Anyone Embracing the "Beware the Man With One Gun" Concept?

[AnklePocket]

I'm down to 8 (5 handguns, 2 rifles and 1 shotgun) and considering going to 5. 1 might be tough.

[M2 Carbine]

Well, truth be known I've been as happy with 5 as with 5 dozen.

Don't think I'd be all that satisfied with one again.

[sm]

Basically have been for many many years .

Discovered the platforms I do best with and have been using these same ones. Does a couple of things:

-Multiples of same. One needs work, service, whatever.

- Speedloaders, mags, holsters, all interchange. Many times the parts and grips as well.

-Ammo

Most applicable for CCW, Serious matters, hunting, and competition.

Not that I don't have or enjoy other platforms for sheer owning, collecting, shooting or fun.

[Devonai]

Well, I shoot 9x19mm better than any other pistol caliber, FWIW. I haven't spent enough time behind one particular rifle to make the claim there, but I am pretty handy with a Garand.

[orangeninja]

Actually yes.

As I have been attending more and more training regarding tactics through work I have come to realize how cumbersome switching between different platforms becomes. I also have come to realize how dangerous this can be.

(I'm not starting an argument guys, I speak for myself.)

So I have narrowed myself to 2 platforms and own 2 identical or similar guns in each. That away while training, fighting etc...it's all down to muscle memory so my brain may engage other things, such as, "what was that noise?" or "perp, no bystander, no perp". You get it.

I narrowed from multiple handguns to 2.

2 sig 229's and 2 Sig Pros.

I have 2 Remi 870's and 2 Saiga modified rifles (identical).....so believe me when I say I know my weapon....I know it without even having to think about it anymore.

I bought into this though process lock stock and two smoking barrels.

[TechBrute]

Personally, I do all my "serious" shooting with 2 platforms, 1911 and Glock. Any training or competitions I do are with those two platforms, of which I have several.

I also think there's something to be said for being competent in different platforms. I plink with enough different types of guns that I'd feel comfortable picking up nearly any gun and using it. What if your gun takes a dump and you have to use your partner/buddy/wife's J-frame backup gun?

[sm]

TechBrute

Yes I agree, one should have familiarity with other(s) platforms.

I am single, most of my friends shoot 1911s , older S&Ws as I do...especially J, K frames...and quite a few use the Keltec P-11 as niche gun.
These are single and married folks, both genders...

Gee , umm...seems that not only have I a "one gun concept" I have a "circle of friends" concept as well. :)

[granted a very tiny circle]

[Josey]

Sort of. My semi-autos are all JMB designs. 1911s, BHPs, Polish Radoms and Colt 1908. Pretty similar manual of arms. Less IS more!

[YammyMonkey]

For serious work, i.e. defense, I do subscribe to it. I'm a 1911 guy thru and thru, probably the only type of handgun I'll own from now on that I would realistically use in a defensive situation. I might have different 1911's, but they will all have common features such as the same type of sights, checkering, trigger pulls, etc...

Venturing a wee bit OT:
As it is, I have a compact-sized Kimber that I carry and a full-size Springfield that was intended as a house gun so-to-speak. Funny thing is I can shoot the 4"bbl, aluminum occifer's framed Kimber much better than the all-steel full size Springfield and I probably have twice the ammo thru the Springfield. Now my dillema is do I try and change the Springfield to be more like the Kimber, or do I get rid of it and spend the $$$ on more ammo? As it is, I think the Springfield will be my "test" platform for different sights, etc... that may or may not improve my interface with the gun. If I do shoot better after changing something then I'll consider doing the same to the Kimber, but as it stands that thing is about perfect. And this way I don't have to worry about messing up my "perfect" gun.

And back to the item at hand:
For less serious stuff, hunting, shooting clays, etc...well, I only have the money for one gun for each, so that really solves that issue now doesn't it? Besides, I have a "thing" for nice Browning long-guns so I'll probably just stick with the Citori/A-bolt combo (is it any wonder I only have one of each????).

[OF]

I have abandoned all of my other weapons in pursuit of my goal to become passably proficient with the single-stack 1911. My other pistols are gathering dust. I now shoot, carry, train and compete only with my Springfield single-stack 5" .45 I am completely devoted to unlocking it's secrets. I have not spent a dime on nor put a single round through any of my other pistols since I aquired it.

And I'm lovin' it.

- Gabe

[MikeJ]

I enjoy having a variety of different guns to shoot for recreational purposes but when it comes to defensive handguns I've kept it to revolvers and DAO pistols. I like the idea of simplicity in defensive guns; pick it up, fire and put it down. I don't want to think of safeties, decockers or anything other than the trigger in that situation. I shoot well with revolvers so currently that is what I employ although I do keep a NAA Guardian .32 in my pocket.

