survival firearm

[Liam Ryan]

Copied this description and pic from SIR mailorder.


"The Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 is a new and improved version of the famous U.S. Airforce AR-7 .22 rifle. The ultra lightweight design breaks down in seconds into three pieces, enabling the barrel action and magazines to fit comfortably into the dirt and waterproof stock. When stowed, it measures a mere 16.5” long and includes a sturdy plastic box with carrying handle for storage and transportation. The steel barrel is covered in a tough ABS plastic and is coated in teflon to allow the gun to balance properly, yet have a durable weather resistant finish. The gun is capable of floating either assembled or disassembled. The stock holds and includes two 8 round magazines. Black finish. Weight: 2.5 lbs. Overall length 35”."


They also have a 3 barrel, break action rifle, that shoots 12 ga., 30-06 and 22LR, sounds like 3 excellent choices, but no fixed sights for the 30-06.
heres a pic.
NEF combo gun;

 

[hotrodKelley]

Survival gun. I would have to go with a Glock model 20 in 10mm. My reason for this is that it is very light, fully loaded with 15 rds in the mag. It has the power to drop most North American big game animals with 1 shot(as the 10mm has the performance of the 41 magnum) if you had to kill an animal to eat. It also could defend you life against bears if your in that kind of area. Also the gun is basically break-proof, so you wouldnt have to worry about dropping it, or the weather.:thumbup:

 

[North61]

I have a half dozen rifles that I consider survival guns. In bear country I want some power. Otherwise versatility is key. The 24C is hard to beat and well worth the hunt to find one.

Top to Bottom:

Stevens 325B in 30-30. Light and accurate with black bear power punch. At 150.00 I can take it in the Canoe without guilt. Good caribou rifle in a pinch.

Marlin 450... 7 pounds that will take a grizz when in the mountains up here.

Savage 24C....This is the one. The 22LR is a great small game round as is the 20 gauge. With slugs decent bear defensive punch for bear. Takes down to a 20" 5.5 pound package! Accurate..carries 10 22LR and 2 Slugs in the stock.

CZ M6. Very packable. 22 Hornet handloaded with 50 Sierras is caribou capable (barely)and 410 Shot & Slug are semi-capable for shotgunny tasks. Folds down to a small package that is quickly brought into use. In Stock Ammo storage.

Browning Trombone. Take down carries 10 LR in tube. Horrible trigger pull.

Chipmunk 22LR with hollow stock capable of storing 150 rounds of ammo.

 

[moonwilson]

Soooo... is a side by side a double barrell shotgun?

Sorry for the late reply, it's been busy at work. A side by side is a double barrel shotgun, with the barrels aligned horizontally, like Elmer Fudd totes. Mine has double triggers and no automatic safety. It's nice because you can instantly choose between chokes- the left barrel has a tight choke for longer range, the left has a wider choke for closer in. Or you can fire both barrels at once if you really want to let loose. With a double barrel, you can load one barrel with birdshot and the other with buckshot, if you're deer hunting and might come across some rabbits or squirrel on the way to your spot. Once you get to your spot, dump the barrel with the birdshot and stick in the 00 buck. A side by-side is the perfect choice for killin' anything that needs killin' within about 25 yards or so. Any further out than that and you really need a rifle. I like Marlin lever actions myself. And of course AR-15's- but those are no good for deer.

 

[tholiver]

Above Liam Ryan mentioned the Henry Ar-7. Anyone here own one? I used to have a Charter ar-7. It had its quirks but was very accurate, how do the Henry's compare?
If i was living in the states i'd probably opt for one of those Ruger Stainless Bearcats in 22 LR. I believe Cylinder and Slide shop does adjustable sight conversions of the Bearcat. An adjustable sighted Bearcat would rock!
For bigger critters the above mentioned Glock 10mm seems like a good idea.

 

[DaleW]

Erased/deleted

 

[upnorth]

Unless you have one of those special purpose rifle barreled, scoped shotguns, I do not see much use for a shotgun slug. They have the trajectory of a urine stream and I could never hit the broad side of a barn with 12 gauge slugs. If packing a scatter gun I would just bring a 5 pack of the largest buck shot available as a back up. 5 or 7 large heavy balls would give me a better chance at hitting a bigger critter and still pack some punch. My thinking is based on the theory that a shotgun is essentially a short range weapon, if not used for pass shooting migratory game birds.

