Guns everyone should own.

[Rastoff]

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

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?

 

[Tex1001]

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.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.

 

[joe44va]

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

 

[rkwood]

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

 

[vonn]

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

 

[RobertJ.]

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!

 

[Ribwizzard]

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

 

[tlawler]

S&W Model 29 6”

“Go ahead punk, make my day!”

 

[Westie1]

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

 

[Skwirl]

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.

 

[Alpo]

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.

 

[Breakaway500]

Absolutely must include the Browning Citori.

 

[brjr51]

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

 

[STCM(SW)]

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.....

 

[Bill Bates]

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.

 

[Firesticks]

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.

 

[tlawler]

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?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

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.

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

 

[steelslaver]

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.

 

[Skwirl]

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

You might want to enlarge his pics.

Those are some very fine guns.