It’s unfortunate, but few people think of rifles as valuable tools for self-defense. This is because handguns and especially shotguns are often touted as being the ‘ultimate’ self-defense weapons.
In reality, a rifle is a perfectly good weapon for personal defense or home defense, regardless of what other people may tell you. In many scenarios, a rifle can be even more effective than a shotgun or handgun.
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This article will discuss the reasons a rifle is an excellent weapon to have when society collapses, regardless of the disaster. We’ll also dive into some of the very best survival rifles for you to consider, covering a wide range of types, models, manufacturers, and calibers.
Why a Rifle Will Be Handy Regardless of the Disaster
A strong case could be made that a rifle isn’t the most important firearm to have with you during a disaster. For example, it can’t be concealed on your person like a handgun can. It’s also not very wieldy in tight corners.
But other than those two things, there is precious little that a rifle can’t do in a major disaster scenario.
For example, a semi-automatic rifle with a detachable box magazine of around twenty to thirty rounds will be an incredibly effective weapon in a self-defense scenario because of these reasons:
- It has more stopping power and velocity than a handgun.
- It has greater range than either a pistol or a shotgun.
- It has more limited recoil than a shotgun.
- It’s the best weapon for defense against multiple attackers.
- It can be used for both long range anti-personnel use and hunting.
In many ways, the rifle is the ultimate primary weapon to have during an SHTF disaster. Remember that a handgun can never be a primary weapon. Well, it can, but it wouldn’t be suitable as a primary weapon due to its limited range and power.
If anything, a handgun is a backup or secondary weapon at best. A long gun needs to serve as your primary weapon during an SHTF scenario, and it really doesn’t matter what kind of a disaster you find yourself in.
Whether it be an EMP attack, economic collapse, terrorist attack, or a natural disaster, in any scenario where you find your home under attack by raiding parties and angry mobs, a rifle will be the best weapon to defend yourself and your family.
The Best Survival Rifles
Here are some of the best makes and models of rifles to use as a primary weapon when society collapses.
AK-47
Honestly, one could argue that the AK-47 is not the best survival rifle to have when the AR-15 is even more popular and widely available. It will undoubtedly be easier to find 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition during a major disaster than 7.62x39mm, and magazines for the AR will also be easier to locate.
But the AK-47 still has one big thing going for it: some people just prefer it over the AR-15. And if you’re one of those people, there can be little to no doubt that the AK-47 will be the better weapon for you.
The 7.62x39mm round that the AK-47 fires has ballistics that are enormously similar to the .30-30 Winchester round, which means that it will also be suitable for hunting medium sized game such as deer.
As far as which specific AK-47 you should go with, two of the best options include the Arsenal SAM-7 if you have the money. If you are on a budget, the WASR-10 as imported by Century Arms will be much more affordable for you.
AR-15
There should be absolutely no surprises in seeing the AR-15 on this list. It is without question the most prolific rifle in the United States of America, and it’s not difficult to see why.
The AR-15 is very ergonomic, accurate, reliable, and easy to shoot. That’s also not to mention that spare parts and accessories are in no shortage of supply.
The AR-15 will work well as both a defensive and hunting weapon. There is also absolutely no shortage of different options for you to consider. The Colt LE6920 is considered by man to be the gold standard when it comes to AR-15s.
That being said, the LE6920 will also run you at least a grand, so if you are on a budget, you can also consider alternative choices such as the Ruger AR-556 or Del-Ton 316 ECHO.
MARLIN 336
The lever action may be a design from the 1800s, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer relevant here in the 21st Century. The lever action actually has a number of distinct advantages over bolt action rifles: it’s more narrow, easier to pack, lighter, and by working the lever you can keep up a much faster rate of fire in contrast to working the bolt.
Furthermore, lever actions are also relatively affordable as well. The Marlin 336 is routinely available for around $400, while the cheaper priced Mossberg 464 can oftentimes be found for even less than that.
