How to Build the Ultimate Survival Shotgun

Step 13 Conclusion

Many of the lessons in this project apply to building any kind of preparedness kit for urban or wilderness survival. Basic survival principles apply to almost all survival scenarios. I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and have taken something away that you can use in your own preparedness efforts and projects.

Below are a couple videos I did of the final build.

Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN.
Creek
http://www.willowhavenoutdoor.com

 

Comments

[hdmca]

Very good tutorial. I think that survival is a very personal subject, that a lot of people are going to disagree on. I think that the author has spent a lot of time on his shotgun and on this tutorial. For that, thank you sir. Myself, I have a Remington 870 Express with a 18.5 inch barrel and collapsible stock. As for add-ons, the only ones are a good sling, on-board shell holder, flashlight and laser aiming device. The light and laser are controlled by pressure switches so they can be switched of and on quickly. The rest of my survival items are held in a bug-out bag and tatical vest. Not all situations are going to call for the same items. Being stuck/lost in the woods one just has to worry about getting to help alive. Should we ever find ourselves in a time of social/economical collapse, things will most different. God forbid something like that take place, survival will take on a different meaning. There will be haves and have-nots and I bet that the have-nots are going to outnumber the haves. When that happens, I will defend myself and my family. Just my opinion, though.

By the way, myself, I would lose the knife/bayonet thing. Don't see a point in it (no pun intended).

And for those planing to defend themselves with swords, that idea hasn't flown for a few hundred years.

[rahlquist]

swords and other melee weapons work well in areas where firearm use or ownership is either banned or extremely restricted . If you find yourself in a country where carrying a gun has serious judicial penalties, then a fire arm may not be appropriate. Please see see the laws in larger U.S. cities, Brittan, Canada, Australia for the more kinder gun bans in the world.

[tool_77]

truly amazing gun giong to be making one myself as soon as i get the money , one suggestion tough would be getting a small blade gaurd for the saw just to aviod accidents. however i look foward to seeing things like this from peopple more often.

[aorcutt]

the saw is removable and fits in the buttstock so no accidents lol

[steve_budde]

Very nice instructable. I don't have a shotgun and living in the city don't usually need one, but I liked this one for it's creativity and multitasking ability. I have also included a couple of things from your survival kit into mine when I go camping. Very informative, thanks.

[80$man]

Very good Instructable, I enjoyed your approach, very methodical and thorough.
Mossberg 500, the epitome of a pump action shotgun... Must buy one asap.

[bethehammer]

Nice job.

[edshu33]

That gun is totally badass. I love it.

[floris_ampe]

why do you need a shot gun if you go camping anyway???

[jblanton1]

Same reason you need a gun for any other time... Just in case...

Do you have a spare tire in your car or do you plan on being able to call AAA / your auto service? What happens if you are somewhere remote where there is no cell phone service? Don't expect people to stop and help you either. First of all, there might not be anyone else on the road. Second, people just don't want to be inconvenienced or maybe they are concerned for their security. Third, even if they do stop, they won't have cell phone service either, so you would be relying on them being willing to give you a lift into the next town.

I hit a pothole once and ruptured the sides of the tires on that side of the vehicle. That particular vehicle did not come with a spare tire (not even a *mini* one. It had an air compressor and a can of fix-a-flat. Neither works worth a damn when you have a hole the size of a quarter in the sidewall of the tire. It's one of the dangers of having low profile wheels. The vehicle *came* with them, but I replaced them with smaller diameter rims after this so that I would have more rubber between the rim and the road.

So, do I really *need* to carry a gun with me everywhere I go? Probably not, but unfortunately, I don't know beforehand exactly where I'm going to need one and where I won't. Better to be safe than sorry... Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but then again, I have been shot before when someone tried to rob me...

[fire_drakon117]

Because wild game ( if cooked right) is delicous. Plus protection

[totszwai]

When you want to survive, grab a backpack and a sword... Can fit way more into a bag, and you will never run out of ammo. In case of zombie attack? You can cut their head off! :P

But nice video and DIY though, as another poster stated, only possible in US.

[tinker234]

a sword and shotgun would work better

[didgitalpunk]

or you can invest and make a swordgun XD

[MisterInnovation]

you could get a mossberg 590 and affix an m9 bayonet to the end...sword, gun, knife, fence cutter, etc...

[tinker234]

maybe booth a sword and swordgun

[totszwai]

Gunblade from Final Fantasy!!!!
http://www.google.ca/search?q=gunblade&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=910

[didgitalpunk]

yeah!!!!!!!

[dragoonpreston]

Using a gun is much easier then using a sword, there's a lot more to it then just swinging it around.

