Undead Report reader Kender submits the following weapon review.
Ever find yourself waking up in the morning and thinking: “Boy, if there was a zombie infestation today, what would I do to protect myself and those around me?” If you don’t you are a total selfish jerk who should be more concerned about the important things in life, such as not being eaten by hordes of the undead. If you’re like me and don’t much favor the idea of having your flesh decompose in the bowels of the living dead then I have the solution for you. In this article I will be discussing the pros and cons of a variety of firearms and other weaponry that could make you a survivor instead of a snack.
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Now I know what you’re thinking: “Kender, why should I listen to you? What do you know about firearms and fighting off an army of the walking dead?” To answer your question, I was a Deputy Sheriff for two years and in that time I learned a lot about ballistics and the operation of many firearms; I was also born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and as a Yooper I spent a lot of my time shooting guns and hunting stuff.
There are some basic rules to zombie slaying, first rule – Unlike the movies, fully automatic weapons are not the best. When you’re dealing with an enemy that can only be “killed” by being shot in the head and doesn’t have any sense of fear, throwing a large amount of lead down stream isn’t going to do you a lot of good. Full auto is great for living enemies, getting hit by one of those multiple rounds will wound or kill your target, and it can also be used to keep them bogged down behind cover. All full auto will do against the dead is eat up your limited supply of ammo, and during a full-blown infestation you need every round you can spare. Single shot weapons (bolt or pump action) are good for limiting the amount of ammo you waste, but it also slows you down, and when you are out numbered ten to one you need every second you can spare. My recommendation is semi-automatic fire arms, you’ve got speed and ease of fire in a battle, but aren’t tempted to go all willy-nilly and waste all of your ammo.
The first weapon we will discuss is the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle. The Garand has a long history, it was originally developed in the 1920’s to replace the bolt action Springfield 1903 rifle, and after more than ten years of testing and design what is now known as the M1 was produced. Production was slow prior to the war, but with the outbreak of war in Europe production increased, and by 1941 the American Army was completely outfitted with M1 rifles. By the end of the war almost five and a half million M1s had be produced by several different manufactures, including Springfield arms, Winchester, and Beretta to name a few. WWII General George S Patton was quoted as saying that it was “The greatest implement of battle ever devised.” The Garand saw action during the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War until it was officially retired from service in 1965.
The M1 rifle is a gas-operated, semi-automatic, clip-fed rifle. By modern standards, the M1’s feeding system is archaic, relying on clips to feed ammunition, and is the principal source of criticism of the Garand rifle. Officials in Army Ordnance circles demanded a fixed, non-protruding magazine for the new service rifle. At the time, it was believed that a detachable magazine on a general-issue service rifle would be easily lost by U.S. soldiers, and would render the weapon too susceptible to clogging from dirt and debris (a belief that proved unfounded with the adoption of the M1 Carbine), and that a protruding magazine would complicate existing manual-of-arms drills as well as firing and reloading the weapon in the prone position. As a result, inventor John Garand developed an “en bloc” clip system that allowed ammunition to be inserted from above, clip included, into the fixed magazine. While this design provided the requisite flush-mount magazine, the clip system increased the rifle’s weight, and prevented it from being fired without a clip, such as while reloading.
The Garand is loaded with a full clip of 8 cartridges. Once all eight rounds are expended, the bolt will be automatically locked back and the clip ejected, readying the rifle for the insertion of a fresh clip of ammunition. Compared to contemporary detachable box magazines, the M1’s “en bloc” clip is light, simple, and only has to be oriented with the bullets pointing forward prior to charging the rifle (the clips have no top or bottom).
PROS:
- Powerful round, capable of penetrating a skull or doing massive damage to CNS.
- Ammunition readily available, can be purchased in eight clip bandoleers via catalogs or gun shops. Should be pretty easy to track down during an infestation, 30-06 is a common hunting round.
- Eight round clip reduces the need to reload.
- Quick reload, just place full magazine into open magazine and it chambers the next round itself.
- Sturdy weapon, can be used as a club / melee weapon
- Easy to field strip / clean.
- Bayonet mount, so when the going gets tough at least you’ve got a blade on the end.
- Relatively easy to find, US Government had a few million of them made between WWII and the Korean War and many of those are still functioning.
- Highly accurate up to and past 500 yards.
- Battle tested. (Mother approved)
CONS:
- Heavy – Weights over 10lbs.
- Has to be loaded with special clips, clips are ejected out the top when they are emptied so you need to keep track of them and try to pick them up if you get a chance.
- Loud as all hell.
- Hard to be accurate in the dark with iron sights.
- Ammunition is large and heavy, can’t carry a lot easily.
The post M1 Garand: Semi-auto Zombie Decapitator first appeared at The Undead Report.
101 million infected
personally i would use the l96 sniper rifel.
but thats just me.
