Durable Rifle
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kilibreaux
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What does "durable" mean in your lexicon?
ANY gun can be deliberately damaged beyond function so I have to assume that when you say "durable" you mean a rifle that will hold up well in the environs of a truck.
Bolt rifles are nice but out-dated.
The ONLY choice left is whether you favor the AK or AR platform.
IF you favor AK then you're talking 7.62x39 simply because it's the least expensive, readily available standard.
IF you favor AR then the RIGHT ANSWER is the .300 AAC (Blackout).
The AR is the better "platform" without any doubt. It's far more accurate, had superior ergonomics, and when properly put together and wrung out is as reliable as any AK. Also, the .300 AAC is SUPERIOR to the 7.62x39...not in brute force, but in "finesse" which has ALWAYS been the reason the AR platform supercedes the AK platform!
If you're thinking SHTF, end of the world stuff then you would want to go 5.56 NATO, but IF you're thinking hunting, and maybe the world ends while you're out and about, the .300 AAC is THE choice, though you will have to load your own if you don't want to be price gouged. IF you don't reload then the ONLY caliber in the AR platform for you is the 5.56 and you WANT the 5.56 over the ".223."
Whatever rifle you have in your truck will be THE rifle you'll have when you discover the world has ended...a 4 shot, bolt-action, versus a 20-100 shot semiautomatic...same money, your choice.
ANY gun can be deliberately damaged beyond function so I have to assume that when you say "durable" you mean a rifle that will hold up well in the environs of a truck.
Bolt rifles are nice but out-dated.
The ONLY choice left is whether you favor the AK or AR platform.
IF you favor AK then you're talking 7.62x39 simply because it's the least expensive, readily available standard.
IF you favor AR then the RIGHT ANSWER is the .300 AAC (Blackout).
The AR is the better "platform" without any doubt. It's far more accurate, had superior ergonomics, and when properly put together and wrung out is as reliable as any AK. Also, the .300 AAC is SUPERIOR to the 7.62x39...not in brute force, but in "finesse" which has ALWAYS been the reason the AR platform supercedes the AK platform!
If you're thinking SHTF, end of the world stuff then you would want to go 5.56 NATO, but IF you're thinking hunting, and maybe the world ends while you're out and about, the .300 AAC is THE choice, though you will have to load your own if you don't want to be price gouged. IF you don't reload then the ONLY caliber in the AR platform for you is the 5.56 and you WANT the 5.56 over the ".223."
Whatever rifle you have in your truck will be THE rifle you'll have when you discover the world has ended...a 4 shot, bolt-action, versus a 20-100 shot semiautomatic...same money, your choice.
kilibreaux
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Actually I forgot about the Ruger Mini-14...outstanding platform in .223!
The only "problem" is that OEM accuracy sucks due to the engineering dynamics of the rifle!
You see, when the breech is close the recoil spring is pushing the "slide" hard against the barrel-mounted gas piston. When the rifle fires and the bullet passes the gas port, the barrel suddenly flexes downward...combined with a rather thing barrel causes the Mini 5.56 to have abysmal groups.
The CURE for this is to squirt some RTV silicone sealant into the slot of the operating rod so that when the rod is pressed forward by the recoil spring the "closure force" is exerted against the right bolt lug! This eliminates upward barrel pressure and the subsequent downward pressure that happens when the bullet passes the gas port!
With the appropriate accuracy mods the Mini-14 is also a fabulous "truck" rifle but not as good as an AR-15. So if you're buying from scratch then the AR is your first, best choice.
The only "problem" is that OEM accuracy sucks due to the engineering dynamics of the rifle!
You see, when the breech is close the recoil spring is pushing the "slide" hard against the barrel-mounted gas piston. When the rifle fires and the bullet passes the gas port, the barrel suddenly flexes downward...combined with a rather thing barrel causes the Mini 5.56 to have abysmal groups.
The CURE for this is to squirt some RTV silicone sealant into the slot of the operating rod so that when the rod is pressed forward by the recoil spring the "closure force" is exerted against the right bolt lug! This eliminates upward barrel pressure and the subsequent downward pressure that happens when the bullet passes the gas port!
