Bug-Out Guns. Guns I don't own.

Last article, I talked about guns that I owned that I would grab if ever there was an almost-world-ending emergency.

The same disclaimer stands as before. This discussion is for entertainment purposes only, and does not immediately assume that the world is actually ending.

This article, we are going to be talking about guns that perfectly fit the bill, but that I do not currently own.

I feel like I should first lay out the requirements for this to be a gun on the list. It's not like I am just pulling this out of my ass, all willy nilly...

So lets start with the scene... There is a disaster that happens, The whole world is freaking out. There are looters and murderers out there and they are going around being bad in whatever town or city you are in. You need to get out of the house/apartment/condo and survive.

We are talking about this in a "pre-hypothetical-disaster" standpoint, so we have no idea what the disaster will be, and there are many theories on how the world will eventually end or how civilization may fall, but we have to "be prepared" for any and all of them if possible.

While there are many other supplies that a person might take with them on this journey, we are specifically talking about the gun.

You have to be able to hunt with this gun. My requirements are that it be able to reach out to about 200 yards, comfortably, but still be able to take down game at close range if needed. I want to be able to hunt a variety of game with this gun as well. too small of a caliber, and it will be hard to take down larger game. too big of a caliber and there will be nothing of the small game left after I shoot it.

You must also be able to protect yourself from all of the bad guys using this gun. I would take into account the magazine size and reload time of each weapon as well as ease of use. As I mentioned in my last post, it is not about the bullet as much as it is about the shot placement.

This gun must also be rugged. I have no idea where I am going to be at. I may be in the city, the country, the mountains, the forest, or any of these combined. This gun could get wet, dirty, dry, or dusty. I would need to stake my life on this gun, and I cannot risk it breaking or jamming. I also will probably not have time to clean it, so I can take that into account.

The weight is also very important. This is going to have to be slung on my back while I carry it around. I am also going to have to carry as much ammunition as I possibly can, so the lighter, the better.

And... I think... That's about it... OKAY! to the fun stuff!

Gun #1:

AK-47 SBR with folding Stock.

oofdah! starting off strong here!

Let me get to explaining one thing before I go into this much. 

SBR stands for Short Barreled Rifle. The ATF felt like they needed something to do, so they are attempting to enforce a law that says any rifle must have at least a 16" barrel. you can request the ATF approve a rifle with a shorter barrel, but it takes about 6-8 weeks, and there is a bunch of paperwork and a $200 tax stamp. but after that, it is perfectly legal! 

SBRs have their upsides and their downsides. upside is that they are shorter overall. They will get hung up on things a lot less, and it is easier to clear an area or a house with a shorter overall length. The down side is increased noise, a slight decrease in accuracy and velocity of the projectile. In AR-15s, there is also a decrease in reliability. With AKs, that is reduced quite a bit. ARs have a direct impingement gas system, where as the AK has a piston driven gas system. While piston systems are not perfect, they are more reliable than DI.

If you ever think of rugged guns, the first gun that comes to mind HAS to be the AK-47. One of my favorite movie quotes is from the movie Lord of War:

"An elegantly simple 9 pound amalgamation of forged steel and plywood. It doesn't break, jam, or overheat. It'll shoot whether it's covered in mud or filled with sand. It's so easy, even a child can use it; and they do."

This is what the AK is all about. It is the bad guy's weapon. It is sloppy and crude and ugly, yet, is one of the most beautifully designed rifles in history. Easy to manufacture for the Russians, effective for anyone using it, and it just works. It always works.

The secret is in the loose design. The gun was designed with loose manufacturing

tolerances, and the gun always works because of it. You never need to clean it. You never need to care what you drag it though. In fact, I have friends that had cleaned their AKs after about 5 years of owning it, and it ran worse than in the five years prior to its first cleaning. Yes... You read that correctly... The AK will run better when it is dirty...

So why the folding stock? Size again. If you fold the stock, you can stuff it in a bag. you can also get a sling on it and throw it on your back too, but the folding stock is so cool. why not get it?

In terms of optics, I would put a lower power scope on it. maybe a fixed 5x scope or something. I would put it on the side scope mount that is raised just enough to see the iron sights below them.

The 7.62x39 caliber round is small enough to take down rabbit sized game without destroying it, and large enough to take down a deer. The whole round is on the small size so you can carry a lot of it. The mag is easily changed and holds 30-40 rounds.

This would probably be my number 1 choice for a survival gun.

Gun #2

AR-15 in .223

WHAT??!? didn't you just spend the gun above talking about how much better the AK was than the AR?!?!?!?

yes... sort of...except I still love the AR!

Many of the pros you get with the AK above are applicable to this AR as well, except I would not do an SBR for it. the decrease in reliability is just too much for me to handle.

The AR is still a super reliable weapon. It needs a bit more tender loving care, because it should be cleaned every once in a while, but will still continue to work through thick and thin. The round is smaller than the AK but still large enough to kill a deer. still is mag fed, with 30 round mags. I would still do the same optics. a lower power fixed scope with iron sights, but these would need to be canted. 

.223 is also readily available and if I am scavenging, I should be able to find it at just about any sporting goods stores.

