If You Only had 3

When I was a young man and just getting started i went quite a while with a .22 ( Ruger 10/22) a 30/30 (Marlin 30AS) and a 12 Ga. (Mossberg500) a person could hunt almost anything on the north american continent with this group of firearms

Ones I own already?

4” S&W 686+ .357 Mag
Mauser 96 American .270
Rem 870 12 ga.


Ones I don’t have.

5” S&W 686+ .357 Mag. (A bit more versatile for field use, Carry daily to deer hunting it’ll work.)
Howa 6.5 Creedmoor (a bit less recoil, more common rifle should it need repairs.)
Rem 870 12 ga. 3” chamber (It does it all, my 12 ga 870 is a 2 3/4”)

Stay safe.

Ruger® 10/22 22LR
Mossberg® Mdl 500C 20ga pump shotgun
Ruger® No 1 in 7mm Remington® Magnum

Tough one.

1. Ruger new model super blackhawk, 44 magnum, 4 5/8" barrel. Fitted with a fluted cylinder. Blued, with a stainless grip frame. Custom front sight with pinned blade so it can be exchanged.

This would be a compromise from the flattop 44 special I currently have, but 44 special isn't legal for some big game hunting.

However, in a simply rugged sourdough pancake holster IWB, either is comfortable to conceal carry.

2. Remington 870 wingmaster 12 gauge. With three barrels, bird barrel, rifled barrel for slugs, riot barrel.

3. Marlin 39a that's been to Turnbull for case coloring and tuning. This was the hardest choice because I really was considering a centerfire for big game. But frankly there ain't anything as fun as shooting a 22 levergun.

If it was to be limited to the guns I have currently,

Ruger new model flat top 44 special 4 5/8, blued with stainless grip frame.

Remington 870 12 express with bird barrel and riot barrel.

Winchester 94 30-30.

My wife chooses

Smith 686 she already has
Ruger 10/22
410, no make given but probably a mossberg youth.

Picking from what I have now:

CZ Custom SP-01 9mm. (SKU 91765 if you're curious. I have typed that so much on this forum, my keys are beginning to die.) That's backed up by a Glock 30 .45 ACP.
And because I can't NOT have some .30-06 goodness in the mix, an Eddystone Model of 1917.

If I was starting from zero and had to go with what it was possible to acquire RIGHT NOW sitting at my computer:
Glock 19 9mm
CZ 97 BD .45 ACP, with some flavor of Kimber 1911 as second choice (still .45 ACP)
Remington 700 ADL .308 Winchester. I suppose since I have to scope this beast, I might go with a Burris Fullfield II.

Lnf Crzr said:

45 acp or Colt? Mod 25

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I like 45 acp revolvers. They're really fun at the range and revolvers usually conceal better than Semis.
Granted I'd also be torn between choosing a good 1911

Since I'll need to cover hunting and defense needs (I already have these):

Shield 9mm. Adequate cartridge and can carry anytime

Ruger 10/22. I don't bird hunt and it can take rabbits, squirrels and racoon

Marlin 1894 .357. Adequate for deer to 100 yards (most of mine have been killed within that distance) and it wouldn't do badly as a defensive long arm.

Glock 26.4

AR15 (.223/5.56, 18” medium contour, LPVO)

Beretta A400 synthetic (12 Ga, 28”)

G19
AKM
AR-10

But I would never under my own control ever have just three...

I'd consider having the only three firearms my grandfather had for most of his life: a Remington Model 760 pump rifle, chambered in .30-06 Springfield (which I now own); a Remington Model 870 pump shotgun, fitted with a "PolyChoke" and chambered in 12 gauge (though I'd want one having a 3 1/2" chamber) and a Remington Model 510 single-shot rifle, chambered in .22 rimfire (though I'd prefer the otherwise similar Model 514 repeating rifle). With these three firearms, I could hunt anything in North America-but I'd sure miss having some kind of handgun. If only I was "allowed" to have four guns...

Colt Government Model Series 80 .45 acp. I rarely carry it but I have slept better since 1966 with one nearby.
Revelation Model 100 Western Auto .22 Single shot .22 Had it forever with Bushnell Banner .22 circa 1980
Marlin 336 30/30 circa 1981 These are what a country living 74 year old would need to keep functioning
This was difficult. I have over 40 ( some high end ) to chose from, yet look at what I find to be essential (to me)

.22 lr-Marlin 60
.44 mag-Ruger Redhawk
12 gauge-Maverick 88

Give me 5 minutes, it is of course subject to change…

lightman said:

For me;
A 22 rimfire
A 12 gauge shotgun
A rifle adequate for big game. Probably a 308 as thats what I hunt with.

I might substitute a handgun in place of the shotgun.

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The question what firearms has been ask;

22 Rimfire --- Ruger 77-22 with a 1.5 X 5 Leupold scope
12 Gauge --- Benelli Super Blackeagle --- because it shoots anything from 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 inch shells & has choke tubes
308 --- Probably my custom Remington 700. If we're doing this because of invasion I might sub an M1-A

The handgun would be a Glock 23 in 40 S&W

Winchester Model 12, 12 ga
pre-64 Winchester Model 70, 270.
CZ 452 22 rimfire

I really don’t need a handgun, those 3 will do anything I’d ever need done.

Glock 23 .40.

Ruger Mk 4 Lite .22 LR

Springfield 03 in .30-06.

Everybody has a can available!

JR24 said:

hmm. Smart says a 12 gauge of some kind but I haven’t pulled a shotgun out of the case in years

So I’ll go with a .45 1911, probably a Wilson Combat.

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I wouldn't really need a shotgun either if I didn't live in Montana. I haven't really hunted in 25 years so I don't have much use for hunting-type guns. Really I'm more of a EBR & handgun kind of guy. But I'm also an avid bushcrafter, hiker and camper so I need to have something that can stop a 900 lb Grizzly if necessary. At one point I was mulling over a .375 Ruger but that would have zero other uses beyond bear protection. A big bore wheelgun is an option but if you can't hit an orange moving at 35 mph within 2 seconds it probably won't stop a charging bear...and I know I can't do that with a wheelgun! Ultimately the 12ga was my choice. With Brenneke slugs it's a potent long gun capable of stopping anything in North America but I can also use it for camp security or home defense by swapping out the slugs for 00 buckshot.

Three. I can't help but wonder how much simpler - and less expensive - my life would be if I only had three guns: M77 tang-safety 270W ; Benelli Montefeltro 12 ga: Marlin 39A. I could, and do, do anything I need to do with those three. But also having a handgun would be nice...maybe two, a centerfire and a rimfire for practice. So five. But a backup rifle would be good, and a light 20 ga O/U, and.........

Ruger GP100 357 magnum 5" barrel
Ruger 10-22
Marlin 336 in 35 Remington
The GP100 because I'll always need a handgun that's durable and in a caliber I reload. The 10-22 for small game and the Marlin 36 for larger game

I guess I would go with a 357 model 92, a GP100, and a Weatherby pump 20 gauge.
I am more inclined to being close to what I'm shooting than far away. With advancements in choke and wadd design. A 20 gauge is like 12 used to be.

Lnf Crzr said:

When I made this thread I figured more post of -

Glock 9
Ar 223
Benelli 12g

Because - Must have

Valid if your choice, yet I’m Glad to see more diverse answers.

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You'll notice the I only go to the range people. The I mostly go to the range, but big game hunt. The I like shooting sports people. And finally the I hunt everything people. Who struggle with the choice between 22, shotgun or pistol.
I was surprised by the number of people who chose neither a shotgun nor a rifle.