Dear Sir,
The inventor of the esteemed ‘U.S. Rifle Cal. 30 M1’ (M1 Garand) was a fellow by the name of John Cantius Garand, an employee at the Springfield Arsenal, not John Pederson ( who did produce a rifle using an action similiar to the Luger p.08 that competed against the M1).
the m1 a1 carbine would also be a very good weapon and automatic would work aswell if u wernt going shootem up rambo style so be prepared the zombies ar coming and u will die if u dont have a shelter food and ammo
i would want a ump with relective scope 5 40 round mags with armor penitration ammo
i don’t think you’d need much more than a ruger 10/22 carbine. same action as the m14, and the ammo is very light. aiming and hitting the target more than once is very easy with this gun. i know, i know, it’s a .22… but you’re most likely not looking at much armor around the head, and you must imagine that most zombie contact will be at a relatively close distance. and the ammo is stupid easy to find
i personally only have an 8mm mauser, and i can understand the mentality of “bigger is better,” but i just don’t think it is in the case of a zombie invasion.
Interesting C. Ward. That’s a good idea. A firearm is definitely going to be a necessity, but abundancy of ammo may be more important than firepower and accuracy. What good is a gun that can shoot straight if you don’t have enough bullets? However, I remain worried that a .22 wouldn’t have the necessary brain destroying power, and several shots may be required to kill the zombie. Still, I’d like a ZM, AK or M4 by my side for some effective long-range kills.
The M1 Garand is a BAD weapon to use in a zombie outbreak because:
1. Tiny clip, even modern pistols have more ammo per clip
2. Cant reload mid-clip
3. its long, therefore usless for combat inside buildings (i wouldnt wanna be outside in an outbreak)
4. Not readily availible outside of the US
Your better off getting an M1 Carbine or a more modern weapon
A better weapon overall would be a 45 cal UMP with a sturdy butt stock and a red-dot sight.
Hmm, goood points Jarad. The slow firing nature makes sure you make every shot count. The weapon would be a reliable defense for your stronghold, but because it’s so loud and unwieldy, it wouldn’t be great for the field. The thing about the M1 is that it’s owned by many collectors and will remain usable and accurate in a pinch.
I’ll take 2 weapons: M11-87 shotgun for close range, and M4a1 with red dot sight to shot their head…
and a bullet left in handgun if I get overwhelm by zombies…shot your head! lol
I personally love the M1 but its not really ideal for zombies given the reload flaws and the oval all weight of the rifle. Id go for more of a M-4 carbine or an ak-47 and a trusty side arm.
The ak be ideal really since the rifle it self don’t weight a whole lot the ammo is bigger and a lil heavier, but the reliability of not needing to constantly maintain the ak gives it a big advantage in an apocalyptic world setting lol.
The garand would be an excellent gun at longer distances where you would have some seperation between the target and yourself, however the M-14 or M1A socom would be a better choice in the respect of a gun that can have the shit beat out of it and its availablility as bran new. For me i will take my SAIGA, semi auto with 30 round mags is ideal for any combat situation. But when it all comes down to it your gonna want a Russian weapon or something else from the former Soviet Union in your hands like an SKS with detachable mags or the AK or one of its sporter models just because they are easily maintained and can take beating. Not to mention they blow limbs away
why not an sks? semi auto, no clips ammo is easy to find, good power, and way more accurate than an ak (tighter prodution specs) personally i have three weapons i use .22 carbine will easilly penetrate the skull.
now i know some people are skeptical on a .22 power will let me just say that it will penitrate a cows and a pigs skull (personally had to do, lived on a ranch as a kid) a cows skull is much thicker and the target (the brain) is much smaller. had now problems at twenty feet. its more than adequit for zombies , other two weapons 12 gauge shotgun for those zombies that arent undead just infected, and a 1065 high carbon steel razor freakin sharp(i can shave with it) katanna. have other weapons but those are my personaal choices
Id pick the m1a put a nice scope and red dot on it and ur ready to go. The m1 carbine is good for a closer range. The springfield xd for a sidarm in .45. And a michete a katana and a crowbar for different close combat weapons.
id take a katana over a machete any day,just dont gget a cheap wallhanger
remington 7615 with eotech and a kimber tactical 2 .45… oh, and a sawn off .410 3in magnum shotgun… yeah, anti zombie defense sorted.
a 410 shotgun is absolutley worthless a .22 has more penetrating power than a 310, even in magnum.
trust me on this one. the smallest you should go in a shotgun cartridge is 20 gauge, and thats with 00 buck or slugs. not to mention that the rounds for a 410 are crazy expensive even compared to a 12 gauge. if youre gonna go shotgun go 12 gauge.
sorry i meant to say a .22 has more penetrating power than a 410 not a 310
The M1 Garand IS reloadable in reality, its very simple to do.
gonna build me a 20 gauge sawed off .yeah! itll still be legal (18 inch barrel) hopefully will kick a little less than a 12 gauge sawed off
Anyone who said .22 caliber has got it right! Not only is it cheap it’s light weight making it easy to carry more of it. Walther P22 with supressor (it is legal and relatively inexpensive to obtain) and any magazine fed high cap .22 cal hunting rifle/competition shooting rifle when you don’t have to be in extreme CQC. Melee weapon of choice is definately the “Wal Mart special” adult aluminum softball bat. Again it’s cheap, light weight and everyone knows how to use a bat (stock up folks!) By the way the M1 Garand is the last weapon I would have when all hell lets loose. Remember to keep your hair short and clothes tight (you don’t want a stinking ugly to catch you by the bangs or your baggy jeans and XXXL white T shirt.)
