Common weapons?

[Conquistador]

Well, I knew someone would say, "just play the game" but I like to try and play a game with a sense of realism too.

I am glad people have mentioned the short term solution (Get the Hell out of Dodge!) though eventually you run out of space (especially on islands) and have to fight.  

Melee weapons are good (yes, swung more than a few rattan SCA weapons in the past decades and I swear 'invisible gravity ticks' are attracted to rattan in motion!) for self defense in the short term.  

Improvised/built weapons would crucial in the mid-term of survival but I think if it is a plague and it spreads eventually the long term ammunition issue becomes paramount.  By then though you either are alive and in a 'functional situation' or dead (or turned into 'the enemy.')  I still have the mid-weight bow and some arrows on the back porch (pesky 'nature with teeth and claws' in my neighborhood - and I really don't want rabies on top of asthma.)

Good discussion so far.

Gracias,

Glenn

[v_lazy_dragon]

I'm UK based, so again - no fire-arms for me! However, like a few other folks, I have been a reenactor (and hopefully will be again once my health finishes sorting itself out) so I have a chainmail shirt, helmet, assorted armguards and padding, as well as 4 shields.

It is worth noting that many reenactment weapons are engineered in assorted ways to specifically limit how dangerous they can be (e.g. lightened; or engineerer not to be able to keep an edge) - that said, a reenactment broad sword would still make a funky club, and be significantly more effective than a chair leg.

Ontop of the usual cooking knives and tools, I have assorted 'long knives' (A 12" blade bowie & 18" Seax are already sharp and easy to wield; and there are a couple of others which need sharpening or a curiosities as opposed to 'true' tools) and various hunting knives (4-8" blades). Given a day or two's notice, it wouldn't be too hard to put an edge or my reenactment axe (an exception to my previous comment) and replace the blunt spear heads with sharp ones fashioned from the hunting knives, etc. As with a few other folks in the UK - all melee, although I guess the 7.5 foot 2 handed spear might count as having a 1-2" 'range' in rules terms and some of the knives could be thrown if desperate (I have no real experiance doing so though...)

As to somewhere to source firearms... Well, Bristol as a city has it's fair share of criminals and drugs gangs, so I guess a trip to an ATM and then the bad part of town would probably yield something which goes bang; and again I'd agree with all the previous comments about limited ammunition. There is a fire-arms shop just out-side of town, and a TA barracks just down the road (in addition to various MoD installations around Bristol, and the NNC armed police at Oldbury power station) so those could yield something. Heck, there are even a couple of shooting ranges (Rifle, shotgun/clay pidgeon and black powder) with a 30 minutes drive.
However, I think the 'easiest' source of fire-arms in the UK would be various farms etc in the countryside for shotguns and low claibre pest-control; but I doubt they'd be keen to share or give their weapons up.

In terms of what I think the 'best' fire arm to have in the UK would be - probably a 12ga pump action shotgun, modified to have a full tube (shotgun licences only allow a 3 round magazine capacity), or a 5.56mm Assault-rifle. Failing those, anything in 9mm... The basis of those choices are solely down to the availability of ammunition. 12ga would be the most common in civillian hands by a very large margin; both the military and police use 5.56mm assualt rifles and assorted other weapons in 9mm (Police MP5s, assorted handguns). I guess 9mm rounds would also be moderately common among the criminal element...

Which is a very long winded way of not saying too much I guess. Figures do tend to be massively over armed; and its one of the reasons I like Scavenge, Skirmish, Survive as it deliberately attempts to rectify that. 

[ink the troll]

I got loads of kitchen knives and a baseball bat, multiple hand saws but nothing shooty.

There's a police station in ~20 minutes walking distance, barracks in ~30 minutes walking distance. Of more use (because they are much closer- maybe 5 minutes to walk to there) are two supermarkets for supplies and a diy for all kinds of uefull stuff and a couple of petrol stations and a pharmacy + a shopping centre close by.