 

[RescueRiley]

My brother owns an ar7 and while it's nifty in theory and takesdown real nice after handleing I can say that at least in my opinion its a POS (dont tell him I said that) he loves it seems like if you sneez wrong while holding it it'll fall apart it's relatively accurate. I think a take down single shot would be you best bet but if you were set on semiauto .22 a marlin papoose is hands down a better gun than the ar-7. Slugs while not ideal can be relatively accurate (shot is better) even out of my double barrel I can put an entire box of slugs (have to reload obviously) into the space of a grapefruit at 30 yards. while it's certainly not amazing shooting its def the breadbasket of a deer. Howeer while in the bush small game and fish is gonna make up the majority. IMHO

 

[tholiver]

My brother owns an ar7 and while it's nifty in theory and takesdown real nice after handleing I can say that at least in my opinion its a POS (dont tell him I said that) he loves it seems like if you sneez wrong while holding it it'll fall apart it's relatively accurate. I think a take down single shot would be you best bet but if you were set on semiauto .22 a marlin papoose is hands down a better gun than the ar-7. Slugs while not ideal can be relatively accurate (shot is better) even out of my double barrel I can put an entire box of slugs (have to reload obviously) into the space of a grapefruit at 30 yards. while it's certainly not amazing shooting its def the breadbasket of a deer. Howeer while in the bush small game and fish is gonna make up the majority. IMHO

The thing with the ar-7's (at least with the one i owned) was that after firing2 or 3 magazines in a row the barrel tightening nut would start to loosen. So you would have to periodically tighten it when shooting. Also after firing about 50 rounds it would get hot and occassionally double or triple fire. Even with all those quirks i believe it had a niche all its own. It was incredibly accurate. The ar-7 is incredibly light like 2 and a half pounds. Also the takedown stow in the stock function makes it small enough to even fit in a daypack. It gives you the ability to have a gun in the wilderness without visibly having a gun.
Unfortunately up here we don't have the option of carrying pistols. I would tend to agree that the Marlin (really any Marlin) would be an overall better gun quality wise. But still would be heavier than the Ar-7. Besides the Marlin Another option would be a Ruger10/22 with one of those aftermarket lightweight barrels and a sythetic stock. There even was (is?) a takedown kit available for the 10/22.
Also i would tend to agree about the viability of the shotgun. A shortbarrelled 12 gauge (20-24 inches) doublebarrel would be excellent. I have an old Stevens 311 that pretty accurate for a smoothbore. Its easily takedownable but The barrels is 28 inches which makes it heavy and more awkward to stow in your pack. I am trying to find a spare barrel that i can get cut down to 20 inches but i'm not having any luck. Can anyone here recommend any brands of new fairly inexpensive shortbarrelled double barrel shotguns?

 

[upnorth]

My brother owns an ar7 and while it's nifty in theory and takesdown real nice after handleing I can say that at least in my opinion its a POS (dont tell him I said that) he loves it seems like if you sneez wrong while holding it it'll fall apart it's relatively accurate. I think a take down single shot would be you best bet but if you were set on semiauto .22 a marlin papoose is hands down a better gun than the ar-7. Slugs while not ideal can be relatively accurate (shot is better) even out of my double barrel I can put an entire box of slugs (have to reload obviously) into the space of a grapefruit at 30 yards. while it's certainly not amazing shooting its def the breadbasket of a deer. Howeer while in the bush small game and fish is gonna make up the majority. IMHO

That is much better slug shooting than I did. I am probably a worse shot than you. If I got groupings like that I could see using them. My father told me a story years ago about himself and his buddy Reg Hill. They were in a bush clearing camp and the camp cook came into their tent and told them that there was a deer outside. Reg went out the tent, the deer bolted, reg fired from the hip with a 12 gauge slug. He took the top of the deers head off in a one in a million shot. The old man laughed and shook his head when telling that one. My father also killed a Grizzly with a 30-06 up in the Yukon while working in a mine in the 60s. This bear kept getting braver and coming closer to the mine camp all the time. Finnally it came in and was licking and biting the bacon grease off a coleman stove. The old man said that the bear had bit it and had punctured the steel, and the old stoves of the 50s,60s were heavier then. Anyway, the old man popped this grizzly with his 06 a few times and it kept coming, popping its chops, and growling. Actually it was using its front legs to get to the old man as the back legs were paralyzed. I guess the bear got a little closer than the old man planned on before he finished it off, and when the bear stopped, the old man grabbed a tree and emptied his guts. The experience scared the living hell out of him. I also have a ratty picture from the 1960s were my father took one of his moose with a bow. Sorry about the tangent. I just get reminded about these things while on here,lol.

