I know there are many opinions about what is the best " survival weapon ". My choice is my 357 revolver . I have been thinking about getting a Marlin 357 lever action rifle . If anyone has one I'd like to know how they like it and what kind of range does it have.

Not that I'm an expert or anything but I'm leaning toward the .22. Light, small, ammo is light and small. Whatever survival situation I'm in I'm going to avoid a gun fight with someone else so people stopping power is last on the priority list, I'm going to play chicken and hide. .22 I would feel more confortable firing in the air (sure it will still travel a long way) as a signal to search and rescue, or kill small game to survive on without blowing them to bits.

Yah, I think it depends on what you are trying to survive! :-)

For example:

1) charging bear
2) roaming mobs
3) individual criminal
4) starvation

I think I'd pick something different for each case.

-john

I chose the 357 mag revolver because I think it's a good all around caliber . The 357 is a proven man stopper and would take a whitetail if I could get close enough for a good shot. I could shoot 38 special ammo for small game. I agree that having a different firearm for each situation would be preferable but in my case I would prefer to travel light and avoid a fight. Besides , I can't afford a lot of different guns and it's not my top priority. I feel that a weapon is a tool of last resort in most survival situations.

It would be very versitile; there is nothing wrong with your reasoning. Worked very well in the American West.

357/38 is about middle-ground when you toss in ammo weight and bulk vs small-to-medium game ability and would be just fine. If you want to go up considerably in game animal size, a combo in 44 magnum would do that (most 44 special factory loads are real mild, but there are some nice choices - I've actually taken a liking to the CCI Blazer stuff for some purposes).

For an extreme upgrade of the combo revolver-rifle combo idea there's the 454 / 45 Colt combo - or just 45 Colt if you reload. Or the 460 or 500 Smith (someone is bound to build a lever gun in those calibers sooner or latter)

At the other end of the power spectrum there is H&R 32 mag and 22 lr. (And the 30 Carbine, FWIW)

I suppose one could make an effective arguement for a 41 Magnum as an "optimum" combo caliber. If you like single action revolvers there are a couple of traditional choices as well (44-40, 38-40, and maybe 32-20) but upper end performance with those is pretty much a reloading propostion these days.

Anyway, not a bad idea.

Tom

You bring up a good point Tom, but if you look at ammo availability, nothing (eccept .22) is going to beat .357/.38. That's the reason I'm looking at .357s, even though, if I had my first choice, I,d always have a .45, .270, and 12 guage close at hand. Don't forget, everybody's talking about .38s for small game... they DO make shot shells for .38/.357(and yes, Tom, I know you're already well aware of that).

Just my 2 cents.

Troy

Troy,

I agree. Bad wording on my part - I agree with him on the 357 / 38. selection. If I was objective (I'm not), that's what I should toss in the truck bed tool box. Point is, it would get the job done quite nicely. And if a convertible SA like a Ruger Blackhawk is in the mix, toss in 9mm on the revolver side for scrounged ammo.

Tom

Well... A .357 carbine, maybe backed up with a good wheelgun in the same, can handle any of those. Although, you mainly want to use your feet and your head with the angry mob- run and hide!

So long as you pick your loads, it can handle anything up to whitetail (and those to, depending on where you are and how good of a shot you are). It would far from my first choice for bear or boar, but if one was charging, I wouldn't consider it too light. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'd rather take a light pump action, but the there have been very few of them. The Tiberwolf supposedly was kinda spotty in quality and is long gone, and the new guy from Taurus I haven't handled yet.

For range... 100m, against large varmint, 50m for medium game (small deer, etc) due to accuracy, 25m with a heavy nonexpanding slow .38 for smaller stuff. I'd rather have some lighter, round noses at low velocity, but most people don'r roll thier own.

Things to go with- sling, fiber-optic sight inserts if you can find them. If you put glass on it, I'd go nothing higher than 4x, and use a see-through base.

I wouldn't mind the old M1 carbine in this role, it is comperable in power to the .357. There is just a lack of ammo variety, and it has a bad rep becuase for some reason people compaire it to the .30-06. It is like compairing an moped to a Harley.

Pardon my ignorance here, but I need to ask.
I was lucky enough over the years to pick up 2 of the M1 carbines that are IMHO, in excellent shape. However, I am paranoid as all heck to even mention them to people, as I was under the impression that they have been banned in one way or another.

So, could someone clear this up for me, are they just banned from being imported to the US, or is ownership out and out banned as well?

"A kind word and a gun will get you a lot further than a kind word alone." - Al Capone

You may need to check your state laws.

To my knowledge, the M1 carbine was never banned in the US and was perfectly legal even while the Brady Bill was in effect, unless post-ban magazines of greater than 10 rounds were involved.

Naturally, new M1 carbines (I think Auto Ordnance still makes a model) didn't have bayonet lugs and such and came with only 10-round or lesser mags. But I don't believe federal law ever banned the M1 carbine.

California law, however, may be a whole different ball of wax.