MARLIN 1895
If you want a lever action rifle with more power, you can upgrade from the .30-30 Winchester to the .45-70.
The Marlin 1895 is probably the best .45-70 lever action rifle on the market today. It’s essentially a beefier version of the Marlin 336 in order to hire the much larger round. The .45-70 Government is capable of dropping virtually any big game in North America, and it’s commonly used by hunting guides in Alaska due to its faster firing capabilities and excellent stopping power.
In an SHTF scenario, the .45-70 lever action would be an excellent choice for both hunting and defense, and will easily knock down a man with a single shot.
MOSIN NAGANT M44
The Mosin-Nagant is the oldest rifle on this list, and you may have been surprised to see it on here. But honestly, the Mosin-Nagant is on this list for one reason and one reason only: it’s cheap, and not only is it cheap, it’s also very rugged and well-built for the price.
There was a time several years ago when you could buy three Mosin Nagant rifles for a total of $99. Today, prices are a bit higher than that, but they are still considerably lower in contrast to many other rifles. A Mosin Nagant surplus rifle in good condition should cost you around $175.
In other words, the Mosin Nagant is an excellent survival rifle choice for those on a budget. That’s also not to mention the fact that it is very rugged (while also admittedly being crudely made) and surprisingly accurate despite being a military surplus rifle designed around 130 ago.
RUGER 10/22
Never underestimate the power of a .22 rifle. Okay, a .22 in and of itself may be a weaker caliber, but a .22 semi-automatic rifle as a whole is a very practical and useful weapon.
Contrary to what some people may tell you, the .22 LR can be used for personal or self-defense. And beyond that, it’s a great round for small game hunting, pest control, and casual target shooting. That’s also not to mention that the .22 is extremely cheap and plentiful, and thanks to its small size, it’s also very easy to store in bulk, and in limited space.
An alternative to the Ruger 10/22, and one that is often available for a little bit cheaper, is the Marlin Model 60.
RUGER GUNSITE SCOUT
Last but not least, the Ruger Gunsite Scout has been extensively marketed by Ruger as being the one rifle to have if you could have only one. It’s not difficult to see why. The Gunsite Scout Rifle, or commonly abbreviated as the GSR, is a version of the popular Scout rifle concept as conceived by Jeff Cooper.
Basically, Cooper called for a .308 caliber bolt action carbine with a detachable box magazine of ten rounds and a scope to be mounted forward of the receiver. Cooper argued that such a rifle could be used for both self-defense and for hunting big game.
There’s no question that he was right in that regard. The Scout rifle was basically designed to be a do-everything rifle that would be the one rifle to have if someone could have only one. The Ruger GSR is a very high-quality rifle built on the proven Ruger 77 action, and there’s simply no question that it would work well as an SHTF rifle for when society collapses.
Conclusion
Any of the above rifles will be an excellent choice to have by your side in the midst of any of major disaster or catastrophe that could strike your city.
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Considering all aspects of survival when the SHTF, do you really expect to be in a firefight with the Zombie Mobs ? Do you really think you can shoot a hungry family who you perceive as a threat to your food supply? It is a very life changing event when you are forced to take another human life, and that’s when you are totally justified to do so in protecting your life or that of another innocent victim. So don’t make your firearm choice based on some event that will likely not happen.
Your main use for your firearm will be to provide a food supply, and small game will be your primary source… squirrel, groundhog, marmots, rabbits and hares, raccoon, birds, and, yes, even a possum. An Ak47 or AR15 or the other large caliber choices that were listed will not be optimum in this pursuit. the Ruger 10/22 is by far your best choice… get a good scope mounted, have plenty of ammo… it is accurate, reliable, quiet in comparison, and will even down a white tail or muley… and it will do an ok job in taking out the Zombies when they come for you.
AR7 Military Survival Rifle.
This has always been on these lists and was specifically designed for survival scenarios.
Missing from this list.
