For the outdoorsman, homesteader, pilot, sailor, or the pragmatic prepper, a survival gun is defined as a lightweight firearm that can be easily stored and packed. Reliability, portability, and adaptability are all desirable traits in the genre, a gun that can mean the difference between life and death in a wilderness survival scenario or serve as the most important part of your bug out bag.

A U.S. property marked Harrington & Richardson M4 bolt action survival rifle.

Rock Island Auction Company features a number of famous classic and modern examples in this fascinating firearms niche, including civilian models and survival guns designed for military use. Click on the images throughout this article to learn more about each gun model.

Two survival rifles for sale. An Israeli Armalite AR-7 Explorer (top) and a Chiappa Little Badger (bottom).

The Takedown Rifle

For prepping, backpacking, or camping in remote regions, takedown rifles are a popular option. The concept of the takedown gun dates back centuries. Earlier takedown firearms sometimes featured removable buttstocks, threaded barrels, and were more purpose built to be storable. The lever guns and pump actions of the late 19th and early 20th century like the successful Winchester Model 1890 brought the concept of the takedown rifle into the mainstream.

Takedown rifles became some of the first widely produced survival guns.

Marlin gained a reputation with the public for easy-to-shoot .22 LR takedown rifles, including a predecessor to the Model 39 designed to fit in a case beneath the top bar of a bicycle. The Marlin Model 39 and popular Marlin Model 39A follow-up offered a reliable, accurate, and portable takedown package. The slimmer profile and flatter receivers inherent to the lever gun genre makes them easy to store and handle, and it's no surprise the platform continues to serve as a survival gun option today.

A Marlin Model 39 takedown rifle, a classic survival gun for sale this October.

The M30 Drilling

The rise of aviation helped drive the development of more dedicated survival guns, particularly when it came to equipping military aircrews. As the extended range of aircraft increased, pilots found themselves traveling over vast stretches of remote wilderness or hostile territory. As the likelihood of emergency landings became more frequent, crafts were equipped with weapons that could be easily stored and were capable of self defense and hunting local game.

A Luftwaffe M30 Sauer and Sons drilling, one of the most famous survival guns of the WW2 era.

Manufactured by Sauer & Son on contract for the German Luftwaffe during WW2, the M30 drilling was am excellent commercial grade hunting weapon that could be stowed aboard bombers and other large aircraft in a specially prepared case.

"The purpose was to shoot animals for survival,” according to Luftwaffe General Adolf Josef Ferdinand Gallan. The pair of 12 gauge shotgun barrels over a 9.3x74R rifled barrel made the M30 a versatile survival gun that could cull nearly any game animal encountered in the Luftwaffe's North African area of operation, from small birds to large herbivores.

A WW2 J.P. Sauer & Sohn Luftwaffe issue survival M30 drilling with its case, manual, three-piece cleaning rod, leather sling, and a box of Hirtenberger 9.3x74R cartridges.

The Savage Model 24 Survival Rifle

While the Third Reich equipped its aces with the elegant M30, most militaries opted for more affordable survival guns that could be quickly produced. Over 15,000 of the efficient and practical Stevens 22-.410 combination guns were purchased by the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW2.

The platform became the Savage Model 24 near the end of the war and found a wide following in civilian circles as a North American survival gun. A selector switch on the hammer of the Model 24 allows the user to fire either the top rifle or bottom shotgun barrel. Though numerous configurations are available, the .22LR/.410 gauge variant of the model set the standard for a survival focused combination gun, and this ammunition pairing continued to find favor when the Model 24's famous successor, the Savage Model 42, was released in 2012.

The Savage Model 24 family is considered one of the best survival guns around.

The M4 Survival Rifle

While the M30 drilling is a fascinating firearm and a sought-after collectible, and the Savage Model 24 remains an outdoor favorite, neither were built from the ground up as military survival guns like the M4. Developed in the years following the Second World War for downed fighter pilots and bomber crews, the M4 bolt action, chambered in .22 Hornet, was intended more for hunting than self defense. Revolvers tended to fill the latter role, like the lightweight Colt and S&W aircrewman models developed in the 1950s.

An M4 survival rifle manufactured by Harrington & Richardson Arms Company of Drummondville, Québec, Canada.

The M4 weighs only four pounds and is incredibly easy to store with its removable magazine, short take down barrel, and telescoping wire buttstock similar to the M3 Grease gun. The M4 was originally equipped with a leaf rear sight. Later versions, like the example above, employed a more versatile Lyman 55-H adjustable rear peep sight.

The U.S. Air Force included the M4 in survival kits for B-52 bomber crews through the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the airmen engaged in frequent long range missions during the early decades of the Cold War.

Introduced in 1949, the M4 survival rifle borrowed from a number of models, including basing its action off of the Savage Stevens M23D in .22 Hornet caliber.

The Springfield M6 Scout Survival Rifle

The U.S. Air Force continued to opt for affordability and function when it came to survival gun development. The Springfield Armory M6 Scout, also called the "Air Force M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon," was introduced in 1952. A break action combination gun, the M6 Scout is chambered in .22 Hornet in a top rifle barrel and .410 shotshells in its bottom barrel, like its Stevens 22-410 precursor.

Though the U.S. Air Force phased out the M6 Scout in the early 1970s, civilian versions produced by manufacturers like Chiappa and Springfield remain popular with outdoorsmen who appreciate the platform's versatility and ease-of-use and it's no surprise these weapons are still considered among the best survival guns.

