Poll: What type of gun is most important to you?

What type of gun is most important for you to own?

  • Hunting Rifle

    Votes: 20 7.3%

  • Hunting Shotgun

    Votes: 9 3.3%

  • Concealed Carry Pistol

    Votes: 95 34.8%

  • Combat Pistol (e.g. 1911)

    Votes: 50 18.3%

  • Target Pistol

    Votes: 13 4.8%

  • Home Defense Shotgun

    Votes: 14 5.1%

  • Combat Rifle (e.g. AR-15)

    Votes: 59 21.6%

  • Trap/Skeet shotgun

    Votes: 5 1.8%

  • Target Rifle

    Votes: 8 2.9%
  • Total voters
    273
  • Poll closed .
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I am with .22 rim again on this one. My go to is one often accused of being the least favorable but still highly sought after, and the one most say they would head for the hills with due to ammo weight. My target rifle an all weather 77/22 Mk II is the one I wouldnt leave home without.
 
A concealed carry handgun (which is also my home defense handgun) is the most important firearm for me today. I know that:

  • Police have no legal duty to protect individuals.
  • Police have no legal liability when they fail to protect individuals.
  • Police have virtually no physical ability to protect individuals.

When my life is in danger RIGHT NOW, the only person who's going to protect me is ME.
 
Deanimator said:
A concealed carry handgun (which is also my home defense handgun) is the most important firearm for me today. I know that:

  • Police have no legal duty to protect individuals.
  • Police have no legal liability when they fail to protect individuals.
  • Police have virtually no physical ability to protect individuals.

When my life is in danger RIGHT NOW, the only person who's going to protect me is ME.
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+100

CCW and HD are what I focus on now, what gun you use for the job is up to you. I still shoot all my guns and still hunt a bit so nothing is really exclusive.
 
It all depends on the circumstances and situation at any given moment!

If there is no food to be had (food has suddenly become scarce) and my woods are crawling with partridges, gray squirrels, etc, I might consider it most important for me to have some kind of shotgun (or .22 rinfire) - ideally for hunting. If there is no food yet there are fields of woodchucks aplenty at distances of, say, 100 yards and further, it may be most important for me to have an EXTREMELY ACCURATE small-caliber high-power varmint rifle - so I can take a head shot for a quick, clean kill with very little meat waste. The same would hold true for no food - yet deer are regularly on my lawn at dawn or dusk. I may want to be able to take an extremely-accurate head shot - again - with little or no pain and with no waste of meat (venison)!

If I am about to be attacked by some crazed person in my house, perhaps a pistol in my pocket or at least on my person - within fast and easy reach would be best - preferably a caliber such as 38 Special upward!

If the same home invader happens to take some shots at me and is hiding behind a sheetrock wall (1/2" on each side, studs not included in this scenario), I might desire a different gun altogether - something that I am certain will penetrate 1" of sheetrock and also do enough rapid bodily harm to quickly take out the hidden intruder thus eliminating the threat in a quick manner.

On the other hand, given the exact same home invader scenario, if said person happens to be in a position in front of a wall (total 1" sheetrock - again, studs not included) and there are innocent persons behind that wall (family member(s), friends, pets, etc.) then I will want something that will not over-penetrate said intruder plus the wall (or, for obvious reasons - I do not want to overly-penetrate the wall alone if I should miss the intruder or if I should hit him in a thin location (arm, hand, just grazing, etc.) whereas the bullet simply goes right through past the intended target.

That is precisely why there are so many different calibers, bullets and load combinations, etc! The list is virtually endless! It is also why it is wise to know what different calibers will do in such situations. Someone buying a new gun for the first time, then just putting it in a closet with whatever ammunition they purchased with the gun would most likely not have any idea what that particular gun and ammo will do in the aforementioned scenarios! They end up "shooting in the dark" so to speak, or they might as well just shoot in the dark, because they don't have a clue what will happen to the pellets or projectiles once they leave the barrel!

Even those of us who have been shooting all different calibers all our lives do not have all these answers! I find it best to have several guns ready for the very reasons stated above!
 
