My Disaster Gun
(10 Photos)
If you had to choose one gun—and only one gun—to get you through a disaster (be it traditional or zombie-related), what would it be? If you could have one firearm (that’s realistically available) to protect yourself, your family and your assets, what would it be and why? Here are 10 choices made by some of the editors and contributors in NRA Publications. What would you choose? Let us know.
Posted by: Jeff Johnston, American Hunter
Remington VersaMax Tactical Shotgun
Most of the Navy Seal wannabes who predict and even relish the thought of doomsday often opt for the highest capacity, fastest shooting, most tricked-out, puny-caliber rifle upon which they can lay their un-calloused hands. While I don’t dispute the wonderful efficiency of a FAL or similar, high-capacity battle rifle—or even a M204 complete with select fire button and grenade launcher—for battle, I don’t anticipate duking it out with zombies in the streets like some god-awful new superhero movie. Superheroes are for kids. I’ll let the looters, desperados and ne’er-do-wells battle for the crumbs. I’m getting out of town and shifting to evade and survival mode. Sure, I’ll need a gun that I can level at an envious mob as I make a break for a relaxing campfire in the mountains, but more importantly I’ll need a dependable, semi-automatic firearm with which I can kill large, small and flying game—for food. For these reasons, my hero is a Remington VersaMax Tactical Shotgun and a pocket full of slugs, buckshot and No. 6s—not Batman. The VersaMax, with its extended magazine tube holds 9 shells in any order so I can quell a small riot before picking off a flying goose as it flees the city park pond.
As I make my way to the country, whistling as I swing the fat goose—I’ll be assured that I’ll not only survive, but thrive on healthy venison—using modern sabot slugs it’s a bonafide 150-yard gun—squirrels, rabbits, bears, turkeys, wild pigs, ruffed grouse and anything else that’s protein rich and fun to hunt. The VersaMax Tactical doesn’t come with a worthless pistol grip or a red dot sight that virtually guarantees you can’t hit a flying anything with it. Rather, it’s a nicely balanced, supremely reliable semi that holds bunch of 12-gauge shells of any length or configuration. What’s more, there are likely more 12-gauge rounds in this country than any other ammo product, so finding extra ammo shouldn’t be an issue. And if I venture from my little vacation back into the ravaged city at all, it will only be out of boredom and perhaps to trade some venison steaks to the Navy Seal Wannabes who, if they aren’t dead by now, have worked up a gladiator-type hunger. I argue that a shotgun is the best close-range defensive tool ever invented, with slugs and a rifled choke tube it makes a decent rifle, and with birdshot I won’t ever worry about going hungry, but instead, how much salt to add to the gravy.
