First 5 Guns Everyone Should Own

I already own a 12 gauge and a .22 which covers most of my practical uses...
What are some rifles/handguns I should look into?
Typical uses- target shooting, hunting, and defense. Fun to shoot.

.38/ .357 mag revolver/ .308 rifle in your choice

270 and a 338 magnum

.270, .223, .45

38 or 357 mag and a 30-06

Depends on your interests....(1) deer rifle, .308, 7mm-08, .243 ( also doubles as varmint gun ). (2) A belted magnum for larger game/ long range. .300 WM, .300 WSM, (3) trapline revolver. Single Six .22. (4) auto loading handgun for self defense .45 Colt 1911. (4) inline muzzleloader

Get one or two of each.

.45 ACP carry handgun, .308 or 30-.06 rifle for large game. .556 AR-15 before the confiscation or an AK-7.62X39 again, before the confiscation.

If I could only have one rifle it would be chambered in 22-250 and if I could only have one handgun it would be a full size 1911

.270 for all big game

..223/.556 AR for fun , varmints , and when the SHTF

no shotgun?? biden said ya need a shotgun

Everybody needs a 1911 in .45!!! You have to have a single action in .357 and one in 45 long colt. You need a good deer rifle (308-270 or whatever floats your boat). Probably need a big rifle in a magnum caliber. Definitely need a couple 22 caliber varmint rifles. You are gonna need a .22 pistol for trapping.

The best thing about guns is there is always another one you NEED!!!

870 pump shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge would be on my list. Mod 700 in 30-06 also. Ruger 10-22. 1911 pistol in .45 cal, and I guess a black rifle in .223.

A .45 auto is good defense against a man but if you do business in bear or hog country, then a big bore six gun might be the next most practical gun. Of course my beloved hand cannons would do just fine in the off chance a gun fight erupted but they aren't overly concealable

25-06, and a 20ga O/U

AK,AR,12ga pump(with an extra slug barrel),over under 22/410 and a semi auto 22mag.

S&W 38 spl revolver, 12 gauge double bl, 308 rifle, 22 auto rifle

*** Your vote maybe the one that makes the difference ***

I am having a hard time with this question -- if i had to decrease my guns to 5 i don't know what i would choose. Seeing what you have covered does limit it some-- but i notice that in the .22 category you do not specify rifle or handgun -- you must have both. A large bore handgun is also a necessity anything from 9mm to 44mag in either auto or revolver will suffice. A large bore hunting rifle of some sort -- again your preference (mine are the 30 calibers .308 .30-06 .300 win mag) depending on area and what you are figuring you will be hunting. You did not specify if that was a total of 5 or 5 in addition to what you have -- so i am going to assume its five in addition . you must have something on the ar platform for a multitude of reasons ( If only one it should be 5.56). That leaves you one that is completely free of uses-- it is still necessary. By the way I shoot a thompson contender it only counts as one, but has many different caliber options from .22 lr - .444 marlin.--- davem

Remington 870
Ruger 10/22
A 308
22-250
Muzzleloader 50 cal

.223 AR, .22 LR pistol/rifle, 9mm pistol, 308 rifle it’s more about available then not finding ammo for a fancy club.

Law Dogs choices plus a 12 gauge combo.

.308
12ga
5.56/.223
.45
22LR

The .22 is a smaller .22 rifle which I use for trapping. I am not yet old enough to buy an handgun in NY so it will suffice until September. I was thinking five in addition to what I have.
The shotgun is a Mossberg 500 pump which I have slug and turkey barrels for.

