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In theory, folding guns perform a niche albeit critical function for those seeking a dedicated deep concealment or bug out firearm. But are they actually any good for shooting? Read more to uncover the truth about folding guns, including their drawbacks.
Folding firearms (and more specifically, folding carbines) are often recommended to shooters in need of a purpose-built bug out gun to store in their backpack or vehicle. In this blog, we're going to weigh the pros and cons of folding guns to determine once and for all if they're a great idea, or just a gimmick.
The primary benefit of foldable firearms is concealment. They can be conveniently carried in a backpack or stowed in a vehicle, plus they deploy much faster than traditional takedown models that must be assembled piece by piece.Speed is crucial in an emergency situation, and a folding gun is certainly better than having no gun at all.
Once fully engaged, you have a carbine-length rifle with plenty of rounds on hand to address any threats that may be present. A long gun allows greater accuracy and shootability, translating to better combat efficacy at range in a defensive encounter.
A folding receiver adds another potential point of failure into the mix, so design integrity and build quality are more important than ever. Moreover, the folding mechanism also introduces an extra step to deploy the firearm - which must be considered when training with your bug out setup.
Despite the above caveats, a folding gun is still one of the best tools to have in your survival loadout. The Classic Firearms team recommends choosing a model that is explicitly engineered around the folding mechanism and has been thoroughly evaluated to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions you are likely to encounter in a bug-out scenario.
Many reputable firearms manufacturers produce a collapsible or folding variant as part of their product offering. Here are several that we can wholeheartedly recommend for you to add to your kit.
Chiappa's Little Badger is a lightweight folding survival rifle chambered in .22 LR. In our opinion, it's one of the best options for a bug out / survival pack you can get, and the model featured below ships with a 4x20 scope!
For Glock fans, picking up a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 is the obvious choice. This minimalist folding carbine accepts all 9mm glock mags, so you can use the same ammo pool for your EDC and your bug out gun.
The Smith & Wesson FPC is an innovative pistol-caliber carbine with tons of great features right out of the box. Notably, the side folding mechanism will not clash with top-mounted optics - plus the stock has an integral storage compartment for extra mags.
New for 2023, the FoldAR MoBetter CCR features a patent-pending folding upper that offers a rapid, secure deployment from the folded position. It is one of the most compact AR-15s on the market and allows shooters to transport a .223 / 5.56 NATO carbine in a standard backpack.
There are many excellent folding guns on the market, each with a wide range of applications that far outweighs any potential drawbacks. To learn more about backpack guns, make sure to watch our Top 5 Backpack Guns video below!
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