[popbang]

I have several handguns that I enjoy shooting, but only one that I carry. My carry gun gets a lot of ammunition put through it, while the others get a few rounds now and again. I believe that your carry gun should be like extension of your arm. A person should practice so much with it that any other style just doesn't feel as good. You should be able to draw and manipulate the platform without even thinking, it should second nature. Other people make good arguements, but these are my beliefs.

[antediluvianist]

" Beware the man with one gun who has enough money to buy as many as he wants."

[OF]

Well said, popbang!

- Gabe

[Thefumegator]

Well, I have 2 guns, but they're both Hi Powers.

Yeah, that was basically because of the "beware the man with one gun" concept. Another perk was that I already had all the mags/grips/etc. for it.

This is where I'm torn: I'd like to get a Colt 1991, but I don't know if I should master the BHP first (I consider myself intermediate with it), or if I should just stick to Brownings entirely... after all, they're what I know best.

Can anybody offer me some insight on this?

Wes

[OF]

I would not hesitate to try out new guns. If I hadn't been open to trying out new platforms, I'd likely still be spending my time with my USP.

- Gabe

PS: "Mastery" is almost impossible to define, too. It's likely to be a long, long time before you consider yourself a 'master' with a BHP. Others may see you that way, but when you get up there, all you can see is more climbing to do.

[La Pistoletta]

I'd probably go with simplicity if it came to defence.

However, it's illegal to defend your life with weapons where I live, unless you're a police officer.

[Magnum88C]

Yes and no.

When I got started in guns, I had a list I'd made up of one gun for each purpose.

The "Defense Package" consisted of:

1 - Rifle (FAL) double as hunting rifle.
1 - Shotgun (Rem 870 Police Magnum), extra barrel w/chokes for hunting
1 - Full size service handgun, in .45 ACP or .357 Magnum (Opted for Ruger P-90, .45 ACP, best descision I could have made.
1 - Deep concealment gun (SP-101 .357 Magnum)

The VAST majority of my training is with each gun. I've lots of other "fun guns" but 80% of my training is with my defense guns.

[Jim Keenan]

Given ammunition, I can probably load and fire reasonably well about any firearm ever made. That being said, if I were a pro, carrying a gun for serious purposes where my neck would be on the line, I think I would carry and practice with one and only one gun. (In a period as a LEO, I carried a Model 19 or a Model 36; different guns, but both DA revolvers.)

If you are one of the "if it's Tuesday I must have the Luger" crowd, you are just playing games. You could die with your thumb trying to flick off the safety on your Glock.

Jim

[Black_Talon]

I shoot two Springfield Professionals and two Rem 870's. That's it.

[Iggy]

It's not really applicable to the way this thread is going, but if you ever saw my Granddaddy shoot his old Sharp's 45 against the fellers with the scoped 30-06's and .270s at ranges out to 500 yards you would be a believer.

He made many of the believers too!!

[goon]

Not down to one, but I am thinning things out and narrowing my collection to hopefully eventually a pair of each of the following:
2 SIG P-225
2 FAL varients
2 Browing BPS 12 gauge
2 CZ-452 22LR

I am also going to keep others that have sentimental value and maybe my AK too just to have them.
So no, not one.
But after you have what you need, fewer is better.
But knowing how to use anything made is a good thing too.

[orangeninja]

You really don't HAVE to limit yourself to one or two. Only the ones you have the time, money and resources to master. In my case, I have 2 different pistols, I practice 3 to 4 times a month 250 rounds a session every month. That is the only way I even stay proficient. If I added another pistol, thats more range time, more ammo, more money and I don't have the time for it.

Having 2 sets of identical pistols works for me, but I practice a lot, most people don't have that kind of time. You have to be honest with what works for you.

Just an observation from sharing a friends XD this weekend. He shot the Pro and I shot the XD. His first shot missed the paper completely at 21 feet. I missed the paper at 33 ft with his XD. After about 100 rounds, he was hitting the bulls at 33 ft. with the Pro and I was hitting the Bulls at 33 ft. with his XD. I had to completely readjust my grip and site picture to be able to do it as did he.

In a defensive situation with either we would have been in serious trouble because of our lack of familiarity with each others weapons....and this is not the first time I have fired an XD in a range session either....which goes to show, you don't use it, you will lose it.

[stans]

I used to have only one handgun, a Dan Wesson model 15-2. I learned to use it very well. Then I bought a Ruger Mark II .22LR, then a S&W 39-2, then an Auto Ord 1911 (what a mistake!), then it was downhill from there. Now I have guns that I have not shot in years, some I have never shot. I don't think I can go back to just one gun, but maybe if I thinned the heard down to a few an concentrated on shooting them well, I might be better off. But then again, variety is the spice of life!

[VaughnT]

I strongly believe in the one-gun concept for all of the above-stated reasons. Having been through half a dozen classes, work related and not, I have seen countless examples of people, including myself, failing in the little things because they aren't totally familiair with a weapon or holster.

