# If you had one gun, what would it be?



## -TWO- (Mar 25, 2008)

A while back, Wife, in total, innocent, ignorance. Asked me this question. "Why do you need more than 1 gun?" I quickly anwsered. "For the same reason you need more than house plant." The light of understanding came on & she said. "Oh". But it got me to thinking, of the guns I have, & I feel there is a practical for each one, if, God forbid, I only had 1 gun, which would it be. After long concideration, I concluded, for me, I'd have to say my 12 gauge pump. Thinking of all the things I've used it for it almost seams more like a tool than a gun. In outright versatility, that old shotgun gets used, by far, more than any other. Any other thoughts or opiniuns.......? Bob


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## Irish farmer (Dec 21, 2007)

Thats an easy one. 12 guage shotgun. The versatile gun. Pump, single shot or double barrel. Not an auto.


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## jnh (Oct 4, 2007)

m1 garand


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## -TWO- (Mar 25, 2008)

jnh said:


> m1 garand


Any particular reason?


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

My 835 Mossberg. Good for goose, turkey, upland birds, deer and varmints. Handles 2 3/4" 12 gauge shells up to 3 1/2" magnums.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

Would be one of my .22's as I have actually lived in the period of time here in the country when most people only had a .22 on the farm. >22 shells only cost 1/10 of what a shotgunshell cost then. Believe me the only reason to have a shotgun if your that poor is if your eyesight demands it.
First gun on the homestead in the earlyto mid 20-th century was generally a .22, then next came a shotgun..at least in these ozarks..


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## -TWO- (Mar 25, 2008)

.22 was my #2 choice. Ammos cheap, good for birds & small game, can bring down a white tail in a pinch.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Ithica model 37, 28" barrel, screw in choke tubes, 3" mag. Pretty much covers any situation I would encounter.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

You give me shivers making me think about only having one gun, but if I *had* to have only one gun, it would definitely be my 12 gauge Remington 870.


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

.22 Rifle.
Silent but deadly.

alan


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## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

I don't think I could come up with an answer for that without long thought. It would come down between these three: .45 1911, 12 ga pump riot gun, AK-47. Really don't think I could pick just one.


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## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

The first thing that came to mind was my SKS but less than a second after that I thought of another question I was asked on another thread. 
There was a rabbit running back and forth and I had my cross bow in hand. I never got a shot at it. 
Had I grabbed the 12 gauge I know it would not have eaten anything from the garden this year. I would have grabbed it but I live in the city. :bash:
Now, I also doubt he would not have eaten anything if I had of grabbed the SKS, because I am a good shot. Sniper in the army but I don't know how many rounds it would have taken me to get the little "Wabbit" with the SKS. But with 30 round mags it's hard for me to miss anything.:sing:

I love my SKS. I love the 30.06 Remington 700. Heck, I don't own a gun I don't love. 
You can't kill a deer at 4 or 500 yards with any shotgun. I would even be lucky to kill one with one shot at that range with my favorite, the SKS and not patting myself on the back, but I am danged good with it. 

If I had to go into the woods, knowing it was live or die. It would be the SKS hands down. 
I don't think you could get closer to me that what I could ask it to reach out there and say good night. 
If you can't buy a lot of bullets, any good .22 semi automatic would be my choice. 
I have some stocked up for all of mine, but if you are just starting out, a .22 can't be beat. Little bang for little bucks. 

JMHO

Dennis


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

.22 rifle; there is literally nothing in North America besides perhaps a Polar Bear that has not been killed with the humble .22, and most likely if one were to question enough Inuits one would find even the white bear himself has fallen to the .22 rifle. Cheap and quiet ammo too.


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

If I could only have 1 it would have to be a TC Encore. Tough, accurate and versatile. You can have anything (or everything) from .17 and .22 rimfire all the way up to .416 Rigby. Muzzle loading as well as 12 and 20 guage shotgun barrels are also available. The only time I'd feel any disadvantage at all would be in a self defense type situation. Even then, 1 well aimed shot (or the threat of it) should resolve most situations. It wouldn't make much of a concealed carry weapon though.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

This doubled barrel 16 ga standing in the corner. The right barrel to get game to eat. The left for whatever wants to eat me. Eddie


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## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

EDDIE BUCK said:


> This doubled barrel 16 ga standing in the corner. The right barrel to get game to eat. The left for whatever wants to eat me. Eddie


I like that Eddie. Only problem is to remember which trigger to pull. My BIL took me hunting when I was a kid and he carried a 30 30 winchester and gave me a 16 gauge double barrel. We hunted all day and never seen a thing, got chase across a pasture by some bulls we thought were cows and walking back up a path to a car we stirred up so quail. 
Ronnie yelled shoot so up came the shotgun and I shot. :bash: I hit one of the quail with a slug. I hit the one I was aiming at but we didn't take it home with us.
Ronnie said it was the first time he ever seen anybody kill, clean, cook and eat a bird with one shot.  There wasn't anything left but feathers flying. We never found a bit of that bird.
He still picks at me about that. And I have never went hunting with him since that day.


