How many guns do you need…

[ronlarimer]

My answer is 14

•   Carry Gun –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
•   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.
•   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.
•   Revolver – if your carry/competition or BUG guns are revolvers, this can be skipped.  But everyone needs 1 revolver.
•   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 to the following…

•   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 counting at this point you are thinking, that only makes 9, why did he say 14?  These are my personal additions

•   1911 – I carry a Glock and I believe everyone needs a 1911, after all JMB did bring it down from on high.
•   Heirlooms – My father is a retired LEO and has given me the BUG he carried for around 20 years.  I am also hoping to get his final carry gun in the future.  He also gave me my first center fire rifle, it isn’t something I would have bought myself, nor would I ever sell it.
•   Any other sporting guns – For me I would like to have a nice over-under, this is where I would count cowboy action or 3-gun specific gear.

I am not saying these are the only guns you should have.  Currently I have 2 guns that I don’t shoot, don’t expect to ever shoot and would glad sell to fill one of the must have spots, but I don’t consider myself a collector, they look pretty is a completely acceptable reason to me.

How far off do you think I am?  Or alternatively, have you every thought about your response to this question?

[Hazcat]

The question is blasphemous! 

[Jackel]

this ought to be good

[TAB]

Need is the wrong word, it should be want.

I don't need any, I want a bunch.

[shooter32]

Your list of 14 is a good one and will do the jobs your asking and fits your need, it really is an individual thing.


But you can NEVER have to many guns!!  

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

You are forgetting a good quality spring piston magnum airgun. Too many "gun guys" ignore them. This is foolish. They are fun, accurate, quiet, cheap to shoot (you can practice in the back yard) and if you buy a high velocity .177 or better yet .22, will put small game on the table. They cost less than pennies to shoot, are accurate as hell ,and personally, I think your battery is incomplete without one. Thoughts?
FQ13

[TAB]

Your list of 14 is a good one and will do the jobs your asking and fits your need, it really is an individual thing.


But you can NEVER have to many guns!!  

Thats not ture... you can have too many guns, but really thats only do to the lack of safe space.   

[ronlarimer]

Need is the wrong word, it should be want.

I don't need any, I want a bunch.

No, the answer to how many guns you want is a bunch.  The answer to how many do you need is based on your use, which is why I broke them into groups.

I was also careful to show multiple non-utilitaring based reasons that add guns to my must have list and to call out that "its pretty" is an acceptable reason for a collector (which you are if it isn't a tool).

[ronlarimer]

Thats not ture... you can have too many guns, but really thats only do to the lack of safe space.   

I would argue you bought the wrong sized safe.

[DaverZ]

The question should be as follows.How many guns do you want and can afford?