10 Weapons You Need...For the Apocalypse and For Fun (Part 1)

As the title states I will be discussing 10 weapons that you need to add to your arsenal. No matter what you use your weapons for, work as law enforcement/military, work as a security contractor in the private sector, practice for when the Zombie Apocalypse occurs, or if you are just a collector of badass toys, these weapons will give you the edge in any combat/tactical situation you might find yourself in. I have done extensive research on this topic, scouring the "End of the World", SHTF, Tactical and Law Enforcement Forums of the World Wide Web, collecting data from manufacturers websites and sending emails asking questions that weren't answered from info found at their website, and of course I have the personal knowledge of having used almost all of these. I will give you an in depth look at each weapon, whats entailed in owning, using, and maintaining such a device, what you should expect, how to store/carry it, and of course the big one, how much it will set you back to obtain it and how many hoops of fire you must leap through before signing your life away to the federal government to own one....well maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit on the hoops of fire and the government owning you after purchasing one of these weapons, but some are more difficult to procure than others.

When this idea popped in my mind I wanted to do a countdown from the 10th most important weapon, down to the number 1 most important piece of weaponry you should have at your disposal should you need it, however that changed as my research progressed.  Honestly, I feel that for an assortment of tools, not a single one is more important or less important than another, all are equally important for the purpose of being able to tailor your load-out to specific environments and situations. Obviously, a scenario that requires you to enter and clear a 3 story building of flesh eating zombies would require a different load-out than a scenario that requires you to eliminate a road block of 10 armed, cannibalistic, slave trading, human, post-apocalyptic survivors (more information about these type of people at a later date) from a tree 500 yards back without being seen. With this in mind, you will need an assortment of weaponry that you can store and transport either: A) On your person, B) In your vehicle, C) By sled or horseback, or D) Whatever other means of transportation you have available.  Keep in mind while reading through the different weaponry that you may not be able to transport all of them at once, nor may you be able to obtain them all before you need to use them. Consider this a "wish list" that if you are able to get your hands on these, then by all means, you most certainly should. Many will already have several of the firearms, so it might just be that you need a few of the other items to complete the list. So, lets begin shall we?
 
1.  Mid to Full Size Pistol
Nothing is more important that your sidearm. This weapon is often the difference between life and death when one is faced with a prolonged close quarters battle or merely a simple pickpocketing that requires eliminating the pickpocket. Now, many will have their idea of the "ideal" or "perfect" handgun, but I will tell you from personal experience that I highly recommend Glock. For this category, the Mid to Full Size Pistol, there are in fact a couple choices when choosing a Glock pistol, which is perfect for you as the reader because lord knows we aren't all created the same. Some of us have larger hands and some have larger feet, some weight in at a thin 110lbs and others a muscularly beefy 325lbs! Glock has a Mid or Full Size Pistol for us all. As this is going to be your primary sidearm, this gun will always be included in your load-out no matter the situation, it should be attached to your hip at all times. This is one of the few weapons that is so versatile it can solve just about any problem you are faced with. Since this is going to be a weapon that your life will depend on (I know, you're thinking "aren't they all?") it should be chambered in a caliber that you feel the most comfortable with. Glock offers their entire line of handguns in sub-compact (small, backup sized), compact (mid-size), and full-size. Glock makes maintenance, repairs, and mag changes easy, making a Glock the most versatile and adaptable handgun available to civilians today.  A Glock 17 (full-sized 9mm version) barrel will fit into a Glock 22 (full-sized .40S&W version) converting the Glock 22 from .40 to 9mm.  The same applies to the slides (top half of gun) and the frames (bottom half of gun). A Glock 17 frame can be used with a Glock 22 slide.  A Glock 17, takes a standard metal-lined Glock magazine that is capable of holding 17 rounds of 9mm. The Glock 19, the compact/mid-sized 9mm little brother to the Glock 17, takes a standard metal-lined Glock magazine that is capable of holding 15 rounds of 9mm. The Glock 26, the sub-compact/backup sized 9mm baby brother to the Glock 17 takes a standard metal-lined Glock magazine that is capable of holding 12 rounds of 9mm. However, all three of these 9mm Glock pistols, the 17, 19, and 26 will accept and function with the full-size Glock 17's 17rd mag. Al three of these 9mm Glock pistols also will accept and function with the optional and very available, massive 33rd standard metal-lined Glock magazine! I could keep going but to summarize, Glock Magazines are a standard dimension and will fit any Glock, a .40 Glock 22 mag can be loaded with 9mm and used in any of the three 9mm Glock's. Fancy huh? Now, one must be careful when doing any interchanging of parts and magazines. Neither I, nor Glock endorse swapping barrels amongst your Glock handguns. However, I will say, it can be done, I have done it and it works flawlessy. I do not carry my Glock this way and I do not recommend you to carry yours that way either.  If it were the end of the world and gun parts are hard to find and in limited supply, the ability to swap parts amongst Glock handguns would be priceless, this is the reason for me writing about this. So, a Glock comes in three sizes, mags interchange, parts interchange if necessary, what else do they do?  A lot!  Glock is known for it's legendary Safe-Action mechanism which puts the safety in the trigger. You may have heard people say, "Glock's don't have safties." This is an incorrect statement as Glocks have more safety mechanisms than your standard handgun, they just don't require the user to switch them on or off before use.  If a Glock is dropped a mechanism blocks the firing pin from striking a bullet, if one were in the chamber, during a free fall. The trigger must be pulled with your entire finger, not a finger nail and it can't be activated from the side, you must be holding it in a shooting position to actually fire the gun.  Another reason for choosing Glock for this category is the fact that the Mid and Full-sized Glocks have attachment rails for attaching lights and lasers.  

