I have been looking at my primary go to guns for survival and they are kind of a mix of tech and KISS.  

For example, my primary AR is a M4 with fixed front and A3 carry handle but I’ve got a KAC FF RAS on it with an EoTech mounted to the rail along with a Surefire.  The stock is a ACS so it’s loaded with six extra 123 batteries for the light and for extra N batteries for the EoTech.  The issue becomes this isn’t a lightweight carbine.  I could remove the light, optic and go with a lighter stock easily to get the weight down in an emergency if weight was an issue.  

My second SHTF gun is a 10/22 takedown in a Backpacker stock with NDS sights and a Bushnell red dot.  This one is closer to ideal as its light and the small red dot doesn't add much weight but the red dot does make it a fast point and shoot gun helping its self defense use.  

I am trying to decide if these are the best options or would it be smarter to lean on a true KISS carbine with no optic, light and lighter furniture with no batteries or keep the option and plan to remove if appropriate as it would be harder to add later than to remove. The 10/22 honestly I still see as perfect as I can throw the optic away and the NDS sights are bulletproof and the backpacker stock with spare mags just fits the role.

So, if you had to pick one or two rifles for your first plan for any situation, what are you planning to grab?

Note:  I’ve got more options, just these are the ones that along with my daily CCW that would be the ones pulled.  

Good point, I am in my 50s too and yea my eyes are not what they used to be.  I do have a Midlength build with a TA-31F and a Doctor Optic that is probably an antique anymore as a close range backup.  I need to send the ACOG to Trijicon and get it relamped though as it’s tritium is dead as dead gets.  The ACOG is definitely darned near bulletproof.

I was worried this topic was too close to GD material and that’s why nobody was posting.

I agree, in a crisis the weapon light would come off the rifle during the day.  It would be capable as a hand heals light with a pistol or I could mount it directly to the Glock for one hand use.  A good light with spare batteries is high on the priority list for any reality be it pure survival or pure self defense.  

I am still working on a plan to deck out the 10/22 takedown.  I found this thread that had some good ideas.  

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/Magpul-Backpacker-grip-storage-tiny-bug-out-kit/17-692265/

I prefer the carry handle for a couple reasons.  It’s far more accurate to take off and remount than most other options I’ve tried and I need my EoTech on the rail because I’ve got a dated ATN night vision scope tgat mounts to the receiver and just fits behind my NV capable EoTech.  

As for the going battery free, my 2nd choice AR is a 16-inch midlength and that one does have a TA31F ACOG and a now dated Doctor as a backup and close range optic.  That gun is better as a longer range gun.  

I’ve got stripped down AR carbines too that don’t have any rails but do use a mix of carry handles and flip up sights.  I’ve also got a handy AR9 pistol what is very light so I’ve got a lot of options including AR-15 Rifles and AR-10 or M14 or Garands for tougher to kill threats.  Still, it’s a good idea to plan on one that is your planned goto and that gun is the one you train with most and make sure it’s maintained and equipped to go.

I am also reconsidering my 22lr ammo plans.  My 10/22 takedown is threaded and I have a suppressor so my primary plan was CCI standard ammo which is subsonic.  With that said, there are much better rounds for self defenses including the CCI stinger and now the Federal and Winchester self defense loads.  I always assume survival would most likely involve smaller game for food but a deer would be a welcome bonus in the winter.  Ideally a better weapon would be available for that but does it pay to bring more capable ammo in case the opportunity arose and you only had a 22?  Now, in reality I would almost certainly have at least a 9mm Glock if not a 45acp or 10mm and clearly they would all be a better choice hence the reason I have not put any effort on adding high performance 22lr ammo in my 10/22 takedown kit in the past.  

My current load out for the Ruger 10/22 takedown is three BX25 mags and three 10rd mags in the case.  I don’t keep these loaded.  In the case I keep about 300-Rds of CCI standard velocity.  In the rifle I keep 1 empty 10rd mag in the stock with a 50rd box of CCI standard ammo.  I am still finalizing the survival kit aspects of the gun as a kit but I’ll share that soon as I’ve just about got that figured out and I’ve got some stuff on the way.  In short I’ve got a Swiss Army knife with paracord lanyard in the pistol grip.  I am working on a small fish kit for the stock storage area and I keep a nice lighter in there.  I also have a ferro rod/fire kit that is getting built in plus any tools needed to keep the rifle going including spare battery for the optic.  I’ve got a Magpul MS4 sling mounted and I am evaluating if I want to add to the sling or leave it basic to prevent any problems in using it in a pinch.  

Again, my focus is the primary systems so if something happens I have a clear plan on what I am taking at a minimum.  My M4, 10/22 takedown, my wife and I’s CCW guns (Glock 26 & Glock 19) are the grab first set.  From there, just depends on the risks and nature of the threat.  War, well bring bigger guns that punch through body armor.   Nuke accident, then priority is on starting over elsewhere so might bring more guns or focus on life related things.   Too many scenarios but the primary plan I think covers most of them.  Hell, add the M14 to the load out and even if I lived out west with bigger predictors and game would not be an issue.

I really haven’t done this mental exercise in probably 15 years.  My choices still seem sound though.

Sometimes thing were simpler when I didn't have a golf bag of arms to choose from. Way back when I carried a Nylon 66 on the outside of my pack, muzzle down, in the side pocket tunnel, pack lid covering the butt, when I was hiking the White Mountains and all around Maine. I'm not even sure most people who saw me knew what it was.... this was back in the 1980's to early 90's. It was, and is, a perfectly satisfactory survival piece. Light, reliable, accurate enough.

These days it's unlikely that I will ever be forced to choose just one, two, or three guns...but if I did it's because I am bugging out from or to somewhere on foot.
For that I'd use a .22 pistol (no suppressors here but that would be ideal) for small game and quiet stuff, the lightest AR I had with a red dot and magnifier, removable light, and a decent sling. Maybe a pistol version. And a compact handgun, concealed. If I was abandoning all of my other stuff it would be in a really bad situation and my concerns would be security/self defense first, foraging for food second (hence the .22 pistol). But weight would be a consideration. I'm not he 22 year old infantryman I once was and humping 100 pounds of food, ammo, gear isn't something I'm capable of any longer.

If I had to select one home defense rifle, one survival rifle it'd be a good AR and a 10/22. I can't do iron sights very well any longer (I'm getting old LOL) and I've become enamored with small red dots and magnifiers. My fave is a Holosun with the ACSS reticle, which shines with 3 or 6 power magnification. For long long "holy crap 'the Road' was an optimistic movie" stuff I do have an ACOG set aside. 10/22 is in the factory synthetic stock and has a 4x scope on it. It's light and a fun little rifle.

I'm not sure if that's of any use.

If it's the "one rifle for life, the apocalypse, and everything" that's different.....

I think it’s good to periodically look at your plans.  Honestly, I hadn’t seriously challanged my guns plan in a long time other than the 10/22 takedown replaced a standard 10/22 as my rimfire gun.  

Ironically, I have another gun in a bag that might just be more “the road” level capable, namely a TC Encore with barrels including 22, 223, 300 BO, 308 and 12 gauge. It doesn’t replace an AR-15 but for the dpace a barrel takes up it gives a lot of options.  Still, I decided the 10/22 takedown with a collection of loaded mags is better than a bunch of barrels that weigh more without ammo.  Hard to justify an extra barrel at the equivalent to 500 or possibly another 1,000 rounds of 22 ammo.