 

[runningboar]

Upnorth,
Try several different brands and loadings of slugs. I have had good luck with the Brenneke(sp) slugs for my 20 and can keep all my shots on a pie plate at 50yds with a smoothbore. Chris

 

[pinetree]

In my survival box, in my truck, I have a Ruger MKII Govt (a 22lr). I have plenty of other guns but we are talking survival and something tht can always be on hand. I will probably put my 20g OU in the box as it breaks down into a short overall package.

That being said, I always have a Hi-Power or 1911 in the truck and usually a 38 or 32 on me.

I have handled some of the survival 22's but the long barreled 22 pistol I have fits me better. I shoot it a lot and often can bust clays set out at 50+ yards if I use shooting sticks.

I have aRuger 10/22, that is getting a new barrel and stock and may also fit in the s. box.


tjg

 

[OldPhysics]

The decision to arm oneself carrys with it significant responsibility. They are heavy, require training, bring liability, require care, and can limit your access to some places.

-- FLIX

An excellent point. I never picked up the hunting bug, so when I carry in the wilderness it's for SD. Although bulky, shotguns are definitely the best choice. However, after many decades in the service and much, much (much...much...much) practice with various handguns, that's my personal choice. Either one of a number of very reliable 1911s or a stainless Colt Anaconda in 44 Mag.

Just remember Flix's point.

 

[troutfisher13111]

If you have a pistol permit or you are willing to go through the procedure of getting one, I think they are better suited for survival. They are much more compact obviously, which means they are more likely to be carried and with you if you need one.

If hunting for food is your primary concern, than I recommend a accurate .22 revolver. Especially a Ruger Single Six, they are built very well and give you the option of switching to a .22mag. A six inch barrel is good for accuracy and ease of carry. The .22 can be used to kill any small game you run into, and I know from talking to a local game warden that a .22 revolver can be used to kill deer with a properly placed head shot out to about 40 yards. I would pick a revolver over a auto due to reliability issues.

If protection is a concern, than I recommend a .357mag for anything up to bear, and a .44mag for bear. The .357 is a good all around caliber as it can be used for hunting animals up to deer(at close distances). It can also be loaded with .38 rounds if you want something with less recoil. You can get the "snake shot" for small rodents, birds, or even reptiles too, which could be handy for survival. Both Ruger and Smith & Wesson make quality revolvers.

If you would like a long gun instead, I would go with a bolt or lever action .22 for versatility and reliability. For protection, I don't think you can beat a 12ga. pump. The 12ga. slug as a lot of knock down power, and a 12ga. can be loaded with bird shot for all small game hunting. The Remington 870 pump shotgun has a awesome reputation for toughness and reliability.

Basically for reliability, versatility, and protection, I would go with a .357mag revolver in a pistol, or a 12 gage pump in a long gun. If protection is not a concern, than I would drop down to a .22 revolver, or a .22 bolt or lever action.

This is my opinion, hope it helps.

P.S. Whatever you choose, practice with it as much as possible, and become very familiar with it!

 

[jackknife]

My brother owns an ar7 and while it's nifty in theory and takesdown real nice after handleing I can say that at least in my opinion its a POS (dont tell him I said that) he loves it seems like if you sneez wrong while holding it it'll fall apart it's relatively accurate. I think a take down single shot would be you best bet but if you were set on semiauto .22 a marlin papoose is hands down a better gun than the ar-7. Slugs while not ideal can be relatively accurate (shot is better) even out of my double barrel I can put an entire box of slugs (have to reload obviously) into the space of a grapefruit at 30 yards. while it's certainly not amazing shooting its def the breadbasket of a deer. Howeer while in the bush small game and fish is gonna make up the majority. IMHO

