What is a "Well Rounded Battery" to you?

[David E]

As the title indicates, what do YOU think constitutes a "well rounded battery?"

Don't confuse this with "minimum" or "extensive" batteries, but one that would adequately fulfill every firearm need you have or realistically envision yourself having in the near future?

For example, in my estimation, a well rounded battery wouldn't have multiple guns in the same caliber of the same size and capacity. IE; Six .22 bolt action rifles with scopes, all Glenfield. That would fall into the "extensive" category.

I think a well rounded battery should have at least one each of the following:

.22 rifle
.22 handgun
.38 snub nose
9mm Hicap semi-auto
.357 revolver
.40 semi-auto
.44 magnum
.45 acp
AR-15 in .223/5.56
12 gauge pump shotgun
.308 rifle

Clearly, there are areas that might need further attention, like a compact semi-auto for concealed carry, and/or a more powerful rifle for hunting things beyond the .308's ability.

What guns/calibers/guages make up YOUR "well rounded battery?"

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I think having a .38, .357, and a .44 is kind of redundant. Same with a 9mm .40 and .45 semi auto.

I think a well rounded collection would be

.22 rifle
precision rifle in a decent caliber, such as .308
12ga pump shotgun
AR-15
Full size semi in 9mm, .40 or .45
.22 handgun
snub nosed revolver
*ultra concealable pistol such as LCP

Personally I don't think about it in terms of kind of gun, but in the role the gun will play. If I have a 9mm semi-auto that I plan on carrying, than having semis in other calibers may be fun, but kinda pointless. Same with the revolvers. One does the job. More than that is nice to have in the safe, but doesn't really serve a purpose other than a $500 piece of metal to stare at in the safe.

 

[Leafy Cronmer]

A nice D battery would do

 

[mcdonl]

I have been on a mission for sometime to complete *my* idea of a well rounded battery... and for me, it was not about caliber as much as action with the exception of the .22

.22 revolver
.22 semi rifle
.22 pistol

Semi-auto pistol
DA Revolver
SA Revolver
1911

Pump Action Shotgun

Bolt Action Large Rifle
"Hi-Cap" Semi-auto Rifle
Pistol Caliber Carbine
Lever Action Rifle/Carbine

I have all but 3 of them.... then I will move onto all of the other great actions like single shots, pump rifles, AR's, etc....

 

[Sav .250]

Not everybody is into the same thing. Some hunt small game, some don`t.
Some guys just plink, some just talk a good game.Maybe go to the range once in a while but don`t hunt. Some just shoot trap/skeet That type of thing. That being said, Ones "battery" would include weapons for those types of activities.How many? That`s your call. I wouldn`t buy anything that wouldn`t be of useful in what I do. Don`t need any "hangar queens."

That being said, A .22 cal is a must. A shotgun plus a deer rifle. A pistol
for HD. That for me makes a nice....battery.
Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Prion]

9mm auto, 45 auto, 308 bolt, 223 AR, 12g.

 

[G27RR]

Full size semi auto pistol with .22 conversion for extra cheap practice
Subcompact for CCW
12 gauge pump
.22 rifle
Hunting rifle
SHTF rifle (AR or what have you)

That's the minimum I would like to have.

 

[CoRoMo]

To me, well roundedness can only be achieved via overwhelming redundancy.
Four of everything please.

 

[MMCSRET]

One of everything with a backup for everything I only have one of!!!!!!!!

 

[wishin]

.22 - plinking/target
.17 - varmint/target
.243 - bigger varmint
.270 - deer
.30-06 - bigger, farther deer
.32 - pocket SD
.380 - bigger SD
9mm - even bigger SD/HD
.45 - biggest SD/HD
20 Ga - skeet/HD
12 Ga - fowl/HD
.223 - deer/target/HD
.50 BAR - war/elephant

 

[huntsman]

Two .22lr rifles one scoped
Two .22lr handguns one a single six with .22mag cylinder other a semi-auto
Two 12 gauge shotguns one a light weight SXS other auto loader
Two semi-auto handguns one .380acp other .45acp both DA/SA
Two rifles one bolt .243 scoped one .30/30 lever action

 

[ClayInTX]

One 22 rifle which shoots all 22s.
One 12 ga shotgun which shoots all lengths.
One big bore rifle of a common caliber.
One big bore handgun of a common caliber.
One concealable handgun of a common caliber (9mm up).

