and over-penetration (accidentally shooting through your target or walls/other houses and injuring bystanders). The legality of firearms or techniques presented here may vary by area and may not be relevant at a future date. The best defense for yourself and your loved-ones is to mitigate exposure and risk. In my almost-useless opinion as an internet gun expert, it’s usually best to stay inside your house. Self defense with a firearm is always a last resort for defending life. If you end up in jail, who will be protecting your family while you spend thousands trying to legally justify your actions?

Today, we’re reviewing the best guns for self defense and civil unrest. This is my list and may be subjective or flawed. I’m a self-proclaimed “internet gun expert”, which means I may or may not know what I’m talking about. This “Best Guns” list is being presented for entertainment purposes only because it’s fun to share opinions and argue about hypothetical scenarios. Even though the United States has experienced several incidents of high profile civil unrest in recent times, the odds of you actually firing a weapon in self defense are probably low, if history is a good predictor of the future. That said, some people want to be prepared for the worst or they simply wish to unapologetically exercise their Second Amendment Rights. For the purposes this hypothetical thought experiment, self defense is defined as a last resort to defend yourself or another from an immediate threat to life and limb. I’m defining Civil Unrest as widespread lawlessness that may range from the LA Riots on the tame end to a Hollywood Walking Dead style breakdown of society.

Glock 43:

This is the baby Glock and is (at the time of writing) the smallest Glock 9mm you can buy. Not to be confused with it’s larger cousin, the g43x, the normal g43 holds 7 rounds (6 in the magazine plus 1 in the chamber). This is currently the smallest pistol I’ve ever encountered that I’ve felt I could trust my life to. The G43 has proven to be absolutely Glock-reliable during the many thousands of rounds I’ve put through it and it comes recommended by much better shooters than myself. Yes, there are smaller pistols. But for me, the g43 is the smallest one with which I can quickly and reliably hit torso-sized targets with out to 20-30 yards. Contrary to popular belief, the smaller the pistol, the harder it is to shoot. Small guns have less material to hang onto, have less mass to counteract recoil, hold fewer bullets and have a much shorter site radius. In plain English, this means that small pistols kind of suck. Well, compared to a rifle or shotgun, all pistols suck. But, subcompact pistols kick harder, are less accurate, hold less bullets and take more experience/practice to master when compared to full-size pistols. So, since subcompact handguns suck so bad, why bother? The two things that subcompact pistols having going for them are concealment and being lightweight. And for that, there’s just no replacement for a small concealed carry handgun.

In many self defense and even some Zombie Apocalypse scenarios, having a firearm that potential threats don’t know about is a huge tactical advantage. An enemy may think they have the upper hand and make a critical error because they don’t know you’re armed. Or, you’ll be viewed as less of a threat so hostile forces won’t think to take your weapons away. Even better, you may be able to simply talk your way out of situations or avoid confrontations that would arise if you were openly carrying a gun. Carrying a gun is an advantage, but it’s also a liability because it can make you a target/threat to adversaries and those who may be tempted to steal your gun. Also, openly carrying a gun is a double-edged sword in that it may discourage attackers but might also antagonize/escalate already violent or hot-tempered people. For these reasons, in polite society I always keep my handguns concealed except when I’m way off grid in the wilderness and it is normal to see people armed. Even in intense civil unrest or a riot, you can make a strong case for keeping your firearm hidden. Anecdotal evidence from real-life shows the advantages of concealed carry in a riot. In summer 2020, a man named John Carughi disarmed two individuals who had stolen AR15 rifles from police during Seattle riots. On the other hand, we have the controversial case of Kyle Rittenhouse’s case, where he appears to have shot three rioters in self-defense. While experience, age, training and exact circumstance all separate Rittenhouse from Carughi, the fact that Carughi’s firearm remained hidden until absolutely necessary may have saved his life as well as the lives of the young-adult boys who stole the rifles from police. Had Carughi been openly carrying a gun, he may well have been a much bigger target for the angry mob and that may have escalated the situation leading to further violence.