It's very important to remember that when something wicked this way comes, you won't have time for anything but immediate, gut-wrenching violence. More likely than not, you'll be at grappling distance and will have to go to hands before you go to guns, if you want to prevail. It is because of this that I strongly recommend to any and all that we spend our discretionary income on training and not the newest toys.

For myself, I own a Ruger MkII .22lr and a single-action JPSauer & Sons .357mag revolver. These are my practice weapons as they teach me to control the trigger and focus on the sight alignment.

When it comes to defensive pistols, I have a Hi Power 9mm luger and a Colt 1991. They may have a slightly different feel, but they have the same operating controls and can be relied on to work when I need them to.

Training is what makes the difference between a Green Beret and the armchair commando. The former can kill with a newspaper; the latter can be killed with a newspaper.

[WESHOOT2]

no

[Mark13]

I like the simple no safety double action types for self defense. Glocks/Kahrs.

[magsnubby]

I pretty much enjoy any type of handgun. But for serious self defense i stick to two types of guns. My Glocks and my 2 1/2 in. Taurus .357. It just seems simpler to use my other handguns for fun and games and stick to the other two for defense.

[paul105]

Years ago, I used to shoot a lot of skeet. My preferred gun at the time was a 20 ga Tournament Grade Skeet Rem Mod 1100 (Gas Operated Semi Auto). Shot that gun a fair amount.

Got the urge and bought a 12 ga Rem 870 Riot Gun (Pump/Slide Action). Took it to the skeet range for about 3 weeks.

Next time out I went back to the Rem 1100 TGT (Gas Operated Semi Auto). On the doubles, I was trying to pump that auto for about 3 stations.

It's amazing how your mind becomes conditioned to mechanical operations of one type or another.

[angrywalkindude]

How can you have too many guns? It's like too much money.......There's no such thing.

[Zebulon]

Pretty much....I've recently sold everything off to aquire 5 Berettas...All FS's...2 Fullsize, one Centurion, and a pair of single column Type M's. Everything in 9 with the same controls. I'm set.....(I have a pair of S&W 2" Snubs just 'cause they're cool)...But all defensive pistols are now the same. Zebulon

[Checkman]

I own and carry Sigs (220 and 245) and/or a 38 revolver as a BUG. The DA revolver is as easy to operate under stress as my Sigs. But I own many different handguns (mostly all .357 Smiths) because I like them and enjoy shooting them and buying them. I don't carry those particular six shooters, but if I had to use when in a real world situation it wouldn't be any more different from my Sigs.

Many years ago I was instructed by a veteran shooter that having fun is great and by all means take your babies them out of the safe and shoot them. But, at the end of the session, put fifty rounds through your work/holster gun. Practice drawing and shooting, changing mags, immediate action drills, etc. That way you maintain your skill level with your real world weapon. It may not be your favorite, but it's the one that you and others will be relying on when the SHTF. I've never forgotten that advice and I try to follow it every time I go to the range.

[MK11]

I'm all for simplifying the defense battery but the whole "Beware of the man with one gun" thing usually isn't true, although it sounds cool. Most of the people I know who have one gun would need a 24-hour head start to even find their gun before trouble starts.

[BryanP]

For the purpose of self-defense, yes. That doesn't preclude me from purchasing various others as toys that go bang.

[Range Ninja]

Oh I see plenty of guys at the range with only one gun, they usually carry Bryco's, Lorncin's and Jennings, usually in .25 or .32 caliber. These individuals are usually the most dangerous shooter's I know. In other words I'm definitely afraid of the man with one gun.:uhoh:

[one45auto]

Although I have a modest collection of firearms at my disposal, there are only three that I use on a regular basis. The first is my nightstand gun, the second my range gun, and the third my "always" gun for house carry. Like everyone I occasionally flirt with the notion of cutting back to just one, as it would admittedly make life much simpler, but quite frankly I am unable to do it because even though I don't use the others all that frequently I nevertheless like knowing that I have the option. ;)

I agree with MK11 about the "beware the man..." concept versus reality because virtually all of the individuals I've known who possessed only one handgun were not frequent shooters nor, in some cases, were they particularly pro-gun. For instance I have a co-worker who owns just one pistol, a .25 Beretta, yet admittedly he hasn't fired it in over twenty years and although I was supposed to clean and oil it for him two weeks ago, neither he nor his wife have yet discovered where they stashed it. :rolleyes:

[MrPink]

Well I own more than one gun - quite a few actually. And at my age I've come to enjoy that. When I first started CCWing years ago, I carried pretty much every handgun I owned - hey I was young and it was cool. 1911, P7, S&W K-frame. I then settled into the carry one gun concept and pretty much exclusively carried the P7PSP. A custom 1911 may find its way to a BBQ and I still prefer a 357 or 44 for woods carry, but pretty much it was the P7 for EDC (before EDC was called EDC)

A few years back, I began to appreciate the ease and simplicity of pocket carrying a S&W Centennial - first a 642, then a 342 and now a 340. It is pretty much the only gun I carry (well I own a pair, but you know what I mean).