3rd Generation Glock 19

Ok, I've sold you on a Glock, now to decide what caliber and which size. As I said before, you should choose a caliber that you are most comfortable with. If you have always shot 9mm and you enjoy shooting 9mm because you can empty an entire magazine into a 2" circle at 30 yards, then you need a Gloc Glock in 9mm.  If .40 is your choice because you like that extra stopping power and you find it easier to control then get one in .40. The good thing about Glock is that they manufacturer their handguns in all major calibers so everyone is bound to find a pistol that they can shoot and defend themselves with.  As for the size of the gun, this all has to do with the size of your hands, how you hold the gun, and again, what you feel the most comfortable with. Most Law Enforcement and Military Personnel that are issued a Glock, carry a Full-Size Glock 17 (9mm) or 22 (.40S&W). The main reason for carrying the larger size is due to magazine capacity. Even though the mid-sized glocks will accept the larger magazines it's just not something that the Government was thinking of when they purchased these guns. Another reason for the larger size is barrel length. The bigger the gun, the longer the barrel. Longer handgun barrel means your can shoot farther and shoot more accurately.  This is the part where most people say, "ok, I've made up my mind, I want the biggest Glock they sell so I can shoot 100 yards!". I will tell you though, thinking like that will only get you a gun that is too big for you to use properly and could cost you your life. So that you don't have to read another post, I will briefly describe, How to Pick a Handgun over the next several lines.  When you go to the gun store to look at guns, you point to the one you want to look at and they pull it out of the glass enclosure they store them in, then they pull back the slide while ejecting the mag to make sure it's not loaded (this is also known as a function check) and next they hand it to you. This is where people often do some of the weirdest and sometimes the stupidest things. Just because you know the gun is unloaded and the guy behind the counter does too, doesn't mean you should look down the sights while aiming it at his head. All guns should be treated as loaded and aimed in a safe direction when handling them (aim it down toward the ground or at a wall).  You will know you have found the correct gun and correct size for you by doing the following procedure.  Pull the slide back, it should lock with an empty mag in the gun, this simulates an empty gun as if you just fired the last shot. Now aim down the sights holding the gun one handed with your dominant hand, if this is your right hand then the gun should be in your right hand, and yes the slide should still be pulled back. Next take your thumb and work the mag release without changing your grip. Put the mag back in, and work the slide stop lever with your thumb to reset the slide forward. What you just did was simulate a tactical reload. You keep the gun on target the entire time while ejecting the spent mag, inserting a loaded mag, and then feeding one into the chamber by resetting the slide without changing your grip or losing the target, allowing you to continue firing.  If you have to change your grip on the pistol then the gun is to big. If your hands hang off the bottom of the guns grip then the pistol is too small.  Remember this is your primary sidearm we are talking about, it needs to be perfect!  