yeah i got my .22 set up with a laser sight. its dead on (dead on, i kill myself) only down side is it only works in low light conditions, i dont personally want to be surrounded by the undead in the dark. but its a good idead to have because if its dark you really cant use your iron sights anyway, and lets face it zombies attack when thaty want to not when u want them to
I’d just want a Tommy Gun with the 100 round drum magazine to defend myself from the undead. Automatic owns!!
automatic is a great way to waste ammo. tommy gun usese 45 acp rounds, not exactly cheap now addays
good luck getting one as well . 100 rounds of ammo wont last long especially on full auto. now if you had thousands of rounds of ammo at youre disposal, carrying them would be a bitch. maybe inside a vehicle. other than that, stay away
I would personally use a 30-06 moose rifle for sniping with a scope mounted or a better choice: the barret 50 cal or the dragunov sniper rifle. for close range id prefer the 12gauge shotgun , 20 gauge, if 12 gauge isnt available , the best for this position(if you dont mind recoil) a 16 bore shotgun.. for a emergency weapon a uzi , colt handgun , or a .22 . and always… always… stock up on grenades
grenades? im not talking about wepons that are illegal to obtain, im talking actual weapons that you can purchase legally. …yeah i know u wher just playing. i like the idea on the dragunov sniper rifle, i just ordered a romanian psl 54c, which is the romanian version of the dragunov, 7.62 x54 is insanley cheap right now. but what ever your weapon, buy ammo NOW, cause in the next year. ammo prices are going to skyrocket.
Personally, I just carry 2 cluster bombs for close up work and one 50 Megaton bomb to clear the area of zombies.
Ah grenades. Not really going to do much – we’ll have a bunch of legless zombies walking around, that’s for sure. There’s just not enough shrapnel to do lasting damage. If we’re dealing with fast, rabies like infectd zombies (as my research indicates), they may be of some use – but you don’t want to put yourself in that kind of situation to begin with. You would risk doing more damage to yourself. Grenades can be used as a diversionary device or as a dynamic entry tool. It’s just not a practical thing to carry – they’re more used to flush out thinking, human enemies than to dispatch large numbers of undead.
And yes, an automatic tommy gun is a great way to waste ammo. You’re not going to plant headshots with all 100 bullets – it’s just not going to happen. Slow, controlled shots. Three round bursts if you have to. You’re not laying suppressive fire here. That’s one of the main purposes of an automatic, to lay cover fire to suppress enemies from firing on you – not ripping people apart.
But I do like the idea of nukes. Radioactive zombies are *so* much nicer than the diseased ones.
Well in a honest to god view, it honestly dont matter what weapon you use, weather its a M1 garand, or a Billy Club, everyone is going to have there own views on whats best, and what is tactical and impractical to use, honestly to me, its what ever you are better at and feel more accustomed to use,
would you expect a new yourk yankee baseball player lugging around an AK 47, over a baseball bat? hardly, me im more accustomed and more comfortable for my high carbon steel combat machete’ half inch of high carbon steel, kinda hard to break off, my yugoslovian SKS, im dead aim with it, and i got 2,000 rounds to accomidate, and i also shot expert rifleman in basic training with a m-16 A2, and i can room clear with it effectivly depending on room size,
alot of you may object to this, just because alot of you may not have training on them, or dont feel comfortable with long range weapons or even just going into a room pitch black with a combersom assult rifle, but thats where the magic happens,i dont plan on being alone if the day comes, because alot of the soldiers i work with and even some of the civilians around me (i helped trained), live fairly close to me, and oh, dont be so sure on raiding a military outpost or a armory, more then likely these will be hotspots for refugee camps that the government will post up, alot will be casultie collection facilties, and the armory itself is rigged with security measures that an everyday person wouldnt even hope to get through, even some of the soldiers who have the ability to even gain entrance to it couldnt even get those darn steel and lead door locks to open, and the alarm on those things are insanley loud.
if i were you guys, or anyone new the zombie/infected apocolypse, it would be wiser to raid your neighborhood gun store, or use what you got at hand. (sry if i shot some of your guys plans up, but im only trying to shed light on some of the wills and mights,
and oh if the armory is a casulty collection facility, those are major hotspots for possible zombie outbreak… (Dawn of the dead)
has anyone played nazi zombies on call of duty 5? the game starts with your character holed up in a ruined house, and you start out with a crappy pistol. then the zombies start to attack. as you progress, you can upgrade to better weapons and unlock new areas. however, while you are preoccupied with fending them off, more bust in through the boarded up windows… i have only survived up to wave 14… any tips?
