In the video below, NRA commentator Colion Noir says he’d want to face the end of the world with a GLOCK 19 or 17. Wait, a GLOCK 19. No, a GLOCK 26. Yes, 26. For sure. Personally . . .

I’d like a stiff drink when TEOTWAWKI rolls around. And then a Kel-Tec SUB-2000. The 9mm GLOCK mag-compatible carbine offers highly concealable, more-than-merely-adequate accurate self-defense in a popular, widely available caliber. And it’s not entirely useless for hunting.

As Mr. Noir points out, the “best” EOTW gun depends on how the world ends. Will it go out with a bang: asteroid strike or super-volcano eruption? Or a whimper: slow economic collapse? Which gun for each scenario?

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103 COMMENTS

  1. I have a Gen 2 sub2k in a backpack that travels with me. That being said, if I’m at home when the SHTF its my AK all the way!

    • Take it easy there buddy. I’m a 1911 guy but I’m much more likely to shoot a 38 Super now that my hands are kind of hosed. My end of the world gun though is my HK51.

  3. Great if you’re bugging out on foot. Drop that bad boy in a 2-liter Camelbak, and move out.

  4. Those choices are some pretty darn good ones the akm very reliable used and countries all over the world as their main battle rifle to this day. Also the Glock and keltec Sub-2000 and 9mm Parabellum are excellent choices. For me though it would be a 9mm 5 inch ported performance center M&P and a 5.56 caliber AR-15 platform. Reason being ammo and parts availability you can literally get parts for an AR-15 at any National Guard Station army base anything like that. The ammunition you can find just about anywhere same with the 9mm Parabellum. That would be my setup. Interesting to hear what everyone else thinks. Possibly a Mossberg pump 12 gauge 590 A1 that I have would be a good side peace to have it the house case you have to hunt. If an asteroid hits or a huge volcano erupts I don’t really think any gun is going to save you then you pretty much put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye LOL.

    • I bought a 9mm simply cause it was the cheapest centerfire pistol ammo and the most commonly available round anywhere. And when the great drought hit it was the first to disappear.

      If you’re planning on looting a regular or guard armory you better have lots of friends and maybe artie and armor.

      If you haven’t got enough on hand to see you thru the first period of instability you’ll either be dead or working under the supervision of the guys that had the guard and regular armories in the first place.

    • Just add red loctite to the barrel to put it back in the receiver. That’s all they’ll do…another reason to never buy their absolute shit guns.

  6. The Sub2k is a decent pistol caliber rifle and easy to pack up and carry, but the prices for them turn me off. If I could find one at a Pawn Shop in good condition for say half the price of of a new one, I might consider picking one up.

    • Well said. A buddy has two of them (one each for himself and his wife), and they work well, but at anywhere near full retail price, nowadays an AR is a far better choice, IMO.

    • Just purchased the Beretta version for $340 shipped. Not saying that’s outstanding, but I’m not disappointed.

        • Sorry, the Beretta-mag sub2k. I’ve got the cx4 as well, but it was closer to $800 (I know, I know….).

  8. If I’m living in woods with only what I can carry, a Henry AR 7 would be the easiest to carry and the easiest to carry/make/find ammo for.

    A heavier and slightly tougher to load, but better all around for use would be a .357 revolver and lever action.

  10. It really depends on the type of world ending. For several scenarios I can imagine I’d agree with RF and go with one or more of those gun shaped tequila bottles. Full of tequila of course.

  11. Depends on the scenario. If I’ve got to move around, I’d go with a .22, probably ruger 10/22. Light, enough to do most of what I need with proper shot placement, and can carry a BUNCH of ammo for very little weight and space.

    Moderate travel, a 12 gauge 870. Versatile, plenty of ammo everywhere, can carry an extra barrel for adaptability, and popular so replacement parts are easy to find. Should add easy to reload should the situation get dire.

    I’d still say a .22 brings the most to the table for any situation though.

    • You forgot to mention a .22 makes much less noise than a 9mm or .223, and has very little to no muzzle flash, both important for keeping your position hidden from adversaries. Add a suppressor, and it would be even more effective.

      Still not my first or second choice simply due to low stopping effectiveness and penetration of cover, but far better than a sharp stick or stern words.

      • Good points. Less noise means less hearing damage as well, which means not needing to wear muffs/plugs and lose awareness.

