when the SHTF a gun that makes very little noise could keep folks away from your kill. The crack of a rifle sounds the dinner bell for a lot of starved folks.
You'll be hard pressed to kill enough to survive with just an air rifle, unless you like song birds and squirrel sized game
Apparently you know very little about air rifles...
They've come a long way since then....177-.50 caliber...what would you think a 77 grain 9mm doing 800 fps+ smacking you upside the head or even center mass would do? Would you live? Would a deer? http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Evanix_Rainstorm_II_PCP_Air_Rifle/2750 In many places, a shrouded barrel or permanently attached moderator is entirely legal because it's beyond the reach of the ATF. There are also a few air gun enthusiasts/gunsmiths that have taken up catering to "tuning" the factory offerings for better accuracy/fps, shots per fill & sound moderation & they have a backlog of work ...As far as the SHTF scenario goes, I'd rather save my powder burners for the looters & thugs & would prefer that my gathering of meat, go unnoticed...YMMV...
Both of my air rifles above have a built in silencer.
The loudest thing about them is the bullet hitting the target.
Anybody who doubts the accuracy/lethality of modern airguns is uninformed...they'll do much more than just "put your eye out"... IIRC Evanix used to have a full auto model available.
For the cost of an air rifle that isn't a toy you could get a .22 with a can. Probably two of them.
Really??? Cost of the can???? Cost of the stamp via the ATF??? Cost of the rifle? Cost of threading said can to the rifle? Associated fees for background check? On top of that, with a powder burner, you're on the ATFs list...Really?