Home defense/ bug out rifles package deal

[BSA1]

This is my Bug-Out kit that I am talking about. The contents are; Taurus 8 round 22 Magnum snubby revolver, nylon holster, Marbles Arms ammo caddy, 500 rounds of Gold Dot ammunition and some foam ear plugs.



My daily driver is a old Ford Ranger Pick-up with very little extra room. I have often thought about getting a Henry Survival Rifle as it and a 30 caliber ammo can of 22 would make a convenient kit to throw or keep in the truck. For novices such as your friends a AR-15 with 16”’barrel (for serious self-defense) and a Takedown 22 L.R. such as the Henry (or Ruger for a little better quality) to encourage frequent affordable shooting would be a very good combination.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

It's a *scenario* I contend with several times each year.... though opposite.

Instead of touching on subjects or verbiage-verbotten on THR - I look at it this way several times a year.

"GETTIN' ME HOME GUNS"

If I/we are off doing things in ways and there is stress & consternation on the horizon... what do I want in the vehicle to help me get home; should it come to that.

For a VERY long time it's been these and a couple of beloved handguns.

A 16" AR in .223 with an ACOG, a 16" Colt pattern 9mm with a OKO (in which batteries famously last over 10 years) and a 12Ga Mossberg 590A1.

Recently and unapologetically, this Kel Tec has snuck along. What a hell of a light, reliable and small package.

The case is my end-all-be-all favorite. Gun in the big sleeve and stacked mags in the other two. Easy to pack. Slide in and out of vehicles easily and fairly low signature.

Todd.

 

[taliv]

For versatility I’d make one a 10.5” pistol suppressed with an aimpoint micro and the other an 18” rifle with a low power variable.

figure $2k for two ARs. $2k for the scope. $700 for the aimpoint. With just $300 left I Guess you’d need to skip the suppressor. I wouldn’t cheap out on the rifles.

 

[tallpaul]

If ya go ar-a cmmg 22lr conversion unit may come in handy for quieter use..easy to carry a fair amount of extra ammo also...

 

[Grayrock]

Good suggestions all. Thanks for your input. I shall summarize them and run them by my friend. He is retired military. He has pistols and shotguns (daughter used to be Olympic-level skeet shooter, but she quit) so has an unused Perrazzi I'm trying to talk him out of! But he has no rifles. That is why he enlisted my aid. I'm trying to get details of what and where his bug-out idea encompasses. Again, thanks. Keep them coming.

 

[jmorris]

My second suggestion is for a AR SBR

If you bug out to another State watch what NFA items you are hauling.

“
Title 18 U.S.C. While the ATF use to accept a letter, ATF stopped accepting letters and is requiring this form to be filled out and it needs to be submitted in duplicate.

Anytime you move or want to take NFA firearms across state lines Two copies of the Form 20 should be completed and sent to the following address by mail, fax or email:

BATFE
Attention: NFA Branch
244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, WV 25405

Fax (304) 616-4501 or email [email protected]

Once the ATF approves the transportation, they will return a Form 20 to the registered owner. The approval authorizes the registered owner to transport the designated firearm(s) only during the time period specified in item 3 on the form.”

 

[Browning]

Two BCM 16’s with Trijicon Accupoint 1-6’s and Modlites.

 

[BigBL87]

With their budget they really don't have much in the way of limitations. I'd definitely want more info before making a recommendation though.

 

[sean m]

I might add a CMMG 22 conversion for the AR15, it would make it cheaper for fundamental practice and for small game purposes.

 

[sean m]

This is my Bug-Out kit that I am talking about. The contents are; Taurus 8 round 22 Magnum snubby revolver, nylon holster, Marbles Arms ammo caddy, 500 rounds of Gold Dot ammunition and some foam ear plugs.
View attachment 897242
View attachment 897249 View attachment 897250

My daily driver is a old Ford Ranger Pick-up with very little extra room. I have often thought about getting a Henry Survival Rifle as it and a 30 caliber ammo can of 22 would make a convenient kit to throw or keep in the truck. For novices such as your friends a AR-15 with 16”’barrel (for serious self-defense) and a Takedown 22 L.R. such as the Henry (or Ruger for a little better quality) to encourage frequent affordable shooting would be a very good combination.
View attachment 897272
View attachment 897273

I have a similar setup in my daily driver, except mine it a Taurus 94 22 LR. Paired it with a Chiappa Little Badger.

