Request: lightweight 'survival rifle'.

lol

someone actually brought that rifle up half way thru this thread. You'd have to comb through the SKS recommendations to find it though.
 
According to a little research, the rear site is only held on with one screw and is easily bumped out of alignment. I also understand that it doesn't take down easily, but as RGV said, there might be a simple work around.

I have been reading some reports of light/no primer strikes. These could just be teething problems as it is a newer design. Could just be a couple of problem rifles snuck out of the factory, and you know how the interweb tends to blow these things out of proportion...

I would be really interested to hear the total length when taken down/but stock removed.
 
Howdy everyone...
I bought my rossi combo (.22lr/.410, 2 interchangeable barrels) youth model for 160$ (local hunting store going out of business sale) and I'm VERY happy with it. Insanely light. So what if it has an 18.5" barrel...You can remove the forearm and dissassemble it and carry it in a backpack no problem. I carry it around during moose hunting in case I see some grouses on the trail. I had bought a cooey 60 beforehand to carry around, but it was just too hard heavy to lug around (it was built like a tank!). I installed one of those ammo pouch thingies on there: Ammo is always close by...

Here's
Image011_11A.jpg


I've been toying with the idea of making a sheet metal stock for it, but it would just be for looks (cause I too love the M6), I don't think it would be lighter than the plastic stock it currently sports.

I will eventually get around to making myself a nice wood stock for it (mannlicher style for the .22, standard for the .410) for target shooting.

Fish
 
i think its a great idea to have a small rifle that breaks down even smalle and in small game calibers. it would have to be very light to make it worth it
 
sketts said:
According to a little research, the rear site is only held on with one screw and is easily bumped out of alignment. I also understand that it doesn't take down easily, but as RGV said, there might be a simple work around.

I have been reading some reports of light/no primer strikes. These could just be teething problems as it is a newer design. Could just be a couple of problem rifles snuck out of the factory, and you know how the interweb tends to blow these things out of proportion...

I would be really interested to hear the total length when taken down/but stock removed.
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yeah i updated my post above to link to that review.
thats ONE GUY though. i find it almost impossible to believe that a company with the pedigree of TC would roll these out and they have FTFs - a break action .22LR isnt exactly rocket science to build. the guy was probably using some epically sh*tty bulk ammo. all other reviews have been extremely favorable with no mention of light strikes.

not too worried about the rear sight bumping out of alignment - theres always loctite, fabbing up a set of wings for the rear sight, or replacing it entirely.

as for takedown, i am ASSUMING that there is a bolt underneath the grip cap that holds the stock on. ill fab something up with perhaps a thumbscrew type deal for removing the buttstock, in which it should take down to a size that would even fit in a day pack.

evolture said:
lol

someone actually brought that rifle up half way thru this thread. You'd have to comb through the SKS recommendations to find it though.
Click to expand...
unless i missed it, it was the TC Contender that was recommended. getting something like that in a short .22LR w/peep sight config would have been nearly 10x the cost of the Hot Shot.
 
anyone else think the rossi circuit judge is as cool as they get? not a take down but if it was able to TD that would be awesome
 
manbearpig said:
thats what i may buy if a takedown break-action with decent sights doesnt become a reality. still, itll need aftermarket sights and a shortened LOP.
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So I'm really into the survival rifles and I have a lot of experience in the field. I currently own the AR7, 10/22, JW15a, Savage 24vd 357/20g, Sub2k, Ruger GSS, etc etc

I'm going to weigh in here as someone who has put a lot of thought into this topic. It really sounds like the best offering that will match your requirements is the JW-15a. It's quick to take down and assemble with a Leatherman. The iron sights on it are surprisingly good, I recommend trying the gun. The rear buttstock has a lot of storage space in it, and the action is smooth enough. The magazines are fantastic (CZ clones) and the accuracy isn't bad with CCI standard velocity or Blazers. Scopes are easily mounted on the grooved receiver. It comes with sling studs ready to go, so slap a $10.00 nylon strap on and it's ready for hiking. You can also get 10 round magazines for the gun to complement the 5 rounder it comes with.

There are some bad things about this rifle. It is really heavy for some reason and it will rust unless you keep it well oiled. The screws for the buttstock can strip easily if you're not careful. The rifle is very loud just because of the 13 inch barrel, but maybe subsonics will fix this.

I paid $179.00 for the gun and don't regret it. I can send you mine to play with if you pay for all the shipping.
 
Gatehouse said:
I'd use a short barrel lever rifle in a pistol cartridge, with 2 types of loads. Full power for big game and mean bears, and real low power for grouse and bunnies.

A Mares leg with a full stock might be ideal:)
Click to expand...

This is another thoughtful contribution to the thread. I purchased the Savage 24vd .357/20g takedown rifle for a number of reasons. First and foremost, you can fire 6 types of ammo from this rifle:

1) 357magnum for deer
2) .38special for grouse/bunnies etc and it's subsonic.
3) .22lr from a sleeve in the 20g barrel
4) 20g slug for bear defense
5) 20g buckshot, although I'm not sure what this is good for, cougar defense maybe?
6) 20g birdshot for ducks and geese, grouse as well.

The rifle breaks down, has iron sights, it's hinged action. The drawbacks is that it's big, long, and heavy. On a positive note, this gun does absolutely everything. The same could be said about the 30-30 over 12 gauge version so long as you have a 22lr sleeve for it.
 
