Twelve survival and SHTF guns ranked by role: a 5.56 rifle, a Glock 19 Gen6, pump and semi-auto 12-gauges, plus takedown .22s, a .22 LR/.410 combo, and folding 9mm carbines that run the pistol's magazines.
Affiliate links (?)
The best survival guns are a 5.56 AR-15, a 9mm pistol, and a 12-gauge shotgun, backed by a takedown .22 for small game. That core covers defense, hunting, and a packable backup on four cartridges: 5.56 NATO, 9mm, 12 gauge, and .22 LR. This guide ranks twelve survival and SHTF guns by the job each one does: core rifles, a sidearm, pump and semi-auto shotguns, takedown .22s, a .22 LR/.410 combo gun, and folding 9mm carbines that run the same Glock magazines as the pistol.
Best SHTF rifle overall
Best survival handgun
Best survival shotgun (pump)
Best takedown .22 for small game
Best folding carbine that shares Glock magazines
Best duty-grade SHTF carbine
Best takedown 9mm carbine
Most packable survival rifle
Best .22 LR/.410 combo gun for foraging
Best AK for SHTF
Best non-AR 5.56 ranch rifle
Best semi-auto survival shotgun
Purchasing through these links may generate a commission for Rifle Configurator at no extra cost to you.
Affiliate links - purchases support this site at no extra cost to you. (?)
The core SHTF lineup is three guns: the M&P15 Sport III rifle, the Glock 19 Gen6 pistol, and the Mossberg 590A1 pump shotgun, which together run about $2,128.99 at listed prices, before transfer fees and tax. Those are the three guns everyone should own: a rifle for distance and defense, a pistol you can carry all day, and a shotgun that fires buckshot, slugs, and birdshot. The rifle and shotgun slots each have alternates below; the Glock 19 Gen6 is the only pistol pick.
The M&P15 Sport III is the best SHTF rifle because it runs the supplies that are easiest to find: 5.56 NATO and standard 30-round AR-15 magazines. S&W builds it on a 16-inch 4140 barrel with 5R rifling and a 1:8 twist, a mid-length gas system, a free-float handguard, and a threaded muzzle, at 35 inches long and 6.5 lb (104.32 oz). It ships with no sights and one magazine, so add an optic or backup irons and a stack of magazines on day one. Configure an optic, light, and sling for it in the rifle builder.
The Colt CR6920 at $1,099 is the duty-grade step up on the same ammunition and magazines. It swaps the Sport III's 4140 barrel for a 16.1-inch chrome-lined one and ships ready to shoot with an A2-style front sight, a Magpul MBUS rear, and a 30-round PMAG. Its handguard is not free-floated, so the Sport III is the pick if you want one.
Buy the Zastava ZPAPM70 at $1,273.99 only if you already stock 7.62x39 and AK magazines. It is a well-built AK, with a 1.5mm receiver, a bulged trunnion, a cold hammer-forged chrome-lined 16.3-inch barrel, and a bolt hold-open notch on the safety selector, but at 7.9 lb it is the heaviest rifle here and shares nothing with the 5.56 picks. The Ruger Mini-14 Ranch at $974.99 is the non-AR option that still fires 5.56 NATO: a Garand-style action with a fixed-piston gas system, an 18.5-inch barrel, and a hardwood stock. It ships with a 5-round magazine and feeds Mini-14 magazines, not AR-15 magazines, so it shares the ammunition supply but not the magazine supply.
The Glock 19 Gen6 is the best survival handgun because it pairs a 15-round 9mm magazine with the Glock magazine supply: Gen3, Gen4, and Gen5 Glock 17 and 19 magazines all feed it. Glock lists a 4.02-inch barrel, 7.28 inches overall, and 22.58 oz with an empty magazine, plus an optic-ready slide, a flat-faced trigger, and a palm-swell grip. The trade-off is the generation change: Gen6 trigger, barrel, and optic-plate parts do not cross-fit Gen5 aftermarket parts, so buy accessories listed for Gen6 specifically.
The Mossberg 590A1 is the survival shotgun to buy first: 8+1 rounds of 2.75-inch 12 gauge in a 3-inch chamber, a 20-inch heavy-walled barrel, a metal trigger guard and safety, ghost ring sights for slugs, and four spare shells in the stock. As a pump, it has no gas system to clean. Its barrel is a fixed cylinder bore with no choke tubes for tighter patterns. For more pump options, see the best pump shotgun guide.
The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical at $1,189 is the semi-auto alternative. It holds 7+1 with 2.75-inch shells, ships with a Cylinder AccuChoke in an 18.5-inch barrel, and cuts the receiver for Shield RMSc-footprint micro dots. Mossberg coats the gas piston, magazine tube, hammer, and sear in nickel boron and rates the gas system for up to 1,500 rounds between cleanings. Choose it when semi-auto operation and a mounted micro dot matter more than one extra round in the tube.
