How to Build the Ultimate Survival Shotgun

Step 3 Survival Knife

I know from experience that one of the most important survival resources is a good quality knife. It can assist in almost every survival related task. I found a great 5” Ka-Bar Brand knife designed to mount directly to a picatinny rail. The stock Mossberg shotgun does not have picatinny mounts so I purchased a barrel mount picatinny rail unit. This makes the knife easily accessible for quick deployment. A knife can perform 1000’s of survival tasks including dressing game, cutting wood and cordage, striking a fire steel, digging, scraping, prying, slicing and the list goes on and on. I prefer a larger survival knife but this one will work just fine. I sacrificed size for the seamless integrated mount option.

Comments

[Marcos El Malo]

This option seems less useful for me personally. I'd rather keep my knife in my belt or boot. (Or as is usual, the pocket knife in my pocket.) I sometimes carry my machete in a back sheath when I'm doing ranch work or know I'm going to be hiking in heavy brush.

[mgalyean]

I have spare knives everywhere. I always have a folder or two on me. An extra on the SG would just be a bonus! About every pack, bag, case I own has folder of mediocre to good quality in it at least. A knife is just too central to have your only one break with or dropped in a crevasse or down a storm drain with no back up. A human without at least one sharp pointy thing and the ability to start a fire is just whining hairless ape in most survival situation.

[Lt.Greg]

"" A human without at least one sharp pointy thing and the ability to start a fire is just whining hairless ape in most survival situation.""

Now YOU sir - are an intelligent thinker also! LOL
(Just don't try to live in NY or NJ with those knives in your pocket or in your gear bags - the authorities around here tend to view anyone who carries a KNIFE!!! (OH MY!) as a de-facto criminal! Their attitude seems to be "Why would anyone carry a knife unless they were planning to cause trouble?" My answer has always been - "Why would anyone NOT carry at least one knife with them at all times?

[panzerfaust379]

Why would anyone want to live in NY? :-)

[Lt.Greg]

Well, Mein Herr (Panzer??) :-)P If you can get past the nitwit socialist mayor and the plethora of dingelberry Liberal sheep living there - You might consider that The Big Apple is the ONLY place in the world where you'll find: The NY Public Library, the MET, Broadway, Wall Street, The Gugenheim, The AMNH, South Street Seaport, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, ChiTown, Little Italy, Central park, SOHO, Trinity Church, Teddy Roosevelt's birth home,(and his summer place on the Island), Shea Stadium, Yankee stadium (in THAT order!) countless great places to eat, and all sorts of other cultural icons, then NY is a pretty darned good place. LOL!

[googbar]

i'd make such a bad comment, but nevermind, i'd offend many and show no respect for the good people... :-(

good shotgun! bad thing I live in a dummy country where firearms are almost banned (except in criminals hands) and we law abiding citizen have to pay lots $$$$ to have a low power weapons (yeah you can still have a 12, but it's a pain in the a*s, as a single shotshell costs about $ 4,00 (about 2,00 dollars) and limited to 200 a month. .22 lr is at about 20,00 dollars /50 rd, and can buy only 300 month...

[Cdn Sapper]

About cops, knives and the nanny-state...(I'm in Canada so I know quite a bit about the tyranny of a nanny-state) one thing I can suggest is carry the ever -sharp Olfa knife, with snap-off blades. I'm a trades person now so I rarely am not wearing carrharts, but despite having gone through numerous security checkpoints and interactions with the authorities, no one seems to even question this handy little tool of my trade. With the blade retracted the tip is a great screwdriver and fantastic little wonderbar (especially the one inch Olfa). The worst that ever happened going through an airport style screening point at the local court house to pay a traffic fine. I tossed the knife in the little box it went through the scanner. The guard picked it up and said, I don't think you can take this in. I openned up the knife, took out the 50 cent blade gave it to him and went on my way with the knife body. Of course I don't know that it wouldn't get you in trouble, but it does everything a knife needs to and then some, requires very little maintainance and the yellow plastic knife seems not to fit into the paradigm of "bad guy knife" that triggers such a hostile response from cops...heck most of the time they seem amused by the useful little tool that they seem so unfamiliar with (for the life of me I can't understand why).