Aside from civil unrest, riots and Hollywood Zombie scenarios, the advantages of carrying a Glock 43 lie in the fact that it’s so small that you can take it jogging, carry it discreetly at black tie formal events and in everyday casual clothes. I’ve even carried my Glock 43 while wearing shorts while swimming and whitewater rafting. I would be happy to go my entire life and never need to use my Glock 43, but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. The reason I choose a Glock 43 is because it’s the smallest Glock 9mm. Its small size means that it seamlessly integrates into my life so discreetly that even my own children and most relatives don’t know it’s there. Pros: ultimate concealment, Glock reliability, accurate enough to hit torso-sized targets at up to 25 yards away. Cons: much harder to use than larger pistols (those who don’t practice a lot won’t be able to hit targets past 5-10 yards with it), very low capacity (holds 6+1 rounds versus 17+1 rounds for a full-size handgun), small size and light weight make it uncomfortable to shoot, the pinkie-grip extended magazine doesn’t hold any extra rounds like it should.

I bought a Glock 43, Now What?

Familiarize yourself with the basics of gun safety and learn the basic operations of the pistol. Research about holster selection and try multiple holsters. Learn “dry-fire practice techniques” and practice them in a safe area and in a safe direction. If you can’t reliably hit a one foot target from 7 yards (21 feet) away after some practice, consider (if budget allows) getting a larger Glock 19 or 34 to practice the fundamentals with while you also keep practicing with your g43. Read the book, Surgical Speed Shooting and do what it says. With practice, you should be able to hit a torso sized target from at least 20 yards (60 feet) away. Practice drawing your gun from concealment every day using proper dry-fire technique.

Glock 34:

The Glock 34 is a full-size 9x19mm (9mm luger) service pistol based on the police issue Glock 17 that is modified from the factory for competition use. Basically, it’s like a police Glock with a bit better trigger, a little bit longer barrel and a slide that is cut for optimized weight balance. While this gun is not great for concealment, you can carry it inside the waist band and conceal it somewhat depending on clothing and body type. With enough practice, you can hit human silhouette targets at 100 yards away with it while also being able to engage multiple close range targets in a matter of seconds. I lost count of how many rounds I’ve put through my Glock 34 at around 50,000 and I have never had a parts breakage. Whether or not you’re a fan of law enforcement, there is no denying that Glock pistols in 9mm are the most commonly used pistols by police. Police choose Glock because of its blend of reliability, value and because it is common. While a rare, less common handgun may be more aesthetically appealing or cool to you, a common gun makes it way easier to find spare magazines, holsters, parts and other accessories. I have friends who like “hipster Guns” but end up with a bunch of needless hassle because they just can’t find a holster that fits it right.

Why 9mm? The 9mm is the most common pistol caliber in the world because it works and is a good balance of power and capacity. A factory Glock 34 holds 18 rounds (17 “bullets” in the magazine and one in the chamber). While there are more powerful pistol rounds on the market, these rounds come with harsher recoil, more cost and many (like 40sw) will cause the gun to wear out quicker. Not only that, but rounds like 45acp and 40sw also result in less magazine capacity. Basically: the gun holds less ammo so you have fewer chances to hit your target. Yes, in the year 2020, 9mm ammo has become more expensive and harder to find in stock. There is a reason: it’s the best balance of reliability, capacity and power in a handgun.

If money is tight and you can only get one pistol, get a used Glock 19 because it’s a bit smaller so it can be concealed better, but it’s still big enough to be pressed into use in scenarios where a full size pistol is needed. But, when it comes time to holster a full-sized sidearm for the Zombie Apocalypse, the Glock 34 is what I choose. So, what are the cons to the G34? Since they are common, you won’t be able to bask in the smug glory of having a rare piece of art that none of your friends owns or has even heard of. Also, among competition guns, the g34 trigger is not as crisp as that of a competition 1911. But, competition 1911s cost a lot more and they break more often. Lastly, all pistols are less accurate, harder to become experienced with and far less powerful than almost any rifle or shotgun. Hands down, the biggest con of the g34 is that it is not a rifle or shotgun.

I got a G34, Now What?

Get a high quality reinforced duty gun belt, holster and magazine carrier from a maker like Galco, Safariland or 5.11 Tactical. For competition, I like BladeTech hoslters and their convenient TekLoc system. Next, get a bunch of magazines. It’s a good idea to have at least 10 magazines for a handgun (“clip” is an improper slang for magazine). Factory Glock magazines are the best, but you can round out your numbers with aftermarket Magpul ones that now come in 21 round capacity. Then, practice a lot. Every area of the United States has local USPSA and other practical shooting matches where you’ll be able to practice shooting multiple targets while moving, reloading and drawing from a holster in a safe but challenging environment. Match fees are about $20.00 in my area plus ammo and you’ll get more practice in a day than most shooters get in years. Building solid fundamentals with a full size Glock 34 will make it much easier when you pick up a small, more concealable pistol. Whereas, if you only learn on a subcompact concealed carry gun, you’ll have a much harder time building good habits.

