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Yes, yes. You’ve got more than one gun. The vast majority of Armed Intelligentsia members own at least three firearms: a pistol, rifle and shotgun. A plurality own several of each. Maybe even an arsenal! But which is YOUR gun? You know: the one firearm with which you could not do. The one gun you’d keep if “they” (e.g., the government, your wife) only let you keep one. Despite the Wilson Combat nestled on my hip, despite my deep emotional attachment to my Smith & Wesson 686, despite the SHTF-suitability of my Grizzly Custom Guns .357 lever gun, my one gun would be . . . my FNS-9. I know a handgun ain’t gonna put food on the table (unless I get a job in security or start gang banging). But I’m an urban Jew, for Chrissakes. Close-quarter personal protection is the center of my ballistic universe. But enough about me; now about you. What’s your [one] gun?

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168 COMMENTS

    • Excellent choice. A 300 BLK pistol with a Sig brace or a legit collapsible stock is arguably the most versatile tool with rifling. As a PDW, I think it’s the best thing going.

      Of course it pretty difficult to conceal and has way less power than full sized rifles.

      • +1

        Just finished mine and I’m amazed at the accuracy and range of a 9″ barrel. I’m a true believer in the cartridge.

  1. Wow, only one firearm? I am not even sure how to answer that. That is kind of like asking if you can only have one tool, which tool would it be: a hammer? Phillips screwdriver? Saw? Drill? Pliers? Just like each tool is designed for different jobs, each firearm is designed for a different job. I have no answer.

    • Okay, upon further consideration, I would go with a revolver in .44 Magnum with a 6 inch barrel.

      The attributes:
      (1) highly portable
      (2) concealable with great difficulty (although slow to draw)
      (3) stout home defense
      (4) capable of taking medium size game out to 50 yards

      The real benefit would be ammunition selection — especially hand loads. I would load a 200 grain hollow-point bullet to a muzzle velocity of 1000 feet per second for self-defense against human attackers (in other words .44 Special). And I would load a 270 grain hardcast lead bullet to 1400 feet per second for hunting.

      There is a reason that people of the American West used .45 caliber almost exclusively in the 1800s — it works. And .44 Magnum (.430 caliber bullets) is the modern day equivalent with the option for Magnum loads when hunting.

      (Yes, a Ruger or Taurus revolver in .45 Long Colt would be fine as well because both revolvers can shoot .45 Long Colt in +P and achieve pretty much .44 Magnum velocities. But .44 Magnum ammunition is available almost everywhere, .45 Long Colt is not.)

      • Along those lines, and for many of the same reasons, I would choose my S&W 686 with 6″ barrel. It will digest anything from hot .357 handloads to .38 Spcl +P and most 9mm with moon clips. It is superbly accurate and reliable, exceptionally intimidating when presented, and properly utilized, in extremis, could easily acquire for you ANY of the other firearms mentioned in these comments.

        It is easier to shoot accurately, especially follow-up shots, than the .44 magnum and has a well earned reputation for one-shot stopping power. Also suitable for hunting most small game, and in single action I have rung the steel at 100 yards. Probably couldn’t take ducks or geese on the fly, but could fer damn sure take a turkey.

        • Cliff,

          It certainly is kind of a toss-up between a revolver (with 6 inch barrel) in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum for the reasons that you stated.

          And, a revolver with a 6 inch barrel in .357 Magnum shooting 180 grain hardcast lead bullets will definitely take a deer up to 25 yards and probably even out to 50 yards if you can wait for it to die and retrieve it after it runs a few hundred yards away.

  2. My EDC is a Glock G26, but if I could only keep one, it would be my G22 .40 S&W only because of the reliability and mag capacity.
    Better yet, use the AR to defend the taking of any of my handguns, especially my beloved Colt 1911.

    This is not a good question.

    • But it is potentially a good answer. I concur, though I might use a different firearm to defend my AR-15. Depending on what is at hand at the moment.

      Perhaps a better question is “You are doing X moving through environment Y. You may need to do all manner of other things in other nearby environments with it. What firearm will you bring? You are limited to ONE, owing to space and weight concerns.”

