One rifle for all occassions?

[elChupacabra!]

I'm suprised it hasn't been offered more times than it has, but I will go with a Springfield M1A, perhaps the Scout version in 18". You can get it with a nice walnut stock, so that, to the common observer, it will look like a regular (if slightly aggressive, but not much, promise!) rifle, but it will really be a powerful, accurate, handy rifle that can be used for a multitude of tasks. Even bone-stock, it should be accurate to maybe 1.5-2.5 MOA (someone correct me on this? Just a guess), which would make it effective to at least 500m using irons, good for all those hunting / zombie / shtf rifle scenarios, and in a very powerful round, as well.

Now, in an 18" barrel, it would be short enough to use in an HD setting, and with the detachable 20rd magazine, very flexible for all sorts of uses.

The only downside here is the price - probably $1,500 - 1,600, so that's alot of money... but if you're going to just have ONE rifle and it positively CANNOT be an AR (which is, to me, probably your BEST choice), I say the M1A!

 

[ArmedBear]

I'm not sure that the M1A, versatile as it is, would be good for all occasions.

The opera, or a baby shower, call for something different.

 

[AirplaneDoc]

If I had to have only 1. I would stick with a 30.06 or a .308. Ammo is readily avaliable, Wide range of things to do with it. Sufficient for any of the above mentioned criteria, food - their sufficient for most anything you will encounter in North America (there are a few obvious excpetions) Zombie uprising, Canadian invasion, black helicopters etc.

I personally would go with a 1903 springfield, as they are pretty much indestructable, increasing or at least holding value.

 

[Thernlund]

I'm suprised it hasn't been offered more times than it has, but I will go with a Springfield M1A...

And I'm surprised that I regularly forget all about that rifle.

Good pick.


-T.

 

[shevrock]

Maybe an M1 .30 carbine, or sks.

 

[Huddog]

If I could only have one and it couldn't be "black" it would be a lever gun in either .357 to match with a handgun or a .30-.30.

 

[JShirley]

A general purpose rifle should be capable of accomplishing everything you might commonly want done with a longarm.

That includes effective hits on deer-sized game out to 300 meters, ruling out .30 Carbine, 7.62x39mm, and almost all pistol calibers. It should also be capable of hitting or suppressing combatants to at least 450 meters.

This is not a "dreaming" thread, this is a general purpose rifle thread. The idea behind the whole "scout rifle" concept is just this: a single, versatile longarm that can handle most tasks fairly well.

John

 

[HB]

Lever Action in 45-70 or 30-30 or a pump action Remmington in .308

HB

 

[H2O MAN]

elChupacabra! I'm suprised it hasn't been offered more times than it has, but I will go with a Springfield M1A, perhaps the Scout version in 18". You can get it with a nice walnut stock, so that, to the common observer, it will look like a regular (if slightly aggressive, but not much, promise!) rifle, but it will really be a powerful, accurate, handy rifle that can be used for a multitude of tasks.

Excellent choice!

I personally prefer the more aggressive MK14, it's basically the same - only different

 

[elChupacabra!]

H2O man -

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin about! Beautiful rifle, and sexy EBR stock too

I'd love to have one but for now my AR will have to fill my GP role. maybe one day...

 

[goon]

First, I don't think there is any one rifle that can do everything. A .357 lever action comes close but if you need power for bigger animals or longer range, it's out.
But you can do a lot with one rifle.

I think a Scout style rifle makes a lot of sense.
Note that I say scout style, not a true scout rifle because I feel that some of Cooper's original requirements are not that important. But his idea of a light handy rifle that fires a relatively powerful and easily obtainable cartridge makes a lot of sense.

A lever action 30-30 set up with a low power rifle or LER scope wouldn't be a terrible choice if you're forced to stick with traditional styled guns. Make sure you keep iron sights of some description. A rifle without a way to sight it is useless.
The 30-30 is no weenie round in terms of performance. It still has enough thump 300 yards for defensive uses and only drops 2 feet at that range. Also, the rifles are usually relatively light and handy and they're common and cheap.

