Some Thoughts on the One Gun Survival Choice

   09.21.15

Some Thoughts on the One Gun Survival Choice

Budgets are tight these days. That remains the case despite the so-called good economic news coming from WH reports. Accordingly, not everyone can afford a multi-gun survival arsenal. So if for now you can only buy and support one gun for survival and prepping, what should it be?

As I work on another approach to survival weaponry presenting the best three-gun options for prepping, it occurred to me that might not be realistic for some. Under those circumstances where some cash strapped families cannot afford the expense right now of purchasing two or three guns but still want some security and self-defense coverage, what would be the best choice?

This makes for a really tough decision, and it may boil down to personal preference for the type of firearm a person is most comfortable using. If I had to choose only one from the three choices of a handgun, rifle, or shotgun, it is easy for me to leave the rifle out of the mix. Now the issue becomes: which is the better solo choice, a pistol or a shotgun?

A handgun is decidedly easier to wield either from inside a home or even from inside a vehicle. Learning to shoot a handgun, pistol, or revolver takes training and lots of practice to be proficient enough to be effective. Dispatching a single projectile at the single pull of the trigger demands much greater skill at gun handling for precision accuracy.

Other pluses for the handgun choice is the relative ease of reloading. You can keep additional magazines on hand pre-loaded and ready or even have some speed loaders ready to reload a double action revolver. A handgun is also easy to conceal. It can be hidden under a pillow on the bed or couch. It can slide beside the seat in your vehicle. It is simple enough to keep one housed in a suitable holster on your hip under your shirt or in open carry. The handgun makes a good choice.

Then, the shotgun (once learned to load and shoot) is a formidable weapon. It exits multiple shots of various sizes. An open pattern explains its nickname, the scattergun. It may be more cumbersome to use inside the house and very difficult from inside a vehicle.

So, only one gun? I vote going with a handgun, a pistol in particular. Pick one you can handle well and shoot better.

Avatar Author ID 67 - 441646883

Award winning outdoor writer/photographer since 1978. Over 3000 articles and columns published nationally. Field & Stream Hero of Conservation in 2007. Fields of writing includes hunting most game in American, Canada, and Europe, fishing fresh and saltwater, destination travel, product reviews, industry consulting, and conservation issues. Currently VP at largest community college in Mississippi in economic development and workforce training with 40 years of experience in Higher Education. BS-MS in wildlife sciences from MO. University, and then a PhD in Industrial Psychology. Married with two children and Molly the Schnoodle.

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