Survival Pistol?

Survival pistol

If I were to pack a pistol in a survival kit, it'd be something like a Ruger Mk.II or a S&W .22 revolver with at least a four inch barrel (the 317 AirLite comes to mind or the 617 if you don't mind a few extra ounces.). I'd practice with it a lot. I would want the most accurate gun that I could carry for the weight.
Under most circumstances, however, I'd pack a Springfield Armory M6 (unfortunately out of production and not easy to find used.). That gives me a .22 that is at least as accurate as an AR7 (had one...gave it to my son) and a .410 barrel that is way more effective than a Judge.

Nomenclature. Pistolero....a 19th century term, IIRC, and coined before there were semi-autos,
All revolvers are pistols.
Not all pistols are revolvers.

Pete
 
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Ruger Single Six....NO question!...simply the best option

Gun is very reliable, shells are light weight, Magnum option will add lots of power and noise.

Accuracy almost makes them boring...I was just shooting a 5gal. propane tank with mine at 90 yards with the LR cylinder...wish I could shoot my 500 with this much control.:D

I have killed lots of game with mine, last thing I shot with it was a coyote at 125 yards, right behind the shoulder, he made a death run and pilled up... I once even killed a cow elk wit it. She went 30 yards and died...

It is simpler, safer, and more reliable than a semi auto....and you won't waste your ammo.
 
MKIII hands down. The single six is nice and more traditional, but I have yet to pick up a single six that I can shoot better than a MKIII.
 
Long term wilderness survival is prehaps the most over played scenario in the U.S. Books, TV, internet, blame them all. Unless you are hitting up very very remote areas like the bush in Alaska the need for a gun outside of SD reasons is null and void and SD isn't much of a problem in most areas. Do I carry a gun when I venture out to the sticks? Yes, we call it the man's teddy bear. Just feels right. But these fantasies of having to live on the land for extended periods of time are mute for 99.999% of us. Worry more about how to get un-lost and to safety and not if you can kill some meat. A handgun is about the last thing I'd put into my daypack and about the first thing I'd leave at home if space got too tight in there or things got too heavy. Too many other important things to worry about carrying.

My preference changes daily. One day it's a .22 handgun, one day it's a .32H&R, another day it's a .357 and so on. Really comes down to personal preference which teddy bear you decide to take. You want a Judge, get a Judge. In the long run it will make little difference.

LK
 
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KillKenny... "Long term wilderness survival is prehaps the most over played scenario in the U.S. Books, TV, internet, blame them all. Unless you are hitting up very very remote areas like the bush in Alaska the need for a gun outside of SD reasons is null and void and SD isn't much of a problem in most areas. Do I carry a gun when I venture out to the sticks? Yes, we call it the man's teddy bear. Just feels right. But these fantasies of having to live on the land for extended periods of time are mute for 99.999% of us. Worry more about how to get un-lost and to safety and not if you can kill some meat. A handgun is about the last thing I'd put into my daypack and about the first thing I'd leave at home if space got too tight in there or things got too heavy. Too many other important things to worry about carrying."

Wow, almost sounded judgmental and preachy with the reply... where to start...? First off, my intent of this survival kit is something that is small and conviniant to carry so I won't leave it at home. Second, as I stated earlier the intent for this kit is to "stay put" and wait from rescue rather than getting "unlost" and the reason for this is that I VERY rarly go into the woods without at least one of my kids with me one is 7 the other is 9, so in the event of an injury to any of us, walking out will not be an option. Third, 99.999% of us will never NEED to have our CCW with us, but that doesn't stop us from carrying. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. With that said, I am having to wiegh the pros and cons of what I carry in this kit. That is why I asked for EVERY and ALL opinions out there so I could look at things from a different point of view than what I have been looking at them.

If I "read into" your post too much or took it the wrong way, then I am truly sorry, but the way it read to me was like being lectured for asking (what in my mind) was a good question.
 
one more thing to consider... My wife just pointed out that since I am considering the fact that the kids could be with me, in this "hope it never happens" senerio, that having a .22 pistol would be something that they could beth handle IF NEEDED. Both my 9 year old daughter and my 7 year old son have their own Cricket .22 and both shoot my MKIII (under supervision of corse) at the range everytime we go, so if I were injured or god forbid killed, the kids would at least have something that they would know how to use. Lets face it, a survival situation is nothing short of a HORRIBLE ordeal. It's going to be scarry, uncomfertable, and stressfull... If it was fun it would be called camping (Cody L.) So with that thought in ming I would want something that the kids could handle too... Its a sobering feeling to think that my kids could be stuck out there becasue I took a fall and broke my neck, or some other type of imjury that I wouldn't be able to help them and they would have to fend for themselves... I know that they know how to use my fire starters and they have done it many times, but still, they are just kids.... I never thought of that point until now...:confused:
 