You might also consider a bolt action .308 set up in a similar fashion. Although you say no black rifles, synthetic stocks are not as sensitive to the environment as wood. If you can get past that they make sense. If not, you can still do the same thing with a wooden stocked gun.
I've been considering getting another .308 bolt action myself, probably a stainless Savage with a synthetic stock. For my uses, I'd want the barrel shortened to about 19" and I'd need iron sights. I'd probably mount a good 3x9 or 2x7 regular eye relief scope and call it a day.
In some ways, I can see it being a better choice than a semi-auto.
They're simpler in operation and have fewer things that can go wrong. They can handle the whole range of .308/7.62x51 ammo without worrying about damaging the rifle (it's my understanding that an M1A is fragile in that department). They don't require a huge stack of magazines to keep them working because the magazine is already in the rifle. They cost far less than a FAL, PTR-91, or M1A while keeping all the power of them and possibly even beating them on accuracy. Last, even fully loaded and scoped they're still likely to be several pounds lighter than an empty, unscoped M1A or FAL.

Personally, I also NEED a good .22 rifle. I wouldn't be without one.

One thing to consider - in a rough environment your pretty walnut stock won't be pretty for very long. For a gun like you describe, remember that it's going to be a tool. It will get banged around and scratched. The finish will get worn off and it might even rust. For these uses, you're just as well off with a cheap gun that works as you are with an expensive pretty one.
IMO, hang your walnut stocked work of art over the fireplace and buy a cheap, durable, reliable gun to actually use.

 

[JShirley]

Here's my GP/disaster rifle (sporterized '03):



I hit the first doe at 173 yards, and the second at 128 yards. Byron, Tamara, and Matt and Johnny were all there. I was the only one to get lucky that day!


Maybe 15 years ago, a company was taking either 1914 or 1917 actions, and offering them as commercial rebuilds in 7mm Magnum and .300 WM*. One of those in 7mm would be my first choice for a GP rifle. I like the '03, but it's a bit on the fragile side, compared to a 1914 or 1917.

*If any of y'all remember the name of those, please pass it on.

John

 

[longrifleman]

I think the best "one rifle" will vary with the terrain you will use it in, but for the rolling hills with some timber that I live in, a 30-30 lever gun is my choice. I prefer the Marlin, but that will start a whole new arguement.

As for other considerations, caliber is as important as rifle. Any bolt action is pretty much like every other bolt action (blasphemy!! get the torches and rope!!) once you get above the basic quality issues. If you can't get ammo, it doesn't matter how accurate your rifle is.

If long term unpleasantness is part of your plan, I would pick one of the four most commonly available calibers and work backwards to the rifle.

 

[MCgunner]

I got my M7 in .308 with a 2x10 Weaver for this. Light, handy, yet sub MOA accurate and powerful enough for elk and big hogs. 2x for brush, 10x for cross canyon shots. It does it all well. It's stainless, too, easy to care for in the field. I'll let the army take care of the battles. I'm 55 years old and ain't getting any younger. I'm not interested in battle.

 

[686S&W]

Lee Enfield 4Mk1 in .308/7.62. or a #5 Jungle Carbine in the same caliber. You can mount optics, good common ammunition, and a 10 round detachable box magazine. My only concern would be the "wandering zero" on the carbine. Oh and hunting small critters would present another problem.

 

[woof]

So many important variables that are unanswered. Like are you depending on it for survival or is society still functioning? And do you have unlimited ammo? Would you assume having the same number of rounds for any choice? The answer could be anything from a .22LR to something capable of taking any game in your area not to mention zombies and sasquatch.

 

[elChupacabra!]

I can agree with the bolt gun's superiority over the M1A in all regards except for home defense. I don't think a bolt gun would make a very good choice there. I know all the talk about "it's the first shot that counts" etc etc etc, but man, with a bolt gun, that had better be ONE GOOD FIRST SHOT, and there had better not be two of them.

