Discussed weapons before, but....

[rightwing401]

I know that we've been over this a million times, but I feel a million and one can't hurt. Besides, it might help out in what I'm working on.
So here's the question that I'm asking.
What kind of weapons (firearms, melee, ect.) do you feel would be best suited for long term use? I'm not talking about a period of a few months here, but a space of time spaning over several years.
What kind of weapons would be good to last through a long term period exposed to constant use and the elements?

Personally, I feel that in regards to firearms, bolt action rifles and revolvers is where it's at. Less ammunition capacity and lower rate of fire, but next to never likelyhood of jamming, and extremely easy to clean. A .22 caliber can blow brains out fairly well and can be carried in large quantities, thus to me is the ideal round.
For silent ranged weapons, I'd figure a crossbow would be ideal for whacking zombies on an individual basis, as long as there are no crowds of them around.
For bladed melee weapons, I'd probably go with a machete as it is light weight, fairly durable, and designed specifically for hacking.
For blung weapons, being somewhat realistic here, a mace would likely be out of the question, unless you could make your own. I've often heard that sledgehammers were good, but they don't seem well built to me for swinging in a side arch, plus if you missed you'd most likely be screwed. Keep in mind this is just my opinion, but I feel that a ten foot length of medium sized chains would be ideal for engaging zombies at a slight distance. With just a few seconds time, you can have it whirling over your head at tremendous force that should be fairly accurate at a head strike.
A good carpenter hammer would seem best to me for up close and personal (though only as a last resort). They're lightweight and can deal out a good amount of impact force with little effort.
If you feel the need to make other points to other types of weapons or contradict what I've said, please do. The feed back would help out myself and maybe others who are currently writing.

[p2501]

i'm still sticking with my ak47. i've had my original since 1996, and i've just beaten the **** out of it. yet it still functions perfectly, and it's just as accurate as the day i bought it.

Mele? My eastwing drywall hammer.
http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6507065.JPG

[Chakobsa]

As far as firearms go I'd have to say that the .22 idea is just bad. I've shot bunnies with a .22 but I wouldn't like to have to take down something man sized with one although I have seen large animals killed with a .22 rimfire albeit in the hands of an expert.
A big bullet does big damage, part of the rationale behind the common usage of the 5.56 NATO round is that a wounded enemy is a burden to his comrades.
British soldiers in the Falklands reported that the 7.62 S.L.R was a better man stopper than the smaller 5.56 calibre. If the walking dead were after me I would want a weapon that blew huge chunks out of them, poorly aimed shots might not destroy but may render the assailant immobile.
When applied to the fictional undead world I would rather have a large calibre
bolt action rifle, an old Lee Enfield would suit me fine.
This along with a reliable pistol and a shotgun (Ithaca 37 or Mossberg 500, remember, if using a shotgun; if two or more pellets hit then the damage done is equal to the square of the number of hits.
For melee purposes I would choose a good Bolo machete or a ATC Lagana tactical tomahawk.(Btw, you can drive the spike end of one of these 'hawks through a Kevlar helmet, should do ok against zombies")


i'm still sticking with my ak47. i've had my original since 1996, and i've just beaten the **** out of it. yet it still functions perfectly, and it's just as accurate as the day i bought it.

Mele? My eastwing drywall hammer.
http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6507065.JPG
God bless Estwing and their fine hammers.:) I used one of those drywall axes for a while whilst working for a plasterer in the days before electric drill/drivers were common on site. Yeah that would make a formidable mellee weapon:D .


I know that we've been over this a million times, but I feel a million and one can't hurt. Besides, it might help out in what I'm working on.
So here's the question that I'm asking.
What kind of weapons (firearms, melee, ect.) do you feel would be best suited for long term use? I'm not talking about a period of a few months here, but a space of time spaning over several years.
What kind of weapons would be good to last through a long term period exposed to constant use and the elements?