I have foooled with a Marlin .22 papoose for the past two years, and just today sold it at a gun show. It is a more realiable gun that the old AR-7 I had, but not by much. When I first got it new, I sent it back to Marlin at the three month point because of the jamming problems. They polished the chamber, put a new extractor in it, and it was better. But it was never a very realiable gun, about a jam every third magazine, it failing to eject and jamming the empty tight againt the reciever roof with a loaded round stuck halfway in the chamber, tight!. I finally after two years gave up on it. I just never could get any faith in it. I know its possable to make a very realible semi-auto because my Remington speedmaster is pretty foolproof untill it fires more than 500 rounds without cleaning in cold weather. I just can't tollerate a unrealible gun. I'd rather have a bolt or lever action .22 like my 39TDS that never jams. I'll give up firepower for realiability anyday.

 

[FULMTALJKT]

I used to think that a good 22 pistol was a good choice I could put plenty of small game in the pot. They don't weigh much and I could carry alot of ammo and that would be good for bummin around for a few days.
But then I got to thinkin that if it was going to be longer term and maybe I would want to take larger game and have something bigger for defense then a good 357 pistol and a Marlin lever gun in in the same cal. along with variety of 38/357 ammo. I could use the lite 38s for small game and not do to much dammage to the meat and the mags for defense and larger game. With the rifle I could easily reach out to 100 yards plus on deer sized game or head shoot the little stuff at the closer ranges with the lite 38s. If I were in an area where I thought I might run into bigger critters then I would move up to the 44 mag / 44 spec gun combo with the same thinking. If I really thought I was going to run into something big and nasty then the 454 Casul / 45 Colt combo might be a good choice. Again the vesatilty of a handgun and rifle using the same ammo capable of takeing large and small game would be what I was looking for. These would be my some of my choices if I was going to me moving around for an extended period of time and had to carry my guns and ammo.
If I had a fixed base of opperations where ammo and weapons storage was not an issue then I would have a much larger and diverse selection of guns to choose from. Rifles shotguns and handguns dedicated to different types of game or self defense. If your talking about civil disorder then that is a different type of survival situation with different requirements.

 

[Erasmus]

For "fun" survival, when killing animals is optional, and my backpack is full of food, I like the M6 Scout. Lots of fun, and challenge to hunt with it.

For "serious" survival, where escaping animals means you'll seriously starve, I'd reach for an open-choked 12 gauge (for small game and birds). For big game, a boltaction .30 caliber rifle.

So far, all my survival has been the "fun" kind.

Once you think you have the perfect survival weapon, try hunting with it. If you can't get anything with it in the hunting fields, it's a mistake to think it will suddenly start working when things turn desperate. Anyways, good luck with your choices and happy hunting.

 

[upnorth]

For "fun" survival, when killing animals is optional, and my backpack is full of food

This is the best time to see if I can make a fire in the wind, rain, snow,extreme cold. Being outdoors in my localized region I can also observe the wildlife. Go out at diff. times of the day,night. Different weather conditions. You start to understand the movements of critters around you, and how they react to climate, light conditions. Some animals are diurnal and come out to feed at twilight,some day, some night. You can bait and control animal movements simply by dropping young trees or branches inline. This is a good time for me to bring my knife with me also. Now I can try building that evergreen shelter. Actually doing these things instead of talking about a hypothetical, what if, reveals simple insight. Making a fire in the snow on a cold windy snowy day revealed to me that I needed an adjustable lighter because the wind kept blowing out the flame on my non adjustable. Ok, simple lesson learned. It can be that simple to fine tune my kit, by actually doing this stuff and being out there and seeing what works and what does not.

 

[paleo25]

NEF 20 ga. single shot. if you take it into the wood its going to get dinged,scrached,dropped,slid down trees after being bumped.you want some thing cheap and good.20ga. can put food in the pot.if your cold,wet,tired,low light,bright light then to will be harder to shoot good enough to fill the pot.shot guns make it a lot easier. just my .002

thats the best answer out there, a 20 ga with different ammo is the wat to go, can handle any animal with 2 or 4 legs, next best is a .22....Id like to see some of you guys squirrel hunt with a 9mm

 

[jackknife]

thats the best answer out there, a 20 ga with different ammo is the wat to go, can handle any animal with 2 or 4 legs, next best is a .22....Id like to see some of you guys squirrel hunt with a 9mm

How true. That being the case, its hard to imagine a better survival gun than a Savage 24 in .22/20ga.