Comments on: Best Survival Guns for Vacations http://www.gundigest.com/survival/survival-guns/best-survival-guns-for-vacations Expert advice from the world's leading authorities on gun values, gun prices, gun history, gunsmithing, shooting and tactical gear Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:45:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: swagner59http://www.gundigest.com/survival/survival-guns/best-survival-guns-for-vacations/comment-page-1#comment-11331 swagner59 Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:20:25 +0000 http://www.gundigest.com/?p=133671#comment-11331 Sounds like a good setup. I haven’t gotten to the Ruger Mini-14 yet (but will in my upcoming book) but I agree it is a fantastic rifle for multiple purposes. At my former LE agency, when we first began to issue rifles to our deputies (supervisors got then first) it was the stainless steel Mini that was selected. Those guns ran and ran with little or no attention to maintenance. The only reason we went to the M16 as the primary patrol rifle for all deputies was because we got them free from the DoD Law Enforcement assistance program. Otherwise, we would have stuck with the mini. Shotguns are excellent for close range defense in civil disorder situations (they weren’t called riot guns for nothing)and the Saiga’s help eliminate the two weakness of the shotgun, low magazine capacity and slow rate of reloading. Plus the AK47 design is bombproof, and some of the early gliches with these weapons have been ironed out.

Mossberg shotguns are simply outstanding, and the 20 gauge is an excellent and more controllable choice than the standard 12 gauge. Thanks for the comments and your insight.

]]> By: SmithKoWitzhttp://www.gundigest.com/survival/survival-guns/best-survival-guns-for-vacations/comment-page-1#comment-11261 SmithKoWitz Tue, 03 Jul 2012 06:28:29 +0000 http://www.gundigest.com/?p=133671#comment-11261 I suppose it matters what sort of survival we are talking about here. The meltdown of society and all hades breaks loose, or just happen to break down in the middle of no where and you need to protect yourself from harm and maybe shoot some vittles. I think my Tactical Mini-14 .223 would do well in the first scenario with 30 round mags, short and lightweight; if we are just talking something for semi close range and small animal hunting, a pump .410 with short barrel and pistol grip is quite handy. You can get slugs, #4buck, #000 buck and shoot 3″ or 2 1/2″ shells and a variety of shot as well. I also have a pistol grip Saiga .410 with a 15 round magazine. Would do pretty well for crowd control within 100 feet with the #4 buck (9 pellets .24″), like spraying the crowd with a slightly larger .22 bullet. With a 15 round mag., that’s 135 bullets in 10 seconds or less. Usually when I head off into the wilderness, I tend to bring my pistol grip pump 20 gauge w/3″ shells of #2 buck 18 pellets .27″. I also have some decent slugs for the 20 gauge .8oz or 350grain. Any of the mentioned guns could be used from within the confines of the average vehicle. The most expensive of this bunch was $789 Mini-14 and the cheapest Mossberg Combo (2 barrels & Chokes) Pump 20 gauge was $288 plus $40 for the Hogue pistol grip. The Saiga .410 came in around $500 plus the pistol grip ATI conversion and 2-15 round mags for another $150. It’s a lot of fun, easy to handle and still a formidable weapon with the right loads.

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