Cabin Survival Weapon[s]

Years ago I started to develop the concept of just such a weapon. The design is both applicable for a long term weapon and as a compact emergency kit rifle.

A. Such a weapon would need to be able to take a wide range of game on the hoof.
Plus it would have to serve as dispatcher of trapped or wounded animals.
It would additionally need to be of sufficient caliber to provide for protection against wild animals.
Rabies can make even the most inoffensive creature aggressive.
Raccoons can be very nasty and a lot meaner than you would expect.
A pack of feral dogs could give you some serious problems. This is were multiple rapid fire could come in very handy. And in most cases the only real case for them in a survival situation.
A 22 LR or 22 WMR could probably handle these 3 cases.
For something like a ticked off grizzly you want some serious punch.
And unless you have seen it is almost imposable to imagine what a ticked off moose can do. Again the more power the better.

B. Type" I doubt that a single type would meet everyone's needs. So I'll go with both a long and short arm with a couple of variations.

C & D will be covered together.

First let's cover a possible pistol.

Call it a combination of the modernized LeMat and the Ruger Single Six.
The center like the LeMat would be either a .410 or a 20-gauge shotgun chamber. The outer portion would act as the cylinder pin of a standard revolver. It would mate with a like barrel that extends below and the same length as the main pistol barrel.
Like the Single Six it would come with 2 cylinders. One designed for .22 LR and the other for 22 WMR. These could be then swapped as needed to change the type of ammunition desired. The number of chambers would depend upon which shotgun chambering is chosen. But you would be looking at something like 8 or 9 in the outer ring at the very least. Yes, you could go with a 38/357 or a 44mag/44 special combo for the standard pistol round. But because to the center shotgun the .22 would be big the others would be massive almost to the point of ridiculous impracticality. Also it would easier to carry more 22 shells.

With a detachable stock the barrel length could be extended to just over legal limits to form a rifle shotgun combo. There is one foreseeable problem. The gasses vented between the cylinder and the barrel. With a pistol this is not so bad as your hands are behind this. In the rifle configuration to properly support and aim a rifle one arm must be extended to support the forend. This could lead to some nasty burns. I suppose that some kind of deflection shield could be incorporated to prevent this.

My designed rifle.

This would be a dual barreled over under design based upon the M 6 survival rifle. This is similar to a break open over under shotgun or they could be mounted side by side like a coach gun. The design could either use a removable pin like the M6 or the claw set up on some shotguns. This is so the stock and receiver barrel assembly can be separated for more compact transportation. Whichever style is stronger. Of course the barrels would be of minimal length plus a fraction to be safely legal.

The upper barrel would be .22 caliber. The lower there would be a choice. This would be based upon your preferred caliber in the home battery or the availability ammunition in your area. These would be either .30 or .45 caliber. The choice of these calibers is because they have a wider selection of cartridges.

The firing pin assembly would be selectable for the upper or lower barrel. Also it would be selectable for center fire or rimfire for the upper. In all cases the chamber would be sized for the largest case in the selected caliber family. Chamber adapters would be used to fire different cartridges in that caliber.

Chamber adapters are brass inserts that look like a cartridge case that fits the chamber. Then they are hollowed out to fit a smaller cartridge. This permits the use of same caliber round with a smaller case to fit properly in the larger chamber. All rounds line up with the common base so they are struck by the firing pin. On the shorter rounds the forward portion acts as a smooth bore barrel before engaging the rifling of the main barrel. Because of the selectable firing pin the chamber adapters would differ slightly from the normal commercial rimfire adapters. For the rimfire cartridges the round normally fits into the front instead of the rear. There is an assemble that takes the center fire pin strike and converts it into a rim strike. This is overly complicated and it is difficult to reload the adapter. To use an appropriate round is loaded into its adapter. The adapter is then loaded into the chamber. After the round is fired the case is poked out of the adapter and another round is inserted. Part of the design would be to have a hinged rod attached to the stock. This rod would be flipped out or up to be used to poke out the expended cartridge.