  3. Man that’s tough choosing between rifle and pistol :-(. In a “They” scenerio I’d call on my sig P226 so I could always have something on me in more normal day to day life. In a SHTF scenario where I could only grab one – it’d be my AR15 w/ .22lr conversion BCG in the case. It’d be a better all around defense + hunting tool.

  4. CZ-75B Omega in 9mm. I shoot best with it, have thirty mags for it, and plenty of ammo to feed it with. Aside from that, my dad’s old Ruger 44 carbine: it’s short and handy for CQB while being an effective hunting rifle.

  5. S&W Governor
    ..
    .410 1/2oz Birdshot (small game & birds)

    .410 4×000 Buckshot (effective to 60′) (up to deer & varmints including the 2-legged type)

    ..45 Colt +P HP (for the real “OUCH” factor) for the occasional black bear (good, but greasy)

    .45 Auto ball (because they’re cheap but still produce a good “OUCH”)
    .

  6. If it came down to that, I would contrive to get my Makarov back from my son. Why? Because it hits what I point it at, and goes “bang” every time I pull the trigger (when it’s loaded, that is). Failing that, my P64–because it’s the one I can take with me anywhere I need to go. As such, it’s a great gun to get another gun with…if it came to that.

  7. Wow, that’s like asking which of your kids is your favorite!

    If pressed, my Glock 22 I guess. Just thankful I really don’t have to make a choice like that.

  8. 10/22 Takedown- Because people said it was a good gun to start with, but I wanted to go the extra distance and get the newest variant they had to offer. Some issues with the aftermarket but fun none the less

    CZ-82- Because plenty of praise from milsurp fans and experts and the cost was good. I can get plenty of 9×18 for it thankfully.

    Taurus 738TCP: Because the 82 was a little too bulky and heavy for me to adequately conceal carry. I got it because I prefer to carry in the pocket in the near 365 humid conditions of Miami and wanted something with little to no chance of accidentally exposing.

    • Sounds like you’ve been looking in my safe! I have all three of those, too (though neither of my 10/22s are Takedown models – yet). I love my CZ-82. That thing is like a laser beam, you almost have to actually try to miss with it.

    • Me too. Magpul-ed, and slung, with a side saddle. If I had to have just one for all jobs, it’s hard to argue with the first gun I ever bought.

  9. Hk usp compact. Feels solid, always works, looks good. The double action first shot and the safety make me feel better about carrying it around my kids.

    Then it’s a toss up between a sig p229 in 40 or Glock 23. The sig has heft and I like the action of its decocker. The Glock is tough, simple, and has clean lines.

  10. I’m afraid that there just isn’t a working answer to this question. Asking what gun could you not do without is kind of like asking what tool in your tool chest could you not do without. Yeah sure my 10mm 1/4 inch drive socket probably gets more use any other socket that I own. But it’s not really worth a damn if I’m doing suspension work and I’m staring at a 22mm nut.

    Of course I know that’s not exactly what you’re asking. So I’ll go ahead and say that my Sig 2340 .40 is the gun I’d reach for first in most situations.

  11. Galil ACE

    An improved AK. Can mount any accessory I want on it.

    With it I will never second question it’s reliability, durability, nor have to baby it to get it to work.

    It will work on any climate on planet earth and will outlast me.

  12. Mossberg 500. Can do just about anything, especially considering all the different barrel/ stock configurations. It will never stop working, barring some kind of catastrophe. Its that point though that makes me wonder how many more 500s I would end up b̶u̶r̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ losing somehow.

  13. That’s like making me pick kids RF. I can do two: my 1903 Colt and my Browning Auto 5. The Colt doesn’t have family heirloom status the Browning does (my grandpa made the stocks for it after buying it in a pawnshop 50 years ago), but it’s my favorite otherwise. I suppose if I could pass the Browning on to my son, I’d keep the Colt.

    • And as to why, well, I guess I see an accurate and reliable concealed carry gun as the best form of protection available to me, in the widest of situations. I’ve read they gave the little Colts to OSS special agents back in the day because they were fast and accurate, and they didn’t want the agent to think they had the firepower to engage in a battle; they were to rely on their skill and intelligence and use it to get the hell out. I view my own personal self defense in the same way, and I figure what I lack in fire power, I’m going to make up with sheer treachery and tenacity. So I guess the history, beauty, craftsmanship, and abilities it holds as a tool makes it MY gun.