4th Generation Glock 22

Another shot of a 3rd Gen Glock 19

My choice of handgun for weapon #1 is the mid-sized Glock 19. My hands fit perfectly on the grip, I can perform a tactical reload without changing my grip or moving my hand a millimeter. I can accurately fire the Glock 19 out to 30+ yards and the 9mm round is plentiful and readily available. A Glock 19, like any Glock can be purchased for about $550, give or take $50 depending on the time of year and if the gun store is running any specials.




2. Large Knife (8"+ Blade)
Like your primary sidearm, a knife is equally important and so versatile that it should also be carried on your person at all times. For almost any situation you will encounter in this life or the next, a large blade, tactical style knife will do the trick nicely.  There are so many companies making knives these days, the selection is endless. This is good for you as a customer as it allows you to really find something that suits you and your style for a price that fits your budget.  I will be discussing a couple options here but you only need choose one.  Ka-Bar, a legend in knives, manufacutres the standard issue blades and bayonets issued to our boys and girls protecting and serving our country.  Ka-Bar is most famous for their USMC knife, a design that has been imitated by many, but only perfected by Ka-Bar.

Ka-Bar's USMC Knife is standard issue for the Marines

This is a fantastic knife and would make a great addition to your load-out however the blade length does not fit within the spec's I have chosen of eight inches or larger so it is not one that we will be discussing here at this time.  Ka-Bar does manufacturer a line of blades with lime green handles known as their "Zombie Line". These blades are made specifically with one thing in mind, slaughtering Walking Dead Humans, aka Zombies!  There are several knives that fall into this category but I have chosen one that meets our needs. The "Zombie Death Dagger" by Ka-Bar has a blade that comes in right under nine inches at 8.5", functions and looks extremely badass!

 Ka-Bar's Zombie Death Dagger comes with interchangeable lime green and black G10 grips for true customization.

What makes the Zombie Death Dagger from Ka-Bar so perfect? This bad motha measures in over a foot long at 13 7/8", features a pointed tip blade cut from a solid block of an extremely hard forged steel, making it almost unbreakable.  Notice I said almost, if you tried you could probably break it, but it can withstand things that most knives just can't handle.  Most knives that fit into the over 8" blade length class don't feature pointed tip blades since this sized knife is a borderline machete. A machete can make a great weapon but most are made for cutting grasses and wood from trees so the steel blades of machetes are often lacking the characteristics that make up a good combat knife. Ka-Bar's Zombie Death Dagger can be yours for about $55 and is available from Amazon.

Another knife that needs to be discussed here is the Cold Steel GI Tanto. The GI Tanto from Cold Steel, like the Ka-Bar USMC knife just doesn't meet the 8" blade spec, however it meets our needs and for a great price!

Cold Steel's GI Tanto with G10 Handle and Matte Black Tac Finish

The GI Tanto is everything tactical! It features a true tactical point with the Tanto edge inspired by Ancient Japanese Katana swords. This point is sharp, allows for fantastic piercing capabilities and gives the knife two edges, the main blades edge and a smaller one, the Tanto edge, also perfect for skinning.  The blade length of this masterpiece manufactured by Cold Steel is seven inches with the knife having an overall length of 12" making it an even foot long. Besides the edges of this knife, there are a few other characteristics that make this blade perfect as a primary blade for you load-out. The blade of the GI Tanto is cut from 1055 Carbon Tool Steel, one of the hardest steels on the market. This ensures that the GI Tanto retains is razor sharp edge. The blade is coated in a Matte Black non-reflective Tac finish making it the perfect knife for any scenario or operation thrown your way. Notice the funny indention after the hilt? Cold Steel cut this indention into the steel so that you can covert the GI Tanto into a spear or war club quickly and easily. It can be affixed onto a bamboo cane or wooden stick of some sort, then tied into place with paracord and used to hunt or kill! Unlike Ka-Bar's Zombie Death Dagger, this blade comes with a Secure-Ex Sheath that can be attached to a belt or MOLLE equipment to protect the blade when not in use and provide and easy carrying solution. The best feature of this knife is it's price, it can be purchased from Amazon for about $27.

