What Are The Best Survival Guns To Own? 

Before we can even attempt to answer that question, we need first to understand what the answer to that question is not: 

It’s NOT a random laundry list of various makes and models because not all survival situations are the same. 

For instance: 

• Are we talking about surviving while lost in the wilderness? 
• Dealing with a broken-down vehicle in the desert? 
• Post “Captain-Trips” outbreak from Stephen King’s – The Stand? 
• How about being stranded afloat on the open ocean after your fishing charter goes down? 
• What about defending your home from armed criminals and intruders? 
• The economic system collapses, making fiat currency worthless (and you don’t own crypto, silver, or gold). 
• Or are we talking about an all-out TEOTWAWKI scenario? 

In my accompanying firearm article, Top Ten Survival Rifles, I defined five roles a good survival rifle must fill. 

But to be brutally honest, there is only one role for a survival handgun: self-defense. 

Yes, I’m aware that you can hang a big-ass scope on top of a .44 Magnum and hunt deer, but frankly, hunting game is no reason to carry a hand cannon like this in a survival situation. 

That’s not to say there aren’t a few useful roles for a Dirty Harry gun when you’re trying to survive. But hunting and long-range sniping are just not one of them.

Instead, the handgun excels at short-range self-defense. 

It’s practical for ranges under 60 feet and ideal under 10 feet. And the type of survival gun you want in tight and confined spaces. 

Here’s a simple analogy: 

It would be silly for an F-350 pickup to attempt to race a Mustang. So why would you try to employ a handgun as a sniper rifle? It’s always best to match the equipment with the goal. And with handguns, the goal is close-range self-defense. 

So, the real question we need to answer is this: 

What Are You Defending Yourself Against?

 This question can be further broken down into two broad categories: 

1. Animals – wild predators with the ability to kill you 
2. Humans – the most dangerous game of them all 

With these two categories cleared up, the answer does not involve the best survival gun choice but the ideal cartridge for the task at hand. 

Here are the most common handgun rounds we will consider today: 

• .22 LR 
• .380 Auto 
• 9 MM Luger 
• .357 Sig 
• 38 Special 
• .357 Magnum 

Let’s face it: 

Some of these cartridge sizes are impractical for survival, and we can dismiss them immediately. 

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So, Let’s Play The Elimination Game 

.380 Auto? Really? Why the compromise? If your goal is to carry the maximum number of rounds possible, then go for .22LR.

The .22LR is much more common and widely available compared to the .380 auto. 

If you’re going to carry a 9mm, why a 9mm short? The round costs more is less powerful and is not nearly as available as the 9mm Luger. 

While the 38 Special is an old cartridge and still attractive, it has no advantage over the much more readily available 9 MM Luger. 

In fact, the 38 Special is a rimmed cartridge designed for revolvers, so its capacity is also limited compared to that of most 9 MM semi-auto pistols. 

If you ramp this baby all the way up to Plus P hollow-point, then why not just go with the .357 Magnum?

You can always shoot 38 Special in a .357 revolver if you happen to find any. 

The .357 Sig is a great cartridge fired by high-quality Sig Sauer and other pistols, but again, it is not nearly as prevalent at 9MM. 

Sure, the old faithful Luger round may not technically be any better, but its use is far more widespread. 

How can I say something bad about the .357 Magnum? It’s a devastatingly powerful round.

However, it is not nearly as common as .45 ACP or as powerful as the .44 Magnum. 

A post-apocalyptic world will quickly run short of .357 Magnum.

It always amazes me that Rick on The Walking Dead always has a full cylinder of .357 Magnum hollow points. 

For the same reason, a 38 Special is a poor substitute for the .357 Magnum. 

Also, the .357 Magnum is a poor substitute for the .44 Magnum. If you have to go large, then go with the .44 Magnum or .45 ACP. We’ll learn why in a little bit. 

The .40 S&W is an excellent police round with more stopping power than the 9 mm, but then again, why round up just a bit? Why not round up a lot? The .45 ACP is more common and simply devastating. 

The .500 S&W is a big, badass round fired from one heavy, giant hunk of a revolver. It is the most powerful handgun round in the world – designed to take down just about any animal you may run up against. 

It was designed specifically for hunting. It’s also a round that will be hard to find in an emergency or survival situation. 

