Photo courtesy of OldJimbo.com
When I was in high school a buddy of mine’s father had one of these rifles and I got to handle it a bit. I never had the chance to fire it, but I remember thinking “is this the ugliest rifle/shotgun I’ve ever seen?” as it sat there in my hands. It looked like an original Henry lever action with no forend in front of the receiver. But there was no lever. It sort of had a stainless look to it but I was pretty sure even in my limited experience then that it wasn’t stainless. And where was the trigger? All I could see was a sort of plunger type “squeeze” device below the grip that should serve as a trigger? Maybe?
The rifle/carbine/shotgun I’m speaking about of course is the classic Springfield M6 survival weapon. What would typically appear as a tubular magazine on a lever action rifle is actually a dual over/under rifle & shotgun barrel setup most commonly arranged as .22 LR/.410 Shotshell but could be found in .22 Magnum and .22 Hornet configurations as well. I’m no expert on the gun, but the idea of an end-all workhorse sort of survival companion such as this has been occupying my mind. I came across this great article about customizing and adapting the M6 Survival/Scout weapon and had to share. Just goes to show that you can wrap ANYTHING in paracord.
I’d love to get one of these to do a gun review on, but honestly I doubt it would be extensive enough to cover all areas it could be used for. This really is an all-around survival tool more than it is “just a gun.”
Here’s the original description on the M6 Scout Survival gun… The first issue had no “trigger” guard and second issue came with one.
Similar to short-barreled (14-inch) survival gun provided as backup weapon to U.S. combat pilots. Calibers: 22lr/.410, 22 Hornet/.410, 18.5 barrel, 32 inches overall, weight: 4 pounds. Parkerized or stainless steel finish, Folding detachable stock with storage for fifteen .22 long rifle rounds and four .410 shells. Drilled and tapped for scope mounts and introduced in 1982 and imported from the Czech Republic 1995 to date (though Springfield quit making these about 10 years ago).
Supposedly a NIB First Issue Blue Book value is somewhere in the ballpark of $2000!
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4 Responses to Ugliest Rifle or Shotgun Ever Made?
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This is the gun I grew up with. I had it in black 22/410. I even put a scope on it and would shoot moth balls consistently at about 25 yards. I guess mastering that 2 finger squeeze lever led to good trigger control in the long run. The black model will rust overnight in east Texas so kind of wished I had the stainless. It’s a sweet piece, excellent survival rifle.
You know, I think I kind of want one of these…
I have no idea why, it just seems like a good idea
Got one. I bought it brand new in 1986. Mine does not have the trigger guard.
It was originally offered in .22 LR, .22 WMR and .22 Hornet.
I use it for a pack rifle when I am out in the woods.
It is not the most accurate rifle ever but I have taken large hogs with it in a single shot at 50 yards(with .410 slugs).
It is one of the few guns I have in my safe that I will never consider selling or trading.
[...] or at least a partial entry into the world of the survival rifle along with the Marlin Papoose, Springfield M6 Survival Rifle and Henry AR-7 US Survival rifle. The rifle itself is EXTREMELY light at just 4.67 pounds and has a [...]