Why the M1 when an M1A or M14 would be much more effective? If you’re going to go with something that heavy, might as well get the most of it. More ammo per mag and easier to reload. Not to mention .30-06 would be way over kill. Have you ever had to carry lots of that heavy ass cartridge? It sucks.
For that matter, an M16 with 100 round beta mag would be a really good way to go. .223 is nice and light (relatively speaking), and still would have good enough penetration for the skull of a rotting zombie corpse. ;)
My personal choice would be an HK91k, just because I like 7.62NATO and I like that rifle. Somewhat heavy though. Not as good for use as a club as the M14 or M1 either.
To correct some bad information in the responses:
Will R. has criticized the author for stating that John Pedersen created the Garand rifle. Unfortunately, the author didn’t state that. He said Pedersen created the notorious “en bloc” reloading system with the spring steel clip. This is entirely accurate and can be referenced here:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/smallarms/p/m1garand.htm
Reading is fundamental, but reading carefully is fundamentally important, Will.
Cheers.
One of the big reasons a .22 rifle would be a good weapon is that if the .22 penetrates the skull, the round would not have enough power to exit the skull and ricoctes inside the skull cavity, destroying the brain. But this is only if the round penetrates the skull.
two tmp 100 clip size each, a m16 with grenade launcher, a svd sniper rifle, a combat knife and im ready to kick some zombie a$$ lol ps its that a ww2 gun?
For anyone who said AK-47 because its reliable, I would highly recommend the Israeli Defense Force Galil Arms. Its basically an Ak-47 that fires the 5.56 Nato (.223 Remington) I say this because .223/5.56 is way more common then the 7.62 by 39mm that the Ak fires. Its lighter, its quieter, and well honestly its a better overall round. Yes its light, and doesn’t penetrate armor, but whats a zombie going to have other then his skull? You can criticize me all you want for that choice, but I prefer something I can get ammo for instead of something I can only use for a week as a gun, then have to use it as a club.
a .22 handgun is great it tends to bounce around in the skull scramblimg the brain but a 9mm would be optimal. and the only other thing you need other than a pistol is maybe a shotgun to breech doors. why the hell would you e shooting zombies from long range? a huuuuge waste of ammo and time. i would personaly like a katana, it can easily take off a head or a leg and it never runs out of ammo. i wouldnt be thinking about killing zombies as much as getting supplies and good shelter. zombies? haha come on you guys have no life. i bet you guys are all like 14 or 15 with a few scattered 30yo mommas boys
and my email is bassomen123@yahoo.com if you want to talk shit or something lol
zombies! People, we’re talking about zombies! Slow moving. Huge horde like. the M1 Garand not bad if you’re chilling on a roof-top clearing a path for your escaping buddies, but yes. the thing has too many limitations with carrying capacity to be a good rifle. My zombie weapon of choice would be a 14.5″ Vang Comp Remington 870. Lots of buckshot and slugs. 6 round capacity but at least its got the ability to change on the fly from a 125-150 meter weapon to a 15-30 yard destroyer with a loading of a shell. tons of shells to be found everywhere.
M4 with at least double basic load (for starters) and a 1911A1. Plenty of firepower. Very common calibers for scrounging if needed. 5.56 is more than adequate for any need. It will penetrate up to 1/2 inch armor and will take down a cinder block wall. I do believe that’s plenty powerful. As for the .22lr. Forget it. Too light for serious fighting and one would have to be too close for the bullet to be effective. Raiding a gun shop? One thing to remember, the store owner might take exception to that and he has all the guns. Just my two cents, for what it’s worth.
I’d pick a m1 carbine over the m1 garand. I don’t like it as much, but it has more ammo capacity.
jarad, you can reload a m1 carbine mid-clip, it’s just a pain in the ass to do it.
survivor, there is in fact a guy who survived up to wave 64 by himself in nazi zombies. i remember him saying that he used the Kar98k for the first 8 rounds, and then ran around the room that contains the mystery box wildly with a flamethrower. Don’t know how he did it, he probably spent every waking hour since it came out playign it, but it’s worth a shot.
zombie survivalist, just wanted to poin out that a supressor would seriously reduce power and accuracy. not good with a .22. i have to say though, it would be a good close range weapon if you were going in sneak style.
Dont you mean the Garand, Logan?, you said the carbine, and no, pressing the clip release on the M1 Garand isnt hard, Its just the same as every other weapon.
Yes, i meant the garand- thanks for correcting me, kevin also, aorry aobut saying it was a pain i the ass to do it- i had heard that somewhere, but i guess i was wrong.
Kevin, have you ever fired a Garand, there’s a reason every one who shoots them a lot has “Garand Thumb” changing the clip part way through is a ridiculous proposition, its not like every other weapon because of the kind of clips used, the En Blocke system was employed because the military didn’t want a rifle that had a removable, re loadable magazine because the war department thought the soldiers would break them or lose them to easily (I know this for my Grand-Father served in World War 2 and carried a Garand, and I have a reproduction that I take to the range and shoot frequently) You can reload the carbine like any other magazine fed weapon which is the one advantage of it, but the biggest “fail” of it, is the ammo size…(7.62 X 33mm) but other then that a great gun.
