Gun Digest Book of Survival Guns

^{The rifle that preceded the M16 in combat in Vietnam was the Colt/Armalite-produced 601/601. Issued with a green Bakelite stocks, the 601 featured a hard-chromed bolt carrier group and prong-type flash suppressor. It lacked the forward assist that was added two generations later to the M16A1 series, and the case deflector that appeared on the M16A2. The case deflector has definite merit, which cannot be said of the forward assist. Left-handed law enforcement M16s need the addition of an add-on to protect the shooters’ faces from cartridge case burns.}

While a 20-inch full-size AR is my general preference for a civil survival rifle (I also have the heavier 20-inch A2-style rifle by Del-Ton intended for the same role), the M4-size weapons are also a great choice and can be had in lightweight formats. One basic model that stands out and won’t break the bank is also from DPMS, the AP4 Carbine. At 7.15 pounds, the AP4 features the standard military M4 stepped profile barrel, round handguards, military-style adjustable stock, and the removable A3 carry handle for flattop optics mounting. There are loads of this type carbine on the market from loads of manufacturers, with an almost limitless variety of stocks and accessories available in just about any combination possible to imagine.

^{This Rguns 20-inch Twister Barrel 5.56 upper is mounted on a Sun Devil custom lower. The Rock Ridge bipod and Vortex 3-15x illuminated reticle scope give the 5.56 cartridge the best possible terminal effect at long range. Note the use of 20-round magazines for an extended-range AR; 30-round magazines don’t allow the shooter to get low enough to the ground and gain a correct prone position. Bullets weighing 69 to 77 grains are recommended for this type of setup and work well with the 1:9 twist rate this rifle has.}

Here’s one piece of advice. For whichever manufacturer you select, particularly in the case of a carbine-style AR. Stick with Mil-Spec construction for your survival gun. Yes, mid-length gas systems on carbines do shoot more smoothly than the carbine-length systems. I have one on the M4 I used for entry on the SRT team. But the problem is that there is no standardized length for mid-length gas systems. That is what Mil-Spec really means. Besides requiring a certain basic level of quality, it requires that the parts that meet that standard are all the same, which reduces any potential problems with resupply and repair. Until there is a Mil-Spec standard for mid-length gas systems and their ports, save that type of system for personal police duty weapons, home defense in standard times, or recreational shooters. Which brings me to the topic of gas piston ARs.

^{Officer Shawn Lingofelter test-fires an early example of the Bushmaster gas piston upper. During testing, more than 1,200 rounds were run through the gun without cleaning and, in the end, the action was so clean it looked like it had just been pulled off the rack at the local gun shop. While piston guns keep the chamber clean during fire, there is no standard or Mil-Spec universality with these systems. Each manufacturer uses its own design. Piston guns also add weight and expense to the AR and tend to be less accurate than direct gas-impingement guns.}

^{An M4-style carbine, like the DPMS AP4, in its basic configuration makes an excellent lightweight and relatively compact survival rifle, easily adjustable to fit people of a wide range of sizes and weights.}

The gas piston AR is a popular and, perhaps, important technological variation of the original Stoner direct impingement system. The gas piston does one main thing to enhance the AR-15 system: it keeps hot powder gases and fouling out of the action of the weapon. In the original direct impingement system, gas is vented from the barrel through a small tube into the receiver, and it is that gas that blows into the bolt carrier to force it back against the buttstock buffer and spring. When these are compressed, the weapon cycles and forces the carrier back forward, stripping a fresh round from the magazine follower and into the chamber, where the bolt locks up, awaiting the next pull of the trigger. The action of a direct impingement gun will, of course, eventually be fouled by carbon. (The level and rate of fouling depends upon the length of the gas tube and, more importantly, the type of ammo being fired.) With the short-stroke piston action, the gas is vented from the same area from the fore-end, but instead of being directed into the action, is directed against a piston and rod, which in turn cycles the action. This keeps the action very clean and, in theory, operating more reliably. This is all well and good, but there are several other things a gas piston system does that make it less desirable for the type of survival weapons we’re talking about.

First, piston-actions cost more than direct impingement ARs. This extra money can be spent on more ammunition, magazines, or other supplies.

Second, the design of the piston action generally adds up to an additional pound of weight for the weapon (actually for the weapon carrier). This is weight that could be traded for an equal amount of ounces in water, food, ammunition, or medical supplies.

Piston actions also tend to cause a given weapon to be somewhat less accurate than a direct impingement gun, due to a sliding assembly of metal moving across the top of the barrel that interferes with harmonics. Every precision AR out there that I’m aware of, especially those set up for sniper use, runs off direct gas for just that reason.

Just like mid-range direct gas systems, no Mil-Spec standard exists for AR piston guns produced for the civilian market. In fact, there are a bunch of different types and setups out there. It is not something that can be easily repaired if it fails, since there are no standard parts. Even without the survival factor thrown in, it’s entirely possible that the manufacturer that produced your weapon won’t be around to make good on that “lifetime guarantee” they provided to help you.

Despite these drawbacks, piston guns do have their place. If you have a major aversion to cleaning the bolt and carrier group of the AR, are not in a situation where you will have to pack it over long distances, are not concerned about a weapon breakdown in an unsupported area or situation, and are willing to pay the higher the price tag, then by all means get one. If those things don’t apply to you, stick with a direct gas gun. In any event, make sure you stick with the 5.56mm round. Like I said, I love the 6.8 SPC, and there are a number of other new rounds out there that show promise, like the .300 AAC Blackout, but they aren’t available everywhere and they tend to be more expensive in terms of per-round cost (like $30 for 20 rounds kind of expensive).

From Russia, with Love

There are piston-operated rifles that don’t have the same number of drawbacks as the AR piston systems, at least in terms of added cost or lack of commonality. One of the most prominent examples is the semi-automatic AK-47 family of weapons.

The AK-47 weapons, actually the semi-automatic variants of the family, really have only a couple weak spots that prevent them from being considered by me as being the top pick for a battle rifle, the spot I feel is currently occupied by my aforementioned CA-15A1. Let’s start first with the AK-47 strengths.