That was such a tough question. I had to pick trap/Skeet shotgun simply because in recent years thats about all Ive shot regularly. I wanted to pick hunting shotgun but its been over a year since Ive been hunting. I also wanted to put Conceal Carry Pistol as I have my permit, but also combat pistol as those are my favorite to collect.
 
I'll admit that combat rifles aren't very practical in many situations but that's what I voted for. I have at least one of each and shoot pistols more than anything but some of that training in boot camp must have sunk in....
 
The only real reason for the 2nd Amendment is to defend against a tyrannical government. All other uses of the gun, including self defense against criminals, are secondary.

For that reason, the Combat Rifle should really be everyone's first choice.

All a man who has no rifle can do is run away from or yield to tyranny.

Your trap guns and concealed carry pistols are next to worthless compared to a man with a rifle.
 
Your trap guns and concealed carry pistols are next to worthless compared to a man with a rifle.
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Good point.
But I think that many in the Free States bear their CCW pistol close to 365 days year.
Few in this great country have ever had to bear their combat rifle for real on our soil (one exception were the Korean shopowners during the LA riots.)

I would guess that many who voted combat pistol, like me, are people who live in states without concealed carry. If NJ allowed concealed carry that is what I would have voted.
 
Seeing that most crime against the innocent occur in their own home. I would think that the most important firearm to have is a good shotgun loaded with buckshot and right handy.
 
I strongly considered CCW but where I live I went with the combat rifle. It is easy to care for, can be used for hunting and home defense and is versatile.

I am under the assumption it can only be one.
 
Balrog said:
The only real reason for the 2nd Amendment is to defend against a tyrannical government. All other uses of the gun, including self defense against criminals, are secondary.

For that reason, the Combat Rifle should really be everyone's first choice.

All a man who has no rifle can do is run away from or yield to tyranny.

Your trap guns and concealed carry pistols are next to worthless compared to a man with a rifle.
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+1.

I may spend more time with my CCW pistol, but having a combat rifle is the dividing line between RKBA being serious and being about target contests.
 
A home defense handgun should be a choice. My vote because it can also be used for carry.
 
Poll: What type of gun is most important to you?
Click to expand...

I've read the comments over. Here's some food for thought.... There seems to be an overwhelming tilt toward "combat" this or that. What are you planning on combatting? Me, I just want to go to work, do some shooting for fun, and maybe do some hunting and fishing. I carry a concealed handgun but have never once even drew it. It gets so boring that I often wonder why I even bother. I know... exercising my 2A rights.... Why is it always about combat being "the" most important to you, which by it's very nature is fighting? What are you worried about?

No body said this is a SHTF thread, but the choices mostly lean that way?
 
"The only real reason for the 2nd Amendment is to defend against a tyrannical government. All other uses of the gun, including self defense against criminals, are secondary. For that reason, the Combat Rifle should really be everyone's first choice."

------

I think that is plain silly to say it SHOULD be our choice. While I understand your point, I'm willing to bet you have a MUCH greater chance of being attacked or killed while out and about where the only thing to have on you is your pistol rather than experiencing a "tyrannical government."
 
Since I couldn't vote for all of them I voted for concealed carry pistol. However many of my weapons can easily serve multiple purposes.

With a swap of the barrel my pump shotgun can easily be used for home defense, hunting, and clays. It could work for all of them without swapping in theory but it makes me feel better to have a shorter barrel for defense.

Since the poster of the survey seems to think that all combat rifles are like ar-15's (or at least something semi auto i suppose) I'll take my AK-47 for my combat rifle and it would be useful for hunting also. I shoot targets with it for fun but its not a competition target rifle by any means.

While were in the target and hunting categories I'll choose my Mosin Nagant. It may not qualify as what some will call a combat rifle in the modern day but it dang sure was back in the day.

I suppose the same can be said about my .357 mag. It shoots quiet well and is fun for punching holes in paper. 6 inch barrel tends to disqualify it as a concealed weapon unless your good at hiding stuff. Apparently it doesn't meet the definition of a combat pistol tho.