12 Gauge Semi-Auto Shotgun: Beretta 1301 Comp

When it comes to the right balance of performance, reliability and price, the Beretta 1301 Comp is top of the list when it comes to semi-auto shotguns. Sure, there are cheaper semi auto 12 gauges, but many of those just won’t hold up to hard use and may fail in a self-defense scenario. More budget-friendly options like those from Stoeger or Mossberg have not held up very well for very long in the local, amateur 3-gun matches that I attend. As an aside, Mossberg pump shotguns have often proved extremely reliable for me, although I did have a 590 that I had to send back under warranty once.

Shotguns are popular for home defense because they’re powerful, widely available and useful for a multitude of hunting and recreational shooting purposes. The “shot” fired from most shotgun cartridges begins to spread out at distance, meaning that the effective range of a shotgun is generally 50 yards and under, although shotgun buckshot and especially slugs can be very lethal past that range. Semi-automatic shotguns are sometimes called “autoloaders” because the shotgun automatically ejects the spent shell case when fired and automatically loads the next round in the chamber. Semi-auto shotguns fire one shot per trigger pull until the magazine is empty, making them a faster option for home defense than a pump shotgun.

So, if semi-auto shotguns are so great, why doesn’t everyone use them? The answer is that semi-auto shotguns cost more than pump shotguns and if you don’t get a really durable and reliable one, it might jam in a life-and-death situation (or, just ruin your day of hunting or recreational shooting).

I have gone 3-4 years without cleaning my 1301 comp during which time it never failed/jammed. During that 3-4 year period where I didn’t clean the gun, I shot the 1301 regularly and entered into several 3-gun matches with it. The only reason I ended up cleaning it is because I needed to remove the trigger pack to mill out the loading gate even more than they did at the factory to speed up my reloading. The bottom line is the 1301 runs very well and is extremely reliable. NOTE: if you’re using small game / target loads, be sure to get 1 & 1/8th oz cartridges so the gun has enough gas pressure to cycle the action.

Shotgun Pros/Cons

Pros:

• Powerful: Buckshot or slugs can take down a bear or moose
• Limited Range: shot pellets dissipate their energy in a shorter distance, limiting collateral damage
• Very Common Ammo: ammo is widely available & affordable, even in shortages
• Versatile: Useful for home defense, sport shooting and hunting birds or even big game
• Doesn’t have the negative political stigma of rifles like the AR-15 & AK47
• Available in gun-ban states

Cons:

• High recoil, shotguns kick hard, which is a problem for smaller shooters
• Powerful defensive cartridges like buckshot & slugs (but also light target loads to a lesser extent) can over-penetrate walls, risking innocent bystanders/neighbors
• Low capacity, shotguns hold a lot less ammo than common magazine-fed rifles
• Slow & complex to reload under stress

AR15:

The AR15 is the most popular rifle in America, meaning that there are millions of AR15-style rifles in circulation. The AR15 (like all rifles) is very rarely used in crime, although when it is used it tends to grab national headlines. This means that people fear AR-style rifles much more than may be necessary. The latest statistics show that more Americans are killed by fists and feet every year than all rifles combined, including the AR15. The AR15 is popular because it is very accurate, lightweight, high-capacity and has very low recoil (it doesn’t kick hard). New shooters are often intimidated by the AR15’s distinctive look, only to realize that it’s very easy and forgiving to shoot. The other great thing about the AR15 is that it is extremely easy to customize. Once you own an AR, you can change the barrel, sites, add a scope, a flashlight, a forward grip or anything else you want. Since the gun is common, it’s easy and economical to get parts, accessories and magazines for it online or in a local shop.

