Your shtf go to rifle

[Mjollnir]

Well, title says it. What is your main go to rifle/pistol if the fecal matters defys gravity and hits the fan.

Explain the pros/cons, what you hate about it, what you love about it. why you chose it.would you get something different.

For me it is gonna be my 922(r) converted Saiga 7.62x39 and Glock 17.

Love em both. Saiga has several thousand rounds through her with no mechanical malfunctions(had a few wolf misfires though). Had a Russian Kobra sight on her for a while but have since sold the sight and am currently running irons. About the only thing I want to change is she really needs a flash hider. Though I must admit the low powered scout scope set up has me rather intrigued too. As for the Glock.... I have 10k + rounds through it currently with no complaints at all.

[Jeremiah2913]

Well, title says it. What is your main go to rifle/pistol if the fecal matters defys gravity and hits the fan.

Explain the pros/cons, what you hate about it, what you love about it. why you chose it.would you get something different.

I'll start it off.
I started out with a 762x51nato MBR a CETME mdl C. These had a bad rap since day one ,mostly due to the fact that they were fairly unknown till around the 01-02' time frame. Here on the market is a "cheap" HK91 clone which threw the Hk snobs into a hissy. When in fact it was the the other way around. Unfortunately like the ealry WASR10's CAI produced, they also produced the modl C CETME, so QC was not all there. I had researched and re built mine. How ever due to cheap mags( g3/hk91 ones and cetme ones) , you could be hit and miss on your mags. This was a reliability issue, that really bugged me. The rifle was way more accurate than i was. It was easy to use, hit hard, but sucked being lugged around all day. At near 10+lbs loaded, along with the gear needed to feed it, it took its toll. I had put over 5 thousand rounds through this rifle in under a 2.5-3 year time frame. I had maybe 200 failures. Most mag related and some surplus ammo related. That was 200 to many imho. No matter what the reason. So i started to look for a replacement as my "go to" and set the cetme aside as a range toy,back up.
I started looking into a more of a carbine platform. Which was hard for me as i am a "308" guy. I refused to get an AR style rifle. One becuase i have yet to see one work 100% at any range i have ever been on( i know you AR guys are screaming right now), and two i did not have the cash to buy a rifle,mags,parts and ammo all at once. Trust me, i wouldn't kick an AR outta bed, but like my CETME mdl C, it aint the one im taking home to marry!:p
So i went to the AK. I chose to go with a 762 variant. Mostly becuase of ammo cost, parts and mags. It took me about 3-4 months of shopping,looking,researching before i found one i wanted. Those that were with me on these "hunting" trips wanted to kill me LOL. I was so damn picky it wasn't funny. But again. I was buying this rifle for my main shtf rifle. I did not want to compromise anything,to have to buy again in a years time( i am cheap like that). I soon had my AK. A vector arms model. All matching ,build etc. Well being as it was an AK, i had to not clean it, well i did wipe it down after 600+ rounds becuase it was starting to rust on the outside( vectors werent painted, they were oxided). Around the 1500 round count, i took the rifle all the way down. cleaned and painted it. I got sick of it rusting when used outdoors. I have put near 4-6k through it. Honestly i stopped counting at the 4k mark. I just wipe down the blot group and make sure there is some grease on the rails and contact points . I run mine pretty dry. I do this about ever 3-500 rounds. At the 1k round mark is about when i strip it all the way down. I have had ZERO malfunctions of any kind with this rifle. except one- the sticker fell off ( sorry inside joke);)
Accuracy wise. well it is an AK, but for the distances that i would be using this rifle for in a "survival situation" it is minute of bad guy all day long out to 300+ I have not added any optics to it yet. I would like to add a red dot in the future, but i firmly follow KISS when it comes to my weapons the last few years. More junk to break means more chance of my weapon going down imho.
ammo wise, i dont worry about what i shoot in it. I have mostly run golden tiger, but have used other "Russian" made stuff with the same effect. BANG. every time. Some is more dirtier than others ( monarch was nasty),some have more flash at night ( monarch,wolf), accuracy wasn't effected much at all.
The only mods to my rifle have been a paint job and i installed an OSOE single point bungee sling ( which im still in the air about- its great for confined areas, but i see it failing over long periods of "walking" in the comfort zone...).Plan to replace the slant break for a "cage" style flash hider, but again,since i have had zero issues with the slant (even at night) i do not know if i will replace it.