Here’s my two cents once more, hope its helpful, hit me up if you want more info or anything
fenix661@yahoo.com
ZKA_LT
Yes I’ve owned an M1 for 26 years now, Its an original 1944 SA, and I dont find ejecting a clip hard at all, it take two hands to do it, but ejecting a clip never puts your thumb in any danger at all, your thumb is in danger only when you insert a clip into the magazine, which you have to do anyways even if you fire all the rounds, so reloading isnt really dangerous, I can reload my M1 in about 4-5 seconds, and it’s called the “En- Bloc” not En-Blocke And I’m bot talking about the Carbine, I’m talking about the Garand.
So ejecting a partially spent clip isnt dangerous, however, loading a clip in the rifle, can be if your not careful, I got Garand thumb about 20 years ago, because I was loading it in a hurry, but now I always hold the op. rod back with the heel of my right hand to prevent the bolt slaming forward. So reloading a Garand to an experienced shooter isnt dificult at all, its just different than other rifles, thats all.
zombies?! who said there was ever going to be zombies. but i like the the 22. idea (as a back up ) because it has limited stopping power, not that u wuld need any to get thru a decaying skull but i wuld like 2 hav an M1 garand or an M1A1 carbine 2… i wuld also like a katana or machete
I THINK that a shotgun would be useful it has large spred and a head shot would destroy any zombies . shells are very common my grand father has boxes of them. But also if an infestaion happened would you run to an army base with zombies behind you and what if it has been raided and nothing is there
if you’re going out to kill zombies a 22 is just as good as any other weapon. personally for the sake of ammo and size a 22 pistol either revolver or [magazine] i think would be effective. one shot to the head especially with hollow tip will do it for a zombie i believe. the pistol is small and light and the the ammo is small and light and you can carry a lot.
What about barret 50. cal?
A Barrett .50 cal? Overkill for sure. Even heavier and larger than this monster, with very hard to find ammo. You’re going to be killing zombies, not blasting tanks! Stick with the small, easily found calibre, and something with some stopping power. You don’t need any cannons here.
By the by, a Gander Mountain in WI is selling a .50 Barrett semi auto — for $9,999. The bullets are about $2 each.
imagine an svt anti-tank rifle..BOOM i have a list of some overkill weapons (some will actually be good, but im talking about using them against one zed)
mk.19- fully auto grenade laucher
elephant gun
svt a.t.r.
rpg or any sort of rocket launcher
.50 cal browning hmg
vulcan chaingun
mortar
bundle of dynamite
10 gauge four barreled shotgun
chinese wall gun..hmmms, maybe not overkill, but the size of the weapon could be for you
deagle (.50 cal)
.357 or the like
wolfenstein 3d mecha hitler weapons (has four- four barreled chainguns)
Tell me if you think of some more…i know im missing a whole lot, but i think ive covered the basics…i hope…
Actually with that .50 cal, there was one for sale by where I live(in wisconsin) at a Gander Mountain will only run you a stagering $4500. And the rounds are a hell of a lot more than $2 a pop. Getting them online would be the cheapest way to go and those will run you about $23 a round. And it deffinitly is a bit of an overkill. If you want to carry one of those while running or trying to refortify you position, be my guest. The M1 Grand on the other hand might be a bit better. While it is a bit heavier than say a M1 Carbine if your looking for vintage or an M16 or M4 if your more into the modern weapons, the M1 Grand has some knock down power. While the M1 Carbine, M16 and M4 use a smaller caliber, usually 5.56 Nato if you have military rounds or .223 longrifle if you have say an AR15, the M1 Grand can use up to a standard 30.06 round. These can be found at any local Outdoor sportsman store and while the prices are going up, would be worth it during the apacolypse. But as for me I’m going to be looking for a vehicle that I can armor up, mount myself a 240B and/or 249 SAW along with my Enfield(shoots British .308) and as many handguns and shotguns I can get my hands on.
Logan — Thanks. Yes, that’s a great list of overkill weapons, some of which don’t even exist — but let’s steer this topic back to the M1 Garand, other non-overkill weapons and experiences.
Wolf — the one I saw for 10 Grand was a semi-auto, which I thought was pretty pointless. It does have its benefits, to be sure, but with rounds that expensive (in retrospect, the dealer may have said $12/rd) and with such stopping power, I think I’d rather save the extra 5 Grand for range fees and bullets.
actually sam, all of those weapons exist just maybe not in the fashion i have explained (like 10 gauge 4 barreled shotty), the wall gun, deagle, four barrleled shotgun (maybe not 10 gauge), not the mecha hitler weapons or suit, but they could fashion a suit of that ilk. the svt anti tank rifle… all real
10 Grand!?! Holy crap!, what a rip off, I got my Garand for only $750 in excellent condition.
Yeah, .50 cal rounds are very expensive- i saw a magazine that had them- 100 rounds for 300+ dollars….ouch, and- sam all of those weapons exsist, just maybe not in the style that i listed them..