With the appropriate accuracy mods the Mini-14 is also a fabulous "truck" rifle but not as good as an AR-15. So if you're buying from scratch then the AR is your first, best choice.
Glockula
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I would think a marlin 336 would make a nice truck gun and they are good to drag around the woods.
briansmithwins
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My choice would be dictated by intended usage. What caliber? Bolt or semi? Irons or optic?
Generally speaking, bolt guns are simpler and more reliable than a self loading rifle. But, they are slower to take repeat shots and generally have smaller magazines than a semi auto too.
Optics get you hits faster than iron, but are more fragile.
There is no 'right' answer.
BSW
Generally speaking, bolt guns are simpler and more reliable than a self loading rifle. But, they are slower to take repeat shots and generally have smaller magazines than a semi auto too.
Optics get you hits faster than iron, but are more fragile.
There is no 'right' answer.
BSW
Mohave-Tec
Member
Remington 783 in 308
I bought a Remington 783 in 308 for the same reasons. I wanted a banging and crashing around gun that was short and strong. I didn't know much about it when I bought it except that it has a magnum contour barrel at 22 inches and the stock has a higher than usual fiber count that makes it much more rigid than most plastic stocks. I'm developing a load for it now so we'll just have to see if it is a shooter. I paid $319. Has a nice trigger in it! You would have to make a decision about sites for it.
I bought a Remington 783 in 308 for the same reasons. I wanted a banging and crashing around gun that was short and strong. I didn't know much about it when I bought it except that it has a magnum contour barrel at 22 inches and the stock has a higher than usual fiber count that makes it much more rigid than most plastic stocks. I'm developing a load for it now so we'll just have to see if it is a shooter. I paid $319. Has a nice trigger in it! You would have to make a decision about sites for it.
The "most durable rifle" is almost certainly a bolt action, single shot .22. Again they just will last longer than other rifles because of the design. It may not be the rifle for your truck but it will certainly be the most durable rifle you will ever see except maybe a muzzle loader.
Some parameters besides "truck gun" would help us help you with a good choice. Semi-auto? Centerfire? There are lots of different answers depending on what you really need in your truck.
Here in Ohio they won't let me carry a loaded rifle in the truck. Rifles have to be carried separate from the ammo. So my truck rifle is a S&W 629 revolver because it will reach out and smack something hard out to about 175 yards which is about all I need in a handgun. There are just so many variables in your question there are going to be a lot of answers all over the ball park.
Some parameters besides "truck gun" would help us help you with a good choice. Semi-auto? Centerfire? There are lots of different answers depending on what you really need in your truck.
Here in Ohio they won't let me carry a loaded rifle in the truck. Rifles have to be carried separate from the ammo. So my truck rifle is a S&W 629 revolver because it will reach out and smack something hard out to about 175 yards which is about all I need in a handgun. There are just so many variables in your question there are going to be a lot of answers all over the ball park.
Why complicate things?In fact the GSR is so perfect for what you want it should have been named the "Truck Buddy".
The Savage is not bad, but the sights aren't as rugged or as good as the GSR's and the internal box magazine is a minus. Truck guns have to be loaded and unloaded often and a detachable magazine would be a big plus.
briansmithwins
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About the H&R rifles: At some point even a very simple design can be made so cheaply that it fails to work and/or isn't durable.
BSW.
BSW.
I do not know about the AR's fragile M4 stock being able to take a lot of abuse
The most DURABLE rifle would be one that uses the least amount of carbon steel. That pretty much leaves the AR15 in the under $1,000 price range for durability. It was designed to be pretty tough, it really is a lot less trouble to clean compared to the M14 with exposed carbon steel receiver and parkerized barrel. It can lift another fully loaded soldier completely into a window with his teammates holding the butt and barrel. With a nitrided finish on the barrel, it won't rust. Period. And the alloy receiver can't, it's aluminum. With a minimum of easy to access maintenance, the anti corrosion treated bolt carrier assembly shrugs off the residue and environment.
Military weapons can go overland for months at a time in the hands of soldiers getting a lube and wipedown. That's not something I'd trust a blued carbon steel civilian design that can only be taken down for cleaning on a benchtop with punches and screwdrivers. It's why they aren't used in the military any more, either. They aren't durable.