[lalunette]

"I'm in Canada so I know quite a bit about the tyranny of a nanny-state"

Seriously ??

I was born in Canada 46 years ago. I have lived here my entire life... and yet I can't relate to your above statement at all.

Care to elaborate? I'm curious about your point of view.

IMHO Canada is one of the most free places to live in the entire world... on par with the US.

One thing we don't share with our neighbors to the south is their very liberal attitude towards guns.

Don't get me wrong, we Canadians can own guns. Heck, I own a gun. I could probably even build a version of the ultimate survival shotgun. I can even own pistols or revolvers. I just can't own a full-auto machine gun or carry my pistol openly in the street like in the US.

Cheers !!

[Cdn Sapper]

I'll elaborate if we keep it civil. At the time I wrote this I don't think I was aware that the National Long Gun Registry had been repealed from law. Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. I think that what one person considers an intolerable interference of the state another person feels is a reasonable curtailling of freedom in the public interest. I find it interesting that you say we Canadians can own guns. This is true, but not so many months ago we Canadians had to provide the state with information on long guns we possessed, guns which are difficult to conceal without modifications and with such modifications illegal, and are therefore of limited use to criminal elements; and guns which are rarely used in the commission of offenses. The purpose of the long gun registry was of a political nature; it was to pander to Canada's urban gentry, in particular those in Toronto following the shooting death of Jane Creba, and garner urban support for the Liberal Party of Canada. This was in spite of the fact that none of the shooters involved used a long gun, as the shooters were gang members and carried out the crime with illegal handguns. The long gun registry though, instantly turned previously law abiding citizens into criminals at the stroke of a Liberal pen; I personally chose not to keep a gun after the adoption of the long gun registry, particularly because, should police be visit my home for any reason any query of my name or address would result in police being informed of a gun in the home and the potential of a police confrontation involving my family was too high a risk. The gun registry proved so unpopular throughout the country that a continuous amnesty was granted, however, in a few instances heavy handed police tactics were obfuscated by simply threatening home owners with improper storage and registration charges. So while today you can build the above shotgun, legally, in Canada. It was only a few months ago you would have had to submit a great deal of information to police and state about that gun, and police and the state had the power to enter your home without warrant because you possessed that gun (a fact few in government talked about to law abiding Canadians). Only recently has the new party in power in Canada killed the registry. Previous to this the law proved too onerous to many, such as myself to consider owning a sporting gun. With the recent repeal of the Registry I am now reconsidering my previous choice and am now planning to get my PAL and am shopping for a sporting gun. As a Canadian Sapper who served in the CF I am keenly aware of the destructive nature of firearms, but feel there was little merit to any increase in public safety in the registry.
I think the many US citizens on this site are probably gobsmacked by such an infringement what they consider 1st ammendment rights in Canada (I am aware, Canada has no such rights in it's constitution). As well I agree with you that full-auto weapons should continue to be prohibited in Canada, I'm not in agreement with handguns as I have noted that states where concealed carry is legal have a lower overall incidence of ALL violent crime than Canada. There are other issues as well in Canada including human rights commissions (quasi-legal Canadian courts, where onerous penalties are handed out by busy-bodies untrained in the law, and often fastidious supporters of extremely left-wing policies, against defendants with little in the way of rights and often for behavior that real courts would uphold as lawful). I can go on and on. I will however say, I'm not unhappy in Canada, natural born as you sound like you are...I just think it could be better.
Respectfully to you, "the moon". (Quebecois or Acadian I'm guessing?)

[fordf150man]

amen im a country boy from texas i have a knife on me at all times and in my truck,bags and a shotgun to almost always

[ilpug]

I usually have a multi-tool and a nicer pocket knife on me. I kinda feel naked without them.

[King of Kings Knautz(mini-pyro)]

Am I the only one who has noticed that his knife is pointless on the shotgun, considering the blade is set back to far to pass the end the barrell...Please dear sir, tell me you have gotten a longer blade or have re-adjusted the mount?

