firearms for a bugout bag

[HALL,AUSTIN]

I am looking for insight on a few weapons for what is essentially a survival kit. I am thinking something along the lines of .22 longrifle,either an sks or ak varient,a pistol and a shotgun. ANY insight at all would be highly valued. Please keep in mind that i am capable of hiking with roughly 125 pounds of gear, and that i would have 2 other people able to carry weapons aswell. Please no outlandish comments like "just get a ma duce"

[Technosavant]

Where are you thinking of bugging out TO? For what duration? Due to why?

Generally, from what I've seen, unless you live in a flood plain or get hit spot-on by a tornado, you are more likely to barricade yourself IN rather than bug out.

In the event of a major disaster, open carry of a rifle would likely be frowned upon by the authorities. If you're assuming a complete societal breakdown, we tend not to do SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenarios; they get tinfoil hattish FAST and they're just unlikely.


For a general purpose rifle, just about any .22LR would work, but you'd be limited if you needed to use it for defense. Depending on your area of the country, an AR-15 or AK variant would work well for defense or hunting. If you live where there's BIG critters (large bear, elk), a lightweight rifle in .308 would probably be good. But hauling ammo around is going to be VERY limiting with any weapon. Lead gets heavy.

[oneounceload]

Assuming yo already have a CCW gun ON your person, in your bag should be a nice 22 revolver - BOB's need to focus on things like food, meds, etc.......excess ammo and guns gets too heavy if you need to carry it - if you're talking about putting together a camping box sort of BOB, then put your ma deuce in it if it is never going to leave your truck;

Otherwise think practicality, not tinfoil zombie stuff

[ClayInTx]

IBTC

Bug Out isn’t practical.

Think logistics.

[Blackshirts]

125 pounds of food. The other 2 can carry water. After that camp by a lake and catch fish..

[egor20]

I have a BIB (Bug in Bag), when we have announcements of severe weather, I usually buy an extra bottle of Jack for me and a bottle of Scotch for the Mrs.

[Gehrhard]

For a general purpose rifle, just about any .22 LR would be a complete waste of space and weight. Why do people keep peddling this junk? Like you're gonna live off the land only fighting and eating squirrels in your small-game stocked woods.

Find a light-weight, small, maybe takedown .22 Mag if you need to carry lots of ammo which makes some sense (but not the weakest available, i.e. the .22 LR please!). Minimum!

Need more range and firepower? Try a "lightweight" AR middy with a collapsible stock.

More than that!? You'll only want one cartridge each...

[BGutzman]

Nothing wrong with having a bug out bag.... but to go with the bag you need to have a bug out plan depending on whatever reason you might plan to leave...

Whatever plan will probably help you determine what kind of weapon would be best.

In a imaginary world used only as an example(s)(see below):
Bug out for a tornado - might require only a small pistol as if your residence doesnt take a direct hit you will probably be returning quickly after the storm is over.

Bug out for some civil disturbance might require something more specific to self defense with a greater round capacity...

A bag without a plan is rather less useful..

[ClydeFrog]

You may want to gander at www.Glock.com or the FNH-USA website.
For a sidearm, you could pack a Glock 17 or 34 9x19mm with a Glock 26 sub-compact as a BUG(back-up) or CC weapon. You can then use spare or extended pistol mags in either model.
You can also do it with the HK P2000 series or the Beretta PX4 pistols in 9x19mm but I'd heard of a small company that markets a PDW(personal defense weapon) add-on that converts a Glock pistol into a tactical carbine. NOTE; some NFA/Class III or ATF regs may apply.

Along those lines, you can buy a FN 5.7mm pistol then get a P90 semi-auto rifle in 5.7mm. The 5.7mm is small but has low recoil, is able to pack more rounds, offers great penetration, and marksmanship. It could be fired one-handed too.

Any of these polymer frame or plastic weapons should be easy to service or clean in the field with a good CLP like Mpro7's LPX, Gunzilla or Weaponshield.

[youngunz4life]

pickup truck(the one you don't drive as much to make it last) full of gas in the garage. in the garage a bunch of old milk jugs full with h2o and some 5 gall jugs of gas or whatever full of gas.

mossberg500(or whatever shotgun you own) plus your 44 rifle in the vehicle ready to go. the flashlight is already in the glove compartment as well as the first aid kit. of course your weapons are ready to go with some ammo on the side, portable radio w/2 or 3 of your best knives in the vehicle(bigger fixed blade, swiss army knife, buck 110 folding knife and maybe another big one). couple revolvers also or whatever semi you carry(at least two handguns and then a 3rd and/or 4th for another family member(s)). whatever cash you got and canned food that wont go bad. rod in the back would be nice too w/tent.