Try not to laugh too hard, but my favorite guns are from the 1980s Miami Vice TV show, that .10mm Crocket had, and that double barrel shotgun Tubbs had.
That would do it for me

Remington 700 30-06
Remington 870
Ruger 10/22
Winchester model 94 30-30
Ruger 6 shooter revolver 22lr

I have to break the rules and choose six, a 22 repeater of any kind, a 243, a 30-06, 375 H&H(if you plan on travelling to hunt bigger game) a semi or pump 12 gauge(I prefer a semi) and lastly a trim little 20 gauge over and under or side by side(I prefer the sxs)

Well if you get 6 I want a Ruger LCP 9mm also

If I had to limit it to 5 calibers/ gauges -- that is a little easier because I use the things so .22, 12 gauge, 9mm ( i hate it balistically but it is cheap and available) .223/5.56, .308. Thats five -- but there are so many other great choices. That would cover 95% of anything in north america -- at least in my opinion. Law dog's and Adam's choices are spot on. It is all about availabillity -- millitary calibers are the ones to look at. If you are looking for specific purpose high performance rounds and cost isn't an concern the opportunities are endless.

.22 rifle
.357 mag
Shotgun of your choice
Lever Gun Winchester 94... chambered in 30-30
Winchester Model 70 ..chambered in .308

And a .62 cal Smoothbore Flinter

300 mag rifle
50 cal muzzy
41 mag pistol
22 rifle
12 gauge shotgun

Are people in NY even able to own and posses guns, Forest?
mt

Law dog nailed it , but can go .45 or .357 for handgun

I have been struggling real hard trying to answer this question.
I have a little bit of everything, so I thought about the question in reverse. "If I had to get rid of all but 5 of my guns, what would I do?"
I concluded that the answer to that question was, shoot whoever it was who was going to make me get rid of any of them.
My recommendation for the OP is to not worry about the "First Five". Just keep buying guns until you run out of money. Eventually you won't have to worry about what else you need. You'll own them.

52Carl knows exactly how to deal with this and I’ll second his advice

Thanks for the responses everyone. This thread actually helped me narrow my decisions a lot.

I think my next purchase will be an AR .223
and then .22 pistol for trapping bc I am tired of carrying the rifle.

.243 .270 7mm Mag. .44Mag Hand Gun .375H&H

To may variables. If you don't reload you should probably stick with the easier to get calibers are you into varmint or predator hunting. Do you want to play with long range target shooting ? So many things that need addressing before making a decision on what a personal arsenal should look like.

It depends on what contingencies we're planning for. SHTF scenario is going to be different than being adequately prepared for grouse season.

first 5

1) 12ga shot gun
2) 308 rifle
3) 22 rifle
these can be in the order you get to them for my son his first was a 20ga shotgun when he was 10 then a 22 rifle when 12 then about 14 we built an AR 5.56/223 for him now that he is 16 he bought himself a 38spl as a range toy because I reload for 38spl and he found a deal on one, I had to give the guy a nod that it was ok with me. honestly he uses one of my 308 rifles and I have a Glock 9mm he runs for action pistol. so I guess he has this fairly well covered.but he is looking at a new shotgun to move up from his 20ga to a 12 ga.

4) 9mm handgun
5) 223 rifle

adding the 6th 22 handgun

12 ga shotgun , preferably a combo gun with a long and short barrel I am sort of a fan of Mossberg 500/590 so versatile

308 rifle not much in north america you can't kill with a 308 and still have it be light enough to carry all day and not too much for recoil I am also a fan of 180gr bullets in the 308 if your reduced to limited guns versatility is good. I also like these with a threaded muzzle to put a brake on , yes it is louder but not much for the shooter and I like to still see the target through the recoil.

22 rifle small game , butchering , pests , trap line marksmanship practice.

9mm handgun personal defense you can carry on your belt , reasonable priced ammo easy enough to shoot well virtually any one can learn well enough to pass a qualification target you need more magazines 3 is a minimum 4 is better and well 5 or 6 is nice

223 rifle again very available ammunition and you can do a lot with it deer if you need to but coyote and things smaller than deer minimal recoil easy to learn this could definitely be filled by an AR everyone should have a one or several.

really just 5 we need a 6th

the 22lr pistol

it all depends on what you have for uses maybe you want a muzzle-loader to add to your deer season.
maybe you get into long range shooting
or enjoy pistol caliber carbine shooting
need a lever gun to live out your cowboy fantasies or single action army 45s to take up cowboy action shooting.

so many games unfortunately there isn't time nor money to play them all

with the 9mm you can play several games USPSA , glock SSF , IDPA , club level action pistol , steel challenge

once you have a shotgun , Rifle and 22 rifle let your game guide you.

if all you were ever going to do is substance hunt large game you could do just one gun and a 308 would be a good choice.