Older traditional guns, especially the manual action ones, generally have a 20 year service life and then they get replaced. The AR has been in service 45 years and is expanding in use worldwide, even replacing the AK. The Air Force still has original 60's M16's in service in their armories.
I'd go with the proven winner which has a demonstrated track record. Or, you could choose something like my '64 Win 94 Saddle Ring Carbine, which is a beat up measled water stained mess. It was obviously a truck gun most of it's life. Even the M16 I used in Basic didn't look that bad.
Military weapons can go overland for months at a time in the hands of soldiers getting a lube and wipedown. That's not something I'd trust a blued carbon steel civilian design that can only be taken down for cleaning on a benchtop with punches and screwdrivers. It's why they aren't used in the military any more, either. They aren't durable.
Older traditional guns, especially the manual action ones, generally have a 20 year service life and then they get replaced. The AR has been in service 45 years and is expanding in use worldwide, even replacing the AK. The Air Force still has original 60's M16's in service in their armories.
I'd go with the proven winner which has a demonstrated track record. Or, you could choose something like my '64 Win 94 Saddle Ring Carbine, which is a beat up measled water stained mess. It was obviously a truck gun most of it's life. Even the M16 I used in Basic didn't look that bad.
briansmithwins said:
That's true but there are well made rifles that are as simple as it gets. The H&R is one of them. The Ruger No. 1 is probably in that class, and a Stevens 15 is too IMO. There are several other rifles with a similar design but I've only shot one of them for 45 years, the Stevens. It still works just like it did the first day I shot it. If it broke you could fix it with a rubber band and a nail most likely.
I would think that the most durable rifle will be some sort of battle rifle or military grade personal defense weapon of more recent times. So:
AK's
AR's - especially the higher end ones and perhaps a piston-operated one like an H&K or a Sig
FN-heavy or light
HK MP5
Or a big hunk of steel from Barrett and others.
And then rewinding in time:
The .308 PTR and it's antecedents such as the H&K or FAL
Earlier than that and I suspect it's not so durable. It's just old.
I have an obvious bias here having omitted civilian bolt rifles and the like.
B
AK's
AR's - especially the higher end ones and perhaps a piston-operated one like an H&K or a Sig
FN-heavy or light
HK MP5
Or a big hunk of steel from Barrett and others.
And then rewinding in time:
The .308 PTR and it's antecedents such as the H&K or FAL
Earlier than that and I suspect it's not so durable. It's just old.
I have an obvious bias here having omitted civilian bolt rifles and the like.
B
henschman
Member
I'd just get a simple, high quality AR carbine with an Aimpoint. Something built as close to the mil specs as you can get. Lube the bolt with something good that will stay on it, like EWL, Frog Lube, Mobil 1, etc. and leave it.
A CMP service grade M1 Garand would meet your needs, even leave you a little money to tweak it some. I carried one for years as a truck gun, was equipped for everything from an occasional hunt to social anarchy, ha. Good luck to you, and hopefully no one will steal it!
rodinal220
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M98K,SMLE,1903 Springfield,P-14/17
mgkdrgn
Member
Mosin Nagant, hands down.
It survived the battle of Stalingrad ... what worse could you =possibly= do to it?
It survived the battle of Stalingrad ... what worse could you =possibly= do to it?
Neo-Luddite
Member
It really depends on how much range/capacity you need. I'd go AK and not think about it againb.
hardluk1
member
I to would say a H&R rifle.
35Remfan
Member
Military Surplus Bolt for a Truck rifle
I'd take a Mauser myself. Or a Mosin-Nagant.
If it was something other than an old military surplus it would be a Win 94 or Marlin 336 lever. Get a decent used one with a few scratches and you won't care when you add more to it.
I'd take a Mauser myself. Or a Mosin-Nagant.
If it was something other than an old military surplus it would be a Win 94 or Marlin 336 lever. Get a decent used one with a few scratches and you won't care when you add more to it.
351 WINCHESTER
Member
Lee enfield, Nagant, Mauser.
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