Survival rifle

[70GTvert]

Over a period of time looking over old posts in many forums, a frequent comment is "this baby is going to be my survival rifle!" when describing their feelings over the new air rifle they purchased. At first, it kinda made sense, on the surface, but the more I thought about it the less I felt that way. Here is why.

If a Jericho event happened which caused you to need a gun/rifle for reasons as portrayed in old westerns or a series like Jericho, just how much good would an air gun be? Hunting, to an extent. Personal protection? Only against those who were not armed at all, and at that, who were not aware you were pointing a single shot springer at them. Also these or PCPs are not simple machines. Springers are far more complex then your typical rim or center fire rifle and PCP's have their special quirks and needs too. A seal goes bad, a spring goes bad, something like this, and the typical owner will be S.O.L. for sure. Then lets look at the ammo. Pellets are common now, but in an end of the world scenario, who among us would be able to cast/machine more pellets when the supply dried up? The accuracy of these rifles are so tied to pellet choice, imagine how they would perform with homemade pellets. Of course one could resort to using lead balls instead.

No, a nice rifle using a re-loadable cartridge would be my choice. Less complexity and able to have the owner reload shell along with, in most cases, a lower purchase price,  in the long run that would be a better survival choice for me.

[PeakChick]

This certainly is an interesting hypothetical for debate and discussion.

Here's my take on a "Jehricho" event: Being as my house is within a 10-12 minute walk of the USAF Space Command, NORAD and NORTHCOM HQ Buildings, I don't stand a ghost's chance in Hades. Talk about living at "Ground Zero."  I just want 20 mins. notice so I can grab a bottle of vodka, my darkest shades, a lawn chair and have time to slather on some 1 million sunblock. Then I'm going to sit in my driveway, drink profusely and let my shadow be etched into the concrete................  

[TCups]

I have thought about this also.  I have a small survival rifle that is an over/under 22LR/410 shotgun with a metal folding stock, ammo storage in the stock.  I suppose that makes good sense.  But one point I will mention.  Stealth.  

If it comes to a situation where I am hunkered down, say in the possible scenario of society gone bad, then being able to go out into the woods and bring home something to eat without attracting attention or revealing to anyone in a one or two mile radius that I am there and hunting (maybe out of season, even, or in someone else's territory), then a nice quiet springer might be just the thing.  In other words, stealth and evasion could end up being as important or more important than the limited firepower you could pack with a single "survival" firearm of any caliber.  What was the guy's name who was successfully hiding out in the wood for so long after bombing the "A" clinic, evading the FBI and local constabulary for years?  Don't think he'd have lasted that long shooting meals with a .22 LR.

In addition to the right clothes and boots, I think a multi-piece light weight fly rod with some line, hooks and a few flies, and something like the BSA Tactical .22 with a tin of Predator pellets, a small folding camp saw, a good knife, a spool of strong thin wire for snares, some experience with making dead fall traps,100 ft of paracord, a small tarp, a light weight rain poncho, a couple of Bic lighters, a compass, a water bottle, a small alcohol stove, a metal cup to boil water and cook in, a small first aid kit with some ibuprofen and a 1-week course of antibiotics (just in case) would all pretty much fit in a small day pack, and would see me through a week in the woods in most temperate climates, without anyone knowing I was there, if I needed to be stealthy about it and there weren't an all out man-hunt in progress.

[70GTvert]

LOL....Yeah, I can agree with that. Many a time I pondered just how much time I had left while watching the BUFF's take off when I was at Grand Forks AFB back i the 70's. (They advised us if they ever launched loaded, we had maybe 3-4 minutes before about 3 Russian missiles hit our base, and there was no way during an alert you could tell if it was a practice and empties taking off, or the real thing, other than word or mouth, which thankful, proved true or I would not be doing this now!... )

[airgunandy]

My 17 year old son spends a lot of time thinking about these kinds of things. "Red Dawn" type scenarios, all guns banned scenarios, post apocalyptic scenarios, etc...
Anyway, his idea of a survival gun is a flintlock blackpowder muzzloader rifle. Why?

Folks survived for hundreds of years with them
Flintlock - no need for primers
Melt down wheel weights and stuff to make lead ball ammo
Make your own blackpowder like mountain men (and ancient Chinese) used to do
Basic blacksmith/metal shop skills to repair

If I was to consider and airgun for survival situations (and not real sure I would), I'd think about a Benjamin or Sheridan rifle. Sure, there are seals to worry about, but there are a whole lot of old guns still shooting on their original seals. Simple technology. Just keep 'em oiled. Guess you could use mineral oil or lard if you got in a real bind!  

And that cast your own lead ball things still sounds good too.

[Big_Bill]

There a many survival situations where a bb gun can make a big difference between life and death. But I prefer a semi-auto .22 caliber rifle, like a 10-22, ammo is more reliable, accurate, and light to carry in quantity. It Can also be beneficial against larger dangerous game.

A nuclear strike is not one of them. The lucky, will be the ones that go out with the first attack. Those that somehow survive that attack will suffer greatly, until death. Living will mean a slow, painful death, unless you are in a deep shelter with a nuclear reactor to power your air supply, water purificationand food freezers. And what you will find when you come out in two or three years, will not be worth the wait.

