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Ultimate SHTF rifle???

Mesatchornug said:
You got one of these hiding in the garage?
iu
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You don’t?

That said, stopping vehicles with semi-auto intermediate cartridges is tricky. Lots of variability in the terminal ballistic trajectory of the bullet after it hits glass. Definitely doable though.
 
PappyM3 said:
You don’t?

That said, stopping vehicles with semi-auto intermediate cartridges is tricky. Lots of variability in the terminal ballistic trajectory of the bullet after it hits glass. Definitely doable though.
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I'm poor, man. Even my walker has a wide, open cage.

That makes sense, though. I guess this all comes back to which SHTF we're fapping over.
 
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Horatio_Alger_Jr said:
It is kind of a Frankenstein rifle. I bought a stripped upper and lower and bought parts when I had the extra cash. It is direct impingement. My biggest question on spare parts has to do with the bcg and trigger. I bought both of them as complete drop-ins, so I don't really know about all the parts.
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My advice would be to keep a spare bolt, spare bolt parts like gas rings, extractor, etc.. Then you should buy a small lower parts kit and a small upper parts kit. Those aren't going to run you a ton of money.

I'm talking about what to keep on hand for a SHTF end of the world rifle that you may not be able to get spare parts for. But generally the failures I see are related to the builder and not the parts. Is your buffer tube attached to that lower and properly secured in one of the multiple acceptable ways to secure it? Is your gas block aligned and your gas tube centered and not off to the right or left contacting the gas key on one side of it or the other? Is your gas block actually secured to the barrel properly? Is your trigger spring actually facing the right way? Are your trigger and hammer pins susceptable to backing out? These are the things I want to be thinking about for a SHTF rifle. In addition to having spare parts, I don't want to have to use them. Because that might mean your error caused a stoppage when you really needed it to run. So I would suggest buying good quality parts to begin with.

My other piece of advice would be that unless you know what your doing, don't deviate too much from the baseline. If you don't understand how the system works, don't be dropping in lightweight springs, heavy buffers, adjustable gas blocks, and all this funky stuff. Thats all fun stuff and has its uses. But generally, if you want a SHTF rifle, you want it to be simple and reliable above all else. Once you start tweaking stuff to get it to run like a race gun, you're introducing a lot of variables that might cause a stoppage. Which would be fine at the range, but bad in a fight. Right? So, stick with the basics of getting a reliable and simple operating rifle according to the way it is designed to run for a SHTF gun unless you're experienced and understand what each new variable you add is doing to the rest of the system.
 
People are actually worried about spare small parts? You’re most likely going to be at home rather than carrying a bunch of parts around. The practical approach would be to just switch guns when one goes down. If your guns are crap and you go through them all, cannibalize them for parts.

If this is because you own vey few guns…wtf is the matter with you?
 
Compooky said:
People are actually worried about spare small parts? You’re most likely going to be at home rather than carrying a bunch of parts around. The practical approach would be to just switch guns when one goes down. If your guns are crap and you go through them all, cannibalize them for parts.

If this is because you own vey few guns…wtf is the matter with you?
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Maintenance schedules are a thing for a reason. Yes, you're most likely going to be at home. So why not have a tackle box of spare parts? And throw a spare bolt in a bag as a precaution if you need to evacuate.

Easy peasy and way easier than cycling through different guns that are likely not setup exactly the same as what you've been using and are accustomed to.
 
PappyM3 said:
Maintenance schedules are a thing for a reason. Yes, you're most likely going to be at home. So why not have a tackle box of spare parts? And throw a spare bolt in a bag as a precaution if you need to evacuate.

Easy peasy and way easier than cycling through different guns that are likely not setup exactly the same as what you've been using and are accustomed to.
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One of the more clever things Magpul came out with is their MIAD grip; one of the cores holds a firing pin and bolt.
mag057-blk_magpul_miad-moe_bolt_firing_pin_storage_core_03_1.jpg



Just like a "save a dive" kits for SCUBA.
 
Horatio_Alger_Jr said:
Thanks for the recommendations. I will definitely grab another tube. I did go a little gucci on the barrel, so hopefully the block and tube wear consistently with the barrel.
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I forgot to mention firing pin. Cheap item that will eventually wear and lead to light primer strikes. Again, it will take along time, but easy spare to have.
 
PappyM3 said:
I forgot to mention firing pin. Cheap item that will eventually wear and lead to light primer strikes. Again, it will take along time, but easy spare to have.
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I finally had that gem of a failure happen to me. My AR-10 that is running a 6.5 manbun barrel all of a sudden was piercing primers, light strikes, and primer guts everywhere. Turns out the firing pin had eroded. Ordered a Toolcraft BCG. Now it runs like a top.

I think to the OP's question, it would depend on what kind of SHTF they are thinking about. A T/C encore with a couple of barrels in common calibers 30-06, 308, 30-30, 223, etc... would be likely more useful than a rusty CETME. But a FAL is the proven choice for men in short shorts trying to make the world a better place..
 
widnerkj said:
I finally had that gem of a failure happen to me. My AR-10 that is running a 6.5 manbun barrel all of a sudden was piercing primers, light strikes, and primer guts everywhere. Turns out the firing pin had eroded. Ordered a Toolcraft BCG. Now it runs like a top.

…
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6.5 CM has its own problems with the bolt/firing pin. I don’t think you had a worn firing pin.

6.5 CM is ~3k PSI more than 308 and it is recommended to use specific “high pressure” bolts/firing pins. They have a different size firing pin and firing pin hole in the bolt.

Did you get a 6.5 CM or high pressure advertised Toolcraft BCG? I know they make one.
 
PappyM3 said:
6.5 CM has its own problems with the bolt/firing pin. I don’t think you had a worn firing pin.

6.5 CM is ~3k PSI more than 308 and it is recommended to use specific “high pressure” bolts/firing pins. They have a different size firing pin and firing pin hole in the bolt.

Did you get a 6.5 CM or high pressure advertised Toolcraft BCG? I know they make one.
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Originally I was using the BCG from Aero, as it is a "small diamater" It did work pretty well for about 3,000 rounds, and then it just didn't. I ordered a toolcraft BCG for 6.5 with dual ejectors. And it's like a new rifle. I can put a bucket near the bench, and all the brass will land in it. Though it now throws brass with the authority of a H&K 91. I ordered the Toolcraft BCG from armorally, and it arrived here in AZ in 2 days. So that was nice.
 

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