The benefits of the AR platform start with the ammunition it shoots. 5.56x45mm nato is the military version of the civilian .223 Remington cartridge. Yes, civilians can legally buy/use 5.56mm military ammo. While you can load either ammo into a normal AR-15, military 5.56mm ammo is loaded at a higher pressure than .223 Remington. As such, you can safely use .223 in a rifle marked 5.56mm, but using 5.56mm in a gun marked .223 is not recommended. The 5.56mm/.223 caliber ammunition (bullets) used in a standard AR-15 are very lightweight and fast-moving. 5.56x45mm nato / .223 Remington is what is known as an intermediate rifle cartridge. This means that it’s less powerful than full-size rifle ammo, but this lower power comes with a lot of advantages. The ammunition being light means you can carry more with you and store more of it in a given area. The bullet itself being both light and fast is also very important for several reasons. Light-weight and fast-moving bullets travel have a much flatter trajectory than slower, heavier bullets. although every bullet drops due to gravity the moment they leave the barrel, faster bullets drop less than slower bullets. This means that you can zero your rifle at 50 yards and hit your target within three inches of your target from zero all the way out to about 250 yards. Another benefit to the AR15’s lightweight and fast bullet is that the bullet tends to disintegrate after it encounters barriers. In plain English, the bullet hits the first barrier so hard that it breaks into pieces, after which it slows down quickly. This means that the AR15 bullet has less of a risk of hitting unintended targets when compared to more powerful rifles. Don’t get me wrong, all rifle bullets can go through walls with deadly consequences. But, 5.56mm/.223 will penetrate fewer walls and with less energy than a full powered rifle cartridge.

The 5.56mm/.223 bullet is most effective at less than 200 yards. Conveniently, most dangerous encounters in real life or in the more fanciful scenarios we’re considering today take place closer than a 100 yards, so lack of power at long range is a feature, not a bug. Please be aware that while the 5.56mm cartridge is most effective at less than 200 yards, it could be potentially lethal past 1000 yards if it hasn’t hit anything and flew in a high arc. The small size of the 5.56mm/.223 means that normal sized magazines hold 30 rounds, with others commonly available that hold 40 rounds. The Ar15’s generous capacity means there is less chance of fumbling a reload in a self defense or civil unrest scenario. 30 round capacity means you have more chances to stop a lethal threat to yourself or your loved-ones.

I bought an AR15, now what?

The first thing you should do when you buy an AR15 is get at least ten 30 round magazines, preferably many more than that. Keep at least half of your magazines new and out of circulation and stash them somewhere very hidden and hard to access. Stashing spare magazines is important because magazines may be banned, stolen, broken or seized and without plenty of spares, the gun is useless. Next, you’ll need at least a few hundred rounds to be used for self defense. Often, gun owners have several thousand rounds because during times of crisis, ammo gets very expensive and almost impossible to find. In the rare event you need a rifle for self defense you’ll likely only fire a few shots. Even in a Zombie Apocalypse you probably wouldn’t use more than a few magazines of ammo before you either die or successfully defend yourself. Even still, it’s useful to have a good stockpile of ammo in your possession so you can practice often during times of unrest when ammo is hard to find. In short, get as much ammo as you can when it is cheap and plentiful.

The next major thing going for the AR platform is its ergonomics and ease of customization. Unlike older designs like the AK47 and M14 that cannot be easily modified, you can easily change out the stock, grips, forward rail and sites, barrel or optics on the AR-15. Not only that, you can even change out the entire top half (upper receiver) of the gun in a minute. Since the lower receiver is legally considered the firearm by government agencies, you can easily buy or build a spare upper receiver in most US States with no additional paperwork. You could have an Upper set for CQB and another set up for precision SPR/DMR (Special Purpose Rifle / Designated Marksman) work. This means that you can set up the gun to meet your exact specifications and preferences. Don’t go crazy on modifying your gun and be careful about going overboard with accessories and modifications. It’s very tempting for gun owners to try and “buy skill” by thinking that they can put fancy parts on their guns to make up for lack of talent; don’t fall into this trap. Nothing is worse than having a blinged-out rifle when you suck. Other than a reliable red dot site and a flashlight, the only thing you really need for your AR15 is practice, lots of practice.

Every AR-15 must have backup iron sites. Even the best optics can be broken or damaged in the chaos of conflict. That said, a quality red dot or holographic site is probably the most important modification for your AR15. Beware of knockoff, low-quality optics! For red dots, I trust manufacturers like Aimpoint and Eotech. It’s not uncommon for an optic to cost as much as the rifle. But, if you’re on a tight budget, people seem to have good luck with Holosun and the Sig Romeo. A red-dot/holographic site is a huge force multiplier because you can accurately hit a target with both eyes open and/or from an odd shooting angle. While people often think of red dot sites as CQB oriented, with practice you can reliably make center of mass hits out to 200-300 yards with one. No matter how fast you shoot with normal iron sites, you will shoot (much) faster with a red dot site. Period.

