so aside from a 9mm kept close, I have recently added a Kel Tec PLR-16 to my BOB. If you aren't familiar it is a relatively inexpensive pistol gripped short barreled rifle chambered in .223 and accepts all of your AR mags. It is like 16 inches overall and fits into a regular, inconspicuous backpack.
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*BEST* BOB gun
- Thread starter ryan3326
- Start date
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turnerdye1
Master
so its the Draco's of the AR platform? 
My main complaint with the SU-16 was that the folding stock didn't use a captured pin. Was continually afraid I'd lose the pin after disassembly, which is why I got rid of mine.
There is no best BOB gun. Some are better than others. Maybe the question to ask yourself is, "What sort of capability do I anticipate needing in a BOB gun?" Frame that out. Then pick a firearm to meet those specifications, or even ask here about which guns might be good fits to meet criteria x, y, and z.
IMHO, based on my assumptions of BOBs and blah, blah, blah, the PLR-16 is not a very good choice because:
1. It weighs 3.2 pounds (51.2 oz), much heavier than other handguns. Weight is critical, esp. in the context of BOBs.
2, It and its mags are bulky. Space is critical, esp. in the context of BOBs.
3. It's not a low profile gun; i.e. may attract just the kind of attention you don't want.
4. Although it fires a rifle cartridge, it is not a rifle. The cartridge will not generate the velocity out of the PLR's 9.2" barrel that it does from a rifle or carbine length barrel (or even from an 11.5" barrel). Therefore, if you're using FMJ ammo, the effective fragmentation range (i.e. the range past which fragmentation will not reliably occur) may be much shorter than you think (i.e. with M193, the PLR is less than a 40 meter gun, with M855 it's less than a 12m gun. past that and you're just poking .22 cal holes). HP ammunition can change things a bit and increase your range some. Not sure what kind of ballistic performance you're expecting/wanting.
You mention a typical 9mm pistol. It and a good 9mm load will perform as well as or better than a PLR at the distances mentioned above, and some distance beyond, while being lighter and less bulky; all while being more discrete. The weight and space req of 9mm vs 5.56 is a wash.
The SU-16 is a viable option if you have room for a rifle and you're on a tight budget, etc.
IMHO, based on my assumptions of BOBs and blah, blah, blah, the PLR-16 is not a very good choice because:
1. It weighs 3.2 pounds (51.2 oz), much heavier than other handguns. Weight is critical, esp. in the context of BOBs.
2, It and its mags are bulky. Space is critical, esp. in the context of BOBs.
3. It's not a low profile gun; i.e. may attract just the kind of attention you don't want.
4. Although it fires a rifle cartridge, it is not a rifle. The cartridge will not generate the velocity out of the PLR's 9.2" barrel that it does from a rifle or carbine length barrel (or even from an 11.5" barrel). Therefore, if you're using FMJ ammo, the effective fragmentation range (i.e. the range past which fragmentation will not reliably occur) may be much shorter than you think (i.e. with M193, the PLR is less than a 40 meter gun, with M855 it's less than a 12m gun. past that and you're just poking .22 cal holes). HP ammunition can change things a bit and increase your range some. Not sure what kind of ballistic performance you're expecting/wanting.
You mention a typical 9mm pistol. It and a good 9mm load will perform as well as or better than a PLR at the distances mentioned above, and some distance beyond, while being lighter and less bulky; all while being more discrete. The weight and space req of 9mm vs 5.56 is a wash.
The SU-16 is a viable option if you have room for a rifle and you're on a tight budget, etc.
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Thats a very good point. Shortening the barrel to such a length is extremely detrimental to your ballistic performance. I have opted for a modified 870 with a variety of loads. Weight isn't an issue for me, as we get conditioned to ruck march/assault packs on a weekly basis.
SilentWarrior1
Expert
Consider a bullpup rifle?
SilentWarrior1
Expert
Yep. Sub2000. I have one and it's pretty decent. It's no AR or AK, but it's a decent lead thrower for close quarters out to 100m and it'll reach farther if you know what you're doing.
Pack manufacturer
who makes the pack, MB? I can't read the tag, even magnified.
who makes the pack, MB? I can't read the tag, even magnified.
You basically can carry any long gun, as long as you get a pack that accomodates.
SilentWarrior1
Expert
Looks like an Eberlestock. I've been wanting one of those for a while but couldn't ever get the extra scratch for it.
IndianaResident
Expert
- Sep 3, 2010
- 1,439
- 48
Seconded. Just recommended in an Outdoorsman magazine I just read, though I can't remember which.....
I like that pack very much.
It wouldn't be so discreet lugging out of an urban area, but a good option anyway.
That would be a great wilderness pack considering all the space and compartments.
For me, less is more as far as a BOB goes. And my Sub2K fits well in smaller packages. An SU16C is good behind the driver's seat, but I don't leave it in there. I might build an AR pistol this summer just haven't decided on caliber.
It wouldn't be so discreet lugging out of an urban area, but a good option anyway.
That would be a great wilderness pack considering all the space and compartments.
For me, less is more as far as a BOB goes. And my Sub2K fits well in smaller packages. An SU16C is good behind the driver's seat, but I don't leave it in there. I might build an AR pistol this summer just haven't decided on caliber.
SemperFiUSMC
Master
- Jun 23, 2009
- 3,480
- 38
Don't know what the best BOB gun is, but I do know that a handgun is what you use to get to the long gun you should have had in the first place. If I had almost any handgun and almost any rifle and had to get rid of one, the handgun is gone. No question.
BOB??? I have two with .22's I can carry a few hundred rounds of ammo in my little BOB. Anything bigger than a .22 lr and weight becomes a major concern for me. I do have a couple of carbines with separate bags if they can be taken also, but for a BOB, I have .22's