So, in my opinion, there is nothing you can kill with a .500 S&W, and you can’t kill with a .44 Magnum. 

Yes, it may take two shots, but it is still not worth dragging this huge revolver, which has only a five-round capacity, into a survival situation. 

So, with all that said – I’m going to narrow our original list down to the following survival calibers: 

• .22 LR 
• 9MM Luger (Parabellum) 
• .44 Magnum 
• .45 ACP 

These rounds represent the whole gamut of firepower we’ll need to survive; however, each has its own niche. 

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Most Likely Survival Self-Defense Scenarios 

Very few people intend to end up in a survival situation. 

With an unexpected breakdown, a few poor decisions, and dumb luck, you can survive anywhere, in any climate, and any topography.

It’s most likely to occur in a place you haven’t prepared. 

That’s just Murphy’s Law. 

Wolves | Coyotes | Wild Dogs 

If a wolf or coyote attacks you, remember that one animal is not stalking you—a pack is. 

A wolf is a pack animal, and his brother and sister Lobos will be waiting in the wings to ambush you. This is where a high-capacity handgun is ideal.  

So, a good, double-stacked 9mm is perfect for this application. 

No doubt the .44 Magnum will make a wolf explode, but you only have six opportunities in that big gleaming revolver. 

If you miss, you better pray for a small pack. 

The .45 ACP will do the trick as well, but again, it’s a big round, and at best, you may be looking at ten rounds. So, I prefer 9MM Luger in this circumstance because of its combination of capacity and power. 

Grizzly Bears/Sharks/Big Cats 

You may be wondering why I haven’t eliminated the .44 Magnum? These beasts are why. 

The grizzly bear is the bad-ass MF of the animal world. 

You need stopping power when facing something nine feet tall, 850 pounds, with long teeth and six-inch claws. 

Unless you hit him right in the eye, the .22LR represents a mosquito bite to this fellow. I’m not even sure a .22 LR would crack a grizzly skull. 

The 9 mm will annoy this giant and maybe even kill him – after he bleeds out over the next few hours – long after you’ve bled out. 

So, this is the one instance where the .357 Magnum almost makes the grade. 

I’ve been told no one should enter the Alaskan wilderness with less than a .357 Magnum. But, again, why not be sure and go with the .44 Magnum instead? 

If you are in an area with large predators, bears, large cats, etc., plan on equipping yourself with a gun that can kill any of them with just one or two shots. 

What if you’re in the open ocean being attacked by a shark? Believe me; you’ll be happy with the .44 Magnum here, too. 

Finally, this brings us to the most dangerous animal of them all: Man. 

Fellow Man 

• This species can reason, plot, plan, and adapt.
• He can be a solo attacker or work in large packs.
• He’s often unpredictable, illogical, and irrational.
• Or, just as easily, he can be cool, calm, and collected with a predatory instinct. 

That’s why other humans are a challenge to plan for…

The toughest ones arm themselves with similar or superior firepower—and they shoot back.

In some cases, they may even wear plate carriers, making them an even harder target. 

Here’s the really bad news:

In a post-apocalyptic world, after only a few months, the only humans you will be facing in combat will be the ones who are truly adept at self-survival.

The talented, well-armed fighters will remain. 

The days of the rank amateur will be over. 

However, there is some good news here:

Any of the rounds mentioned above can kill a human, and no one wants to be shot by any of them. 

The .22LR 

Even the lowly .22 LR will crack a human skull. 

Sub-sonic .22 LRs, by the way, deliver the same punch with all the sound of a survival air rifle – a good option if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself. 

Still, let’s be realistic.

You probably don’t want to be in a gunfight holding a .22 LR pistol, even if it has some advantages.

These guns tend to be accurate because your aim is not affected by recoil. Why? Because there is no recoil. 

Also, many .22 LR semi-autos and revolvers can hold more than six rounds—but you will need every one of those rounds. 

Unless you hit your opponent with a headshot or possibly a heart shot, he is not going down right away. 

With the .22 LR, penetration is not guaranteed.

If the guy turns and the round hits at an angle, the energy of the .22 LR may dissipate before doing any real damage. 