GI Tanto in it's Secure-Ex Sheath

Maybe none of these knives are doing it for you, and if that's the case, that is ok. My last and final option is perfect for those that like DIY articles. You can view my post titled "Cut Yourself - Forging a Blade" for a step by step guide to making a knife. I took the design of the GI Tanto and modified it a bit, making it longer, thicker, and more machete like but made from a hard steel giving it tactical knife characteristics. I call this blade the GI Tanto Mod 2 knife. The number 2 designates that it was the third design I drew for this project as the first was Mod 0.

The blade length is 12" long with an overall length of 18". The grip is covered in paracord giving the user a phenomenal grip and quick access to nearly 30ft of rope with a 550lb test. This knife is long enough to be classified as a machete but retaining the characteristics we need for our tactical knife, it is the perfect companion to be attached at the hip opposite of your sidearm. I have used this blade for peeling apples to cutting down cactus, trimming branches to decapitating thieves and it has performed again and again. This is the perfect knife for the DIY Operator who prefers complete customization of his weaponry. It can be formed from pretty much any piece of steel: lawn mower blade, large file, truck leaf spring, or steel bar stock (which is what I used). It just takes some time and patience to fashion the blade, but when you get done you will have learned a skill that only Rambo and his closest friends know.

My choice for Weapon #2 is my Cold Steel GI Tanto. Now my GI Tanto Mod 2 is in my arsenal and will be with me when the Zombie Apocalypse begins, but I didn't choose it as one of my 10 weapons. I would also like to note that just because I chose a single blade out of all 10 weapons, most Operator's, Survivalist's, and anyone else reading this article for the purpose of putting the information to use, would benefit from having access to two or more knives stored somewhere within reach on your person.  I typically have several knives handy during any operation, most are attached via the MOLLE system to my gear while two are kept on me.  Remember the point of this article is to introduce you to various weapons while giving you a better understanding of how they function, what they do best, and which weapon is best suited for your specific needs.  If you don't have any of the 10 weapons on this list, it's time to make a trip to the store, and don't forget your checkbook. Also, it doesn't hurt to own more than 10 weapons as the more you have the better you can accomadate your load-out to an operations specifics.  Moving on....

 

3. Kel-tec KSG Shotgun

Notice I didn't just say 12 Gauge Shotgun here, I was specific. There is a reason for this as you will soon discover.  I don't feel that there are other shotguns that compete with the KSG from Kel-tec, especially for our purposes. This is one of the newest weapons to hit the market, released in early 2012 the KSG literally, redefines the 12 Gauge tactical pump segment. There are many 12 Gauge tactical shotguns but none like the KSG. Kel-tec, located in Cocoa, FL (I've driven by their manufacturing facility by the way) is dedicated to designing and manufacturing advanced tactical firearms with what is sometimes referred to as a futuristic design, with the most simple operating designs possible, 100% in house on their CNC machines.  Now, Kel-Tec has sometimes gotten a bad wrap for poor functioning hadnguns but they have worked out most of the kinks from their earlier generations of firearms. Kel-Tec is well known for the lightest, thinnest 9mm the PF-9 that utilizes a single stack magazine to allow the gun to be less than an inch wide dimensionally. They have also manufactured many .223/5.56 rifles and pistols over the years but it is over the past year they have made the farthest advances in their lineup. They now offer a bullpup, piston driven .308 rifle, known as the RFB, that is in the running for the military contract and their new double tube magazine pump action 12 gauge. These two weapons have launched Kel-Tec from a small boutique gun manufacturer located on the beach in Florida to a large scale, Internationally known Firearms Manufacturer.  You now know about Kel-Tec, let's talk about this shotty!  