 

[Varminterror]

It’s probably quite fair to assume if someone is “bugging out” with a rifle in hand, presuming some relatively lawless shenanigans in this “non-SHTF SHTF scenario,” the 5320.20 is the last thing for which anyone would offer any concern.

 

[Varminterror]

$5k seems like it should buy a lot, but it’s really easy to eat that up with good quality optics and well built rifles - especially if you start talking about double-stamped, suppressed SBR’s. Still have to make some concessions if you “want it all” in 2 rifles for under $5k.

I kicked around the thought @taliv mentioned - NOT matching rifles, but rather having one short and light carbine/SBR and the other a bit longer. I’d even be tempted to go as far as NOT using 223/5.56 as the chambering, but potentially carrying tools. Found ammo might guide towards 223/5.56, but in this imaginary scenario in which SHTF and we’re potentially fighting our neighbors with a rifle on American soil, finding a 223/5.56 upper or rifle will be about as easy as finding the ammo, so having something with a bit more leg to it until you run dry , then relying on both found ammo and rifles/uppers is pretty reasonable - again, in a relatively unreasonable scenario.

 

[taliv]

I pretty much ignored the scenario part beyond arming a couple for whatever might happen. General prep for anything. No wacky end of the world zombie scenario required.

I couldn’t do it for 5k but if I really were arming my gf I would give her my cz scorpion micro PCC and Osprey suppressor. She’s actually pretty decent with it.

I mean heck the IR lasers eat up most of the $5k by themselves

 

[jmr40]

"GETTIN' ME HOME GUNS"

For me a "bug-in-gun" seems more likely. I could see a natural disaster such as tornados, earthquake, etc. making travel to my home in a vehicle impossible. I might need to just park and get home on foot. A gear bag in the truck with a few supplies and a handgun is a more viable option for me.

But an AR pistol with one of the shorty, but legal stocks, is something I'm interested in but have never really explored.

If I were to bug out I'd probably take one of my AR's along with a handgun.

 

[Varminterror]

I have lived in Kansas most of my life, and have worked in Cali and Mexico City for a while. I’ve experienced tornadoes, volcano eruptions, and Earthquakes.

Never have I observed the appropriate disaster response to include shooting other civilians on my way home, even when significant infrastructure damage has occurred. I don’t get it...

 

[Ignition Override]

How would a "bug out" gun be different than any other modern semi-auto gun type which somebody has used?

* Didn't John Dillinger do pretty well "bugging out" with a 1911 (to -Complement- his Thompson)? Your friend should be able to choose which chambering he prefers.
The friend must be pretty good with using Google, searching GunBroker etc? A 9mm allows more rounds practice for a given price, compared to .45, and maybe less flinch factor.

We don't know whether the friend was once familiar with compact ARs? (from any military tng,-even if in a Non-combat career)...no info was provided.
If so, the S&W M&P II is very high quality, the type I had for several months.

 

[BSA1]

If I had 5k handed to me to spend on guns I would consider something other than all AR’s. A strong argument can be made that in a true bug-out situation AR’s would not be hard to get (<amen>) if you get my drift. I love the look of the MP5. I would be tempted by a semi-auto version with a lot of magazines. I wonder how good Palmetto State Armory ones are?

 

[taliv]

Let’s try to keep this on topic. The op wants advice on what TWO guns with optics to get. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be lectured on behalf of his friend about whether or not what he is worried about is unrealistic.

 

[jmorris]

That’s fair but to answer the question we need more information. Are we bugging out to go live in the woods, trying to go unnoticed quietly eating bunny’s and squirrels or are we going to go John & Mrs. Wick trying to get out of a bustling metropolis?

 

[BSA1]

Well if optics are a must have then the MP5 doesn’t qualify. I was factoring in it’s easy handling in close quarters. The O.P.’s friend wants them to be scoped which seems to rule out Red Dot sights. There is no requirement for ammo capacity given. The other requirements for being light weight, reliable, easy to maintain and commonly available ammunition are best met with bolt action rifles.

The Ruger PC 9mm hits the benchmarks of being able to accept a scope, light weight and using commonly available ammunition. It misses the requirements for easy to maintain and semi-autos are well known to be ammo sensitive.

A pistol caliber AR will also meet the requirement for easy to maintain. Again true reliability can only be determine with testing on the range.

A 22 Rimfire will also check all of the boxes except reliability.

Optics rules out a shotgun.

So a long, winding road takes me back to the AR rifle and SBR (pistol) in 5.56.

