The Hurricane Katrina Scout Rifle....concept

[orangeninja]

Okay all, I've been inspired by 2 things recently.......all the scout rifle threads and reading about Hurrican Katrina. So what kind of scout rifle would you use in a situation like that?

1.) The rifle will be exposed to all sorts of nasty water, rain, mud, floating yucky stuff.

2.) The rifle must be able to supress or defend against bands of thugs looting and robbing everything in sight. IE, quick repeat shots.....accurate of course.

3.) The rifle must have a ready supply of ammo available.

4.) The rifle must be light weight.

5.) Not a must, but it would be nice if the rifle didn't immediately raise the attention of law enforcement who may mistake you for a thug....ala AK47.

Just curious to see what everyone comes up with.

 

[mkh100]

I would say any of the MBR/Assault rifles like M1a, FAL, HK91,AR, even a Ruger Mini14/Ranch Rifle would fit the bill. Add a scope if thats what you mean by "scout" rifle, the ability to "glass" an area sounds good but remember you are pointing a rifle at folks, might be better to use binocs.

None of those particularly not the Rugers look as "evil" as the AK....all of them are probably more accurate than an AK. My choice is the HK91 (PTR 91 actually) maybe a folding stock so it stores a bit easier if you have to approach Law Enforcement or whatever.

Failing one of those, maybe a Savage bolt action thats mag fed. in 308...... "honest sheriff its just my dear rifle". I think the ability to quickly reload is a prime concern. Backup iron sights are a must particularly under the conditions you describe.

 

[clipse]

How about the Ruger Frontier in .308? Its stainless, light, bolt action so repeat shots aren't too slow, and plenty accurate from reports I've read.

clipse

 

[Roadkill]

mini 14. Marlin /Winchester 30-30. M1 Carbine

rk

 

[SpookyPistolero]

I believe the ability to conceal your rifle is being drastically underrated here. If Katrina taught us anything it was that you as an independent entity, will be herded into shelter and stripped of such belongings if at all possible. Besides which, the presence of any weapon, not just an 'evil' looking weapon, makes you a red flag to any law enforcement/rescue worker. If you meet government personnel, you don't get to keep it.

The weapon should be out of sight, even in a very discreet carry case (think gym bag, tall backpack, etc). It needs to be readily accessible, but not easily discovered.

I don't see how a folding stock AK doesn't fit this role perfectly. It's quite compact, offers excellent reliability in such crappy conditions, ample power/capacity, can be quickly put into play from a 'stowed' condition, is simple enough for anyone in your party to learn to operate it quickly, and you won't feel bad if it gets rough treatment.

Since you'd be relatively strong in such a situation compared to most, appear slightly weaker to blend in. Fly under the radar. Don't be noticed.

 

[ChestyP]

Unfortunately,

most non-gunnies view ANY gun as threatening. I agree that a lever action carbine or even a Ruger Mini is less threatening than an AK, but thatn't not how the public sees it. It isn't "Man with an AK" or "Man with an 'assault rifle,'" it's "Man with a gun."

Having said that, functionally, probably the best choice is an SKS. Commonly available. Aftermarket parts and mods commonly available. Ammo commonly available and relatively cheap. The SKS is the "people's rifle." Reliable, durable and easy on the wallet.

 

[benEzra]

A civvie AK lookalike would be perfect except for your criterion #5. Of course, Compass et al were confiscating all guns, not just EBR's, so that may be a moot point. As SpookyPistolero mentioned, the gun owner's discretion is probably more important than what the gun looks like.

It is possible that an AR-type carbine might look "friendlier" to the authorities than an AK lookalike, since it's more familiar and might say "good guy" to them. It doesn't meet your criterion #1 quite as well as an AK lookalike, but if soldiers managed to keep M16's clean enough to work in Vietnam and who knows where else, then I'm sure you could keep an AR clean enough to work even in the midst of lots of mud.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

How about that pump-action .223 rifle that takes AR mags. (I think Remington makes it) It would be handy, have fast follow up shots, and a high capacity. It also looks like a regular (non-assault) rifle so you would appear less threatening to LEO's.

 

[rbernie]

Give me a chopped Ishy 2A and a sealed SA battlepack.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Give me a chopped Ishy 2A and a sealed SA battlepack

+1

 

[badgerw]

I'm in the process of building a SHTF / general purpose rifle on a Glenfield (Marlin) .30-30 lever action. I bought it recently at a gun show for $160. It shoots well, although it has some rust spots and dings to the "hunting scene" wood furniture.


Planned changes are:

1. Replace the wood furniture with a Ram-Line synthetic set. I'm getting the Youth model so that I can enjoy the shorter LOP and add a recoil pad.

