If you could only have three guns...

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3 guns, tough call, alot depends on the condition enviroment, but if you were on the move and had to carry other things besides weapons, ie food, water,tent, etc. an ak-47 for a rifle, its just rugged, and the ammo is light. a soild 357 magnum, i 2nd the 3" barrel, like a model 65 S&W. chronograph tests show it is equal to or even surpass's most 4-6 in bbl weapons. while the 870 remington is a fine weapon, i had one fail once. i havent had a mossberg fail yet. a good 12ga with a polychoke and an assortment of shells.
 
Well then ... this here's one of them zombie threads! Back from the dead ... again!

Went back and checked my first post ... from a couple of years ago ... and guess what? My thinking hasn't really changed all that much. Still think my first two would be:

4-inch stainless GP100 .357
Mossberg 500 (28" vent rib, 24" rifled slug, and 18.5" cylinder barrels)

I might at this point give up the Model 7 in .308 for a Remington 541T (.22LR) ... but that would be a hard choice. No question on the first two, though.
 
1: My HK USP45 Tactical
2: My PTR-91
3: My NEF Pardner Pump Protector


I have the means to carry all 3 of them on my person if it's necessary, I can get all 3 (barely) into a pelican case for air travel, and they'll handle just about any defense situation I can think of, and more than a few hunting ones too.
 
I already own all 3.
AR in 6.5 Grendel covers a pretty wide spectrum of needs and uses.
Glock 26, nothing says CCW is going away and its my CCW choice.
Mossberg 12 gauge.
 
I'm thinking rifle, pistol, and shotgun, for any hunting or survival situation in which I would find myself. Each choice considering both versatility and ammunition availability.

Rifle - .300 Win. Mag. bolt action. It is powerful enough for hunting 98% of the animals on the planet (2 legged or 4).

Pistol - .357 revolver w/4" barrel. Useful for hunting in a pinch, powerful enough for self defense, yet still concealable.

Shotgun - 12 ga. Rem. 870. It is the gold standard for reliability and versatility.
 
I've had this bouncing around in my head again lately and feel that I'd "like" to have a handgun for ccw or for when times won't allow a long gun to be kept nearby.
Secondly, I would consider a .22lr rifle a must-have, most game can be taken with this caliber and ammo is light and cheap.
The third decision is the hardest, which do you choose, a shotgun or a centerfire rifle? Trying to be as realistic as possible, the .22lr could put the food on the table, as well as or better than the shotgun in some instances.
So what is the third choice? As much as I want to say it should be a shotgun I just think there's a better alternative in a centerfire rifle, so now that we have that narrowed down, which centerfire? What purpose would it serve?
As the handgun and .22lr would have the close range requirements met, what about that long distance requirement? What would you consider long distance, 100, 200....400 yards? I'd say that you'd want to at least be able to shoot out to and be effective at least 300 yards. That is a distance where you are more probable to hit your mark without extensive practice.
I believe I own this third choice and I am basing my decision on one of the four I'm considering.

1. Handgun - Glock 21
2. Rifle - Marlin Model 60 .22lr
3. Rifle - Springfield Armory M1A
 
1. Defensive handgun - 1911
2. Small game/pest control - Ruger 10/22
3. Center fire rifle - This is where it gets tough to choose. The top 3 in my current battery are (a.) Savage Model 11 in .308-long range precision and hunting, but limited use against zombie hordes. (b.) Win. Model 94 30/30-good compromise between hunting utility and some zombie defense. (c.) SKS-decent utility auto-loader that will kill anything in my state, but doesn't excel in any area. Honorable mention (d.)-in case of strictly EOTW zombie defense-the AK47 clone.
 
I can see two lists, one purely objective, and one that includes emotion. I love revolvers and 1911s so I can't really see going without either- without that and only going with "need" I would have a different list. I am not a hunter, and I have only made it to the rifle range 2 or 3 times in the past 5-7 years (I used to go a lot more than that in a 6 month period) so a 3 gun list for me shouldn't include anything that can't be shot at an indoor pistol range.

