Like everyone here, I like guns. I'm a gun geek, but I hope I'm not a gun snob. Having said that, there are some guns I think everyone should own at least once in their life.

I consider these guns an essential part of the gun owning experience for US gun owners:

Remington 870

An American icon and there's a reason it's the best selling shotgun ever made.

Ruger 10/22
[IMG]https://www****ger.com/products/1022Carbine/images/1103.jpg[/IMG]
Cheap to shoot. Relatively accurate. Easy to manipulate for anyone, kid to senior.

.357Magnum

No, you don't have to own a Python. Just any .357Mag will do. Great gun. Accurate and inexpensive to fire with .38Spl loads. Can be used for anything from plinking to bullseye competition right out of the box.

Ruger Standard, Mark I, II, III or IV

This design hasn't been around for 69 years for nothing. Like the 10/22, it's cheap to shoot and easy to maintain. Even the models that aren't specifically target models are incredibly accurate.

1911

Yes, I know, it's a polarizing gun these days, but it's brilliance in design cannot be denied. No particular brand, just an old standby that everyone should experience. Not just shoot once, but own one for a while. This one has stood the test of time more than any other.

Glock 19

I'm sure this one will raise some eyebrows even more than the previous gun. In this case, I do mean this brand and model. Really just a smaller version of the G17 and originally introduced in 1988. It is the perfect size for anyone that wants only one gun. It's small enough to conceal easily for self-defense and large enough to be easy to manipulate and handle for competitions. Glock didn't invent the striker fired gun, but they did make significant improvements. It has the smallest number of parts in any semi-auto handgun. This alone makes it a wise choice for reliability because there's less opportunity for mechanical failure. I'm no fan of Glock, but you cannot deny it's importance in the gun world.

Bolt Action Rifle

Again, not model or brand specific. When looking for accuracy, these are the best. They are a great tool to use when teaching a new shooter. Easy to operate and maintain. They are especially easy to control both as a shooter and as a safety observer. You just can't go wrong with a bolt action.



So there you have it. My list of guns everyone should own at some time in their life. You certainly don't have to have them all at once. These are just guns I think everyone would benefit from by owning for at least a little while.

What would be on your list of essential guns that everyone should own?

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Freedom isn't free.

Looks like you nailed down the basics.
I would add an AR-15 pattern .223/5.56 rifle if local politics allow it.
And a minimum of 3 mags for each firearm.
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I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.

And a double barrel shotgun, S/S or O/U.

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Foster Positivity.

Good thread, OP! I would drop the Tupperware from the list and add a U.S. Service Rifle from any era...

Randy

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

Throw in a lever action rifle and a single action army type for me.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Well, I've got everything on your list except the plastic pistol.

I'd add something like a Winchester Model 94, and perhaps a large-bore revolver.

And at least one Smith & Wesson of some sort!

Add a 1/2 impact to the list, and maybe a heat and a glue. We need Americans with skills again

S&W Model 29 6”

“Go ahead punk, make my day!”

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

You forgot the one gun that will cover most if not all your bases- the T/C Contender/Encore. May only be a single shot, but can be set up as a pistol, rifle, or shotgun. And then can be changed to one of the others in a couple of minutes. All legal, as long as you don't have the buttstock mounted with a short barrel. Then it's a SBR/SBS

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Peace was my Profession

A few thoughts of mine.
A model 14. They are very impressive.

Then a gun that helped found this country.

Then the old, and new.


Learn to load, fire, maintain the old, the new is simple.

Plastic is for toys.

Or if you want to shoot your leg.

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I wrote this essay several years ago.


Guns Every American Gun Owner Should Have


This is my opinion, only, of course, but then, my opinion is the only one that counts.

First and foremost, you need to own a good 22 rifle. Which kind don't really matter. I've got 'em all. Got some bolts, a lever, an automatic, a few pumps, a rolling block and a Martini action. Got single-shots and repeaters.

You need to have a 30/30 lever action. It should be a Winchester 94. The Marlin is acceptable, as long as it is 30/30. Nothing wrong with the 35 Remington - it's a fine cartridge. But you need to have a 30/30. Can't get much more American than a Winchester 30/30.