Sam – Yea I deffinitly agree with you. For some reason the deffinition of semi-auto slipped my mind. The .50 that I saw for sale for $4500 was a bolt action. But holy crap and extra $5000 just for a semi-auto. I think I’ll just stick with the bolt action for long distance and the M1 Grand for it’s knock down power. Oh and my Colt .45 for my side arm.
decided to get me a saiga 12, basically an ak47 that shoots 12 gauge shells . bought a 20 rnd drum and an m16 stock, this thing can really lay down some lead, plus it semi so no waisting ammo rockin’ and rollin’.
Mike! Please send photos this way! sam at undead report dot com.
well do, still waiting on drum an new ar stock, decided to go this route because its as close to a an aa 12 that you can legally own
You have no idea how mad it makes me when people say they wont use a 22 rimfire because it has low kill power. The bullet may be small but its still a tiny pointed piece of lead flying faster than the speed of sound. Many 22 rifles are an extreme amount more accurate than people credit them to be. Plus would you rather have 550 22s or 40 M1 Garand rounds taking up the same space? People often choose the best weapon for the task without considering that their isn’t going to be ammo lying around everywhere like in video games and that fatigue is a major threat. Though i may seem stupid. In my eyes its very unlikely for someone to kill 550 zombies, let alone forty. My main concern is getting away. If I were y’all id buy a Ruger 10/22. The semi auto version to, got mine for 150 bucks.
Sorry to rant =/
i seen an article in this months shotgun news that showed a person taking a junk m1 and inletting it for a 10/22
thinking about doing this just in 22 mag for more beefier look and feel and sound bang instead of pop
hey sam sent you some pics of the saiga
I like the Garand. Ammo is easily found, powerful, and destructive, but I have to ask: Has anyone considered the BAR? .30-’06 convenient for shooting through multiple targets (esp. the jacketed round), 20 round box mag. (easier to reload), selector for semi- or full automatic fire (safety is the third selection). Still a little heavy but for the faster rate of fire maybe worth it. And practically indestructable.
Experimentation is definitely needed for survival, the .22 should not be dismissed out of hand (I tend to), but I would currently not be willing to place my life on it. Penetration is good, but gray matter destruction is best. Joint destruction is also useful. The hollow point .22 have trouble penetrating thicker hog skulls (personal observation), but given proper angle and aim, will do the job. The hard points are harder to find.
Id rather have an m 14 than an m1 garand. Larger clip size but still the extreme reliability. Even better is the extremely popular ruger mini 14. A small m 14 that still uses the reliable twisting bolt mechanism. And it still fires 223s and DOSENT have the full auto setting witch could entice you to stupidly “rock and roll” by spraying as max brooks says. Overall id say Ruger 14 mini Or my benelli m1 for raids. Ruger 10 22 for traveling cause of the lightness. Though if you do get a 10/22 id suggest an extended barrel.
some people mentioned a 22 pistol, if youre going to go 22 go with a carbine.
Personally, just give me a .30-30.
But, since we’re talking Garands, I personally prefer a m14, which is basically just Garand with a clip. The civilian version’s semi-auto.
But hey, I love my .22lr revolver. 13 shots, baby! ;D
a 13 shot revolver? you sure about that? thats one big cylinder.
Not 13, sorry, 10. But yeah, I had it custom-made as a birthday present (it uses an old Schofield .45 body). It’s a fairly big gun, but it hasn’t jammed in the five years I’ve had it.
wow, id really like to see that. sure beats an old six shot.
I like that .22lrs have common high ammo cap. the ones I have do 9 shots, and since it’s a revolver, it has good ammo cap (in this case) and reliability. It’s not striking all of the cartridges though…
@ Purple Eater, the M1 Has a clip, and the M14 has a Magazine.
you guys are wrong you need a 7.62mm M-14 fires standard nato and has a 20 or 30 round magizine and its got high penetration
@kevin–
Sorry, sorry, I always forget the technicalities.
first off to this kid here the m1 garand went into buildings just fine through out europe during WWII, and was a fine weapon in japan, they feilded it in korea and the early part of vietnam, one more thing the reason the m1 carbine is cheaper than the garand is that it sucks ass no knock down power id take my 22 b4 id field a carbine so why dont you learn a little bit about real guns and get away from the bb guns you must be use to kid. so if your gonna say something about it talk about how you cant carry as much ammo or something really relevent.
Jarad Aug 22, 2008 at 1:03 pm
The M1 Garand is a BAD weapon to use in a zombie outbreak because:
1. Tiny clip, even modern pistols have more ammo per clip
2. Cant reload mid-clip
3. its long, therefore usless for combat inside buildings (i wouldnt wanna be outside in an outbreak)
4. Not readily availible outside of the US
Your better off getting an M1 Carbine or a more modern weapon
OK guys, I just want to say that the M1 is harder to shoot than just pointing at the zombie’s head and pulling the trigger. You may have heard this before, but the M1 can seriously mess your hand up if you don’t know how to load it properly. I’ve been shooting an M1 for maybe three years in compitition, and I STILL get worried whenever I have to load a full clip. The bolt must be manually held back for the full clip to be inserted. If it slams forward on your thumb, you could potentially lose the thumb nail. And that would make useing that hand REALLY hard. Which could KILL you in a zombie encounter. SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS DON’T PICK UP A GUN UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO USE IT. Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen, and PLEASE, dont let the zombies kill you. ^_^
marlin model 60 with a 4x scope. most accurate 22 ive ever shot.