The other optic that has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years are Low Power Variable Optics, or LPVO for short. LPVO scopes allow the shooter to change from 1 magnification to 4x, 6x or even 10x in some high end scopes like the amazing (and costly) Vortex Razor 1-10 gen2. LPVO scopes are not exactly 1x power on their lowest setting, so they have a small amount of distortion that makes them just a tiny bit slower than a true holographic or red dot. With training, you can become almost as fast with an LPVO as with a red dot site. Be aware that cheaper Low Power Variable Optics can be unreliable and/or the illumination is not visible in full sunlight. As such, do your research and make sure you get a legit LPVO if you go that route. LPVO optics are heavier, often more expensive and add in additional failure points when compared to top-tier red dots like an Aimpoint. That said, the added versatility of Low Power Variable Optic is worth considering, especially for civilian competitions like three-gun, which require very precise shots that would be atypical in most defensive scenarios.

The AR15’s accuracy is almost legendary in the gun community, with match-grade AR15 rifles often capable of sub-MOA accuracy. “Sub-MOA” is a standard of accuracy that means that a rifle will hit a target smaller than about 1 inch from 100 yards away. However, an average “rack grade” AR15 is more like 2.5-3.0 moa, meaning that it could theoretically hit a 3 inch target at 100 yards. What does this mean to you? That depends. If you plan on competing in shooting sports or you simply want the best, then yes this accuracy matters. On the other hand, if this is your first rifle and your budget is limited, consider getting a rack grade Smith & Wesson M&P15 or a basic Aero Precision and then put the rest towards getting the best red dot you can afford. If you’re spending over $1000 on an AR15, you should demand features like a free-floated barrel and at or near 1 moa accuracy. When picking a barrel, twist rate matters. The standard twist rate for civilian ARs is 1/9, with some short barreled versions having 1/7 twists. 1/9 twist will work for most common bullet weights for most common barrel lengths. But, 1/7 is better for heavier bullets and/or shorter barrels. Many competition rifles now come in 1/8 twist to deliver an excellent balance in performance.

Pros: Commonly available, accurate, easy to use, low recoil, easy to customize, ammo is common, high capacity, light weight, smaller bullet less likely to over-penetrate and cause collateral damage.
Cons: Fear of the AR-15 stigmatizes owners, Politics/Media have led to it being restricted in some states, a poorly aimed 5.56mm/.223 bullets can be lethal several hundred yards away.

I could write an entire book on why the AR15 is a top-contender when considering defensive and/or Zombie Apocalypse guns. But, we’ll leave it here and just move on.

AK47

Worldwide, no rifle has ever matched the popularity of the infamous AK47. Like any extremely popular firearm, fact has given way to myth, and myth has become legend. Some common myths about the AK47 create a positive halo effect around the rifle, while other myths cast the gun in a very negative light. Inexperienced detractors make false claims that the AK is inaccurate junk best left in the developing world while proponents make similarly overblown claims that the rifle “never needs to be clean” or will never malfunction and is the most durable/reliable weapon system ever created. As usual, reality is much more nuanced and not so extreme. The AK47 is a very reliable platform, but its loose-fitting dust-cover and unique safety lever can let debris like dust, rocks and dirt into the action at times. No, the AK does not deliver sub-MOA, match-grade accuracy. But, a properly constructed example is more than accurate enough to reliably hit a silhouette target at 300 yards and in. There is some truth to the claims of the AK’s extreme ruggedness in that the design has few moving parts and its overall construction is very simple. That said, the rifle’s simplicity also comes with the drawback that it is not modular in the same way that an M16/AR15 is. On an AR15, you can change any part on the rifle so long as you have hand tools, a workbench with a vise and a single proprietary wrench for the barrel nut. In contrast, on the AK47, the barrel and receiver are stamped (or milled in less common variants) and riveted together and cannot usually be changed by an average mechanically-inclined end-user.

What the AK47 lacks in terms of modern ergonomics and modularity, it makes up for in ruggedness, simplicity and ease of mass production. The heavier, slower bullet of the AK47 compared to the AR15/M16 does have the drawback of the bullet dropping more. At 300 yards with a 50 yard zero, the AR15’s 5.56mm bullet will hit 7.2 inches low at 300 yards while the 7.62x39mm soviet bullet would hit 14.8 inches low. That said, the 7.62×39 delivers a bit more power and offers better penetration of barriers because its heavier and slower bullet undergoes less fragmentation than the 5.56mm. This allows combatants to better neutralize targets that may be hidden behind obstructions such as walls, vehicles, vegetation and other light concealment. The 7.62x39mm shell casing is more steeply angled when compared to the M16’s 5.56mm case, which allows for more reliable extraction of the empty shell under adverse conditions such as when the gun is dirty or the ammunition is cheaply made. The steeper angle of the AK shell case allows most military AK47 ammo to be constructed with cheaper and more crude lacquered steel, while the M16/AR15 functions best with more costly brass cased ammo.

