The perfect survivalist rifle.....

[Scud]

Perhaps this all boils down to what one is most comfortable with. I my case; I would need a caddy.

[CommonHighrise]

Interestingly enough, Im currently working on a survival carbine for myself. Basing the project off of a Springfield 38c bolt action .22lr, currently with a 26" barrel. Plan to shorten it to 19 or 20", dig as much weight out of the stock as I can, and combine it with a sling setup for my ALICE bug out bag.

Anyway, on the concept of a survival rifle, the primary factors to deal with are weight and reliability. This places .22lr high on the list, as you can carry about 500rnds to the pound, and its hard to break a good .22 rifle.

True, while .22lr might not be the prime caliber for dropping deer sized game, keep in mind you may not be hunting deer primarily. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, raccoons, etc, are far more plentiful. Shoot any of those with a .308 or .30-06, and youre not looking at much decent meat to eat.

While the 10/22 is an excellent survival platform, with both stainless hardware and synthetic stocks available from factory, I chose to go bolt action to avoid any ammo selection issues. Some argue that semi would be better, as it would allow you to pop fast follow-up shots to be certain you bag that fat little cottontail. To each their own.

[Boomer]

M1 Carbine.

Lightweight, very reliable. Way more punch than the 22. Ammunition is readily available. Auto Ordnance is making the M1 in this package.

http://www.auto-ordnance.com/PA-1AO_m1.html#m160

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[DPB]

The things that worry me about an AR are mostly long term viability. I was worried about what can happen to it over a period of 2-3 years. I can't take one apart and replace all those springs and pins. I was also worried about our most popular AR clips since they are aluminum and easily dented. Also worried about the feds going nuts and collecting what they call assault rifles even though it's not fully automatic and rarely used to commit crimes. The public seems turned against them due to inexpert reporting. My Sako bolt action has large four large capacity clips,although I like the way an m-4 configuration carries a bit better..

Not to pile on, but I don't think the durability issues are much of a concern. Look at basic training weapons, which are abused cycle after cycle for years, with very little higher level maintenance.

Also, right now no rifle design has more available spare parts than an AR, and very few designs have so many user replaceable parts. The cost of a small number of replacement parts will be insignificant companred to ammo costs. Additionally, there are a lot of those rifles out there, so "battlefield recovery" may be an option. I think the Sako is well made and an extremely high quality rifle, but if any random part breaks, what are you going to do?

[MTechnik]

Marlin 39a - cut down to a 16" barrel. (So, I guess it's a TDS then). The tube mag can take a ton of abuse, and you could manufacture your own easily if you needed. It can shoot all kinds of 22's, down to 22 short CBs without a problem, if you need to hunt quietly.

Also, the action is normally closed tightly, making it a good gun for inclement weather.

[goon]

If I havent eaten in 6days, and I see a deer i want a helluva lot more gun than a 22 to take him down. could it? yes but more than likley the deer is gonna run off(not gonna be a blod trail to follow there) or laugh at u and walk away. Not to mention having to defend yourself with one. 22's are fun,but not exactly what i'd put my life in the hands of for any situation

During the Depression my grandfather and great uncles kept their family in poached venision with .22 rifles. My great uncle Jack shot 101 deer in one summer (sharing the meat with others who were in need) with 99 of them shot between the the eyes with a .22 rifle.
They'll do just fine for that type of use.

FWIW, if I were that desperate I'd want to make the most of any shot I got at any animal. That means a head shot regardless of caliber.

[bulletsneverlie]

Yeah, .22lr is more than alot of people give it credit for. A lot of people look at them like they're toys, "how can you defend yourself with that?" they say. I just saw a true crime show (like the crap on Court TV, not those B.S. CSI:Miami shows) on TV last night where these drugies had a shoot out. One guy had a 6 shooter .22lr pistol. The guy he shot died on the spot, and it wasn't a head shot. They ping around inside you like a pinball, skipping off bones.

My cousin has killed over a hundred rabbits, squirells and random birds with my Marlin .22lr bolt action, iron sights (I got it from him). I went out today and put 44 out of 50 rds in a 7 inch circle at 50 yards with it, standing, no rests. The ammo I used was a carton of cheap Federal I got at Wal-Mart, 550 for about $12. I'd like to have a 4x32 scope on it soon, but right now, If I had to eat with this rifle, I could do it. I could definately stop a hostile or a deer with a nice head shot at some range.

Bullets for most high caliber rifles are expensive. That's why I ordered a Mosin. I'm gonna get a couple of 440 spam cans for it. Throw a 440 can in a back pack, and in a conflict, you're more likely to die before you run out of ammo.

An AK or SKS would be nice for defending yourself against groups of enemies from real close to 100 yards. A shot gun just doesn't load fast enough or hold enough bullets for big groups. Shotgun would work well in a combat unit. When a Zombie pops around the corner, you splatter his *ss. Hand gun is most effective as a close range back-up for another gun. I'll stick with the .22 rifle as well. The gun I'd least like to have: an AR15 or an M16.

[MTechnik]

A shot gun just doesn't load fast enough or hold enough bullets for big groups.

You have never seen a Saiga-12. It's a ak-pattern shotgun that takes 10 round mags or 20 round drums. Lots of easily reloaded firepower.

[rich e]

I found mine years ago..A savage 24S over/under 'takedown model' w18 inch barrels..It is very compact and light..22LR on the top...20ga on the bottom..

Primary role of a survival rifle is to get food..Secondary role is defence..With a 22lr AND a 20ga shotgun in one package I feel I have the best chance of getting something..Try hitting a grouse or pheasent on the fly with a rifle..Or a rabbit you just kicked up.

There are times I've small game hunted ALL day with only one or two opportunities at getting game..Slugs--00/000 buckshot--4,5,6,7,8 shot and 22LR all in one package that breaks down..

Its the perfect survival rifle for me...

[RandomTask]

The things that worry me about an AR are mostly long term viability. I was worried about what can happen to it over a period of 2-3 years. I can't take one apart and replace all those springs and pins. I was also worried about our most popular AR clips since they are aluminum and easily dented. ...

Anyone who can't assemble an AR and who calls a magazine a "clip" shouldn't have a screen name that contains "SemperFi."

Oh, and I like the idea of a .22/20ga (or .410) over-under combo as my choice.