Actually, there is no perfect answer to the one gun question. But after years as professional gunsmith, firearms dealer, competitive shooter, and gunaholic, I have come as close as I can get for myself. Maybe as close as anyone can get?

The one gun I choose is the Chinese / Canadian M14 rifles. These are incredible values, have been getting better and better for quality control over their decades long run, and one of the few Military type semi auto rifles NOT RESTRICTED in Canuckistan. These rifles are labelled either as 7.62 NATO, or .308 Win, depending on which batch they came in with. In reality, regardless of what it says on the outside, most of these rifles have long chambers, more suitable for the thicker, stronger cases in 7.62 NATO. A gunsmith check of the head space will reveal if any individual Chinese M14 is suitable for the safe use of .308 WIN ammunition. in my experience, about 1.3 of these rifles, especially the newer ones, have .308 SAMMI approved head space.

As a former professional gunsmith, with decades of extensive experience on GENUINE US GI M14 rilfes, and the American and Chinese clones, I feel that a Chinese M14, in good condition, or possibly with a few US GI parts as upgrades, is the best bang for the buck available in Canada for a prepper rifle. If I could only have one guns, this is the gun I would grab in a SHTF situation.