Rocket Surgery said:
So I'm really into the survival rifles and I have a lot of experience in the field. I currently own the AR7, 10/22, JW15a, Savage 24vd 357/20g, Sub2k, Ruger GSS, etc etc

I'm going to weigh in here as someone who has put a lot of thought into this topic. It really sounds like the best offering that will match your requirements is the JW-15a. It's quick to take down and assemble with a Leatherman. The iron sights on it are surprisingly good, I recommend trying the gun. The rear buttstock has a lot of storage space in it, and the action is smooth enough. The magazines are fantastic (CZ clones) and the accuracy isn't bad with CCI standard velocity or Blazers. Scopes are easily mounted on the grooved receiver. It comes with sling studs ready to go, so slap a $10.00 nylon strap on and it's ready for hiking. You can also get 10 round magazines for the gun to complement the 5 rounder it comes with.

There are some bad things about this rifle. It is really heavy for some reason and it will rust unless you keep it well oiled. The screws for the buttstock can strip easily if you're not careful. The rifle is very loud just because of the 13 inch barrel, but maybe subsonics will fix this.

I paid $179.00 for the gun and don't regret it. I can send you mine to play with if you pay for all the shipping.
Click to expand...

thanks, but at nearly 7lbs i think its just too heavy (i may be wrong about the weight, just looked it up online and its not the short version with the synthetic stock).

for backpacking purposes i believe that a magazine-fed bolt or semi-auto action is just too overcomplicated/bulky and unneccessary. i think a single-shot hinge action is ideal for this. whether the TC HotShot is going to be that gun remains to be seen, ill be sure to post a thorough review and lots of pics when i get it. a simple, sub-3lb hinge action with metal peep sights is exactly what i was looking for.

incidentally, i hate the Savage 24s more than any other gun on the planet - and that includes abortions like the Remington 710 :D
mine (.223/12ga) was an unwieldy pig plagued with quality/extraction/sight/barrel regulation issues. i hate them with a passion.
 
manbearpig said:
thanks, but at nearly 7lbs i think its just too heavy (i may be wrong about the weight, just looked it up online and its not the short version with the synthetic stock).

for backpacking purposes i believe that a magazine-fed bolt or semi-auto action is just too overcomplicated/bulky and unneccessary. i think a single-shot hinge action is ideal for this. whether the TC HotShot is going to be that gun remains to be seen, ill be sure to post a thorough review and lots of pics when i get it. a simple, sub-3lb hinge action with metal peep sights is exactly what i was looking for.
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This is sort of how I see it as well.

No gun will match all scenarios, therefore you revert to Rule #1, which is 'have a gun'

To ensure you comply with Rule #1, the gun has to be cheap, compact, and light. Any variation from those three qualities will one day cause you reason to violate Rule #1.
 
The JW-15a weighs in at 5.5lbs, I know this because I took home a scale from work just to see how much the thing weighed. It's overbuilt, that's for sure. The stock on it will fail long before the gun does, and if you're in the woods, well you can make another stock. Whether the hotshot is the better pick, the answer is probably yes, but I haven't handled one. They're the same length, but you get the 18 inch barrel out of the TC, so it will make less noise. It weighs less, so that's a bonus, and it only costs a little more. I think the retailers are asking $219+ for JW15a's now.

I think I'm fortunate that my Savage combo isn't a dud, I had no issues whatsoever with it, but it's in mint condition and came with the original box. Both barrel hit the same POI at 25 and 50 yards with slugs and bullets, so that's good.
 
manbearpig said:
thanks, but at nearly 7lbs i think its just too heavy (i may be wrong about the weight, just looked it up online and its not the short version with the synthetic stock).

for backpacking purposes i believe that a magazine-fed bolt or semi-auto action is just too overcomplicated/bulky and unneccessary. i think a single-shot hinge action is ideal for this. whether the TC HotShot is going to be that gun remains to be seen, ill be sure to post a thorough review and lots of pics when i get it. a simple, sub-3lb hinge action with metal peep sights is exactly what i was looking for.

incidentally, i hate the Savage 24s more than any other gun on the planet - and that includes abortions like the Remington 710 :D
mine (.223/12ga) was an unwieldy pig plagued with quality/extraction/sight/barrel regulation issues. i hate them with a passion.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of picking up a 24 in .30/30 / 20 gauge (this was a long time ago.) What held me back was the obviously rotten plastic trigger guard. I also have a reliable source who tells me the centerfire 24's have regulation problems, and they walk the rounds after 2-3 which is probably all you would need in that sort of situation. I have heard the rimfire versions did not have such great problems with regulation etc.
 
the novelty of carrying a heavy and clunky shotgun/rifle combo around with you (neither the shotgun nor rifle being 'ideal' for anything) wears off pretty fast IMO.... but that is all subjective.

my main mechanical gripe with the Savage 24 was that the extraction for centerfire cases is pitifully weak and underengineered. look at most centerfire 24s - youll see telltale marks of the owners prying underneath the extractor/ejector to assist in extraction. the pins that the (again, underengineered) extractor assembly hinges on are also far too weak/soft and will bend/bow, making extraction even more pitiful. i replaced mine with custom ones i made from drill bit shanks, but i was still very disappointed with all the extraction problems. i sold it at a huge loss.

ive never owned a .22 over 20gauge 24F, so for all i know in the rimfire versions the extraction is more than adequate and they just failed to beef it up for centerfire. but at this point i hate the rifles so much that i would never consider owning one again.

there were other issues too - such as the fact that the barrels arent regulated: the shotgun barrel just floats below the rifle barrel in a steel collar at the muzzle. the fact that if you mount an optic, you destroy any shotgun shot functionality, but if you dont mount an optic you have to struggle with the pitiful peep sight that has no micro adjustments and just adjusts by moving a plate around with set screws.
 
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