Hypothetical gun choice: SKS vs M1 Carbine

Doctor_M said:

I spend a lot of time in the car, so my brain comes up with stupid stuff like this all the time.

Hypothetical SHTF scenario. You are relaxing in your home when suddenly you realize that the end of the world has crept up on you and it is time to bug out to a safer location. You have your go bag ready with enough essentials to keep you going for a week or more (enough to get you where you are going), but you are loaded down and can't take too much extra weight. The hordes are coming and you have just enough time to grab your bag and one of two weapons sitting in the corner.

1) SKS with a standard 10 round box magazine and a few stripper clips and 50 rounds of 7.62x39

or

2) M1 Carbine with a standard 15 round detachable magazine (and a spare) and 50 rounds of .30 carbine

Which do you grab knowing that you don't know what you are going to face on the trail?

Bonus question... would your answer change if you had a 30 round magazine for the carbine?

I love my M1s but in a survival SHTF situation, I would probably grab the SKS. The extra power would be a better man-stopper and would also be capable of taking a deer while on the trail if needed. Neither are tack drivers and both are most effective under 150 yards, so no real advantage there.

I might reconsider this if the carbine had a 30 round mag as that would be preferable if encountering human predators... but with only 50 rounds of ammo, I'm not sure how much of a factor reloading would be. My choice would be to escape not stand and confront. So, I guess I'm going to stick with the SKS answer.

Anybody else want to play?

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TheOriginalMexicanBob said:

As much as I hate to say it...the SKS being a ComBloc weapon...I'd choose it due to the more effective caliber. I really wouldn't hesitate to choose either if they were the only choices but effectiveness makes the difference.

My uncle who landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach told me some years ago he dumped his M1 Carbine as soon as he could after hitting a German solider three times and didn't stop him...he said he picked up an '03 and carried that until be was seriously wounded outside of St. Lo when a mortar round landed next to him and in his words "Said hello". My uncle's thoughts about the German soldier were "I hit that sumbitch three times and I know he must still be running!"

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TheOriginalMexicanBob said:

My uncle who landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach told me some years ago he dumped his M1 Carbine as soon as he could after hitting a German solider three times and didn't stop him...he said he picked up an '03 and carried that

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