What is the best weapon during a zombie apocalypse?

A revolver with one bullet would be useful; just in case you get caught.

No weapon needed. Just avoid them. Nature will take its course on their dead flesh. The sun, the cold, maggots,and predators will eventually kill them off. Plus, as their body decays, their teeth will fall out. No more biting.

The ability to move about undetected. No matter what your favorite weapon is, stealth and avoiding confrontation is your best bet.

My first thought was a flamethrower, cos zombies and fire don’t mix. But that’s a very short term solution, very unwieldy and not a good choice in close quarters.

After second thoughts I’d choose a car. They can’t get at you while you’re locked inside it, and after you’ve run them over a few times and squashed them into the tarmac they ain’t gonna move much more.

@downtide. . . If you try to run down a large a crowd you may find yourself hung up and spinning out on a bunch of rotting flesh.

@downtide I thought about a vehicle as well. Since @ragingloli said to consider resource scarcity, such as petrol, that may not work out in the long run. (Plus, you don’t drive.)

@Blondesjon just gun the accelerator, spin the wheels for a bit, the tyres will soon burn through the slime.

@Pied_Pfeffer I don’t drive legally but in a zombie apocalyple who’s gonna check my license?

Fuel Stabilizer, fuel stabilizer and more fuel stabilizer.

My answer is unavoidably based on the Walking Dead franchise.

It’s safe to assume that motor fuels production has ceased. All motor fuel that exists is all there will be for perhaps a very long time.

Gasoline is notoriously unstable. Gasoline evaporates, breaks down, eventually to a solid and is easily contaminated, especially with water.

If I led a group of human survivors I would have an individual charged with locating fuel and locating and stockpiling stabilizer.

On the Walking Dead show people are just driving around all the time. In cars that have been sitting around unused for months. Generators are used. Nobody seems to have any fuel system problems.

StabilZer is no permanent cure but it would stay the inevitable problems at least for a while. It works by slowing the breakdown process. Alcohol in the product dries water.

Nobody can expect the perfect function of fuel any longer. Gasoline from the pump is formulated differently for warm and cold seasons. Matching ideal octane levels to individual engines? This was a thing of the past.

Biodiesel could be produced but don’t even dream about putting it in a modern, high tech diesel car.

I would pick a weapon with unlimited use like a scimitar or machete, or an executioner’s axe to remove heads.

@talljasperman if you’re talking blades, my weapon of choice would be a katana. Razor sharp and very fast. No need for repeated hacking and chopping, just once slice and you’re ready for the next one.

In the “Walking Dead” comics, the ratio of zombies to living people is approximately 5,000–1. Despite anyone’s best stealth efforts, zombies are impossible to avoid forever. Even in a deep forest, far away from any cities or towns, some roamers will show up.

Until decomposition and carrion eaters thin the herds, I’d keep a pickaxe handy. It would be easy to brain someone with the pointed end – just go in under the chin or through an eye – and the weapon can be re-used indefinitely.

Guns aren’t the way to go. The bullet supply couldn’t last for long and would be impossible to replenish. Also, gunshot is like ringing a dinner bell for zombies; they’ll swarm from every direction.

(My goodness…I love zombie stories, and I take them much too seriously!)

Firearms?

Subsonic sniper rounds and a suppressor.

Symbeline.

@SadieMartinPaul. . . There is a certain amount of effort involved in pulling a pickaxe out of a head you have just impaled it in to.

@downtide Katana’s a good choice, maybe you can find a ninja turtle (Leonardo) to give us a lesson or two.

@talljasperman “Katana’s a good choice”

Michonne!

If I had a place to refuel I would pick a flame thrower.

A semi automatic suppressed 22lr carbine rifle. Probably a Ruger 10/22. Whisper quiet and you can carry thousands of rounds easily. 22 is also found practically anywhere. They are easy to handle and can be effective at 200 yards and at point blank. They can also be fitted with a bayonet.

How about a shotgun with lots of ammo… for head shots.

@talljasperman too loud, wasteful and heavy.

@ARE_you_kidding_me How about a proton pack from ghost busters. The U.S. military has something similar called Active Denial… it burns the skin of people up to almost line of sight.

too loud, wasteful and heavy.

@ARE_you_kidding_me If you can’t get infected by a zombies scratch or bite, I would pick martial arts. A boa staff or nunchucks

I would want something long range (like a crossbow, etc.) to avoid close contact as much as possible. However, I would want something for “out of ammo” moments too, and not just a hammer, lol! So, sort of a cross between Daryl and Michonne…

Her. Or her.

@yankeetooter “So, sort of a cross between Daryl and Michonne…”

That would make you the coolest person ever.

A sawed off shotgun for crowd control and close quarters. You don’t even have to aim for the head, the shots would tear the zombies apart, rendering them pretty much useless. The drawback is, of course, limited amunition, and the noise would attract other zombies.

Melee weapons are tougher. Hacking weapons like axes or machetes are useless, you’ll get killed right away. Your weapon would get stuck in a head or torso, leaving you vulnerable, unless you’re strong enough to cleave through the zombie, and even then most of those kinds of weapons are not actually designed for that purpose, not even ones meant for actual combat. (although the decomposed state of the zombie does make dismemberment easier)
If you want to cut up the zombies, a sharp sword would be best, but contrary to what some might think, the sword requires proficiency and skills to be used properly, and this is something most people don’t have.
I hate to be boring, but you don’t ’‘fight’’ zombies unless there are only a few. Something like a hammer or crow bar would be ideal, as the weapon would not get stuck in the zombie, provided you use the blunt ends. A blow to the head could even kill the zombie if it’ss hard enough, or knock it back, leaving you time to escape. The drawback is hitting the zombie anywhere else besides the head will barely affect it, terrible if you’re swarmed.

If you absolutely need to kill zombies, firearms are the best, and if I look at this as realistically as I can, getting swarmed is pretty much a death warrant. If you have experience with firearms, peg off the zombies with a rifle before they close in, and switch to the shotgun if they do close in.

I run a zombie d20 modern campaign game. By far the most effective weapon is an armored car. The party got a hold of a welder and armored the cars.

I would pick Nokia1100 :-3

@Kashif888 Celphone towers go out on about day 3 with the rest of the power.

Okay, I’m on my computer now, so I can have a better response.

Cars:
Advantages: You’re protected and you can do a lot of damage.
Disadvantages: Only work on roads that are unblocked.
Survey says? Ding ding ding

Shotguns:
Advantages: You can blow away a zombie if you hit the head
Disadvantages: Only a couple of shots before you have to reload. Munch munch
Survey says? Buzz

Machine Guns:
Advantages: Mow down lots of them at once
Disadvantages: Ammo
Survey says? Ding ding if you can get a hold of one with enough ammo.

Bottom line: The best way to survive a zombie apocalypse is to ally with the vampires.

Perhaps we could suggest armour from head to toes with Teenage Ninja Turtles (TMNT) shedder gauntlets that you can use unlimited.

Chainmail would be a good idea as long as it’s not too heavy. Especially effective around extremities that could be bitten, snagged or scratched by zombies.

A zeppelin fitted with time delayed H-Bombs.

Or an aircraft carrier.

Glue.

@talljasperman Glue?

Yes put glue traps everywhere zombies can’t avoid traps.

That depends on the type of zombie you are up against but in general a 22 rifle and kukri because they are light and have multiple applications

Human brains laced with the zombie virus antidote. A tiny amount will turn zombies into ordinary dead people when eaten.