You need a 12-gauge pump preferably a Remington 870. Now, there are lots of fine pumps out there. Winchester 12, Ithaca 37, Browning, etc. And there are many fine shotguns of other action types. But a shotgun just seems to say something. Over/under says skeet shooter. Side-by-Side says elegant and European driven birds. A pump is like a pickup truck or a station wagon. It says everyday American. And the 870 is the perfect pump. There are many fine gauges of shotgun. I, for some reason I cannot discern, am kinda partial to the 16. As I get older, I seem to like the 410 more and more. But, truthfully, anything you can do with any other gun, you can do with a 12 gauge.

You need to own a Smith and Wesson Military and Police 38 special revolver. It's sad that I had to specify. At one time, if you said S&W M&P, everyone knew what you meant. K frame 38 special. But lately Smith has started to call their line of plastic fantastic automatic pistols M&P, and also their copy of the Colt AR15 is the M&P rifle. But I digress. Since 1957, when they started to give them model numbers, instead of names, the M&P has been called the Model 10. You can't get much simpler than a double action revolver. Just point it and pull the trigger. No safety to worry about. Don't need cocked. Just bang. 38 Special, while not the best anti-personnel round out there, will do its job if you do yours. K frame is big enough to give some weight to hold down recoil, but not so big that it's too heavy to tote. You got six shots. It's accurate enough for plinking, robust enough for combat. If you're only going to own ONE pistol, it should be this one. The quintessential M&P is a 4-inch skinny barrel, but as long as you have one of some description, that's okay. I'll even allow a Model 13, which is an M&P in 357, a 64, which is a stainless steel Model 10, and a 65, which is a stainless Model 13.

You need a 1911 in 45 ACP. Now, there are many makers out there. There are the wartime guns. World War 1 Remington Arms, along with Colt and the US Armory at Springfield. The World War 2 guns Colt and Springfield, along with Ithaca shotgun, Remington-Rand typewriters, Singer Sewing Machine, Union Switch and Signal. Then there are the commercial guns. Colt and Springfield (not the military arsenal different company but same name), Kimber, Auto Ordnance, Arcadia Machine and Tool, and a whole slew of 'em made in the Philippines and sold here under different names Dan Wesson, Rock Island Arsenal, Charles Daly. Remington sells one now, as does Ruger, S&W, and SIG. You can get them in lots of sizes - full size, commander size, officer size, compact officer size and long slide. You can get them in lots of calibers - 22LR, 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, 10mm and 45 ACP are the most common, but there are others available. You can get them in any configuration from military dress to totally tricked out, and spend anywhere from around 500 to several thousand. But I think everyone needs to have at least one box-stock 5-inch government model 1911A1.

You should have a bolt action deer rifle, with a scope.

Lastly, you need a good 22 pistol. There are so many of them. Revolvers and automatics. Single actions and double. Sizes from dinky to huge. I'm partial to S&W double action revolvers and Ruger single actions and autoloaders.

So, there you go. Seven guns. Everyone that calls himself a gun owner should own these seven guns.

Everything else is gravy.

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I always take precautions

Absolutely must include the Browning Citori.

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My list,
M1 Garand
Remington 870 12 gauge
1911 45ACP
S&W Model 19 4”or 6”

I have just about all that were posted.
But do I ever get to shoot all of them?
Not really. Sad but true that getting old has cut down on my shooting.
Seems I just keep shooting the same S&W 38 or 44 Special and the bolt action rifle for hunting.
Yea, I'll shoot my M1 Garand some day again.....

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

At least once in a gun persons life they should own an old classic side by side, preferably one with Damascus barrels. And, they should hunt with it.

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Bill Bates

I know I will catch hell but I'll say it anyways. Not everyone should own a gun. I'd be so bold to say half of the U.S. population shouldn't. Now as far as those who are responsible enough I'd say they should have a shotgun and a 22 rimfire.

Did you vote for Hillary or Bernie?

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

You don't worry about your eyes and fingers when shooting old damascus shotguns? Even with weak BP loads?

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S&W Accumulator

Actually a well made damascus shotguns are quite sound.Problem aw there were many cheap ones and some that were actually silver soldered instead of damascus welded. A good Damascus weld is as good as any other steel.

My dad told me his gun club took a old Baker shot gun and tied it to a post and proceeded to blow it up with smokeless loads. Never did blow, even with high base magnum loads. They then wen to some very heavy home loads which the gun also survived. An old junk gun of any sort is dangerous. A well made and maintained gun firing the loads it was intended for is as safe as any modern gun IMHO

Guys have had 1911 slides milled from Damascus billets and fire them.
damascus 1911 - Google Search

Everyone should have a good bolt 22, a high power bolt (30-06). a 12 gauge pump shot gun and A S&W 357. Its what my son got for graduation from HS.

