Best Packable Rifles: AR-7, 10/22 Takedown, Little Badger, M6

Rifles that fit in a pack, a trunk or a boat locker, sorted by the job each is actually good at.

The packable rifle problem

A rifle that stays at home does you no good on the camping trip, in the truck or on the boat. That is the whole case for a packable gun: not better ballistics, but presence. The category is crowded with marketing about survival and bug-out bags, so it helps to sort the five guns here by what they really do.

All five are rimfire or combination guns, and that is deliberate. Rimfire ammunition is light to carry and mild to shoot. We have not tested these guns; everything below is based on the published specifications and the way each design is widely described. For the broader category, see our takedown and truck gun guide; this piece goes into the individual trade-offs.

Snapshot

Henry AR-7: the original idea, done well enough

The Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 is the purest expression of the packable rifle. The AR-7 design traces back to Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite and was conceived as an aircrew survival rifle: the barrel, action and magazines all stow inside the buoyant stock, so the rifle becomes one short, light package that floats. That is its entire personality. Its listing shows a 16.5-inch barrel, a .22 LR chambering and an 8+1 capacity.

What you give up is the handling of a normal rifle. Assembly takes a few steps, the sights are basic, and the stock-as-storage design is not what anyone would pick for target work. It is a gun you bring because it is almost no trouble to bring. It is also a boat gun for the same reason: it floats. Check the manufacturer's page for weight and assembly details before you buy.

Pick it if minimal weight and a fully stowed package matter more than comfort. Skip it if you want a rifle to shoot well for hours.

The AR-7 with gear: a kit, not a different rifle

The Henry U.S. Survival Pack with Gear is built around the same .22 LR AR-7 platform but sold as a package with accessories. Read the listing carefully for exactly what comes in the box, because the value of a kit depends entirely on whether you would otherwise buy the same items. Some buyers like the convenience of a ready-to-stow set. Others would rather choose their own knife, fire starter and first-aid supplies. Either is reasonable, but do not assume a bundled item is better than one you would pick yourself.

Pick it if you want a single box with a rifle and extras for a vehicle emergency kit. Skip it if you already own the gear and just need the rifle.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown: the one to buy if you want only one

The Ruger 10/22 Takedown is a standard 10/22 that separates into two assemblies, listed with an 18.5-inch barrel and a 10+1 capacity. The key advantage is that it handles like an ordinary 10/22, with ordinary controls, a conventional stock and the ability to take advantage of the huge aftermarket that surrounds the platform. You get a far better shooting experience than the AR-7 can deliver and a package still short enough for a pack or suitcase.

The caution is that takedown mechanisms rely on a repeatable lock-up, so check zero after reassembly, particularly with an optic. RimfireAmmo's roundup of takedown .22 rifles puts the 10/22 Takedown next to the AR-7 and Little Badger and is a useful second opinion.

Pick it if you want one packable rifle and plan to actually shoot it. Skip it if absolute minimum stowed size and weight are your top priorities.

Chiappa Little Badger: smallest folded, with strings attached

The Chiappa Little Badger is a folding, single-shot .22 LR, listed with a 16.5-inch barrel. Folded, it is small enough to disappear in places the others cannot go. The honest drawback is in the name of its capacity: one round. You load a cartridge, fire it, and reload by hand, which suits careful small-game shooting and teaching patience, and not much else.

Single-shot rifles are not a flaw in the right hands. They slow you down, which is a lesson some new shooters need. But if the gun is going into an emergency kit, think about whether one shot at a time is the tool you want.

Pick it if every cubic inch counts and you value simplicity. Skip it if you want a quick follow-up shot.

Chiappa M6: two barrels, two jobs

The Chiappa M6 Folding Combo pairs a 12-gauge barrel with a .22 LR barrel in a folding combination gun, with 18.5-inch barrels listed. The logic is old: a small-game rifle and a shotgun in one package. The 12-gauge adds options for birds and general-purpose shot, while the .22 handles small game and practice.

The trade-offs follow from the design. It is a break-action, so you load one round per barrel. Recoil from a 12 gauge in a light folding gun is part of the deal. Confirm in the manual how the barrels are selected and fired, and understand how to handle both safely. Many buyers find the concept more appealing than the day-to-day reality, so make sure you actually want both calibers.

Pick it if you want shot and .22 in one folding gun and understand its limits. Skip it if you would rather have a repeating rifle.

A realistic look at "bug-out"

Packable rifles get marketed with survival imagery, and a few honest points keep expectations sensible:

1. A gun is a small part of preparedness. Water, shelter, navigation and first aid matter far more. Our scenario piece takes the same view of dramatic situations.
2. A .22 LR is a small-game cartridge. Hunting laws, seasons and bag limits apply even in a hypothetical emergency kit.
3. Practice beats gear. A packable rifle you have never shot is a liability. Shoot it, clean it and confirm it works.
4. Storage and law still apply. A gun in a vehicle is still a gun; local transport laws and secure storage requirements matter.

A packing checklist

If one of these guns goes into a pack or a vehicle kit, the rifle is only part of the load. A sensible short list:

1. The unloaded rifle in a case or its own stowed form, with the action open or secured as the manual directs.
2. Ammunition stored separately, in a container that protects it from water and crushing.
3. A cleaning kit sized for the caliber, plus a few spare parts you know how to fit, if any.
4. Spare magazines, where the gun takes them, since magazines are a common failure point.
5. Eye and ear protection. They weigh almost nothing and you will want them the first time you fire.
6. Paperwork, where local law requires it, such as hunting licenses or transport permits.
7. A plan for storage at home or in the vehicle so the rifle is secured when you are not with it.

Check zero after any trip that jostled the rifle, and practice the assembly steps in daylight at home before you need them in the field.

Which to pick

• You want one rifle to do everything: Ruger 10/22 Takedown.
• You want the lightest, floating emergency rifle: Henry AR-7.
• You want the AR-7 with extras in one purchase: the survival pack, after reading its contents.
• You want it as small as possible and accept single-shot: Little Badger.
• You want a shotgun and a .22 together: Chiappa M6.

If you are still building your first few guns, our collection-order guide helps decide where a packable gun belongs in the sequence.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications and publicly available information. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and legality for your own situation.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.