Personally, I feel that in regards to firearms, bolt action rifles and revolvers is where it's at. Less ammunition capacity and lower rate of fire, but next to never likelyhood of jamming, and extremely easy to clean. A .22 caliber can blow brains out fairly well and can be carried in large quantities, thus to me is the ideal round.
For silent ranged weapons, I'd figure a crossbow would be ideal for whacking zombies on an individual basis, as long as there are no crowds of them around.
For bladed melee weapons, I'd probably go with a machete as it is light weight, fairly durable, and designed specifically for hacking.
For blung weapons, being somewhat realistic here, a mace would likely be out of the question, unless you could make your own. I've often heard that sledgehammers were good, but they don't seem well built to me for swinging in a side arch, plus if you missed you'd most likely be screwed. Keep in mind this is just my opinion, but I feel that a ten foot length of medium sized chains would be ideal for engaging zombies at a slight distance. With just a few seconds time, you can have it whirling over your head at tremendous force that should be fairly accurate at a head strike.
A good carpenter hammer would seem best to me for up close and personal (though only as a last resort). They're lightweight and can deal out a good amount of impact force with little effort.
If you feel the need to make other points to other types of weapons or contradict what I've said, please do. The feed back would help out myself and maybe others who are currently writing.
Using a sledge hammer in these circumstances would be suicidal, far too heavy to be of any use.
Try a repro warhammer instead. They generally had a spike for puncturing armour and flat end for knocking the crap out of folk, plus they were light enough for a soldier to swing all day if need be.

[Arcades057]

http://www.volny.cz/ak-47/ak-47/aks-47.jpg

Something like that. A folding stock AK has range and firepower enough to be all that you need at distance, while with the stock folded it becomes like a submachine gun, although a little more difficult to aim.

The pros of the weapon: Easy to maintain; they can be beaten to all hell and as long as you perform routine maintenance like cleaning the carbon out of the barrel and removing the lead deposits you can use them forever. Powerful round; the 7.62x39mm round is a far more powerful than the beefed up .22 that comes out of an M-16 or AR. Heavy, but not too heavy; if you happen to have one with a stock you can use it at a bludgeon in a pinch, though I would'nt recommend it. Ammo is relatively easy to come by; certainly not as prevelant as, say, a .22LR, but give me an AK anyday over a .22. High-capacity magazines; the standard is a 30-round mag, but you can find 40, 50, 75, and even 100-round magazines for it. With a 75-round drum the recoil becomes easier to control, as more weight counters the natural movement of the weapon.

The cons of the weapon: A bit of a heavy recoil for beginers; fire off a magazine and you're used to it, but you may not get the opportunity. Hard to control on full-auto; solution: Single shot.
Barrels have a tendancy to warp or wear out after heavy usage; the AK-47 was designed to be used by Russian peasants with a bare minimum of metal working skills; the weapon was designed to be the most simple, yet effective, weapon, therefore the barrel is easy to change out, so long as you can find another one.

That's about it. Also if you want something small and reliable, grab a Glock, preferably something like the Glock 17; a 9mm will take down a zombie, no problem. I hear people saying all the time that a .22LR will go through the skull of a human being and I call 90% BS on that. I've read a lot of things about people shot in the head or face with .22LR and surviving. I'd much rather have a guaranteed kill in my hand than a maybe-not.

[rightwing401]

You all make very good points. The Ak-47 is hands down the best semi-automatic rifle for long term use in harsh enviornments. As an ower of one myself, I have to say that I haven't had any kind of problems with it. The only jams it has ever had have always be magazine oriented. The reason that I pointed out the .22 was mainly because, while you all do make very valid points on its penitrating power and destructive capacity, you can carry a hell of a lot more rounds than anything else.
From personal experience, I've found that a box of 500 .22 rounds weighs about the same as a fully loaded AK-47 mag. The .22 is absolute **** for long range shooting, but anything within a 50 yrd radius it is accurate to hell and has next to no kick. I also said a .22 because it seems far more plausiable to me to find that type of ammo than 7.62x39mm. But then again, I could just be basing this on regonal experience.
p2501, I love the concept of the drywall hammer. Not only could you bash a zombie's brains out in close quaters, but you could also use the ax end for many different things (chopping up fire wood or cutting your way out of a room you're trapped in).
Nice responses guys, I'll definetly remember the points made in my writing. If there's anything else you'd like to either point out or counter, by all means please say something.

[Eyebiter]

The hinge on AK folding wire stocks will tend to get loose over time, in some cases your better off with a fixed stock version.

My choice would be a bolt action deer rifle with iron sights and an aluminum baseball bat.

[Khardis]

I know that we've been over this a million times, but I feel a million and one can't hurt. Besides, it might help out in what I'm working on.
So here's the question that I'm asking.
What kind of weapons (firearms, melee, ect.) do you feel would be best suited for long term use? I'm not talking about a period of a few months here, but a space of time spaning over several years.
What kind of weapons would be good to last through a long term period exposed to constant use and the elements?

