Recommend a firearm

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film495

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If you were to recommend a firearm that you own, and you can only recommend one. which one would you recommend and why?

This isn't a quiz on semantics, it is more a question about - say you have more experience than another person, and it can be about hunting, defense, or general interest/collection. but, still only recommend one.
 
If the person had a little mechanical ability, I would recommend they build their own AR. Barrel type, twist, and length they want, stock of choice, optic they prefer. They could build a super accurate 400 yard yote gun, or a lightweight hunter, or even a nice pistol.
 
Recommendation depends on purpose. But if “general purpose” was the goal, hard to beat a pump action 12 gauge with multiple barrels. Say a Mossberg 500 with a 28-inch vent rib with removable chokes for birds, small game and clay sports; a 24-inch rifled slug barrel with cantilever scope mount and a fixed 4X scope for medium to big game; and an 18.5-inch cylinder bore for home defense. You’d have most of the bases covered.
 
I feel like a 20 inch Rossi model 92 in .44 magnum would make a great only gun for about anyone’s situation.

Commercial ammo not hard to get, and very simple/rewarding to handload for if you want to or have the means to.

Legal to own in most jurisdictions.

Fun to plink with. Can hunt with it. Will do the job for home defense.

Robust design, yet light and compact. Recoil very manageable for men and women of all sizes.

Aesthetically pleasing.

That said, I don’t have one and don’t want one, because I am not limited to the one gun hypothetical.
 
it isn't a hypothetical in terms of the person you're making a recommendation to only has one guy or any guns or lots of firearms, the idea is just to draw out what you would recommend to someone - with the open question, what firearm would you recommend to someone and why? it can be any reason you think one of your guns is the one that you would recommend - above the others, first.
 
So, the question is about us as the recommender, rather than our imaginary recommendie? What would I recommend with no more knowledge of the person, or usage, than "I want"?

If so Id recommend an AR-15, simply the most versatile platform extant. Its my least favorite long gun platform to shoot, but offers more versatility than any other option....THUS..im hedging MY bets on making a good recommendation.
If you offer ANY more clarity on desire, then youll likely get a different answer.
 
If it's just for general use and not for any sort of specific role (CCW, HD, Competition, Target shooting, etc.), then I would probably go with the old standby: a double action revolver in .357 Magnum or .38 Special. A lightly used S&W, Ruger, or Colt would do quite nicely, preferably with a 4" barrel. An adjustable rear sight would be a bonus but fixed sights are more than adequate.
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I guess this kinda falls into the "Whats your favorite gun (that you currently own)?" catagory.....not necessarily whats the the most useful general purpose gun?

Man, thats a tough one. Ive got alot of favorites! :)

I guess Id have to say my 686-
IMG_20200309_222608_9.jpg
It just does nearly everything perfectly, looks great, and feels good in the hand.
 
I've had this conversation twice a month this year. I ask about purpose (carry, or fixed-position defense), experience, and budget. It usually concludes with:
- older 70yo+ folks get a S&W M&P .380EZ. It's THE answer for arthritic hands and recoil sensitivity.
- younger folks get either an M&P9 full size, a Shield if they haven't yet discovered how to conceal a pistol, or an AR.
 
I agree with @bannockburn WRT a handgun. A 4-inch DA revolver in .35 Magnum is almost as versatile as a 12 gauge pump ... especially for a reloader. Mine is a GP100, and I load it from mild to wild with a variety of bullets over Trail Boss, Unique, and 2400. Great for everything from plinking to hunting, with the added benefit of being concealable with the right clothing and holster. The .357 just edges out a SA .44 Magnum on concealability.
 
The question begs for clarification as to the situation and what the gun would be used for. Absent that, I'll interpret it as, "What gun would you recommend that you feel would carry the highest likelihood that any gun enthusiast would love owning and shooting it?"

I like to think I have a lot of guns in that category, depending upon whether you're looking for a handgun, a target rifle, hunting rifle, shotgun, rimfire, or what. But the gun that I'd most recommend that I think would almost certainly be loved by a new owner is a CZ 452 American in .22 LR.
 
