all round gun for self-defence and survival

Just some advice, don't get caught up in the word "survival", like the Henry U.S. Survival rifle. I purchased one several years ago and have had nothing but problems. It has a problem with feeding rounds. Mine has been to the gunsmith on several occasions. I like to carry my winchester 94 30/30. Its light. dependable, and godforbid anything happens to it, I spent a couple of hundred bucks on it.
 
I'm most likely alone one this suggestion, but I would pick (as I have) a Ruger Single Six in .22 Magnum, with a 6.5 bbl. I own quite a few big bore handguns and I think the .22 Mag is underrated for self defense. Aside from Big Bears (and I would also want a 12 Gauge pump w/slugs, lots of slugs!!!!!), a survival handgun in my opinion should be all about getting FOOD, as well as keeping things that go bumb in the night away from the glow of the campfire. You can carry far more .22 Mags in your backpack than .38's or .45's, as far as equal weight/bulk is concerned. What about a .22 mag revolver AND a 12 Ga pump????
 
hicomp2 said:
I'm most likely alone one this suggestion, but I would pick (as I have) a Ruger Single Six in .22 Magnum, with a 6.5 bbl. I own quite a few big bore handguns and I think the .22 Mag is underrated for self defense. Aside from Big Bears (and I would also want a 12 Gauge pump w/slugs, lots of slugs!!!!!), a survival handgun in my opinion should be all about getting FOOD, as well as keeping things that go bumb in the night away from the glow of the campfire. You can carry far more .22 Mags in your backpack than .38's or .45's, as far as equal weight/bulk is concerned. What about a .22 mag revolver AND a 12 Ga pump????
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The main reason is that pistols are restricted in Canada so I cannot legally carry it.

Will
 
When "Survival" is your goal go with a proven performer that has been used in locales where daily life is all about survival.

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I built this Mini-Kalashnikov myself and this even with the addition of a .22 conversion kit for small game fits in one of the naceles of my rucksack.
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Here is my wife's
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Will said:
One guy I worked with carries a small 12 gauge shotgun loaded with slugs for bears, and carries shots for survival purposes. His thinking is that the slugs will stop a polar bear, and the shots can be good for hunting small game and birds should weather or some other unforseen factor prevent the helecopter pick-up at the end of day.
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If I were you I would make friends with him and pick his brain if you haven't done so already. Sounds like he knows what he's doing. If not; nothing lost.

Add me to the long list of those who endorse the Remington 870 in 12Gauge for all the reasons mentioned. A beginner needs to practice, for aim and until the slide action becomes second nature.

My personal preference is for one of the better, thick, recoil pads. A good gunshmith can install one while keeping length of pull as original or adjusting it. Good luck.
 
Where in the world do you live?? Polar bears, and squirrels in the same place?
 
Man you got some good responses . Mine is nothing new . Shotgun will take down a sparrow to a grizz . rifles are great and there is nothing like ten or so rounds of semi auto fire to discourage furry creatures in the night . They wouldn,t be very good for taking down birds if you wanted to or needed to hunt . If you go the shotgun route I would have more than two shots . If you are not that practiced a grizz might take more than two shots and your nerves might make it hard to reload . You might not have the time either .
 
slugs for bears, and carries shots for survival purposes. His thinking is that the slugs will stop a polar bear, and the shots can be good for hunting small game and birds should weather or some other unforseen factor prevent the helecopter pick-up at the end of day.
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I think your idea about the shotgun is a very good one.

In TN we are limited to carrying ammo for the particular season. For example, during turkey season we are allowed to carry 4 and 6 shot, but no slugs. During deer season we are allowed to carry slug, but not shot.(Unless there is a bird or squirrel season open.)

I have no idea about Canada, but you might want to check into it.

A shotgun is very versatile.

We have a buddy on the forums that prefers the 20 gauge slugs since they have a better trajectory, and still pack one hell of a whallop. You do lose power, however.
 
We have a buddy on the forums that prefers the 20 gauge slugs since they have a better trajectory, and still pack one hell of a whallop. You do lose power, however.
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A 20 gauge shotgun is smaller and lighter than a 12. Likewise the ammo, so more can be carried. And recoil is softer. 20 gauge shotguns can be very effective.