    • I came here to post the same thing. I have better guns, I have more accurate guns, but this WASR is hands down my favorite, my first and truest gun love.

  14. My benelli supernova.
    My first EVER firearm that I purchased with my own money. It’s also the most versatile weapon I own! Anything I need, it will do for me and look badass doing it.
    Did I also mention it just LOOKS cool?

  15. I’d probably have to go out and buy a P320 so I would still have a choice in sizes and calibers, but if it was only what I own right now; I would say my non-safety equipped FNS-9. Not to rip off RF, just because that’s my favorite handgun and I’m more concerned with two-legged predators than the four-legged variety.

  16. My first gun would be a Winchester 12 gauge pump, which is what I learned on & no longer have, my ex turned it in to his probation officer, idiot. I had his boys and only lived ten min. from him. My !st gun n ow would be a Stoeger Cougar 9mm, originally made by Beretta, then it was a Beretta Cougar, it comes in 9mm, 40 & 45.
    I prefer the 9 as the mag is 15 + 1, from the factory it comes with two mags & a trigger lock, don’t bother to teach your children gun safety just lock up the gun. First pistol I ever picked up in my life as a 40 caliber, 1st into the targets left shoulder, with one of my sons and husband both yellin’ at me about how I’m standing placement of arms, etc.2nd shot went through his forehead in the middle and 3rd in his thorax(adams apple).
    Pointed it at the ground and said I’m through. I’m 63/ cross dominant & that was two weeks ago. When we move I’ll get My Stoeger, I’ve never shot one, never seen it in person, but fell in love with it anyway, my FFL dealer keeps wanting to know when we are moving, I have a job waiting for me and I can own any thing just about that I want in their state. Maryland, Oct 1, 2013; FFL dealers who keep up know exactly the Law I’m referring to. Not a thing wrong with being a suburban Jew.

  17. Sorry, unable to answer – the very concept has given me a brain freeze.

    Although I am sort of, kinda, maybe leaning toward my Garand.

  18. Model 42 Winchester: given to me by my father and working the slide is to guns what shifting gears in a Miata is to cars. Some things are simply perfect.

  19. Mossberg 500.

    It’s not a difficult question once you get perspective. Living in suburban MA, the 500 can serve most hunting and home defense purposes. Hell, you might even get away with CCW under a large overcoat – in the winter.

    • This was my hard thought answer also, tho mine would be a Mossberg 590. Close to longish range, just pick what shell you need, shot or slug.

  20. Choosing just one is impossible. Do I want to keep one of my rifles, or a hangun? I guess if it would be a “SHTF” scenario, I’d take one of my 5.56 SBRs. If it’s one gun that has to be carried and concealed, Glock 19.

  21. My Glock 20.

    Portable, concealable, 16 rounds of good horsepower. I can choose from soft .40 S&W type loads all the way up to Underwood’s 220 WFN hardcast @ 1,200 fps, all factory. Urban self defense to four-legged critters in the boonies all in one pistol I shoot well. If I didn’t hand load I’d still have 43 choices at midwayusa.

    • G20 is my pick too. I don’t luuurve it, but it’s the most versatile gun I have: concealable enough, 15+1 in a caliber potent enough for self-defense against anything in North America with the simplicity, ubiquity and reliability of a Glock.

  22. Probably my G19, since everything else was lost in a tragic boating accident. I figure I can always use it like a Liberator, if need be-it’ll help me get access to a rifle.

  23. My Colt Mark IV government model in .45 Acp. With the adjustable sights, (installed in the 70s before it was collectible) it is a tack driver. It can serve as CCW defense, with a stout belt, and even for hunting up through deer sized game if required.

    • Bought a chest carry holster, got tired of pulling my pants up or suspenders helped with belt carry
      I also have series 70 MK IV with Elliason sights, ribbing, collet bushing that looks like a gold cup except for government model marking
      I would think it would have been cheaper to buy the real deal.
      Original box is marked government model
      Why would any one spend a bunch of money for machining for sights and ribbing for a clone?
      Looking for info

    • YEAH! What you said! What a great excuse – I mean REASON, yeah that’s it, reason to buy more. After all, a person should not make a decision based on an inadequate sample, right? That’s science, right?