Here’s my thoughts...
Considering that the .22 I have fills the need for trapping gun, and the 12 gauge satisfies skeet shooting, and some hunting.
.223 AR could be set up as a nice yote gun, fun to shoot at the range, and defy the left.
A 9mm or whatever handgun I choose would satisfy home defense and range day fun. I figure I should stick to a lower caliber as to avoid bad habits associated with recoil, until more experience is gained (that’s what I was told anyway)
A longer range rifle would be nice for deer if I travel to farm country and as you mention target shooting. It has no real practical use for deer hunting in the thick woods of the Adirondacks. Perhaps with the right scope set up I would use it here but it is not necessary. I think the Winchester model 70 in .308 would satisfy this I believe.
Semi-auto .22 for plinking and varmint.
A 50 cal muzzleloader seems interesting because of all the nicnacs involved in muzzle loading and would extend my deer season a little.

I don’t see the need for win 94 if I can shoot slugs with my shot gun, iron sights are iron sights as far as deer hunting goes? Besides maybe the lever gun being fun to shoot and looking cool. I do love a good western.

Every American household should have a Winchester 94 ..30-30 ....Thats Americana ,at its best !

12 gauge pump shotgun with multiple chokes
22 rifle
223/243/etc varmint gun
300WM
personal defense handgun

Charles and I think the same except the .223 could be a 22-250 or .204 or something similar. And add in a trap line pistol either a single six or reliable small auto loader. And once you expand past that get a .22 mag and muzzleloader. I am at that point in my life where a youth shotgun would be next for the kids and after that an o/u would be fun.

Forest , you man I think you have it pretty well figured out and are building a versatile basis of your personal armory. If you want nick nacks , start loading your own ammunition. It will satisfy that streak in you if you have it to the full. That also gives you the opportunity to then use the not so common calibers and shoot them at a reasonable price.

I agree here.

Personally I'd add a .410 SxS too, but its not probably a popular choice but I'd love one.

i had lots of guns until the great jon boat accident of 2012.

I always think of worst case scenario. So Ruger 10/22, Remington 700 .308, Remington 870 12, P92 9mm Beretta and a semi custom AK/SKS 7.62x39. All those are adequate and no matter what plenty of ammo.

and a 12 ga pump would be my 5 I would select

1. Pump action shotgun, in 12 gauge
2. .22 rifle preferably bolt action
3. Semi auto pistol, preferably in a military cartridge
4. AR15 .223 for just in case
5. Either a big game rifle or big bore revolver, whichever floats your boat, both can be used for big game.


That's my list of five.

There exists such a large variety of guns available for a reason. Not a single one is all purpose. There can never be a finite list of any certain number suitable for all.

That said, you are on the right track starting with a 12ga and .22 They are as close to universal as you can get. Next, at your pleasure, consider a self defense weapon, and dedicated large game rifle, in that order.

This is not scientific but according to the ease of finding free ammo in junk drawers, truck defroster vents, under seats ,glove boxes, pants and shirt pockets, the wash machine and places I just can't figure out how,I should have a
22
12 gauge
556/223
9mm
30-06

I never seem to find free shells for a 401 or 284

I'd have a good pellet gun in the mix.

you seem well reasoned on your choices

9mm pistol not just for recoil but because ammo is less expensive
I like glock not because I believe they are perfect but because they are very good and many companies make parts and accessories to let you make it what you need it to be should you find you don't like it they hold value very well however it is best to go try a bunch at a range that rents and find what you like. there are a lot of good videos out about handgun effectiveness ammunition matters a lot , but in general a hand gun is a handgun none of them are death rays they are all basically calibrated self defense rounds to form a 4 inch barrel make more then 12 inches penetration but less than 16 in calibrated ballistics gel so be it a 9 a 40 or a 45 the bullet from a 4 inch barrel should go into a 200 pound man and if it comes out likely be stopped by a few layers fo fabric to minimize the hazard to by-standards in a self defense shoot. clearly you don't want to trust this will happen but it seem to be fairly consistent not that I want to stand behind anybody being shot. if the penetration is the same and the difference in width is .355 .401 and .452 .097 less than a tenth of an inch really doesn't make a huge difference in wound channel.