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I have to admit, I find how this thread is developing to be fascinating. There are some very popular firearms, that did not get touched on at all here. Some have some haven't - I wondered about this for what I would recommend and find it difficult.

I'd recommend a S&W Model 10. I have one, and it is good. It doesn't do anything special, it is just functional and consistent, interesting history, they made a lot of them and they can be acquired for a reasonable amount of $. The thing that gets me about it is, when I go shooting and don't bring it, the Model 10 is the one my friends seem to ask about most, and are disappointed if I don't bring it.
 
a .22lr rifle or carbine of some sort. Cheap to shoot. Cheap to buy. Good training tool. Can take small game if you find yourself lost in the wilderness and need food. Light and small for the most part. Most of them are pretty simple, mechanically. Most are pretty rugged and you can clean them enough by shooting some brake cleaner in their actions.
I have both a semi auto and a lever action. The semi has an old steel tube 4x Weaver scope on it but its the longest and heaviest one of the three. The lever actions don't have anything beyond irons, but are shorter and lighter. The shortest of the three has the best iron sights but its just a simple painted notch and post. However, it has screw holes in the top for an optics mount and would be a great little option. Plus, scopes for rimfire guns tend to be cheaper which is nice.

So yeah, a .22lr long gun of some type. Pick a good manufacturer and try out a few different kinds of ammo.
 
Legionnaire said:
Recommendation depends on purpose. But if “general purpose” was the goal, hard to beat a pump action 12 gauge with multiple barrels. Say a Mossberg 500 with a 28-inch vent rib with removable chokes for birds, small game and clay sports; a 24-inch rifled slug barrel with cantilever scope mount and a fixed 4X scope for medium to big game; and an 18.5-inch cylinder bore for home defense. You’d have most of the bases covered.
Click to expand...

If all you can recommend is one gun then versatility of said platform would be very important. I think Legionnaire is spot in with this recommendation. I would also add Mossberg made a muzzleloader 50 cal barrel for the 500 and that would REALLY extend the application of this ONE ONLY exercise.

The TC Encore should also be in the discussion for the same reason as the Mossberg.
 
Pellet rifle of decent quality. Since I don't know who the recommendation is to, or for what purpose, I can't assume they'd be legally permitted to own an actual firearm. Can do a lot of the things a .22 can do without a NICS check.
If it's "what's the last gun you'd ever part with" it would be my old Savage 24.
 
It's a meaningless question without some purpose.

It's like asking what tool you would have in the house, if you only had one tool (not a multitool).

If you wanted to discuss this:

a. A good 22 rifle
b. A good 9mm semi pistol
c. A good 12 gauge shotgun
d. A good 38/357 revolver
e. A good center fire rifle

That covers most uses. Now you can nitpick on models all you like.

Biggest suggestion: Learn how to use them, the legal implications, the correct tactics.

A thought for today from John Holschen:
Amateurs think (or talk) equipment,
Students think techniques,
Masters think tactics!
 
Marlin model 60 22lr
Glock 19 9mm
Mossberg 590 (I prefer 12 ga)
Ak/SKS/AR-15
Learn to use them take a class or two. And try to squirrel enough ammo for to last 6 months of shooting ever week. Then when you have that much double or triple that amount.
 
Ask John. It's a pretty well known quote from him. He's a great trainer. If you get into the higher levels of training, the point is made that equipment discussions are really the lowest level of concerns. There are so many fundamentally indistinguishable quality guns out there that it isn't a real focus for the gun user in a SD situation. Getting a Glock 19 or an SW for example and you are good to move to actually knowing what you are doing.

Shotgun vs rifle, revolvers vs semi. Easy - train with both, shoot them in something that gives you info on how you handle them in extremis. This is for serious folks. If you aren't serious, a quality SW, Colt, Kimber, Ruger - larger sized 38/357 in your underwear draw (haha, sarcasm) would work. Note J frames are not the easiest to use.
 
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