As a Survival and Preparedness instructor, I take my line of work very seriously – sometimes too seriously. Occasionally, though, I like to take on survival projects that are just downright fun. This article highlights one of those projects.
I'm fortunate in that I've been able to turn my passion into my profession – this being the study of Survival and Preparedness. I've always enjoyed building survival kits of all shapes and sizes. I enjoy the challenge of fitting lifesaving survival necessities into small compact containers. I've built survival kits using film canisters, candy tins, key-rings, boxes, bottles, tubes, bags and everything in-between. For this project, I decided to build a survival kit using a shotgun platform – creating the Ultimate Survival Shotgun. My challenge was that everything had to be included in or on the gun itself – no extra pack items or containers. Below is what I did as well as the survival logic behind each decision.
Ultimately your survival needs fall into five main categories. Your situation dictates the order. They are:
- Water
- Fire
- Shelter
- Signaling
- Food
Every survival kit must include contents that directly or indirectly meet these five basic survival needs. The shotgun platform I decided to use is the Mossberg 500 – PUMP. I chose a pump action because it is easier for me to troubleshoot and work on in the field compared to other models. I chose the Mossberg brand because it is a very popular gun, and there are literally hundreds of aftermarket modification pieces and parts designed to fit this gun. I knew I would want to add on some of these extras to increase the gun’s survival value. Below is a photo of the shotgun “off the shelf” – before my survival modifications.
Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun Before Survival/Zombie Modifications
I will now break down each survival modification and detail why it was included in the final build.
Ammunition
First things first: the gun itself. A shotgun's primary purpose is hunting. Clearly, you can use this shotgun as a hunting weapon to “restock” on valuable calories. Humans can go for three weeks without food, but it's not fun. Lack of food leads to light-headedness, weakness, and poor decisions. In a survival situation, meat is the fastest and most effective way to replenish lost calories. Meat comes in all shapes and sizes. Carrying different shot shells designed for different applications increases your chances of a successful hunt. For this reason, I chose to pack a variety of shotgun shells:
- Bird Shot: Designed for birds and other small game such as rabbit and squirrel.
- 00 Buck: Good for turkey and larger game such as deer.
- Slug: Designed for large game such as deer, hog, or elk.
Your Arsenal: Bird Shot, Buck Shot, and Slugs
In addition to hunting, a shotgun is an excellent self-defense weapon. It's easy to imagine the need for a self-defense weapon in an urban or wilderness survival scenario – defending you or your family from man or animal. Not only is a pump action shotgun a proven deterrent, but it also has some serious knockdown power. Because of these 2 considerations (hunting & self defense), I wanted to carry as much ammo on the gun as I could. I filled the magazine and the chamber which holds 7 + 1. I also added a side saddle shell holder and a screw on stock mount shell holder which together extends my total capacity to 19 rounds of ammunition. Not bad at all.
Side Saddle for Holding Shells
Side Saddle on the Stock
Signal Flares 
Special shotgun shells allow you to fire signal flares.
You are probably wondering what the short orange rounds are on the stock side saddle. These are specialty signaling flare rounds designed for 12 gauge shotguns. These flares fire over 300 feet and can be seen for miles. They are the perfect signaling solution for a shotgun survival kit. Not only are these EXCELLENT rescue signals but they can also be fired into a prepared fire pit to start a fire. In survival, multi-use products are key.
Knife 
5u201D Ka-Bar Knife Mounted on a Picatinny Rail
I know from experience that one of the most important survival resources is a good quality knife. It can assist in almost every survival related task. I found a great 5u201D Ka-Bar brand knife designed to mount directly to a picatinny rail. The stock Mossberg shotgun does not have picatinny mounts, so I purchased a barrel mount picatinny rail unit. This makes the knife easily accessible for quick deployment. A knife can perform thousands of survival tasks including dressing game, cutting wood and cordage, striking a fire steel, digging, scraping, prying, slicing, and the list goes on and on. I prefer a larger survival knife, but this one will work just fine. I sacrificed size for the seamless integrated mount option.
Flashlight
Another tool that assists in survival is a light source. Without a flashlight, low-light work or travel can be very difficult & dangerous – sometimes impossible. Not only can a flashlight allow you to be productive in low-light conditions, but it can also be used as a nighttime signaling device. A good flashlight can also help prevent injuries in dark conditions. I purchased a flashlight with a picatinny rail holder for the other side of my barrel. The push button switch on this flashlight is also a compass. Now, I have a means to confirm direction as well. This can certainly be useful in any survival scenario.
Flashlight/Compass combo will ensure you never get lost. Storage
At this point I need to be thinking about storage space to house several other crucial survival items. After much consideration, I opted for 2 additional modifications which gave me 3 separate storage areas. I first replaced the standard stock with an integrated pistol grip/stock combo unit. The rubber butt plate unscrews and detaches, revealing a generously sized compartment inside of the stock.
In addition, the pistol grip is hollow which allows for more storage.
I went one step further and replaced the pump hand grip with a picatinny version mounted on a picatinny compatible vertical grip.
Fire 
Fire kit that's stored in the vertical grip.
This particular grip is already designed to store extra batteries and has a water tight seal. This makes an excellent area to store fire starting materials. In here, I stored 6 waterproof matches and a striker. I also stuffed in some steel wool and a package of WetFire brand fire starting material. Both of these are excellent fire starting aids even in damp conditions.
Quick Access Fire and Steel Setup
Before I started assembling items to be stored inside of the stock, I carved a groove along the top of the stock to fit a blank fire steel rod. I used epoxy to permanently secure this in place. I like the idea of having quick access to the fire steel without taking the time to open a storage area. Using the back side of the Ka-Bar, I can strike a shower of sparks into one of my fire starting materials to quickly ignite a fire.
Multi-Tool 
Store your multi-tool in the hollow pistol grip.
In the hollow pistol grip I stored a small Gerber Multi-Tool with pliers, large flathead screwdriver, small flat head screwdriver, cross point screwdriver, small knife, nail file, and tweezers. All of these tools can be useful in a survival situation. I carved a custom rubber plug for the bottom of the pistol grip from a cheap rubber door stop and spray painted it black. It is a perfect and secure fit.
Survival Kit 
A survival kit that fits in the butt stock of your shotgun.