In later years, the Soviet Government followed the lead of the United States’ 5.56mm bullet design by fielding the 5.45x39mm cartridge used in the updated AK74 rifle, which adopts the lighter and faster ballistics concepts of the M16. While the AK74 became the new Soviet-issue assault rifle, the AK47 remains in production and is still widely used in many conflicts throughout the world. Perhaps ironically, history seems to repeat itself and the old becomes new again. In the 2000’s, US Military Supplier designed the 300 AAC Blackout to be an alternative cartridge for M16/AR15 variants with a specially designed barrel that closely matches the ballistic performance of the AK47 (you MUST have a 300BLK barrel to use this round in your rifle, otherwise you’ll blow the gun up). The growing popularity of the 300 Blackout cartridge among SpecOps soldiers, especially when used with a silencer/suppressor, shows that the ballistic performance of the 7.62x39mm round fired by the AK47 is still very relevant in the 21st century.

The name of the AK47 is derived from the initials of its design and designer, Avtomat Kalashnikova (“Automatic Kalashnikov”), while the 47 represents the year 1947 in which the design was adopted by the Soviets. While the inspiration for the AK47 came from the German WW2-era MP-44 Sturmgewehr, it would be the AK47 that would push the world powers firmly into the new design strategy of lightweight, rapid-fire military service rifles firing lower-powered intermediate cartridges. At the outset of the Cold-War, the Soviet AK47 could be made cheaply in mass quantities and put the Warsaw Pact communist powers far ahead in terms of the fire-power wielded by the individual soldier. The United States responded with the M-14 rifle, which built on the success of the M1 Garand rifle by adding a detachable box magazine and moving to the more modern, albeit still full-powered, 7.62×51 Nato cartridge. However, despite the M-14, the United States would not truly be able to meet or exceed the effectiveness of the AK47 until the development of the M-16, which came decades later.

The heart of the AK47 is the ammunition it shoots, 7.62x39mm cartridge. The 7.62x39mm was revolutionary for the time, and is still very relevant today. The AK47 fires what is known as an “intermediate rifle cartridge”, which means that the power and size of the cartridge is diminished in favor of portability and ease of use. Prior to World War Two, soldiers were sent into battle with full-powered rifle cartridges similar to today’s big game hunting rifles like the bolt action Springfield Rifle in 30.06 (“Thirty Aught Six”). The Russians had a similarly powered 30 caliber bolt action rifle, a more crude but cheaper to produce military rifle called the Mosin Nagant which is chambered in 7.62x54mm Russian round. These powerful bolt action rifles had serious drawbacks like very heavy recoil, low magazine capacity, slow rate of fire and ammunition that was very heavy and bulky to store/transport. Bolt action rifles firing powerful cartridges made sense when ammo was expensive and cumbersome to manufacture in bulk and soldiers were expected to make slow deliberate shots from fixed positions like trenches. However, military leaders quickly realized that the ability to fire multiple, less-powerful shots in rapid succession and reload quickly were much more important to modern battlefields. From a logistics perspective, reducing the size and power of the cartridge would save gun-powder and raw materials while also allowing transports and individual soldiers to haul more rounds.

The 7.62x39mm round of the AK47 did away with the outdated rimmed shell casing, reduced the powder-charge and reduced the weight of the projectile from 148 grains to 124 grains. The 7.62x39mm delivers around 1,176 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards while the 7.62x54mm has 2,223 ft-lbs of force at the same distance. So, the AK round has about half the power at 100 yards. However, the lower-powered round of the AK47 still delivers more than enough power to be lethally effective on the battlefield while also allowing soldiers to carry exponentially more ammunition. The AK47’s standard-capacity 30 round magazines (sometimes incorrectly called “banana clips”) allowed soldiers to fire 30 rounds in rapid succession without reloading or manually cycling the action. With the advent of the AK47, bolt-action military service rifles like the 30.06 Springfield and the Mosin Nagant became painfully obsolete overnight.

I want an AK47, now what?