If we are going to consider that need as well, I think the rifle in question has to be AT LEAST a pump / lever gun, and semi is better. Which brings me back to M1A

 

[JShirley]

686S&W, Not really. Use FMJ for small game.

J

 

[RonE]

If we could have only one rifle, what about ammo? Is ammo limited also or with our one rifle do we have unlimited ammo?

With limited ammo, I would choose a .22 lr, semi auto....

With unlimited ammo I suppose a 30-06 M1.

 

[Old Grump]

Closest thing to an all purpose gun

308 and 30-06 man here but if I was limited to a gun for hunting, plinking and self defense my vote would go for a lever action 30-30. You can't beat it for versatility and cost.

 

[JShirley]

I'm going to ask that people sit back and think tactics for a minute.

Now, if I'm somehow caught in a very bad situation up against numerous hostiles, what should my tactics be? If it's "very bad", there must be several of them, and one of me. It is just plain silly to think about going head-to-head with several armed bad guys.

It would make more sense to hit from 350 meters away, and disappear into the brush before they know where the shot came from.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

As far as hunting goes, you certainly don't lose anything by using a well-balanced bolt action. At close range, a faster action might be nice, but you're always going to be trying to stay behind cover until and unless you're actually shooting, so even there, a bolt gun isn't too much of a handicap for defensive use.

 

[Brandon]

Use a flattop AR15 with brown furniture, a standard stock, no tall front sight and 10 round mags that don't stick out of the bottom and most people couldn't distinguish it from a regular hunting rifle.

 

[elChupacabra!]

At close range, a faster action might be nice, but you're always going to be trying to stay behind cover until and unless you're actually shooting, so even there, a bolt gun isn't too much of a handicap for defensive use.

I don't know about you, but if someone was banging my door down, a bolt-action rifle is the LAST thing I would want. I'd rather have a semi-auto .22 rifle.

If I was fighting a war, fine, I could take cover... but for defending my home, I don't plan on hiding behind the kitchen island during my advance from the bedroom if I have to see what's going on. I also don't want or need a weapon that would handicap me that severely in a defensive role.

Being realistic, the OP wanted a rifle that could do just about everything from HD to hunting to SHTF. While a bolt gun does the latter two superbly, I believe it utterly fails at the first, and should be discarded from consideration as such. Again, A semi-auto in a major caliber, like 308, is tops.

 

[BoilerUP]

Remington 7400 or 742 in .308 or .30-06.

Accurate enough for deer to 400yds, an impressive bolt-closing sound to scare away home intruders, small and light enough to easily maneuver in brush or urban environments, plenty of ammunition availability, and quick follow-up shots against bad guys or those ever-pesky zombies. You can also use optics at range and easily switch to iron sights closer, at which point its time to break out the Lobo.

 

[JShirley]

if someone was banging my door down, a bolt-action rifle is the LAST thing I would want. I'd rather have a semi-auto .22 rifle

Well, that's you. Your money, your life. I'd prefer a 1917 to a .22 any day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I'm also going to respectfully suggest that cover and concealment are important whether you're defending or advancing. Don't take my word for it, get some good training.

See if any qualified trainer disagrees. Hell, PM Jeff White or Larry Corriea, for instance. Ask them.

As far as it goes, goat sucker, we both know it's impossible to find one firearm to do everything well. A well-selected bolt gun will be better to carry and hunt with than almost any semi-auto. If you chose carefully, it will also be sturdier than all but a few SAs, and it will be considerably lighter than the ones that are as sturdy. If you have handguns, you could always use those for HD, but I'd prefer a longarm for serious work. Even a boltgun.

So: in a nutshell, if you had to "bug out", and only take one longarm, I suggest a sturdy bolt action in a common caliber. If you only had funds to buy one longarm, I suggest the exact same thing, if hunting will be included in your requirements. Everything is a compromise. Sturdy bolt actions are just less of a compromise for most things than other types of rifles.

John