April 2026

No fools here - The Apocalypse and You (and your trusty rifle), supporting children, ALIENS!

Mar 31, 2026

The Apocalypse and You (and your trusty rifle)

My series Alone Together starts in a world not too dissimilar to our own. Which means the firearms our survivors utilize exist in the real world. Which, like all fandoms, begs the question: What rifle would I use in this situation?

Well, I just happen to have enough expertise and experience to help guide you through this question. Now, I do want to first say, I would never classify myself as the end-all-be-all expert on this. I also caution you on trusting any one individual who claims to be such an expert. You can spend all day reading and listening about SHTF (sh*t hits the fan) or TEOTWAWKI (the-End-of-the-world-as-we-know-it), and come out with so much information that you’re just as lost as you would be without having researched anything. That being said, the late Paul Harrell is a great resource if you want to listen to him. He also happens to have a video on this very subject.

With that being said, before we get into the specifics, I want to dispel some common sayings and myths you will hear from… let’s call them less informed, but well meaning, educators. The first is the cost of the rifle (you can replace cost with “brand” sometimes) doesn’t matter. This can be followed up with the saying “a $400 rifle and $1000 of training is better than a $1000 rifle.” This is very true, but here’s the funny part, those who have the training, experience, and understanding of this concept, aren’t running around with budget rifles. This saying is intended to convey that a trained individual can make a budget rifle operate, but it has been hijacked to comfort people in making poor purchases and ironically, never actually training with their equipment. This can be coupled with the “I shot 1,000 rounds with my rifle and it never jammed” saying. As a shooter, 1,000 rounds is not a benchmark. Far from it. I’ve done afternoon competition shoots that required 1,000 rounds. If you hear “I shot 1,000 rounds with my rifle and it never jammed” from someone, please be suspicious of the advice you’re receiving.

Heading towards a range during a rifle and pistol competition in Tallahassee, Florida.

The next is caliber conversations, which if you spend enough time reading forums, you’ll see the .22lr (one of the smallest) is somehow the deadliest thing on earth, but then at the same time, anything less than the old trusty .45 ACP is a wimpy round you can’t trust your life on. Obviously, the truth is somewhere in-between. Don’t trust your life on only a .22lr (I wonder if this shows up in Alone Together: Hostiles) and don’t underestimate other calibers such as 9mm or .380.

Now, armed with some basic knowledge, let’s talk rifles.

Yes, we’ll only be discussing your rifle today. Maybe I’ll cover a pistol in another post. You tell me.

The world is going to end. The “zombies” are coming. You have the knowledge, maybe, like in Alone Together, you’re reading between the lines of the news reports. You need to prepare. What do you do?

Well, first you need to know, there’s no right way to select a rifle or rifle setup. But there is a wrong way.

Which brings you to asking your first question. Where are you?

For this situation, we’ll assume the United States which just happens to be the primary setting of the Alone Together series. There is a plethora to choose from. Even small gun stores can feel overwhelming walking into if you don’t know what to consider. Which brings you to your next question.

Which platform?

This a basic question, and again, there’s no right answer, but there are wrong answers. Remember earlier what I said about “a $400 rifle and $1000 of training is better than a $1000 rifle” and how that saying is used? This will be your primary factor in answering this question.

Let me give you a couple of rifles that are common in the United States, and a few I am very familiar with.

AR-15
AK-47
M1A (M14)
FNH SCAR
Mini-14
IWI Tavor

You can pick up any one of these platforms, spend money on ammo and training, and become efficient with the platform. But do any of them offer anything to ensure you stay among the living in the SHTF or TEOTWAWKI? Yes. To find which one, let’s take into account what you’ll need once TEOTWAWKI occurs.

Commonality.

Listen, no gun, no rifle, is perfect. They are machines. Machines breakdown. You’re going to need parts. You’re going keep that machine fed and running. What’s the first thing you need?

Ammunition!

The most common rifle caliber in the United States is the 5.56mm (5.56x45). It is used for hunting, target shooting, and is the current most common issued caliber in all branches of the United States armed forces. You will be hard pressed to walk into a gun store in the United States and not find this caliber. It is also the caliber most commonly associated with the most popular sporting rifle in the United States, the AR-15.

This variable is going to eliminate the AK-47, the M1A, and the FNH SCAR.

But wait! Shaun, you can get the FNH SCAR, Mini-14, and AK-47 chambered in different calibers!

You are right, let’s consider aside from ammunition, what else will be needed?

Parts. Now, there’s functioning parts, and there are expendable parts. Functional parts make the rifle function, (springs, pins, triggers etc.) all fall in to “functional.” Expendable parts include things like… magazines. Both will impact which rifle you choose. You will want magazines that are available, and function with your rifle. Yes, you can reload magazines, that’s their beauty. I’ll also tell you, the vast majority of malfunctions I’ve seen and experienced with rifles came from bad magazines. These are machines, and machines fail, and sometimes, the manufacturer didn’t do a great job making the magazine. This may also eliminate the Mini-14 which require a proprietary magazine, something you want to avoid.

Other parts that commonly fail that are functional parts include: Bolt carrier group, gas rings, and firing pin. Now, not that common of an issue, but let’s consider this is TEOTWAWKI. Again, the AR-15, is in nearly every sporting store and gun store. I can’t tell you a local sporting store here has a replacement AK-47 bolt.

Because of parts, both functional and expendable, within commonality and ammunition, we are eliminating the AK-47, M1A (M14), FNH SCAR, Mini-14, and IWI Tavor.