 

The KSG is modeled after Kel-Tec's .308 the RFB as a Bullpup design. The bullpup design has not been one of the most successful firearms designs in the history of guns, partly due to it's "techy" futuristic look, however, a lot of the guns being designed today are bullpups. The reason for this due to the accuracy obtained from a bullpup firearm. A bullpup design moves the action back closer to the shooters shoulder, doing two things. First, it reduces the overall length of the weapon making it more mobile, shooters can exit vehicles and turn corners faster while staying on target. Secondly, it greatly reduces recoil by having the action's mechanisms closer to the shoulder, sometimes as much as a 50% reduction is seen with newer bullpup designs.  The KSG is only 26" long with an 18.5" barrel making it United States Civilian legal! Yay! It weighs 6.9lbs unloaded and about 8.5lbs when loaded full with twelve 3" 12 gauge shotgun shells. It can hold and fire 12 gauge shells from 1.75" to 3". It includes two magazine tubes running down the bottom of the barrel side by side, holding 6 shells each, the left or right tube is selected by the shooter using a lever located near the trigger. It is a pump action shotgun, meaning that after each shot the pump must be worked to load the next shell.  Kel-Tec is known for making what critics often call "plastic" looking guns. The receiver of the KSG is manufactured from hardened steel while the stock and forearm are made from Zytel, a glass reinforced nylon that is chemical/solvent, shock, and temperature resistant. The shotgun can be fully disassembled without the need for any tools, making it easily field stripped for service and cleaning. Another awesome feature of the KSG is the 1919 rails that run down the top and underside of the barrel allowing any AR-15/M4/M16 accessory to be mounted on it. That's right, your vertical grips, iron sights, holographic optics, even scopes can be mounted on this Shotty!

Kel-Tec's KSG makes the list for these reasons:

• Has one of the highest round capacities for a civilian legal shotgun on the market today- 12 rounds of 3" 12 gauge and 14 rounds of 2 3/4" 12 Gauge!!
• One of the smallest legally acceptable shotguns on the market that doesn't require a tax stamp to own or purchase
• Unique design and combination of durable materials makes the KSG the most durable shotgun available
• Accessory rails allowing the mounting of vertical grips and optics are standard on the KSG unlike any other competitors shotty
• The built in sling mounts on the barrel and stock allow for many sling mounting options, making it easy to carry the KSG over your chest, back, or side like a fine Coach Purse! Ladies the KSG is the must have accessory for 2013, make sure you ask Santa to bring you one for Christmas.

Kel-Tec's MSRP is $880, so retail should be a little less, however due to the high demand for these cone poppers after Obama's re-election, almost all gun stores that were retailing these for $1000 have raised their price to $1500 saying that they just can't keep them in stock. Before I close out weapon #3 I would like to add for the Saiga owners out there that were disagreeing with everything I had to say about the KSG after sentence number two, I am well aware there are many possibly better tactical shotguns on the market today, some that are semi-auto and hold large capacities like the 25 and 30 round drums for the Saiga 12 Gauge. However, due to the large size (overall length) of the Saiga and the massive recoil felt when rapid firing one with a 25 round drum of 3" 12 gauge shells attached, the Saiga does not have a place on this list. It could possibly have a spot on another list but the purpose of this list is to show 10 weapons that are easily maneuvered, field stripped, and repaired, while providing the most damage, accurately. Remember what were up against here, it could mean your entire family having their skin chewed off of their arms and legs by a horde of STD infested Zombie Prostitutes if you don't finish clearing the once crack house out as quickly and efficiently as possible and your AK-47 just ran out of ammo....

.....Oh yeah there's a reason you have the very light, 8.5lb Kel-Tec KSG loaded with 00 Buckshot slung to your back! 

4. AR-15/AR-10

I know you've been waiting for it, and here it is. 4th on the list, one of your primary rifles should be an AR-15.  As the AR-15 comprises a huge assortment of rifles, it is hard to say an AR-15 and mean any one specific gun. With that in mind, like your sidearm, I will say this, pick a caliber, brand and size that you are comfortable with.  Don't just get the biggest AR, which would be the AR-10 a .308, because the guy at the gun store told you it has the most stopping power and bullets are more expensive. We live in a day and age where you can have it your way and you should! AR's are made by thousands of companies and chambered in every caliber known to man, and if there's a caliber you want and you can't find, someone can make it for you, all you have to do is ask.  Not to poopoo your dream of having a AR-15 chambered in .45 Colt, but keep in mind, when SHTF and you are battling for your families survival in a Post-Apocalyptic world, no more guns are being manufactured, meaning no new replacement parts and the biggest factor of them all, no more ammo is being mass produced, meaning if your gun does not fire a common caliber, then once you run out, the gun is worthless. Unless, you have a friend that lives on an Indian Reservation where they mass produce ammunition out of trailers hidden in the forest to sell to the Dixie Mafia. If you do then you could quite possibly get that AR chambered in .45 Colt, at least until there's no more brass, primers, or bullets to load into them.  For those of you wondering, what is a common caliber, it is simply any caliber that is widely recognized as the "standard". These calibers tend to be military/NATO calibers. Any round that is designated by NATO as a NATO round is mass produced everyday in almost every country in the world...literally almost every country.  These calibers are the ones you should consider having all of your weapons chambered in if possible and they are as follows:

