One gun to rule them all...

[Razor_J]

I was at a gun show about 2 months ago and became embroiled in a conversation with an older gentleman who was selling off most all his firearms. He was explained that he had the, "one gun to rule them all" which for him was a maverick 88 shotgun. He told me that he was keeping his 1911, and a squirrel getter single shot 22. Beyond that he was selling off all his collection. I asked the reason he chose a shotgun and what he had to say was interesting.

He said he had 3 barrels for the gun. A 20 inch smooth bore, open choke for firing home defense loads around the house. It patterned well for him and he had a forearm with a strap built in to make sure he could retain it. The gun was in a stock that had the AR style telescoping stock which he liked because he could shorten it and choke up on it to reduce the overall length and stay maneuverable. The second barrel was a 28 inch vented rib that would accept choke tubes, he had several including a turkey choke. That one is for hunting duck, turkey, rabbits, and whatever else is about that size. The third was a rifled slug barrel with integral scope mount and a 4x scope on it. Per him it was better than minute of deer at 200 yards, which is a tad further than he would feel comfortable firing on a deer anyhow.

All in all it was an enlightening conversation. Perhaps when I have some years on me and wisdom I might get over the collector bug that bit me and lighten the safe to a similar degree, except it would be a 44mag revolver instead of a 1911.

I have been, and still am away on business so it has been a while since I posted. I apologize for the flurry of posts I will inevitably be doing as I have had a cornucopia of interesting ideas buzzing around in my head for some time.

 

[SleazyRider]

He is a wise man indeed.

 

[RaceM]

He's got short, medium, and long range covered. Sounds a lot like my old man, actually. His choices were an 870 in 12GA, a 35 Remington pump, and a single shot Springfield.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I can see where he could cover all necessary situations with those.

But where is the fun in owning only 3?

 

[Esoxchaser]

I always said if I had to get rid of them all but one, I would keep my Savage Model 24B. 22LR over 3" 20ga.

 

[horsemen61]

Paul for the win

 

[Virginian]

Just what was the rest of his "collection"? At the risk of sounding snooty, IMO there is a difference between a collection and a bunch of guns.

 

[ratt_finkel]

That makes sense from a functionality standpoint. A shotgun is a very versatile weapon. But I think most of us choose our weapons for more than pure functional reasons.

 

[huntsman]

I agree with his sentiment but not his choice.

 

[huntsman]

I can see where he could cover all necessary situations with those.

But where is the fun in owning only 3?

AH it ain't so bad, I grew up with my old man only owning 3 guns, even now besides the original 3 I've only got 6 more and I could part with a couple of them and not loose sleep.

 

[Rayzor]

I feel the same way in a slightly different way.
I dont need a lot of iron but prefer to stock up on brass.
My 30.06 and 44 mag cover everything I prefer to do.
I dont do much bird hunting but I do own a couple older shotguns.

His theory is valid.
Be proficient with one or two rather than just ok with many.

 

[jmr40]

I own the same basic 3 barrels for my 870, so I do agree with the concept. I wouldn't choose the Maverick and while the PG stock is OK for deer turkey and probably SD it is a handicap for wingshooting.

That said, the 870 is no longer my primary hunting shotgun. But it ain't for sale.

 

[mac66]

Change the model to a Mossberg 500 w/ conventioal stock, and add a black powder barrel to the mix and you got what I got, i.e., truly "one gun to rule them all". I like that except I'm not selling my other guns.

 

[USAF_Vet]

With the caveat that everyone has their own opinions and preferences, I'll add my $0.02.

No way on earth would I choose a Mav 88 with a T-6 style stock as my "one gun". I say this as an owner of a Mav 88, which formally wore a T-6 style stock. I also have the 28" vent rib barrel and a variety of chokes. I also have a shorter HD barrel. Having basically the same set up, minis the rifled slug barrel, I came to a vastly different conclusion about the "one gun" concept.

The T-6 stock was unwieldy and uncomfortable for any type of shooting other than aimed fire, like a rifle. Wing shooting or clays, totally wrong stock configuration. I found the T-6 stock offered few advantages over a traditional stock, along with many drawbacks.

Its versatile, but its a jack of many trades, master of none with that particular set up. I tried it.
I never considered having 'long range' covered with any shotgun/ barrel/ ammo set up. I consider long range 250 yards at a minimum, with open sights. I have yet to meet the shotgun that has an acceptable level of accuracy to attain this. Shot guns are excellent close range weapons, decent medium range weapons with the right load, but I will always go to a rifle in a center fire cartridge for long range. The shotgun, for all its versatility, just can not be justified for that purpose. Remember, my opinion.

 

[Razor_J]

Virginian, when I met him he was selling an early 90's Cooper firearms varminter in 22-250, and a mint Python. Both were beautiful and he was the original owner. I would assume he is a....."collector" as opposed to a guy who has a hodgepodge of everything. Both guys are one and the same if they care for their purchases and know how to use them.

 

[9mmfan]

Hey, he found what works for him. We all gotta walk our own path. If that choice makes him happy, more power to him.

More guns for the rest of us. Everybody wins.

 

[Virginian]

I agree with the "jack of all trades, master of none" sentiment. Anything like that seems like a compromise to me, and I am not much for compromise in some areas. I mostly just shoot clay pigeons - and trap is not in my routine - , doves, and waterfowl anymore, and while I do have guns that could do all of those, some are much better than the others for one aspect. After I had cancer I sort of reprioritized some things and sold a lot of guns, but I didn't try to get to one shotgun.

 

[gamestalker]

First of all, I can't imagine selling my guns just because I feel I can cover all the bases with just 2 or 3 of them. My firearms mean more to me than that. I don't worship them, but they represent a bit more to me than just the serving a practical application.

For some, one car is all they want or need. Where as, other's may like to have an economy car, sport car, muscle car, 4x4 pickup, or a family size car in their garage. To each his own.

GS

 

[Teachu2]

If I had no heirs that cared, I'd be much more likely to pare down - I don't need a dozen Glocks (eight is enough) and four .22-.250s (two would do), but they hold their value and it's getting harder to replace them with each passing day, rule, regulation, and law. Our kids and grandkids will enjoy them when we're gone. Heck, they enjoy them NOW!