These types of threads are fun “thought experiments”. I’ve got lots of fun and unusual guns, but if I had to pare it down to what I’d consider the minimum to cover as many needs as possible this is what I’d go with, based on a criteria of usefulness, not sentimental value. I’ve selected from my current collection:
Bare Minimum
Winchester Wildcat .22
A repeating .22 is a necessity and as much as I like my 10/22 I shoot the Wildcat better.
Mossberg 590
A pump-action 12 gauge is very versatile, and packs a punch.
Tavor CTAR
A semi-auto 5.56mm is a necessity, and this was a tough choice for me. As much as I love my M&P15, the CTAR’s bullpup design and 15” barrel makes for a super-compact OAL of only 25.2”.
Tikka T3 CTR .308 Win
The .308 cartridge has a wide range of loads, covering a plethora of uses, and the CTR has the advantage of removable 10-round magazines and a compact 20” barrel.
Ruger GP100 .357
A .357 revolver is also super flexible, accommodating light .38 target loads to powerhouse .357 rounds. I’ve also got a 3” S&W CS-1, but I like the 4” barrel length as a good all-round compromise.
Walther PPX 9mm
A centrefire semi-auto pistol is definitely on the list, and 9mm makes the most sense to me due to ammo availability. To be honest, I’d prefer a Glock 17 or 19 in this role, but the PPX is my current “pistol as a tool” 9mm so in keeping with my “pick from my current collection” this makes the list. I originally picked this one up on a lark as I got the pistol, five mags and a holster for a great price, but the darn thing fits great in the hand and shoots very well for me. I’ve swapped out the factory sights for night sights.
Tier 2
These are ones I’d add to fill in a few gaps in the bare minimum list above.
CZ45 .25ACP
A .25 is not much, but this pistol is tiny, and the DA trigger means fewer external controls for a great snag-free design.
H&K Mk 23 .45ACP
A .45 semi-auto would be a great addition to round out semi-auto pistols.This was a
very tough choice between the Mk 23 and my P220 Legion, but the Mk 23 won out due to it’s super-robust design and better long-range accuracy potential.
Marlin SBL .45-70
I’m not sure that this does much more than the .308 Tikka or a slug-loaded 590, but with higher-end loads it would provide good punch over a longer range than 12 ga slugs.
OK, that’s it! That was a fun exercise! Now if I had to pick my favourites, that would be a different list.