I’d say the Reminton Nylon 66 is the most accurate I’ve ever shot. My grandmother used to throw matchbooks into a fast moving river and shoot them, and my mother used to go about 60-70 feet back and shoot matchbooks with just the iron sites. God I love that gun :D. Only thing is…it takes FOREVER to reload.
@ Gunslinger, um, the M1 CAN reload mid clip, everyone knows that, (dont know how that silly idea got in your head). Its effective in close quarters with the standard 18 inch bayonet. and the .30 Cal Carbine cartridge used in the M1/M2 Carbine has approximatly the same force and knock down power of a .44 Magnum, (I’ve compared them myself at the range), out to about 50 yards and with ts hollow point rounds, it creates a wound cavity the size of a basket ball, why would you want a .22 when the M1 Carbine is so much more powerful?
Hi! Interesting! Been playing with this idea myself!
To be prepared for a zombie attack would be very different in a country like mine (Norway). We have much stricter gun laws and regulations.
I think there ought to be some basic rules when you equip yourself for zombie-battle:
1: Consider availability of ammo and spare parts. There’s no point in wielding a .50 AE handgun, when the ammo is scarce. In this corner of the world, for the sake of availability, you would be best off with these calibers: .22, 9mm, 308W/7.62 NATO, 12Ga and maybe .222/.223/5.56 NATO.
2. Consider weight, you must be prepared to carry the weapon(s) and a rather large amount of ammo wherever you go.
3. Consider range. How close do you need to or want to get to the rotters?
4. Consider your skill level. As you said before, a .22 might need multiple rounds on target to stop the undead. If you’re not skilled enough, maybe you would fare better with a shotgun?
5. Consider the objective: Are you going hunting, or do you need a defense weapon? What’s more important: Killing them, or stopping just enough so you can get away?
6. Consider stopping power and penetration. There’s no point in over-penetration, unless you need to mow down a lot of the stinkers. A 9mm FMJ has almost no stopping power, but might create enough damage in a headshot (again: see pt4)
I’m not sure I would go for accurate fire myself. I think my focus would be to kill as many of them with fire bombs/fertilizer+diesel bombs and use firearms only when necessary.
Oh, I forgot:
Here are the guns I would use, based on the points above:
Long range:
* Tikka M65 hunting rifle, cal 6.5X55 (not very common everywhere, but quite common here), 3-12 scope mounted. Also has an effective silencer.
Short range/self defense:
* Glock 17 (9mm, military issue)
* Remington 870 12Ga (Cyl choke)
Medium range:
AG3 (H&K G3, produced on license in Norway, outdated, but sturdy), cal 7.62 NATO
Ideally, I would like a 5.56 NATO assault rifle with some kind of ACOG/red dot sights. It should only be fired semi automatic. This would be very versatile, because of weight, size and accuracy. I would also like a .45ACP handgun for stopping power, but that’s not so easy to come by in Norway.
(this relates to post 9 ) i am by no means a bullistics expert but i have heard about .22 ‘s entering the head and then not leaving but bouncing around inside the head which would give them maximum brain destroying power please inform me if i am misinformed or if this is only certain .22 guns or something i dont know much about guns and would like to learn
.22 rifle, youre good
.22 pistol not so much, you need to be real close.
Alec: that only happens with .22 short.
I’d want an M1 or a M2 Carbine in a zombie infestation over a .22, due to its much greater stopping power with the potient .30Carbine, at 100 yards and under (its best range) it causes internal wound cavities 12 inches in diameter since its weak (meaning it wont go straight through the target, but lodge itself inside about 6 inches in) and its a blunt tipped round, meaning it will expend all its energy within that 6 inch penetration channel, as opposed to pointed, high velocity rounds, which typically cut nice and clean through the target without expending much energy. The M1 Carbine does much more gruesome flesh damage at 100 yards and under than a 30-06 does, the 30-06 wound cavity is about 6 inches in diameter, whereas the weak, blunt tip .30Carbine creates a wound cavity about 10-12 inches in a 360 degree diameter. I’ve killed 300 pound deer in a single body hit with my Carbine at 75 yards, I’d imagine that damage would blow a zombie in two, seeing as they’re like 50% decomposed anyways. In an infestation, I’d go with my Carbine due to its great knock down power at close-medium range, great magazine capacity, and low recoil.