 

[taliv]

That’s fair but to answer the question we need more information. Are we bugging out to go live in the woods, trying to go unnoticed quietly eating bunny’s and squirrels or are we going to go John & Mrs. Wick trying to get out of a bustling metropolis?

i assumed these are probably the only rifles they own, so they're just do it all rifles. the title of the thread starts with HOME DEFENSE / bug out. clearly, they don't know a lot about rifles. they aren't going to have 20 single purpose rifles like most people on this forum and they're not going to dedicate the time to proficiency. so they're not asking for a rifle optimized just for getting home versus one optimized for bugging out, vs one optimized for zombies or EMP vs a hurricane.
it doesn't friggin matter. "grab and go" could mean the glass in their back door breaking late at night.

they just want a couple high quality, light weight and easy to maintain rifles (cause they're not going to maintain them). given their likely level of knowledge, they probably consider a red dot "scoped".

if people wouldn't get so focused on the bug out scenario crap, a thread for "suggested general purpose rifles for a couple" that goes through the pros and cons of all the different styles and configurations would probably have made a good sticky, as i'm sure a lot of people have that same question

 

[jmorris]

i assumed these are probably the only rifles they own, so they're just do it all rifles. the title of the thread starts with HOME DEFENSE / bug out. clearly, they don't know a lot about rifles. they aren't going to have 20 single purpose rifles like most people on this forum and they're not going to dedicate the time to proficiency. so they're not asking for a rifle optimized just for getting home versus one optimized for bugging out, vs one optimized for zombies or EMP vs a hurricane.
it doesn't friggin matter. "grab and go" could mean the glass in their back door breaking late at night.

they just want a couple high quality, light weight and easy to maintain rifles (cause they're not going to maintain them). given their likely level of knowledge, they probably consider a red dot "scoped".

if people wouldn't get so focused on the bug out scenario crap, a thread for "suggested general purpose rifles for a couple" that goes through the pros and cons of all the different styles and configurations would probably have made a good sticky, as i'm sure a lot of people have that same question

It’s an arguable point that an Olympic level shotgun shooter, that has fired hundreds of thousands of rounds through a particular type of firearm might be proficient enough with it, it’s a better choice than something he has never used.

Another valid point, would you get a “his” and “hers” set of matching AR’s or have two rifles better suited for different tasks?

I agree, the SHTF, bug out, zombie parts are better left out and more details added in or just substitute “general”.

 

[taliv]

commonly available ammunition are best met with bolt action rifles.

you could be right, but ironically all my bolt actions are heavy and in rare calibers like 6dasher or 6xc or 6.5x47
i'd prob not recommend a bolt because most don't have detachable box magazines and the blind mags are easy to jam up if you get excited and never practiced

 

[MikeInOr]

My grab-and-go rifle is a HK91. But I personally prefer the taste of venison or elk over the sage rat taste the AR guys must cherish.

I also believe a .308 will settle an argument quicker than a 223. Especially if there is a barrier like a car door involved.

If I had to downsize, it would be an AK or other 7.62 * 39

I have owned my HK91 for about 25 years now. If I were buying a grab and go now I would probably go for an FNAR 308 based on the proven BAR (hunting rifle) action.

P.s. for home defense I will always turn to a hand gun like my XD mod 2 in .45acp. The length of any rifle is a liability indoors.

 

[captain awesome]

Going to recommend something a bit different...an M1A Socom....I got an email from PSA recently they are selling for $1200 just like I bought mine for a year or so ago. 308 will get any job you want done and is pretty common. There is a super light weight Leopold 1-4 power out there that I really like, but still waiting. for the right deal. Or go for a prism scope I have the vortex iteration....the spitfire I think it is.....works with or without batteries. Trijicon makes an RMR with tritium and fiber optic so no battery required if they really want it light. Then get a pistol. One with a 22lr conversion. It depends on what they like....i like 45 ACP 1911s, but they might prefer a glock or something similar. In all honesty i would get a small 22lr pistol along with a 45 acp or 9mm. With those 3 guns, there really isn't much you can't do. The other option instead of the m1a would be a shotgun. You can take care of anything with a 12 gauge slug, you can get some 30 cal sabot rounds, 00 buckshot and #6 shot, should cover all your bases but sacrifice longer range in favor of the ability to more effectively hunt things like doves....you can scope a shotgun, that's not really difficult. I have a 1-4x scope in my Vepr 12, they aren't terribly heavy either, but the ammo is. Another consideration is the Keltec SU16. It's Super light weight, compact, semi auto, optic ready but you won't do well with large game as it's 223. But ammo is everywhere.