Anything more, and I have more, is just for hobby or just for “I want one”.

 

[Zach S]

Game, plinking, self defense, home defense, SHTF....

.22pistol, .22 rifle, a centerfire pistol, shotgun, a rifle the antis are trying to ban.

For game you need a small gun, and a large one. You may not hunt, but something suitable for small game can also be used for pest control, and something suitable for larger game could be used for much larger pest control. A .22 rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun threaded for chokes should do nicely in my area, should take out mice, bears, and everything in between. A .22 pistol is mandatory just because. I could come up with a million reasons, but dont feel I should have to, especially here at THR.

Plinking can be done with the .22 pistol and rifle.

For defense against two legged critters, I feel any pistol in 9mm/.38 special or larger is adequate, depending on if you like autos or revolvers. Two is better, of course, but not really because its one more gun. I like the idea of different calibers, for the simple fact you can find ammo for at least one of them (most of the time), but they should at least be different sizes so you have a smaller carry gun available.

Home defense can be handled with the shotgun. A combo kit would really shine here. You'd have the longer bbl threaded for chokes, as well as the shorter cylinder bore or IC fixed choke bbl. I'd prefer a short bbl threaded for chokes, but mossberg is too busy hanging goofy tacticool crap on the muzzle to thread it for a choke tube.

SHTF can be handled by the shotgun, or a light, medium powered rifle, which is what I would prefer. AR15, AK47, Ruger Minis, AR-180, SU-16, etc. Depending on who you talk to, the .308 is on the bottom of the list as far as high-power rounds, or the top of the list for medium power, so I'd stay with a smaller caliber. If the EBR wont kill it, the shotgun will. If the shotgun wont reach it, its not close enough to cause me any worry.

So, if for some reason, I had to get down to bare bones collection, this is what I would have:

A 1911, with a rimfire conversion, and a Kahr K9. Self defense, and deep concealment. Put the rimfire upper on the 1911 for plinking, pest control, and small game.

Stag, S&W, or CMMG BB AR15, and a rimfire conversion. Plinking, pest control, small game, SHTF, and HD.

Mossberg 500 Combo Pack. HD, small game, large game, possibly SHTF.

 

[HOV]

12ga.
10mm autoloader
.22lr rifle

 

[HGUNHNTR]

.22 rifle/pistol
.223 rifle semiauto
.308 rifle semiauto
12 gauge pump gun
45 acp pistol
.357 revolver
.308 or larger bolt action rifle
.380 pocket carry or J frame smith for carry

 

[ArmedLiberal]

I've never seen a battery that wasn't round, except maybe the 9 volt radio batteries. Oh and those big square ones they had on flashlights at scout camp.

Maybe they would be rounder if they were spheres?

 

[22-rimfire]

Your "battery" depends on what you do with the guns obviously. Folks have their favorites which are included in their battery. Is this like the Ever Ready battery?

My selection for a rural person who might hunt and still wants to have dedicated self defense weapons would be something like this. It is much like what calibers would you suggest to cover every need you might have....

22 handgun or two
22 rifle; one self loader and one manual action
Concealable handgun of your choice: 38spl in a revolver or 9mm or 40 S&W in a pistol
One police style shotgun-12 ga pump
One 12 ga field gun (with an extra rifled barrel)
One "magnum" centerfire handgun for general purposes, perhaps hunting, or target shooting
One varmint rifle-223 cal
One self loading 223 rifle
Deer rifle-probably 270 > 30-06 calibers
One larger caliber rifle depending on your needs (like hunting larger game than deer)

 

[Officers'Wife]

Well let me thing;

a .22 rifle & pistol for small game and 'plinking.'
a 32-20 carbine for horseback carry.
A 9mm handgun for 'social' work.
A 30-30 or 30-06 for coyote.
A .303 Lee Enfield just because you need a change from the 30-30 or 30-06 on occasion.
A .69 cal BP rifle (or larger) for deer
A good bow and arrow with hunting points, also for deer.
And last- a 20 pound Napoleon cannon because sometimes you just have to say it with grape shot.