Including my wants (revolver and 1911):
-S&W 1911SC or similar Commander sized alloy 1911. Good for CCW and big and heavy enough for a range gun. The caliber is more than suited for home defense.
-S&W 65LS (3", K-frame, .357mag). See above for advantages.
-A pocket sized gun. I have a S&W 442 that fits that category, but I'd probably sell it for a Kahr PM9 or similar.

Purely objective (no 1911 or revolver requirements):
-Full sized service pistol or revolver in a major caliber (.38spl, .357mag, 9mm, .40 or .45ACP). Since this would be the main HD gun I'd prefer .38spl, .357mag (loaded with .38spl or a lighter magnum load) or .45ACP.
-Compact CCW pistol (4" barrel or shorter, 28oz or lighter) or subcompact CCW pistol (3-3 1/2" barrel, 24oz or lighter).
-Pocket gun.
*A larger compact gun (a 4" barrel, ~28oz) instead of a subcompact as a CCW could double as the range/HD gun opening up a spot for a carbine (I'd prefer a .357mag lever rifle) or shotgun for home defense. A subcompact could make the need for a pocket gun a bit less important, again allowing the HD long-gun. Similarly, instead of the HD long-gun I may go with a .22 pistol or rifle instead of the home defense long-gun. So, my list is flexible.
 
My MP-15T

My P220 Combat

My 700p LTR .308

Because they're all durable, reliable, accurate, and I shoot them well.
 
I didn't see any rule about not having conversions ... already own all 3 as well

Kimber Stainless Gold Match in 45acp + 22 conversion

16" Bushmaster AR-15 in 223 + 22LR upper

Remington 700 VSSF in 308
 
That would depend on what the situation(s) was? If it was an end of the world, zombie killing scenario my choices would be different then say my top 3 picks for genteel leisure or just everyday "put food on the table" use.

For Zombie Hunting:
1. Saiga/Tromix 12ga. short shotgun
2. AK-47 select-fire 7.62x39
3. Browning High Power 9mm

For Genteel Leisure:
1. Parker VHE 20ga.
2. Oberndorf Guild Mauser 98 in 9.3x62
3. Colt Python 6"

For everyday use:
1. Remington 870 20ga.
2. Winchester 1892 44mag.
3. Ruger 10/22 22LR.

So which one was your referring too?
 
Tomorrow, my opinion would probably change, but Today, I'd probably have:

S&W 640 2 inch
Mossberg 590 18.5 inch with rifle sights

Honestly I could get by with just these two, but for a third...
S&W 686P 4 inch
 
Sig 226 .40 Pistol (Not American, but I bought it used for $550 with 4 magazines)
CIMG3776.gif

Winchester Model 12 Riot Gun (they make other shotguns?)
CIMG3844.gif
CIMG4068.gif

Ithaca 4E Knick Trap Gun (you do not want to face Armageddon without a really nice Trap Gun)
CIMG4038.gif
 
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Revisiting an old thread:
Based on what i am restricted to under Australian law,

For hypothetical TEOTWAWKI with a need to bug out to my parents farm, live off what I hunt & slaughter endless hoards of zombies:
CZ 452 in .22 magnum,
Glock 17 in 9mm,
Remington 7615P in .223.

Actual real life:
CZ SP01 Shadow with Kadet unit for gun games.
IAC Model 1887 lever action shotgun for gun games/ hunting in scrub.
Remington 700 in .243. for small to medium game at moderate ranges.

Also, its a crime against humanity to restrict any man or woman to only three guns!
 
Well... Sticking to the thought that this is a SHTF situation....
My Walther P99 AS - 9MM Plenty of ammo around for 9s. Its what I have until I can get a Colt 1911. :)
870 Remington - Should be a significant amount of 12 gauge ammo
and Remingon 700 SPS .308
(A .22 would be nice for the lack of sound, but it is not as versitile as the shotgun.)
With these I can defend close quarters, hunt anything with wings, squirels, and other varmints. I can also drive a few tacks if someone gets too close.
Now.... how am I supposed to carry all this stuff?????:what:
 
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