Zombie Survival - Choice of Firearm
 

So this has probably been done to death, but what would YOU lock and load with in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
:)
You should probably include a why, as well as what you think the zombies would actually be like, otherwise your choice could seem ridiculous.(eg taking a shotgun because it removes limbs at 50feet...)

Well zombie killing is more like an art form in my opinion, you don't fight them like you fight regular people and of course depends on which kind of zombies, the slow kind, the running kind.

Let's start off with the slow kind, and that the zombie virus spreads by bite, and a zombie blood making contact with your blood or sometime simple. First off just in case, always fight zombies wearing eye protecting, full seal goggles to prevent splash back of blood into your eyes.

That aside, there are several guns you should have, also remember if these are the zombies that won't die unless you shoot them in the head, never waste ammo. Handguns, I say you can stick to a 9mm since a zombie doesn't feel pain so stopping power wouldn't matter if all you are doing is going for head shots. Hollow points should do. The less kick a handgun makes the better for aiming.

The shotgun is one of the more popular firearms for zombie killing. I say only use a shotgun only when it's close range. 00 Buck or slugs, the kind that can either blow a hole through a head or blow the head clean off

Rifles are a different sort, depending on how much ammo you can get, and how good your aim is. Say a bolt action sniper rifle with a proper scope for shooting.

For mid to long range you can get a semi auto rifle. Try not to use full auto weapons since the recoil wouldn't amount to anything. It isn't like zombies are afraid of suppression fire.

If you can get your hands on a machine gun, or even an LMG, I would only use that as a last resort to hold down a whole hoard of zombies storming at you, otherwise, you'd be wasting hard earn ammo that can be used in semi auto well aimed shots.

I'd also recommend learning how to make explosive and fire bombs to maim and burn zombies as much of them as possible. If one of your pipe bombs managed to blow off a zombie's limbs but not kill him, o well, but at least it cant crawl towards you.

Depending on where you fight will depend on how you use your firearms.

If you are holding down a strong hold, you'd better save bullets unless you have several thousand rounds of rifle ammo to pick off things cause you are bored

If you are running and gunning then you need to conserve ammo and aim close. If you had no choice but to plow through a crowd of zombies, then use the shotgun, perferably a semi auto shotgun.

Also, don't forget one of the best zombie killing weapons, a plain old metal shovel

Im going to say that the only zombies that seem feasible are rage zombies, as the whole walking without heart/lung/anything but a diseased brain thing is stpid, at least 28 days had living people.....

Now, I may just go with a complete loadot, some top notch 1911s, a REvolver, maybe the 686pcombat i see availible around here, and a 9mm, that way i have my preferred 1911s but have more choices when it comes to scrounging for ammo. I would get a rifle, although i dont like the m16 series mch, tehreres ammo and parts, and if i link up with soldoiers ammo sharing comes into account. I could check police stations for an mp5 as backup too,hopefully supressed for when stealth is in need.

In "sequel" of Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z, US army created new rifle that to me seemed quite similar to M1. Any thoughts about having the "Rifle That Won WW2" for WWZ?

m14, all the way

The "Zombie Survival Guide" that Alko mentioned highly recommend a M1 Carbine. Mainly because it's compact, durable, and can be used as a melee weapon assuming you have a wood stock or bayonet lug.

My brother had a pretty good idea for weapons. (Well kind of good) He said he'd use a MP5 and a Glock 17, which is not a bad idea since he'd only need to carry one type of ammo. The only problem with that idea is the MP5.

I still think he had a good idea with only need to carry one type of ammo. So I thought about using something like a Beretta Storm or HK USC and carry a 1911 as a sidearm. And of course must have shotgun! :D Maybe that Remington 11-87 I had my eye on.

(Day Dream)
http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/f/...counrt1187.jpg
(/Day Dream)

LOL! A guy can dream can't he.

No full auto gun is necessary. Like the previous posters said, Zombies are not reactive to suppressive fire nor are they effected by body hits or hits to their extremities. They won't bleed out nor will they stop the attack to seek medical attention.

Anyone who thinks ANY full auto firearm is anything more than a waste of ammunition is smoking crack.

Pistol for closeup work.

Best is shotgun with 00, but the round limitations are a problem

Nice semi auto long gun with scope for medium to far work.

Just head shots are hard, but that's all you would have to worry about. You don't have to worry about cover/concealment by the enemy nor would you have to worry about them wearing body armor or firing back.

