A Zombie Retrospective: How the Undead Became Cool

It's been about 15 years now since the world of firearms collided with the world of fantasy, and the mix of survivalism and world-ending fears became trendy. 

Don't get me wrong. It wasn't the same world-ending fear we had during the Cold War.

It was a lighter, more fun view of the apocalypse.

We weren't worried about nukes. Nope, we were fantasizing about zombies. 

From 2010 to roughly 2014, we saw a rise in zombie-themed guns, gear, ammo, targets, and more. If you were in the world of guns around that time, you couldn't avoid it. 

Today, we are going to do a retrospective look to see where it started and talk about some of the zombie guns and gear fads that hit the industry like a train.

So, if you're a fan of the undead...keep reading...

The Walking Dead

On October 31st, 2010, AMC's The Walking Dead first appeared. Like many others, I was absolutely gripped by the pilot episode.

I'd discovered the comic series months earlier, so I was already a fan.  

The first episode and the first season, in general, were absolute masterpieces of television. In short order, the show became a cultural phenomenon. 

However, The Walking Dead was not the only catalyst. Other zombie-centric media were starting to make their way into the mainstream.

Books like Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies (2009) and The Zombie Survival Guide (2003) were popular. Films like Dawn of the Dead (2004 remake) and 28 Days Later (2002) became horror staples. Even video game media was catching on in the late 2000s with Valve's Left 4 Dead and the original zombie mode in Call of Duty World at War.

Around this same time period, prepping was also becoming mainstream.

Shows like Doomsday Preppers introduced the rest of the world to the rather niche practice of disaster prepping.

Everyone was talking about the zombie apocalypse, so naturally, conversations about disaster preparedness often turned to zombies. 

Talking about storing food and water (and maybe a gun and some ammo) sounded less crazy when you started talking about a theoretical zombie apocalypse. 

Plenty of everyday conversations turned to the survival tactics one would take in the zombie apocalypse.

Soon, people were sharing the guns and gear they'd use in a zombie apocalypse. And it didn't take the firearms industry long to exploit this fad. 

The Firearms Industry Embraces Zombies

Hornady wasted no time, announcing its Zombie Max ammunition about a year after The Walking Dead aired.

While most companies announce new products via a standard press release, Hornady jazzed things up a bit with a Walking Dead-inspired action trailer --- complete with zombies, headshots, and gore.

Also, a healthy disclaimer saying Z-Max ammo was only to be used for zombies. 

Hornady was the match that lit a wildfire of zombie-themed guns, gear, and more.

Z-Max ammo also cemented lime-green as the official color of the zombie apocalypse.

Don't Forget the Guns

Gun manufacturers didn't sleep on this trend either.

Mossberg came out swinging with the ZMB --- a series of zombie-themed firearms.

The most popular of these was their Mossberg 500 Chainsaw, which is a pistol grip only shotgun fitted with a chainsaw grip on the pump, designed to fire from the hip. They "zombified" these by using the good ol' lime green paint to throw on a ZMB logo on the receiver.

Mossberg had previously released a tactical version of their 464 lever-action rifle featuring an AR-like stock, railed handguard, muzzle device, and big bright front sight --- the 464 SPX.

Since this wasn't your typical cowboy lever gun, it was prime real estate to get roped into their ZMB branding as well. Seriously, a zombie killer lever-action!

Other companies followed suit, too. Spikes Tactical released a zombie-themed lower for builders to craft their own zombie-killing machines.

Hogue also gave shooters an option to outfit a gun their already owned guns into a zombie-approved killing machine with Zombie-X products offered with bright green stocks, grips, and more. 

Optics for Headshots

We all know that you have to shoot zombies in the head. So, what better to help than a certified zombie-killing optic?

Even EOTech, one of the biggest providers of military-grade optics, wanted a slice of the zombie pie. This led to the XPS2 Zombie Stopper, a facelifted version of their ultra-popular XPS2 holographic sight.

But they took it a step further than green paint. The reticle sported a biohazard sign with a red dot in the center.  

Seeing a company as renowned as EoTech take the zombie dive meant this whole zombie thing was a pretty big deal. 

Multiple other companies, most hobby-grade, released various zombie-themed optics --- an easy way to splash up your catalog. 

Both Crimson Trace and Laserlyte even released laser aiming devices for the zombie apocalypse.

Blades 

The Walking Dead used lots of guns, but they also showed an appreciation for knives and sharp instruments.

When the world ends, a good knife is as valuable as a gun.

Everyone knows zombies require a headshot.

So, if you can't pop one off quick enough...a zombie can close the distance. A good melee weapon can make a big difference.

Plus, blades never run out of ammo…

Obviously, you need a good knife. KA-BAR was more than willing to oblige with a rather massive catalog of zombie-killing blades. 

Seriously, we had the Zombie Swabbie Scimitar, the Zombie Killer folding knife, a Pestilence Chopper, a War Sword, a Famine Tanto, a Death Dagger, and more.

KA-BAR embraced the z-lifestyle hard!  

Obviously, the bright green grips signified they were ready to kill zombies! 

Gerber was smart enough to team up with The Walking Dead, getting the Gerber Apocalypse package into the show.

When Rick and crew need some melee weapons, they roll out the Apocalypse kit.

This kit combined seven tools into a big folding mat with a pocket for each of them and included the LMF 2 Infantry, the DMF folder, the Gerber Epic, the Gerber Gator, and Gator Pro machetes, the Bear Grylls Parang, and Gerber Camp Axe 2.  

Gerber immediately sold out of this kit once it hit the AMC airwaves during the season two premiere. 

Want more knives? Check out our round-up of the Best Survival Knives.

Using It All 

Between 2010 and 2015, you could purchase a pile of zombie guns, ammo, knives, optics...but how do you train for the impending apocalypse? 

With targets, of course.

From big companies to small, we saw tons of zombie targets hit the market. We got Zombie targets that bled and exploded, steel zombie heads, and standard paper targets with the undead ready to absorb some lead. 

But targets weren't enough for the zombie-killing crews. 

Nope, the community took it further with zombie-themed 3-Gun matches. Hornady, for example, sponsored a Zombie 3-Gun tournament called Zombies in the Heartland in 2012. 

These apocalypse-themed zombie shooters created some awesome stages, brought shooters out in cool costumes, and incorporated unique targets. 

Although almost all of the aforementioned zombie products have been discontinued, the Zombies in the Heartland competition is still running strong as of 2024. 

Final Thoughts

Like most fads, the zombie trend eventually got beat into the dirt by over-saturation. By 2016, it seemed as if most of the community had moved on. 

Though The Walking Dead keeps dragging on in some form or another, ratings have been on the decline. 

That said, were there any long-term effects of the zombie fad? 

Well Rick Grimes did spark a resurgence in the popularity of the Colt Python, and we got that back

I'm also betting the zombie theme exposed a few people to the world of guns. And while the trend is gone, surely some of those people stuck around and became gun owners.

If only a few people learned how to safely handle a firearm, I'd call that a win for the zombie fad.

Even if it gave us weird zombie baby stuff...

Do you guys have any fond memories of the zombie fad? Let us know below. Ready to tackle the undead? We've got some recommendations on the Best Zombie Killing Weapons.