Hypothetical: knife OR gun better for survival?

B

blazink

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Jan 14, 2008
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196
You only get one or the other.
This came up in a conversation with a buddy of mine. We came to the conclusion that a knife would be better.
 
don't know how to use a gun, so i would say knife.

and, knives do alot more than just kill...guns don't. just talking about tool application here.
 
cant cut wood for a fire w/ a gun. cant clean the game you kill w/a gun. a gun is worthless w/o ammo, cant build shelter w/a gun. A knife is an invaluable tool for survival. It wins hands down.

However, in an urban shtf senario, a gun will get you food, protection, shelter, and electronics if used in the right manner......:p jk
 
It's a knife for me... I think it is a more versatile tool. I carry a knife ALL the time, I don't carry a gun much these days. I suppose there can be be very specific scenarios where a gun would be the thing to have though.
 
A knife of course, though it depends a bit on what you're trying to survive. If you were invaded/attacked/etc, you might need to think about self-defense before all else. That type of situation is pretty rare though, and I'd guess you're referring to the type of survival we usually talk about here.

Out in the woods, in one of those 'uh-oh' situations, a knife is one of those rare tools that doesn't run out or need refueling, etc. It's a tool that can help you get other tools. It will greatly aid in shelter, in fishing/trapping, etc. A gun is not so multi-function (though when you need one, you often really need one).

A knife is pretty high on the 'top ten most needed survival items'. A gun is really nice to have, but not always a must have.
 
this topic comes up a lot... :)

i would take a KNIFE, for sure... what happens after you run out of bullets...

with a knife i can make all sorts of goods.. traps, fire, spears and bows.. just to name a few...:D
 
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Depends on the kind of survival that you are thnking of. As mentioned, a gun is pretty worthless for most bushcraft skills, apart from taking game. However, the old adage of "Never take a knife to a gun fight" still holds. A knife may be better than nothing for combat, but it does not stand up well against a gun.

Hey siguy, shooting a gun is similar to shooting a picture. Align the view finder (sights) and push the button (trigger). Guns do more than kill. The modern small arm (pistol, shotgun, rifle) merely allows for the contained expansion of gases that are required to send a projectile down range. What that projectile does when it gets down range is the result (either direct or indirect) of the person behind the gun. Guns are used for sporting events like target pistol shoots, rifle shoots, skeet, trap, sporting clays. Guns are used to clean deposits from blast furnaces. A particle accelerator at its essence is a gun that fires atoms at each other. A taser is a gun that fires electrical probes in order to incapacitate the target, and in the VAST majority of cases the target is not permanently damaged or killed. In all of the mentioned cases, the effect of the projectile downrange is a result of the person firing the gun. It has been said, many times, many ways... "Guns don't kill people, people do."

There are many (if not most) politicians in your neck of the woods that would argue the utility of a knife for anything other than harming another. NY, CT, and MA were the first States to ban the switchblade knife due to its sole prupose as a deadly weapon (facts to the contrary).
 
It all depends on where you are and the conditions, and how long are you going to be out there. If there are any decent flint, chert, or quartz around, a knife can be made. The American indians made do quite well with flint tools till the white man showed up. A flint knife can clean that game, but that knife won't drop a deer at 100 yards, giving you alot of venison to dry. Not to mention a nice hide to use as a blanket. Learn how to knap, and don't be so dependant on the steel blade.

Under some conditions, I'll take the gun, if its a good rifle.
 
Knife, of course. Though I have to admit that if I'm signaling for rescue way out in the brush, I'd rather do so by firing three-shot "SOS" patterns than by, say, slashing my knife through the air three times and hoping to get heard.
 
For wilderness survival, a knife, no doubts about it. For urban survival, for whatever reason, a knife has a stronger psychological impact (read intimidation potential) than a gun, so a knife can be a usefull self defense weapon/deterrent... unless the other guy has a gun.
 
If forced to give a quick answer I would say a Knife is best for short term survival as food would be very low on your priority list and a gun better for long term survival providing you have plenty of ammo !!! JMO !!!!
 
Key points have all been hit upon, so just to echo...

A knife...hands down winner for versatility.
 
If things got really ugly really fast here in New York City obviously a gun would be the better choice.
 
After reading this thread, I am definitely going to go with gun...there will be loads of guys walking around with knives I can rob at gunpoint.

Knives of course are more versatile...but I would definitely prefer to try to improvise a cutting tool with a sharp flake of rock than try to improvise a gun out of a sort-of gun shaped stick!

But generally speaking a knife is a more useful tool.

I have to say, though, that there is a heck of a lot you can do without a knife if you give it a bit of thought. If I were stranded after a plane crash...say if I were in that movie the Edge...I think I would rather have had a rifle. Hell, you could grind your belt buckle down and get a cutting edge on that if you had to. You could sharpen up sticks by grinding them on rocks if you needed a tool to half-assedly butcher meat. Small wood for a fire could be broken up by hand, and shelters as well can be done with no knife if you have to.

There are a lot of ways to get around not having a knife if you really need one. But there aren't a lot of ways around not having a gun if you really need one of those!
 
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