• 9mm or 9x19 (9mm in the US and 9x19 in metric countries)
• .308 or 7.62x51 (commonly referred to just as 7.62mm or 7.62Nato)
• .223 or 5.56x45 (commonly referred to as 5.56mm or 5.56Nato)
• 7.62x39

These first three calibers are used by every military and government agency worldwide with the last, 7.62x39 being used by every present day communist nation and any country that was once apart of the old Soviet Union aka the USSR. 7.62x39 can still be found pretty easily on American soil, however it is not mass produced in America like it still is in Russia, China, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, and so on.  9mm tends to be a handgun caliber, although there are many rifle formats that fire the 9mm round.  The coolest part of the AR platform is that the majority of AR rifles are available in any of those four calibers mentioned above and parts are easily found.  

The AR platform rifle has got to be one of the greatest weapon platforms known to man. Many AK purists will argue that the AR is one of the most finicky and flawed weapons known however, I will disprove that and show you why you need an AR or two at your disposal. Eugene Stoner, Robert Fremont, and L. James Sullivan of the Fairchild ArmaLite (presently known as Armalite) corporation designed the 7.62mm AR-10. The AR in the name AR-10 stands for Armalite, not to be confused with Automatic Rifle as our US Congress stated in the Weapons Ban of '94. There is nothing automatic about any AR rifle. The -10 designates the number of the design. There were many AR rifles designed by Stoner while working for Armalite. The AR-3 for example which is best known by the name of the "Stoner 63" is pictured below.

AR-3 or Stoner 63 Rifle

Vietnam Era M16 Rifle

The AR-15 is based off the design of the AR-10 but was originally designed to fire the lightweight, high powered 5.56mm round. Due to financial problems, Armalite sold the rights to the AR-10 and AR-15 to Colt in 1959. Colt sold it's first 300 AR-15's to Maylasia on September 30th of 1959. After the Maylasian sale Colt started marketing the AR-15 to various global military and law enforcement agencies.  The US Army was the first of any US Military branch to adopt the AR-15 rifle, except they requested that it be modified from it's current semi-auto firing mechanism to shoot semi-auto, three shot bursts, and full auto. This design became known as the M16 and saw it's first use in the Jungles of Vietnam in 1963. By 1969 the AR-15 Rifle had been adopted for service in all branches of the US Armed Forces with the Majority of them using the M16 variant, thus replacing the M14 rifle.

The M16 has seen one of the longest runs of any firearm to be used by US Military. In 1994 the US Army approached Colt and asked them to come up with another variant of the AR-15 but with a shorter barrel and only semi-auto and three shot burst. This firearm would be known as the M4 Carbine. The M4 was soon adopted by all US Military branches with very few troops still using the M16 today. Some Marines have reported using M16 rifles during basic training. Most soldiers carry the M4 rifle and only fire it in semi-auto. There are a handful of M4's being used by the military the retained the full-auto capabilities of the M16, these are known as the M4A1.  

A tan painted M4 Carbine with holographic sight, light, laser, and vertical grip attached. This configuration is typical of what is seen being carried by US troops currently stationed in the Middle-East.