The same applies to shooting through bulky clothing and winter coats. The one nice thing about the .22 LR is that you can carry a lifetime ammo supply on your person. 

So, if you are planning on bugging out, 500 rounds of .22 LR can be stashed in your bug-out bag without destroying your back. 500 rounds of any other ammo will make your bug-out bag too heavy to carry. 

On the other hand, if you are in a gunfight with a guy with anything larger, that lifetime will be over in minutes – in which case the other thousand rounds in your bug out bag really didn’t help, now did they? 

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The 9mm Semi-Auto 

How About A 9mm Semi-Automatic? Now we’re talking. 

The Luger is not the last word in stopping power, but it’s still a lethal round.

There is a reason military forces worldwide have employed this round for almost a century. 

The beauty of the 9 mm is two-fold.

Many makes of semi-automatic pistols offer double-stacked magazines holding up to 17 rounds. More is always better. 

Plus, next to the .22LR, the 9mm Luger is the most common pistol cartridge in the world. 

In a post-apocalyptic world, hopefully far into the future, I can imagine that the last round fired from any weapon anywhere may very well be a 9 mm Luger (Parabellum). 

The .44 Magnum 

The .44 Magnum is no doubt a lethal round.

If it can take down a grizzly, it can destroy a man.

Let’s face it – if it can blow holes in engine blocks, it can blow bigger, messier holes in human beings. 

No doubt about it. 

Most firearms that employ these rounds are revolvers – carrying at most six shots.

Revolvers are inherently more accurate than semi-auto pistols, but the recoil of this round is monstrous. 

This round will do the job in a pinch against a single assailant, maybe even a pair of bad guys.

However, in a more crowded gunfight, you will want more capacity. And since you are carrying one in the case of a grizzly encounter, you’d be advised to carry a few speed-loaders and become proficient in their use. 

The .45 ACP 

That leaves the somewhat mythic .45 ACP. The catchphrase associated with this round is, 

“.45 ACP. Because it’s just silly to shoot twice.” 

Against a human being, the .45 ACP is damned deadly. 

This round blows big holes in people and is generally delivered from firearms with at least eight-round magazines.

Since this round is fired from a semi-automatic pistol, most of the recoil is absorbed in working the action. 

These guns shoot smoothly with little recoil for such a large a bullet, typically 230 grain. 

The only advantage the 9mm has over the .45 ACP is capacity—which usually starts the whole argument of stopping power versus capacity—although at least one manufacturer offers a 13-round capacity for .45 ACP. 

Final Thoughts: Ten Best Survival Guns (pistols) 

These firearms are not listed in any particular order, and the order doesn’t indicate relative value or quality. 

1. Glock 17 – 9mm (17 rds)
2. Glock 41 – .45 ACP (13 rds)
3.  Springfield Armory XD9 – 9mm (16 rds) 
4. Springfield Armory XD-M – .45 ACP (13 rds) 
5. Beretta Model 92FS – 9mm (15rds) 
6. Sig Sauer P320 – .45 ACP (10 rds)
7. Sig Sauer P226 – 9mm (15 rds)
8. Smith and Wesson Model 629 – .44 Magnum (6 rds) 
9. Ruger Single Ten – .22LR (10 rds) 
10. Ruger Super Blackhawk – .44 Magnum (6rds)

That’s ten.

And here’s a runner-up: 

11. Smith and Wesson Model 686 –
.357 Magnum (6 rds) – (if you absolutely must have to have a .357 Magnum) 

One caveat I do want to stress as you read this:

I made this list practical for the average survivalist – which means there are no custom $3500 Les Baer 1911s on my list. 

There are some great 1911s out there, like Colt, Kimber, Rock Island Armory, and Ruger, to name a few.

However, I wanted a list of weapons most people can afford while having the same utility as the more expensive alternatives. 

Although the 1911s are a tried-and-true design with excellent ergonomics, reliability, recoil management, precision sights, and accuracy, they are also typically restricted to ten or fewer round magazines. 

They also tend to be made of old-school, heavy metal—pretty beefy to carry around in a survival situation when there are quality-made, lightweight, composite-rich alternatives. 

So, to wrap this up: 

The real choice in the best survival gun is not which one but which two. 

Carrying one survival gun for capacity and one for sheer power makes for a winning combination. 

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