One of each--basic all-around collection...

Were I to purify my collection to its essence I would select the firearms that already form the foundation of my collection.

Rifle: M1 Garand.

Shotgun: Remington 870 12 guage

Handguns: Sig P228 or Beretta 92FS
Smith & Wesson Model 66 4" (The .357 is mandatory)

Yooper said:

I think versatility is the key to a limited collection.

1) 12 ga. shotgun with interchangeable barrels.
2) Centerfire rifle, 30 caliber.
3) 22 caliber rifle.
4) 44 Mag. revolver.

Click to expand...

This is almost exactly what I would do. I would however add:

5) Compact semi or snubby revolver for concealed carry. (9mm or .38 special would be my preference.)

Call me Old School :

Remington Wingmaster - w/ 28" and 18.5" barrels.
M1 Garand
Colt 1911 - .45acp
Ruger Redhawk - .44 magnum
Browning Buckmark - .22lr

If I get a bonus gun -- a good, scoped 30-06 or .308 bolt rifle.

Iron sights on all, but I'd figure out a way to scope all of them (even the shotgun for turkey).

"J's, K's and 1911's"

I've been steadily working my way down to a basic collection. I really have no interest in long guns or shot guns. Most of my shooting needs can be covered by stuff that fits into the above categories. Money may be more of a factor for me than others here. Ammo commonality entered into my decision to do this.-Not the sole reason, I just happen to prefer these types as well.

J-frame revolver for pocket carry. I have a Kel-Tec .380 for that purpose but have not carried it since I got the .38. Of course, even as easily as the snubby carries, it's not even close to how the KT carries but I just feel better with a treasury load vs. a 95-102 grain with the little pistol.

K-frames for general duty (home, car, travel, etc) and fun shooting. My current favorite is a 3" M65. I've got my first M19 on it's way.(2-1/2" barrel)

"Belt carry gun" - 3" Springfield Micro-Compact - When I got my first 1911 a couple years ago it just felt right. I decided I wanted my carry gun to be set up the same way. I prefer to carry this vs. the .38 when dress, etc. allows.

Springfield "Loaded" full-size. No need to explain this choice for most here.

Your actuals may vary but you might like to keep the selection process in ind when building your own collection.
1- The smallest, most concealable you are comfortable with carrying. Size will usually dictate a smaller caliber. (.38, .32, .380, etc.)
2- A "full-power" carry gun at least a +P .38, .357, .45, .40, 9mm, etc.)
3- For full-size guns, whatever you prefer. Have fun with it!

Good Luck

Something I would like to suggest in addition to the four suggestions from my previous post, instead of a fifth firearm, why not invest in some reloading equipment? This would augment the versatility of what you already have.

Hey CJ, if I may, I offer some clarification to my original post:

Rem. 870 20ga with 2 barrels (one slug and one long)

Ruger Mini 14 with .22 conversion kit. (I actually don't have the conversion kit yet, but if limited to one rifle...)

Ruger KP90DC, because it shoots better than I do.

Colt Systema 1911A1 with .22 conversion kit. A great piece of history.

Beretta 92FS with .22 conversion kit.

Click to expand...

I'll stick with the 870 w/ 2 barrels for the shotgun, because of cost and versatility

I'll stick with the Mini 14 for the same reason (you didn't mention hunting, just varmits)

I didn't include a CCW because you said you already had a SD revolver, which I took to cover CCW. If not then I would replace the 1911 with a Kahr P9

If you do have CCW covered with the revolver, then I would replace the 1911 with another wheel gun. The Ruger GP100 375 mag. The "piece of history" is for an extended collection. poppy

Not a suggestion but a list of mine.
12 guage pump
12 guage SXS
16 guage over/under
.22 pump
.22 S&W
FN 5X27 semi-auto
2/.380 PPK's
S&W .38/.357
SIG 239 w/.40 &.357 barrels
Sig 220 .45
STI trojan .45
STI trojan 9x23
I enjoy them all and would not mind a couple of more, say a .38 Super and a 9MM.
Blessings

if i had to pick 5 guns....


1. Glock 19

2. S&W 686 6"

3. Bushmaster .223 16"

4. remy 870 18" with the extension on it

5. remy 700 chambered in 308

I'll play with what I got...

Glock 23-Kick ass reliable, and will shoot under water...lol
Bushmaster M4 with rails, and either red dot, or 4 x fixed scope on carry handle.
WASR 10 AK-47, turns more cover to concealment than the AR...Keep the shotgun I'll double tap, thanx...
AR-Pistol/PDW- can be concealed, but has more power than most pistols.
A .22 pistol/rifle is all I am missing.

Calamity, don't forget that every collection needs a basic little black number...

1 shotgun, 1 rifle, couple or three handguns?

OK. You mentioned you already have a a SD revolver, so I won't suggest one.

I would also draw the distinction between rimfire and centerfire rifles. If you prefer shooting long guns to handguns, you might want to get one of each, instead of an extra handgun you might not end up shooting.