        Obviously I’d go out of the way to avoid fights, lack of medical care and all. Even in an EOTW scenario, what I have to lose greatly outweighs what I can gain. If I had to I’d tip the odds in my favor as much as possible with ambushes

        I will say the 9mm Sub2k has its perks though. There’s a reason one stays in my trunk. Just wish they made an XD compatible version.

  12. There are too many possibilities for how “the world ends” so generally I follow this rule: it’s gotta have a ton a spare parts to scav and use a very common type of ammo and/or be easily replaced by looting corpses or buildings/houses.

    So for a sidearm a 9mm Glock or a 1911 in .45ACP probably backed up by a quality .38.

    For a long gun, a 12 gauge and either an AR or an AK. Which one would depend. If it’s dusty like Mad Max or The Book of Eli I’d prolly take the AK. Zombies is more precision work and I’d take the AR.

      • I actually don’t mind a wheel gun as a back up and have carried one at times. Own a few actually.

        Generally I consider them a range toy but in certain circumstances I will use one as a BUG. I just don’t see it as filling the primary sidearm role very well at all unless you’re out in the woods in bear country in which case, by all means, go .44 or bigger. I like my cousin’s 500 S&W, but he lives outside Fairbanks, so he gets a pass on that being his EDC.

      • The .44 or .357 caliber wheel guns are great problem solvers. More so when matched with a carbine in the same caliber.

  13. You probably wouldn’t have much choice in what you have. If you are at home, you’ll hopefully have what’s in your house, unless it’s destroyed. If you’re out and about, it’s what you have on you, unless it’s destroyed. Then it’s whatever you can get.

  14. As a bug out my 1911 for sure. Yep another 1911 guy. Also mossberg 590a1 with slugs and birdshot rounds.

  15. If I’m rolling out in a hurry I’d grab my Ruger Sr556 and Glock 17. Piston AR that has been dead nuts reliable for me and will cycle any type of ammunition I’ve used reliably. Yeah the piston is proprietary but if it breaks I’m sure there will be plenty of ARs I can take from their dead owners. The Glock 17 is a no brainer.

    If I have the time to pack my Durango I’d probably take those two, my Mossberg 500, my Marlin model 60, and my .30-30. Nothin like a little versatility. I think a .22 is a great survival gun but if I have to contend with two legged predators I’d prefer a 5.56

    • Tile floor,

      Ah, but the question was which gun, not guns.

      See my comment below why I would choose the Marlin Model 16 with 17-round tube magazine.

      • It’s funny you mention the 60 because I was just debating if I would grab my 60 or the AR. My 60 is old and has the 17 round tubular magazine. I replaced the recoil spring on Monday and brought t to the PD range where I am an instructor with a couple of boxes of ammo to test it out.

        I stood on the 15 yard line with the gun resting against the side of s barricade and dumped 17 rounds as fast as I could pull the trigger. They grouped into a cluster about the size of a small naval orange. Nasty.

        But then I reloaded. Holy crap that took too long for my liking.

        So to answer your initial statement, I’ll stick with my AR.

        And JWM, what’s wrong with my Durango?!

        • Everybody I know that had, notice I said had, a Durango was glad to see it go. Shop queens, they were.

        • Tile floor,

          But then I reloaded. Holy crap that took too long for my liking.

          I cannot begin to imagine any human attacker who will be capable of continuing their attack after absorbing 14 bullets (even of the 40 grain .22 caliber variety) in an area the size of a naval orange … especially in an end of the world scenario where attackers know that any single bullet would could well prove fatal. Thus I doubt you would ever truly need a fast reload.

          About the only situation where you would want a fast reload is if you were facing several attackers by yourself. At that point you are pretty much screwed no matter what firearm you are carrying.

          And I cannot see an AR-15 being anywhere near as useful/productive for hunting as a semi-auto rifle in .22 LR: the 5.56 x 45mm is weak for body shots on deer and way too large for squirrels and rabbits.

  16. I would rip my fingernails off for a 10mm Sub2k.

    But I love my 9mm Sub2k – I’ve probably put $250 of aftermarket upgrades into it, because I love it so much.

  18. The only EOTW scenario any of us will ever face is the day the nurse pulls the plug on our life support machine and the beeping stops.

  19. The SUB-2000 in 9mm provides very respectable “stopping power” against human attackers and ammunition would be available pretty much everywhere. However, it isn’t a good hunting platform, whether for small game or large game.

    I think I would actually go with a semi-auto rifle in .22 LR. You can carry thousands of rounds of ammunition and more would be available everywhere. It is relatively quiet which is an important feature when you do NOT want to draw attention to yourself (as would be the case in the end of the world). Of course it is an outstanding hunting platform for small game. And countless people have allegedly used that platform to effectively take deer with head shots so it could even be a decent platform for large game if you can get within 50 yards of your quarry.