Affiliate links - purchases support this site at no extra cost to you. (?)
The Ruger 10/22 Takedown is the best .22 takedown rifle for backpacking and survival, and the Henry H2 U.S. Survival Rifle is the smallest and lightest. Both fire .22 LR for small game, and both break down without tools. The Savage 42 Takedown adds a .410 shotgun barrel, and two 9mm carbines fold or twist apart to fit in a pack while running the Glock 19's magazines.
Buy the 10/22 Takedown if the .22 will see regular use. You lock the bolt back, push a recessed lever, twist, and pull the two halves apart. It feeds the same 10-round rotary magazines as every 10/22, has a cold hammer-forged 18.5-inch stainless barrel with a 1:16 twist, a BX trigger rated at 2.5 to 3 lb, and a scope base adapter for Weaver or tip-off mounts. Assembled, it is 36.5 inches and 4.6 lb.
Buy the Henry H2 if the rifle lives in a pack and rarely comes out. The barrel, receiver, and both 8-round magazines stow inside the stock at 16.5 inches, and the whole rifle weighs 3.5 lb. The costs are capacity and materials: 8-round magazines, an ABS stock, and an ABS-covered steel barrel. For a deeper comparison of these and other rimfires, see the best .22 LR rifle guide.
The Savage 42 Takedown at $519.99 is the best combo gun for foraging. A .22 LR rifle barrel sits over a .410 bore shotgun barrel, so one gun covers small game at rifle range and birds at shotgun range. Each barrel holds one round in a break action, so there are no magazines to lose. It breaks down with one button and ships with a bug-out bag. The rifle sights come off to mount a scope base. At 6.1 lb and two shots per reload, it is a hunting tool, not a defensive gun.
The KelTec SUB2000 GLK folds in half with an optic still mounted, weighs 4.2 lb, and accepts Glock 17 and Glock 19 magazines, which makes it the natural pack carbine for a Glock 19 owner. The Ruger PC Carbine at $799 uses the same twist-apart takedown as the 10/22 Takedown, adds a threaded 16.12-inch barrel, a ghost ring rear sight, and an integrated Picatinny rail, and weighs 6.8 lb. It ships with an SR-Series/Security-9 magazine well installed and a second well that accepts Glock magazines, so swap the well before you load it from your pistol supply. More 9mm carbines are ranked in the best modern PCC guide.
Affiliate links - purchases support this site at no extra cost to you. (?)
New survival rifle and shotgun picks, takedown and folding carbine releases, and the gear lists that go with them.
The smartest prepper guns share ammunition and magazines, so one stockpile feeds several guns. The lineup in this guide runs on six cartridges, and the core five guns need only four of them: 5.56 NATO, 9mm, .22 LR, and 12 gauge.
| Cartridge | Guns | What They Share |
|---|---|---|
| 5.56 NATO | M&P15 Sport III, Colt CR6920, Ruger Mini-14 Ranch | Sport III and CR6920 share 30-round AR-15 magazines; the Mini-14 shares the ammunition only |
| 9mm | Glock 19 Gen6, KelTec SUB2000 GLK, Ruger PC Carbine | Glock magazines: the SUB2000 GLK takes Glock 17/19 mags, the PC Carbine through its included Glock well |
| .22 LR | Ruger 10/22 Takedown, Henry H2, Savage 42 (top barrel) | Ammunition only: 10-round rotary, 8-round Henry, and single-shot break-action |
| 12 gauge | Mossberg 590A1, Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical | Ammunition, with 3-inch chambers on both |
| .410 bore | Savage 42 (bottom barrel) | Nothing else in this lineup; single-shot break-action |
| 7.62x39 | Zastava ZPAPM70 | Nothing else in this lineup; AK magazines and ammunition |
The Glock pairing is the biggest logistics win in this lineup. A Glock 19 Gen6 plus a SUB2000 GLK or PC Carbine means every G17 or G19 magazine you buy fits both guns, and older Gen3, Gen4, and Gen5 G17 and G19 magazines still work in the Gen6 pistol. On the rifle side, pick one AR and standardize on 30-round AR-15 magazines before you buy a second rifle.
Buy the rifle first, then the pistol, the shotgun, the takedown .22, and the folding carbine. Those five guns total about $3,156.99 at listed prices, before transfer fees and tax, and cover defense, hunting, and a packable backup on four cartridges.
| Order | Buy This | Role | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S&W M&P15 Sport III | Defense and medium game at distance, 5.56 NATO | $699 |
| 2 | Glock 19 Gen6 | Carry sidearm, 15-round 9mm | $699 |
| 3 | Mossberg 590A1 | Buckshot, slugs, and birdshot from one 12-gauge pump | $730.99 |
| 4 | Ruger 10/22 Takedown | Small game and practice, .22 LR | $529 |
| 5 | KelTec SUB2000 GLK | Folding pack carbine on the pistol's Glock magazines | $499 |
Stock magazines for each gun before you buy the next one. Buy at least six 30-round AR-15 magazines for the rifle and six Glock 17 or 19 magazines to share between the pistol and the carbine; the M&P15 Sport III ships with one magazine. Store ammunition in sealed cans; the best ammo cans guide compares the options.