don't get your gun knowledge from tv and movie , hollywood gets a lot more wrong than they do right.

the 10/22 stands out as a semi auto 22 they can be very accurate and they have all the parts and accessories to make them what you want them to be , huge amount of knowledge about them also online


longer range rifle I am a big fan of the 2 to 7 power scopes , you can be fast on a deer at 30 feet at 2x and still take it out to reasonable range I had a 308 out sunday shot it at 400 yards at 7x in a 15-25mph wind quite decently , I would try and wait for the wind to die down from a gust , yes I have to know my hold off for the wind and elevation but inside 200 yard you don't worry about the wind very much with 308 just put it on the target and shoot the wind will be moving you around standing trying shoot more than it will effect the bullets travel in the first 200 yards.

at 400 yards I had to hold 6 minutes high and 4 minutes into the wind this is made easier by the use of a Ballistic retical I like the Vortex BDC hash you can see what it looks like at full magnification below and at 2x i hardly notice it





if you come from shooting 12ga foster slugs shooting a 308 rifle seems like shooting a laser beam to about 250 yards about as far as most people should really be shooting at game any way.

some really like a pretty rifle and I can appreciate one but it's a little like a pretty truck if you have to lay down shipping blankets every time you place something in the truck bed to not scratch your pretty truck you don't get a lot of work done.

Utility has it's own beauty , my son used my new 308 for deer season this year , first day he got his foot caught in some barb wire he fell and got a small scratch , I told him thanks for telling me but I bought that gun to hunt so it isn't a big deal.

Five must have guns (they are all fund and can be shot at targets):
1. 12 gauge with 28" duck barrel and rifled cantilever deer barrel and 22" turkey barrel, full range of chokes - covers almost all hunting and defense
2. .22 pistol - dispatch
3. .50 cal muzzleloader - muzzleload deer season
4. .45 1911 - defense (can argue a 9MM is more practical, NATO round)
5. .308 - big game and in case you need to reach out and touch something.

You really need seven:
6. .223 AR - for fun, coyote and a NATO round for the zombie apocalypse.
7. .22 lever gun - for fun (like I said, they are all fun, but a .22 lever gun is next level, especially if its a Winchester 9422)

Snare loop nailed it

Some of those rifle pics a guy would need to sell his truck to buy a case of ammo. My 7 mm STW would be an arm and a leg to load up on ammo for that.

1. 22 long rifle, rifle.
2. 12 guage shotgun.
3. 9mm, semi-auto handgun.
4. 22 long rifle, semi-auto target pistol
5. 30-30 or 30-06 rifle.

Keith

When I grew up everyone had a 22 and a 12 or 16 gauge. NO ONE had much of anything else. Those 2 weapons would kill anything you HAD to kill. 32 cal revolver was carry gun of choice. Anything else was considered to hard to hide or too heavy.

I agree might go with 270 instead of 30 caliber rifle.

Only five? Impossible.

As Major Boddicker once wrote: "a closet full is just about right for everyone".

OR

Dave Petzal wrote: "don't have that many? Keep buying until you do".

Remember that one can never have too many guns, too much money or be too handsome.

Correct. Sam Fadala wrote the book "Winchester's 30/30 Model 94--The Rifle America Loves".
The title says it all.

Check!
Now I need to open the safe and handle it for a little bit. Maybe rack the lever a coupla times. Maybe call somebody "Pilgrim."

1.12 gauge auto shotgun
2.30-06 rifle
3.454 pistol
4.338 rifle
5.22. rifle or pistol

308 also