    The obvious downside to .22 LR: a single 40 grain, .22 caliber bullet is lacking in terms of “stopping power” against human attackers. On the plus side, a vintage Marlin Model 60 semi-auto rifle with 17+1 capacity means you can put SEVERAL of those small .22 LR bullets into an attacker in very short order. Anyone who receives multiple gunshot wounds from such a .22 LR platform is in serious trouble.

    And remember, if it is the end of the world, a single gunshot wound would often prove fatal because there would not be any hospitals in operation. (If blood loss did not kill you within hours, the likely infection that would accompany the wound would kill you in days.) Attackers would be aware of this and would almost universally extricate themselves immediately upon realizing that you have ANY firearm.

    • Agreed. If I could only have one, and I wasn’t going to be stuck in a crowded urban craphole, I’d go with a .22 rifle — but it’d be my Henry lever-action. I love my Marlin model 60, but it’s finicky about ammo (ymmv). But either one will put a bullet right where I want it at 75 yards with iron sights. And another one, and another one…

      • After extensive testing I find the opposite to be true in my case. My scoped 60 will run all day and night and drop golf ball to softball sized groups from 50-200 yds with everything from subsonic to Stingers. But my Henry can’t touch the accuracy of my 60 with the same scope. Wanna trade?

  20. Full size pistol on my hip all the time, AK on a sling for as-needed

    And no thanks to any Kel Tek. I’d trust my life to a Hi Point carbine but not any of that garbage from Cocoa. I had one and the best day of owning it was the day my LGS agreed to take it off my hands for 50% what I paid for it.

  21. thought it said ONE gun??? if that’s the case, volcano would likely be Yellowstone, and I’m next door, no point in a gun I’d be done, big bang theory and we are all likely gone, again no point. slow eco collapse would be my trusty Sears roebuck bolt .22, it’s stupid accurate, quiet, holds 18+1, choice of irons or glass, not overly heavy and I could *only* carry about a million rounds at a time in .22 s/l/lr. I’d find a way to be invisible to the chaotic world and play short range sniper all day. but in reality I always have either a 9mm or .45 sidearm attached or closest in reach.

  22. I’d want a rifle or shotgun. Pistols are good for concealment but in SHTF, I’m not too concerned about concealment and I wouldn’t want to tangle against guys with rifles with only a pistol. In the states, I’d want an AR; other parts of the world, I’d grab an AK.

    If it’s SHTF where society will never come back, then I’d probably want a Ruger 10/22.

  23. In a “fantasy” zombie end of days I’d say sks. No pesky mags to deal with, pretty decent reliability, and if you run out of ammo you’ve got a good club or spear if you have a bayonet.

    But general purpose: ruger 10/22 take down.carry a lot of rounds, and you can use it get other guns later.

  25. Keltec ANYTHING is too flimsy. Had a gen1 Sub2000 and PF9. My Maverick88 20″ would do the trick for 99% of SHTF-rifle like with slugs and close in mayhem…

  26. Lawless wasteland and crime-ridden population centers? AR or AK with as many loaded mags as I can tote.

    Economic bottom-out with ineffective infrastructure? Biggest pistol, highest capacity pistol I can conceal… perhaps my CZ75 BD Police with Mecgar 19 rounders.

      • No…. Like Humor…. a qoute from the terminator and a common joke on the board.

        Being a well read engineer I could point out that to my knowledge lasers that produce 10 Kilo joules of power, enough to kill a person, are very portable. I could also point out that lasers the Navy is researching in the 150 Kilo watt range have massive banks of batteries for power.

        Instead i think I’ll just say ….. “Lighten up Francis”

  28. My thoughts are a bit different, I have a Winchester 94 chambered in 44mag. 12 rounds, shoots accurate enough out to 150 yards. Very reliable.

  29. Situation dictating, but you’d be hard pressed to beat an AR in 5.56. My only other option would be a 10/22 take down, with can/Ruger’s intergrally suppressed barrel. 5.56 is probably one of the top 5 most mass produced calibers on earth. Top 3 in America. 22lr is probably about the same. Both guns, if maintained fairly, will out last you. I would love to go AK74 variant, but ammo and mags would be a pain to find in this country. G19 as a sidearm. One choice only, would be the AR, if I’m allowed a 22 conversion bolt.