In a handgun I'm going to echo others and say a Ruger Single Six revolver with the interchangeable barrels. Carry plenty of ammo in .22lr and .22mag. With the .22lr you can take rabbits, squirrel and birds. You can also take small deer etc. Put in the .22mag cylinder and you'll be able to take deer and other normal deer sized game as well as defend yourself from predators going all the way up to black bear size. Grizzlies are just too big and too tough.

If you're going to be in a hunker down and wait to get rescued situation and have young ones with you who may need to be the shooters you'll want a gun they can handle. Even my 4yr old daughter can handle shooting the Single Six in .22mag on the range. I have no doubt my 8 yr old boy or my 13yr old daughter could handle it in a survival situation. That said I ALWAYS carry my Ruger Super Redhawk on me whenever I go into the woods. That'll take care of pretty much any creature I'm likely to run into in my neck of the woods. The Single six gets carried too - (used to be on my pack but now) in my pack.
 
honestly Id think if the kids are a major factor in your wanting a survival gun, I think id either just bring your regular side arm and the cricket.
its something they know how to use and familiar with.

otherwise for me personally Id bring a .410, can fit alot of ammo on a pistol cal ammo belt. bird shot for small game and slugs for bigger things and maybe some of the HD buckshot, its a whole nuther critter out of a long gun :D, though it may be of little use out there.

For me Im thinking cz bobwhite one barrel slug, the other shot. two triggers so I cant bugger up the selector switch. maybe have the barrels shortend and tubes installed if possible (fun future project, not happening soon :))

for you maybe the mossberg youth, should fit the kids fine.
handguns are hard enough for adults to be proficient in, id want my kid to have all the advantage they can.

both these are 5lbs and change, not sure what the cricket is.
also TC made a little .22 youth contender that may break down really nice into a pack, and will fit the kids, and you could shoot it as a pistol LOl. and its really light!

good luck!
 
Yes I'd still have my everyday sidearm with me when I'm allowed to. Where I live you cannot carry while hunting. Let me clarify, you can't carry concealed AND you may not have a "non-legal" fire arm while hunting, ie I can't have my 9mm while hunting deer because it's not legal for taking game.
 
That's too bad about those hunting regs. Where I live you can carry any side arm you wish so long as your primary weapon (hunting weapon) is legal for hunting the game you intend to hunt. As such I have been out in the woods with my .45acp on me (OC till this year) and this year I'll have it on me again but now CC.

In any case the suggestion to take a .22lr rifle with you into the woods when hiking/camping with the kids is a good one. In the event you can't legally do that (ie. in my state you can't possess a firearm in state parks unless you're CC and have a CCW license) then you'll have to make do with your EDC gun OR carry something like the Ruger Single Six with both cylinders and some ammo around.
 
If you're going to be camping or hiking with your kids, one of the most important things you can give them is a map of the area and a compass and some training in using same. I taught my kids orienteering and it gave them a big confidence boost. They also use GPS but the dependence on battery power is a downer for kids who tend to forget to install fresh batteries and to carry spares. I carry GPS and map/compass whenever I go into unfamiliar territory.

The gun is important but a good knife and map/compass and pencil are probably more useful in most cases.
 
i guess survival pistol should have a picture next to it in the dictionary so we know what we should be looking for. what is survival? are we going to plan our survival situation like we see in these popular tv series? probably not. if we can pick and choose our survival situation then i guess we would all be much better prepared.

one gun keeps popping up and the reason for that is it might just be the best choice. the ruger single six with the 22 and 22 mag cylinders and a box of each ammo. a quality gun, simple to use and maintain. very possibly the best choice for someone that has the foresight to have a gun with them in a survival situation.
 
Can anyone tell me what kind of pistol this is?

I have no idea what kind of pistol this is or where it came from.
 

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You made the right choice! :D I have several & that would be my choice if the SHTF & I had to leave home. My GF can shoot one very well as can I. You can carry tons of ammo! I have a long barreled one with a scope that will shoot the right ammo into 2" groups @ 25 yards all day long.
 
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