I don't have a bugout bag but I could pretty much make this happen in minutes not hours; bugout bags will be thrown in back of pickup as well and my long guns have straps if possible some above mentioned are already ready: flashlight+first aid kit is always in every vehicle as examples and then also another example is the gas and the waters ready to give to dogs. I figure if I got to pull a 'red dawn' I midas well have a truck(or vehicle) for the family as we start our trip to visit the 'road warrior'...we can walk only after all other options have fallen by the wayside

[Bud Helms]

It's true there is nothing wrong with having a bugout bag. Also there is nothing wrong with discussing here the weapons of choice for a bugout bag, but remember Rule #5 and this part:

"Topics ... that will not be tolerated:

The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI), AKA: SHTF or Doomsday threads and Zombie threads"

We generally quash these topics right at the start. So, a word to the wise, please. Stay on topic.

[DRBoyle]

Like someone mentioned earlier it's a matter of keeping it fed and maintained aligning with what you need it for. Things like ammo compatibility, spare parts and interchangability (carbines) might become more important than one particular tactical aspect. Would it too much of a shock to consider a 9mm pistol that can eat all kinds of ammo? A carbine that takes those same magazines? Consider it the same as wartime when supplies were limited and generally saved for the war effort.

A lever action rifle?

Edit: Consider doing some research into sales figures for popular models. Again depends on what you want. Would it be wise to walk around with a rifle in the open versus a concealed pistol? Like asking what you'd put in a first aid bag.

[Glenn Dee]

I sometimes travel long distances for work. 99% of the time I'm using my company vehical. I normally pack for planned trips, and will have most of what I'd need. I also have something of a bug-out bag in the truck 24/7. Just in case I get stuck away from home unexpectedly. Or when on the road I have some kind of an emergency. I dont call it a bug-out bag but thats what it is... In case I have to go feral while on the road. I call it my long walk kit. In it I keep toiletries, some water, a few snack bars, a set of clean underclothes, a pair of jeans, and a cotton long sleeve shirt. A rain poncho, a folding knife, a flashlight with spare batteries, water proof matches, and a compass. The firearm is a cosmetically challanged 4" bbl Colt O/P in .38spl, and a half box of .38spl JSP ammo. If packed tightly it all fits in a water resistant divers bag. Yellow in color in case I have to use it to signal for help.

I'm not too concerned with zombies, or a complete societal breakdown, as far as the end of the world as we know it... well there's not much I could do about that. But breaking down in a depressed area is a real possibility, as is a weather emergency, or some civil disorder forcing you to go to alternate plan "B".

Glenn D.

[youngunz4life]

Would it be wise to walk around with a rifle in the open versus a concealed pistol?

it depends but if the S truely HTF, a rifle might be better necessary for survival than a 9mm handgun. In some areas you might need a long shot to get some meat. one must work with what they have: a machete can come in real handy so you don't need to shoot every critter you plan on eating too...

[DRBoyle]

A fair counterpoint and it does sound like you have given your circumstance some thought.

In so far as scenarios are concerned, there is the lesson that the Tsunami in Japan has recently given in very dramatic circumstances. This is a country which on one end had a funtioning society and then in localized parts communities just disappeared.

Assume the firing pin in a your long range rifle breaks. You don't have a spare and might have to fashion the part yourself. Matter of fact let's say it's any other part that's not easily improvised. At that time the lack of power means machinery to fashion and improvised part is out of the question. Fuel might be running low so do you venture out without your primary weapon? The Japanese scenario showed that people are very capable of still being decent when things around them fail in such a monumental way, but how about where you personally live? Could you rely on the neighbours not to steal the gas from the generator you have running? Or even the generator itself!

That is the specific weapon/s you carry can only really be determined by yourself. Even then it's going to be murphy's law. As you say a machette might and can do if ultimate survival is the key.

Personally the idea of a revolver which can handle at least one other caliber seems like a good choice. Then there are the merits of a bolt action rifle which include generally making you choose your shots at a slower rate. Perhaps when/if you zone in on a particular model of firearms someone here can provide some info regarding longevity. What breaks, what doesn't etc

[ClydeFrog]

To me, some of the factors or points to think about for any weapon or tool would be size, weight, ease to clean or maintain under harsh elements or weather conditions, function(utility), etc.

