Which way to go if that happens...

[Tamara]

The red highlighted line c alone would have criminalized most decent centerfire pistols.

You're misreading it. That's riffing off the original Imported Assault Weapon Ban of '89 (the Bush Ban, which survives as 922(r) compliance) language; red letter C bans handguns with magazines outside the pistol grip such as the TEC-9, SP89, SITES Spectre, Sterling MK-7.

[WDW]

A light bolt action carbine in .223 or .308 with a RDS or 1-4x vps would be my first choice. Lightweight, reliable, accurate, and PC as it gets. "Thees hers just pappy's ole der shootin rifle"

[Unobtanium]

… "that" being the coronation of The HildeBeast and her following through on her stated intention to abrogate the Second Amendment. I don't think there's any doubt she will do it. The question is, how far will she go?

For purposes of discussion in this thread, I'm asking about a suitable rifle/carbine. To keep it as uncluttered as possible, let's say that ALL self-actuated actions will be contraband, leaving us with bolt, pump, and lever guns as the only legal-to-possess variations.

What I'm trying to decide is what to get in preparation for such a catastrophe: a bolt or lever? Pumps are a distant third, due, IMO, to the very few examples available.

From my perspective, the lever gun brings a bit more capacity, more-rapid repeat shots, and the ability to be topped off without taking the piece out of action, to the table. The problem is, I have next to zero experience with them; I've never owned one, and can count on my fingers the times I have handled/fired one. From that very limited experience, they seem to me to be rather finicky and not nearly as dependable as a Mauser-type bolt action.

OTOH, that bolt gun isn't exactly the best thing to deal with multiple opponents at relatively close ranges with. And that is my primary concern… dealing with looters, brigands, marauders, whatever term you apply to those intent on relieving you of your hard-won assets.

A Scout-type rifle: short, with a low-power forward mounted scope, detachable magazines with perhaps an extra on the gun, a'la the Steyr: seems the best option in a bolt gun. But we're talking serious dollars to get a properly set-up one of those… dollars that might be better spent on other preparations. And no matter how tricked-out it may be, it won't have the continuity of fire of a working lever action.

So what I'm asking here is… which would you choose, why, and what specific example.

Please, let's confine this discussion to the hardware and application of same. This is not the place for any "from my cold, dead hands!" and other anti-authority flights of fancy. And with that statement, please do not think I'm against freedom, etc. Its just that I know such attitudes, in any but a total societal collapse, will have but one unhappy ending.

So, let's hear your thoughts. This has been floating around in the back of my mind for a few months, now. All the recent lever gun threads have pushed it to the front. And I deliberately did not delve into caliber considerations. That's an entirely separate discussion for later. Mention it if you want; it certainly has relevance.

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I personally feel that a 14.5" M4 type with a "mini" suppressor is the happy place. It has decent range/velocity, is still maneuverable, and won't blow your ears out.

However, within the scope of what I'll claim in this thread, I feel that it would be very hard to beat a good .44 lever gun with a red-dot on it, if you live in a place like I do. If you live where there are larger game, then adjust caliber accordingly, I'm just looking at raw capacity vs. capability vs. "mission".

[LtDave]

You're misreading it. That's riffing off the original Imported Assault Weapon Ban of '89 (the Bush Ban, which survives as 922(r) compliance) language; red letter C bans handguns with magazines outside the pistol grip such as the TEC-9, SP89, SITES Spectre, Sterling MK-7.

And pretty much all pistols based on rifle actions, like AR and AK variants.