Having studied how to break a human body when i studies Jujitsu there is an argument for shots to bodyparts other than the head. If one breaks a load bearing bone(like a leg or a hip), then the body simply canno support itself properly. I don't care if you are a frigging powerlifter, if your hips blown out then you are not walking anywhere.

Basically I'm saying that mobility kills can be very effective when buying time to employ something more perminant.

As far as Anti-Zombie weapons I'm of thought of a Supressed SIG P226R and an HK-21E with adaptors for both caliber and magazine/belt feed. Now I'm not planning on useing it as a supression weapon but as a heavy long ranged rifle. The weapon is fitted with a scope in some counterterrorist units, and the reported accuracy is very good for a support weapon.

I actually beg to differ about zombies bleeding out. In my theories of an undead body brought back to life through some sort of virus or bacterial infection, it's more like an incomplete reserruection on a person, like you try to bring someone back to life through CPR but was only partly successful, meaning that there's enough energy flowing through the nerves system for the brain to control movement.

A zombie might not feel pain, but an undead body can still suffer from the limitations of the human form. Since this is also not a fully living body, it is constantly rotting and will eventually rot away, but if they come, we wont have the time to wait until they drop dead again.

To move a body, your muscles need to work, some degree of blood needs to flow towards it. Shooting a zombie up might slow it down, but it still needs massive blood lost and body damage to shock the nervous system into a state where even if it is undead, it can't move on, but that kind of suggestion means we'd have to waste a ton of ammo when a well placed head shot can do the job simple.


Just because we see one method of killing zombies in fiction, doesnt mean other means dont work.

That's YOUR theory and that's fine, but that's not many folks' theories, including MINE :D We all know that this is fiction so there is no TRUE answer, but I've always (a) considered that the living dead don't have a working heart. Without a working heart blood won't flow, period. Also they've been shown to be SHOT IN THE CHEST and it doesn't stop them, so it supports my NO WORKING HEART theory. (b) they are not shown bleeding, the only viscera is that which is shown flying when hit by rounds. In fact in all incarnations of the Romero series, the blood starts to decay and turn black or coagulate the more decayed they are, thus eliminating the theory that blood keeps them mobile. there is NO theory to keep them mobile other than the sci fi theory of Nannites. Since by being resurrected they're ALREADY violating the laws of physics as well as biology, so something extra-natural has to be occurring. But then arguing about what keeps zombies mobile is as worthless as arguing as to why anti gun Libtards are stupid. ;) They just are. :D

Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days/Weeks Later, etc.
As my primary arms, I'd say (a) a similarly-configured Colt carbine like the one Will Smith had in "I Am Legend" with at least 300 rounds packed into 20-round magazines (less susceptible to magazine-related malfunctions) carried on me in a combat vest, LBE, etc.. A good all-arounder that can be used both at a decent range and up close. Full auto or burst capability wouldn't be particularly necessary, like Excalibur pointed out. And (b) a pump-action shotgun such as an Ithaca 37 for real nasty situations.

As my sidearm, a high-capacity pistol like a Springfield XD in 9mm (can carry more ammo, since caliber wouldn't necessarily matter in this case as long as the round hits the brain) or an FN Five-Seven. None of this Desert Eagle crap, thank you.

And when you get down to bare bones, a trusty Ka-Bar never runs out of ammo.

Resident Evil
In Resident Evil, zombies are the least of my worries, so I'd prefer to have full auto or burst capability in my AR should it be needed (Hunters, Lickers, Seekers, etc). All else identical as above.

Grenade launchers are attractive, but that 30 meter arming radius would work against me. Not to mention I can only carry a limited number of rounds for one. So I'd pass on my beloved M203 in this case, unless I'm trying to impress and get some poontang from a cute survivor before I die a horrible death... :D

The only zombies that amke sense, like i say, is the rage zombies, since they live, breath, have a heartbeat. Its a virus trning them into a swarm of flesh eaters. The undead thing makes no sense and is not feasible.
Body shots will kill them, the problem though is running out of ammo on full auto

Remember a last-resort handgun to put in your mouth if you get bitten.

Btw, am I the only one who thinks chainsaw is just about the worst melee weapon against zombies? It is big, cumbersome, requires gasoline, takes several critical seconds to turn it on, makes lot of noise (something you really should avoid at all costs) and if you fuck up your swing, you're good as dead. Axe is also bit overrated. It is useful outside combat, of course, but it has same problem as with chainsaw: one miss and it's game over. And it can also get stuck in zombie head, which is not good if there is over 2 of them.

