*Survival Rifles* Got One? What's yours?

[BAM-BAM]

97 posts and nobody has mentioned the iconic Browning take down .22??????? WHATSUPWITHTHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't think I've ever seen one in person!!

 

[THE PILGRIM]

97 posts and nobody has mentioned the iconic Browning take down .22??????? WHATSUPWITHTHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently you didn’t read my Post #40.

 

[max]

I suppose my AR. If talking 22's then the Nylon 66.

 

[Rpg]

I owned an AR 7 briefly.

It was much less useful than I imagined. It was also a jam-o-matic.

I quickly realized that my Colt Woodsman did everything better than the AR 7 except float.

 

[A10]

. I can get a couple of good hits in with a 22 at 100 yds, impossible with a shot gun.

Slugs are good to go.....I can keep shots on a paper plate at 100.

And snares and traps are a good thing

 

[A10]

See, this is where things have gone off the rails.

The "survivalists" and preppers with their "SHTF" rifles have co-opted the term by association.

The discussion used to be based around a light, compact, easy to stow and carry rifle that could be used to help you survive in the wild by enabling you to hunt small and medium game while you either await rescue or walk out to civilization.

To a lesser extent it's also a means to defend yourself against wolves, etc, although that's about 95% hollywood BS. Unless you are in a really remote area and/or the wolves are really hungry, they are going to avoid people like the plague, since they associate humans and their smell with pack mates getting shot or trapped.

"Survival rifles" have traditionally been rifles like:

- the USAF issued bolt action telescoping wire buttstock Harrington Richards M4 .22 Hornet survival rifle that used to fit in the seat pan survival kit in an ejection seat;

- the slightly larger break open over and under M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon based on the same concept in combinations of .22 LR/.22 Hornet, ,22LR/.410, and .22LR/.45 Colt. This also includes the Springfield Armory and CZ civilian M6 Scout.

- the USAF issued bolt action Armalite AR-5/MA-1 .22 Hornet survival rifle where the components all fit in the buttstock.

- Military based civilian survival rifles like the the Armalite AR-7, subsequently made by both Charter Arms and Henry. It is a semi-auto version of the AR-5 where again the entire rifle fits in the stock, and will float in water in that configuration.

- Civilian back packing rifles like the Chiappa Little Badger or the Savage Model 42.

- And finally take down versions of a number of .22 LR and centerfire rifles - (10/22, Model 39, 9422, Model 92 and Model 94 WInchester take downs, Marlin Model 70, Browning SA22, Ruger PC carbine, etc, etc, etc.

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Then we start to have some "drift" away from what a survival rifle actually is.

The current Chiappa M6 X Barrel is a derivative of the M6 in the form of the their enlarged version of it using a 12 gauge barrel on top and a .22 LR barrel underneath. They also include their X-Caliber inserts for .380 auto, 9mm, .357 Magnum, .40 Smith & Wesson, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, 20-gauge shotgun and .410 caliber shot shells, and of course you can shoot .38 special in the .357 Mag, and .44 Special in the .44 Mag.

However, given that all those inserts weight 4.5 pounds all by themselves, it's really stepped over the line into post apocalyptic prepper territory. It's a shoot what you can scrounge approach, - except it ironically does not include inserts for the civilian/military .223/5.56 NATO, .308/7.62 NATO, 7.62x39, and 5.45x39 rounds that are likely to be most commonly found in any self respecting post apocalyptic science fiction fantasy.

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There is also the current USAF issue 5.56x45mm NATO GAU-5A, which is based on the AR-15/M4 series.

However it also deviates from the traditional definition of survival rifle. Then again the USAF is upfront about it as it is classed as an "aircrew self-defense weapon", not a "aircrew survival weapon".

It's basically an M4 carbine modified to a take down configuration with a folding pistol grip to make it small enough to fit in a seat pan sized survival kit. (You can get a civilian version of it from Midwest Industries that uses a Cry Havoc quick release barrel system.)

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Unfortunately, if you do an internet search for "survival rifle" the vast majority of hits and reviews will be for the "SHTF" flavor of mis named "survival rifle".

As noted in your statement, back in the day a Survival Rifle was intended for a pilots use in the event he had to leave his aircraft for some reason (shot up, shot down, or augered in). The definition has evolved to include any survival situation. If the question was one of "What rifle do you keep in your aircraft in case you crash" you would likely have gotten different answers.

PS, I particularly liked the drilling.....the Germans had that right!

 

[BSA1]

I have a Uberti 73 lever action rifle in 32-20 that meets both of the criteria for Survival and SHTF.

A solid bullet will kill small game without destroying too much meat (or none at all with headshots) and will easily put down varmints. Before the Internet and modern gun writers came along the 32-20 was considered as a effective deer rifle.

It’s bottleneck case design makes it reliable for feeding and it’s small size and lightweight makes it easy to carry a bunch of extra cartridges. I could easily survive with only my lever action 32-20 although it would be boring not to have other guns and cartridges to shoot.

