Zombie Research Society
Below you will find a brand new video that I’ve produced for the Zombie Research Society, with special thanks to the Colonial Shooting Academy of Virginia Beach; and it’s all about firearms! In keeping with the theme, I’ve also written an article on my top five personal picks for all of our members, friends and followers to read and debate. Of course, everyone has their own opinions about firearms; but at the end of the day it’s important that each of us find something that’s both comfortable and sensible. So without further ado, here are Cameron Carlson’s Top 5 Firearms for the Zombie Apocalypse!
Ruger 22/45 Lite (In red of course):
Many people think the .22 may not be the most reliable or effective round during a zombie outbreak, but this is far from the truth! If a .22 penetrates organic tissue (living or undead), it’s definitely going to bounce around inside and cause some havoc! The ammunition is light, easy to carry, and you can get 500 rounds for about twenty-four dollars. The Ruger itself is basically a simple-to-operate, staple gun; which I LOVE due to its simplicity and operation. Almost anyone can pick this up and be on target. Plus, it’s awesome to shoot!
SIG Sauer P226 Legion:
This is one of the most amazing handguns I have shot to date! The 226, in general, is a phenomenal handgun; but SIG decided to listen to all the gripes about the 226 and fix them. What we have here is the Legion, chambered in 9mm and just an all-around great gun to carry. Like the Glock, it is reliable to a fault and very easy to operate. However, this is a much larger gun compared to the Ruger and has more recoil due to the 9mm round. If you are just starting to shoot, start small and then the next step is 9mm. What a sweet gun!
Glock 19:
Do I need to say anything else? Anyone who knows anything about shooting knows that the Glock 19 is one of the best handguns available. This is chambered in 9mm and is the MOST reliable handgun on the market. Just look up some of the torture tests on YouTube and you will quickly become a believer. This still has a full-size slide and barrel, but the magazine holds two rounds less than the Glock 17. It’s very easy to operate, and you can customize EVERYTHING on your Glock (making it the Barbie of handguns). Boom! The Glock 19; you can’t go wrong! If you think I am wrong, then you probably like Hi-Points.
CZ Scorpion:
One of the first Short Barreled Rifles that I shoot in the video. This is also chambered in 9mm (are we seeing a trend here?). What’s awesome about this, other than the way it looks, is that the magazines hold 30 rounds, and it’s a blowback system rather than gas-operated like the AR-15. What does this mean? It means that the gas and debris from the rounds do not fly back in your face and cause hate and discontent! The rifle is also small and light, which makes it good for close quarters and easy to carry around for long distances. The CZ Scorpion is a great little rifle that’s easy to control.
AR-15 10.5” SBR:
I’ve saved the most popular for last. The AR-15 is not only the Barbie of the rifle world, it is also the MOST used rifle in the United States. Easily adaptable and very tough, this rifle is chambered in .223/.556. The round itself is just a slightly bit larger than the .22, but has a lot more power. You can get a good bit of range with this if you need it. Now, it’s also easy to carry and one of the more reliable weapons that you can find in a rifle. Building one is easy, and you can ALWAYS find ammunition or parts; making it easy to build and repair!
Well, I hope you all liked my suggestions, and please feel free to comment on what you think are the most reliable firearms. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to find the weapon that’s most comfortable, and ultimately works best, for you! Thanks for reading, be sure to check out the video below, visit our friends Bobby Horne of DOA Arms, the official website of the Colonial Shooting Academy; and remember… what you don’t know can eat you!
Honestly I think this is a good post.
Obviously zombies have probably lost half of normal bodily functions and most of them won’t be able to hear that’s why zombies have a weird walk.
But most of the zombies lose there main senses like smell,hearing(posablity),eyeview could be affected and normal walking functions overall zombies would probably die out quickly unless they are runners or crawlers (most likely) we would be more likely to be killed.
Thank you for this post.
Cameron.
Hi Lucas!
Thank you for the comment! I appreciate the time you took to provide me with feedback! New video on this topic coming soon! Machinegun here we go!
Cheers!
