Ultimate SHTF rifles thread

[Dave Markowitz]

(1) Mini-14 5.56mm. I have a bunch of good PMI mags (5 20 rounders and 4 30s) and mucho ammo. Reliable, light, and takes common ammo. Basically for defense but could be used for game up to deer size with proper shot placement.

(2) No.4 Mk.I .303. For big game or reach out and smack someone. I have a good stock of .303 Mk.VII Ball. For those unfamiliar with it, Mk. VII .303 has an aluminum filler under the tip, inside the jacket. This makes it longer than normal for the bullet weight and enhances tumbling upon impact.

(3) Savage Model 93 GL .22 Magnum. For hunting. If push comes to shove, a .22 Mag is not something anybody would want to be hit with, either.

(4) It's not a rifle, but an H&R Topper single shot 12 gauge. It's my only shotgun. Fun hunting.

Once I shoot my Century G3 and verify its reliability and accuracy, that would get my nod over the Lee-Enfield. Probably.

Aside from the rifles and shottie, I'd be packing at least one handgun, probably my S&W Model 15, maybe my BHP.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Any good highpower rifle with a scope.

AND

A bunch of .22 pistols for you and your friends. At least a few autoloaders with bull barrels and scopes.

And a boatload of ammo. The amount of .22 ammo you can bring will keep you hunting rabbits and deer to feed the family longer than anything else.

A nice recurve bow and some knives would also be handy.

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

This is fun, and exactly what I am outfitted for!

Reach out and touch, defense, hunting large and small game, and more defense. Being neighborly is alright so long as they mind their manners, and I will mind mine.

SA SAR 48 with 4-16 x 40 scope (me)
L1A1 with original sights (Wife)
Galil SAR 5.56 (Daughter)
Ruger 10/22 (Son)

I have a big truck, so hauling ammo is not a problem. Already have the spot picked out in the Mountains. I will provide for my own civil defense, thank you.

 

[natedog]

Four rifles is too many for me to choose. Of what I have now, I would take my Mini-14 and Marlin 795, for defense and hunting, respectively. If i were to choose something that I don't have right now, it would be a HK-91 or a HK-53.

 

[pangris]

Four rifles -

Savage 110 FP with Leupold glass
M1A
AR-15
10/22

Then two shotguns
11-87 Police
870 26"

Then handguns

Custom Para Ordnance P-14.45
Glock 21
Glock 22
Glock 17
Glock 36 (x2)

Then ammo -
1200 rds .308 mil surp
250 rounds .308 GM308M
1200 rounds .223
5000 rounds .22
800 rounds .45
50 rounds .40 (I'm phasing out the .40)
500 rounds 9mm
200 rounds 00 Buck
500 rounds #6 Shot

Then dog - 200 lb Mastiff. He eats a lot, but he's worth it.

Then pack it all up in my Volvo wagon, and I am safe.

Paul

 

[Sgt]

Kaylee, Here's the original question posed by Sir Galahad.......

You wake up to discover that a nuclear exchange is impending. (For those of you in target areas, you'll probably be vaporized, but what the heck, play along.) You don't have time to run out and buy ammo or supplies. You figure on getting as far away from fallout as possible using backroads. This will entail hunting for food and possibly defending that food. Count on not gettng resupplied for ammo. But, possibly, you might run across abandoned stores. Based on what you have on hand, how would you choose 4 rifles and all their ammo that you can pack into a vehicle and carry? The two duties of the rifles are hunting and self-defense.

And here Kaylee, are your answers......

So far, in every major "panic" type incident 9/11 and after, the common response is to band together, not start popping each other in a panic. I like that development.

Huh? I don't remember ANYONE asking for your "PC feel good" opinion on what will happen in regards to human nature....

That makes me think that running around with an AK in my hands would be just plain, well... unneighborly.

Well, heaven forbid!!!Do you see what I'm saying? The question was...what (Rifles) you would take?

Seems to be a discreetly carried pistol while leaving town and a couple hunting irons out of the way would be just fine. Anything else... might as well give or trade it where it do the most good.

Like I said....RIFLES!! You must be a teacher, 'cause you sure don't follow directions worth a darn....and you seem to be trying to teach us the error of our un PC ways.....Hey, no one here would promote Nuclear War, or killing everyone....except "golgo" and you patted that clown on the back for his comments....

(like there's anybody in Idaho that doesn't already have a gun.. shyeahh...

So, I take it you won't be running for Governor of California....once the Supreme Court makes their ruling? Good Luck, you might survive up there in a shtf scenario.....but don't come to LA......well....we've got enough blondes on the freeway now This is my last post being honest about kaylee, I've made my point, if you don't see it, it's because you choose not to......which mod is next.....who needs it the most? Please don't be afraid to make suggestions.....

 

[Marko Kloos]

I'll take you up on that.

Please check your email.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Well, if the SHTF, I'd probably just grab one of the ARs and a .22 pistol. Which AR would it be though? Maybe the Armalite NM, but it needs to jettison about 6 pounds of stock weights to be portable enough for me. The old Colt psuedo-SP-1 would work well enough too, and I don't feel bad about using the Ciener conversion in it to have a .22LR longarm also. Actually, with the Ciener and one of the ARs, I could grab the Glock 17 and be good to go.