 

[Muss Muggins]

. . . If the question was one of "What rifle do you keep in your aircraft in case you crash" you would likely have gotten different answers. . .

And certainly not three pages worth . . .

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Apparently you didn’t read my Post #40.

My bad what was wrong with yours? Mine shoots like a dream

 

[THE PILGRIM]

My bad what was wrong with yours? Mine shoots like a dream

Never could figure it out.
The experts and several Gunsmiths all failed to fix it.

 

[sparkyvega]

SS 10/22 TD with Backpacker stock and aftermarket fiber optic sights. Three loaded magazines in the buttstock, one more in the magwell. Fits in a small, lightweight, padded, soft trumpet case.

 

[BB57]

97 posts and nobody has mentioned the iconic Browning take down .22??????? WHATSUPWITHTHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

See post 57.

 

[BB57]

"survival gun" = put food in your belly when out in the wild (at least my interpretation)

anyone have experience w one of these?
at -$300 and readily available , look really cool to me......
Henry AR-7
8+1
16.5" broken down @ 3.5lbs

OP - Thanks for posting this thread. I just talked myself into a new Christmas present

Over the years I've owned both the Armalite AR-7 and a Charter Arms AR-7 (that I still own). Neither were all that impressive.

Neither were very accurate, and the sights are pretty crude with rudimentary elevation adjustment and no windage adjustment to speak of.

The barrel is a shrouded design and it's prone to bending. If I were ever in a crash with one, I'd want it to be stowed in the stock to avoid bending it.

Reliability was exceptionally poor for both of them.

The magazines are better than the *** used on the Nylon 77, Rem 541S, etc, but it's still not great.

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Nothing I've ever seen or heard has indicated the Henry version offers any real improvement. They made some detail changes like changing the stock material to ABS plastic, allowing the magazine to be in place when the receiver is stowed in the stock. adding storage for two spare magazines and adding a tip off scope mount rail.

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The Israelis made a variant of the AR-7 that used a FAL pistol grip and a tubular telescoping stock. You can buy after market parts that allow the use of an AR-15 pistol grip and a telescoping stock, similar to the Izzy stock. It makes it slightly more usable as a rifle, but loses the compact store it in the floating stock option.

 

[Swiftflyer]

I carry a Charter Arms AR7 in the airplane, mine has been 100 per cent reliable and very accurate. A Beretta CX4 pretty much lives in the trunk of the car.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Well they are calling for up to 2ft + of snow in Central Pa and north........time to break out the survival gear!!!!!

 

[gerhard1]

Two CZ 527 carbines; one in 7.62x39 and the other in 223. Nifty little rifles.

 

[dmthomp32]

Two CZ 527 carbines; one in 7.62x39 and the other in 223. Nifty little rifles.

I've owned two of the 527's in 7.62x39. Excellent rifles and a powerful very cheap round. I'd buy another in a heart beat. I only sold my two prior examples cause people kept offering me so much money for them!

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[smoothshooter]

Hard to go wrong with the Savage 24C .22lr./20 ga.

I have 2 of them.
My Stepson has one I gave to him years ago.
I bought and sold several over the years to get those three that have both barrels aligned properly.

 

[smoothshooter]

Over the years I've owned both the Armalite AR-7 and a Charter Arms AR-7 (that I still own). Neither were all that impressive.

Neither were very accurate, and the sights are pretty crude with rudimentary elevation adjustment and no windage adjustment to speak of.

The barrel is a shrouded design and it's prone to bending. If I were ever in a crash with one, I'd want it to be stowed in the stock to avoid bending it.

Reliability was exceptionally poor for both of them.

The magazines are better than the *** used on the Nylon 77, Rem 541S, etc, but it's still not great.

----

Nothing I've ever seen or heard has indicated the Henry version offers any real improvement. They made some detail changes like changing the stock material to ABS plastic, allowing the magazine to be in place when the receiver is stowed in the stock. adding storage for two spare magazines and adding a tip off scope mount rail.

-----

The Israelis made a variant of the AR-7 that used a FAL pistol grip and a tubular telescoping stock. You can buy after market parts that allow the use of an AR-15 pistol grip and a telescoping stock, similar to the Izzy stock. It makes it slightly more usable as a rifle, but loses the compact store it in the floating stock option.

Investing in a CZ Scout bolt action .22 is money better spent.

 

[mtgianni]

To me a survival situation is where I need to live off the land for a period of time. You can go with out for for a week or so, and that means if I need a gun its longer than that. Shotguns are nice hard to miss kill almost anything close. But the ammo is heavy and the range is short. 22s win simply because of the ammo's lack of weight and bulk. I can get a couple of good hits in with a 22 at 100 yds, impossible with a shot gun.

But, snares, dead falls and the like are far more effective than hunting. Given the choice between a 22 rifle and the same weight in 3/32 "or 1/8" cable snare cable, I would take the cable every time. It is going be working 24 hours a day every day even when I am sleeping.

Add a couple of set lines and you're good for months.