Needed categories of guns

I consider my requirements to be S/D, H/D and hunting. Plinking and rsnge toys are nice but not really needed for me. Of course, a non-hunter may well reverse the thinking and place plinkers and range toys where I place hunting guns.

There's a bit of overlap, as you can see.

S/D and H/D 1911 and 12ga shotgun, rifles a distant runner up
Hunting shotguns and both center and rimfire rifles, depending on game and location.

plinkers/range toys are a lot of .22 and a couple centerfires.

I don't hunt and I don't compete, so my "needed" categories are restricted to defensive purposes and "simple-enjoyment shooting". I have three "sub-categories" in the defensive group: concealed-carry, deep-concealed-carry, and home defense. Admittedly, HD can be covered with the concealed-carry piece. I use a Kel-Tec PF9 for CC, a Kel-Tec P32 for DCC, and a Ruger Police Service Six for HD (though the PF9 frequently fills that role when I don't bother to switch it out in the case for the Ruger.)
The SES category is, of course, the most broad. Any gun can potentially play in that group, and those that currently do run the gamut, from a S/A revolver to rimfire semi-autos (pistol and rifle), service revolvers, and single-shot shotguns. Even the pieces in CC, DCC, and HD duty get to participate. Also, many of the guns in the SES category can also be (and sometimes are) called to duty in the defensive group, including the modified Ruger 10/22.

To me, these are the bare essentials:

1. Centerfire rifle
2. Rimfire rifle
3. Centerfire handgun
4. Rimfire handgun
5. Shotgun

Halal Pork said:

To me, these are the bare essentials:

1. Centerfire rifle
2. Rimfire rifle
3. Centerfire handgun
4. Rimfire handgun
5. Shotgun

Click to expand...

This, is a good answer, If forced to I could do with one of each.

My first priority for owning a gun is fun and enjoyment - so my shotguns for clays and birds get the front row in the safe
Second priority is SD/HD, and my handguns are sufficient enough for those tasks.

Since moving East from the wide open spaces of the West, hunting has nosedived as what public land is available typically isn't worth the hassle, but I keep a rifle or two just in case an opportunity presents itself

My list I have narrowed down to 5 guns. Possibly a 7 gun list. In no particualr order.

1 Full size handgun
1 Concealed carry handgun
1 12g shotgun
1 centerfire rifle
1 .22 lr rifle

then the other two

1 long range bolt gun
1 magnum rated revolver

12ga pump.
.22lr rifle
.22lr/.22mag revolver
.30-'30 lever rifle

I can do everything I need to do to survive with this short list. If anything, I'd add a .45acp 1911 or .357/.44mag revolver as an all-around sidearm.
I, personally, have no practical use for a .223 otherwise I'd have bought an AR a long time ago. If/when I do buy an AR platform, it'll be an AR-10 in .308. I've been called out in the middle of the night too many times to go bloodtrail deer shot directly in the vitals with a .223. In my experience it is an intermediate round with little practical purpose outside the Geneva convention. I have a Kalashnikov in 7.62x39, and feel a lot better with it at practical carbine range than a .22mag on steroids.

Pistol
Sidearm pistol
Back-up pistol
Long gun
Back-up long gun

If I make more $$, might add one pistol for each room and one long gun for each room, with carry/sidearm/backup pistols and one backup long gun.

Backups are for the sake of if I have to take one in to the shop for one reason or another, I have a spare.

Battle Rifles
Battle Carbines
Training Rifles
Varmint Rifles
Small-Mid Game Rifles
Medium Game Rifles
Mid-Large Game Rifles
Big Game Rifles
Long-Range Rifles
Defense Shotguns
Hunting Shotguns
Primary Handguns
CCW Handguns
Back-Up/Pocket Handguns

Lots of categories, for sure... Especially for the monetary-impaired. But I think the above categories cover just about everything. Those are the categories that I use to sort things in my head. There is a lot of overlap, too, like was mentioned earlier... IE, any of those game rifles can be a long-range shooter, probably don't need 5 categories of hunting rifles, a training rifle can be the same as your varmint rifle, you don't necessarily need both a battle rifle and a battle carbine, etc...

A lever action in .44 Magnum is really handy for short yardage hunting or HD. The longer barrel puts the cartridge into another category of power as you can expect a velocity increase of around 400 fps. If you needed something to take down an animal like big hog a lever action .44 would make a much better choice than a semi-auto 9MM carbine. It also can be loaded with milder .44 Specials for soft recoiling 1,000 fps HD loads that your wife or daughter can comfortably handle without ear protection.

If you are thinking about a pistol caliber carbine look seriously at the .357 and .44 Magnum. They gain a lot of power in long barrels and you probably have a revolver in one of these calibers already.

Primary CCW gun.

Light/ultracompact CCW gun (Primarily for carrying while running the trails... where I only carry my car key, driver's license, permit, cell phone, and the gun with no reloads)

Home defense gun. Currently don't have one, so the CCW guns are doing double duty.

.22 Plinker rifle and pistol.

I'm not a hunter or competitor, and my gun fund is low, so this is all I need now.

1. Centerfire rifle
2. Rimfire rifle
3. Centerfire handgun
4. Rimfire handgun
5. Shotgun

Click to expand...

I think this is a good, bare-bones, generic list that I could live with. Of course, I already have multiples in some of those catagories.