You might want to enlarge his pics.

Those are some very fine guns.

What, no Browning Hi-Power?

Everyone has their likes and favorites. Your favorite 7 are good. My favorite 7 are great. Harry's favorite 7 make him smile. Its wonderful we have choices. If everybody liked the same thing the world would be a boring place...........And we couldn't have lively discussions!

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S&W Accumulator

*
These are the same dolts who should not have kids or animals that need to be cared for; a car; utensils other than plastic; or oxygen. Contrary to the likely impression of the first response to this post, it's about the lack of responsibility in all areas of life, not about guns. Although I appreciate these "people" because they have kept me employed and amused for much of my adult life, they are a menace to all around them.

Should own, a list driven by my bias toward defensive/fighting use of firearms:
The G19 is not a bad choice; as they have improved I would just as easily accept a 9mm M&P pistol 2.0.*
A .22 handgun of whatever type you prefer.*
Likewise a .22 rifle, likely a bolt gun, but a 10/22 is a good option.*
A good bolt action rifle of adequate caliber; for me, I would get by with a .223/5.56X45 because I have an AR and buy ammo in large lots (3-6K rounds at a pop). Don't have one yet, but looking around. For states with ammo/caliber retrictions for hunting, a .243 or larger.
Mid bore revolver - a .357 has more flexibility, but most of what I do I can do as easily with my K38.
Big bore revolver. .44 Magnum has the most flexibility, but .41 and the .45 Colt perform just fine.*
12 gauge shotgun - pump guns are more flexible and easier to set up for serious use, but there are semi-autos that can be used, probably for more money.*
An AR if you can swing it. A lot of magazines for it. Good training (not sure who I would use not that Pat Rogers is gone). Buy quality - DD, BCM, Sully, Colt, FN, etc. Stay with best quality. Even though my BCM is about $3K as set up, I have never seen a real problem with one, and have heard of only the rarest of reports of problem. Don't go 2nd/3rd tier. Do without and stick with the 12 gauge and the bolt action if cost is an issue.
A 1911, if you put in the work to be good with it. I'm left handed, so bare bones mil-spec is not a winner for me, which means going much higher level. For me, as much as I liked my 10-8, and still have a BBQ Commander size and a Wilson KZ-9, the juice is not even close to worth the squeeze.

One of the things I do is try to reduce the different calibers of ammo I have, to keep logistics simple. I also buy mostly Black Hills ammo, and in large lots. I do without other things of limited wisdom, like high dollar vacations, boats, and other non-utilitarian in part to afford better quality firearms and accessories. Other than charitable donations, such as for certain groups that support the needy and animal rescues, we put most of our money into paying off debt. My goal is to have all or nearly all of what we own paid off before we retire. (Not a trivial task with two houses ...)

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NHI, 10-8.

I think the OP is spot on. As stated add the AR-15 and the list is complete in my opinion.

I like the way you think OP, but we part ways when you say Glock.

I am an anti plastic fantastic striker fired hand cannon guy.

10-22 12 pump 357 lever gun 357 revolver 9MM auto loader/carbine and pistol that use the same mags.

Not one bit.

Each of those shotguns was originally proofed with nitro powders when manufactured. They have good wall thickness and the bores are pit free.

Heck, that Parker was manufactured in the mid 1920s and was proofed with the same heavy nitro loads as all other Parkers manufactured at the same time. I'm sure it has never seen a black powder load. I'm pretty sure the William Read also has never seen a blackpowder load.

The reality is that shortly before turn of the last century nitro powders were the norm. The old myth that Damascus barrel shotguns were only designed to handle blackpowder is just that, a myth. Damascus barrels went away because of labor cost, not a safety issue. Fluid steel was much cheaper to produce compared to manual labor intensive Damascus barrels. Worse the artisans that made Damascus barrel slowly died out and were gone by World War II.

The English still nitro proof Damascus barreled shotguns regularly. They are proofed with the same load as any other shotgun.

I do shoot lower pressure loads in them but not because I'm worried about the barrels. I shoot low pressure loads because I'm dealing with 100 year old wood.