Personally, I feel that in regards to firearms, bolt action rifles and revolvers is where it's at. Less ammunition capacity and lower rate of fire, but next to never likelyhood of jamming, and extremely easy to clean. A .22 caliber can blow brains out fairly well and can be carried in large quantities, thus to me is the ideal round.
For silent ranged weapons, I'd figure a crossbow would be ideal for whacking zombies on an individual basis, as long as there are no crowds of them around.
For bladed melee weapons, I'd probably go with a machete as it is light weight, fairly durable, and designed specifically for hacking.
For blung weapons, being somewhat realistic here, a mace would likely be out of the question, unless you could make your own. I've often heard that sledgehammers were good, but they don't seem well built to me for swinging in a side arch, plus if you missed you'd most likely be screwed. Keep in mind this is just my opinion, but I feel that a ten foot length of medium sized chains would be ideal for engaging zombies at a slight distance. With just a few seconds time, you can have it whirling over your head at tremendous force that should be fairly accurate at a head strike.
A good carpenter hammer would seem best to me for up close and personal (though only as a last resort). They're lightweight and can deal out a good amount of impact force with little effort.
If you feel the need to make other points to other types of weapons or contradict what I've said, please do. The feed back would help out myself and maybe others who are currently writing.

I dunno man, I read a news story one time about a woman who shot a burgler with a .22 something like 10 times and he still managed to beat her down and rape her. He didnt die from it until he bleed to death some hours later.

As for what I would want to bring. I would probably want to have an m-16.. i know I know they can jam up etc blah blah and they suck to take care of. But I am pretty meticulous with my weapons and I think the m-16 beats that communist peasant rifle hands down every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I would want to carry my 9 mil glock and a 1911 too with me in case. When things get messy I would want to be carrying my machete too.

[dannoofthedead]

Machetes, axes/axe handle and my personal favorite the expandable baton. A standard of the police and private security, easy to carry, conceal, and use. Keep it dry as best you can and there's not really a lot of maintenance. If you do it smart, hand to hand combat w/ one in each hand could go pretty smooth.

-danno

[rightwing401]

Ok, so we'll go with the majority vote and say that it's safe to assume that a .22 would not be a very good self defense weapon. Lot's of ammo available, but it just doesn't seem to have either the range or penitrating power needed.
Khardis, I don't knock the M-16 or its civilian cousin, the AR-15. I'll admit that they are lightweight and don't have much kick. Plus the smaller rounds do tend to mean more ammo capacity. My brother owns one and will touch nothing else (a throwback from his days as a Marine). But I have seen the amount of parts it has and how much time and effort go into mantaining the weapon, so wouldn't really want to carry that for an extended period of time in rough terrain. But to each their own, each gun has to match the person that uses it.
Another point I would like to make is one the .38 special. The rounds are very good, and are likely to be one shot/one kill type. However, as the owner of a 2 inch barrel .38 special, I can attest to how inaccurate it is outside of fifteen yards. Granted, I'm not the best shot in the world, but I have on several occassions for the fun of it tried to score shots directly in the center of the head, usually with an accuracy rating of about two or three dead on shots out of about twenty. I mention this because I only see a stubb nosed .38 special for up close and personal self defense (range no greater than ten feet).
I like some of the points made about melee weapons. The aluminum bat would be good for a medium ranged melee weapon. Though it might take more than one hit to actually kill the zombie, the laws of physics make it more than likely that a single blow will knock one flat on its ass.
Good point with the metal baton deaddan. They are very sturdy, lightweight, and easy to carry.
Bladed weapons I would be a little less inclined to use, as they would have a tendency to get lodged into a zombie's skull, and would take a lot of effort to get it out, as we all saw in dawn. Now keep in mind this is just theory, but I would figure that after a few months of rotting away, a machete or small ax could most likely hack right into a zombie's neck and strike the spinal column without much effort. If that happened, I would probably cause massive damage to the nerve steam and make the walking dead lose some of its moter function, if not everything below the neck. I make this mention because I would figure that it would be far easier to pull a blade from a rotting neck than a still reasonably intact skull.
Nice points again everyone, I'm definately learning stuff to apply in future works. If you have any other ideas, then let's keep this rolling.

[FoodFight]

I think that all firearms would have a severe workout in the initial stages, but when you stated 'several years', I'd have to say that the .22 would probably be scarce if not nearly forgotten. If a zombie outbreak were not quelled quickly, then all ammo types would start to dwindle, and with its' inherant lack of reloadability, rimfires surely would fall by the wayside.

Centerfire cartridges, however, can be reloaded with easily obtained tools and chemicals and the cases would last for several reloadings each. A low-tech cottage industry in reloads would certainly become a priority for the survival-oriented.