My only "con" is the sights,being used to peep sights it took a bit to adjust. The butt stock could be longer( again if i wanted to replace it) this could be why the sights give me issue at times ( LOP and all). These are about the only issues i have had.

So that is why i went with the AK platform. Cheap parts,rugged,light weight with a round that will defeat/handle most issues i will come in contact with in the 0-250yard range.

The OP seems too broad and has turned into a defense weapon thread. I am surprised and impressed by the great number of AK supporters, I tend to believe you actually use and shot your rifles and can also distinguish between shooting at the range and RL! 250 yds is however well out of the useful range of an AK and to be completely honest I wouldn't fire at that range, probably not even if I had a clean AR. Fortunately I'm capable of carrying more than one weapon and the remy 700 would also be on my back for such range.

[Hawkeye]

250 yds is however well out of the useful range of an AK .

100% complete BS. Sorry, dont mean to be blunt, but that is factually incorrect.

[Jeremiah2913]

100% complete BS. Sorry, dont mean to be blunt, but that is factually incorrect.

then I accept your offer to provide evidence to that fact.

[Hawkeye]

then I accept your offer to provide evidence to that fact.

I never made an offer. I just said you were wrong.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

then I accept your offer to provide evidence to that fact.

How about 300yds?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

then I accept your offer to provide evidence to that fact.

ever heard of Afganistan?
I know of a whole bunch of places where we wernt within 250yds of each other and both ARs and AKs were working. Where have you been?

[Jeremiah2913]

No I never heard of Afganistan, or "a bunch of places". Where did you serve Matt? What where your duties and what weapon were you issued? So we have one youtube video that defies all odds and nothing that shows it superior to the m24 based off the remy 700! My friends, you bet your life off of youtube and you'll find yourselves dead as well. I recommend you shoot these rifles yourself and learn your own skills and limitations. I promote nothing but for me I have expressed my love and the relibility of the AK inside 100yds. 200-250yds I recommend the AR platform if available or grab a remy 700. I'm not sure what this debate is about but I'm about your survival and you can't go wrong with a remy 700 outside 200yds! Try it and prove me wrong!

[Hawkeye]

No I never heard of Afganistan, or "a bunch of places". Where did you serve Matt? What where your duties and what weapon were you issued? So we have one youtube video that defies all odds and nothing that shows it superior to the m24 based off the remy 700! My friends, you bet your life off of youtube and you'll find yourselves dead as well. I recommend you shoot these rifles yourself and learn your own skills and limitations. I promote nothing but for me I have expressed my love and the relibility of the AK inside 100yds. 200-250yds I recommend the AR platform if available or grab a remy 700. I'm not sure what this debate is about but I'm about your survival and you can't go wrong with a remy 700 outside 200yds! Try it and prove me wrong!

You are a bit arrogant in assuming some of us havent. I'm not going to sit here and post a resume of where I've been, what I've done, who I know, and what I had for dinner last night.
A Rem 700 is a long range precision rifle. Not a Combat rifle. I had one. I've shot it out to 600 yards. Friends have shot much further, one had people shooting back. I've shot M16's at 300 meters. 250 yards is not long range.

We try hard here to make sure that the information people get here, is accurate, because lives may depend on it. Some of us take being trained and prepared very seriously.

I'm about your survival

I'll sleep comfortable knowing that.

