Need a rifle - but limited

[rich5674]

SKS 7.67x39

I'm from NJ. IIRC some rifles are illegal by definition, M1 Carbine is illegal by name. I had one, great rifle. I'm surprised it's not illegal in NYS.
That said, check out the SKS rifle. Semi auto, loaded by 10rnd stripper clips.so it beats current assault rifle laws. 7.62x32 is cheap and way more effective than M1 Carbine, 357 and some would say 5.56.
PS Recoil of the SKS should be tolerable for your wife. It does weight more than the Carbine.
I wouldn't consider a lever action untill all semi autos are banned.
I'd rather have a Ruger Ranch Rifle with Mini mags in 223 or 7.62x39

 

[BAM-BAM]

OP, have you thought about the CZ 527 in either 223 or 7.62 x 39?

It is a darned good little carbine with 5-round detachable magazines, and it also has the advantages of being currently made and politically correct to boot.

I have one in each caliber and I love them both.

I have a 527 FS/mannlicher (20" barrel) in .223/5.56 .... great rifle


Others to consider ......

Lever action in .357 is a great choice..... low profile. Winchester Trapper .357 with 16" barre is light and handy..... check out Skinner Barrel peep sightsl

Ruger 77/357 is a .357 bolt action carbine with a 5 round detachable mag... add a 1-3x20 Weaver scope and you're good to go.

Ruger also makes a Ranch Rifle/carbine in .223 that takes AR mags.....mec-gar offers 10 round mags. I've also got a couple of 5 round (C-Products) mags for woods walking..

Ruger Mini-14..... newer models with the heavy 16" barrel... Factory 10 rd mags are all most flush fit..... 5 and 20 round mags also available. Add a small 1-3x20 scope ..... very low profile semi.

Purly as a survival rifle a .22magnum..... 9mm muzzle energy Ruger make a nice Ranch rifle with a 9 round magazine and 16" barrel. easy to carry a 'bunch of ammo"

Little Mossburg 20 gauge Youth model shotgun......light handy short LOP..... break down for easy "storage" out of sight.

 

[forrestinmathews]

How about a Mossberg MVP Scout rifle? They are quite small and pack a big punch while having a variable capacity and ability to use both the M-14 and AR-10 magazines. Ruger needs the specialized AICS magazine.

If you have the money you can get a slicked up 1873 in .357 and really be equipped to hold your own. They are fast firing and accurate. With a little practice you can be as fast as a semiautomatic. The .357 has the advantage of ammo being field reloadable and economic on a pound of powder. I love a good Lee Loader Kit with some primers and projectiles. You can really maintain a capability of readiness for some time this way.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Some wonderful advice above, some fun comments, and some controversial remarks.

First and foremost:

NJ does not have a choice but to recognize FOPA

As someone else noted, they don't care. They'll happily arrest and prosecute you if you violate one of their unconstitutional, draconian anti-gun regulations. If you don't mind being the test case to ask SCOTUS to over rule the NJ regulations feel free but bring a thick wallet.

As for the controversy between lever guns and semi-auto rifles, or carbines, the real difference is in the reloading. With practice you can shoot a lever rifle in a pistol caliber about as fast as anyone using a semi-auto. However, after 10 rounds you're done and reloading is difficult and time consuming, especially under pressure. Ask any cowboy action shooter. So in a SHTF scenario you're outgunned from the get-go in a firefight against a semi-auto. So, despite my love of pistol caliber lever guns, as noted above, you do have to recognize their limitations.

That said, there are other "rifles" you can consider. The bullpup design creates a compact weapon even with a rifle barrel. And then there are the new AR "pistols". Designed without shoulder stocks, marketed legally as handguns, one of those could easily work for you. All the firepower or a typical AR but in a short size. Pistol calibers, rifle calibers, they're out there.

 

[Rob613]

I like the Ruger PCC suggestions, I love mine in 9mm.

The fact that they can take Glock mags sold me, as they are easy to find and cheap.

10 round mags to stay legal at home and 33 round mags waiting at your sons in NC. Adjustable LOP and virtually no recoil. Oh yeah, and it's a take down that fits in a back pack, no rifle case needed.

You can also find AR platform rifles pretty easily in NY. A number of gun shops sell them, with full features, with Patriot or Juggernaut magazine locks installed. The question is, are you willing to take that legal risk since laws are gray at best.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Another that's probably not a great choice for NY is the Beretta CX-4

My choice for a SHTF "PDW" ( Personal Defense Weapon) here in Pa. paired with a Beretta 92 Centurion.....9mm; even with it's 16" barrel it's shorter than an AR with the stock collapsed, 5lb, 15,20 and 30 rd factory/mec-gar mags available ( you can get 10 round mags from Beretta and Mec-gar)....... can mount a weapons light and red dot easily...... cus I don't a have an MP5

Designed as a select fire Police/military weapon with a 12" barrel. Currently seeing service in Italy and India (100,000) with the Border Security force...... some other countries.......