Let's take it a step further. Black powder is simpler still (I accidently made some on my stovetop one day...Yikes). Certain cartridges are designed primarily for black powder and may well make a resurgence once other supplies (more modern chamberings) are exhausted.

[Eyebiter]

Good point. You can reload modern boxer primed brass cartridges using black powder. Many rounds like 30/30, .45 Long Colt or 45/70 started out as black power rounds.The black powder fouling will be massive but it can be done. Of course the weapons would need to be cleaned ASAP because of the corrosive nature of the residue. Most semi-automatic weapons would jam in a short period of time using this powder.

http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/molds.jpg

There are various ways to make bullets. Lead is fairly easy to cast yourself with the proper molds and materials. Usually a small amount of tin or antimony is added to increase hardness of the bullet. Velocities will be much slower than conventional bullets, with leading of the bore a common symptom. A small copper gas check can be added to the base of the bullet to reduce bore leading. Proper lubricant will also minimize leading.

http://www.lasc.us/DSCN0769-8.jpg

I've also seen special dies to make jacketed bullets for small calibers bullets like .223 or .243 using spent .22lr rifle cartridges. It's a very specialized piece of equipment only a hardcore reloader or survivalist would likely own.

http://www.bulletswage.com/images/ad-rfjm2.jpg
http://www.bulletswage.com/jackets.htm

The trick is to find a way to make a chemical primer. At one time you could use white part of strike anywhere matches, unfortunately these are no longer easy to find here in the US. Toy gun caps would be another option. Spent primers are cleaned then recharged. A tedious process, better to stock up on several thousand primers ahead of time.

[Maitreya]

If I were to recommend ANY weapon it would be the lightsaber.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g313/0mirror1mirror0/lightsabre.jpg

The weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

[Exatreides]

Hand me my light saber, its the one that says bad mother ****er on it.

But seriously, In a undead situation I stress the practicality of Lightweight sub machine guns.

As the outbreak progresses, the number of dead would begin to overcome the number of living, so firing at 10 zombies 200 meters away would attract the zombies hiding in the near by houses.

I can see the practicality of Ak-47's, M16s and other assault rifles in situations in the country, but for a urban enviroment I think that a Mp5 would be a great weapon.

Light round, reletivly easy to aquire, and short stock that wouldn't get in your way in indoor enviroments. (In the Yom Kipur War, or which ever war that Israel and Syria were at war in the Golum Heights, Israeli troops were equiped with Uzi's, Mac tens and other short sub machine guns for clearing Syrian bunkers, Lets just say it worked well)

I can picture surviving in a undead world, not as a bad ass brandishing a Ak47 and spraying into a crowd of undead. Survival and evasion is what would lead to your survival, light weapons, light weight, and speed will have you last longer (IMO) then high powered rounds.

[Arcades057]

I'll put an AK-47 up against an MP-5, an M-16, or a .22 any day of the week.

M-16: You can carry more ammo, but you have dozens of parts to keep track of when you take it apart. The weapon, if it's an older variation, has a bad tendency to jam.

.22: Unless we're talking about a tertiary weapon for hunting birds and squirrels, I'd rather leave the gun and take a metal pole; it'll probably help me more against the living dead.

MP-5: Great for close work, don't get me wrong... but it's a big handgun. It fires 9x19mm and is accurate up to about 25-30 yards (for me, anyway). Easy to control on three-round and automatic, as well... but this makes you prone to just holding down that trigger in a stressful situation. The gun empties out so fast you might not even notice it until you're screwed.

AK-47: Two words: Long range. You want to fight the LD in close, go ahead; I'd much rather zero in my sliding sight and pick them off at 80 yards or greater. One drawback: Gotta customize it to fit a sight. Bought a pile of 500 rounds from Cheaper than Dirt and it's heavy... but not unmanagable. I have one 75-round mag and 4 30-rounders, which I have connected by two to give me basically 60 rounds per magazine. Managable? You bet. And the added weight means the natural movement of the gun up and to the right is controlled, making for a more accurate follow-up shot.

Someone mentioned it'd be better to have a fixed stock: My answer to that is that the underfolder is better because it can be a close-in weapon as well as long range. When the area is too small to use a rifle, you fold the stock.

[Eyebiter]

I'd still rather have the fixed stock AK or M16 rifle instead of the carbine version. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of a rifle buttstroke to the head in close combat.

http://www.greesonwebphotos.com/buttstroke.jpg