Re: battle rifle/zombie rifle
If the gun shop guy you are talking about is so insistent that your UMP is ineffective, tell him you will be happy to buy an AR from him, just as soon as he puts his money where his mouth is and lets you shoot him with those "ineffective" .45acp rounds until the magazine is empty, and then beat him over the head with it until it breaks in half. Smile when you say it to him, and then see if he puts his money where his mouth is.
And if not; then YOU need to ask yourself if HIS opinion qualifies him to give rabies shots to ugly cats, much less dictate what firearm(s) YOU should select for your own personal survival concerns, home defense, "zombies", or SHTF scenarios.
Look at it this way- IF you are considering home defense or an attacking group close enough to need hand-to-hand combat, why would the .45acp in 230gr hardball NOT be effective against opponents not wearing body armor? And if they are the kind of organized forces who ARE wearing body armor in such a case, then why are you STILL IN THAT AREA TO BEGIN WITH?!?!? If you are facing such overwhelming odds, retreating beforehand in a discrete fashion is going to be the smartest move, not committing to a banzai charge flailing your empty weapon. (You DO know what became of most of the Japanese soldiers who used that tactic, don't you?)
You're a civilian. That offers certain disadvantages in a fight, and some advantages IF you use your head. Look at Bosnia, Argentina... Hell, look at parts of Iraq and Afghanistan. You are looking at a LEO for ideas about "what you need". Why don't you look at what has worked and is working (and what is not) for those whose position most closely resembles your own, in situations that you are concerned about occurring- not in Hollyweird drama, but in real life.
And remember- IF that event occurs, to someone else, YOU are the "zombie" that THEY are going to be preparing to defend against, too. Something to consider in your planning, eh?
But as far as your weapon goes, the gun(s) you have (and have ammo for, and know how to use and keep working) ALWAYS beats the gun(s) you don't. Work off of that, and then expand your arsenal to be able to respond to different needs with different tools.
That's MY opinion, anyway. You are perfectly welcome to consider me full of crap. I'm not LEO, .mil, or a Hollywood horror movie writer/actor, so what the hell do I know, anyway?
