Light Survival .22 Option

[Nikola]

Imagine you're in a SHTF survival scenario. You are living in and around woods with small game (rabbits, maybe some large birds, etc). Because you prepared a bug-out kit, you got to the woods with an AR and a 1911 (or a SIG) and a full backpack.

I would want to have a .22 as well for shooting the small game, and weight is a significant consideration.

My question is this: do you bring a .22 conversion kit for the AR? Perhaps a .22 kit for the 1911/SIG? Or do you bring an AR-7 or some other gun?

Your thoughts, please.

[Scratch705]

if you only have an AR and 1911, then yes bring a .22lr conversion kit for it.

for me, i rather have a separate .22lr gun so in case bigger threats come, no need to disassemble my gun to fire the bigger rounds.

[thunderbolt]

i rather have a separate .22lr gun so in case bigger threats come, no need to disassemble my gun to fire the bigger rounds.

+1. No one gun can do it all. A 5.56/.223 is not a shotgun is not a .22 is not a .45 all of which would be in my survival bag. It all depends on if your semi-stationary or mobile. Perhaps if weight is a real concern, a good .22 pistol would be a better choice over a full length rifle. Easier to carry but not as accurate.

[roc]

go with the AR-7. in fact, if weight is a consideration, get a smaller 9mm pistol like a glock 26 to make room for it. a 9mm will also save weight on the ammo you carry. dont bother with a conversion kit because it doesnt save much room when compared to an AR-7. its not just the 22lr BCG in the AR but the extra mags will take up space. and you dont want to deal with your defensive weapons getting so dirty with the rimfire ammo.

[Rukus]

I've posted this before but I would prefer to have this lil lady with me. 22LR and .410 combo. Lightweight, folds in half for easy carry and has onboard ammo storage. Springfield M6 FTW!

[k1dude]

The Springfield M6 Scout is nice, but it's a single action break barrel only. It's only good for survival. It'll do you no good as a SHTF weapon.

I'd prefer the AR-7 over the M6 simply because it's semi-auto so you could use it effectively for self-defense. It's really light too. The nice thing about the M6 is the shotgun though.

But if I could only take one weapon as a bug-out gun, I'd probably choose the SU-16. It's very light and there's no reason to take an extra AR or handgun with you. It folds in half and disappears in a backpack. Since it's .223 it packs a wallop over .22 rimfire. You can use it for small and medium game and it's plenty enough weapon for a SHTF scenario. It's no battle rifle, but it'll do in a pinch.

[Mister BLASTEE]

What about a 10/22 with a folding stock & preban mags?

[steelrain82]

i would like to have a variety of different guns available in shtf scenario but id definitley go with a .22lr rifle. if its good enough for poaching deer and killing small game its good enough to take out a man. and if your in the woods you probably dont want to attract to much attention so id pack subsonic ammo.

[frigginchi]

Take a Marlin 60. No mags to lose, 14rd capacity, pretty accurate and super light ~5lbs.

[RaceDay]

It sounds like some of you are bringing an arsenal with you. What exactly are you expecting with this SHTF situation? Are you carrying weapons for extended backpacking in the country or for pretending like its Red Dawn?

Back to the original question, I'd take a conversion kit over another gun. Who or what are you expecting in the woods that is so aggressive that will come after an armed person and/or you don't have the time to perform a bbl swap if needed?

X-liberal has some good suggestions for a very light and very effective package.

[Rukus]

As per the OP, If I was living in and around a wooded area and looking to hunt, I don't think it would get much better than a .22 for the simple fact that it would be light, ammo is relatively easy to carry in large supply and it is a commonly found caliber.

It makes sense to have a .22 conversion kit for the AR as well as its basically a 2 in 1, however I think you're seriously kidding with yourself if you believe that in a pinch/confrontation you will have the time to swap out the conversion and put in the .223/5.56 bolt.

In a hunting scenario, I would carry the M6 as my "put food on the table" rifle and would have my .45 as a backup pistol and most likely a companion with a more serious rifle as backup.

As stated before, there is no one solution for everything, it would take several firearms to cover all your bases. Just my .02

[BroncoBob]

go with the AR-7. in fact, if weight is a consideration, get a smaller 9mm pistol like a glock 26 to make room for it. a 9mm will also save weight on the ammo you carry. dont bother with a conversion kit because it doesnt save much room when compared to an AR-7. its not just the 22lr BCG in the AR but the extra mags will take up space. and you dont want to deal with your defensive weapons getting so dirty with the rimfire ammo.

Just love it when someone mentioned an AR-7. Here is mine

[Blademan21]

I vote for the Marlin Papoose in stainless steel. It weighs in at 3.2lbs and you can carry lots of 7 round mags for it.

[steelrain82]

As stated before, there is no one solution for everything, it would take several firearms to cover all your bases. Just my .02

unless we get caseless ammunition and guns like in the movie "aliens" or get laser guns

[Mr. Beretta]

Go ahead and laugh but the lil' Chipmunk single shot rifle I purchased many years to teach my kids how to shoot is very accurate and weights next nothing.

Here's a link.

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=85630