By Allen Forkner, GunBroker Publisher
Look, I get it. The classic gun shop debate of “What one gun would you want for the downfall of civilization?” opens the door for a wide variety of eclectic, multi-use specialty firearms. Honestly, many of these have no real practical purpose except to try and fill that one-gun-to-rule-the-world role.
But I am a practical person. I subscribe to the anti-unitasker movement, and I require my favorite tools to be a cross-platform champion. So, for me, specialized firearms just don’t cut it if the world as we know it comes crashing down.
That’s why my TEOTWAWKI firearm is and will always be the ubiquitous GLOCK 19.
Purpose Over Prestige
Let me state right up front, I am not a GLOCK fanboy. In fact, I’m not the biggest fan of the platform from a personal preference. While I don’t hate them, I just find other options more enjoyable to shoot and carry.
But you cannot ignore that the G19 is the most commonly used and carried handgun in the world. It’s about as debugged technology as it gets, which has been tested in the world’s worst environments.
Sure, you can pretty it up or trick it out with all the Taran Tactical, Ghost and Zev upgrades you could ever want, but at the end of the day the GLOCK 19 is the Honda Accord of the gun world. Boatloads of units sold, decades of testing and millions of rounds downrange have made the G19 about as reliable as a handgun can be.
Keeping it Running
If you only have one gun to navigate the post-apocalyptic world, you better have the means to keep it fed and running right. And that’s why the G19 tops my list.
Napolean Bonaparte said, “Amateurs discuss tactics; professionals discuss logistics.” A lesson he proved to be true during his failed Russian campaign. And while there may be more accurate or more specialized firearms than the GLOCK 19, there are few with the deep, deep, deeeeeeep well of spare magazines, replacement parts and armorers able to keep it in top fighting form.
When people ask about good EDC guns, I always advise them to price spare magazines and look into availability of parts and holsters. Few have the catalog or cost-friendliness of the GLOCK.
Keep it Simple
Love it or hate it, the GLOCK is a simple design. If I remember my armorer’s course correctly, the G19 is made of 34 components. That’s a much smaller parts supply to keep on hand than most pistols. It also makes an easy firearm to maintain. Keeping with our car analogy, pop the hood on a 2024 F150 and then a 1974 model. Which one do you want to try and work on yourself?
Unless you’re a high-volume shooter like a competitor or instructor, it’s common to overlook the lifespan of replaceable parts on a handgun. Springs weaken. Pins get loosened. Magazines (the Achille’s heel of any semi-auto) are truly made to be disposable. If the local sporting goods store or gun shop is suddenly closed, you either need to have spares on hand or be able to scrounge replacements. I promise you, GLOCK 19 springs and parts are more bountiful than most.
Common Caliber
In the same vein as having to procure parts, a handgun without ammo is a paperweight. While it certainly has its detractors, for my money there is no better “one-gun caliber” than 9mm ammo. Only 22 LR and 12 gauge may be more plentiful, but those are more purpose-driven loads and not as versatile as the 9mm. Warehouses of 9mm exist, and it’s not terribly cost-prohibitive to stock up.
For the real prepared, reloading may be a tactic to help bolster your worst-case scenario planning. If so, you’re in luck, because 9mm excels here as well. Bullets, cases, powder and small pistol primers are plentiful and (usually) more affordable than their counterparts.
And to look at the other common rounds, the 22 LR is for all practical purposes unreloadable and the 12 gauge uses a lot of powder and shot, valuable resources in a time of crisis.
Expandable Platform
If you truly must have something tricked out for ride across the wastelands of the apocalypse, the G19 is also the top choice. From gold controls to bespoke slides, you can make your GLOCK 19 truly YOUR G19.
But beyond that, by using the G19 MOS model, you can add red dots (just stock up on batteries), threaded barrels, extended magazines or, for full-fledged Swiss Army Knife action, one of the many pistol-caliber conversion kits. The quick-change sets allow you to conceal carry the pistol, then quickly turn it into a small PCC for hunting or greater accuracy.
Keep it basic or blow it out with upgrades, at the end of the day the base GLOCK 19 is one of the (if not THE) most versatile firearm in a proper defensive caliber. That’s why it’s my choice for surviving any crisis event.
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