 

[texas bulldog]

"well rounded" will depend greatly on what your regular uses are, just as hunting, plinking, CCW, competition (and what kind), etc. i would call this "well rounded":

one .22 rifle (don't need the pistol, personally)
one easily concealable handgun (snubby, subcompact, or pocket gun)
one full size handgun in major caliber (probably .45 for me)
one 12 gauge shotgun (two barrels, 18" and 26")
one semi auto mag-fed rifle or carbine (AR, AK, M1A, FAL, etc)
one scoped rifle, bolt or lever (probably a .30-30 for me, maybe .30-06)

 

[Shadow Man]

I've never seen a battery that wasn't round, except maybe the 9 volt radio batteries.

Never looked under the hood of your car?

"Well-rounded battery" eh?

Two .22LR rifles.
Two rifles in a highly effective, common caliber. Flat-shooting, hard hitting, lots of different load options. Maybe .30-'06.
Two or more semi-automatic, magazine fed, military pattern rifles. Either a full sized M16 style or an AK style.
Two all-purpose shotguns, collapsible M-4 style stock, extended tubes, tight choke, short barrel. Probably 12 gauge.
One hunting shotgun, 24" barrel, different chokes, maybe a nice SxS. Not a necessity, but very nice to have.
A fair number (4-5 or more) of mixed size pistols, in whatever caliber's float your boat. Should have at least one full-sized pistol in both 9mm and .45ACP.

Could you get by with less? Sure. Could you have more options with more? Mhm. But the OP asked for "well rounded" and not "extensive". The list I made covers all of my shooting needs and wants, with backups for the hard-use weapons. Works for me.

 

[Mags]

357 revolver
3ea 9mm in 3 different sizes
3ea 45ACp in 3 different sizes
22lr pistol and rifle
308 bolt action and a 308 semi auto
5.56 or 7.62x39 in a semi auto carbine
12 gauge with multiple barrel lengths and an adjustable stock

 

[oneounceload]

All depends on what you do with your guns. I noticed a lot of folks mention a 12 gauge pump for HD. I don't use a shotgun for HD, so that wouldn't be something I would include. I DO shoot a lot of clay targets, so a top of the line clay gun and a lithe bird gun would be in mine.

And so it goes........

 

[mljdeckard]

I have come to a conclusion, that while there are a great many guns of sporting, competitive, historical, and defensive value, I will never have time to get around to all of them. I can still try to LEARN as much as I can about as many different guns as possible, but I can't own, or even handle them all.

To this end, I have decided that I am going to focus on AR pattern rifles and 1911 pistols. I want to be able to say to the Zumbos that I do ALL of mu hunting with ARs. 1911s are the pistol I handle best defensively. There might be some exceptions, probably a magnum rifle in a caliber I can't get in an AR-10, and I would love a blue 4" Python, I will always keep enthusiasm for Browning's designs, but I think I have a lifetime of learning available with ARs and 1911s, chambered from .22 to .308.

 

[desidog]

IMHO everything mentioned are sidearms and small arms...parts of an arsenal, not a battery. A battery is either a fortified artillery location, or a group of artillery pieces meant to be fired in unison.

Here's as close as I come: 1.75" bore BP swivel gun.

Of course, ideally i'd like some 105mm Howitzer's and 88mm's to supplement it.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I think having a .38, .357, and a .44 is kind of redundant. Same with a 9mm .40 and .45 semi auto.

Ditto. That was my first thought when reading the OP. I would opt for less guns/calibers in similar classes, and more ammo.

IMHO everything mentioned are sidearms and small arms...parts of an arsenal, not a battery.

Yeah... its sort of hard to call something a "well-rounded battery" in the modern world without including some turret-mounted medium/heavy machine guns, rockets, guided missiles, artillery, fighters, bombers, ships, tanks, APC's, helicopters, spy satellites, etc.