SHTF Rifle Matchup: ATR (308) vs AKM (7.62x39)

308


AKM

By Reginald Kaigler (DEMCAD)

Here's a pretty interesting question from a viewer on my Youtube channel:

DEMCAD, I have a question about my next gun purchase. I want to get either a Mossberg 100 ATR (308), or a Wasr 7.62x39. If everything did hit the fan say next year, what would be the best one of these two to get?

I'm not qualified to answer that. I'm not a survivalist, nor have I pretended to be an expert. But I will attempt to describe my thinking.

It depends on your situation and what you want to use it for. 308 is a caliber that the U.S. military uses so it should be easier to find. However, you shouldn't expect to find ammo during a SHTF situation. Since I live in an urban area, I value FIREPOWER over ACCURACY.

After all, if you're in the city or suburbans, any fight you will get into will be probably be short or medium range. The 308 would be a great sniper weapon, but you're not likely to be using a sniper rifle in an emergency situation. At least not if you're in a city. So I would prefer the AK, because of it's 30 round magazine. The ATR will limit you to 5 rounds or less. Plus, the bolt action will slow down your response time and there's no detachable magazines for a reload. If I were in the country, hunting and shooting range would be a higher priorities, so I would consider the 308.

So here's how I would view the matchup.

Urban: AK definitely

Suburban: AK probably, ATR maybe

Rural: ATR probably, AK maybe