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## K-9 (Jul 27, 2007)

To answer the technical side of the question, a TC Encore with a 22, 223, 30-06 and 12 gauge barrel but I think what really was meant was truly one gun, not a systems approach. That would be a Ruger 10/22 with a high quality 2x7 or 3x9 scope and a set of peep sights, it is an excellent firearm that is reliable durable, and accurate. It is capable of cleanly taking anything from squirrels to deer (before the nay sayers start, I didn't say it was a good deer cailber just capable of doing the job with careful shot placement) and while not an ideal choice would do a passable job as a defensive firearm in a pinch. It is inexpensive to purchase, ammo is inexpensive and available everywhere. Another plus is though they rarely break, they are easily field repairable as long as you thought to stock up on spare parts, mostly springs, firing pins, extractors and magazines.


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## Tom Bombadil (Mar 25, 2008)

If I had only one gun it would be ... the wrong gun when I needed it. To try to "cover all the bases" for me would require at least 4 - 7 guns depending on your situation. To me, there is no "one gun" solutions.

12 gauge pump is a have to have for defense and hunting. A good, accurate .22 rifle for small game would be next. Big game rifle of choice for hunting unless your hunting grounds and game of choice can be accomplished with 12 gauge. Lastly, if concealment is ever required, .45 auto or .357/38 revolver. Blackpowder rifle, .22 air rifle, 30/30 lever-action (or same caliber as handgun) could round out the collection. If you are of the military persuasion, you might also want a battlefield weapon in 7.62x39, .223, or .308 to throw lead downrange.

I do not know of any single weapon that covers all this ground.


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## Kevin and Laura (Jun 23, 2002)

For me the one gun question needs asked in a lil different light...

If I can still handload which gun / caliber ?

Thats alot easier for me to answer. 44 magnum in a Ruger 96 / 44 or a Winchester 1892 (or Winny clone) or a Marlin 1894 carbine. 

The lever action because of higher rate of fire than some others, the carbine length for better handling in close quarters than some others and the straight walled cartirdge case because it'll last a loooooooooooong time when reloaded properly. I can reload squibbs for small and game covert work. (those cases will last a very long time) I can confidently load magnum loadings for anything up to wild hogs (those cases might last 8 firings). Let's not forget lots of old timers killed lions, tigers & bears with much less than our 44 magnum. I wouldn't want to do that! But if I could only have 1 gun...rather have a 44 than anything. 

IF I can remain a handloader. 

If I cannot remain a handloader...the Marlin 39a.



Kevin


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## -TWO- (Mar 25, 2008)

Wow. After reading through all the responses to this thread I realize, even more, what a tough question this really is. Its almost like asking, "If you were going to build a house & could only have 1 tool.......". Or "if you were going to overhaul an engine &.........". It would be very limiting to say the least. I thank God we live in a country where we're not limited to one gun, or no guns. The men that founded this country & wrote our constitution had wisdom that reached far beyond their years & I pray that the leaders of this nation, today, & in the future, never, ever, stray from that path of wisdom. Bob


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

tyusclan said:


> You give me shivers making me think about only having one gun, but if I *had* to have only one gun, it would definitely be my 12 gauge Remington 870.


Works for me also, but I would really hate to part with the other "kids'.


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

Ruger 10-22...

Or

My old lever action Winchester .22


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## trapperJim (Jan 24, 2008)

Just one gun huh??? I'd hate to part with my 308 but if I could only have one gun I'd have to go with my 20ga/.22 over & under. I run a fulltime trapline and this gun runs it with me. The bottom barrel for deer and upland game and the top barrel to dispatch the coyotes etc. It's about the most versitile gun I've ever owned.


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## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

From a purely practical standpoint, Colt Delta Elite. Its applicable for everything. With adjustable sights the 10mm hunts anything on the continent if youre good enough to do it and at the same time its extremely portable to the point you can carry it concealed. However, it would go before some others of mine for intrinsic value.