While the Ruger .308 battle weapon is a well-designed piece, its one weakness is that it takes a proprietary magazine. Mossberg also at one point made a .308 based on Askins’ design criteria but it took M-14 and M-1A magazines, thus greatly expanding magazine availability in an end of the world scenario.
In selecting any firearm for an after the end of the world situation, it is important to not rely on a firearm that takes a cartridge that is not in common usage. In the Eastern U.S., one will find 30-30 cartridges in almost any small shot that sells ammunition. In the West, it just might possibly be that the .270 is more common. Certainly the .308 has replaced the .30-06 as the most common rifle cartridge in the U.S., but the 30-06 is still a big seller.
While the 5.56/.223 is great for self-defense under 300 yards (yes, I know it is used in National Match meets to fire to 500 yards) and while some states consider it sufficient to take medium sized game, unless you are a skilled hunter who has hunted with that firearm, I would suggest you are going to lose a lot of game until you get the hang of it. I believe you would be better served with a larger cartridge/bullet combination.
The 45-70 is an impressive cartridge at close range and while it is true that it is effective on all North American game in the hands of a skilled shooter, it is essentially a short range weapon. Yes, the bullet will carry 500 yards with sufficient force to kill medium game and humans, good luck with hitting something at that range. Even with a scope, the looping trajectory of the large inefficient bullet makes it sensitive to the errant breeze that is blowing at 250 yards, making hits more difficult.
Yes, I know that Hornady has a ballistic tipped .45-70 bullet that helps overcome the inefficiencies of that particular round, but that is only one manufacturer. What are you going to do after the end of the world arrives and all you can find are Remington soft tipped round nosed ammunition?
Listing the 5 “Best” rifle cartridges for an EOTW situation in my evaluation takes a certain amount of chutzpah. In a country the size of the U.S. with varying climes and geographical situations, making a list of 5 “best” guns for self-defense and hunting is a fool’s errand.
This was discussed on another website and as some of the responders indicated, their particular locale dictates one type of rifle would be better suited to their purposes than another. For example, one writer lives and hunts in southeaster U.S. He rarely is presented a target 300 yards away and living in a city in Florida, again, his line of sight is rarely 300 yards. A 45-70 would be ideal for him to take anything living in that locale.
A rancher living in the western parts of the U.S. with vistas stretching a mile or more would find a 45-70 useless. He might find a lever action Browning or Henry in .308 with a scope a much better all around weapon.
Someone living in Kallyfornia might find that he is limited to a muzzle loading 50 caliber.
I like the “Henry Survival” 22. light weight, breaks down into the stock, water proof, so you can carry 2.
Hi, I love my ar 7 its light and packable mostly I like the accuracy. Aprox a year after I purchased a small part broke. I contacted Henry and they sent me shipping docs and repaired rifle at no charge for repairs and shipping. Very reputable. I suggest a well cleaned and oiled mechanism. I clean after 50 rods.
After 50 rods of what.
The article was Well written and was as they say, good food for thought for those thinking about acquiring survival weapons. I have several on the list. As I stated to the lady who lost her husband. I always have a handgun on me, a rifle close by. The tool chest(safe) also has several shotguns and 22 calibers And assorted handguns as well. While I was late to the party, I’ve added the suppressor to the arsenal. In a survival situation taking quiet shots at game, or at those who have lost their moral compass and now want to steal you stuff will become and unfortunate scenario.
Sorry for you loss. Personally I’d keep them both. Guns are like tools. They usually have a specific purpose and intent in mind In the military/ police we have a handgun on us cause it’s convenient. We have rifles to get the job done. If you want to sell them do your research so you don’t get ripped off. Best way is blue book of gun values. then do private sale. I advertise in local gun clubs. If you sell to gun store you usually lose a 1/3 of the price you initially paid.
Sorry for your loss. Definitely keep the UZI and AK. Your husband was wise.
Hi, my husband passed away recently and left my daughter and I an UZI , and an AK 47. Is the UZI a good one to have also? Thanks