I first came across the Chiappa Little Badger survival rifle in a magazine a few months ago, and distinctly recall thinking to myself, “I’m not sure how useful that would be… but it sure looks cool,” as I kept flipping through the pages.  In that brief moment, I told myself that if I came across a cheap one, I’d have to buy it and try it out – if only because “it sure looks cool” has been excuse enough for me to do all sorts of foolish things over the years.

Not long ago, I stopped into my local gun shop (as I tend to do every time someone is foolish enough to deposit money in my account) and low and behold, there it was: that cool little folding rifle I’d seen in my magazine.  I’ve purchased a number of firearms and accessories from the quiet little shop in my small town, so after a bit of discussion, they let me take it home for well below the retail price, in part because none of us were really sure how useful the thing actually would be.

The rifle came chambered in .22WMR (also referred to as .22 magnum), though you can find ones chambered in .22LR and .17HMR in most places they’re sold.  It’s a breach loading, single shot rifle that, when folded, occupies a tiny space about 16.5 inches long and 8 inches across.  In firing position, the rifle has an overall length of about 31 inches, which makes it look downright silly in the hands of a 240-pound ape like me.  Its M1 Carbine style adjustable front and rear sights are easy to use and it comes standard with Picatinny rails for the folks that like using glass to spot their small game.  The rifle also comes with a shell holder on the buttstock that can hold 12 rounds and a coat or two of black paint; that’s it – no frills, just function.

Without any ammo on the buttstock, the Little Badger weighs it at around 2.9 pounds – making it a theoretically great addition to your survival pack, and it comes with a handy carrying pouch in case you’d like to keep it slung externally, instead of tucked away.  The rifle has no foregrip or safety, but because it’s meant to be stored in the open position, the safety isn’t much of an issue.  The important components of the Little Badger are all made of either zinc alloy (receiver, barrel shroud and trigger guard) or steel (hammer, trigger, action-release lever, extractor, all the screws and pins, barrel and wire buttstock).

As what is effectively a pipe-rifle with some plastic “iron” sights, the Little Badger was clearly designed with lightweight utility in mind; just what you’d want out of the last resort you keep in your pack.  Because this rifle was intended for that sort of survival work, it was important to me that I find out how this thing operates when you’re tired, stressed out, and in a filthy field environment.  Even a HiPoint can hit a target at your local indoor gun range, after all.  What matters is what it can do in the field.  If I’m going to add even three pounds to my pack, I want to be sure it does what it’s designed to do.

Over the span of the last three weeks, I’ve dragged this poor rifle through the mud, put rounds down range, and then dragged it through some more.  I fired it in the rain, carried it for miles, and only gave it a few light cleanings to clear barrel obstructions and the like.  What follows is my honest assessment of its performance thus far.

Pros:  The rifle is exactly as light as it claims to be.  I try to cover three or four miles of trail hiking or jogging a day, which means this little rifle and its accompanying bag (which I refer to as its Pew-Purse) and I have probably logged better than thirty miles together over the past few weeks, and aside from the uncomfortable straps, I could barely tell it was there.  It’ll bounce around on you a bit as you run, even if tightly synched, but that problem likely wouldn’t persist when well strapped to the inside or outside of your pack.  When folded, it doesn’t take up much space, and fits easily inside the main pouch of each of my packs.