"What's the ultimate zombie apocalypse firearm?" Topic

I'd like to bring up that although the ammo retrieval from crossbows/bows is a boon, you'd have to be extremely careful when handling them to avoid accidental infection. I know it seems like a nitpick, but when I see Daryl putting them between his teeth and so on in Walking Dead, I always cringe haha. Just one accidental prick from the tip and you're toast.

No more than any melee weapon, but it's still something you'd need to be mindful of that you wouldn't with a firearm.

The problem with that line of thought is that everyone in Walking Dead is already infected. It isn't the zombie bug that kills you from a bite, it is something inexpliced (as in it might be explicable but they haven't done so yet…as opposed to inexplicable which they can't explic…).

I think that Detritus' crossbow (siege ballista loaded with a big sheaf of arrows) would be ideal. If it doesn't deal with the zombie you have a big unbitable troll between you and the horde!!!

Just re-read that last post and probably need to get some sleep!

Yeah Adam, you lost me a little bit there too! Ha ha.

Well it seems as ever there probably isn't a definitive answer as it all depends on circumstances; fast or slow zeds, viral or supernatural, dumb or intelligent, environment and circumstances, how many other survivors there are, personal training and experience, what's at hand and what isn't, and finally personal preference. Great answers one and all, thanks for the input! Never thought I'd get a thread up to over a hundred replies, just awesome.

Have great Christmas one and all, hope you all manage to get some games in between seeing family and travelling and the new year, I know uncertainly won't! Cheers,

Ark3n

Shotgun is nice for the versatility and stopping power, and some kind of 5.56 or 7.62 "battle rifle" would be great for any non-zombie humans.
But in actuality I'd go for a .22 rifle, either semi-auto or lever action. It's fine for slow moving zombies, good for small game, and not the worst thing against unarmored humans. You can have a ton of shots loaded at once.
Plus, best of all, the ammo is insanely small, light, and cheap. I'd rather carry a brick of 500 .22 rounds than a box of twenty five 12 gauge shotgun shells.
Oh and there is no kick, so it's easy to fire .22 all day from your roof into a horde of zombies, whereas 200+ 12 gauge shotgun shells becomes less fun, especially when buckshot is involved. Better for kids or smaller stature folks too, in case your survival group includes those.

For non-firearms, a polearm like a spear or javelin for some reach. Or a crossbow/bow for re-usable ammo (which is also relatively easy to craft yourself).

I'd go for a historical precedent--what Davy Crockett fired--a tactical nuke warhead.
(that's M28 "Davy Crockett" Atomic Rifle)

Thunderman, that is pretty much what at least a half dozen people have already said!

Bone-piercing arrowheads are really expensive around my way, for some reason. Plus you then have to buy shafts.

Hi Delthos. That's fine that Thunderman has stated that, it just counts as another vote for the more standard sensible weapons likely to be used in .

I am in your area of thought though, I think we all read this sort of thread for the hope that someone comes up with an amazing new weapon combo we hadn't thought of before.

Keep them coming either way though chaps (and chapess'es) :-)

@Delthos: What can I say, I like to eagerly post first and then read the rest of the responses :)

And come on, a javelin is an awesome idea!

Diablo catapults with ball bearings. Might not work, but it would really them off!

THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A ING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
[/rant]

Never been down the Bigg Market on a Saturday night, have you?

Or seen Black Friday sales in the US?

In very general terms, the ultimate zombiepocalypse firearm is available, reliable, and one you are utterly familiar with (disassemble, clean, and reassemble blindfolded familiar). Ammo availability and ammo reliability is another critical factor. Certain .22 rimfire ammo is notorious for failure to fire, but that is a semi-acceptable risk with a self-loading rifle, as long as the shooter knows the misfire clearing drills backwards and forwards.

If you are carrying both pistol and rifle, I would strongly consider common ammo for both.

For a non-firearm weapon, if you've got a height advantage, an 8' – 10' piece of rebar sharpened at one end; Skull punch, scramble, repeat. Assuming an average of 3 zombies per minute (including rest breaks for tired arms), one person could thin down a horde in an hour. The only problem is if you pile them up too high….

Doesn't it depend on the physiology of these completely mythical creatures? Taking a chunk out of the head may do no good if the brain is not actually used.

John Taylor's The "Speaking Gun"

Any Firearm with a silencer as you want to make as little noise as possible. In addition it would depend on your experience & situation, but I'd rather have a silenced pistol over a rifle as the weight may become an issue. Preferable a 45 as well as a 9mm as the ammunition is an issue.

High tech: I don't know what's common in SA but I'm guessing .22 like the US. Lots of illegal assault weapons. I'm not trained to use a gun anyway so I don't know. Gas guns are available but I don't think they have enough punch to take a Zed down. These aren't the .50 cannons LiTS describes, rather high-powered paintball guns.

Low tech: heavy piece of wood with a spike in. Cutting and stabbing weapons are pointless unless you can sever an artery (requires skill) or a limb (requires great skill and a good dose of luck). Simplest way to access the brain is with blunt force trauma combined with penetration. If you can't get the brain, blunt force to swat the attacker away or break limbs (or jaws). They're also the easiest weapon types to acquire or modify. Cricket bats are plentiful here (South Africa) and are designed for uppercut-type swings or blocking.

Other: First and foremost, mobility. Trucks, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, horses, large dogs – anything that will get you away from shambling (or even running) hordes. Neck, forearm and lower leg armour. Possibly stab vest if the attackers are smart Zeds. Also, a spade. A camouflaged pit filled with point-ed sticks is the best defence. Or even just a ditch. Dogs are also important for defence and alertness, plus they make a good last ditch meal.

Farm attacks in South Africa (7-8x higher than anywhere else in the world) are probably the closest thing to a Reaver-type Zombocalypse.

If you can find a big-bore airgun, they tend to be real-firearm pricey. The single-shot beasts I'm looking at run ~$600 for the gun and another ~$600 for a 4500psi air bottle, while the repeater is $1,300 USD (plus the air tank).

Obviously, depends on your available funding and what's commonly available. If I could find an AK-pattern weapon, that would be my first choice: tough, reliable, fairly common ammunition. Also easy to fix, and still functional if you have to take out the full-auto capability.

In the US, the Ruger 10/22 is cheap and nearly ubiquitous, followed closely by AR15 designs. ARs need a bit more TLC, but the ability to swap uppers and lowers should not be underestimated.

Again, the best weapons choice is what's available, reliable, and familiar.