For the best accuracy each individual adapter needs to be indexed. This is because each adapter will have an alignment that hits the point of aim with the most consistency. To perform the indexing process a permanent witness mark is etched into the face of the breach at each barrel. Usually this is a thin line. Then the adapter has a temporary mark is placed on the base of the adapter. This is aligned on the witness mark on the on the breach. Several rounds are then fired for grouping. The adapter is then rotated approximately 60 degrees. The process is repeated around the circle. Then when the best location is determined you can tweak it in smaller increments to fine tune for the best position. Once the sweet spot is found. A permanent mark is placed on the adapter in alignment with the witness mark. Then for best accuracy the marks are aligned when loading.

The upper .22 caliber barrel would be chambered for the NATO 5.56 X 45 round. It is essentially the same as the .223 Remington. With the adapters it would then be capable firing the .22 Hornet, .22 WMR, .22 LR and the .22 CB cap. If you want 22 shorts and longs can be used in the .22 LR adapter. But why bother? They are lower in power than the LR. Their only advantage in the past is when tubular magazines were the norm. Their shorter length allowed more rounds in this type of magazine. Not many and really not worth the lower power levels.

The 22 WMR was introduced in 1959 to give the backwoodsman a power boost with little increase in bulk and weight over the .22 LR. Depending upon brand and barrel length the power level will vary. Call it 100 to 120 ft-lb. for the standard LR the WMR gives 300 to about 350 ft-lbs. muzzle energy. Or about triple the power. The newer hype-velocity round average 150 to 200 ft-lbs. or roughly about half way between.

If the .30 caliber is chosen it would be chambered for the 300 Weatherby Magnum. The adapters would allow the uses of the 300 H & H Magnum, 300 Winchester Magnum, 30.06/7.62 X 63, .308 Winchester/7.62 X 51, 30-30, 7.62 X 39 Soviet, and the 30 Carbine.

If the .45 caliber is chosen it would be chambered for the 45-70. The adapters would allow the use of the .410 shotgun shell, .45 Winchester Magnum, .454 Casul, .45 Colt, and the .45 Auto. Although instead of using the .410, the 45-70 can be reloaded as a shot shell. While the rifling will cause a slightly greater spread of the shot pattern it will still be acceptable as a shotgun in effect.

The choice between the 2 calibers is mainly one of personal choice. The 30 caliber has the advantage of more available cartridges. The 45 chambering has somewhat more power and the shot shell capacity. Yes, 30 caliber rounds can be converted to shot round. Their capacity is severely limited almost to the point of being ineffective. For myself I would select the 45 chambering..

There are other rounds that could use adapters to fit the same chambers but I left them out as they are less common. Therefore are less readily available. They don't pass the Wal-Mart test. And even a couple listed push these limits. And someone would probably come out with additional adapter for oddity rounds that would fit. The .444 would be nice but you would only have the choice of it the 44 mag and 44 special

As a long term survival the wide selection gives you a better chance of matching up with any scavenged ammunition. As a kit gun you would not be required to carry the full range of adapters. You would then carry multiples of the ammunition you would carry with the kit. This would still give you a desired and varied range of power levels to fit an anticipated situation.

A variation for those that that insist on a semi-auto configuration there is the Drilling style. While Drilling's themselves are impossibly expensive such a weapon without the name could be manufactured for a more reasonable price. The idea would be a pair of barrels mounted coach gun fashion. These would be a combination of the 30 and 45 calibers of the original design. Another choice would be either rifle type matched with a true shotgun barrel. This would be either a 12 gauge for power or a 20 gauge to reduce weight of both gun and ammo.

