OK LEO's excluding AR's(5.56& 9mm), and sawed off shotguns. What would you chose as your SHTF rifle? Not necessarily a CQC situation but, for an extended "lawless" situation like Katrina?

I have chosen a Springfield Armory M1A (standard, loaded, with SS barrel) in .308 (7.62) for my bottom line SHTF rifle.  The .308 has the power, range, incapacitation ability, penetration, versatility of ammunition, and availability of ammunition to make it my choice.  I have mounted on it an EoTech Model 552.  I also have a good inventory of spare magazines, ammunition, spare parts, armor tools, and maintenance manuals.  Part of my decision on the .308 cartridge was based on my military experience where it can be just as important to shoot a thing (car, door, wall, etc.) as well as a person.  

Yes, there are other calibers available, but I worry about the availability of the standard “Sporting” cartridges (.270 Win, .243 Win, etc) in a situation where everything has gone down the tubs.  

My choice of the Springfield Armory M1A was based on my personal preferences.  Any other .308 caliber rifle / carbine would also be a good choice, such as an Armalite AR-10, HK 91, or the DPMS FN-FAL.

The answer I wanted! Thank you! I've been eyeing an M1A either SOCOM or Scout for a while and thought who better to ask then LEO's. I have a couple AR's already 5.56 and 9mm and have been wanting to step up to .308. Like the HK's alot but don't want to drop 4k for the real thing and don't really care for a clone with mixed parts. After AR's M1A's have always caught my eye. Everyone has an AR, but few have M1A's where I am. The price is a little steep but I hear nothing but good quality about them. Good and bad has been said about Springfield, they do stand behind thgeir product from what I have heard personally from ownwers.

I've made my alternate to my AR as a SHTF rifle in the tune of a DSA STG58 carbine.  Short enough that it handles well enough in CQB, but has the power of 7.62 x 51 in 20 round goodness.

The quality of my Springfield Armory M1A is great!  I do have about 1,200 rounds through it and reliability has been great; zero stoppages with zero malfunctions.

I did voluntarily send my rifle back to Springfield Armory for a Nation Match trigger job.  The turn-around was three weeks and the work is very good! (I need all the help I can get!!!!)

Just be sure to use quality ammunition, I will use only Winchester 150 grain “White Box” or Federal 168-grain Premium.  With this ammunition, good magazines, and regular maintenance, my experience with Springfield Armory M1A has been very positive.  With my EoTech zeroed at 100-meters, the difference between the two tyoes of ammuniution is only 1-inch elevation; so I have point-of-aim with point-of-impact with both types of ammunition out to 300-meters.  Good enough for me!

Again, I did consider the Armalite AR-10 and the DPMS, but I chose the Springfield Amory M1A based on personal perfernce.  I am sure that the DPMS is a fine firearm!

An AK. Love my M1A but would grab the AK first.

Arsenal SAM7A1:

75 round ChiCom drum not pictured.

The troops are moving back into NOLA and we are moving in the long guns and extra ammo at our company site.  Damn I love it when SHTF.

+1 on the Springfield. An improvement on the "finest battle implement devised by man" (per Geo S. Patton). Also has the advantage of being in a serious hunting caliber if you have to head for the hills.

Finally, here in California, where the AWB never ended, it is still legal.

M1A