While I don’t expect or hope to ever need it, as an American, I would like to be prepared to resist as much as necessary if needed. It’s looking like it might be needed at some point here.

I’m looking to get a rifle or two for that specific purpose just in case. Can anyone recommend specific brands/models and/or features I should be looking for? I’m disabled in a way that limits my ability to hold anything heavy, so lighter weight is good. I have a revolver, but that’s probably not the best for standing up against a repressive regime.

I plan to train with whatever I get, of course. Thanks in advance.

Edit: There way too much information here for me to reply to it all individually, but I would like to say thank you to everyone for your very helpful responses.

  • southsamurai
    6·
    10 days ago

    Well, a lot depends on your ability to either amass, or obtain ammo.

    If you can afford to stock up, you can essentially pick what you want. 5.56 is popular for a reason, but 7.62 has advantages.

    But, 5.56 and .223 may be easier to source if you’re not where your stockpile is. That’s the route I took in selecting a rifle because it’s going to be more realistic to find something to load up with if it’s crazy, and it’s perfect for my needs vs varmints and dangerous animals if excrement and air conditioning never meet.

    Now, another factor in selecting your ammo choice (which tends to be more important than brands or even platforms, imo) is portability and firability.

    If you go with a 5.56, you’re likely to be able to carry more than you would something like 308 that packs more punch, and you’ll be dealing with less recoil. If you have weight limit on the rifle itself, you can’t ignore the added weight of a full magazine, and spares. Since, again, that caliber is so popular, you can almost guarantee finding a lightweight rifle, and probably affordable, light magazines, which improves your ability to move as well as put bullets on target.

    That being said, pistol caliber carbines exist, and have benefits too. A 9mm or 40 cal round is going to be okay, lightweight, and easy to source ammo for. There’s some that use the same magazines as glock does, so you can mostly freely use the same mags, same ammo and switch between a handgun or longer gun at will. They also tend to be less expensive than your typical 5.56 rifle, though that obviously has a lot of overlap.

    And, a PCC tends to be very lightweight. I’ve got a neighbor with a kel-tec 9mm that, to me, feels like a nerf gun in my hand. Iirc, that’s the sub-2000. Decent gun, not perfect, but decent enough.