[totszwai]

Wrong. Using any melee weapon is much easier than using a gun. You don't need to aim, run out of bullet, out of range, and misses. How hard is it to whack a melee weapon to a target?

Maybe is easy in the US, since you guys have firing range for cheap and every one in your neighborhood owns a gun, but not the whole world is like in the US you know? Is not easy to fire a gun without training.

I betcha you can run faster with a backpack + any melee weapon than someone with a 5 feet long gun.

[bethehammer]

The point of the gun is that you dont have to run. Can you out run a bullet? I am pretty sure I can put a deer slug in you before you can get close enough to hit me with a melee weapon.

[jessopher]

He cant outrun a bullet... but he also can't acquire a firearm legally. No matter how persuasive you are... he still cant get a gun. If he can get his hands on some other martial weapon... wouldnt that be preferable to nothing?

[autoglassguy]

just so you know.. its kinda hard to miss with a shotgun.. they kind of have a large shot pattern. but i do agree i would have a melee weapon as well as a gun.. but i would probably go with a axe instead of a sword due to the fact that it woould have more uses than just defense.

[That One Eegit]

1. Use the bayonet as a melee weapon.

2. The shotgun itself is like a big metal club.

3. You can take the target down 100(s) of feet away from you as opposed to having it 3 feet away from you.

4. The guy without a backpack flopping around on his back can probably run faster.

I can understand not having access to proper training everywhere in the world, but from this guys standpoint, this is the ideal survival weapon.

[paqrat]

I would agree that running out of ammunition could make the sword the better bet but out of range? I have yet to see a gun with less range than a sword and as to ease of use, if we're talking about the same range at which a sword is effective the gun is not that difficult to use. Point and shoot. And if one has reasonable depth perception one can shoot an opponent before they can get into effective sword range. If I was going to face something like an irate Grizzly Bear I'd much prefer something like the shotgun loaded with slugs. Maybe a ninja could survive such an encounter using only a sword but most folks aren't ninjas.

[Ryuk0]

just to let you know not ever person in the U.S has a real gun but i agree swords are easier to use than guns

[jmccain1]

you kind of do need to aim, if you dont.... you'd miss and the zombie would eat your brains

[onrecess]

Good luck hunting with a sword. By the time you whittle and rig a working bow (if ever) you will be too weak to use it. And that assumes you don't run into a guy with a gun who can shoot you from a nice comfy distance.

[dragoonpreston]

That also assumes you can get a real sword that will actually work not just a display item, this is also something most people don't realize.

[jmccain1]

ahaha nice

[sinofvalex]

you cant use a sword easily or a gun. if a revolution started yes. i might learn but otherwise my hunting slingshot is my best option or my pistol crossbow 1. i can use rocks for my sling 2. i could carve bolts for my crossbow.
also about the shotgun you could add a shoulder strap for more parachute rope
+ so it doesn't slide off if you run or sleep or sliding down a hill.
regards
i am not trying to troll only give my opinion.

[vincent7520]

who said survival is about killing others ??…`there are many "survival" situations that will never need the use of violence.
Sorry to be blunt, but I really think the whole thing is preposterous …

[klinko]

Survival isnt about killing others, it is about being ready for anything and everything. in an urban setting you when supplys may be strained or there are people who are trying to kill other people, i would rather have a shotgun, or any gun for that for the ability to protect myself and loved ones.

[vincent7520]

Oh well… I guess Instructables.com isn't the proper place to discuss about survival politics.
But I do fail to see any sign of a coming Armagedon in the next future except in the heads of those who feel that changes we are witnessing mean the end of the world, which is certainly not.

Have a nice day.

[tool_77]

dont be a troll dude.

[vincent7520]

Ok, sorry… didn't intend to at all.

Have a nice day too.

[klinko]

What is a troll? Sorry, kinda new to the Internet. And are you replying to me or the person above me?

[vincent7520]

I understand that a troll in the internet linguo is about a post that intends to provoke an angry answer. It was not my intention, I just wanted to give a different point of view on survival. However, as I said, it true that Instructables.com isn't the proper place for such a discussion.

So, klinko you don't have to worry : I'm pretty sure the reply was intended to me !!…

Cheers

:)

[klinko]

I think you have a valid idea, many people feel the same way and I can understand, I have never been in a survival situation when I ha to worry about other people, though in situations like a revolution or with an opresive government or tyrant it may be higher up on the survival chain. Around WA, it would be impractical right now though I wouldn't mind haveing one in the closet.

[hotrod1]

i absolutley love how everyone is arguing about this. Marvelous trolling sir! well done, and a hearty handshake and a pat on the back