So petrol bombs shouldn't be much of a problem. On top of a nice selection of tools the diy has lots of gardening supplies, so all kinds of things that 'go boom' could be built.
If you've got enough matchsticks, these can be used as well for building explosives, even relatively harmless things like sparklers (that's what the dictionary says they're called anyways) can be used to cause quite some damage.

While not lethal, I'm sure even some cooking supplies like vinegar might work as aid in fending of -still alive- enemies.

Depending on where you live, raiding museums for weapons is an option as well btw.

[workerBee]

<snip>

Which is a very long winded way of not saying too much I guess. Figures do tend to be massively over armed; and its one of the reasons I like Scavenge, Skirmish, Survive as it deliberately attempts to rectify that. 

If I ever get into APOC, unlikely given all the game reduction I am doing, I would have to look at these based on that comment alone.

Gracias,

Glenn

[zizi666]

What about... the car.
I'm pretty sure it classifies as a weapon if used correctly 

[FATROC]

Melee weapons of some sort would probably be the most "common" weapon type. However these have limitations to consider. First, they are usually very short range. Close combat means you are in danger of being grabbed and dragged down by the shambling hoards. Smashing skulls isn't as easy as portrayed on the "Walking dead". Second, unless you are in great shape, you will tire quickly (yearly qualifying with batons and billy clubs has taught me that.)  

A couple of people have mentioned going to police stations, military barracks, gun stores, etc... to obtain firearms and ammo. The problem with that plan is that you are already dead. EVERYONE will have the same idea. Now most gun store owners have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stock, and they will want to protect themselves and their families with what they own! Most stores are fortified in someway to prevent break-ins, and robberies. If society totally breaks down and the apocalypse has arrived, then police and the military will circle the wagons to protect themselves and their families. So no free stuff from those sources. If the stations, and armories are abandoned, that doesn't mean the weapons vaults, and arms lockers will be open to be looted. I was a supply Sgt for some years for the Army National Guard here in the U.S. Our weapons vault was rated to need thirty hours to break into under the best of circumstances. And as for trying to get weapons from your local gangbangers during the Apocalypse, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!

I also agree with the poster who stated that your average person has no clue how to handle, use, or care for a firearm. It looks easy in the movies, but not so much in real life. So fire axes, baseball bats, molotov cocktails, shovels, machetes, hammers, and some firearms at the beginning of the "END". As time goes on, I think the pool of survivors would become smaller but better and more heavily armed (if you die first, we're splitting up your gear!) 

[ink the troll]

What about... the car.
I'm pretty sure it classifies as a weapon if used correctly 

If I'd do the driving even an old Trabant would be a lethal weapon...
Admittedly mainly because I don't know how to drive a car.

[FATROC]

I don't know about anyone else, but I have NO intention of making a ramboesq last stand. My private arsenal allows me to arm myself, and up to four other people with a firearm, 500 rounds of ammo, and a close combat weapon. Then, if we have to get outta Dodge, we can do so AND defend ourselves at the same time!  

[superflytnt]

I notice that it appears that many (most) "survivors" miniatures are armed with noisy, ammo-guzzling automatic weapons.

Since it is not required that loud noises draw Zombies (mutants and demonic creatures, perhaps,) which would possibly make fully automatic weapons short term risky perhaps, I wonder about:

1)  The viability of automatic (or given the lack of fire discipline by modern military, paramilitary, and civilians) weaponry in a world where bullets may be limited.

There's a KY Guard Armory about a mile from my house, so I suspect that's where I'd get my weapons. That said, select-fire weapons can be fired single shot as well. That said, it'd be nice to aim high and mow down a crowd of zombies with a grease gun.

2)  The availability of fully automatic weapons to survivors who don't own them legally (here in the USA getting a license to own/operate a functional fully automatic weapon is reportedly harder than a Top Secret clearance - from the people who have both - to obtain,) can't break into the local armory, or take them from the hands of criminals/gang-bangers (no small task perhaps,) seems... limited.