2. Shorten the barrel for 20" to 16".

3. Replace the badly bent factory sights with Brockman 3rd Generation ghost ring rear and tritium front.

4. Gun Kote the metal.

5. Add a butt sleeve with at least 5 extra rounds.

I have a non-descript folding chair bag to carry it. I'll post pictures when it's ready.

Bill

 

[clange]

Edit: Good idea too, I like that. ^^

I don't see how a folding stock AK doesn't fit this role perfectly.

I concur.



Folding stock, smaller 20 round mag, black handguards. It doesnt look as much like an AK as one with wood stocks and a 30 round mag. I need to find a nice tennis racket case or something and it'll look like an 'OMG AK-47' even less.

 

[CarbineKid]

How about the kel Tec PLR or SU-16?? The SU folds in half, and the PLR is just plain smallish. They both fire the 5.56 round, and AR mags are EASY to find.

 

[wdlsguy]

How about a Mini-14 SBR?

 

[rbernie]

I'm not planning to walk around with a long gun - even the best of the folders aren't particularly handy when stuffed into an innocuous looking carry bag. In my eyes, the long gun is for home defense and the concealed pistoles are my walkin' around mojo.

 

[mmike87]

Check this out:

http://www.apwcogan.com/SKS Page.htm

A nice hard-chromed and re-worked SKS rifle. The end product should be built like a tank and the hard chrome finish should be able to survive the eye of the storm.

It's also relatively light weight, 7.62x39 ammo is pretty readily available in most areas, and it doesn't look "as evil" as an AK-47 would. They are also quite accurate, and the above one features a trigger job.

 

[Foxtrot427]

PLR-16 or AR pistol

 

[Ash]

Well, as I lived through Katrina and its aftermath, my Katrina weapon was a Witness .45 and it wasn't confiscated. The only confiscation that occurred was in New Orleans. There was a whole lot more to Katrina than New Orleans, and the rest of us managed to be pretty civil, even though we guarded our properties. Personally, being able to resist mucky water is no big deal. The breakdown in civil government was not all that pronounced outside of New Orleans, and nowhere in the US would a breakdown be long enough for rust to be all that big of a deal. Even in 3rd world New Orleans chaos didn't last long enough for rust to be a big deal.

Ash

 

[WYO]

All of my family, and a lot of friends, live in the affected areas, mostly in and around N.O. I have not heard one story where the kind of firearm or its characteristics or ammo made a bit of difference. One friend was able to redirect hordes on a couple of occasions by racking a pump action shotgun. So, while it's fun to debate the "ideal" scout gun, I think it is largely an academic exercise. A .22 rifle, a Lorcin or Davis .380, or a High Point 9mm probably would have kept one safe.

I also think the people with functional, low end firearms like milsurp Ishys and .30-30's have the right idea. In fact, you may want to have a couple of those, so the loss of one to the ravages of the storm or even confiscation doesn't render you helpless. You also increase the possibility of confiscation by advertising with a long gun.

 

[357wheelgunner]

What about an SBR 9mm Uzi? It shoots the same ammunition as a Glock 17 (if that is what you prefer, or a Sig P226, BHP...) and could be concealed easily with a folding stock and a 10" barrel. The uzis I've shot have all had great "practical" accuracy, not so good past 50 yards though, which is fine for an urban environment.

Screw that I'll take my reminton 870 and a sack of buckshot/slugs on my hip, back to the shotgun forum for me....

 

[vynx]

How about an H&R topper model (youth) single barrel 12 gauge with the barrel cut down to 18.25" its very lightweight and handy, its around 33" overall length. If its carried next to your leg its not too noticable and if it gets drenched, rusted or confiscated it won't worry me too much.

I used to keep one tucked under the seat of my old nissan p/u with 3 shells stuck in the ashtray (pre-california).

OOPS just realized its not a rifle - does it qualify with slugs?

 

[Clipper]

...High-Point carbine in an ATI stock, with a reflex sight. Accurate and powerful enough for urban-type ranges, reliable and tough, and uses arguably the most common ammo there is. Handy at only 33", and inexpensive enough that I definately won't be devastated by a little rust & dirt...

 

[Stiletto Null]

^^^

That's $400, man.

You can scout out (with a red dot) an SKS for that kind of money.

 

[LoadedDrum]

Stainless Mini14 with folding synthetic stock.

 

[Dave R]

What? Nobody is going to suggest a levergun in .357Mag? .30-30 has been brought up. I think a good levergun is ideal in this kind of situation. Relatively 'un-scary', good firepower, reliable, compact...

Meets all 5 criteria. What's not to like?