Firearms
From ZombieSquadWiki
Firearms are one of the many types of tool which an individual can use to increase their odds of survival in many types of emergency. Firearms can be used to hunt and kill animals for food, as well as for defense against violent-minded humans, feral dogs, and, should the need occur, even zombies. Firearms can be carried on one's person, lawfully concealed, for everyday defense against criminal attack. They can be kept in the home, properly secured, for defense against a home invasion robbery or burglary. Should one be forced to evacuate one's home in the event of a natural or man made disaster, including a zombie outbreak, firearms can be carried along to provide protection while on the road. The Henry U.S. Survival Rifle, pictured at right, is a portable .22 rifle that can easily be included in a Bug-out Bag or BOB to provide a means of taking small game to supplement the food one carries. The Kel-Tec Sub 2000, also at right, folds in half for easy stowage, and could also be carried in a BOB for defense.
Many firearms can fill a variety of roles, but every firearm has its strengths and weaknesses. Some people, for reasons of local laws or personal preference, avoid firearms altogether, preferring to rely on other weapons such as pepper spray for defense, bows for hunting, and baseball bats for protection from the living dead. A thorough understanding of the differences between the various kinds of firearms will enable you to make an informed decision as to whether a firearm is right for you, and what kind of firearm or firearms will assist you in your preparations.
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Pistols & Handguns
Referred to as either a pistol, a handgun, or sidearm it's the ultimate personal defense weapon and can be easily concealed. A pistol can be legally carried in some states of America by use of a Concealed Carry Weapons permit or Carry Concealed License (CCW or CCL for short). A pistol is typically considered as a backup weapon for Military and Law Enforcement, but they are also produced for hunting, sports and re-enactment activities. Some are small enough to fit inside a coat or trouser pocket while others such as a S&W Model 500 or Desert Eagle and some other large sized pistols require a firearm holster in order to carry them. Pistols generally have less firepower than other firearms to keep them light and manageable. They are generally only useful at less than 50 yards, close quarters where a long arm such as a Shotgun or Rifle is wieldy. Law enforcement officers and some security corporations incorporate handguns as standard equipment. Some militaries only give pistols to officer ranks as a sign of prestige though that is on the decline. Militaries also issue them to Special Forces where they may be equipped with accessories such as a sound suppressor. Vehicle and gun crews also carry them due to their small size and the lower likelihood they will be needed instead of their primary weapons.
Revolvers
Revolvers are simpler to use than semi-automatic handguns. There are no magazines to worry about or feeding problems, no slide to rack and no safety to mess with. Large caliber's are available for revolvers such as .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Typically these are found in large framed Hunting Revolvers and target handguns. Unlike a semi-auto pistol a revolver cylinder and its speed-loaders can remain loaded for long periods of time without worry of spring wear. Because of how a revolver is loaded, it is a lot easier to tell whether it is loaded or not unlike semi-automatics. The downside to revolvers is limited ammunition capacity, typically five or six rounds though a few very small caliber revolvers (i.e. .22 LR can hold up to nine rounds in a cylinder.
Revolvers are capable of employing various attachments to increase accuracy, decrease muzzle flip or reduce recoil. Most hunting pistols and long range target pistols come with a scope base for mounting a red dot or optical scope. Some have target or bull barrels, or have ported barrels, compensators, or even muzzle brakes. Police or "combat" revolvers may be equipped with tritium night sights.
Semi-Automatic
Semi-automatic pistols are what most LEOs and security personnel carry day to day. With these handguns, typical users have the ability to fire and reload faster plus have larger capacity magazines. Semi-automatic handgun's usually use less powerful calibers such as 9x19mm Parabellum/Luger and .45 ACP due to their relatively low recoil. The exceptions are some handguns such as the IMI Desert Eagle with its .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .50 Action Express models.
Semi-automatic handguns, unlike revolvers' cylinder arrangement, use magazines which vary in capacity according to the pistol's size. A pocket pistol, for instance, typically holds 6 or 7 rounds while military and police grade pistols which usually use a double stack arrangement offer increased ammunition capacity, typically 12-15 rounds or more. This comes with a cost in added weight and bulk.
Semi-automatic handguns are also capable of receiving attachments and accessories that increases the handgun's potential. Such accessories include sound suppressors (i.e. "silencers"), tactical flashlights, laser aiming devices, red dot and optical scopes, tritium night sights, ported barrels, muzzle brakes and barrel weights to control muzzle flip. Semi-automatic handguns are perhaps the most popular form of firearm in the world for use as a personal defense weapon.
Shotguns
Shotguns are unique among firearms for the variety of ammunition types they employ which allows them to fulfill many purposes. Most shotguns are smoothbore and can fire bird shot up to BB shot, multiple sizes of buckshot, slugs, breaching rounds, electric stun rounds, gas rounds and many other types of ammunition. Shotguns come in a series of bore sizes[1] ranging from .410 caliber to 4 Gauge. The downside to shotguns is their limited range when compared to other long guns (e.g. rifles).
Rifles
Rifles are firearms with a rifled barrel (as opposed to most shotguns) and a shoulder stock (as opposed to pistols). Rifles are generally longer-ranged and have greater accuracy than either pistols or shotguns.
Rifles are available in a wide range of chamberings, from the small .22 LR which is ideal for hunting small game as well as economical target practice, to the huge .50 BMG which is good for long-range shooting and penetrating heavy cover or armor. In the middle are popular and powerful hunting cartridges like the .308 and .30-06, which can be used to take most North American game, and intermediate military cartridges like the 5.56mm and 7.62x39mm Soviet, which are well-suited to use in semi-automatic rifles for defensive purposes.
Rifles can be muzzle-loading, black-powder weapons, such as the famous "Kentucky" or "Pennsylvania" flintlock rifles used for hunting in Colonial America, and later pressed into military service in the Revolutionary War. They can also be fully-automatic military "assault rifles" like the M16 and AK-47, which are intermediaries between the machine gun and submachine gun. There are also semi-automatic versions of these assault rifles, often also (inaccurately) called "assault rifles" by the media. Rifles are available as single shot breechloaders like the NEF Pardner, as bolt-actions like most military rifles of WWI and WWII as well as most of today's hunting rifles, as lever-actions like the famous Winchester of the Old West, and even as pump-actions like the Colt Lightning and Remington's pump-action, magazine fed rifles.
Some, especially those from a military background, tend to think of the rifle as their primary weapon, and that "the function of the pistol is to fight my way to my rifle." This is because of the rifle's superior range, accuracy, and power. Others, however, argue that the pistol is more essential because it is the one firearm you can always have with you, when a rifle might be too bulky or attract undue attention. Still others prefer the versatility of the shotgun.
Against multiple, armed attackers, at varying ranges and possibly wearing body armor, a semiautomatic, magazine-fed rifle such as the civilian versions of the AR-15 or AK-47 probably represent the best means of defense available to an American citizen today. For hunting small game, any rifle chambered in .22 LR is an excellent choice. For precision shooting at longer ranges, whether hunting larger game or "sniping" at zombies in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a variety of highly accurate rifles, both bolt-action and semi-automatic, are available in a variety of calibers.
A rifle is an extremely useful tool for the survivalist, and great care and consideration should be taken in selecting one appropriate for one's needs.
