I'm a new player and I don't support a starting gun. I was able to find an axe and a gun in about 15 minutes of starting a new player, and all I really did was run into some big building, first room had an axe, after I found the axe I ran to the nearest barn, and a winchester 1866 was sitting at the top with a bit of ammo. Wasn't to bad, but honestly you aren't going to enjoy the game if you think you absolutely need a gun to survive. The gun is usually more of a hassle than a survival tool, mainly because it attracts more zombies. You really want to be able to find a map, axe, matches, compass, knife, and a water bottle or 2. Then you will be able to survive for a little bit in the north without the need of a weapon, other than the axe.