When did combat rifles and pistols become only semi auto?

I guess my point of this rambling post was this. My gun that is most important to me is ALL OF THEM.
 
With CCW winning the poll im not really surprised, I answered CCW also.
It has brought alot of people into the gun world who were never here before the laws started allowing people to carry.
20 years ago i would have said my Home Defense gun which was a 12 gauge Mossy Bullpup and a pre-ban AK47.
I lived in the country so i could get away with an AK for HD there.

But now my guns are mainly aimed at ccw, And i have one HD shotgun.
Stupid me sold the Mossberg bullpup like an idiot i was at age 21.

Ive even given it thought about guns in my future and i see me always carrying a concealed weapon no matter what laws change, Unless we get Phasers then ill make the switch. I plan to live at least another 40 years and with the great men we have protecting us im sure my safety is assured, If not ill die beside them.
 
One gun isn't enough


CoastieShep said:
Hunting shotgun. Can use for everything but concealed carry
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And I agree. Mine is an older side by side with double triggers. With two different chokes and two different loads, I'm set for quail/rabbits, squirrels/pheasants near & far, or bad guys with 00 buck in one barrel and #4 in the other. Fire both barrels at the same time and - - - (ground round). :rolleyes:
That being said, I like having my .380 close at hand as well as my .22 LR/Mag revolver and the two rifles that take those different rounds. Situation dictates which one I reach for first. :D
 
I'm willing to bet you have a MUCH greater chance of being attacked or killed while out and about where the only thing to have on you is your pistol rather than experiencing a "tyrannical government."
Click to expand...

No doubt that is true. And while I agree that criminal misbehavior is more likely to cause death than government tyranny, defense against common criminals was no the primary purpose of the 2nd Amendment than duck hunting. Rifles make free men free.

I certainly carry my Kel Tec P3AT much more often than a rifle, but the thread is not about which gun is carried most commonly.
 
For that reason, the Combat Rifle should really be everyone's first choice.
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You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I disagree. I do not shoot as much as I do because I'm preparing for war. I shoot because I enjoy it. I accumulate guns because they are my passion. While any trigger time is beneficial, probably less than 10% of my shooting is in any way preparation for combat....of any kind. If defense against others, be it criminal or a tyrannical government, was all I was concerned about, I would not have more than a half dozen guns.

While I do own a "combat rifle", it is an AR-15 I've only had for four months. Prior to that, if revolution broke out, a good sporting rifle is more than adequate for obtaining something more purpose-built for combat. They'll be laying all over the place.

I did not vote because single action revolvers are what is most important to me. They are my primary focus, my primary interest and what gets used the most. Everything else is a distant second or third.
 
I choose a concealed carry handgun. Even though, or maybe because even in a worst case scenario, they're easy to own and easy to well ... hide.
And with the modern ones they're not particularly hard to shoot, either.

Really any handgun to me is the ultimate "citizen's gun" for all situations.

Aha. Here's the quote I was looking for:
"The only real reason for the 2nd Amendment is to defend against a tyrannical government. All other uses of the gun, including self defense against criminals, are secondary. For that reason, the Combat Rifle should really be everyone's first choice."

I think that's a bit of a misnomer, while many revolutions and the like indeed did use rifles as the main weapons I think on closer examination there were many more sudden shifts in power internationally done by concealable weapons.
Just for giggles, there's an original Star Trek episode in which a whole planet is continuously armed with two things:
1. The ability to be anywhere in seconds and
2. A handgun

We're fast approaching this situation, while not nearly as much in that 60's fashion style. The rifle no doubt has its place, but for the "sudden shifts in political power" there is nothing specifically a "combat rifle" can do that a handgun and close proximity or a "sports gun" can't do.
 
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I think the difference of opinion here is due to a difference in the definition of "most important".

Certainly a hobby such as single action revolver shooting, IDPA, skeet, or hunting is not as important as defense against tyranny?

For example, I love shooting sporting clays, and shoot my clays shotgun more than any other gun I own, but I certainly would not consider it the most important gun I own.
 
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