.22 cal Marlin Papoose Survival Rifle (video)
 

I'm shopping for a good-for-the-dollar .22 rifle as a backpacker and survival rifle. Between several options (AR-7, M6, Armalite (Henry), etc) I have chosen the Marlin 70PSS Papoose. The goal is to have something relatively lightweight, reliable, and easy to handle. The action on the Papoose is pretty much the same as on other Marlin .22 semi-autos (60, 65 series, etc). This is a video that demonstrates the rifle (I think) fairly well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32FgaIb66bM

Opinions are most welcome. YMMV.

:munchin

Nice choice. It ended up being my second choice. I now have a Henry AR-7 in my go-bag. I like the fact that I can store all the components including two fully loaded 8-round magazines in the stock. No case needed. It happily shoots cci mini-mags without fault. I haven't bothered with a scope yet. What about you?

Marlin Campgun
 

I have no expeience with the weapon mentioned below, but it is somewhat attarctive as a survival piece. Just another option to a survival-type weapon. Has more heft and stopping power than the Papoose, but sacrifices added weight.

http://www.notpurfect.com/main/campgun9.htm

If your going to wander from the .22 lr, you might want to look at the Mech Tech carbines.

Their advantage is they use a 1911 or glock frame in a simple barrel/bolt combo. Not a tack driver,, not pretty,, but also not expensive. With a minimum of options, they can pack small and light, at 5.3 lbs & 25 inch. Using the hi-cap mags available for Glocks & 1911's makes it even better..

I know these are not everyone's cup to tea, but it is an alternative.

http://www.mechtechsys.com/

1911 calibers

• 9 mm
• 10 mm
• 38 Super
• 40 Smith & Wesson
• 45 ACP
• 460 Rowland
• .357 Sig (Note)

Glock

• G-17 9 mm
• G-34 9 mm
• G-20 10 mm
• G-22 40 Smith & Wesson
• G-35 40 Smith & Wesson
• G-21 45 ACP
• G-31 .357 Sig (Note)
• G-19 9 mm
• G-23 40 Smith & Wesson
• G-32 .357 Sig (Note)

Personally, I would build up a used Ruger 10/22, put a good 16 in barrel & folding stock. If needed, a trigger job. It's a single use item, but there are millions of 10/22 out there,, so parts in an post-apocalyptic environment should not be much of a problem.

Alternately, the inexpensive, readily available AK & variants. Not light, but for the price a good truck gun. The ones built with the AMD-65 parts kit have 12.5 inch barrels with brazed or pinned flash hiders.

In the big picture, having multiple calibers gives you some flexibility in sourcing ammo. This flexibility comes with the problem of maintain parts. It's all a trade-off..

An M-4, broken down, is not much longer than the weapons you are discussing. If you leave all of the accessories off other than an optical sight, you could probably get the weight down under 8 pounds. A loaded 30 round mag of 5.56 weighs one pound.

A .22LR conversion unit for the rifle weighs less than a pound, with a 30 round mag.

If I am carrying a firearm, it might as well be one that I can do some serious work with.

These pistol caliber carbines, if you can get one to run, are largely a waste of time and money, IMHO. You effectively wind up with a pistol that weighs 2-3 times more.

TR

TR what's your favorite unit?

I've not used one and was thinking of putting one on the wish list, that or a dedicated upper??

As this thread has developed, I am wondering what we respectively believe the task is for the "Survival Rifle" we are considering. It occurred to me that my choice was made by considerations not expressed in my post.

Let me now state some of the considerations that informed my choice. Hopefully others will do the same to help each of us make optimal choices for our specific needs.

I am a private pilot with a lapsed medical planning on renewing my medical and resuming flying. I recently attended a seminar sponsored by the FAA on survival. It turns out that many of us silk scarf types land and survive on other than paved runways. Many who survive the landing do not survive until rescue because of lack of survival skills and lack of knowledge to inform their decisions.

When flying in a small private plane, weight and form factor are critical. A survival rifle is primarily needed for food although self defense is not to be unappreciated.

Thus my choice of the Henry AR-7. Other's view would be appreciated.

I'll throw it back at you.

• What are the dimensions of the container or storage compartment?
• Does your survival includes dancing big critters like bear??

If there is a bear in your future?? Take a look at a Co-Pilot by Wild West Guns. Not cheap, but a real sweet package, with lots of punch.

http://www.wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

Warning: This is a very unique single use weapon. The ammo is not readily available, parts are scarce, it kicks lot a horse, and it doesn't hold but 3 or 4 rounds. BUT it will fill the Bush Pilot needs. It can be had in pistol calibers, but the effect on recalcitrant bears will vary substantially from that desired.

IMHO you do not need to over think a .22 purchase. There are like potato chips, one is never enough.

I have the Ceiner and the CMMG.

My Ceiners run, but the company is such a PITA to deal with that I have switched to the CMMG, which also comes in a stainless version. For that matter, the Wild West guys are not only expensive, but come across in person as assholes as well.

If you have a dedicated upper, you gain accuracy, but are dragging around several pounds of extra weight for it.

I am looking at getting a dedicated upper as well, but primarily for training and practice, not for this situation.

HTH.

TR

Thanks,

And yes, you may be correct about the Wild West outfit,, But I gotta tell you I fell in love with that little cannon and have lusted over it for many yrs.

M6. There's a reason the military survival kits got away from the AR7s. Have you ever been bird hunting with a .22? (Usually lot's more birds available than anything else.) NTM .410 is available in a variety of loads. If the M6 is too crude, check out a Valmet/Savage. ( http://www.savage24.com/ )

If I could have one gun to use to survive, it would have to be a shotgun.

If you are searching for food, small game is easier to find, and you can load the shotgun with bird/small game loads(as much as I've shot, I don't want my rifle-accuracy to possibly stand between me and a survival dinner). For deer-sized game, you can throw buckshot/slugs in. Same with defense situations.

I have read quite a few old Africa hunting stories. Many of the guides swore by a 12 gauge loaded with buckshot for going into nasty brush after wounded game.

An old H&R single barrel is a light, cheap gun that will take a lot of abuse and still function. If it gets beaten up rolling around in the cargo department, big deal, you can find a used one for less than $100.00

Yeah, but can you carry enough shells to live off of?

Survival hunting is all about pounds of meat per pound of ammo. For that, it is hard to beat a .22 rimfire. And I don't plan to let them take wing.

TR

I guess the choice of weapon might depend on the suspected survival situation. The downed-pilot situation would necessitate different kinds of firearms depending on where someone was flying(Florida vs. an Alaskan/African bush pilot).

If this was a basic survival gun (an apocalypse scenario) then one of the over-under Savages would be a pretty good gun.

Unless there were zombies.