AR-10's and 15's have come along ways since their first tour of duty in Vietnam. One of the major complaints from the soldiers who fought in the jungles that still echoes through out the shooting world today is that this weapon system jams too much. AK fan's are accustomed to direct piston driven impingement while AR's are typically gas driven impingement systems. For those that are new to all this I'll explain. When an AR-15 is fired, gas from the bullet firing travels down the barrel towards the muzzle, some leaves with the bullet but some exits a tiny hole at the top of the barrel and travels through a stainless steel tube the size of a straw at 15,000psi back towards the receiver. When this gas reaches the receiver it pushes the bolt assembly back into the stock which is then pushed forward by a spring that resides in the tube that the stock is installed on. As the bolt assembly is pushed forward from the force of the spring it chambers another bullet while cocking the hammer, readying the rifle to fire the next round. The gases that chamber the next round are full of carbon soot and quickly dirty the receivers, upper and lower, as well as the bolt assembly, firing pin, and barrel. This carbon buildup can clog the gas tube preventing gas from ever reaching the receiver, preventing the action from cycling or causing it to only cycle partway creating a stovepipe jam. The AK-47 and it's variants which are even older than the AR platform, make use of a gas piston driven system to cycle. In the gas piston driven system the gases flow down the barrel towards the muzzle, some exit with the bullet but some exit through a tiny hole on the top of the barrel. It is here that the AR and AK systems are different. Instead of the gas flying down a tube toward the receiver, the gas pushes a stainless steel rod, at 15,000psi, back towards the receiver forcing the bolt back which is then forced forward by a spring loaded mechanism chambering the next round while cocking the hammer, readying the weapon to fire the next round. Since the gases don't ever reach the receiver on the gas piston system their are fewer misfires, jams, and misfeeds.  Now you're wondering why I've explained all of this. The AK guys are sitting here saying, "screw the AR-15, you just explained why an AK is better". Here's why this was necessary for you to know.  In the last 5 years many of the aftermarket companies producing AR parts have poured their R&D dollars into developing Gas Piston AR's and Gas Piston mod kits to modify existing AR/M4 weapons for a low cost. A Gas Piston AR gives you the accuracy and adaptability of the AR weapons system with the ruggedness and dependability of the AK weapons system. Some Gas Piston AR manufacturers brag about how you can fire 1000 rounds from their AR, throw the rifle in sand, then dirty water, and then fire another 1000 rounds without a single jam or malfunction.

As you can see from reading a little background information, the AR platform and it's variants can be configured in many different ways. Now we will look at the various AR's available to the civilian market and what you should be looking for when seeking to add one to your arsenal.  If you want an AR chambered in a caliber other than .223/5.56 or .308/7.62 you should look at DPMS as they have revolutionized the AR platform in wildcat chamberings. For example, DPMS's 2012 Product Catalog consists of the following AR calibers, each available in many different configurations:

• .22LR
• .204 Ruger
• .223/5.56
• .243 Win
• .260 Rem
• .308/7.62
• .338 Federal
• 6.5 Creedmore
• 6.8 SPC II

There are several other popular chambering's for the AR platform that include but are not limited to the following:

• .300 Blackout (.30 caliber round designed by Advanced Armament and quickly catching ground with Special Forces and those that require silencers for their missions/operations)
• .458 Socom (a Rock River Arms design)
• .50 Beowulf (a .50 Caliber AR-15 by Alexander Arms)
• 6.5 Grendel (.30 caliber round that competes closely with the .338 Lapua, also by Alexander Arms)
• 7.62x39 (the infamous eastern bloc/commie round, many diffferent companies manufacturer rifles chambered in this caliber, look at Yankee Hill Machine and Rock River's newest AR designed in this caliber for more info and ideas)
• 7.62x40WT (.30 caliber round that uses .223 mags and bolts, developed by Wilson Combat of Berryville, AR the WT stands for Wilson Tactical, their AR Rifle Division)
  
  Regardless of what caliber you decide to go with, an AR is an essential tool that can be configured for pretty much any scenario thrown at you. Obviously, in today's world and environment one can own an AR and many accessories to be able to customize it as needed for your load-out. However, in an "End of the World" environment being able to carry around multiple caliber barrels and barrel lengths to customize your AR as necessary is just not feasible. Since, the AR platform made the list, there must be a configuration that is suitable for many different scenarios with minimal change. 
  