When it comes to AK47s in the US, it’s definitely a case of buyer beware. Since the AK is hugely popular across the world, it means that there are dozens of manufacturers making AK variants worldwide. Each AK manufacturer has its own unique quirks and highly variable range of quality. Additionally, US gun laws unfairly punish imported guns, which has given rise to more AKs being made here. US-made guns are still fairly new to market, and some may have quality-control issues that are less common in rifles made in traditional Warsaw-Pact countries. In years past, some older AK’s such as Romanian-made WASR AK rifles became known for issues like canted front sites and other issues. To be fair though, there are also thousands of WASRs in circulation that continue to provide years of reliable service. Every AK rifle you are considering buying should be carefully checked over prior to purchase. Google “what to look for in an AK47” and familiarize yourself with known issues. AKs from some manufacturers have variations in parts which may make it difficult for the inexperienced buyer to know which parts will fit which gun. As such, you’ll want to deeply educate yourself on the many different AK variants available and ask multiple experienced friends for their input before making a decision.

Be careful: some AK47s imported into the US have had issues with flawed safety levers that can result in you accidentally shooting the gun when you did not intend to.

SCAR-17s / SCAR-Heavy

Without a doubt, the SCAR-17s from FN-Herstal is my #1 choice of firearm to take into the Zombie Apocalypse. The power, range and inherent accuracy of the 308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) cartridge offer a distinct tactical advantage cannot be matched by lesser cartridges while the rimless and relatively short case design make it ideal for repeating rifles. The SCAR’s state-of-the-art design makes it almost as simple to service as an AK47 with the added advantage of legendary sub-MOA accuracy. Don’t let the “H”, which stands for Heavy in the military version fool you, the SCAR-H is actually a very lightweight and easy to shoot rifle. What you can’t see when you look at the SCAR-H/17s is just how comfortable and ergonomic it is to shoot quickly. The innovative bolt carrier design, an effective muzzle device and a very well-balanced short-stroke gas-piston system all contribute to the SCAR-H/17s having much lower felt recoil than other battle rifles.

The SCAR-H/17s is the softest recoiling battle rifle I’ve ever used. Sure, you’re man enough to handle a heavy-recoiling battle rifle, but the truth that you’d be able to shoot a rifle with less recoil faster and with more accurate follow-up shots is undeniable. In this case, the SCAR-H/17s wins the argument without question.

The 7.62x51mm ammo of the SCAR-H/17s is heavier than both 5.56x45mm and 7.62x39mm ammo, I feel that the advantages of increased effectiveness and improved barrier outweigh the downside of the cartridge’s increased heft. The 308 Winchester cartridge out of the 16.5″ barrel SCAR17s hits with a force of 2166 ft lbs of force at 100 yards compared to only 983 ft lbs of force from the 5.56mm used in the AR15. What this means is that each shot from the SCAR is a bit over twice as powerful. This increased power and range equates to the operator to control a larger area around themselves. The combination of the 308 Winchester combined with the improved design of the SCAR platform caused it to win military contracts (the military uses the select-fire SCAR-H) for use by Spec Ops troops in recent conflict areas such as Afghanistan among other theaters of conflict.

To understand why the SCAR-H/17s stands out, a little background is helpful.

What’s a Battle Rifle?

A Battle Rifle is a fighting rifle that fires a full-powered rifle cartridge such as 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield or ballistically similar cartridge. Modern military examples of battle rifles are usually select-fire (meaning semi and fully automatic modes are present) while their civilian counterparts are only capable of semi-automatic fire. Early battle rifles include the M1 Garand which led to the M14. During the Cold War period of the mid-20th century, other noteworthy battle rifles like the HK91 and FN-FAL came into prominence. Around this same time, the prototype version of the M16 was actually the Eugene Stoner designed AR-10 chambered in 308 Winchester. However, although the US military adopted Stoner’s design, they opted to have it scaled down to accept the smaller 223/556 cartridge and made the M16. While the AR-10 in 308 was the original Stoner design, its lack of adoption by the military left it to languish in its original 1950’s design while the M16/AR15 benefited from multiple iterative improvements over the next 6 decades.