Go with what you know!!! Me personally, I would take my piston driven Ruger 556c AR with eotech, magnifier 4x, laser sight, and surefire flashlight, my glock 23, and last but not least my remington 870 tactical loaded buckshot/slug/buckshot etc… Reason I chose these is I am a former military and still have all my DA gear from my team to accompany my AR mags,extra batteries,camel back, my pistol, and shotgun ammo, and ive trained/operated with these weapons for countless hours. The AR would obviously serve as my primary, my pistol as secondary and my shotty would be for breaching through locked doors when running my a$$ off from zombies, also serve as a small room clearer since i have a surefire on that as well. Shotgun would be attached to my gear/shoulder strap with a short bunchy and D ring with barrel holder attached to back of vest to keep it from swinging about when im hauling A$$ from crazy zombies. M4 would be slung via V-TAC sling (best slings out there imo), and glock would be holstered. I would probably take the plates out of my plate carrier since zombies dont shoot. Would still wear the rest of my crap to carry all my ammo.
As for an M1 grandfather I mean garand, no not so much. Not when there are so many more modern and effective firearms out there that will out perform the grandfather any day of the week. No disrespect it was a great weapon back in the day but lets face it, the rifle has been phased out long ago. I would choose a more modern firearm.
But like the private and I said choose the weapon set that best suits your skill set and go from there.
Garand=run out of ammo quick and die.I mean ya, you could use a garand as a good club i suppose but look at all the other draw backs. Small clip (8 rnd capacity), and you cant really tac reload it without wasting time that you may or may not get back, not good for quick accurate follow up shots. Why not get something that holds at least 20-30 rnds and that is more modern and capable of killing hordes. Something such as a piston driven AR-15 system with EOTECH+flip up iron sites and a speed reload mag attached to the magwel and a butt-load of loaded 30 round magazines of 5.56 77 grain on your person perhaps?!?! Ya it isn’t no 30-06 but it will still knock em on their ass and but a good size hole in that melon. Also always have a back up something like a Glock 22 on the hip where it is quick to get to for situations where your primary fails, good quality piston driven AR usually will not but always good to be prepared. In the end all comes down to rnd capacity imo. I rather have 30 little friends do my bidding rather than 8….
30-30 Winchester/Marlin/Mossberg take your pick lever action in scout rifle set up. Proven reliable, easy ammo scrounge, good moderate range accuracy,short enough for cqb,good rate of fire. Can take any game in the lower 48.Light weight,rifle and ammo and has a classic cool factor that is hard to match.
I’m new to this but am fimiler to the topic and me personally out of the guns i have would take my m1 garand because its battle proven very accurate and will take down anything i shoot at plus its my absolute favorite, next my sks for reason like easy to use and is very reliable, next my trusty 1911 pistol great for putting down alomst anything and fits me well. just saying i already have a crap load of ammo for all my guns but about the whole buying thing you wouldn’t have to worry about how expensive it is cause in the event of a out break you could just go to any shops or store a take what you need like more guns, ammo, food, and ect. but that my input i would feel totally safe with the fantastic m1 garand.
Winchester model 1894 in 30-30, Ruger flat top with convertible cylinder. Will shoot 45 acp and 45 colt. Nice to have options. And of course you have to have a 22. Will be using my Ruger 10/22 and Ruger Mark III pistol. Wow I have a lot of Rugers. Need to diversify.
What I would do is carry three weapons a mid to long range weapon a close range weapon and a side arm such as a pistol. My mid to long range would be a sniper I saw I’m not sure what’s it called but it’s a bullpup design, short, and extremely accurate next my close range weapon would be a ww2 m1a1 carbine because it has a foldable stock and I would only trust it at about 100-200 yds max and also because it has a bayonet lug if you have the 2nd late war model and for a sidearm it would be a glock 18c it’s light and has semi and full auto modes and high ammo capacity for a pistol but of course this would only work if you were with a couple of buddies maybe 5-10 taking shelter moving around a lot or if you were in a large group and assigned to kill zombies all day ammo wouldn’t be a problem also because it’s not like you are gonna buy ammo you can just go into a gun shop and take it no one would care if you stole something cops aren’t going to arrest you
I didn’t read all the comments, but I assume that by now that you know that an M1 Garand should not fire modern 30-06 sporting ammunition. You will break the op rod, which is veeery expensive to replace. You need surplus or Garand ammo like Hornady makes.
whatever guns u pick, put a laser,flashlight and decent nightsight or red dot sight;)
There aren’t that many tactical attachment points for an M-1 Garand, but yes, Call-of-Dutying your weapon isn’t a bad idea. Don’t make it too heavy though!
[…] M1 Garand: Semi-auto Zombie Decapitator – Undead. – i don’t think you’d need much more than a ruger 10/22 carbine. same action as the m14, and the ammo is very light. aiming and hitting the target more than once is. […]
[…] M1 Garand: Semi-auto Zombie Decapitator – Undead. – Interesting C. Ward. That’s a good idea. A firearm is definitely going to be a necessity, but abundancy of ammo may be more important than firepower and accuracy. […]
[…] M1 Garand: Semi-auto Zombie Decapitator – Undead. – Interesting C. Ward. That’s a good idea. A firearm is definitely going to be a necessity, but abundancy of ammo may be more important than firepower and accuracy. […]