I've been looking over all these lists and have a question: Nowhere did I find anyone advocating a bolt-action rifle (other than for hunting) or a single-action handgun, like a Colt Single Action Army or similar, so why is everybody and their dog hung up on a pump shotgun? That crowd-pleasing "ka-chunk" as you rack the slide is nice, but you have to make that noise every time you want to shoot. And what if the BG brought a friend? Or it's dark and you'd rather not give your position away?
I personally like both the Wingmaster 870 and the Mossberg 500; they are fine weapons. But, at the risk of being branded a heretic, if I buy a shotgun for serious social purposes, it's going to be an 1100 or a FN SLP. I'm not a LEO or a soldier with more guys on my side; when the chips are down, it's just going to be me and I want to have all the shots I can get, as quickly as I can get them. That's just my opinion; YMMV.
Another heresy is that I don't want an AR-15 or an AK-47 or any of their clones. I have a Beretta CX4 carbine in 9mm. It's accurate and lethal enough for all the ranges I am likely to encounter out here in suburbia and it's nice and compact. IMHO, at 100 yards, I'm not defending my home; I'm sniping. So I got the Beretta to go with my FNP-9. I can almost invariably find decently priced ammunition, so practice is affordable. I realize I should get the Beretta PX4 Storm so I could share magazines and ammunition between my rifle and handgun, but the FNP-9 was here first and I like it.
Personally, I would say a handgun of some sort would be one of the "only" guns you actually need. Why? There is no other type of firearm that can be as readily accessible for instant use. You can carry a handgun on your person all day and it won't interfere with your activities. Even if your employer does allow workers to carry, there are going to be comments about you traipsing down the hall with your riot gun on the way to the copy center. Grocery shopping is going to be a real adventure when you're trying to figure out the best way to keep your AK-47 accessible in the shopping cart (on the other hand, it might make those idiots who cut into the express lane with a week's worth of groceries think twice). Even at home, you can watch TV, do your "honeydews" and still be chief of the home protection department, ready to greet unwanted intruders and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Having established that, here's heresy #3: Wouldn't recommend a Glock, a Kimber or any M19111 to anyone as a "must-have." Wouldn't recommend any other autoloader, either. IMHO, a "must-have" is a revolver chambered for .357 Magnum/.38 Special, preferably a Smith & Wesson or a Ruger. Easy to use, no safeties, no jams, sufficient for self-protection at any range that would qualify as "self-defense." Since S&W discontinued the Model 65, possibly the best self-defense revolver ever made, a Smith & Wesson Model 627 with a 4-inch barrel would be the optimum choice; it will handle just about any load you can fit in the case and is heavy enough to dampen recoil, plus it holds 8 rounds. A Model 686 would be good, too, as would a Ruger GP-100. If concealed carry needs to be added to the equation, I would recommend the S&W Model 60-15 with the 3-inch barrel or the Ruger SP-101 with the 3-inch barrel.
So I guess my list of "the 'only' guns you actually need" looks like this:
12 gauge shotgun with various barrels and loads (hunting and home defense)
.357 Magnum revolver
.22 rifle or handgun for small game, varmints, training, practice, etc.
Of course, like most of us, I am somewhat beyond the guns I actually need.
I was impressed by CoRoMo's list on the first page of this thread; I hope he and his wife never have a serious domestic dispute!