Here are the barrel flats and proofs on the William Read. The service load is stamped on the barrel and it is a smokeless load.

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Bill Bates

OP, I think your list was quite good. Keep the Glock on the list but a 23 will suffice too. Add a decent .22 bolt and a Ruger SA6. You can't have too many .22s.

Well I qualify with 4 of the pictured ones. 4 870's one old deer slayer with rifle sights, one express with choke tubes,and two 870 ex police turn ins.
Just got a Ruger compact in 7.62x39 and deciding which scope to get.
However my choices run a little different than those listed.
Ar-15 M4 Colt
Sig P6 in 9mm single stack
Browning High Power,couldn't afford the commercial ones so bought one of the Israeli MKIII's.
M1 Garand
M1 carbine
Either model Springfield 1903 high number or 1903A3
30-40 Krag. mine is a cutdown 1898 rifle
Yugo M48 in 8mm Mauser.
And last but not least one of the smaller BSA 22rf single shot martini target rifles. Frank

Smith Model 10
Marlin 336 (JM marked) in .30-30--easier to find ammo than .35 Remington
J-frame .38 Special
A .44 Special revolver

I like the rest of your list, including the G19.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I'm not inclined to state that "everyone should" do anything, but my experience of introducing new shooters to my hobby has left me only one universally well received platform.

The only firearms that every shooter I've introduced to the sport have enjoyed shooting have been .22's, both rifle and pistol.

Savage Model 24 combo gun. Mine is .223 over 12 gauge, but any caliber combo will do.

M65
M94

Above for essentially anything other than just having fun. For fun,

Remingingrin 12C.

No list would be complete without the quintessential Model 10 at, or near,
the top of the handgun list, and the Model 70 Winchester at, or near, the
top of the rifle list. Of course the 1911 Colt and the 1903 Springfield would
be right up there as well.

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In Omnia Paratus

It seems i have everything on everyone's list. How could everyone miss the important guns everyone should have, lever action 25-20, a 218 Bee bolt rifle, 30-40 Krag sporter, reproducrion 45-70 trapdoor, Ithacia 49 22 , High Standard Sentenial 22 pistol, H&R Handi rifle, Western Field 222, cap and ball colt ect. Although 870, 1911s, glocks, 10-22, K frames and what ever are great and work well, and i got them, but they just dont keep me interested

I personally would never want to not have

a 22lr bolt action and a K22 model 18 preferred
a 223 because ammo is so plentiful. My Mini 14 is OK
A 357 revolver, 4" model 19 would be good. Once again. Plentiful ammo
A 308 or 30-06 bolt gun, Ammo availability and big game capable
A Model 25 in 45 acp. Ammo again.
12 gauge pump. Ammo and reliability with any power lever.

I have found a "need" for way more than those, But, with the above I would feel I could handle any situation calling for a gun short of fending off a full on assault.

An urban myth. Larry

Well stated! Larry

My feelings exactly

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John

Add a lever action rifle in .30-30 and an AR and I'm with you . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I'd add a muzzle loader & cap & ball revolver to give you a sense of firearm history & it's developments. Levers, single shots, double barrel shotguns, a few military issued's as well.

My thoughts as well. I prefer older-style firearms, but the AR style rifle has served the country for 50-odd years. I feel that every firearms enthusiast should own and be able to operate one.
Glock 19- same reasoning. It's the Model 10 of it's time.

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Because of the metric system?

Don't think I would want to go through life without a vintage single shot rifle.

And what about a .32-20 Winchester with the proper Smith & Wesson companion revolver?




I wouldn't want to do without them.

I agree on the cap and ball revolver.something fun about doing it "like they used to".

And I would add another, a Luger of some type. Doesn't matter what brand or caliber but they are a great gun and fun to shoot.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

It would be hard to go through life without at least one Luger.

And goodness knows, there must be a single action revolver, even if it comes from Italy.




We all have a little streak of cowboy in us.

Lot of collectors of old steel on this forum, nothing wrong with that. But for a young man just starting a collection, getting the best bang for his $$
Colt 6920
Glock 17/19
870
And a cheap. 22. Marlin 60 or like

Everything after that is icing

Sometimes you need to whack something with a big rifle.







Behold, the original double-tap!

Agreed. That would be an excellent start. The 19 and 870 would take care of just about everything.

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Because of the metric system?