I consider a frag grenade a last resort, i can take as many with me as possible. Bullet to the brain is a lame way to go

I read the zombie survival guide and while it was amusing, it was pretty stupid. They say zombies have super hearing so you should use a suppressor. If their whole body is a decaying corpse, what the hell would make their hearing improve?! They also used "clip" instead of magazine when refering to the M1 Carbine use during an outbreak.

M1 Carbines are a great choice... 30 years ago, back when ammo was available. A Ruger Mini-14 is almost the same thing in a more readily available caliber. Not super accurate but effective enough. I have one handy so I'm set for the zombies. :)

A good sniper rifle, even a .22 would work well on zombies if you were in an elevated position they couldn't reach. Take your time and rack up the head shots!

I'd like to think zombies are what everyone usually thinks of, a slow moving, stupid corpse that moans and can't sprint. I'd hope only a bite would contract the "zombie virus", as it is hard not to be touched by zombie blood. As MPM mentioned, everyone has their own ideas. I'm making a zombie movie this summer, I'll add caps from it on my profile (and try to use as few airsoft guns as possible!).

Since I am a huge fan of zombies and firearms I have thought of this countless times.

First of all, the Zombie Survival Guide suggestions are not very educated, as the man seems to have never heard of modern assault rifles (come on, an M1 Carbine? Good luck finding ammo and mags in a pinch. You'd be better off using a .22 and gambling head penetration with the punier, more common round.) If you're picking a gun, you aren't just picking what gun you'd like to shoot. The gun has to be able to adapt to the environment, and there are few that can actually do that.

For a sidearm, 1911s are good. They will last and are good shooters generally, and you can find a helluva lot of magazines for 'em wherever you go. This also goes for my other choiced, Glocks (lighter, hypercapacity pistols) or Berettas (Military issue, so if you stumble upon dead soldiers, chances are they have ammo for ya). A small .38 is also good for use as a last resort, be it for the zombies or yourself. There's little that can be done to a revolver to make it stop working, so if you plan on using it, on whoever, it will work.

Which brings me to my rifle choice. Yes, rifle. I might have a sawnoff shotgun for breaching or absolute last resort (with the stock still on, mind you, aiming from the hip is nigh pointless when you need a headshot). I'd choose an AR-15 build gun, and I will tell you why. Normally I argue against 5.56/.223 Rem and it's chambering in the AR-15 as it has less energy than my champ, the AK 47, but it has what has always had, accuracy. Zombies only go down with headshots, so additional stopping power doesn't matter. What does matter is precision, as well as penetration at distance, not that you'll be sniping or anything, but 5.56/.223 will do this at insane ranges. Not only that, but everyone and their grandma has an AR-15, so ammo and mags are everywhere for you to take and use, and since it's lighter than other rifle rounds, you can carry a lot more ammo. In short, it's a good balance considering all the bonuses and all of the negative things that become null and void.

Also, full auto is not intended for zombies, but potential renegade groups that may try to kill you for your stuff, as seen in the first Dawn of the Dead. Other than that, keep your selector on semi.

Also, I did a thread on my forum about this a while ago. While not strictly a gun forum, we do sometimes have good gun threads. Feel free to browse at any of the arguments presented there.

http://diseasedboard.proboards.com/i...ad=1261&page=2

P&R mod 47, revolver that can feed so many different caliber, youd always have ammo

Fantastic response!

My theory is as follows:
Despite what the literature may tell you, there will never be an instance in which people must be shot in the brain to be killed. Muscles do not work if not being delivered oxygen by the blood stream, and therefore blood loss will affect them the same way.

If anything, the zombies will be like feral humans, with their logic centers of their brains deteriorated by fever and disease, they will be little more than animals.
Animals feel pain, animals can not live without blood, animals can be crippled. And animals can be eaten if you are deperate.

Therefore any weapon would be serviceable to take them out, as long as it was effective against a human target.
I would choose for myself and friends a cross section of bolt action hunting rifles, and buckshot 12 gauge shotguns, whichever available.
For handguns, a single .45 1911 and a backup revolver in .357 each, again whichever type available in your area.

Now, in World War Z the rifle they issue was supposed to be a modified version of the AK-47 which they had tons of lying around somehow.
But I find the classic interpretation of zombies to be mildly ridiculous.

best survival would be to go with a group, hole up somewhere, and don't send 4 people out after one, we all know from the movies that that doesn't really help....

Lots of food, ammo, medical supplies. Rotate watches. All the guns in the world can'tt help without teamwork and strategy

gunmaster, wondering what the movie is like? How many people in it, basic plot, special effects? Ill definitely watch it. Ill be In Class A school all summer, and get to bring my laptop with me, too bad its 56 bucks a month for internet....

