I realize that this is speculative, but if someone wants to build a collection of say, the best three to five guns, what would you recommend?

The point of these collection would be useful firearms, not collectibles that would sit in a case.

This collection would need to cover the following needs:
personal protection at home,
concealed carry for personal protection away from home,
something to shoot "varmits" that invade the yard and would either destroy your vegetable garden or that might injure pets,
and target shooting for fun.

Would you try to get all these guns in the same caliber or would you look at different calibers for different needs?

Thank you. As a newbie, I'm curious and interested.

This is, of course, at best, opening Pandora's box.
I will offer my opinion, which is exactly that.

This collection would need to cover the following needs:

"personal protection at home" Any 12 gauge shotgun! I prefer a Benelli M2 with extended tube, straight choke and loaded with 000 buck. As for a Smith... any auto in at least .40 cal with appropriate SD ammo. I prefer a 4006. For a revolver, any M65 or M66, which gives you the ability to shoot .38s, .38 +Ps or .357.

"concealed carry for personal protection away from home" I carry a 4013TSW with a M60-7 as a BUG, especially when traveling. When working on the farm I carry a 4006 and will start carrying a 625 as soon as I get a proper holster. Other options might include the aforementioned M65s or 66s. For carry a 3" bbl or shorter is typically preferred.

"something to shoot "varmits" that invade the yard and would either destroy your vegetable garden or that might injure pets" Once again... a shotgun - preferably at least a 20 gauge. My selection of a Smith would be any version of a K-22.

"and target shooting for fun" Any K-22 with a six inch barrel!

"Would you try to get all these guns in the same caliber or would you look at different calibers for different needs?" If you're going to get into Smiths, start off with something in .22, .38/.38 +P/.357 and .40 (just my preference on the .40) FWIW, I started with a .40 cal auto and now have revolvers in .22, .32, .38, .357, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. My autos are in .380, .40 and .45.

Best wishes with your research. It's a never ending project, I promise!

I am addicted... I am addicted... I am addicted...

Blessings,
Hog

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

Wow! Every answer will be different--and right for that person!
For only me: (At this late period of my life.) Two rifles. First a quality 22 LR. There are scores. A 61 winchester because I was raised with it. A good centerfire. I like my .357 92 lever clone.
Next you need a good 12 gauge shotgun. I am partial to pumps. Good for defense and hunting. A winchester model 12? Remington 870?
Now for two handguns. A snub .38 for the pocket, have a old s&w model 40. Any J frame is good. Next a belt gun. For me its a .44 special smith 24-3 4". Can I have six guns? I still want a .22 lr handgun.

Hmmmm, lots of room here for individual selection. My choices would be a:
12 Ga. Rem. 870, with two barrels, and short slug (smooth bore) barrel for in home protection and could also be used for deer hunting, and a 28" with choke tubes for hunting and recreation.
A Mod 18 or 17 .22RF for around the house varmint control.
A Mod 642 for self defense & concealed carry.
A Ruger 10/22 .22RF for Varmint control a little further away, and lots of fun plinking.
A Remington 700 in .308 or 7-08 with a good scope to cover anything not handed by the first 4.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

That seems like such a straight-forward, easy question to answer, and it’s not.

> personal protection at home< First thought comes to mind is a 12 gauge shotgun. I like the Remington 870 pump, but there are many good ones out there, in all types of actions. For defense, though, you need to stay with a repeater, and away from slow repeaters. That means no single shots (the cheapest kind), no bolt actions, and, unless you’ve practiced a lot and are awful dang quick, no double barrels. That leaves pumps and autos.

But then, what exactly are you “protecting” from? Burglar at night? Shotgun’s fine. Mutant Zombie Bikers, when society breaks down? Still fine. Guy that walks up to rob you while you are working in the yard? That shotgun safely in the house don’t help much, there. If you have a large enough yard that it won’t freak the neighbors, a nice holster-pistol comes in handy, here. Police/military caliber. 9mm on the little end, up to 44 or 45 on the top. Pistol or revolver is your choice – whatever your hand likes better. I’d have a 4 to 5 inch N frame in 357, 41, 44 special or 45 ACP. But, if open carry is not common where you live, and your yard is as small as mine is, that’s not feasible.