Shotgun - Remy 870. I don't own one myself, but probably will. They come highly recommended, good value.
Rifle(s) - One of the .22LR autoloaders. My personal preference is for Marlin's, but Ruger, Remington, CZ, and Browning all have very good rifles in this caliber. I have a Marlin 70PSS that's tons of fun, accurate, and easy to pack. A centerfire rifle would be hard for me to recommend unless I knew what kind of shooting you might do with it. .223 Remington is a fairly versatile caliber, good for varmints, target shooting, and some home defense situations. If you don't have a particular leaning or need, you might start with that, since you'd have choices of just about every available action type made.
Handgun(s) - I am extremely pleased with the Kahr K9 for a carry gun. For a rimfire handgun, I like options, so a .22 revolver with .22LR and .22WMR cylinders works really well for me (Ruger Single Six). Everything else I have is just play, and you might like different toys. Handguns are very individual choices, and the best thing I can recommend is renting several at a range.

Best of luck with your choices, and Merry Christmas.

jmm

Hmm.... 5 firearms total eh, 1 rifle and 1 shotgun? Hmm...

Shotgun: Remington 870 Wingmaster combo. A 28" barrel and look for a blued police barrel.

Rifle: M1A/M14 variant. .308 perfect middle caliber. Scope or not scope doesn't matter.

Pistols/Revolver:
1) 1911 .45 (Colt, Series I Kimber, Les Baer TRS/PII)
2) SIG P226 9mm
3) S&W 4" 686 pre-lock or S&W M27

Extra: Get a Marvel .22 Conversion Kit top end for the 1911. A GREAT plinker.

5 guns total.......

Shotgun
1 - Mossberg 500/Remington 870 (either are excellent choices) - $220

Rifles
1 - AK47 of some variant - $320 for WASR and up.....buy what you can afford
1 - Ruger 10/22 - $140 and up depending on option

Hanguns
1 - Glock in caliber of your chosing - $500 (isnt that about the retail rate?)
1 - Ruger .22 pistol - $225 and up depending

That will get you home defense, practice and entertainment shooting for a begining collector/shooter.......

Beretta Neos .22LR
Cz 75BD 9mm
Glock G20 10mm
PTR-91
Mossberg 590-A1 shotgun...

Your parameters were: 1 shotgun, 1 rifle, 2-3 handguns. If I had to go that route, I'd select:

• Mossberg 500 with 18.5" cylinder barrel, 24" rifled slug barrel with scope, and 28" vent rib with accu-chokes (shotgun versatility)
• Remington Model Seven in .308 (GP rifle)
• Glock 23 in .40S&W (reliable, high capacity, easy to conceal)
• Ruger GP 100 .357mag (dependable and versatile with .38spls)
• Browning Buckmark .22LR (everyone needs at least one .22)

But I don't like your parameters. If I had to cull my modest collection to five guns total, I'd have more long guns than pistols. Then my preferred list would be:

• Mossberg 500 12 gauge (with barrels as above)
• Remington 700 VSSF in .308 (long range accuracy)
• Marlin 1894 in .44mag set up with ghost ring and scout scope (GP rifle)
• Remington 541T bolt action .22 (everyone still needs a .22)
• Glock 23 (the one to carry when you're only carrying one)

This is exactly what I am trying to do...

is to have a well rounded collection with a little bit of everything...

As you can see by my collection every gun serves a different purpose

Already have

1. Ruger GP100 6" .357 magnum (full size revolver, small game hunting)
2. Sig P226 9mm (full size semi-auto)
3. Para Ordinance P10-.40 (compact CCW semi-auto)
4. S&W Model 60LS .38sp. (compact CCW Revolver)
5. S&W 3913LS 9mm (light clothing CCW semi-auto, slimmer than P10-.40)

Going to get

6. Winchester Model 94 lever action rifle chambered in .357/.38 (use the same ammo as my revolvers)
7. Remington 870/Winchester 1800 12 guage (need a shotty)
8. Ruger 10/22 (rimfire rifle)
9. Ruger Mark III Hunter .22 (rimfire target gun)
10. Some 1911 of some sort (need a .45)
11. AR15 (.223 assault rifle)
12. Bolt action rifle in .30-.30

Boy I still have a lot of $$$$ to spend...

Handguns

1. Seeing how you already have the revolver, this would be my pick, S&W
686-4 in. barrel

2. Glock 19

3. Take your pick: Ruger 22/45, Browning Buckmark, Sig Trailside-4-5 in.
barrel

Long guns

4. Remington 870 Marine-18 in. barrel

5. Some sort of .308- my preferrence, FN/FAL-20 in. barrel

Give it some thought. Don't limit yourself to just 5 if you can help it.

Calamity, you asked for clarification.