  24. SIG229 in .40 S&W

    It’s the gun I know best, I could disassemble and reassemble it blindfolded.

    it’s the gun that I best know what I can do with it. I frequently practice at close quarters range as well as 50 and 100 yards.

    It’s proven it’s reliability to me over the course of 18 years.

    If it’s that time that you “default to the level of your training” then I want my SIG.

  25. I built my rifle around this idea, if I could only have just one. Fulton armory FAR 10, 20 inch heavy barrel, Battle compensator, Magpul PRS stock, vortex pst 2.5-10 FFP(I know there are better scopes but money doesn’t grow on trees), gieselle trigger, Harris bipod, nice rubber grip with a compartment with a couple ounces of silver inside (weird? Whatever), 168 grain hpbt, fetching a good. 75 MOA… Can hunt, fight a war, have some fun at the range, and seriously ruin the world of anyone with less than honorable intentions. The only two downsides are overpenetration, alleviated by situational awareness, and weight, which is alleviated by training. Sure, there are better pieces out there, but I’m pretty freaking content.

  26. All my weapons were lost one night in a terrible storm on The Rio Grande River. Limited funds and experience, but the one that I’d always have on my hip is a Glock 30S. A sweet shooter, and if we can’t come to an understanding after 10+1 rounds of .45 ACP, oh well. I carry hollow points, have a spare magazine sometimes with target ammo. The hollow points are just to show that I care.

    • While I’m at it, just thought I’d say Hi! to the fellas over at the NSA, FBI, DIA, CIA, DPS, BATF, FDA and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Jerry’s Kids.

  27. Definitely my Glock 19. Well suited for either home defense or concealed carry. Holds lots of shots. Never malfunctions. What more could you want?

    • Seconded. Plus mag versatility and availability (15, 17, and 33 rounders), parts availability, holster interchangeability, ammo availability. Not my favorite gun by far, but IMO the best all-around when everything is taken into consideration and the one I would choose in such a sad sad world where I could only have one.

    • Was my fav too until I fired a G30S. Fits most of my G19 holsters too. The 9mm 33 round “fun size” mag is great. Wish they’d make one in .45.

  28. That’s a tough question… my sentimental favorite is my S&W model 24, as it was my first handgun and I’ve had it forever. My pragmatic favorite is my S&W 638 since it gets carried the most. But if I could only have one, it would be my S&W model 19 (the classic pinned barrel, recessed cylinder, gorgeous blue) since it’s the best all-around handgun I own, runs like a top, eats everything I feed it, and can do multiple jobs.

    Long guns? That’s a whole different kettle of fish.

    • I chose a shotgun higher up the page. but if it had to be a pistol I would go with my Smith & Wesson model 66. Same as your 19 just stainless, second best single action trigger pull of any pistol I have.

  29. S&W Model 629, 5″ barrel, full underlug… feels great in the hand, hits what I aim at. I have other firearms which I’m fond of and enjoy shooting, but if the 629 had (CENSORED IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC DECENCY) I’d consider proposing.

  30. Order of preference:
    Sig 556xi Russian pistol with Sig brace + Suppressor
    Draco pistol (AK – 12” barrel) with Sig brace
    Keltec sub 2000 9mm + Suppressor
    Maybe a coin toss.
    Obviously any of those are good choices. All concealable, highly available ammo and mags, reliable (ok, maybe Keltec no :)), enough hitting power.

  31. Although I’ve gotten a whole bunch of guns in the years since, “my gun” is my trusty old Glock 23. It’s the first pistol I bought for concealed carry and my first semi-auto ever. I got it used — it’s a gen 2 — and I’ve carried it every day for the past 15+ years, changed out the springs about 3 or 4 times (due to sweat, etc.) and it always performs. It’s been a constant companion through times good and bad and has never disappointed.

  32. .410 single shot.

    It was my father’s and my grandfather’s and one day it will be my son’s… Everything else is just another gun.

  33. Another vote for the Mossy 500. Though it pains me to pick only one, this is the best all around defense and critter gitter I have. And if it’s a one gun scenario, open carry is not an issue, but preferred.