Which brings us to > concealed carry for personal protection away from home<. Not just away from the home. If I’ve got my pants on, I’m wearing a gun. ‘Cause you never know when you’ll need one. As to which one – that depends, to a large extent, on you. Are you a guy or a girl? Girls have a shorter torso, proportionately, than guys do. That means the ribs are nearer the waist, which will make it harder to conceal a holstered pistol. Especially a large one. Are you the size of Twiggy, or closer to Andre the Giant? Do you dress in as little as the law allows, or wear baggy clothes to hide your table muscle? All of this has a bearing onto what gun you can carry. I’ve always got a 642 in my pocket. That’s a concealed hammer, 5-shot, J frame 38 special. Winter or summer it’s there. When I’m wearing a coat I often have another, larger gun, but I still have that 38.

> something to shoot "varmits" that invade the yard and would either destroy your vegetable garden or that might injure pets< This is a multiple choice. Depends on your garden (where it is, how big it is) and what type varmints. A scoped 22 rimfire bolt action will work fine with rabbits or squirrels or chipmunks that are eating your English peas or lettuce. That would be a little small, though, if it’s deer in your corn. Way small if it’s hogs in your cabbages. If it’s 20x30 feet, in the back yard, that scoped 22, or maybe even an air rifle, will probably be fine. If it’s a half-acre out by the woods, you’ll probably need something bigger. And if you have a coyote after your Pomeranian, that scoped 22 bolt would certainly not be my first choice.

> and target shooting for fun< 22 rifle be real nice for this.

So, as a minimum, I’d have a 12 gauge pump or autoloader, with an 18 to 20 inch smoothbore barrel and a bead front sight. That would be legal for hunting anywhere in this country. With birdshot you could do fine with quail and or pheasants, and rabbits and squirrels. With that barrel it would be pretty useless for duck or goose, but they sell extra barrels. With buckshot or slugs you are good for both hunting deer and shooting men out to about 50 yards. Maybe even 75.

I’d have a bolt action 22 Long Rifle with a scope – either a fixed 4 power, or a variable 3 to 9.

I would have the largest caliber pistol that I could effectively conceal, no matter how I was dressed. For me, that’s that J-frame 38.

I would add, when I could, a large caliber holster-pistol, and a scoped rifle-caliber rifle. I specify “rifle-caliber” because there are many rifles chambered in “pistol calibers” - 9mm, 357, 44 magnum. While I own, and enjoy, several of these, if I was only going to have ONE rifle, it would be 308 or a 30/06. Something I could reach out 400 yards or more, if I needed to. This would be to extend the range I could shoot the deer or Mutant Zombie Bikers past the 75 yards that I could do with the 12 gauge.

That’s the five that you topped out at, but I would also get a 22 pistol. Just because they are so dang handy, and also so dang much fun.



Lastly >Would you try to get all these guns in the same caliber, or would you look at different calibers for different needs?< Most definitely different calibers for different needs.

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I always take precautions

Personal protection at home would be the shotgun as people recommend. Yet, if the fight is going to extend out to great distances then a center fire rifle. A marlin 30-30 lever action would be my choice; good out to 200yds or more; swing fairly easily and good to black bear size game. I don't know if anything further would be needed unless you get into a shoot out with someone with a bolt action rifle.

For concealed, I would consider a Kimber Ultra carry. 45acp is nice solid round.

For garden & pet defense, it would depend if you need to use your hands while gardening. The 45 acp would also do fine unless talking about pigs; although there's double tap and buffulo ammo.

Plinking, 22LR is hard to beat. Ammo is abundant and cheap.