[Jeremiah2913]

You are a bit arrogant in assuming some of us havent. I'm not going to sit here and post a resume of where I've been, what I've done, who I know, and what I had for dinner last night.
A Rem 700 is a long range precision rifle. Not a Combat rifle. I had one. I've shot it out to 600 yards. Friends have shot much further, one had people shooting back. I've shot M16's at 300 meters. 250 yards is not long range.

We try hard here to make sure that the information people get here, is accurate, because lives may depend on it. Some of us take being trained and prepared very seriously.



I'll sleep comfortable knowing that.

so you'll choose an ak at 200 yds over the 700? Thats what you said right?

[Jeremiah2913]

You are a bit arrogant in assuming some of us havent. I'm not going to sit here and post a resume of where I've been, what I've done, who I know, and what I had for dinner last night.
A Rem 700 is a long range precision rifle. Not a Combat rifle. I had one. I've shot it out to 600 yards. Friends have shot much further, one had people shooting back. I've shot M16's at 300 meters. 250 yards is not long range.

We try hard here to make sure that the information people get here, is accurate, because lives may depend on it. Some of us take being trained and prepared very seriously.



I'll sleep comfortable knowing that.

and you can call me what you wish but I have watched more friends die than have died in Afganistan or the Persian Gulf combined! Young man, watch whre you step before you know who you're talking too!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

No I never heard of Afganistan, or "a bunch of places". Where did you serve Matt? What where your duties and what weapon were you issued?

your answers will be coming in a PM. I will answer them, I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'll be waiting on your answers as well

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

No I never heard of Afganistan, or "a bunch of places". Where did you serve Matt? What where your duties and what weapon were you issued? So we have one youtube video that defies all odds and nothing that shows it superior to the m24 based off the remy 700! My friends, you bet your life off of youtube and you'll find yourselves dead as well. I recommend you shoot these rifles yourself and learn your own skills and limitations. I promote nothing but for me I have expressed my love and the relibility of the AK inside 100yds. 200-250yds I recommend the AR platform if available or grab a remy 700. I'm not sure what this debate is about but I'm about your survival and you can't go wrong with a remy 700 outside 200yds! Try it and prove me wrong!

Well, I have shot the "remy 700" and .50cal and AR and AK and A-Bolt .308, 300 Win Mag and.... That one YouTube vid is a friend of mine who has put thousands of rounds through an AK. He is not the only one who can hit a man size target out at 250yds with an AK. Will the "remy 700" I shot put it in the same hole at 250yds, yes if the shooter does his part. Will the AK I shot stop a BG at 250yds, yes if the shooter does his part. Yes, the 700 will have better accuracy at 250yds than an AK because it is a long distance precision rifle, but don't insult those of us that have shot an AK out to that range and tell us that it is defying the odds.

And are you serious, you haven't heard of Afganistan? Tell me you were kidding.

[Hawkeye]

so you'll choose an ak at 200 yds over the 700? Thats what you said right?

As a fighting weapon? Hands down every single time.

If I wanted a precision rifle, for either long range work, or, something that required extreme accuracy with little to no movement on my part, and had a support team, then something like a 700 would get the nod.

[Jeremiah2913]

Well, I have shot the "remy 700" and .50cal and AR and AK and A-Bolt .308, 300 Win Mag and.... That one YouTube vid is a friend of mine who has put thousands of rounds through an AK. He is not the only one who can hit a man size target out at 250yds with an AK. Will the "remy 700" I shot put it in the same hole at 250yds, yes if the shooter does his part. Will the AK I shot stop a BG at 250yds, yes if the shooter does his part. Yes, the 700 will have better accuracy at 250yds than an AK because it is a long distance precision rifle, but don't insult those of us that have shot an AK out to that range and tell us that it is defying the odds.

And are you serious, you haven't heard of Afganistan? Tell me you were kidding.

You wouldn't understand, you think 1k killed is an atrosity. I watched that many die in a week! Don't even pretend to compare yourself to me weekend warrior!