Affiliate links (?)
Affiliate links (?)
The supply chain prep checklist lists the ammunition, magazines, and wear parts worth buying ahead of a shortage, and the emergency preparedness kit guide covers the water, medical, and power gear that belongs next to the gun safe. If one of these guns rides in a vehicle full time, the best truck gun guide compares compact carbines and PDWs built for that job.
Thirty-round rifle magazines are not legal everywhere. As of October 2026, 13 states plus Washington, D.C. restrict magazine capacity in some form: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. There is no federal capacity limit.
The limits differ by state and by gun type. Most of these states cap magazines at 10 rounds. Colorado's limit is 15 rounds for rifles and handguns, Delaware's is 17, and Illinois and Vermont allow 15 rounds in a handgun but 10 in a long gun, so the Glock 19 Gen6's standard 15-round magazine fits under those handgun limits while a 30-round AR-15 magazine does not. Maryland and Washington restrict sale and transfer but not possession, and Hawaii's limit applies to magazines that work in a pistol. Check your own state before you build a magazine stockpile for any gun in this guide.
Start with the M&P15 Sport III at $699, add the Glock 19 Gen6 and the Mossberg 590A1, then a Ruger 10/22 Takedown for small game.
That four-gun battery covers defense at distance, a carry pistol, a do-everything shotgun, and a small-game rifle on four cartridges: 5.56 NATO, 9mm, 12 gauge, and .22 LR. Add the KelTec SUB2000 GLK or Ruger PC Carbine next if you want a pack carbine that runs the pistol's Glock magazines.
Pick the Henry H2 over the 10/22 Takedown when every ounce in the pack counts and the Savage 42 Takedown when foraging with a shotgun barrel matters more than capacity. In the core slots, choose the Colt CR6920 for a chrome-lined barrel and irons in the box, the Zastava ZPAPM70 if you already stock 7.62x39, the Mini-14 Ranch for a non-AR 5.56, and the 940 Pro Tactical for a semi-auto shotgun with a micro dot. Then put the money into magazines, ammunition cans, and the rest of your emergency preparedness kit.
Avid shooter with 10+ years of experience including competition shooting, an associate member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), and a member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and Safari Club International (SCI). Built 10+ AR-pattern rifles and several handgun platforms for home defense, competition, and suppressed night shooting.
This page contains affiliate links. Purchases through these links support the site at no extra cost to you. Read the affiliate disclosure
Ready to continue? Here's the recommended next guide:
Best truck gun picks for 2026 ranked across braced AR pistols, folding 9mm PCCs, P320 PDW chassis, and a compact 12-gauge. Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW, Springfield Kuna, SIG MPX Copperhead, B&T APC9 Pro, S&W M&P FPC, Q Honey Badger, Geissele Super Duty 12.5, Ruger PC Carbine, Flux Raider, and the Mossberg 590 Shockwave compared with deployment, legality, and storage guidance.
Continue exploring with these related resources
Eleven shotgun lights ranked for pump-action forends and rail-equipped shotguns, with exact fitment boundaries and beam specifications for each pick.
Thirteen tactical firearms still transferable through California FFLs in 2026. Featureless and fixed-mag AR substitutes, semi-auto and pump shotguns, modern tactical lever actions, bolt-action AR-mag rifles, plus AB 1127-safe SIG P365 and S&W M&P 2.0 carry pistols inside the 10-round magazine cap.
Twelve tactical firearms still transferable through Virginia FFLs after SB 749 takes effect July 1, 2026. Ranked by how directly each replaces what the assault firearms ban took off the shelves: featureless and fixed-mag AR substitutes, conventional semi-auto shotguns that clear the shotgun feature test, modern tactical lever actions, manual-action suppressor hosts, plus carry pistols at the 15-round cap.
Related articles and industry updates
Oil infrastructure attacks, AI-driven semiconductor demand, and geopolitical instability are creating supply chain pressure on ammunition, optics, and emergency gear. Prioritized buying checklist: ammunition, magazines, optics, spare parts, and general emergency preparedness.
The GTA 6 Extended Look names the Duke 556 and shows a suppressed AR-pattern pistol, multiple AK-pattern rifles, two shotguns, and several semiautomatic pistols.
Roni Corporation released a Micro Roni chassis cut for the Gen 6 Glock G17, G19, and G45. The base conversion kit installs without tools or permanent modification and ships in black and Flat Dark Earth through master distributor 1791 Outdoor Lifestyle Group.