That pretty much sums that up...

Gun #3

Ruger 10/22

If you read my last article, this may sound familiar.

I am a massive fan of the Ruger 10/22 and the .22 round in general. They are relatively inexpensive, Semi-Auto, and you can buy BX-25 mags, which allow you to shoot 25 rounds off in a row! There are few rifles more reliable than the Ruger 10/22 and it is usable by everyone from the age of 10 to the age of 95 (assuming they are mentally capable of safely handling the rifle).

Some people might dismiss the .22 caliber round because of it's size and lack of knockdown power, but keep in mind, this is a survival rifle. You will have no problem tracking that deer for a mile if it means food on the table tomorrow. Not the quickest death, but it will keep you alive. and there are many other animals that you can eat that are much smaller than deer. It can reach out to 200 yards if you have a good optic and a calm day but the reason you pick up the 10/22 is because of the weight of the ammo. 

You can carry thousands of rounds of .22 and use your rifle for a very very very long time before needing to fill up. yes. Thousands of rounds.... As in... More than 1000 or 2000 rounds. They sell boxes of 550 and I can easily fit four of those in a bag to sling on my back. easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Most 10/22s come with iron sights which are not bad. You can put scopes and red dots on them if you like as well. There are also different stocks you can put the gun in to give it more attachment spots
and to look like other guns. No one needs to know that you don't actually have a PS-90...

Gun #4

Any Bullpup .223 rifle

I am mushing these guns together for a few different reasons,

Firstly, there are a lot of them. Just about every company is making a bullpup rifle in .223. Secondly, I have never fired any of these, so I have no idea about the differences or about triggers or anything. 

I have heard a lot of good things about these rifles, however. As an example, the IWI Tavor is made by a company who is based out of Israel. I do not know much about Israel, but I do know it is dusty there. Any weapon the Israelite's manufacture is going to be required to be as reliable as possible. 

Bullpup rifles are basically the same as other rifles, except the bolt and action of the rifle are located behind the trigger and fire controls. This allows the rifle to be an overall shorter length while keeping a longer barrel. This means you can have a short rifle, without waiting 6-8 weeks for the ATF to get back to you!

They normally use normal AR-15 mags, and have the same caliber as AR-15s.

Gun #5

Henry Survival Rifle in .22

This may seem a bit obvious. because it is.

Henry makes a really cool rifle that is inexpensive and really really portable. 

What makes the Henry rifle different from the 10/22 is the overall portability. The entire rifle can be taken apart and stuffed in the specially made slots in the butt of the stock. the stock then seals up and becomes completely waterproof. 

The entire rifle is super light and as I mentioned with the 10/22, the .22 round is an excellent survival round. 

The downside to the Henry is that you cannot put a scope on it, unless you no longer want to put everything away in the stock. You are also limited to three ten round magazines that will fit in the stock. Otherwise, almost identical to the 10/22

Gun #6 (last gun, I promise)

Any pump action shotgun in either 12 or 20 gauge

This is another one that I am grouping up because there are a lot of pump action shotguns out there.

My personal favorite is the Benelli Super Nova, because that was my first shotgun and it has treated me well, but there are many many many other guns and everyone has a different opinion about which one they like best. No answer is the wrong answer here. Shotguns are fantastic survival guns and pump shotguns give you that added durability.

I have had someone dunk my shotgun down to the bottom of the swamp and pull it up and it was fine. A bit stiff, but it still fired and cycled. 

Shotguns are unique when it comes to ammunition consumption. They have many many different kinds of shots you can shoot out of a shotgun from bird shot to slugs. This allows you to hunt one of the most prevalent creatures in the world, birds! you can kill small game with bird shot as well. You
can kill deer with buck shot. You can defend yourself with the shotgun. 

There are two massive cons with shot guns, however. The first is distance. You are probably only good to about 50-75 yards with a shotgun. even with slugs. This makes it harder to kill your dinner if you cannot get close enough. It also puts you at a disadvantage if your attackers have rifles like the ones I stated above. 

The next is mag size and reloading. at best, your mag holds... maybe nine rounds? and to reload, unless you walk around like a competition shooter with a speed loader, you have to do it one by one, and it may take you a while. On top of that, the ammo is pretty big, and it may be cumbersome to carry around.

however, due to the variation in ammo a shotgun can shoot, it is pretty hard not to put it on this list. On top of that, shotgun ammo may be the most prevalent ammo in the country. Even if you live in a state that doesn't like guns, you can probably get a hold of a pump action shot gun, assuming you are in good standing with the law.

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Well, that is pretty much it...

In my opinion, these would be some of the best Bug-out Guns if you have them. While I did my favorite at the beginning and my least favorite at the end, the four in the middle are pretty interchangeable for me.

What do you think? agree? disagree?

Bug-Out Gun Options- Guns I Own

I just want to start this off by saying... Yes, I do watch lots of movies and play lots of video games, and Yes, I do know they are not real life, and only meant for entertainment. No, I do not think the world is going to end. I don't expect bad things to happen. I really hope bad things do not happen. This entire post is hypothetical. I don't think I am crazy. I am not paranoid. This is just a fun thing to talk about and that is it. Also I will refrain from talking about zombies...