Listen, there’s nothing wrong with these platforms. You just need to be able to function both as an individual and as a member of a team in TEOTWAWKI. If you want to consider a broader role, I may cover that in another post. You tell me! But right now, let’s just discuss the basics.

So, with that all answered, we have the AR-15 selected. But there’s a lot of options for an AR-15. How do we select the right one? With the right question again.

What will I be doing?

Surviving! Ok, but really, consider your individual location. How far are areas around you? In Montana, Nevada, Texas, or many central states, it’s not uncommon to see areas stretch out for miles. The ability to shoot far is a huge advantage. If that sounds like you, a 20-inch barrel may suite you better. The base line AR-15 in the US comes with a 16-inch barrel. I won’t get technical here because length and twist matter, but generally speaking, a longer barrel helps the bullet go further. Given you are reading this, you’re probably not a sniper, and that takes a lot of training to get to that level. Let’s stick with the baseline for now.

So, there you have it, TEOTWAWKI, Alone Together style, your baseline rifle in the US should be an AR-15. This should not be a surprise for anyone versed in firearms. The rifle is light, relatively affordable, common, and has a wide range of roles it can fill.

Taking a shot at a steel target during a rifle and pistol competition.

Now, I’ve told you the base line selection. Using personal experience, I am going to dive into why the other common platforms did not meet the standard. This is not to say they are bad, or ineffective, but given our situation in Alone Together, they are not ideal.

AK-47

Probably the most icon weapon from the vast Soviet arsenal, the Avtomat Kalashnikova model of 1947, more commonly known as the AK-47 is a 9-pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood.
- Let’s get the myth out of the way. “The AK-47 doesn’t jam.” Yes, it does. I’ve had malfunctions on various different individual AKs, one incident caused the destruction of the hammer spring (that’s a part you’re unlikely to find).
- While popular as a sporting rifle, they are not as common in the United States. The ammunition is also not as common.
- We didn’t discuss weight, but weight is a factor, ask any infantryman. The AK-47 in the baseline model is heavier, but so is the ammunition, which is the 7.62x39mm.
- Someone out there is going to ask about the AK-74, which fires a smaller bullet. But the scarcity is multiplied for that rifle in both parts and ammunition.

M1A (M14)

The once beloved replacement of the M1 Garand, the M1A (M14) is chambered in the hard hitting 7.62x51 NATO cartridge. It served the United States from 1958 to 1967 when it was replaced by the M16 rifle.
- Look, no doubt this rifle is a beast. It’s also complicated. M1As are known to be finicky with their gas adjustments. But that’s not as much as concern as the scarcity problem. I checked here in town and could not find a store that kept an operating spring in house.
- The ammunition is extremely common, while not exact, the 7.62x51 is essentially a .308 which is abundant. But the .308 bullet alone is more than double that of the 5.56mm in an AR-15. That’s not even mentioning the rifle! The M1A comes in just shy of 9-pounds. That’s a heavy rifle, with heavy ammunition which also means less ammunition.
- I think there’s a role this rifle fills, but it’s not the “baseline” rifle. You tell me, should I do an article on roles in a team?

FNH SCAR

An experimental rifle for SOF units, the FN SCAR competed to be the designated modular rifle for US special operations. The rifle was never formally adopted in large quantities.
- These are expensive, and uncommon.
- While there are both the “H” and “L” versions (the L being chambered in 5.56mm), I can’t find a reason to choose this platform over the AR-15. Huh, maybe that’s why SOCOM didn’t formally adopt it either?

Mini-14

The Mini-14 is essentially a scaled down M-14 (M1A above). Introduced in 1973, the rifle is chambered in 5.56mm (there are others chambered in different rounds).
- The biggest issue you’re going to encounter is the Mini-14 takes proprietary magazines. They also have a much more limited capacity. While once very common, the rifle has been superseded by the AR-15 making finding other parts more difficult.

IWI Tavor

The IWI Tavor is based on the TAR-21 Israeli rifle. It is a bullpup (magazine is behind the fire control system), and is chambered in 5.56mm.
- The good news is, this takes AR magazines! The bad news is, that’s the only thing you’ll find for this unique rifle.
- While I have seen these rifles, I couldn’t find one in stock near me while writing this. But I couldn’t find a single store didn’t have an AR on their shelf. This isn’t surprising. The Israelis have switched to issuing M-4 rifles because the Tavor is expensive to produce and maintain.

You know what’s fun about this? TEOTWAWKI hasn’t happened, and hopefully never will. But it is fun to apply real world thinking and experience to a fictional scenario. I left a ton out, mostly because I wanted to make this short, and enjoyable to read for everyone. I never touched on specific application firearms, so bolt guns, shotguns, or even pistols. I feel have their place, but that is also a broader conversation.

Do you want more survival-based content oriented on Alone Together?

Winner-Winner!

Congratulations to TwistedSistersReviews on winning their choice copy of Alone Together!

Birds with Words, Episode 16: ALIENS and Christopher Michael

Warning: Harsh language ahead!

Today is something a little different. Today we dissect ALIENS and the military blunders within the amazing film. I am joined by Christopher Michael, (author, veteran, and federal agent) who shares his experience as we go through key moments of ALIENS and the downfall of the USCM Marines.

Birds with Words, Episode 16: ALIENS

Tampa Bay Screams!

May 8-9 I will be at Tampa Bay Screams with my full line up of horror books! Come say hello, get some neat merchandise, and meet your favorite names in the horror industry.

Tampa Bay Screams

The Crafty Bookstore

The Crafty Bookstore and I are partnering to provide our readers a better experience in book shopping. All future titles will be available in both signed and unsigned editions!

The Crafty Bookstore