  30. People will differ, but in an end of the world scenario, I’d want a gun with longevity, then durability. Not something known for frame rail cracks or slide separation. Not something known for needing magazine TLC or extractor tuning. It should be something that runs with or without oil and does a huge number of rounds between parts replacement or jams. The answer is pretty obvious.

  31. If I could have only 1 gun for shtf? Ruger .45LC Blackhawk. Mossberg 500 shotgun. Bolt action .22. J frame .38. SKS. Folding survival bow and arrows. Lots of wire and fishing gear.

    I know. I know. 1 gun. But if you ain’t cheating you don’t want it bad enough.

  32. One gun in an end of the world scenario? Well, if the philosophy is that you want to be circumspect, avoiding confrontation, while carrying maximum ammo with minimal weight, and multiple caliber choice; but if you need to fight, having a battle tested design with maximum reliability, and decent lethality; then it would be an Uzi carbine fitted with optics, in the closed bolt version, with change out barrels, mags and bolts for .22lr, 9mm, .40, 10mm and .45ACP. with a suppressor.

    You can carry a couple thousand rounds in .22lr for minimal weight that is useful for hunting small game and even deer and can still be used in human confrontation. Then you have the option of a high capacity compact sub-gun in a pistol caliber of what ever is available, that is more concealable than a rifle, yet is more accurate at distance than a pistol and is very effective in CQB.

  33. Commonality of hardware is going to be important, I would think. I’ve chosen a 9mm, 2nd gen Kel-Tec Sub2000. If the Sub200 proves to be reliable (or can be made to be) and, since it uses Glock 17 magazines, logic dictates that I also find a good deal on a Glock 17. Although I have other weapons with adequate ammo on-hand, these will be my SHTF go-to combination along with a minimum of 3k rounds of 9mm ammo.

  34. I’ll play. If I am at home, or can get home easily: For sure an AR-15 is the best gun for SHTF. Plentiful and common ammo, light and portable handling, commonality of parts with other AR-15s (which are very popular), ability to use a wide variety of ammo, reliable, etc. My SHTF sidearm will be my Springfield XD Mod.2 9mm service model. Accurate, holds 16+1 rounds, and completely reliable. If SHTF while I’m out and about, I will only have either my XDs-9 or Kimber Pro Carry II 1911 on my hip, with one extra mag in my left pocket. Hopefully if that happens, it’s the 1911 on my hip (more accurate, holds a bit more rounds, and longer barrel: 4″ vs 3.3″ for additional bullet velocity).

  35. I guess that I’m old school. HK91…7.62/.308, 150gr.@2800fps…one, and done…plus tracer and AP…and, being that I would NEVER be w/o back-up, Browning P-35 Hi Power.

  36. My 10 gauge Spanish double. Why? Because I f**king hate geese and I’ll take them all with me as the world burns.

    • And that is where he was found, that warrior of legend. His shotgun, held in both hands by the barrels and swung like a war club, battered and broken next to his body. A .9millameetah shot to slide lock besides him and a broken, bloody blade in his hands.

      Such a battle it had been. Wondrous. Savage. No quarter given. None asked. Songs, poems, books were written. Johnny Depp was picked to play the lead in the Burton helmed epic picture of that day.

      The zombie geese had to be stopped and they were. By a man. Just a man who’s name has been lost in the mists of time and legend.

      • You tell the general I’m willing to discuss the terms of surrender. You tell him; if he’ll order his men to put down their weapons and line up, I’ll take them to Sam Houston and I’ll try my best to save most of them. That said; Sam’s a mite twitchy, so no promises.

  37. Mp5sd, with an ACOG and a mounted surefire light. New England has plenty of game, but trying to get a crop in before harvest around here, at this time of year, would be tricky. Fortunately nicer places are only about 800 miles away. For a real end of the world, i’ll be on my roof with a bag of marshmallos and a stick, watching it burn. I like roasting them, would prefer to go out on a good memory.

  38. I love the idea of the Sub-2000, but there’s no way I’d trust my life to a Kel-Tec. I say this as a former Kel-Tec owner and also former fan. Buy quality once, rather than Kel-Tec once and then a S&W (or Glock, or Ruger, or Sig, or Beretta, etc) to replace it when it turns out to be a break-o-matic hunk of junk.

    To answer the question, if I could only have one gun for SHTF it would be a lightweight-build 16″ AR-15 in 5.56 or .223 Wylde.

