One Cartridge Per Platform Choice

I guess my rifle, pistol and shotgun would follow along the above the hard par would be figuring out what I’d want my machinegun and AOW to be or could I have more than one of them?

Pretty sure there would be a .22 LR in there somewhere.

Of the guns I own on a future need to survive basis: older 12ga 870 Remington Wingmaster, Ruger Security 6 6” and a Ruger 77 -22. All of my choices are based on reliability and versatility.

Ubiquity rules:
Rifle - .30-06
Handgun - 9mm
Shotty - 12 gauge

The shotgun is easy, because 12 gauge is what I have, now. I live in a region that is built-up if urban, and brushy/thicket/wooded if rural, so, many foreseeable shots are within slug range, and adding a rifled Benelli M2 or Remington 870 barrel provides me with a bit more reach than my current smoothbore barrels. I am probably about to add a rifled Benelli barrel, as it is. So, that means my rifle cartridge can be a .22 LR, which is chambered in a variety of firearms other than rifles, enabling me to “game” this one.

So, that leaves the handgun cartridge, and as I have stated on internet forums, so many times, my most-favored firearm, and most-favored handgun, is the Ruger GP100, because the original-pattern grip is a perfect for in my hand, the resulting trigger reach is perfect for my index finger, long-stroke DA is my most stress-resistant and least-perishable trigger skill, and, because I actually used my first GP100, with success, in a shooting incident, so that particular GP100 is not going away, ever. So, as much as I like several other handgun cartridges, my several GP100 revolvers use .357 Magnum. .357 Mag cases can be loaded to lower pressures, making them more tolerable in smaller-framed weapons. And, of course, .357 Magnum is chambered n rifles, so, I am gaming this choice, too.

Of course, I am basing these choices upon an economic/logistic scenario, and the factor that .22 LR is easy on my aging bones and joints. I shoot more .22 LR, through an S&W Model 17-4 K-Frame revolver, than anything else. My first handgun was an autoloader, a 1911, but revolvers soon dominated my handgunning, after I became a police officer during what was still the Revolver Era, and had to use a revolver in the academy, and during my rookie period. I ended up liking revolvers, too, very much. With my right hand aging-out of reliably maintaining a firm grip*, to enable reliable cycling an auto-loader, if shooting righty, and having problems reliably running the slide, if shooting lefty, well, if I have to choose “one” handgun type, going forward, it is the revolving pistol.

I also considered .375 H&H and .308 Winchester as my rifle cartridge, but then, .22 LR and .357 Magnum would have been competing for the handgun cartridge slot, and that would be a significant dilemma.

*My “limp wrist” malfunctions are more like “numb-thumb,” with limp ring and pinkie fingers contributing to a loose grip. My right hand has good days and bad days.

S&W M69 2.75" barrel - - for all.

Shotguns & rifles are a waste of time & money in my hands.
I'm 99.5% blind in my right eye & right handed, which means shooting a bow or rifle has to be done left handed.
It also means I have zero depth perception. I know all about depth perception - I just don't know what things look like in 3D..

That lack of sight also makes it difficult to impossible to hit anything moving.

If it stops for even a split second though - I own it. At least with a handgun.

My current three:

Remington 700, 30-06
Winchester 1897, 12 Gauge
Pietta SAA, 357 Magnum

Bonus Rimfire (because Rimfire's a platform too!):

Tie between Marlin 39A and Savage 93R17. Throw in my Single Six, too.

If money were no object:

1892 Lever in 357 mag
Coach Gun - 12 Gauge
SAA, 357 mag

For the most part, I'm satisfied with my currently owned choices. Can't see where they would have problems in this part of the country. Might want to open the '97 up from Full to Modified choke, but otherwise it should be able to take care of business admirably.

Mac

Well, I wouldn't be happy about it, but a twelve-gauge pump shotgun, a four-inch 357 revolver, and an AR in 5.56.

That's defense, pest & varmint control, and what hunting I may want to do.

30-06 bolt
12 GA double
44 MAG revolver

Legionnaire said:

I'm pretty close to @Arkansas Paul ... but not quite.

Rifle: Bolt action in .280 Ackley Improved. I'm already a hand loader and prefer the ballistics of the .284 over the .30 caliber.
Shotgun: 12 gauge pump ... with multiple barrels: 28-inch vent rib with removable chokes, 24-inch rifled slug, and 18.5-inch cylinder (a 20 gauge would be just as good).
Handgun: As posted before, it would be a 4-inch Ruger GP100 in .357 magnum. Load it from mild to wild. Barrel length is a compromise of course, but this whole exercise is one of compromise.

Click to expand...

I'll just copy and paste this...

The shotgun is easy:
Mossberg 590a1 pump. 12 gauge comes in many, many flavors. Even right now, while slugs and buck are hard to come by, I can still get some target loads which are better than nothing.

The handgun is a bit trickier.
While I generally prefer a .45 acp for carry, it is incredibly hard to argue with the utility of the .357. I would probably go with my snub 686+. Walking in the woods or the streets. On my hip in the open or hidden under my jacket, 7 rounds of rip-snort 125/158gr can get the job done most of the time.

Rifle is kind of a toss up. I'm not a rifle guy. I don't hunt. I don't shoot long range. I could go with a .22 for cheap plinking fun, but I think I would go .223/5.56. I like the AR platform a lot for what it is. I don't even mind if I had to limit myself to a 10 round magazine by law. It's such an easy shooting and affordable round out of a compact firearm that is easy to work on. 30-30 would be a close 2nd with .45/70 bringing in third...but I digress. Yes, 5.56 AR as my current rifle choice