So far we have 5 main characters and am looking for extras for zombies. We have lots of real guns, but little blanks so expect lots of CGI muzzle flashes :(. I have a good video editor and people who know how to use them, so editing will be decent. We have a decent budget since a few people on the team have jobs, so we can buy lots of corn syrup and red dye (a must for a zombie movie is BLOOD). We need a decent camera, the hand cam we have can only allow us nothing more than a crappy "Clover Field" style rip off.

The basic story was written by me in 20 minutes during a study hall, but someone else wrote a script out of it which I still have to read and revise.

Zombie makeup will be hard to get but we'll figure it out.

I'm very pleased with the story, and the ending is cool (I'm the last one alive in the story, yay!)

I'll try to make a dvd out of it, or send you a copy to download on the net so you can watch it. But first, I have to make it.

Two things worry me though. Acting and gun handling. Most of the people I'm working with on the movie aren't very good with guns (except one who is airforced trained, but don't ask me how since he's 16 :confused:), and some parents won't let their kids use real guns, so I have to give them airsoft guns (which I hate doing). Also, even MY acting is a little wooden.

I know I'm taking this too seriously, but I wanted to show this to some people who could get me a better chance at becoming a film director.

Any Estimated time it will be done? In september ill be getting a new gun too. Looking at a savage weather warrior. Something about firing .308, .243, .260 (my fav, but expensive) and .22-250 (cyotes,unlimited bag, year round) in the same gun appeals to me.

You going to make sure obscure/classic guns get used? Like your nongun broomhandle?

I don't mean to change the subject, but...does this mean that I'm the only person on here who hasn't been planning for the zombies?

I haven't read the script yet or changed it, so an estimated time is almost impossible to determine now. At least an hour I'd go for.

I haven't been planning but I'm prepared naturally.

Actually, Ive been preparing for blue helmeted paratroopers.

Oh. Well, I seem to be one of the few people in the gun-owning community who doesn't see much to fear from the UN. Preparing for those guys seems rather unnecessary, given their impotence against even the most rag-tag militias in Africa.

Ah the UN, what a joke. It has no power unless the military of certain countries dedicate themselves into use, otherwise, if someone decides to be a dick, all the UN can do is send them a note of denouncement and complaint.

Hey GM, nice to hear about you making a film. I love making movies myself, although due to living in a smallish town with few willing people I always had pretty small casts and small stuff.
I took a film class once, made a crossover of Mario and The Sopranos, which was entertaining to say the least.
Weapon of choice? .45 ACP Fireflower.

That's funny! :D

Back on the zombie topic though, I wanted to add some "big" guns because it is always cool when someone breaks out a big gun. For instance, Burt Gummer grabbing the 8 Gauge in Tremors. I have a really big 10 Gauge I could use, and some .44 Mag revolvers.

GM: Will you need permits and the like to fire blank guns?
And don't worry about acting, if you're half as good as Keanu Reaves then everything will be fine.
If you are using airsoft guns, I would recommend you use CO2 blowback ones, because they typically have the best slide action, which would enhance the realism. Make sure you don't fire them with an empty magazine because it will either lock empty after the first shot, or break the feeding mechanism in the magazine.

You probably know all of this don't you. You could always break from the zombie norm and go with something like the feral humans concept, or the crazy rabies people. That would save the trouble of makeup being applied, and it would give the people freedom to act crazy in different ways, instead of lurching slowly about arms forward like a one man conga line.

If you have the money there are many other varieties of blow back airsoft guns. CO2 blow backs aren't not used in a lot of variants of gas blow back airsoft. Usually they used a different kind of gas

I don't own any blowback guns but I'll look online for something cheap. I saw a $50 dollar Beretta Inox I liked, but I don't have $50 bucks. But my birthday is the day before shooting, so I could likely get it.

I guess they could be zombie people without makeup, but I never liked the feral human concept. It would just be too hard to survive. The cause of the zombies is a chemical weapon (which doesn't effect us because we were hanging out in the basement), so maybe it just effects the brain or something.

And I don't believe I need a permit to make some noise, I do it all the time and no one seems to care. My dad and grandpa own about 130 acres of land to film on, and sound doesn't bother too many people if you are in the right spot. Some scenes I have to film near a friends house in town though, so airsoft guns are all I'll be able to use. I don't live in a town, so I don't need permits, and I don't plan on shooting guns in town anyway, so permits won't be a problem. And the only blanks I can use are in shotguns and revolvers, so autos will be gas blowbacks and real guns with CG effects.