 

[rkittine]

My M1 National Match Garand is legal in New York. They did not come with the bayonet lug. You can also get one now if the bayonet lug is ground off. With 8 round capacity and top load it is not even considered to have a magazine. It is awfully heavy though. Fine for 18 year olds to carry.

Bob

 

[Rob613]

Another that's probably not a great choice for NY is the Beretta CX-4

It is considered an assault weapon in NY because of the pistol grip/thumb hole.

 

[seldon14]

If legal the M1A seems like a great choice. Gives you wide effective range, factory 10 round mags available, mags can be topped off if needed.

Sks would also be good if legal.

 

[seldon14]

Just did some quick googling and it looks like you can maybe get an SKS with the 20 round fixed mag. This would almost certainly be my pick.

 

[rich5674]

Great rifle, not good choice here.

My M1 National Match Garand is legal in New York. They did not come with the bayonet lug. You can also get one now if the bayonet lug is ground off. With 8 round capacity and top load it is not even considered to have a magazine. It is awfully heavy though. Fine for 18 year olds to carry
My Springfield Armory Type I NM does have the lug if that makes a difference. At 10lb I doubt the Mrs will want to shoot it.
The SKS is about 1/2 the price, 2lb lighter and recoils less. Ammo is available and less expensive. 20 round top feed mag available

 

[rkittine]

As long as you don't mind loading the magazine while it is fixed in the weapon.

Bob

 

[rkittine]

The National Match, Camp Perry versions did not have the bayonet lug to begin with. You can have it ground off to be legal in New York State.

 

[rich5674]

Top loaders

Right about top loading.
I love my Garand. Never letting it go. If it has a deficiency, it's that it cannot be topped off. Don't know about the SKS

 

[BB57]

If you live in a state where the AR-15 is banned but semi-autos in general are not, then consider a Mini-14. With a little tuning they'll shoot at well as the average AR-15, with the benefit of being less "scary" than an AR-15.

They have a lot in common with the M-1 Carbine in terms of the gas system and slide, as well as the M1 Garand style rotating bolt. They are not much heavier, have little recoil and fire the more substantial .223 / 5.56x45 cartridge.

 

[merl67]

I guess I will jump on in since I have a few of the rifles mentioned. I have a M1 Postal Meter carbine, Marlin 94 lever in 357 mag, Bushmaster AR15. I have also had in times past the following SKS. Marlin Camp 9, M1 Garand, Ruger Ranch Rifle. shot a Hipoint 9 carbine (junk). As much as I like the M1 Garand given today's choices the weight makes no sense. Same for the SKS. The hipoint is junk yes I know they have a lifetime warranty, but how much good will that do you in the SHTF situation after all we are talking hypothetically society has broken down. The Ruger Ranch 223 might make a good choice given the OPs home state. I kind of like the Marlin 94 357 given it is capable of taking a deer out to 100 yards (I have done it a few times) takes the same ammo as his side arm, and light enough to carry if need be. The M1 Carbine is not a bad choice either I have never shot a deer with one, but have heard stories of others that have. Some will not understand my final statement buy the rifle that best suits your situation now, because if it really ever does get bad there will be plenty of arms, and ammo laying around fight with what you have until something better comes along hypothetically speaking of course...

 

[gerhard1]

Another idea that is mentioned here already is the Remington 7615. It is a 223 pump based on the 760 or 7600 that takes AR 15 magazines.

I have one and I love it.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

My experience with M1 Carbines goes back to the late 1960's. There were many thousands of carbines in Vietnam used by police, popular forces, regional forces, and a lot of Viet Cong (the US delivered thousands of Springfields, Carbines, and Thompson SMG's to Ho Chi Minh during WW2 when he was leading resistance against Japanese occupation forces).

Great choice for short to medium range defensive use (out to about 150 yards in my experience). Power is limited, similar to .32-20 performance. Magazines are pretty easy to find, although the US surplus mags from WW2 and Korea are becoming a little pricy on the collector market. Note that the 15-round standard mags do not provide a bolt hold-open function after the last shot, but the 30-round (Korea vintage) do have this feature.

Not a precision shooting instrument! Standard carbines in the hands of experienced shooters are seldom capable of more than pie plate accuracy at 100 yards, but the Carbine is certainly easier to score hits with than any handgun.

I carried a M1 Carbine as a back-up piece in my vehicle during my 24 years in law enforcement. I still keep a Carbine on hand for defensive use, and it frequently goes along on road trips. Right at 36" long, slender without a lot of protruding parts, about 5 lbs. empty weight. Standard sights are decent for any use within the range and capability of the weapon. I keep an old GI-surplus 30-round Seymour mag ready to use, and a pouch on the stock with two original 15-round Inland mags, so 60 rounds are ready to go and easily grabbed with one hand.

Easily one of my all time favorites, and one of my "must have" firearms!

 

[NovaJoe]

This just my personal preference, and I'm sure that lots of folks will disagree.

I don't like to leave loaded guns around unattended, so I prefer guns that can be loaded and unloaded very quickly. Because of that, tubular magazines don't work for me.

If the SHTF, for me it will be a Glock and an M1 Garand.