[KahlZun]

I think the knife is designed to be detachable.

[ammonihah99]

Doesn't Mossberg 500 come with a bayonet lug? Or is the 590?

[rhughes]

There are several different flavors of 590. The 590A1 is the one with the bayonet lug. I've never actually found a reason to attache a bayonet though..

[rhughes]

I can sort of understand the idea of wanting to have everything within reach. However, speaking from the personal experience of carrying a fully loaded M590A1 (7 in the mag & 6 on a sidesaddle) for hours on end the last thing I'd want to do is add more weight to the barrel.

Cool idea, but I think I'll carry my knife on my belt :-)

[mgalyean]

Agreed. I think the idea is to have one item to grab, the SG, then redistribute from there when a break in the drama occurs. I can see the author's point. Not sure I'd want as big and large a knife as the 5" K-bar, but I'd at least want a folder clipped to the SG sling.

[dent244]

i would suggest mounting the knife further up to be used as a bayonet also. you may save ammo or your life.

[chocowubbles]

That particular barrel mounted rail does not seem to have a rail under the barrel. Besides, if you really wanted to use it as a bayonet you could just slide the rail mount to the end of the barrel. It doesn't make a lot of difference if the bayonet is on the side. You should also remember that a bayonet will make the gun more difficult to aim and control. The knife being far from the end of the barrel helps with that. All of that being said, a bayonet would be useful in a survival situation, as you wouldn't have to get as close to a dangerous wild animal to kill it.

[dmjacobsen]

"All of that being said, a bayonet would be useful in a survival situation, as you wouldn't have to get as close to a dangerous wild animal to kill it."

Isn't that what the shotgun is for? ;)

[chocowubbles]

Until you run out of shells. Maybe there's a lot of angry bears. Or more likely the powder gets wet.

[dent244]

isnt there a way to get water proof rounds? i know certain weapons in military testing have to got through many test including being submerged in water and in mud and sand and a stress test after each and continue to fire. i beleive one was the automatic shotgun the AA-12

[mgalyean]

Most SG shells could be classified as "water resistant". Birdshot used for waterfoul particularly so.

You can seal SG shells yourself. Put primer sealer on the primer and use some silicone based sealant (RTV) on the crimp and it should be waterproof for at least temporary immersion. Make sure no sealant is on the sides of the shell that might cause problems feeding or ejecting. Rub off any excess sealant from crimp while it is still wet. Make sure the crimp and primer are clean, like with acetone, prior to applying either sealant and it should adhere much better.

[Ripper0311]

I think the point of having it mounted on your shotgun is less as a bayonet and more of just a way to keep it attached to your gun until you are in the survival situation, at which point you can detach and put it on your belt.

[mgalyean]

Bingo. That is my take also. You have one item, the SG, to grab and go, then redistribute at your convenience. If you wanted to expand the amount of stuff one could put a carry strap on the SG that could have a small survival belt pack on it that could be detached and put on waist.

[rplocher]

I'm sure the author of this instructable would agree that having a knife on your belt would be ideal in many if not most survival situations. However it is clearly explained on the first page where the author states:

"My challenge was that everything had to be included in or on the gun itself – no extra pack items or containers."

Also, I've seen these Ka-Bar knives that mount to a picatinny rail. They come with a user friendly quick release. Problem solved. ; )

[ccobbett]

can you fathom how dangerous it is to keep a knife mounted permenatly on a shotgun??? Its like keeping a top-heavy spear lying around all the time just waiting to tip over and slice the hell out of you. If this is really for a survival situation just keep the knife on your belt, there is no need for a mounted blade on a double barreled weapon.

[dawsonj]

this is no double barrel firearm...
the knife has a sheath to safe it...
and if you are intelligent you store your firearms barrel down unless they are in a safe...

[NWMOhunter]

The knife has a sheath. The knife can't cut anyone when the sheath is on.

Where is the double barreled weapon that the blade is mounted to????

[edshu33]

I think that the knife should stick out further so that it can function like a bayonet, which would be useful against a bear attack if you run out of ammo.