Weapons made before the GCA (May 1986 if I remember) are not as readily available as one might like, but there's Suomi, Grease Gun, Colt M-16s, you name it. It's actually not very hard to get one in the USA - no license required. You find one, you buy it, you pay a 205$ tax, and you have to get an FBI background check (not the simple NICS, more like one for getting a Concealed Carry license). If you aren't a felon, aren't retarded or adjudicated as a nutter, it's a done deal. I know 3 guys, personally, that own machineguns. Not a big deal to get one, it's simply VERY expensive.

But that's not the underlying deal here - the deal is that automatic weapons will be readily available a year or so after the plague begins because all the Guardsmen, Soldiers...et C...who were killed/zombified will have left their weapons on the ground. Ammo would be the harder thing to get your hands on, I'd think.

Maybe the weapons I see on so many miniatures are semi-automatic "look alike" weapons (the well known Hello Kitty AR-15 for example) and not fully automatic.

Not being familiar with many APOC rules, can survivors in those games acquire automatic weapons (and sufficient ammo) easily either in character/gang creation or game play?  Do most rules reflect the "Oh Crud" moment of being (completely) out of ammunition for said weapon for game/campaign play?

Not really, as far as I can tell. Some do, but most don't, it seems. I get that it reduces the upkeep/paperwork, but it's a pretty important thing.

What weapons would you most likely be able to pick up if the APOC (Zombie, Mutant, "normal" humans) happened today?

Would you be able to "adequately" arm yourself, family, close friends, like it seems to occur in the AARs I see posted?

I have a safe full of guns and another safe loaded with ammo. Plus ... "censored"(Prof) ...kitchen knives, baseball bat, steel extending baton. In short, when the sh1t hits the fan, I'll be in pretty good shape, I reckon. I live in a fairly sparse area, so I could almost certainly get the weapons out of the Armory down the road.

[FATROC]

Perhaps time to modify an old mediaval knight miniature as a PA survivor?

Great idea for a mini! Consider this respectfully stolen. 

[northtroll]

I hope it the zombie apocalypse happens when I'm at work... in a gunworks! Believe me I know not everyone has access to firearms like I do, considering we make them. Of course most police officers would probably take a dim view of any civilian with a full auto AR-15 in Washington state, but I think the zed will keep them fairly busy....

On a different note, why hasn't anyone mentioned a sledge hammer, or a shingling axe as effective weapons? Not the most common tool I'll grant you, but narsty beggers to get hit with. I like the idea of the car as an offensive weapon. Ironic isn't it? They'll give a any dumb kid who's 16 a driver's license if they can pass a test, but you have to be 18 to buy a shotgun and shells.... At least that's the way it is in the USA. I know laws are different in other countries.

Consider the humble spear. A sharp pointed stick at it's most basic form. Also easy to make with five minutes and a knife. If its long enough you can fend off a zombie. The problem of course is it's seldom just one zombie. Bother..... Well I suppose I can throw a frying pan if I have to!

[superflytnt]

I used to have one of your AR-15s, M-4 configuration. Y'all make some damned fine rifles.

As to the sledgehammers, try swinging one for 15 minutes, not up and down, but side to side. It's probably quite effective for about 10 of the minutes, and by minute 15 you're sweating bullets. A shingling shovel though....that's a beheading weapon of the highest order.

[Silent Invader]

Consider the humble spear. A sharp pointed stick at it's most basic form. Also easy to make with five minutes and a knife.

Stick with a knife strapped to it from our impending phase 2 release 

[v_lazy_dragon]

Either you've been particulary sly Steve, or I've missed some of the preview pictures - there are some great poses in that lot!

[Silent Invader]

Either you've been particulary sly Steve, or I've missed some of the preview pictures - there are some great poses in that lot!

   I'll answer in the thread rather than gp off topic here