Cleaning my desk out today I ran across a piece of paper that contained the list of firearms that I wanted to round out my collection, from about 2 years ago. Since my list hasn’t changed I thought this might be a good topic to spark some thought and debate, so here is a list of the categorizes I was looking to fill.
- A carry pistol – If you are only going to own one gun I suggest it be one that you will carry and have it available to protect yourself and your loved ones. This is your choice in Make, Model and Caliber, but I believe the more common the easier it will be to find gear/parts for and the more it will be accepted by a DA/jury, I would also point new shooters to any of the current polymer guns (Glock 19, 22, 23, 17, Smith & Wesson M&P9;/40, Springfield Amory XD/m or Ruger’s SR9/40)
- A competition gun – This should work the same as your carry gun and be in the same family. Some examples might be a G19 and a G34, SR9c and an SR40, Two 1911 style pistols, etc.
- A small pocket carry gun – This is a “what you carry when you can’t carry a gun” gun or a BUG. It could be an LCP, PM9, J-frame et cetera.
- A Revolver – if your carry/competition or BUG guns are revolvers, this can be skipped, but everyone needs 1 revolver. The long heavy trigger is a great tool for learning a how to “press” a trigger.
- A .22lr – This is good for plinking, practice and fun, but to me the importance is have a cheap shooting, unintimidating gun to introduce new shooters with.
If you are only interested in concealed carry and pistols you can stop here.
If you are looking for long gun defensive options you need…
- a .20 gauge or larger shotgun – For home defense I would recommend an Remington 1100 or 11-87 as they will live inside. If you are a SHTF type a Mossburg 500/590 or a Remington 870 are the standards
If you are interested in rifle marksmanship then you should look at…
- An AR pattern rifle in .223 – This is America’s rifle and if you are looking to this post for guidance, any of them will suit your needs.
- A bolt action rifle in .270 or better – In NA .270 will take any game animal and will allow you to hunt if you wish. I choose .308 because it is a standard military caliber and easy to standardize on.
- A Ruger 10/22 – This is only Brand/Model listed as must have. It is the most wide spread .22lr ever made and its magazine allows for reliable feeding.
If you are thinking about having a collection, there are a few other niches I don’t think you should be without…
- 1911 – I believe everyone needs a 1911 pattern handgun, after all JMB did bring it down from on high.
- An Heirloom – Guns are great for telling the story of a country or of a family. Having at least one gun that has value beyond that of the plastic, steel and wood makes a trip through the safe far more interesting. If you don’t have something passed down to you, consider purchasing something special to pass down yourself.
- Other sporting guns – For me I would like to have a nice over-under and a lever action!
Ron is the Founder and President of When the Balloon Goes Up! He competes regularly in IDPA as an ESP/Expert, his focus is on concealed carry, home defense and analyzing equipment to find “Gear that Just Works!”