Calamity, glocks and guns of similar design have a "safety" that is a device on the trigger that is moved to "off safe" with the same motion that pulls the trigger. A safety that is simply an extension of the trigger, can be depressed when anything accidentally hits the trigger. Obviously, the gun is likely to go off in that case. For instance, if the gun were dropped with something snagging on the trigger, the gun could fire with light trigger pressure. That safety is not a safety IMO. For it to be a reasonable safety, the action to move the safety device MUST be an action of a different nature than that of pulling the trigger.
It is clear to me that many accidents involve glocks in a manner that is different than other guns. Another for instance, if a child picked up a loaded glock and pulled the trigger, the gun would always go off. Other guns, the safety device is a separate lever.
Now, lots of folks love glocks and they seem to be fine shooting firearms. Many will tell you that you only have to observe safe handling and safety rules. It is my considered opinion that a gun needs to have a safety that is easy to use, but that provides backup in the event something unsafe is done accidentally. Accidents do happen.
Imagine if were holstering a gun and you were to "break the rule" and have your finger inside the trigger guard, but not touching the trigger of a glock while holstering gently. The welt of the holster would force your finger onto the trigger, depressing the trigger and safety, and firing the gun. With a normal, real safety such as on a 1911 style, you would simply hit the trigger that would be blocked by the safety.
One police officer in FL was shot in the abdomen when she ignorantly attempted to put a trigger lock on a glock.
Pay attention to true gun accidents in the news and you will find a disproportionate number of them involve glocks.
I know, I know guys. The accident victims were victims of a broken safety rule. They always are.

Gun Packer....Just to play devils advocate...

Manual safeties, HAVE AND WILL FAIL!!!! Don't pull trigger, gun no go boom !
1911 and exposed hammer guns that stay cocked can fire if they fall on the exposed hammer. So what is your point?

Because YOU can't handle(or don't think you can handle) a firearm safely, don't try to force your short comings on others. No flame intended.

What do you think of revolvers wich have no safety?

Difference between DA revolver & semi

There are both revolvers and semi autos that are carried with no safety on. The safety in both cases is that the trigger requires a VERY long pull of a heavy trigger, usually 8 lb or more, to move the hammer to falling position when the sear releases. In the case of the glocks the trigger pull is very light and only needs to be MOVED slightly to release the hammer. You can take the revolver or DA auto, pull with 8 lbs for a considerable distance, release the trigger and the hammer will simply go down without firing the gun. The long hard trigger pull IS the safety in the case of a DA firearm. You don't do it accidentally. This is the safest of all firearms IMO. On the other hand, when you pull the hammer back and cock it, revert to glock condition IMO.
See, glock people hopping up and down already. Judge for yourself Calamity.
As for shortcomings, I believe I can handle a gun as safely as anyone here. I understand safety as well as anyone here. I won't own a glock because I believe them to be unsafe. My opinion. Everyone has to decide for themselves, and I think the attitude I see prevalent among glock owners is indicative of their safety attitude. They say it very loudly and longly.

I think you will continue to get many more replies in this thread than you'd hoped for!

I'd just submit, first, that safety is of course a virtue of the person holding the gun, and not of the gun itself (beyond obvious mechanical failures). So the Glock and XD and your (or any) revolver are just as safe as you are. Keep the nose-picker off the curved thingy until it needs to go bang, but you know this.

As far as making a good, basic collection, I think you're off to a good start. I'd suggest a good rifle for SD/HD purposes as a next purpose. They're a drastically better choice for SD than a handgun, hence quotes like 'use your handgun to fight your way to your rifle'. The shotgun is a runner up here, but the rifle gives you a single projectile to worry about instead of many, and probably less penetration with good ammo choices. If the shotgun is using something around #4 shot or smaller, it might not penetrate as much, but it will also penetrate the BG less effectively.

A good defense rifle will be a carbine with a mid-level cartridge like the AR or AK, often found in .223 (5.56) and 7.62x39, respectively.

Secondly, a good .22 rifle is a must have. Usefull for practice, small game hunting, and teaching others how to shoot. Gotta have it. A .22 pistol is in the same realm, but since you've got a good .357 revolver, low power .38s are probably a fair substitute.

My tastes, at that point, would be to become scary-good with your chosen rifle and main SD handgun. They will do all of the most important things for you. A small, concealable backup pistol might come in handy, though, as something down the line.

My humble advice would be to pick your poison on a good rifle, then BA/UU/R* for BOTH the rifle and revolver. Get into competition with them, if possible, that encourages shooting while on the move, reloads, and transitions.

*Buy ammo/use up/repeat!

(Just because I like the 'pick a few' type threads, I wanted to share my choices-

Rem 870P w/ surefire
Marlin 60 w/ 4x scope
Glock 33
Springfield 1911 5"
Saiga .308 16")

FAL
Mossberg 500 18.5" 12 gauge
CZ-452
Kahr P9
Right now #5 is my SIG but it may be replaced by a CZ-75B .40 S&W.