by T. Scott Randolph

Created on: November 10, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2011

Before we can decide what the best weapon you should use against a zombie is, we need to make sure what type of zombie you are going to be encountering. The purpose of this survival guide and choice of weapons will be based on this scenario: Scientists and government agencies are working on a TOP SECRET project that has a cover story to help humanity and something inevitably goes wrong.

If you happened to have a practitioner of Voodoo out to get you, well you are on your own with that type of zombie. In that case maybe send the Priest/Priestess flowers.

Over the years, zombies have changed. While a lot of this may have to do with main stream entertainment and media, it is amazing how much truth you can actually find in a science fiction movie. In any case, it is always better to be safe than sorry. In today's world of zombies, they are usually created by some sort of virus or other blood born pathogen. Since you probably won't be doing IV drugs or having sex with these creatures, you will get infected by getting bit or getting the zombies bodily fluids into your bloodstream via a bite, scratch, or one of your mucus membranes (nose or eyes usually).

There are different types of zombies. You have the type that were already dead and have been reanimated. These are usually slow and easier to kill. The other type is an infected human. It can happen in a couple of ways. You can be bitten and change into the creature that has been given the name zombie or you could die from the infection (if you aren't torn apart as dinner for the hungry zombies) and then come back to life as a zombie. In this case, you can still be very fast and aggressive. You were only dead for a few minutes to a few hours.

Now that the brief history lesson is over, what is the best type of weapons to kill the undead? For many (myself included) firearms would be the 1st choice that would come to mind. While this would work, it is not always the best choice. Let's back track for just one minute. How do you actually kill something that has already died once?

For the most part, a zombie still has the "need to survive" part of the brain and the involuntary functions. For this reason you need to destroy the Medulla and the brain stem. A simple head shot may do the trick but most of the brain isn't actually doing it's job so a head shot through the lobe that controls speech may not take it down.

Now back to the firearms. They will usually work. You need to train as much as possible before you have zombies

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