You guys have helped a lot. Spouse had been looking at shotguns already. I wonder whether I could handle one well, since I injured shoulder previously. I have full range of motion, but at times it does bug me. Maybe I should let him be the shotgun specialist.

I should have mentioned that I got a S&W Bodyguard to carry and my Model 617 in a 22LR [mostly for shooting targets] will be arriving soon. I had originally planned to get a Ruger 10/22 next. However, I wanted input so that I could make wise choices. After all, the zombies could start showing up ...

Most of the guns you all have mentioned, I don't know; but your input gives me a point of reference to start researching Ah, what does "BUG" mean?

And finally, would you buy a 357 instead of a 38 special if you were not concerned about concealed carrying?

thanks.

LL617

BUG is BackUp Gun. For when your primary runs out of ammo, breaks, or the bad guy takes it away from you.

As to the 357/38 thing, if you are talking about the holster-gun size, getting a 357 makes more sense. You don't HAVE to shoot 357s in it, but if you want to, the option is nice. So, if I was choosing between a model 64, which is a stainless K frame 38, and a 65, which is the same gun but in 357, I'd get the 65.

With littler guns (they make J frames in 357, now) I'd stay with the 38. 357 is just too big, in my opinion, for them.

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I always take precautions

BUG... Back Up Gun. It's one of those acronyms you kinda pick up if you spend much time here on the forum. I call it part of my Smith & Wesson education!

...and I'd get a .357 over a .38 if for no other reason than you can still shoot .38s in a .357!

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

Home defense is the 12 gauge - Mossberg 590 Mariner here 9 shot salt water proof with either shoulder stock or pistol grip depending on need... Everyone is steering your in the right direction here.

BUG - age has led me to the venerable 38 Special as revolvers go bang when you pull the trigger and if they don't, you can pull again. Semi-auto, not so much...

Main carry - as large as will fit in your wheelbarrow along side your testicles... Highly subjective topic. I'm a 10mm advocate however there are far more choices in 40S&W. 45ACP has never been my thing, although I do like 1911s.

Main 22LR - always have had 10/22 but would recommend M&P15-22 instead as I've come to prefer mine.

22 pistol - must have at least one for general target practice/plinking/small game harvesting. 4" barrel probably the best but I'm really fond of snubbie 22 revolvers for practicing in an attempt to master shorter barrels in 357 and 44 Mags.

That's 5. Jesus I'm glad I didn't have to stop there myself...

12 ga, probably an 870 so there are many barrel options.
.308 autoloader, a good one (M1, G3, FAL, AR10).
A CZ 75 9mm with a Kadet kit.
3" model 65.
1911, there are so many, take your pick.
Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I REALLY don't like a shoulder arm (rifle or shotgun) for work in a house: the stock gets in the way. For a right handed person it's impossible to engage a target on the right without twisting your whole body to the right. It's also too liable to be taken away from you when somebody grabs the barrel as you walk into a room.

So here is what I have accumulated for the purpose you have described:

Home defense - primary shotgun is an 870, but have a Stoeger double on my wife's side of the bed, both in 12 guage. Handgun is a (perish the thought!) Sig with nightsights and a light, with my Hipower as backup, as well as several Smiths I can readily access.
Pest and fun - A couple .22 handguns including a Ruger single six (when my wife lets me use it) and a Stoeger luger. Probably be updating the semiauto soon. Also a .410 single for raccoons. Longer range pests are handled with an AR in .308.
CCW - my allthetime is my 442 with plus P PDW rounds, accompanied by either my little .44 Trail Boss or one of my .357's

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Even older, even crankier....

Mossberg 500 Cruiser. I love the capacity
LWRC M6A2. The best 5.56 semi I feel
Remington 700 308. Something synthetic and I wouldnt worry about free floating
Glock 29Sf. With a barrel change you can have 357-40 or shoot lead, and its a 10mm. My EDC
Ruger Mark III with a Suppressor. Quiet pest control and plinking