Unlike the commercial versions, original examples of the M6 are classified as an NFA SBR and are highly collectible firearms. The example below has a stamped, skeletonized stock with a cartridge block located inside the stock. The comb area lifts up to show that the spare cartridge block holds nine .22 rifle cartridges and four .410 shotgun shells.

An Ithaca U.S.A.F. property marked M6 survival gun. This example sold for $5,561 at RIAC in May of 2022.

The M6 Scout and its folding skeleton stock was based on the Marble Game Getter, another compact combination gun outfitted with a rifled .22 caliber upper barrel and a smoothbore lower chambered in either .410 or .44 bore. The Game Getter was pitched to the public as a weapon for all seasons which could be folded up and strapped to a pack without excess burden, then rapidly deployed for recreational plinking or taking small game.

A Marble Safety Axe Co. Game Getter 22 .410 O/U combination gun.

The AR-7 and the .22 Takedown Semi-Auto Survival Rifle

Like the M4 survival gun, the AR-5 was a bolt action takedown platform chambered in .22 Hornet. Designed by Armalite in 1954 for the U.S. Air Force as a potential competitor to the M6, this lightweight rifle was included in XB-70 bomber survival kits.

The M6 ended up winning out, and few AR-5 rifles were produced. Hoping to minimize their losses, ArmaLite commissioned Eugene Stoner to develop a semi-automatic commercial version of the platform. Released in 1959, the ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer employed aluminum and plastic alloys like its predecessor to keep its weight down. The weapon can be disassembled into six parts without any tools and stored in a compact package within the hollow stock. The gun was famously designed to float.

Hailed by many as one of the best survival guns, the ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer found a niche with pilots, boaters, and outdoors enthusiast.

Henry has been producing the AR-7 since 1980 and the platform continues to serve as one of the most popular survival guns today. Other takedown survival guns perfect for the backpack include the Ruger PC carbine, the Marlin PSS, the Ruger 10/22, and two grandfathers of the genre, the Remington Model 24 and Browning 22-Auto.

A Henry Repeating Arms U.S. Survival Rifle for sale.

The AR-15 as a Survival Rifle

The AR-15 is one of the most modular firearm platforms today, so it's no surprise that Eugene Stoner's design has served as the template for numerous survival gun variants. The GAU-5A Aircrew Self Defense Weapon, adopted by the U.S. Air Force in 2018, is compact enough to store in an aircraft ejection seat survival kit when broken down.

Chambered in 5.56, the GAU-5A packs more punch than a semi-automatic rimfire and offers a higher firing rate than an O/U, bolt action, or single shot survival gun. Though a heavier round, 5.56 is still small enough to pack in quantity, capable of taking medium game, and an effective combat round. For backpacking, camping, prepping, and more, the adaptability of the AR-15 platform is unrivaled. And with a 5.56 to .22LR conversion kit, the AR-15 offers even more options.

This Colt M4 "Survival Kit" semi-automatic carbine sold at RIAC in 2020 for $1,955. The survival kit on this model includes a Camillus multi tool, a survival pack, survival knife, compass, food and water rations, a flashlight, and a map pouch.

Survival Revolvers

Where early Air Force survival rifles were intended primarily for hunting small game, special lightweight revolvers were developed by Colt and Smith & Wesson in the 1950s as emergency self-defense sidearms. These aircrewman revolvers were originally produced with an aluminum alloy frame and cylinder in order to reduce the gun’s weight.

A USAF Smith & Wesson M13 Aircrewman DA revolver, a survival gun designed for bomber crews. This example includes a copy of the U.S. Army TM9-2027 technical manual for the M13 revolver, USAF leather flap holster, and a box of Federal Cartridge .38 Special M41 ball cartridges.

Revolvers have been carried as civilian survival guns for decades, with examples like the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum designed with enough punch for hunting and fending off predators.  Models like the S&W 460 Emergency Survival Revolver provide the ultimate portable defense against bears, mountain lions, and anything else that moves. These compact cased revolvers were available in multiple calibers and packaged with a folding knife,  flashlight, whistle, compass, survival saw, signal, mirror, fire starter packs, and emergency blankets.

This Smith & Wesson Model 460 Emergency Survival DA revolver with case and survival tools sold for at RIAC in 2023 for $3,819.

Revolvers have a reputation for reliability, will never lose their magazine, and are more readily available in larger bear-killing cartridges than their semi-automatic pistol counterparts. But there are plenty of pistols on the market that can chamber imposing rounds as well.

In Ammoland.com's ongoing research into handgun defense against bear attacks, pistols and revolvers have an impressive 98% combined success rate. Though large cartridges were often used, everything down to the lowly .22 has been documented as deterring grizzly and black bears. Whether you prefer the pistol or the revolver, handguns are the ultimate portable survival guns.

Snub nose revolvers like the Kimber Model K6S make for compact survival guns.

Survival Guns for Sale

If you're a hunter, outdoorsman, or survivalist, a versatile arsenal is essential. For collectors and firearms enthusiasts interested in exploring different genres, survival guns offer a diverse shooting experience and can serve in a wide range of roles, from trail gun, varminting, small game hunting, and plinking.

A Stevens J A&T Co. Richard Clauss Custom survival gun for sale.

From takedown single shot rifles, combo guns, bolt actions, semi automatic rifles, and handguns chambered in survival calibers, examples from every era can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

In terms of sheer simplicity and ease of upkeep, reliable break-open single shot rifles like the Ruger No. 1 can fill the survival gun role.

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