But if you think you need some kind of military style rifle for your home, here are 5 military surplus rifles I would recommend. I compiled this list by looking at what the guns would be used for. In reality, I don’t think you have to worry about repelling hordes of starving Zombies or UN Troops. So you’ll not find assault rifles such as the M14 on this list. Mainly due to their price. For the same reason, you won’t see the M1 Garand or the 1903 Springfield on my list although I think they would be great for the job of keeping the homestead safe,, but they’re way too pricey these days. Also, if you’re into hunting, here’s a list I found of 5 military surplus rifles for deer hunting. I believe most of you will be using it for the same reasons as I do. Keeping varmints at bay and the peace of mind of having something a little more powerful than a 12 gauge for home protection.

#1. The legendary SKS. Yeah, you read it right, the SKS. I’m not a big fan of the SKS or the 7.62×39 round but there is no argument that a quality SKS is reliable and the ammo for it is reasonable. Sometimes downright cheap if you don’t mind full metal jackkets and steel cased ammo (which means you can’t reload the steel cases after they’ve been fired). Accuracy under 100 yards isn’t that bad either. I have several friends and a couple Cousins who have the SKS and a few of them have surprised me with their ability to connect on targets out to 100 yards. One of my Cousins takes 3 to 5 deer a year with his. Of course, he uses modern expanding ammo to do this, not the cheap surplus FMJ ammo.

Prices of SKS’s (like a lot of other things) have skyrocketed in recent times, but you can still find the odd deal on SKS’s at some pawn shops and guns stores if you shop around.

#2. Mosin-Nagant 1891/30. This is a bolt action rifle that fires the 7.62x54mm Russian round. This round is in the ballpark with the 308 in terms of recoil and ballistics. And before you anal types get you panties in a wad, notice I said “in the ballpark”, meaning ‘not exactly’

Many of these surplus rifles are very accurate and reliable. So much so that a lot of them were turned into Sniper rifles for the Ruskies as well as North Vietnam troops during the Vietnam War. Prices have been headed higher over the years and it can be tricky to find good surplus ammo. For hunting and self defense, there are modern expandable bullets made for this gun.

#3. Japanese Type 38. These rifles, along with just about all surplus rifles, are getting more rare by the minute. But you can still find them hiding away in pawn shops and some gun stores. I prefer the 6.5x50mm Arisaka round over the Type 99′s larger 7.7mm because the recoil is lighter and I haven’t seen any advantage in accuracy with the Type 99 over the Type 38′s smaller round. This is a fun gun to shoot and will meet just about any demands you have from it.

#4. Swiss K31 Carbine. It’s often called the best combat rifle that never saw combat. Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure, like the Type 38 above, it’s a blast to shoot and the recoil is reasonable. The 7.5x55mm round is more than any Coyote or Groundhog wants to mess with. It’s arguably one of the most accurate military surplus rifles you’ll ever come across and many modern gun makers could take a lesson on workmanship on most of the rifles I’ve seen. You just don’t see this level of workmanship on most of today’s guns as you do these old Swiss K31′s.

#5. Britsh Lee-Enfield Mk1 #5 Jungle Carbine. I hesitated to put this gun in this list. Why? Simply because in the carbine form, this gun is an ass kicker! It’s not that the 303 British round is a heavy recoiling round, because it’s really not. It’s that this gun weighs around 7 pounds so the felt recoil is going to be greater. If you live up North where you have to worry about marauding bears or putting a Moose in the freezer, the Lee-Enfield Jungle Carbine with modern expanding 303 British ammo will serve you well! It’s nearly impossible to find truly ‘surplus’ jungle carbines these days, although you can find previously owned rifles in pawn shops and gun shops around the country.

I hope you’ve found this list helpful. If you’re on a budget and you need a cheap rifle around the homestead, then any of these should perform well for you. You can expect to pay anywhere from $100 on up to around 3 or 4 hundred for some of these rifles. Before buying any of these military surplus rifles for survival, make sure you can locate a source of good quality ammo!

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If you happen to be a person who plans on having an emergency, then there are many fine firearms to have in such a situation. A strong argument could be made for the 12 gauge shotgun as being the best survival gun. I would agree with that statement if you’re the type of person who does not practice with your firearm enough to be proficient.

The reasons I like the Marlin 30-30 are many. Here is a list of my reasons why the Marlin gets my nod as the best survival gun.

1. They’re cheap. I see them in the local classifieds for under $200
2. They’re reliable and durable. The lever action is a strong and reliable mechanism
3. They’re easy to use. Just about anyone can be shown how to load and shoot one. This will be helpful if you ever find yourself in a survival situation with people who are not firearms savvy
4. They can put a fair amount of lead down range in a short amount of time. Most rifles hold 6 rounds and these can be cycled and fired rather quickly with just a little amount of practice.
5. The ammo is readily available. Next to the 22 long rifle, I’d say that the 30-30 is the ammo you’ll find the most of when you really need it.
6. The ammo is inexpensive. Recently, I just bought 20 boxes of ammo from Cabela’s during one of their sales for $10.99 a box
7. The 30-30 can be very accurate. Much more accurate than the AK-47 and SKS type of semi-auto’s (as well as many AR’s). Also, the round delivers more of a punch than the .223′s and the AK rounds.

And those are the ones that come off the top of my head.

Now if you’re a die hard firearms person, one who practices on a regular basis, then you probably have a lot of guns to choose from. But for the Average Joe, the Marlin 30-30 is hard to be for your one gun arsenal. (okay, you should have a shotgun and a .22 also!)

The 30-30 has enough energy to take any Big Game animal walking North America. In a pinch, it will double as a good defensive weapon with enough power to penetrate thin metal and other materials. It’s easy enough to learn to use that your Wife or Children can be taught how to operate one safely and become proficient with it.

So if you’re just beginning your arsenal and don’t have a boat load of money to buy every type of assault weapon the so called “survival guru’s” say you must have, then give the 30-30 Winchester cartridge a look. While you’re at it, take a look at the Gun Shows or Classifieds and pick up an cheap and reliable survival gun!

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