Zombie Invasion

[Graham Kennedy]

Shotgun, pistol, machete.

Shotgun because it will make a nice oogy mess of their heads. Doesn't have the range of a rifle, but range isn't really all that necessary IMO.

Pistol for indoors, places where a shotgun is too big and unwieldy.

Machete for when you don't have time to reload, and also as a useful tool.


Definitely not having :

Flamethrower : doesn't kill zombies, certainly not quickly. And a flaming zombie wandering around is a potential disaster for you if you're indoors.

Grenades : Shrapnel or blast aren't going to do a thing to a zombie, and there's risk of hitting yourself if you don't throw them far enough.

Chainsaw : Not terrible practical as a weapon.

Machine Gun : Waste of ammo really. MGs are best for spraying a crowd, but spraying a crowd of zombies won't do much to most of them anyway.

[Captain Seafort]

Pistol for indoors, places where a shotgun is too big and unwieldy.

Shotgun + hacksaw. Problem solved.

Machete for when you don't have time to reload, and also as a useful tool.

It also means getting way too close to the buggers - you need to be able to stay at maximum range. You've also got a potential problem if they're a type that can infect simply by splashing blood on you.

[Graham Kennedy]

You don't always have a choice about being close, though. Ideally it's shotgun all the way, but if you run dry on bullets just as zombies lurch out of the door behind you, a machete would come in handy.

By the way, did people see this? Apparently the CDC have released an official plan of what to do in the case of a zombie uprising/invasion. Apparently they're just using it as a fun publicity grabbing example of how to prepare for disasters in general, but I think it's rather cool!

[Deepcrush]

Shotgun, flamethrower and explosives.

[Mikey]

I'd much rather have a shotgun to defend myself with than a pistol

Then you'd be ignoring situational awareness. As I mentioned, even with a shottie you still have to be able to hit your target - this precludes cruiser shotguns for all but experienced CQC fighters. Now if you've got a handful of zombies pressing on you in, say, a 10' x 10' room, lining up a shot with that thing on your shoulder is going to be pretty tough... in fact, even with a revolver you'd probably want something shorter than a 5" barrel.

My understanding is that the type of weapon most likely to be legally owned in the US is a handgun, probably a fairly small calibre revolver, for reasons of cost and ease of maintenance.

Depends on the area and the usage. In my state, for example, you won't find many rifles - because of the population density, you can't hunt with one here. In general, though, there are three main reasons for people to legally own firearms in the States (aside, of course, from private back-ups of law enforcement officials, or use in criminal activity.)
#1 - plinking/recreation/tournaments/etc.: in this case, you're dead on - most plinkers or range shooters would use a .22 RF or something similar for the cheapness of the ammo.
#2 - hunting: well, this could be anything from a varmint rifle to a .454 (or bigger) magnum 5-shooter revolver. .30-06 or .308 Win aren't considered uncommon for moderate/big game like elk, etc.
#3 - home/self-defense: in this case, the most likely suspect will be a 9mm Para handgun, though revolvers are still popular as well, and defense hadnguns are probably going to be found in more than singular instances in anything from .25 to .380 ACP, .45 ACP, or Fed 10mm.

[Mikey]

Sorry for the double, but BTW - machetes make bad weapons. A high-quality bolo or something similar would do OK, but a true machete's handles are usually onlu tenuously attached to the tang, and they'd tend to impact rather than cut. If I had to pick a knife for zombie-defense purposes, it'd have to be a kukri.

[Tsukiyumi]

The Hydrashok rounds for my Glock (9mm Para) basically explode inside the target. If the zombies in question die from brain trauma, that's 17 or so I could fell with one magazine.

I'd say a pistol is a fine option.

Also, I agree about the machete.

[Mikey]

I wouldn't bank on zombies being susceptible to hydrostatic shock. Hell, a mindless undead killing machine can help you assume room temperature just fine even if he's going to die in five minutes from a cerebral hemmorhage from a gut shot.

[Deepcrush]

Shotgun, flamethrower and explosives.

AA12 great for just about anything under under 25m.

Flamethrower for just torching because I can or because I need to keep the zombies from following.

Explosives because I never know when I need to break something.

[Tsukiyumi]

I wouldn't bank on zombies being susceptible to hydrostatic shock. Hell, a mindless undead killing machine can help you assume room temperature just fine even if he's going to die in five minutes from a cerebral hemmorhage from a gut shot.

That's why I mentioned brain trauma. Heads are pretty big targets at ranges less than 50 feet.

[Captain Seafort]

A high-quality bolo or something similar would do OK

I think a 30,000 ton sapient tank would be a bit over overkill, don't you?

[alexmann]

You wouldn't be saying that if you were under attack and that was what you had to defend yourself.

[Vic]

Sorry for the double, but BTW - machetes make bad weapons. A high-quality bolo or something similar would do OK, but a true machete's handles are usually onlu tenuously attached to the tang, and they'd tend to impact rather than cut. If I had to pick a knife for zombie-defense purposes, it'd have to be a kukri.

The only machetes that I have run across tend to be cut from one sheet of steel with the scales being brass riveted on. Pretty substantial construction, and when sharpened with the correct bevel able to cut 1" thick living branches with ease.
By the by, if you notice that your cutting tool is becoming an impact tool, perhaps you should have sharpened it the last quiet moment that you had? I have to say kudos to the kukri, I have one that was made and used in Nepal, I love that thing.

[alexmann]

Its only the moder machetes that have seperate handles to save money. The older ones or proper ones are solid.

[Mikey]

It's not a question of sharpening, it's a question of the steel used and the manner of construction as to how well the blade holds an edge - not whether it had one to begin with.

A high-quality bolo or something similar would do OK

I think a 30,000 ton sapient tank would be a bit over overkill, don't you?

OK, normally I greatly respect your great pool of knowledge both mundane and fantastic - but WTF are you on about? I assume from your emoticon that you know what a bolo knife is, but the rest is lost on me.