  The AR-10 rifle only comes in one caliber and that is .308/7.62. An AR-10 with a 16" barrel would be a perfect firearm for any CQB or Long Range situation that requires the use of a high velocity cartridge and scoped rifle. For those of you that choose to go with the AR-10, awesome, you won't regret it. However, the AR-15 is my choice for weapon number 4. All of the calibers mentioned in the bullet points above (minus the .308) are based off the AR-15 platform, making the AR-15 the most versatile rifle in the AR platform.  Now for caliber choice. For those like me, looking at the AR-15, there are really only two calibers that I care about from the many that are available, .223/5.56 and 6.8 SPC II.  These two calibers are used by military organizations worldwide, making them readily available to obtain.  The biggest difference between the two is that the .223 is a .22 caliber bullet and the 6.8 is a .30 caliber bullet. Both require caliber specific bolts, barrels, and magazines to function properly. Ammo for the 6.8 is often 2 and three times more expensive that the .223 but the velocity and stopping power of the 6.8 is comparable to .308/7.62 from a bullet the size of a .223. As with anything they both have their pro's and con's. Me being a purist and a shooter who likes uniformity I chose an AR-15 chambered in .223/5.56 for weapon number 4. My AR-15 has a 16" Heavy Chrome/Moly Lined Barrel, is Piston Driven, with a 10" Quad Rail allowing installation of any optic and accessory available for the AR-15 as of today. This configuration I have described can be purchased or built for about $1100, give or take a hundred bucks. An AR-15 configured the same way without the Piston System can be had for a couple hundred dollars less.
  

  
  

  

  20" Barreled .223/5.56 AR-15 w/ Scope - This particular configuration is known as SPR (Special Purpose Rifle) and used for Long Range Tactical scenarios

  Looking back, that is a lot of information on the AR platform, lets recap the reason why weapon #4 is the AR and why you need it in your arsenal.
  

  1. The AR platform is highly versatile allowing many different configurations to suit any situation
  2. This weapon platform is the standard issue of the US military making parts for repair and service easy to come by and ammo readily available, now and in a post-apocalyptic earth environment
  3. The AR platform provides the most firepower and accuracy available on the market in a weapon system of its size (for you AK guys, sorry that AK needs a lot of work for the accuracy of it to even compare to that of an AR
  4. Your basic off the shelf AR from the gun store can fire around 10,000 rounds before needing any parts replaced or serviced
  5. The modern, Piston Driven AR's are as rugged and dependable if not more rugged and dependable than any AK or AK variant on the market today
  6. For a thousand dollars, the most reliable weapon system can be yours
  5. Sub-Compact Pistol
  
  

  

  Sub-Compact Glock chambered in .45 ACP with Stainless Slide

  

  Glock 26 with a Purple Finish looks nice with purple heels ladies!

  Two pistols on your person at all time is still not enough! The ideal load-out would consist of three pistols, a rifle, knife, and a shotgun.  A sub-compact pistol is a must for any tactical scenario. These baby backups often provide the final kills when faced with an extended gunfight. Having a sub-compact pistol on your person is also a good idea in case you should become unarmed. Zombies won't be disarming and taking hostages, but a group of those Post-Apocalyptic Cannibals that I spoke of in the beginning of the article are very capable of such acts.  The ideal carry position for a sub-compact pistol is the ankle as it is a fairly discreet and comfortable carrying position for a handgun. Again there are many different handguns available for you to choose from but once you consider your primary sidearm that was chosen for weapon #1, the list gets much smaller. Some people choose to carry a completely different brand and caliber of handgun for their backup, typically a smaller caliber. This is a stupid idea and one that can lead to some serious trouble if you should need to pull that backup in a battle. The reason is simple, if you feel the mission you are taking is best suited by carrying a .45 as your primary side arm, then if you need to pull that backup it best be able to stop someone or something like a .45 can, not like a .22.  Since I chose the mid-sized Glock 19 chambered in 9mm for my primary, the smaller Glock 26 is my choice for my backup. Easily tucked away, I carry it attached on my right ankle as I am right handed. Should I need another mag for my backup, the same mags that fit my Glock 19, fit the 26.  Once again a Glock is a Glock is a Glock, so long as it is purchased in the basic factory configuration, one can be had for about $550.