What rifle would you want on your way out to the revolution?

What rifle would you grab on your way to the revolution?

  • Garand

    Votes: 16 5.9%

  • M1A / M14

    Votes: 57 21.1%

  • FAL

    Votes: 22 8.1%

  • AR15

    Votes: 130 48.1%

  • Robarms XCR

    Votes: 3 1.1%

  • SKS

    Votes: 6 2.2%

  • AK47

    Votes: 72 26.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 18 6.7%
  • Total voters
    270
In a perfect world I would pick a Barrett 50 cal model 95.
Yes it is heavy and I could not carry much ammo but I would not likely be traveling that far by foot, and it has far more range they most other rifles. (except those with barretts as well) plus there is no body armor that will protect against it.
Even if you have to travel by foot you will likely not travel alone and you have to travel 1,000 yards less.
Otherwise right now go with my FAL for it's range, reliability and stopping power.
 
Changing my vote to an AK47.

Why you ask?

I really think the AR15 is the more accurate, and all round better rifle. BUT - I also feel that the gas-piston operation of the AK is more reliable (no hot carbon-filled gasses hitting the mechanism, less chance for dirt fouling things up). In a SHTF situation that's pretty important. There's a good chance you won't be able to get hold of too much cleaning solution. You need a gun that, above all else, is reliable. Doesn't matter how accurate it is, if the marauding crowds are banging at your door and your rifle jams, or is in pieces been cleaned - you are screwed. I also think the extra power of the 7.62mm round will be a big plus.

In peace time - the AR15 is, of course, much better.
 
pipmaster1971 said:
Changing my vote to an AK47.

Why you ask?

I really think the AR15 is the more accurate, and all round better rifle. BUT - I also feel that the gas-piston operation of the AK is more reliable (no hot carbon-filled gasses hitting the mechanism, less chance for dirt fouling things up). In a SHTF situation that's pretty important. There's a good chance you won't be able to get hold of too much cleaning solution. You need a gun that, above all else, is reliable. Doesn't matter how accurate it is, if the marauding crowds are banging at your door and your rifle jams, or is in pieces been cleaned - you are screwed. I also think the extra power of the 7.62mm round will be a big plus.

In peace time - the AR15 is, of course, much better.
Click to expand...

My take on this approach (and the gas piston argument in general) is that outside of infantry in prolonged combat operations, you are unlikely to run through the number of rounds that would lead to the failure of a properly maintained AR. When using quality ammo and magazines, you're talking about thousands of rounds between potential failures. Even if you were in a true SHTF scenario, you’d be hard pressed to carry enough ammo to ever give your AR cause to malfunction. Granted, you could assume that you’d hunker down, and therefore portability of ammo is not a factor. But that assumes you know exactly how events would play out. Personally, I’d want to ability to carry as much ammo as possible.
With an AR, I can carry an A2 rifle with 390 rounds in 13 magazines very comfortably. Total weight of that set up is about 21 Lbs. (assumes 7.78 lb rifle and loaded magazines at 1.02 lbs each)
Compare that to a similar arrangement with an M1A, HK91, AKMS, or FAL, and you’d need 20 magazines to get a similar amount of ammo. Assuming you can even find gear that allows you to carry 20 magazines (AK’s in particular), the weight would be a killer. With that much, you’re looking at close to 36 lbs (assumes about 9.5 lb. rifle and 1.5 lbs per 20 round magazine). To match the total weight of the AR, you can only carry seven 20 round magazines, giving you a total of 140 rounds vs. 390 rounds.
Maybe, my past in the infantry skews my opinion and focuses too much on the weight issue. But I’ve seen healthy 20 something soldiers struggle under the weight of their gear.
 
pipmaster1971 said:
Changing my vote to an AK47.

Why you ask?

I really think the AR15 is the more accurate, and all round better rifle. BUT - I also feel that the gas-piston operation of the AK is more reliable (no hot carbon-filled gasses hitting the mechanism, less chance for dirt fouling things up). In a SHTF situation that's pretty important. There's a good chance you won't be able to get hold of too much cleaning solution. You need a gun that, above all else, is reliable. Doesn't matter how accurate it is, if the marauding crowds are banging at your door and your rifle jams, or is in pieces been cleaned - you are screwed. I also think the extra power of the 7.62mm round will be a big plus.

In peace time - the AR15 is, of course, much better.
Click to expand...

I disagree on the DI gas "problem." If one's AR stops working just because of carbon deposits after a few hundred rounds, your rifle is broken and needs repair, or you're running some really bad ammo, or both.

A bigger argument can be made, however, against the AR in terms of external foreign matter getting into the rifle.

Case in point- My AR has gone like 700+ rounds and I haven't cleaned it yet. It hasn't jammed, hesitated, or done anything to make me think it would. On the same token I know if I took a handful of sand, opened the bolt, and tossed it in there, that I probably would have big problems.

In some ways even piston driven AR's don't really address this problem that well, because they use (basically) the same bolt carrier that DI gas ARs use; while the force cycling the action might be greater from the piston rifle, you could still jam up a piston AR by getting the bolt carrier region dirty enough- there isn't exactly a ton of clearance in this area. Compare this to an AK where the carrier/bolt has a lot of mechanical slop/room to spare, and the rifle locks up in this group instead of in the AK's barrel extension area.

A piston driven AR might be more reliable than a DI gas one, but it will never be as reliable as an AK, unless you get away from the standard AR upper receiver configuration.

This is also proved out in the sand tests someone posted... where the HK-416 still did "better" in the sand test than a DI gas ar, but still an order of magnitude worse compared to other designs which got away from the AR
upper configuration.


-Mike
 
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Every time I've gone shooting with my SKS Sporter or WASR-10 in rain or snow with others using ARs, SKSs, and AK clones, invariably at least one AR malfunctions to the point where it's taken off the line to put it back in service. The SKS/AK clone crowd once in a while has a stovepipe, but generally keeps on shooting.

That is why I choose the AK clone for this scenario.

Am I missing something here as I start to build my NES AR?
 
While people often use the ammo pickup canard, while that's wonderful I wonder how valid it would be in reality.

If it gets to the point where you run out of ammo and you're going to pick up the other guy's, couldn't you just steal his rifle, too? In that regard, it doesn't really matter, unless you shoot the guy's rifle and break it, somehow.

-Mike
 
I want to elaborate on my pick the m1a. most of you went with the AR its a great gun. but having variety in combat is a good thing. 5 guys go on a mission 4 use suppressive fire to keep the enemy away one shots tires engines etc. I'm just saying something with a little more power might be useful in the group hear and their. Ass fer as weight I guess suck it up will be my motto.
 
Certainly not a bad plan if you have a dedicated squad. Even if you split up you still have a very good firearm for a fight.

bambame2 said:
I want to elaborate on my pick the m1a. most of you went with the AR its a great gun. but having variety in combat is a good thing. 5 guys go on a mission 4 use suppressive fire to keep the enemy away one shots tires engines etc. I'm just saying something with a little more power might be useful in the group hear and their. Ass fer as weight I guess suck it up will be my motto.
Click to expand...
 
drgrant said:
While people often use the ammo pickup canard, while that's wonderful I wonder how valid it would be in reality.

If it gets to the point where you run out of ammo and you're going to pick up the other guy's, couldn't you just steal his rifle, too? In that regard, it doesn't really matter, unless you shoot the guy's rifle and break it, somehow.

-Mike
Click to expand...

We have a winner!

Mike, same thing I said, when I mentioned I would be taking my M14 with a scope. Play "Battlefield pick up" for more ammo for it, and scarf up an M4 at the same time.
 

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