 

[Art Eatman]

The narrow focus of Sgt's comments illustrates the problem inherent to "One size fits all" thinking for a scenario. "City" is different from "country"; "near a town" is different from "way out yonder". Two vastly different styles of rifles might well be equally useful in two different settings.

The particular usefulness of any particular choice of rifle is meaningless without some description of one's probable scenario. Further, in any one setting, some pre-planning as to cooperation among neighbors will affect a choice. Last, some understanding of human nature is quite useful in any violent situation. There is a lot of difference in the reactions of a scared Yuppie versus an experienced GangBanger. A variant would be that city folks tend to stay to the roads; country people are quite comfortable on foot crossing through woods and pastures.

Art

 

[Moparmike]

Not intended to be a flaming post...

country people are quite comfortable on foot crossing through woods and pastures.

Ok, suppose I pass thru a slightly trigger-happy farmer/redneck/whomever's pasture/'wooded back 40'. Then what? I am all for staying away from the roads (its much easier to be found on common paths of ingress/egress), but what about that? I personally could be the trigger-happy joe shmoe on watch during that particular SHTF scenario. I would hate to shoot some innocent who happened to be in the wrong field/back 40 when I am all hyped up on adrenaline and rage/anger.

Any ideas?

 

[Futo Inu]

If it's limited to what I actually have

Instead of theoretical, since I don't have that many choices, I would grab:

1. Winchester 69A turnbolt, .22lr, 16" bbl, with it's Weaver Classic 4x28 and buku ammo - small game.
2. Mec-Tec carbine with 1911 frame, .45acp, buncha mags and ammo - medium game, close range. Maybe some CQB defense.
3. Swede (sporterized) 6.5x55, with its 21"bbl and Nikon 3-9x40 - large game. Maybe some long range defense.
4. Bushmaster M17 Bullpup, customized, .223 Rem, with it's Trijicon TR21 1.25-4x24 and backup irons (Ashley Outdoors peep rear, and A2 front), buncha mags and ammo. Self-defense and small to medium game.

If we're choosing 4 "long guns" instead of 4 rifles as was the question, then replace number 2 with Remington 870 12 ga pump, with 2 bbls - my 18" and the 26" (slight cheat, sorry, but hey the xtra bbl IS easy to grab as well as utilitarian in that it's easy to swap out too - makes for both defense and getting tasty meat that moves fast when alive, from the same gun). Lotsa ammo - slugs, 7.5 shot, number 4 buck. I'd also sub out one pistol (Springfield .45 1911) for number 3 if the question were changed to 4 guns, instead of 4 rifles or 4 longguns. It's a tough call (since this forces me to give up my only long range and large game weapon), but the reason for the pistol is, if you need to blend into a portion of society which remains relatively unscathed and civilized, or a gov't facility perhaps, and need to do some dirty work in order to get subsistence food, you may just need a concealable sidearm. Numbers 1 and 4 would remain the same.

Others have covered good choices for theoretical ideals. I'd pick for ideals a Springfield scout in .22lr/.410 bore (or maybe a Marlin model 60 .22lr), a DSA FAL in .260 Rem, the Springfield pistol, and the 12 ga.

Uhh, CR Sam, were you having a senior moment, or did you mean 2 FALs in addition to the 10-22 and 12 ga? I'm guessing the latter - one for backup right?.....

Those who went beyond 4 guns or did not choose 4 rifles (first at least) must be the same people who take Mulligans or pull their balls away from the tree when playing golf, huh? Stick with the question asked, or at least answer it before making up your own question, please. It's more fun that way, since you can then later make your own thread extending the parameters and thus prolonging the fun (see, I have the sickness too).

Golgo, you're just plain evil. I like that - not just 10,000 longgun rounds per person, but per person PER DAY. LMAO.

And BTW, Gordon wins! (if he's not yankin our chains)

 

[No4Mk1*]

"You figure on getting as far away from fallout as possible using backroads."

Well if it is a big exchange, then I doubt I would really be able to get away from fallout, so the best use for all your guns and ammo is to use it as a shield from radiation on the ground outside. Lead makes a good shield. How is that for an excuse to buy more cases of ammo?

 

[Art Eatman]

Moparmike, that's just part of the thinking about the "what if?" that is an endless list of varying probabilities. If you're the hiker, you try to avoid being seen. If you're the watcher, you do some sort of threat assessment.

Nowhere is it written that SHTF means "Throw out common sense." If anything, just the opposite.

Art

 

[wardog]

Rifles

1. .308 Remington 700 Police w/Leupold 4.5-14 Tactical (long range defense and hunting)
2. .308 DSA SA-58 Medium Contour (defense, hunting)
3. .223 Bushmaster Dissipator (defense)
4. 12 G Beretta 391 Urika (defense, hunting)

Handguns
1. .45 HK USP (defense, common ammo)
2. .45 Kimber 1911 (defense, common ammo / parts / mags)
3. 9mm Taurus (defense, common ammo)
4. .22LR Browning Buckmark (hunting small game)

 

[keederdag]

Armalite AR-7, L1A1 With SUIT/trilux, Ithaca 37 d.s. police with surefire forestock+choat side folder and of course my tiny .22 Walther.