I hope it comes out alright.

Gunmaster, will your zombies be able to die from torso shots? please say yes. And can you make the effect of blood from a bullet hit?

Nah, I like the head shots concept. The first zombie encounter in fact will be when it is discovered, after I put a double tap in his chest and he's only taken back a step. So I walk up and put one in his forehead at point blank. But I also believe a Zombie that has a broken bone or so is down and alive but can't move, so a shotgun hit to the chest will still be a casualty.

I have no idea how to make bullet squibs or how to activate them, so good body acting or cuts to people with pre-made bullet holes will likely be all I can accomplish. Unless someone here knows how to make squibs?

Wait, there people whos minds are infected by a chemical attack, which makes it so you need to shoot the head?

Ive never liked the headshot concept. Now, i like the concept that they don't go down as easily since they probably don't feel pain, so a zombie may take a few shots to the chest and keeep running, like someone high on pcp. Headshots would be most effective.

However, to move you need ozygen and bloodflow, lungs and heart and blood. Destroy the heart and lungs or injure it so much it bleeds out, then yo have killed it....

Just trying to suggest a little realism to set you apart from the norm....

I can see it now. You and some friends are playing X-Box in the basement.
1: Hey, let's get some pizza.
ALL: Yeah, great idea.
*go outside
*steady zoom out(crane shot?) of the neighboorhood. Burning buildings, dead bodies, lurching zombies.

130 acres.... DAAAAAMN that's awesome. You should invite me over. :\

So, squibs.
Ingredients:
1: Condoms
2: fishing line
3: ketchup
4: water
5: cardboard
6: rubber bands
7: tape

Put a big knot in the end of a piece of fishing line(or tie it around a small metal washer) and thread the other end through the bottom of the condom. tape it closed lightly, so it doesn't leak when filled. Then fill the condom with ketchup and water to get a good blood consistency. rubber band the open end very tightly. Tape the entire assembly to a small square of cardboard, making sure the end with the fishing line is facing down. Strap the cardboard to the victim, and have a small slit cut in their shirt(buying dozens of cheap white shirts works well here) over the base of the condom-assembly. When time comes to have them shot, you pull the fishing line, rupturing the condom.

This is good for two reasons.
1: cheap and easy(all though buying that combination of items will get you stared at and probably put on Homeland Security's watch list)
2: after the initial squirt of blood from the fishing line yank, the rest of the condom will leak out fairly quickly. Nice.

WALL OF FUGGIN TEXT.

Forgive me for posting again, instead of adding to the above post. It seemed bloated enough.
If you are going to use spring airsoft guns, might I recommend a few?
You should check out shortyusa.com which is a very trusted dealer in your approximate area(cheap and fast shipping).
Try to get spring guns with LOCKING SLIDE and OPEN EJECTION PORT for realism. Since lock and load scenes are cool, you'll probably want people to do a lot of bad-ass reloads and slide release stuff.
Here are a few recent models at decent prices with slide lock, open ejection port, and good quality.

http://www.shortyusa.com/airsoft.htm...1&kiosk=&Show=

http://www.shortyusa.com/airsoft.htm...1&kiosk=&Show=

They can be found for similar prices at AirsoftAtlanta.com, maybe even a tad cheaper. I don't know what YOU know about airsoft, but some good trusted brands of spring pistols(on a budget) are KWC, UHC, and UTG.
UTG in particular makes an inexpensive, high quality MK23 SOCOM, if you want to have a joke scene where people make fun of you for trying to use it.


EDIT: Good lord you have got me as excited about this as a kid at Christmas. What's your stance on shotguns?

Not to split hairs, but how realistic are zombies in general? A corpse cannot walk around and function, and wouldn't want to eat people since its non-functioning stomache would eventually burst and its muscles would work and its blood would coagulate. But where's the fun in that? Even though the blood would be black, I'm making it red.

Thanks for the advise on squibs, but corn syrup and red dye looks more realistic, it is what the pros use.

For loading scenes, I'll use the real guns with dummy rounds (I have plenty of both).

Shotguns, I have plenty of and I like them. I just got a Mossberg Cruiser recently which I plan to use in the movie. I'm making shotgun blanks with a reloading press, but first I'm waiting for MPM to send me pictures on how to properly insert cardboard wads.

And don't get TOO excited, anything could happen, and the film only has a 75% chance of being done as of now.

Why do you think I play Resident Evil and watch all the zombie movies? Training! :cool:
http://www.schamper.ugent.be/files/i..._in_africa.jpg