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## SW41Mag (Jan 28, 2007)

That's a tough question, and it's funny to see the answers to this type of question on some of the other websites around. Usually something like, if I had to leave in a hurry I would bring ... pistols and ... rifle and ... shotgun. It gets hard to carry more than one pistol and one rifle plus ammo for both and your other gear, when you are going any distance more than a mile or two. I hike out here in the National Forest and the Wilderness areas in Colorado every week. I carry a Ruger Single six so that I have a .22 pistol and I carry either a 6.5x55mm carbine or a 1895G lever carbine in 45-70 depending on my mood. I guess those would be my choices if I had limit myself.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I pick the savage I think the model is 240 which is a 20ga. over a center fire rifle at one time a couple of calibers one of which was a 243 winney.

Now I got to go look up the book and see I picked the right model.

 Al


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Haggis said:


> .22 rifle; there is literally nothing in North America besides perhaps a Polar Bear that has not been killed with the humble .22, and most likely if one were to question enough Inuits one would find even the white bear himself has fallen to the .22 rifle. Cheap and quiet ammo too.


Quite a few polar bears fall to the venerable .22.... the cartridge works great when you stick the barrel inches away from their head (while they're swimming).


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## CSA again (May 2, 2007)

A good pump 12 ga. for me


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

I hate the thought of ONE- especially since I enjoy several different disciplines of shooting sports... It would be hard but it would also depend where I am living and what my probable uses are. 

One for self defense
One for bullseye
One for hunting small game
One for huntin large game
One for varminting


I believe it would be harder for a serious shooter to choose only one vs a person who only wants one gun... a 12 ga would likely work for them short of target shooting- other than clays anyhow....

Take out long range/big game hunting and I could almost make a 4-6 inch .357 revolver work...


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## Tom Bombadil (Mar 25, 2008)

tallpaul said:


> I hate the thought of ONE- especially since I enjoy several different disciplines of shooting sports... It would be hard but it would also depend where I am living and what my probable uses are.
> 
> One for self defense
> One for bullseye
> ...


Only ONE for self-defense? Man, when I had a job where that was actually a concern on a daily basis, one gun could not even fit every situation for THAT role. I had concealed handgun, open carry handgun, battle rifle, and close quarters shotgun. Those were JUST my self-defense weapons depending on the situation and did not include target/accuracy shooting rifle or hunting rifles.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

Tom Bombadil said:


> Only ONE for self-defense? Man, when I had a job where that was actually a concern on a daily basis, one gun could not even fit every situation for THAT role. I had concealed handgun, open carry handgun, battle rifle, and close quarters shotgun. Those were JUST my self-defense weapons depending on the situation and did not include target/accuracy shooting rifle or hunting rifles.



I agree completely Tom... that is why I have a "few" more than one... I was only trying to play. While I am thinking seriously of reducing the number of tools in the tool chest it is tough. They were all acquired for a reason. 

I have more than one hammer and more than one saw right down the line - I have many specialty tools for a number of different applications.


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

My old 12 ga Model 12 would be the last gun to go.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

If it was only one Gun it would be 20ga. Pump.I hate 12ga. but that is another long story.

big rockpile


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## MoBackwoods (Mar 13, 2008)

If only one gun, it would be a toss up between my Mossberg 12 ga. shotgun or my Marlin Model 60 22LR.


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## garfish (Feb 21, 2007)

Well lets see:

Remington 700VS in .308 scoped with a 3.5-10x rangefinding scope for long-range work, varmit and large game.

Springfield M1A as a battle rifle...so I can share reloading components with the 700VS.

Remington 870 12 ga. combat shotgun.

Remington 870 20 ga. for upland game.

Remington 40-X .22 with match sights for small game and target practice.

Colt Goverment 1911 for concealed carry.

.357 revolver to carry around the property (something I can shoot snake loads with) and hand gun hunting.

Thats as close as I could get to one gun -TWO-. Personally I think you're lucky. I had a girlfriend say to me one time, "You know, if we ever have kids all these guns have to go." I wonder where she is now?


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## VarmitSniper (Apr 2, 2008)

Most likely would be an AR-15 for me. Collapsible stock, Aim Point red dot scope for self defense use,Leupold Mark 4/ERT for hunting and long range shooting, two upper receivers, one chambered in .223 and the other in .308, and lots of ammo.


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