Unlike the AR15/M16, since the AR10 in 308/7.62-NATO failed to win any military contracts in the 20th century, the platform was never developed and a standard of manufacturing “mil-spec” components was never adopted. The result of this lack of a mil-spec standard caused AR-10s produced by various manufacturers to suffer from reliability and quality control issues well into the 2010s. In my personal experience, I’ve used AR-10 rifles that costed north of $2,000 USD fail to shoot a few magazines without a serious jam and experienced parts breakages every few months. While there were some who had good experiences with the platform, the in the 2000’s, the AR10 had earned a reputation of being fragile among those who used their rifles for high volumes of fire like those encountered in tactical training and competition. With the rapid growth of the civilian firearms market in the United States, there are a number of up-market AR10s that seem to have solved many of the problems that plagued earlier examples of the AR10. However, many of those high-end AR10 examples are in a similar price range as the SCAR-H/SCAR-17s, which makes the FN SCAR still relevant.

The biggest problem with older designs like the FAL, HK-91 and the M14/M1A is that their older design makes it significantly more cumbersome to mount modern optics and accessories. Additionally, most of the older battle rifles are only capable of accuracy around 2-3 moa while the SCAR-H regularly achieves sub-MOA accuracy using high-quality ammunition. Yes, the AR10 is also capable of sub-MOA accuracy and it solves the optic/accessory mounting issue, it has a much more complicated design with more small moving parts than the SCAR.

I bought a SCAR-17s, now what?

If you have a SCAR-H/17s, you’ll also want an AR15 chambered in 5.56mm because you can get higher volume practice in using the cheaper, more plentiful ammo used in the AR. Even still, you still need to be able to regularly practice with your SCAR for it to be useful to you. Having enough money to buy a $3,000- rifle is not enough. You also need to have additional funds to stock sufficient ammunition, lots of magazines and mount proper optics to make the platform truly useful. As such, integrating a SCAR-17s into an effective personal defense system can cost well over $5,000- plus continued ammo expenses to practice with the rifle.

The SCAR-17s is not a beginner’s rifle, it is not an affordable rifle and is not right for everyone. That said, the low recoil, simple and robust design, exceptional accuracy and the powerful 7.62x51mm NATO chambering all make the SCAR Heavy a legendary defensive rifle.

PROS: extremely accurate, very simple & robust design, fires the powerful 7.62 NATO / 308 Winchester cartridge, ambidextrous fire controls, modern modular design, easy to mount optics / accessories, advanced BCG / gas system & muzzle device make exceptionally light recoil, lightweight design works well close in while accuracy and power very nice for extended range.

CONS: Expensive but not that far off of competitors, Some people don’t like the reciprocating charging handle (I like it), the gun is built to close tolerances so heavy grease is not a good choice, gas system is sensitive to high back-pressure suppressors, some early-users in military Spec Ops had bad experiences with the SCAR (the M16 in Vietnam was a disaster at first, but now it’s awesome).

Be John Wick, Without The Attention

Guns are cool, but you are the weapon. Yes, you need a gun. But, the best thing you can do to survive any of the above movie scenarios is to just be John Wick. What I mean is that getting a gun is only part of the equation. The other part is to train with it as much as possible. More than that, train your body. Work out, do cardio, eat right, get enough sleep, avoid recreational drugs and binge drinking, take martial arts. Can’t afford thousands in tactical training courses? USPSA pistol matches only cost about $20.00 plus ammo to enter and will make you a better shooter than 99.9% of lifelong gun owners in a year or two if you go regularly. Can’t afford private martial arts training? Local jiujitsu gyms often hold weekly “open mats” where you can start wrestling with experienced grapplers and then watch as many YouTube videos from Stephen Kesting as possible so you suck less. Take some boxing classes and spar if possible, but wear head-gear because brain damage is real. Can’t afford a gym membership? Do pushups and pullups at home and run stairs.

How to become a badass (or die trying): read and watch everything you can from David Goggins and then go run until you puke or pass out. Every month or two, take a week or two of light training so your body recovers and then reflect on your success and go back to training. When you exercise, imagine the exercise is a fight for your life so you get used to physical exertion under duress.

The bad part about the fictitious character John Wick is that he could have avoided all of the trouble of the movie if he had used better self defense principles to begin with. Why didn’t he have a concealed weapons permit and carry a gun in the first movie? Better yet, why didn’t he use his preternatural abilities to assess that the trouble-makers’ bad intentions and protect his puppy by avoiding the situation? Yes, it’s a movie, but the point is that this character went from relative obscurity to worldwide most-wanted via avoidable actions that he took. Many real-life “John-Wick” people tell me the best defense is to be a “gray man”, meaning someone who is nonchalant and easy for criminals to overlook or ignore.