This forum has been slow lately, and my work has been unbearable. I need some relief so I'm starting this thread...

1) If you could only have one gun TODAY what would it be? This means during times of relative security and prosperity.

2) If you could only have one gun for TEOTWAWKI what would it be?

My CZ 455. It's super accurate with almost any ammo and because carrying a lot of 22lr is so easy.

Here are my choices:

1) During these relatively safe times I would chose a handgun for my "only gun". We're not at war with ourselves so my chances of getting attacked by a drug addled bum are greater than needing to fight off a horde of North Koreans. I'd want a handgun that had decent capacity but also would last a lifetime. I have concerns about polymer frame long term durability. For this situation, I'd like to have a gun made of forged and tool steel (no plastic or MIM).

I'm going to pick: my Les Baer UTC 1911.

2) TEOTWAWKI could include a lot of different scenarios. There are two constants that will not change - no matter what the cause or implications of TEOTWAWKI. A) We need to eat. B) We need to defend ourselves. This leads me to think a Ruger 10/22 would be a good choice because I could carry around a couple thousand rounds of ammo easily if I needed to move about during the crisis. The 22LR round would be good for small game hunting and keeping undetermined criminals at bay. It wouldn't be particularly great for determined adversaries. However, 25 rounds of 22 is still formidable. A shotgun would also work although the ammo weight and size are a limiting factor.

Since #2 stipulates "TEOTWAWKI" I'm going to assume some sort of apocalypse. Therefore, being able to store and carry a magnitude of ammo is paramount.

I'm going to select: my Ruger 10/22 Stainless / Laminate Stock with Leupold VX3 1.75-6x Scope in QD Rings (and factory barrel mounted iron sights in place). On 1.75 power I can use the rifle like a CQB rifle. On 6x I can hunt small game. As a stainless / laminated rifle it will stand up to poor maintenance.

Today, my flintlock 10 gauge smoothbore. Because it is fun to use for hunting and competition.

TEOTWAWKI, an AR-15. Because of availability of parts and ammo.

Excellent choice!!!

I was getting ready to add my "Runner Up" post which would include:

A) My CZ 455 Stainless (22LR) with Leupold VX3 1.75-6x
B) My Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle (18" Stainless / Laminate 308 Win) with Leupold IER 1.5-5x
C) My Springfield Armory SAR-48 FAL
D) My Benelli M2 Shotgun

Flintlock smoothbore. I did not see that coming! Very fascinating choice!

I feel like I've gone through another firearms metamorphosis in the last year. Gun hobbyists are very cyclical. I've grown less concerned about magazine capacity and having the most contemporary design. I've started to think about guns in terms of long term viability which has caused me to gravitate toward "older" designs crafted from "more durable" (arguable point) materials like steel and laminated wood in lieu of plastic and plastic.

As a result, I'm viewing my 1911 and GSR in very high regards. I am not now, nor will I ever be, conducting dynamic entries or high value rescues. I'm more likely to deal with a meth tweaker than anything else. A solid bolt action is very romantic. In a "grid up" world my need for "force projection" is zero.

The premise of this thread is a little ridiculous, because even in a "grid down" world you could easily have a long gun and handgun. In a two gun "TEOTWAWKI" situation I'd pick:

A) Ruger Stainless MkIII 6" Barrel with factory open sights and Leupold 2x EER handgun scope in QD rings.

B) Springfield Armory SAR-48 FAL

OH man, I guess I will have to lapse back to a much earlier post somewhere when I said a 22lr. Yes it isn't a super sexy destroy anything in my way mega blaster, but it IS a reliable "game Getter" and there are no telling how many deer have been killed with the "lowly" rimfire.

That being said, IF we are talking a TWO gun battery, well once again a 22 would be in the mix. Probably a Ruger 10/22 for it's size (yes I know a handgun would be "Handier") but the carbine would be more versatile I feel as it would lend itself more to hunting AND SD in a pinch IF needed).

Now if it is a TWO gun battery it gets a LOT tougher. I WANT to say a shotgun, and yes, preferably in 12ga (more ammo choices in shotsize/slugs AND power factor). BUT in reality probably a .223/5.56. The ammo weight/round factor is just two great to pass up PLUS it will also work as a great hunting and SD weapon and you can carry a lot of 5.56 as compared to 12ga weight wise.

NOT what I would like to have, but I feel the best choices for the scenario.

Going with guns that I currently own:

#1 Glock 19.
#2 Ruger Charger pistol. Proven 10/22 action in a long handgun, uses 10/22 mags and accessories.

My Remington 870 shotgun for first scenario, and my S&W M&P 15 for a teotwawki situation.

The 12 gauge would handle anything from squirrels to grizzly bears, and the AR15 type rifles would provide lightweight yet adequate protection with lots of lightweight ammo.

I WANTED to say one of my Shotty's, probably the 12ga PA459 TR for the ability to "pick up" extra ammo easier than 20ga. BUT The ammo would weigh a lot, could carry much more 22 ammo, so that is the way I went, but as I said I would prefer a shotty.

The OP stated during times of relative security and prosperity which is why I said the shotgun. Theoretically you wouldn't need to carry a lot of shotgun shells such as in a teotwawki situation.

Oops, I completely forgot/missed the times of relative security and prosperity part and zoned in on the TEOTWAWKI part.

In light of this "Revelation", and NOT needing a trailer full of ammo, probably (although it does seem sort of counter productive to other posts I've made) a shotgun. More versatile, lending itself from tree rodent sized critters all the way to Grizz with slugs.


