MSR = main survival rifle
OK, I've read this entire thread again for the second time.
This is my last post before going to sleep (it's now 5 AM PST).
I've abandoned trying to parse the original 10 or so criteria, and am now focusing on the knowledge presented here in for my own MSR needs.
I now own a Kahr K9. Will soon add a Rem 870P. They should take care of SD needs, and are relatively easy to carry even on foot in a bug out (say in an expedition sized backpack, with extra rnds).
Add a longer barrel to the 870, & it'll do rabbit, bird, squirrel. Carry a few slugs, and I've got whitetail & mule deer.
Now, the complication comes with this. I mainly think of the K9 as a city carry gun. In a bug out, I'd most likely entertain carrying a .357 revolver, which I'm considering adding after the 870P. (Most likely candidate right now: SW 620 or Ruger GP101).
The 870 WILL go along. If I also had fossil fuel powered wheels (not a given any more given the state of things, and the approaching peak of oil), I'd probably also like to have a MSR, also.
So, the question becomes, which one? Key word: one.
Not interested in AK's, AR's and such for this. (No offense to those who are; to each there own. Good luck.)
Current choices, after reading this thread (did I mention twice?) and several others, in no particular order:
Rem 7600P in .308 or .223
Rem 700 in .30-06
Marlin 336 in .30-30 or .35
Marlin 1894C in .357 carbine (would so complement a revolver)
Some kind of .243
22lr (unlikely, though; i want a bit more bang)
My thoughts about surival: being mostly a loner, or may hook up with one or two others (instead of a large camp), I'm unlikely to hunt large game. (Why kill it if I can't eat it in a day or two?). So I'm leaning against the .30 cal and up. Despite the appeal of that Rem 7600P in a pump (same muscle memory move as the 870P), and the larger caliber, I'm leaning towards something a bit smaller.
If I'm carrying a .357 anyway, and got the cartridges, the Marlin 1894C makes sense. That cal is (reportedly) widely available.
On the other hand, what if the .357 ran out but .30-30 was still around. Just like in ecosystems, diversity can be good.
OK, I think I'll go sleep on it some more.
I'm sure my mind will change another few hundred times between now and a couple of months from now when I actually purchase said MSR.
Wow, choices are good, eh?
Nem