[ChristopherG]

I figured out fairly quickly that I like shooting revolvers; then figured out that I can work with S&W revolvers pretty easily; and have enjoyed continuing to find that anything I need to do with a handgun can be done with an S&W revolver. I shoot IDPA with a 625, and am competitive with shooters in my classification in different gun categories. I carry a 340PD. I have a 4" 66 by my bed. I shoot silhouette with a 657.

All, obviously, operate very similarly. All are simple and safe to handle and shoot. All are very accurate. All are a remarkable bargain for what you get (okay, the 340 wasn't cheap, but I'd argue it does what it does uniquely well).

I don't think I'm going to be a doctrinaire S&W wheelman, or anything, but I just haven't found myself wanting to do anything with a handgun that can't be done pretty well with a revolver I love to shoot.

So, not 'one gun', but one type of guns with strong family resemblences.

[Rickstir]

I have two carry guns. A full-size pre-ban 92FS Beretta and a Tarus 650 hammerless .357 snubby. I practice and carry both but not together. They are suffiencently different in weight and carry position that I do not get them confused. I draw and shoot DA on both anyway. My practice consists mainly of double-taps COM and a follow-up head shot. I am by no means ultra fast but I do get on the mark with both, maybe a little better with the Beretta.
I am relatively new to CCW, as MO has just passed. I am looking for a defensive handgun class before I develop too many bad habits.

[warriorsociologist]

I have two rifles (Kimber .308 bolt & AR-15), one shotgun (12ga. M1 S90), and well...four handguns (3 10mm and 1 .22lr). I have owned many more than that some time ago. I don't think I'll need another rifle or shotgun, could probably loose one of my rifle and "get by", and I could drop a pistol/revolver or two. I find that unless you have MUCH more time on your hands that I do, you can't possibly find enough time to shoot very many weapons enough to become truly proficient with all of them.

[Correia]

I own many different handguns, but keep all of my serious/competition/carry/ guns 1911s of one type or another. If you keep switching around, you can never really master something.

[Ankeny]

I agree with Correia. If you really want to get good, pick one and practice.

[eddailey]

If you really want to get good, pick one and practice.

That may be true Ron, but I know of 5 different guns that you’re EXTREMELY proficient with!

I hope I’m not letting the cat out of the bag, but our own Mr. Ankeny is a Master class shooter in ALL FIVE of the USPSA/IPSC divisions. :neener:

Ed

[cratz2]

Well, most of the best shooters I know own many guns... But I think it's a concept thing rather than an actual thing... You know? The idea that someone could live with only one gun that he or she knew how to operate rather than thinking that buying this other gun will dramatically improve his or her shooting.

Basically, buy a decent gun, learn to shoot it as well as you possibly can, then decide what changes may or may not be needed.

[Dienekes]

Less is more. Fundamentally it comes down to a 4" Security Six .357 and has been that way since 1981. A M18 S&W set up identically understudies it, and a 442 is an always piece. I shoot that wheelgun better on a bad day than I do anything else on a good day, so the issue is settled for me. It's not quite the outcome I expected when I started pistol shooting years ago--but then a lot of things played out somewhat differently along the way.

The safe has other stuff in it but they're just toys held in trust.

[45+]

I don't think I ever met a gun I did not like, but finances create some limits. I set a goal of limiting my "collection" to six (or seven). I "mentally" get rid of this one or that one for a period of time but I find myself going back and "getting" them out of storage and replacing one in my "collection".

Here is my list by use:

1 Primary Carry
2 BUG or BBQ
3 Spare Carry (similiar to primary in event of surrender of primary after shooting, etc.
4 Pistol Caliber Carbine (same caliber as "Country" Revolver)
5 "Country" Revolver (hiking, camping, etc.)
6 Defensive Shotgun

I am making some progress in this quest, but like John Taffin says about "packin' pistiols", we may not ever find perfection, but it is a lot of fun searching.

[Hal]

Beware the man with one gun - -

Why?

He's too dirt poor to own more'n one gun and will probably welch on the bet when you beat him ;)

[Gixerman1000]

I own 26 handguns and IMO the key is to shoot allot.
I go shooting once a week, I shoot my primary carry weapon on every outing and I kind of alternate the other handguns to whatever I feel like shooting that day.

I would feel totally confident with just about any of them in a defense situation, and I always know what I have in my hand. To me the only pistol that differed from the rest to the point where it took a little getting used to was my H&K P7M8 but after a little practices it became second nature.