Cameron
I am skeptical of the idea that any pistol round will be able to consistently do enough damage to the brain, even with a successful headshot and skull penetration. In real world cases, its rare for a pistol round to kill someone instantly even when shot in the brain. Usually the bullet itself only damages a small part of the brain, and then it’s the bleeding and subsequent pressure inside the skull that actually does causes the TBI. Since zombies don’t have a heartbeat, you’re probably not going to get that build up of pressure. It partially depends on how much of the brain needs to be damaged in order to incapacitate the zombie, but ultimately even with perfect shot placement it’s a crap shoot whether or not the bullet actually kills the zombie or simply pokes a hole in it. And of course bullets typically deflect once they enter the body, so shot placement is no guarantee that the bullet will hit what we need it to. We can’t know without experimentation, but pistol rounds, while better than nothing, have a simply terrible track record in the real world. It’s not uncommon for people to get shot in the brain with a pistol round and not die, or not die till later.
That’s especially true with a .22LR. Yes, they certainly can kill, but they almost never kill quickly. Which means they won’t necessarily kill a zombie, and won’t necessarily stop a determined human attacker from killing you. He might bleed out later, but that isn’t much of a consolation if I’m already dead. Plus the reliability issues with rimfire rounds.
This is of course in contrast to a rifle round, which usually create enough pressure inside the skull to cause a shockwave that damages the entire brain even if they never come directly in contact with the bullet itself. A rifle round to the brain will usually drop someone like a Somali Pirate. Literally.
It’s all theoretical, of course, but I personally wouldn’t trust or recommend a pistol round as anything but a backup until we’d had the chance to test their effectiveness on zombies under real world conditions. Just my two cents.
As someone with 3 years of military experience in a combat branch and more years of civilian shooting (including the AR15) I can say I prefer the AK style rifles over the M4 style. M4 parts, mags, and ammo are common because of their widespread use, but under stress the rifle experiences significant problems if not maintained and has many aluminum parts which wear out or break quickly. It is also not an effective hand-to-hand weapon (which will probably be common in a zombie apocalypse situation). The AK style rifles are only slightly less accurate at range compared to the M4/16/AR15 styles (but at these ranges in a ‘ZA’ you should probably be avoiding combat), boast INCREDIBLE reliability, and parts/ammo/mags are still quite common, especially if you choose a 5.56 variant. The AK74 offers better ballistics against unarmored targets, especially against human combatants due to the 5.45s devastating cavitation. Wooden furniture and a bayonet would also contribute greatly to the CQB/melee capabilities of the AK (which again will probably be common with zombies).
Which aluminum parts wear out and quickly break on the AR-15?
Good afternoon!
To be honest, I have never had any parts on any of my ARs break or wear out. I HAVE replaced them because I wanted new ones though lol! I wouldn’t worry about this unless you are dragging them through mud and then throwing them into the fire…even then I suspect you would only jam up the bolt carrier or clog the gas tube. Anyway, I hope this helped and if there is something that you want to see in a video or an article please let me know and I will do my best to do it! Thanks and remember, what you don’t know can eat you!
Cheers!
Cameron
Hi Jason!
Thanks for the comment. You make good points on the reliability of the AK style rifles. However, I would caution anyone who has never shot an AK about it having significant recoil. Not back, but up and into the cheekbone. I had one for about six months and got rid of it after the first trip to the range. Also, the 7.62 rounds are much heavier to carry due to the larger size. Also, I am not quite sure which Aluminum parts you are speaking of on the AR, but I have never had any break or wear out on any of mine. Once again though, it is possible. The issue I see is that many people who have never shot any type of rifle would pick up an AK and then never want to shoot anything again. This is why in the article and the video I stress ease of use and portability, hence the .22 and the 9mm’s. Like you stated, the whole point would be to not engage, but if you had to, then use a small round which is capable of doing the job that you need it to. Personally, I do not like the AKs due to the reasons above but everyone has their own opinion 🙂
Thanks for the comments and please let me know if there is anything that you would like to see a video on or an article and I will do my best to take care of it!
Cheers and remember, what you don’t know can eat you.
Cameron