Best all-around rifle if you could only have 1?

[franklinman]

Hello, I want to thank all that have taken the time to respond to my post. A lot of good opinions and information to consider! It's given me a lot to think about and I'm looking forward to following up researching some of the suggested rifles (not that I need more reasons to hit the gun shows, but hey, what the heck?). A couple of points that I guess I didn't clairify in my original post: I'm not concerned with a rifle to be used under current PA GC hunting regulations, I've already got that. But the ability for the new gun to be used for hunting would make it an additional asset in a SHTF situation. I am primarily a 45 ACP shooter. I know that there are/have been several rifles chambered for this round, but I've never been around any. If anyone has I'd be VERY interested in their opinions. The S/A vs. Bolt action question is one that I'm still hung up on. I like the idea of simplicity that the bolt offers, but also like the obvious advantage that S/A has for the defense mode too. Finally, the optics vs. open/iron sights issue raises an entire question for me, as I wear glasses and have never found scopes to be particularly "comfortable" to use. I guess I'll have to get a little more active with some rifle shooters and see if I can score some range time with a few different guns to help me make a decision. Thanks again for all of your input and I look forward to hearing more on this topic.

[Nic]

Comedy. Considering the AK predates the Glock by 30 some odd years. I'm sure it likens it's reputation for reliability to something that didn't exist yet.

...but it does exist now, and today's reality puts them both at the top of the heap regarding reliability in extreme environments. How about "Glock - the AK of the pistol world". Better? No? Ok, how about "AR - the 1911 of the rifle world". I guess that works, since the 1911 and the AR inevitably succumb to carbon buildup or a harsh environment. These comparisons have been made for years, and I don't agree that the date a platform was invented makes a difference when suggesting reputation or comparable reliability.

OP, let us know what you decide to purchase. Good luck.

[Pete D.]

A bolt action rifle in either .308 Win. or .30-06. Accurate. Reliable. Easy on parts. Easy to maintain. Not wasteful of ammo. Easy to find ammo and/or components for reloading.
.45 ACP ---Thompson Contender Carbine - barrels can be had chambered for that cartridge. There was an interesting article a couple of years ago in the "Double Gun and Single Shot Journal" by Ross Seyfried. He stalked and took an elk with a single shot chambered in .455 Webley, not nearly as potent a cartridge.
Eyesight. Install a reciever sight (aperture or "peep" sight) and your troubles will most likely be over.
Pete

[rovert97]

For a SHTF thing there are two rifles I would choose. Ak47 for obvious reasons. But my second choice would be my 22lr Savage bolt action. It can keep me fed for as long as I have ammo band that right there. Will be a long long time.

[MostlyHarmless]

For a SHTF thing there are two rifles I would choose. Ak47 for obvious reasons. But my second choice would be my 22lr Savage bolt action. It can keep me fed for as long as I have ammo band that right there. Will be a long long time.

What do you think about the Henry AR-7 survival rifle?


Jan

[sleeper78]

My choice would be either my Puma 92 in 44 mag to go along with my 44 revolvers or one of my Rem 760s in 308 or 30-06.

[legendarylorot]

What do you think about the Henry AR-7 survival rifle?


Jan

I would love to get one of these. Stick it in my jacket pocket, and a brick of .22 in the other. Even if I only hit every third shot, that's still months worth of food for me and mine. Though we'd get tired of squirrel pie pretty quick. The best thing about it is that both the rifle and, more importantly, the ammo are lightweight and portable. A brick of .22 (550 rounds) weighs roughly 3.5 pounds. It'd be annoying, but not tiresome to carry it around all day.

If you want a tried-and-true gun that'll be cheap to buy, cheap to feed, and cheap to maintain, pick up a Mosin. My 91/30 will hit a standard target at 300 yards on iron sights, no problem. The 7.62x54r cartridge has been used to hunt polar bears, and I have a spam can of the stuff that was literally dug out of the ground in some com-bloc country and shoots straight and reliably. The stock has marks on it where it was clearly used as a hammer or (more likely) a club in the 1940's. With the bayonet attached I have successfully used it as a javelin to take out a squirrel. For $100 out the door, it'll be the best bang for your buck, but make sure you inspect it. My gun was in great condition- the soldier to whom it was issued took care of it. I've seen some that have barrel so beat and rusted it's barely shootable. Always check the barrel before you buy. The only downside is that 7.62x54 is getting harder to find. Nobody around here sells it- I have to get it shipped. But at $0.17 a round, it can be had in quantity for cheap.

If you're expecting SHTF to be more post-apocalyptic wandering the streets of the ruined city with your band of survivors, I'd cheat the 'one rifle' and get an AR lower (the only part that's actually a 'rifle') with a few extra uppers. I'd say one standard 5.56 upper, since .223 ammo is fairly cheap, general-purpose, and will be easy to find. I'd also get a belt-fed .22lr upper for easy suppressive fire without worries about 'wasting ammo', since .22lr is so readily available and easy to carry. I might nab a heavy-caliber upper, say a .50BMG, in case you come up against an enemy in an armored vehicle. With those three, you have a weapons system for any kind of encounter, although it will be heavy to carry around.

Never underestimate the .22lr. It's lightweight and quiet, and these can be indispensable depending on the situation.

It all depends on your vision of SHTF. House break-in vs. rioting in the streets vs. full-blown post-nuclear war will all yield different results.

[Pete D.]

If you want a tried-and-true gun that'll be cheap to buy, cheap to feed, and cheap to maintain, pick up a Mosin.

I like the Moisin very much. Have owned one for years.
In a SHTF scenario, though, forget "cheap" - how likely is it that you'd be able to find any ammo for a Russian surplus rifle?

The Henry AR7.....I don't own one. I did have one of the AR7s made a bunch of years ago by Charter Arms. I liked the gun. It was fairly reliable, only fairly accurate. I eventually gave it to one of my sons who was living on a sailboat at the time.
Pete

[oblivionboyj]

In a SHTF scenario, though, forget "cheap" - how likely is it that you'd be able to find any ammo for a Russian surplus rifle?

In a SHTF situation, if you don't have it you are not going to be able to find it.
You would not be able to depend on the ability to scrounge.
Competition for useful items will be too tough.

The only way to make sure you have ammo after SHTF is to have all you could ever need now.
Because of that, pick whatever caliber you can afford to stock up on copious ammounts of.
If you can not afford a few thousand rounds of a common American caliber, buy a few thousand rounds of a cheap Russian one.
Who cares if you can pick up more or not if you already have it.

[phillykev]

In a SHTF situation, if you don't have it you are not going to be able to find it.
You would not be able to depend on the ability to scrounge.
Competition for useful items will be too tough.

Yep. Either the population hasn't been decimated in which case order would likely be restored in short order. Or, the population is decimated in which case, you're really not going to need all that much ammo anyway. Keep at least as much as you could reasonably carry in a bug out scenario, and shoot conservatively.