But I prefer 12 gauge because 12 is the standard. Ammo is easier to obtain than any other gauge; And much more plentiful overall. This holds true in normal or emergency conditions where ammo might have to be obtained by barter, pilfering of deserted supplies or other unorthodox strategems. Whoops, I digressed from the topic.

Also, IMO, 12 gauge is the ideal combo of power and recoil for a person of average physical ability.

OTOH, sometimes conditions favor lighter weight, size and the the ability to carry more ammo.
 
mayb a .357 magnum. it can use .38 or .357 mag n can take a scope. i hate to recomend a wheel gun but in your situagion it sounds like it would work very well. you might want to take a look at the SOCOM 16 in 7.62 (would be a great all around weapon, very powerful and accurate) or the SU16 folding rifle in .223 great for small game. you do know that even a 12g slug will not stop a bear unless you get a shot at the head or heart. you might wanna look at bear spray also
 
shottys are great - at close range. A .223 is a good all round hunter for small to medium sized game. A cheap 7.62 will blow the shit out of anything. If you really intend to do damage, a heavy weight, but slow velocity weapon is the best; maximum damage, as long as you hit the target. Obviously a very personal choice when it comes to weapons; note that SF guys can often choose their own, and everyone has their prefs derived from their skills and desires.
 
I can't believe more people didn't endorse the AK-47!?
Maybe lack of experience with them? I am sure shotguns are much more common in civilized countries with internet connections.

But,
I totally agree with sopmodm4:

When "Survival" is your goal go with a proven performer that has been used in locales where daily life is all about survival.
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That weapon is like the "swamp rat" knife equivalent in the gun world.

They are cheap, dependable, fire when they are dirty, wet, full of mud. They don't jam, and they will kill anything. They are easily modified to full auto. They can be field stripped by a child and put back together in minutes. The parts are simple and do not break, and even if they do break the parts are so incredibly simple they could easily be machined.


Ammunition is cheap and highly portable, standard clips hold 30 rounds.

Shotguns need different loads for differnet jobs, which makes them versatile until you don't have the load you need for the job.. This inherently makes them less useful in any survivalist type scenario.

If I am stuck in the woods and need to hunt and defend myself give me an AK over a shotgun any day.

Edit:: Of course your sheeple freak out factor is much higher with an AK. I am not sure if this was a fator or not for the original poster?
 
Where can I buy some of those Winchester Partition Gold or Platinum tip slugs? I live in Seattle Washington, any stores near here?
 
I finally have finished it and tried it out. With the Hornady Leverevolution ammo it is just under an inch at 100 yds. That is after lapping the barrel and re-crowning it.
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The light and laser are removable and the ammo storage compartment can be converted to hold a small survival kit.
 
nymikel64 said:
Hi oldsalt. For a meatgetter with some selfdefense potential its a real god choice. Only one thing i would change. I think the particular gun you mentioned was or is made by Savage. They also used the .22 mag instead of the .22l.r. and this would be it. Having already a shotgunbarrel to cover a distance of around lets say 35 to 40 yards while smallgame hunting, the .22 l.r. would add only around 30 yards reach. The .22 mag almost triples it. Ammo does not weigh much more.
These over and under combinations are really very popular were I live and they make them in a wide variety of calibers.
Also popular are combinations of a regular rifle barrel i.e.30/06, or.308 combined with a smaller rifle caliber.22l.r. upto .223
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Yes, I have had a Savage over/under for 40 years. .22 magnum on top and .410 shotgun on the bottom. They were prone to faulty barrel selector switches (which is a button that slides) and I would not want to trust my life to it.

No one has mentioned the old AR-7 .22 rifle that takes apart and stores in the plastic butt stock. It also floats. Mine is very dependable and one could carry a lot of ammo for it. No it won't reliably take deer sized game. Buy it is an option.
 
I've been doing some photographs for an Australian stock company (Wild Dog-Australia) and talked them into doing a proto-type stock for a Marlin 336. The ammo storage is a standard feature on their stocks but a little more begging got me the extra compartment. I recrowned and lapped the barrel and the results proved it was worth the effort. With Hornady Leverevolution ammo it's last group at 100 yds was 7/8". The laser and light are put on with Weaver bases (there are threaded inserts in the fore-end). One allen wrench and they are removable. Now to put it to use! With the new ammo it is at least a 200 yd. gun.
 
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