I'm privileged to own firearms, here in NZ it's not a right ,anyway if I had to have only one rifle it would be my Lithgow No1MK3 303 built like a brick outhouse it shoots just over MOA great for the deer pigs and goat's.
Used #1MK3s when I was in the Australian Army Cadet Corps. Earned a marksmanship badge with one of them when I was 15 years old.
Is it really as bad in Nz that folks had to turn their stuff in? What if you didn't, then what? Here, were fortunate that we have the God Given Right to weapons, we even have a constitution that enshrines that right, and while under constant attack, it has not been subverted completely! My one and only rifle, of many to choose from, would still have to be my FN/FAL, as precise as you could want, reliable as the day is long, and never requires anything but an occasional wipe down, it doesn't get any better! I can still shoot expert with my eyes closed with that rifle, so it gets the job! Second would be my Tikka Super Varmint, while it's not a Mauser type controlled round feeding rifle, it's stupid accurate, robust and reliable, and light weight for a bull barrelled rifle, almost perfection! Third would be my 1911 production Winchester 1895 Lever action take down, robust and reliable, stupid simple, looks like a lever rifle should, and shoots better then any other lever aught to, course the caliber has a lot to do with that, .30/06 Springfield, same as the Tikka, same as the Ruger, Same as the Mauser 98, and several others, and yes, I absolutely love that caliber and swear by it! Then there is my Remington Model 8, funky and chunky, it shoots amazing, looks like a proper rifle, is stupid reliable, and it runs and runs and runs! John Browning really nailed it with the world's first reliable semi auto rifle, same with his legendary pistol offering, the almost unknown and rarely seen M-1911!
Here gun ownership is a GOD given right, not one granted by the government nor even the US Constitution/ Bill of Rights! The Bill of Rights is just a list of those GOD given rights! Also, our national character and laws prevent gun registrations and seizures! I know that No1MK3 is a fine weapon and that .303 is common in those countries in the British Empire/Commonwealth, but in the USA various .30 caliber rifles are more common (30-30, 30-06, .308, etc.). .303 ammo is just not that available in the US, while many country stores carry .30 caliber hunting ammo, plus 12 gauge and ,22 caliber. Some years ago, I thought about buying an Enfield in .303 and a Mauser in 8mm, but I decided to stick with guns for which ammo is commonly available! By the way, how did that assault weapons ban work out in New Zealand? The last that I heard the government only got a fraction of the guns that were estimated to be in private hands!
When I was handloading, and still had my .303 Enfield rifles, I bought a few boxes of commercial Remington and Sellior&Bellot ammo, to reload the brass cases. Used the same bullets as for my Mosin-Nagant rifles. Worked well.
I remember (1989) when a serving member of the ADF could purchase and FTRed No1Mk3 for $50 including the bayonet ! Funnily enough my .303 is a BSA ! One and one only out of what I own would be a tough choice ! Win94 ticks a good few boxes. But I would probably want one of my .308s just because “ammunition”.
I'm staying put, that way I don't have to make heartbreaking decisions like that. However, if a comet or asteroid was going to hit north Alabama, I would seriously consider moving,
I'm staying put too. Age and health mean mobility issues. But, I am armed and The Golden Horde will be a lot lighter in manpower once they kill me, loot my home and move on.
Put 'em to work! 12 hours labor gets gruel or beans for breakfast and soup for dinner. Your kids are safe here. Pre-puberty eats free but everyone else works. Cause trouble and you are out. Cause too much and Leroy up there will kill you and everyone past puberty that came here with you. We decide how much is too much. Police yourselves people! We will make your kids help bury you. The garden is that way, foraging groups over there, and scavengers meet by the trucks right after breakfast. Amy here will ask some questions to see what you know how to do and assign you a group. Oh, and Marlin 45-70 lever for last gun without bad people, I suppose my AR-15 with them
To us Yanks that seems woefully inadequate, but we need to keep in mind that the Land of the Blind the one eyed man is King. If the masses are mostly disarmed all you have to fear from a defensive stance are those armed by the Government "for your protection". We have seen here that the first thing the Government will do "for your protection" is to confiscate all firearms, so be prepared for that. Suggest you have a way to bury or otherwise hide it that will fool metal detectors and other devices to back up your claim that "Looters took my guns and almost all my food (also safely hidden)". They WILL come and will likely be interested in both. If your plan is to bury make sure you salt the ground with lots of iron so they will hopefully get tired of false hits and choose to believe you. Good luck and let's hope you never need to exercise SHTF plans. NZ and Australia are IMO among the best places for the coming collapse due to isolation and low population densities.
hope you AU and NZ are ready >> if you haven't heard - the US is deploying 5 of the super-carriers to the Pacific - not that kind of mobile strike force EVER >>>> they either know China intends to interfere in Taiwan's upcoming election - or/and - Biden & Company need a HUGE distraction play for the 2024 US Election and intend to create one ..... you guys will be involved whether you want it or not - bound to be carrier force in an AU port on a regular basis
IF I had to whittle down to one rifle it would be my Marlin .17 HMR. Truth be told I'd much prefer a savage semi auto .17 HMR, but bolt action will work. By volume the .17 HMR is 1/5 the volume of a .223, which means I can carry more of it than .223. I have other much more powerful guns, but by volume I can't carry near the same volume in ammo. If I am forced on foot and there is no home base, I'll not be carrying a lot of guns. It may not have the kinetic energy, but it is a good flat shooting round that has tight grouping, scoped zeroed @200 yards. I don't figure that I will survive a fire fight no matter what I carry, and I figure that if I do survive long, most of the large game most other larger guns are built for will likely be gone leaving only the smallest game left to harvest, if any. Due to its report most people hearing it at a distance might assume it's a .22 which is fine with me.