Now for a TEOTWAWKI situation where resupply may not be possible and needing to carry what we need to survive probably the lowly 22. It WILL gather game when needed, all the way to deer size. People deterrent, no not the greatest, but you could run off bad guys if you couldn't hide or run.

A .22 is the choice of a 1 gun only crowd, and certainly not a bad choice.

1. L1A1F1

2. L1A1F1

Uh that's TWO guns Andy.

Two is one!

...the question was....

1) If you could only have one gun TODAY what would it be? This means during times of relative security and prosperity.

2) If you could only have one gun for TEOTWAWKI what would it be?

....my answer for both is the same as it can accomplish most all of MY needs in either scenario I can no longer own that particular rifle now however.

I love that I just googled the weapon to see what it looked like, opened the 1st hit on falfiles and who is posting about it? Andy!

LOL guilty as charged... Not many people around the world got to own an original factory built and marked version, I do sadly miss mine. Add British plastic furniture and there was no better variant of that rifle I believe.

I had a metric L1A1. Kinda wish I hadn't gotten rid of it.

Now you know that is a bit like saying "I had a Chevy Mustang" ... Both are cars but it cant be a Chevy AND a Mustang... I suspect it was an L1A1 kit built up on a metric pattern receiver.

There is you small schooling for the day mate....LOL

Some real ones...



And my standard L1A1 (with British plastics and a locally mate mount)...

Sexy! Not you Andy, sorry. What type of muzzle device on the bottom rifle?

Also, it’s s little hard to tell on my little iPhone...what’s on the ejection port side of the gas block?

That is simply the standard L1A1 FH sawn off at the muzzle of the rifle....



The other you can see is a one piece optic mount and case deflector (for shooting from helicopters - keeps the cases from causing damage to the leading edges of the blades)... a better pic....

Andy, I COULD have easily been wrong. BUT It was an L1A1, that is all I am fully sure of.

This looked a little different ... again 1.5”x2.5” screen.

Nope that is a standard L1A1 (right out of the military War Stores) that is just the pic I think.

The green swing tag is the serviceability marker (rifle is new and unfire at this point)..



Randy, L1A1s are built to imperial specs (or inch pattern as they are commonly called), some parts interchange and some don't. The "metic" rifles are almost all the rest of production - though the Israelis threw in some curve balls and then there are the Indian mades ones that are....well something. The kit production of rifles in the US (particularly by CAI) made a bit of a gobbledegook of the whole thing building up various metric and ABC (Australia, Britain and Canada - who made all the inch rifles) surplus kits on "semi automatic" receivers with the required number of US made parts. They called them a few names but L1A1 (a real variation obviously but the Century versions were not always true to pattern) and R1A1 (no such variation - they just made it up).

They often built L1A1 kits up on metric pattern receivers (differing external machining), some were cut to take ABC pattern magazines and some were cut for metric magazine (the magazines are somewhat interchangeable with metric working in inch but not the other way around). In the US this was a bit smart as metric magazines were cheaper and more plentiful.

I could write much more about the L1A1/FAL as they are a bit of a passion of mine....

I may be burned in effigy, but personally I like the looks of the H&K G3 better.

I don't have either of these but the two I would choose would be....

(1) A stainless 5" Coonan 357 magnum with a threaded barrel. Since things are good and ammo supply is good I'd want one gun to do everything which would include hunting small to larger sized game. It would also have to do self and property protection as well be something to plink around with.

I almost said a SBR .357 magnum rifle but I had to factor in concealability for self defense. A rifle just doesn't work there.

(2) A stainless 10" threaded barreled 10/22 takedown rifle. I will assume that people still won't just be walking around carrying guns so I'd pick something that can be "put away". I'm thinking the more ammo you can tote the better. I also don't see myself battling it out with anybody or anything so I could hopefully live with the disadvantages of .22lr as the only choice I have. I think I would constantly be in the "run, hide, fight" mindset when dealing with any issues that might come up. As for hunting, I think .22lr is a good round for any opportunities that may pop up. I'd rather have a rifle stock for the accuracy but a shorter barrel for portability and maneuverability. I also would want a suppressor just because they are cool lol...

Second up would be a short barreled shotgun and third is a short barreled .357/38 rifle.

....no one will burn an effigy of you mate (well not at Christmas ). G3s are not at all bad rifles, they are accurate and reliable and (for me at least) with the ergonomics of a fence paling !! I have more thay my fair share of rounds out of them down here (PSGs, 91s and 93s) and a few different rifles in the States...

.... that one is a select fire G3K. Lots of fun but like handling a jackhammer from the shoulder. With the poor handling of the 7.62 rifles AND felt recoil it just does not add up FOR ME, thought thy look cool In 5.56 (93s) they are much nicer.

The one on the right is a factory L1A1F1 (in Brit plastics) but the flash hider has been removed in this pic.

Nice. That looks like the one I had, but that's not saying much. After talking to My BIL (who I gave he rifle to sell when they had "A Problem" I now think it was an inch pattern, IF there is(was) such a thing. I took off that stupid buttstock with the intregral pistol grip and replaced it with "Plastic" furniture from Brownells.

The easiest way to check on what it was from a distance is did the rear sight fold down ?

I Don't remember for sure but I THINK that it was. I put a "Scope mount" receiver cover on it, that just basically I THINK slid on. That was a few years ago and I've slept since then so My memory isn't so great.

None of us is getting any younger Randy.

Yes most FAL type optic mounts slide on in place of the body cover. Some have retaining plates and screws and some don't There are other designs that are less common (they locate to the left side (and over the top) and are secured with a fixture that replaces the pivot bolt. Some (like in the pic abover) are screwed to the side of the body.