3/4 day extreme survival or end times type stuff like in the novel & book; The Road, www.IMDb.com www.Bookfinder.com , you'd need to plan & be smart.

[irish52084]

I see this type of thing come up pretty often and I'm now convinced to put together a bag for my car and house. I'm more concerned with first aid and survival items before what gun to put in the bag. When I do select a gun, it will probably be a 4" 357 and a decent holster. I'll throw in a box of ammo and call it good. I don't want to pack a ton of ammo around because of the weight. I already carry a pistol 95% of the time, so another weapon becomes a bit redundant.

For a bag kept at the house, I'd be more apt to have larger heavier items. I'd also be more apt to put a rifle in the equation, but it must be light. If I'm leaving my house for the hills to avoid some sort of scenario, then I'm taking a hunting rifle.

[jhenry]

Planning to 'hike' with 125 pounds of gear is ridiculous for a variety of reasons. Being able to tote it does not make it anything near a good plan. Carrying a pistol, shotgun, rifle, and .22, along with the necessary ammunition etc. as a part of a BOB is also silly.

As a general rule a BOB should be able to sustain a person for 72 hours or thereabouts, with some compact survival gear along for the ride. Water purification, rudimentary shelter, first aid etc. A pistol (which should be close at hand anyway) and a .22 rifle or .22 mag. rifle is fine. Tie a pair of boots to the pack so you can grab it all at once. There is no reason the pack should come in at over 15 pounds or so. Minus the boots, .22, and water.

Any fool can carry a heavy pack, and any fool can get by with a profligate amount of equipment. Experience will allow you to pare it down, simplify, and go far and fast with the lighter pack. I would encourage folks to put a pack together, get a topo for the nearest national forest, and get out there and do it. Go for 5 to 10 miles per day minimum, and actually live with what you bring. Get some trail time under your belt and you will be amazed at what becomes important, and what suddenly becomes a pain when theory meets reality.

[Bud Helms]

Any fool can ... and any fool can ...

jhenry, you've been here long enough to know that kind of reference is ripe for misinterpretation. People take things personally that aren't necessarily meant that way.

That said, everyone won't do it the way you think makes sense, and there's no need for anything remotely akin namecalling.

[jhenry]

Correct, my apologies. That could certainly be taken as insulting, it was not meant to be.

[HALL,AUSTIN]

No insult taken, im looking more at practical and what is necessary. I decided to go with an ak varient (in my truck) and a pistol. Probably a taurus model 66 (because it can chamber .38special aswell) once again thank you for your input everyone

[KyJim]

For me, a realistic "bug out" scenario would be a Hurricane Katrina, mudslides, etc. I would want to include a concealable handgun of medium caliber with one or two spare mags (or speed loaders), depending upon capacity of the handgun. If I had a vehicle, I would probably include a carbine type rifle -- a lever action rifle, an AR-15, etc. If a semi-auto, one or two spare mags and, if not a semi-auto, then 20 to 30 extra rounds of ammo. That's it.

[Chris_B]

I can envision some situation like you're out hunting and become stranded, like a 'Survivorman' situation

In the old West, a man would carry a rifle and revolver in the same caliber. Seems to make sense for a bug-out bag of this type to have a pistol that can take the same ammo as your hunting rifle

[ClydeFrog]

If you own or plan to buy a med/K-L frame 4" DA revolver, for disaster recovery/protection use, I have a great used Bianchi UM84R nylon holster you can buy. I'm ready to deal.
The UM84R holster has a quiet release flap, a cleaning rod & is milspec.
It can be worn or converted to fit many ways, see; www.Bianchi-intl.com .

Thanks:
Clyde F

[grubbylabs]

If you are bugging out for a weather emergency or some such thing then I think that 125Lbs is not unreasonable if you routinely pack that on back packing trips. If you don't then you need to think about that weight and how far you really want to carry that much weight.

My gun list would include

for food gathering- .22 rifle and a 410 shot gun.
for self defense I would choose a quality hand gun I shoot well.

The problem with heading to the nearest national forest is that every other Tom Dick and Harry is going there with the idea of shooting what ever game animal is popular for that area. And if you think a lot of people get shot during regular hunting season wait till something like this happens. Every thing that moves will get shredded by lead.

If you have not I would find out just how much you can really carry and plan around that. Remember that food and water are your first priority.

You should prepare your home your car and your self for the possible disasters that are probable for your area. Make plans with those you live with and with surrounding family and friends so that every one has an idea of what is going to happen given a certain scenario.

Good luck on preparing.