Interview with Ed Corcoran on Survival and Beyond

I've been on the road for the past two weeks and I'm still away, but last week I had an interesting conversation with Ed Corcoran on his radio show. We mainly discussed bug-out vehicles but also touched on some other related topics and my forthcoming novel. Here's a link to the show, my interview is in the second hour: http://survivalandbeyond.net/interview-with-bug-out-author-scott-b-williams/

Ruger 10/22 Take-Down Version

One of the all-time most popular posts here on Bug Out Survival is the piece I wrote back in 2010 on some of my ideas and modifications for fitting a Ruger 10/22 into a bug-out bag.  The reason is obvious: the Ruger 10/22 has long been a favorite in a semi-automatic carbine of this caliber, and because of it's great reliability record and aftermarket support, many people planning to carry a .22 long gun as part of their bug-out equipment would prefer to have this model over most choices out there.

The 10/22 is a compact carbine even in its standard configuration, and even more so with a 16-inch barrel, but until recently, if you wanted to conceal it completely inside the average backpack or bug-out bag, you needed to either fit a bulky and somewhat heavier aftermarket folding stock, or take the receiver out of the stock as I described in the above-mentioned post.  I've carried the 10/22 both ways on various wilderness trips.  Folding stocks such as the Butler Creek model I used completely change the balance and feel of the weapon, and add a lot of bulk inside the pack when folded.  Taking the standard rifle apart works, but does entail some risk of losing internal parts if you're not careful, and takes a lot more time than simply folding a stock.

The new take-down version of the 10/22 brings a whole new reason to choose this weapon, as you can now have one of the best semi-auto .22 carbines in existence with the packability of other take-down models such as the Marlin Papoose and Henry AR-7.

Here's a video introduction to this new 10/22 model that shows just how easily it can be taken apart and put back together:


For serious packing of a bug-out bag, I would certainly lose the bulky, fitted backpack it comes with, though this may be a handy way to carry it in other situations such as in a vehicle or boat.  I haven't picked up one of these yet, but for $300 I probably will and look forward to comparing it to my other 10/22 rifles.