[mountainman13]

Originally Posted by Silvertip 44

CMP is still selling Garands and you can probably get one within that $1000 bracket.

If you go through everything to be able to buy though cmp. You can pick up a nice garand for around $600. Collectors grades are a bit more. You have to participate in one of their shooting matches and pay $35 (if I remember correctly) to become a member.

[tiberius10721]

I like the 8mm yugo mauser it makes a pretty excellent and cheap battle rifle. cheap,built like a tank,accurate,bayonet attachment and fairly inexpensive to shoot if you reload for it. Even better is the swiss k31. These are true battle tested rifle designs that are still pretty cheap if you shop around pawnshops and gunshows. I have four mausers hangning on the wall and I would not hesitate to pick one up and use it in a SHTF scenario.

[TooStrongTerry]

Originally Posted by tiberius10721

I like the 8mm yugo mauser it makes a pretty excellent and cheap battle rifle. cheap,built like a tank,accurate,bayonet attachment and fairly inexpensive to shoot if you reload for it. Even better is the swiss k31. These are true battle tested rifle designs that are still pretty cheap if you shop around pawnshops and gunshows. I have four mausers hangning on the wall and I would not hesitate to pick one up and use it in a SHTF scenario.

I'm a lefty.

[TooStrongTerry]

Originally Posted by TLuker

I love a lever actions for sentimental reasons, but levers are slower than clip feed semi auto's and for me that makes clip feed semi auto's better. Similarly levers are faster than single shots and that's why levers were better when they came out.

They don't make 22 mag semis anymore. So lever would be the quickest solution.

[Josh1158]

You should look at a sks. There proven battle rifles. I got mine for 250 a few months ago and I've see them on armslist for 300ish all the time. Change out the stock and get some 30 round mags. I've got a left handed thumbhole on mine and its bad a$$. If the shtf it's the first thing I'm going for.

[Werminator]

I too am an sks fanboy ... I love the reliability of the AK but longer barrel gets a little more speed and a longer sighting radius... love my norinco sks... very accurate and it makes an impression on new shooters...

[HockaLouis]

I used to joke about China being the "Arsenal of Democracy" -- an SKS w/1,200 rounds of ammo was had for $200 OTD. Not a perfect gun but great for the money with stripper clips.

[Georgiahunter]

Originally Posted by HockaLouis

You guys re: the .22 Mag sound like me. Of course the .22 LR is an absurd choice regardless how often it is parroted -- it is the weakest cartridge around and if somebody MADE you limit yourself to that you'd cry.

.22 Mag offers twice the power at least with the same features and benefits of the .22 LR except price basically.

As for the .30-30, at this point the 7.62x39mm or 6.8 SPC would probably be fair choices.

Do some guys just write the first thing they come up with or the last thing they heard? No offense meant. "Hey, remember, a .25-06 is a .25 like a .25 ACP except for more powder too."

The 22lr is a good cartridge and only gun snobs with plenty of money to buy ammo would think differently. I will admit the 22 mag would be a much better choice. As for the bigger cartridges, I am not a big fan of the 7.62x39 because of their ballistics and the fact that I am to unfamiliar with them. If I wanted something like the 7.62x39 I would choose a .308. For me bugging out would consist of traveling in pretty rural areas where most people do not own all of the tacticool guns, but guns used to hunt, making a 30/30 lever action a viable choice. Oh yeah, your last comment about how people (me) compare cartridges because of their sizes. Well, as I hope you could tell I KNOW that the difference in powder matters. However, I think people get so caught up on the amount of powder in a round they forget that size does matter.

[therewolf]

I'll agree that the SKS and Garand both bring a lot to the table.

SKS is simplicity, dependability, and ease of use and maintenance, limited

only by mid-range reach.

The Garand is power, long range viability with iron sights,

and accuracy...