Least amount of handguns?

Kahr PM-9 9MM - Pocket Carry
Glock 26 9MM - Belt Carry
Glock 34 9MM - Home Defense, Competition and fun
Glock 29 10MM - Woods gun
Ruger Target 22 - Hunting, Fun (With a 2X pistol scope and CCI Mini Mag ammo it will shoot 1" groups at 50 yards)

FL-NC said:

For the SHOOTING activities that you actually do- what is the least amount of handguns you could own to do them?

Click to expand...

One

Pocket gun (currently a Kahr PM9)
Summer IWB (currently a Kahr P9
Winter IWB (currently a CZ P-07)
22 plinker (I have a couple)
Sig P220 because it’s the best 45
Bear auto (Glock 20 or 1911 in 460 Rowland)
Bear revolver (S&W Mountain Gun)
Big range blaster (Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk)
S&W Model 19 (my first centerfire handgun)
S&W 1086 because it’s awesome

Lightweight 1911 Commander would be it. It conceals well and shoots great.

Honestly, as far as what I NEED: just 1. A 9mm roughly in the class of a Glock 19.

Granted, I don't even own a Glock 19 because I'm not trying to whittle down my safe, but I just need something for target practice, something for home defense, something for competition shooting (USPSA and Steel Challenge), and something for carry.

The same gun can do all those tasks.

I mean honestly though I'd find it INCREDIBLY boring if I was told that such a gun along with a 12ga shotgun was all I could ever own again I'd still get by just fine.

For the past hundred plus years, a lot of people got by just fine with only one handgun and no complaints.
"Beware the man with one gun..." the maxim goes.

I guess my magic number is 4

1. Glock 19 for general carry
2. Kel Tec P-32 for discrete/summer carry
3. Ruger SR-22 for practice/fun
4. S&W 66 for woods carry

I've been avoiding this thread................

I could get by with these three, but I have other ones that mean more to me.

View media item 312View media item 1077
I'd hate to be without this one, and my XDs as well.
View media item 49

I keep seeing the title of this thread, and start thinking of the question of a minimum number .....

No.

Just, no.

Well, I'm just a casual sport shooter. But I shoot quite a bit. "Need" is relative....

I "need" two per-caliber for my go-to calibers, as I shoot quite a bit and it pays to rotate. Sometimes one is down for repair. So two .22's, two .38/.357. Those are my bread and butter. But I "need" a big-bore revolver (currently a .41) and a couple of 1911's (one .45, one 9mm) to put in the mix to keep it interesting.

So.....seven.

Man that would be tough...

100% without emotion or sentimental value, I could get away with 2.
1. CCW pistol (Sig P239)
2. Competition pistol (Sig P226)


Its never going to get that low because I needs my revolvers and sentimental handguns.

My wife and I have decided to buy a piece of property to enjoy some peace and quiet...perhaps hunt, fish, shoot, etc.... I've chosen to cull my herd in order to help with cash down payment. Now, at the end of the day I will still have more than "need" dictates, but I've come up with 20 to sell and all of which were "needed" when I bought them. if I ended up with just one, my first post stands....it would be my ULC Commander.

I would hate it, but if necessary, i could go back to the days of my youth.

Ruger Super Single Six .22/.22magnum.
My only handgun for about 15 years.
It may look a bit tired....but its still good as new.
Maybe better.

- Two 1911's (they were my dad's).
- One BHP (my favorite pistol, but one that I haven't been shooting lately).
- A higher cap 9 full size polymer pistol.
- A sub-compact 9 double stack pistol
- A single stack 9 sub-compact 9 pistol capable of being carried in a pocket.
- A .22LR target pistol

FL-NC said:

For the SHOOTING activities that you actually do- what is the least amount of handguns you could own to do them?

Click to expand...

Depends on what constitutes a "SHOOTING" activity.

-Primary carry/range/classes
-Deep concealment carry
-Home defense location 1
-Home defense location 2

There are multiple models that could fill each of those roles. But the number would be 4, anything lower and I'd be missing something noticeable and significant

NAA22MAG ,Taurus 85 357mag. Pocket carry. Not good for hunting
Conan 357mag,Blackhawk convertible 45/45acp,BFR 454. Great for hunting. One of the 3 has also ben my main Carry gun for a long time even the 454.
Ruger charger 22lr,Rossi Ranch Hand 44mag. My just for fun hand guns,but can work for hunting or defense.They are also my truck guns loaded and ready.
Ruger Redhawk 45/45acp 4.2” barrel,new may become my most carried handgun once I get it worked out.
PMR30 22mag and Phoenix Arms 22lr,both good for small game and for defense and very dependable.Also fun to shoot .
Wow! That’s 10 handguns I would have said I own 6 or7 never listed and counted them before.I carry and shoot every one of them,and the NAA PUG with one of the others is always on me.Looking over the list there is some redundancy,but there is a use for all.I like to be prepared for what ever may come along from Mouse to T Rex.
Least amount of rifles 4
Least amount of shotguns 2
Least amount of handguns? Don’t know.

1 on the nightstand
1 for carry
Both used to back each other up
1 similar one for the car
All would be the same cartridge for ease of ammo buying/reloading

ABSOLUTE minimum. Preferably, each one for SD/HD would have an identical backup for JIC.

Definitely looking at the new SIG P365 to take over a lot of those duties above.

For the SHOOTING activities that you actually do- what is the least amount of handguns you could own to do them?

Click to expand...

Like others have said, the correct answer is one, so long as I have ammo. Might not be great at everything, but if I had to make do, I could. I have in the past.

Whenever there is a "minimum" question it seems that nearly everyone assumes that Big Brother is going to force you to choose, But I think its is a legit question because not everyone can afford to indulge in gun collecting.
Assuming one's intent for owning a handgun is for protection and has no previous experience, I'll say two.
#1 A good .22 because I believe a .22 is the best gun to learn on, and #2 a more powerful center fire handgun for defense.
Add target sights to that .22 and you've got something to compete with, if the novelty strikes you, as well as hunt small game, again if the novelty strikes you..
If your center fire handgun is a "compact" size rather than a "service" size you may find it credible to CCW if that is permitted in your State,

I enjoy your "What's the least amount of" series.... I just wish I could put it into practice a little more...

1. A sub-compact auto pistol (mouse gun) for very easy concealable carry. Right now I'm using a little Kel-Tec...
2. A 6 or 4 in 357 mag revolver for targets and general purpose use, camping, house gun etc...
3 A 6 or 8 inch model 29 Smith (or a Super Redhawk) for Targets and Deer hunting..
4 9mm compact polymer auto for regular carry 9mm M&P compact
5 A good .22 auto target pistol, Pinking and small game hunting
6. Colt 1911 45ACP, target shooting and just cause I don't want to be w/o one.

If I had to REALLY cut it to the bare Minimum:

1.357 Mag
2.. CCW Mouse gun .380
3..22 auto Ruger
and maybe a 44 mag...

Shield 9mm usual carry/ range work, M&P9 carry/competition, XD45 bedside..

I used to believe you could not have too many handguns. Then I reached the age where the end is closer than the beginning, and realized that my child-bride and girls had their own arsenals adequate for their needs and most of mine would simply be sold on my passing. So I sold 38 of them last month and more will go over time (I still have plenty). And if one is added to the accumulation, at least one goes.


I will always have more than I can shoot, but time has taught me that more is not always better.

I can't give you a number in response to the question posed, but I know it is far fewer than I now own....

BOARHUNTER