  34. Probably my good ‘ol Glock 20SF. I’m a pretty big guy (about 6’3″ and 240-ish), so concealing SF Glocks isn’t much of a problem. It can stop pretty much anything on two legs even with lighter loads, and will always be my resident woods gun with its better-than-.357 hunting loads. But still, one gun only? I’d probably disassemble all of mine and hide them in my toaster or something 🙂

  35. I’m going to choose to interpret the question as “which gun are you most sentimentally attached to?” and answer with my Winchester Model 12. It was my dad’s when he was a young man, and it was my first firearm when he gave it to me.

    Aside from all that, it’s a seriously kick-ass shotgun, and is in excellent condition for its age.

    • Try hunting different birds. I bet you could get a chicken or two with one.

      Penguin would probably be the easiest though. And funniest.

  36. 1911. Specifically the Dan Wesson V-Bob .45ACP. One-hundred percent reliable, fast, accurate, powerful enough, and I’ve accumulated ammo, magazines, molds and dies (and needless spare parts for 1911s) over the forty-some years I’ve carried, competed with, and owned them.

  37. Man, Tove Lo is something of a guilty pleasure of mine. I have her first EP on pink vinyl. Anyway, it would probably be one of my AK’s. or my No.4 Mk.I

  38. CZ SP01 or AK (and in the future possibly a Tigr)?

    Though choice I am glad I don’t have to make.

    For practical purposes a cut down pump shotgun would probably be best. You can conceal it (with some difficulty) and use it for hunting. Then again I am not a fan of shotguns.

  39. Glock 23. It’s virtually a Glock 19 with a barrel change.

    But if we really got stuck down to one it’d be between a honey badger 300 BLK or a 12 gauge pump.

    Altough if the powers that be got serious about limiting things to one gun, we will have entered a time of civil disobedience.

    • 870 if only one. Most common duck gun and enough issued to cops you’d always have parts, city or country.
      12 ga was still on the shelf at Walmart when everything else was gone.

      Just the racking sound scares LIVs and according to Uncle Joe, two blasts thru the door kills progtards.

  40. I vote for my mossberg 500 in 12 gauge. It is pretty light weight and can help to put just about every game animal in North America on the table, and is good for home defense.

  41. My Remington 870 with Magpul furniture and an Eotech xps-2. It can do anything I need it to, always goes bang, and ammo is cheap and plentiful.

  42. Only one?? You’ve given me a hot flash. Why would a girl only have one gun? Most of us don’t have “wives” making us give them away.

    Anyway, if I had to pick ONE, it would be my 300 BLK, SBR, AR15.

  43. Very tough decision between my 308 AR, 870 and fave Glock. After some consideration it would be my Glock 29 with Delta Point and suppressor sights. Concealable, deadly out to 50 yards and reliable as hell.

  44. If SHTF, a 338 Lapua. AK’s, AR’s I can get from the ones whose heads exploded. For Sidearms, tho I’d prefer a 1911 I think for scavenging ammo a 9mm is a better choice. The most reliable pistol I own-NEVER a ftf or fte is my trusty S&W 469 I got in the ’80s.

  45. I would take a model 19 or similar sized .357 magnum. I love my 9mm glocks, but I shoot revolvers well and they have versatility. Losing capacity would be a shame though.

  46. Until recently it was Garand chambered in 7.62 NATO and Walther P 1. Have made the jump, though, and gone over to a new production AK, and Walther P 1. And the pocket Beretta, of course!

  47. My one gun? Probably my break action 12ga side by side coach gun that I have the barrel adapters for that let me shoot .22, 9mm, .45 and .410 with it.

    It’s not my favorite gun (or anywhere close), nor is it the most effective gun I own (or anywhere close), but it’s the one in my go bag that I religiously make sure is in perfect working order once a month. That one is coming with me.

  48. A semi-automatic centerfire 16″ carbine with a folding/collapsible stock. Other than that I don’t care. I will get a very effective and accurate range of 0 to 400 (7.62×39) or 700 yards (.308), high capacity, quick follow-up shots, minimal recoil, likely plentiful and relatively cheap ammunition, easy to carry, and plenty of replacement parts. I’d prefer an AR in 5.56

  49. Rubber band Hillbilly shotgun fer me. http://lvplans.com/lvrbgun/shotgun.html
    Legal for open carry in all 57 states. Does not require a background check and is safe for all but the meanest Obama voters. It’s a common sense gun for Mom’s who Demand ACTION!
    Wait…what kind of action are those broads talking about? Maybe I could help?