  39. Easy. My .44 mag S&W 629. And a giant bottle of jack. If it’s all going fallout I’m gonna play the game as it’s meant to be played. Talk about it, be about it.

  41. Glock on the hip. AR in hand. I’m dreaming up an a2 stocked lower with a full 20in upper, though probably for eotw stuff you’d want a more pdw styled ar.

  42. Single shot 12 gauge with a homemade silencer and a whole bunch of chamber caliber adapters and find a nice spot in the woods

  43. My SHTF pistol? A SIG P250. I know what you’re thinking but hear me out. Take a P250 .45 ACP pistol, then add to the kit a slide assembly and enough magazines (at least three) of each of the following calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG. You have one pistol that can shoot almost any centerfire pistol cartridge you come across. The 9mm would have a 17 round capacity, the .40 S&W or .357 SIG would have a 14 round capacity and the .45 would hold 10 rounds. You would have to build up the sides so the narrower magazines wouldn’t rattle around in the .45’s wider magwell but that should be easy to do with some good ol’ duct tape.

    Now, if you went with the compact size grip module, you could add .380 ACP and .22 LR to the mix. You could still use the full sized magazines with the X-Grip adapters for the first four calibers mentioned, but .380 ACP and .22 LR don’t have full size magazines so the capacity for the .380 is 15 rounds while the .22 LR is 10.

    Having that much versatility means that you can continue to defend yourself long after others have run out of ammo. That’s why I am a huge fan of the SIG P250.

  44. This thread is how deep and no one has yet mentioned a break open 12 gauge with every caliber adapter available? Simple, rugged, versatile, and reliable. If ammo is an issue then there is no ammo to be had.

  45. If you are already living in a rural area on a moderate sized property, it is probably more important to have a big stockpile of IED parts and remote controlled flamethrower assemblies for dealing with intruders than any particular firearm.
    Remember, too, that most of the time, SHTF events occur and develop much more quickly than anyone ever expects.

  46. Depends
    All-Around end of the world: Mossberg 590A1 with an assortment of different shells
    Economic depression: 10/22 for food
    Economic Collapse: AK-47 for two legged vermin
    SHTF away from home: Glock 21SF
    Invasion of US Homeland (War): SCAR 17
    Meteorite: Bourbon and a Ruger GP100, one round.

  47. I don’t really know what End of the world means, but let’s say something like Katrina. Those situations are historically temporary, even the collapse of great empires didn’t end the world permanently in a “The road” like scenario. That being said, I would take a fairly basic 1911 that I had already thouroughly broken in. 3 reasons: I can shoot them accurately even at moderate ranges; It’s the largest gun I can still reasonably conceal in all weather(it’s hot where I live, and I’m a relatively thin guy); and the benefit of single stack magazines is that lots of them can be shoved into just about every pocket or pouch anywhere I can find without being awkward.

  49. With the exception of the suggestions of AK’s and 1911’s, there are few guns being proffered here that have been through not only tests, but actual battle conditions, day in, day out, for months at a time.

    My choice has always been the 1903 or 03A3. Still is. They’ve taken the worst conditions a gun could see, and still work. My second choice would be a K98, but ammo for them in the US is a bit scarce. There’s tons (literally) of ’06 ammo to be had and scrounged all over this country.

    • There are k98’s in 7.62 nato. They are not near as common as the standard round, but they’re out there.

  50. My AK-47 will keep me warm at night.

    My wife and I have already discussed which of our neighbors and which annoying parents of my children’s peers we plan to eat first.

  51. Revolution Scenario: My 10/22 Takedown w/my 9mm Jericho as a sidearm
    Slow Eco collapse: My CZ-527 Carbine in 7.62×39 w/one of my snubs (probably my SW 60) as a sidearm.
    Quick Nuke-Based: No need, I’m fucked

  52. I say go old tech. When the AK & AR users have sprayed and prayed through their ammo, what is left? The boxes of 30-30,45-70, 45 Colt & etc. Handy rounds and guns for most non Rambo play. Plus they can use cast lead bullets and black powder loads.

  53. I’m pretty sure he was answering the question the camera man asked: “what is your end of the world handgun?” and g19 or g26 makes sense because there would be a high compatibility rate for magazine sharing and ammo sharing. You gotta learn to listen dude and not just start off on some unguided tangent.

    That said for a long gun I wouldn’t pick a $500 plastic pistol caliber carbine as an end of the world go to. I’d rather something more robust. Metal construction, metal sights, rifle caliber. Like maybe an AR15. but good luck with that whole plastic rifle garbage

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