NOW! to the meat and potatoes of our discussion! GUNS!

I am a gun owner. I enjoy guns a lot. A day at the range is one of my favorite ways to spend my weekends. I live in a pro gun town. All of my friends like guns and we all talk about guns.

One discussion that came up was while we were playing the new video game "The Division" this weekend. For those of you who are unaware, it is set in an apocalyptic New York after a devastating Bio-Terrorist attack.

We started talking about Bug-Out Guns. A Bug-Out Gun is a gun that you have for any time there is an emergency and you need to get out of your place of residence and find a way to survive some place else. This requires mobility, and flexibility of the weapon, and you must take into account ammunition you need to carry as well as find while scavenging. While just about any gun can work for you in one way or the other, the idea is to choose a gun that has as few weaknesses as possible.

We started the discussion with guns that we currently own.

I have about twelve guns or so that are currently functional, and they range from pistols to hunting rifles to AR-15s.

I could not choose a hunting rifle, in my opinion. Most do not c
ome with iron sites, and only have a 3-9x power scope attached to them. While this would be good for anything over 100yds, I could not conceivably hunt a rabbit with a 30-06 at ten yards. There would be no meat left to eat after I hit it, and target acquisition is really difficult at closer ranges.

I also could not choose a pistol of any sorts. I have a .357 revolver, a 9mm Turkish made pistol, and CZ-82 which shoots a 9mmx18 round invented by the Russians (see generic picture on the right)
. My wife also owns a .22 revolver. While some of these would be good for short range, there are a few issues I can see with them. My 9mm pistol is good at short ranges and in combat situations only. I would trust my life with it, but I would not trust to hit anything outside of 25 yards. The revolvers hold fewer rounds and is harder to reload, even if I had speed loaders. The CZ-82 ammo is so hard to find that I could not guarantee that I would not run out of ammo.

This leaves two weapons which I would be more than happy to grab in an emergency situation, although neither are currently the perfect tool for the job.

I have an AR-15 in .223/5.56 and a Ruger 10/22 in .22 caliber.

Anyone who knows guns probably all thought the exact same thing... "Ruger 10/22? but the .22 caliber is so small! why would you ever want to use that?!?!?!?"

Well, small minded gun owners, I will tell you. The effectiveness of a shot is very rarely reliant upon the size of the projectile. The primary thing that makes a shot effective is the shot placement. If you can hit just the right spot, you can kill a deer with a .22. You may have to track it for some distance, but it can be done. It will not destroy any meat if you kill a rabbit, and because the 10/22 is Semi-Auto and you can obtain a 25 round BX-25 magazine for it, it makes for a decent self defense gun too. You can send quite a few rounds down range in the direction of your enemies. The .22 round is very common, and most people have at least one box of it. Boxes can most often be found in 330 or 550 round boxes. They do not weigh very much and can be accurate (on a calm day) out to about 200-300 yards.

My AR-15 on the other hand (see another generic picture on the left) , may be better suited to the task... maybe... it shoots a slightly larger round, with a much larger case at a higher velocity. This means that taking down larger game is a bit easier. It will reach out further with a bit more accuracy. The common mag size is 30 rounds and it is a Semi-Auto rifle. I specifically put together my AR-15. I purchased parts separately with a specific goal in mind... To make my rifle as light, but as comfortable as possible.

I was hoping it would be a competition rifle, so the items I bought allowed me to customize it to make the cycle time a bit faster. A faster cycle time means I can pull the trigger that much faster as well. In order to get the action to cycle as quickly as possible, I wanted to make sure there was no wasted motion. The bolt cycles back juuuuuuust far enough to eject the spent casing and strip the next round. This is done by lowering the amount of gas that gets used to work the action with an adjustable gas block.

This all sounds well and good until you get into the issues. This only works when I have consistent power out of each round. If the round fires, and has a few grains of gunpowder less than the rifle likes, it will eject the round, but not strip the next one. Why don't I adjust it higher? because it's obviously the apocalypse and I don't have time to run around and find the two different Alan keys to do it, obviously.

As long as we are on the subject of how the rifles currently are set up... the AR may also only contain a red dot site (see final generic image on the right) as an optic right now... and despite that working for my current needs, it would not always work in an emergency situation. I trust my red dot out to about 100-200 yards if I am launching rounds trying to hit SOMETHING, but not if I am trying to accurately hit something and give it a merciful death. also, red dots require batteries, and would be useless if they died. Thankfully ARs have a big long rail on the top for attachments, so what I would probably end up mounting a 3-9 scope, and have canted iron sights. both of which I have, but have not put on this rifle to save weight.

I would also be concerned about cleaning the rifle. The AR-15 is a shooters gun, and is meant to be treated with care and respect. While you may be able to go a good long while without cleaning it, eventually it does have to be cleaned or performance will suffer or your gun may stop working.

So there you have it... Out of all the guns I own, none will quite fit the bill, but if I was to choose any of them... I would probably go with the AR-15. it would be better if I took fifteen minutes to make a few changes... but I won't...

Any thoughts?

Stay tuned for the "Guns I Don't Own" edition.