Then a 22 semi-auto rifle would complete the triangle. This could be mounted above or below the twins. The ideal choice would be a .22 WMR with a quick adapter to convert the magazine and chamber to .22 LR. Something along the lines of a 10/22. This weapon still needs some method to separate the action stock assembly from the barrels for compact carry. Such a weapon would use a 2-trigger system. The front one would be for the auto loader while the rear for the selected heavy barrel. Some ingenious engineer would need to figure out a connection disconnection system for the auto.

Personally I can't really see the need for a shotgun choice in this type of weapon. Sure a shotgun is the choice for a flying bird. But really how much meat would you get compared to the size of shell used even with a 20. I have in the distant past popped sitting birds with a .22 and BB guns. And have heard of turkeys being taken with 22's. True a 12 gauge is a devastating weapon at close range. But again is it worth the weight penalty in ammo or in the gun itself. Don't get me wrong I love a good 12 in its place. I simply don't think it is here.

The semi-auto option is nice. The argument is for a quick follow up shot if the first one misses. OK, you missed the first one. So I'll give you it might have been a snap shot. But it is most likely a sighted set shot. You take time to sight and fire when ready at a stationary target. The odds will greatly increase for the second or third shot. The target is now moving and probably not in a strait line. These follow ups will be rushed. Chances are you wasted more ammo without results. As mentioned earlier the real need if attacked by a group of animals [i.e. a pack of feral dogs or wolves]. Then again the majority any attack will be a lone animal.

E. Stock and grip:

For the pistol I go with a Packmayr type grip for the cushioning the recoil.
Also a method for interchangeable grips to better suit individual users preferred choice.

For the rifle the first thing would be a substantial recoil pad. Trust me. Considering this rifle will be as light as possible. If you are firing a 45-70 or a 300 magnum you will need a serious recoil pad or a new shoulder. The front end will have a pistol grip or thumbhole stock. I'd go with a standard trigger assembly rather the M 6 trigger bar. Of course an enlarged trigger guard to be used with gloves. The entire stock would be skeletonized or hollow. Probably made of a thermo-plastic similar to a Ruger 10/22. Along the top would be a hinged plate covering a series of holders for the adapters much like the M 6. It would have provisions for the flip out rod[s] used to remove the used rounds from the adapters. The unused portions of the stock would be to contain a cleaning kit and some assorted survival gear. I once saw an M 6 kit that included an Ulu as a cutting tool. Attached fabric similar to a butt cuff could be included for extra ammo or more gear.

F. For the sights I would include for close work iron sights either a V notch or peep sights. These could be either fixed or adjustable. I would also include an old-fashioned ladder sight. This could either be fixed to then flip up. Or it could be removable and stored in the stock. The ladder sights would be for longer range usage. As this style have 2 sides with movable pins similar to current bow sights. Each side would be calibrated for each of the 2 barrels. Then they would be engraved with the different range marks. Furthermore these engravings could be color-coded for the different types and power levels of cartridges used in the selected barrel. To simplify things even further the base of the different adapters could be colored to match. A small low power scope might be a nice addition. An elevation adjustment could be used to compensate for different rounds. You would need a laminated chart for such corrections probably stored in the stock. A rail to mount a scope would not make much of a change in the gun.

G. The pistol is pretty much self-explanatory. In the base rifle design being single shot again no magazine. For the triple in the under barrel model would use the flush fit Ruger style magazine. The top mount style would use something like the Calico magazine.

H. The pistol would use a standard hip, cross draw or shoulder type holster. The only modifications I would make are attached pouches to carry the other cylinder, a box of .22 LR and a separate box of .22 WMR. Finally add some loops or wallet to hold a few shot shells.

For normal transport the rifle would be carried in a fabric [probably ballistic nylon] case. Such a case would carry additional adapters, extra ammo and any other accessories. For field carry I would use a detachable sling made of 550 cord. This would use the Slatt's knot. That way if the cord were needed it could be pulled out some used as a hasty sling the rest for other needs. Two or so pouches would be attached to the sling to hold boxes of .22 LR or .22 WMR.