But I LOVE MY bb GUNS

Bill

[PeakChick]

I lived in Grand Forks in the 60s. My dad was a B-47 then B-52 pilot for over 20 years. I lived a good part of my life on SAC bases. I have spent pretty much my whole life living at "ground zero."  You know what, I never really worried about it. I'm kind of a fatalist, que serra, serra...........

[melloroadman]

Lewis and Clark brought a survival rifle with them you know . They were never sure about powder compounds . It was a PCP and hand pump . Just a thought . Marvin
http://www.beemans.net/lewis-assault-rifle.htm
http://www.pyramydair.com/precharged-pneumatics-basics-article.shtml

[derekmcminn]

All I need is one 9 mm cartridge and all my problems are solved.

[tat2dman]

My survival rifle.....don`t even need air,.338 Win. magnum,got 5000 rounds back allready! :emoticon:

[TCups]

Define survival -- in what environment?.  Short term, emergency (lost in woods, stranded on desert island) cataclysmic event (the "big one" earthquake in a metropolitan city, nuclear exchange, meteor impact, next ice age), political cultural (socialist revolution w/ collapse of US and global economy). . .  etc.

And what restrictions on equipment/shelter you can have at hand?  A pocket knife, keys and a cell phone?  A day pack and some hiking gear.  An overnight backpacking treck?  The home fortress with food stockpiles, methane generation, generators, weapons and ammo stockpiled?

Here is my scenario:  Out in the woods for a day hunt with a small pack - you get lost, or your 4-wheeler craps out 25 miles into wilderness backwoods, or what ever.  Could you play "Survivorman" for a week on your own, and what would you put in the day pack, presuming it cant be a week's worth of freeze dried foodstuff, a GPS, and a mobile telephone?  What do you put in your day packs now?

[SDale]

Lots of people have pondered this and came up with different scenarios and equipment to go with em. I think the post above is right on. THe equipment needed is dependent on the scenario.

Gun wise, Henry Repeating arms made a survival rifle in .22LR for the Air Force (still made today actually) that disassembled and all parts fit into the stock. Once everything is stowed, the whole package floats. I had one for a time and it's light, accurate enough and small. Easily packable. This would probably be my choice. There was also a bolt action mag fed version (can't remember who made it. Marlin I think?) that I would like even better. Fewer parts to fail or jam.

As far as an airgun goes... They'd be OK I guess. That is, if you wanted to go out and hunt every day. But remember, hunting is sometimes a loosing battle where folks often come home with nothing. I'd stick with a powder burner for larger quarry and possibly have 3-4 days worth of meat for say myself & family. Where as with an air rifle, small portions of meat for a day maaaaaybe 2 at max for me and the fam.

An air rifle DOES have it's advantages though. Especially as stated in a previous post... Stealth. If a Red Dawn type situation does ever arrise, then chances are there would be "Enemy Combatants" within earshot almost everywhere. This is where I think air rifles & traps would work nicely, for a single person on the move to a more secure location.

Another potent weapon that folks overlook is MOBILITY. In these situations, ya can't just stay in one place and "Fight it out" per say. A good running vehicle with offroad capability is always a plus, but even easier is what you were made with.... FEET & LEGS. Keep em in good working order and you should be OK. So a GOOD first aid kit would probably be FIRST on my list. YOu need to be able to patch yourself or others up in a bad situation. If ya cant move, ya can't do much else other than lay there. Same goes is one in your party is injured. One person injured brings the movementof the whole group down to crawling speed.

I've probably got more to add, but the kids are makin me a bit scatter brained at the minute...LoL!

[leftcoast1]

From what I've read today I decided not to waste anymore money on bowder burners. They are pushing the assult weapons thru ASAP. Guess I'll get some more .22lr .410 & 16 ga shells. Its all I got left and my .45.

[douglas george]

I had to respond to this.  Many times friends, or people I deal with ask:  What will you be "carrying"?  I tell them. "Yours"!  They will shut up, and never ask you that again.

But If I really felt I had to "salt something away", it would be a bolt action 22 rifle with a good scope.  Like my CZ452 Varmit gun, or my CZ 452 Lux sporter.  If there is a "goose stepping" Nazi out there with a RPK, and you got a good 22...well you now have an RPK.  You must be moble, and 500rds fits in your pockets.  If it had to be an air-gun...hands down, it would be my trusty Sheridan 5mm pump gun! (say all "fire-arms" are banned)  

 I work on McConnell AFB, the largest re-fueling wing in the Air-force...so I would really stay on base...and hide, or help the airmen I teach.   "You can't kick ass, without the tank of gas!  KC-135's rule!
Douglas George...but then again...I do have two National Match M1-A's, and two National Match M-1's.  If things really "brake bad" maybe you could get 7.62 NATO from the US Army squad you have attached yourself to...but they might even supply you with an M-16...Never in the history of the world, has someone been alone...you can join some group.  Read the last chapter in the Bible...John wrote it.  It may tell you what the future is all about.  How close are we? Well... People have been asking this since 3 pm, on a Friday...33AD.

[Curioguy]

I know y’all are discussing rifles here but why not consider a bow and arrows of course. This is something I have actually been thinking about adding to my survival cache.    This weapon has been used in past centuries in fighting wars to taking game.  It can even be adapted for fishing.  It requires very little maintenance and with a little know how, you can make your own arrows.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, it is so quiet!