  50. This question should be broken down into two segments, long gun, and handgun.
    For handguns, I’ll take my sig 938 9MM, for size and reliability, For a long gun, it’s hard to beat the AR15. It will put meat on the table and defend your family if needed.

  51. If I can only have one gun, it must be a long gun. Hand guns are great for concealment and close quarters self-defense, but not as lethal or versatile as long guns. So for that reason, I pick my SCAR 17. .308 is a tried and true round capable of taking down bad guys and animals all the same. I can comfortable carrying it with me everywhere I go without getting tired. This is assuming a situation where I would need it, and it wouldn’t be weird to be walking around with a long gun. Also, with 20 rounds of capacity, I match that of the highest capacity hand guns and only short of higher capacity but less lethal long guns. The rifle is accurate, and with the set-up I have I am good for 3-300 yards.

    But seriously, do you really think I would just keep one 😉 For that reason I would have my Sig P226 Tacops, as my unofficial other “only one” gun!

  52. My CZ P01. It’s small, easy to conceal, passed a pretty decent torture test and holds 14 rounds of 9mm. It is all metal so it has lighter recoil and feels like it always wants to go back on target. Decent trigger too.

  53. Para Ordnance P13 topped with a Caspian 6″ longslide and match barrel. The Springfield Custom Shop did the work and it is a tack driver.

  54. It’d be hard to give up 30-round magazines and lightweight ammo, but I’d have to go with a 12 gauge or a handgun. I don’t know if I’d go with a handgun for everyday carry or if I’d go with a shotgun and try to keep it nearby at all times. No chambering is more versatile than 12 gauge. I can go from small game (squirrels and doves) to big game (up to moose and brown bear with the right loads at the right distance) with that one gun, and it’s still a great choice for self defense against humans. For the ultimate in versatility, I’d probably go a shotgun with a detachable magazine like the VEPR-12 (assuming it’s reliable, if not then FN SLP), customized with substantial gunsmith work to ensure reliability and performance. I’d have the barrel chopped down to an SBS and fitted for a silencer (like Silencerco’s 12 gauge suppressor), perhaps having the gas system optimized and tuned. I’d put a durable red dot on it (I prefer Aimpoint). Short magazines are available for hunting, and for defense detachable box magazines up to 12 rounds that I’m told are reliable and drum magazines up to 25 rounds are available. Maybe I’d go with a modern AA-12 CQB (13″ barrel) if I could legally get one.

    A handgun and a shotgun can satisfy the needs of hunting and most personal protection in today’s everyday American environment. It’s not ideal, but I could get by until it’s time to take out the shovel and fetch the rifles and other handguns and weapons that were all sold the day before the ban took place with no bill of sale or were otherwise legally lost.

  55. All depends on the situation. In a post apocalyptic, most of the population gone, I think I would go with my 50 cal black powder rifle. It is easy for me to get flints and lead, and I know how to make black powder ( I even have screens to sift it to size).
    In a ” they came for my guns” situation, my ar-15, just because 5.56 or 223 would be easier to come by and it’s a rifle, so self defense and hunting are both crossed off the list.
    If it was down to just a pistol. For the same reasons stated above, my choice would be my flintlock in a teotwawki or my 1911 or glock 19 in a ” came for my guns” scenario

  56. If money was no option:

    Phillips and Rodgers Medusa revolver. It’ll fire about 20 different rounds including .380, 9mm, .38 super, and .38 special. I’d send it to a good gunsmith and have them put a rail on the bottom and I’d get a light/laser for it. It’d look horrible and would weigh a metric buttload, but if I have to worry about only being able to own a single firearm, I don’t want to also have to worry about not being able to find ammunition for it. But that would be a ~$5k pistol from what I can tell.

    If I actually had to pay for it myself? 870 shotgun. Hands down. They’re pretty cheap and can be found in literally every gun store in the US. You can buy shotgun shells everywhere. Even places that don’t sell firearms sell shotgun shells. With the variety of loads out there, an 870 can do everything from take small and medium game to defend my family in our home. I really like the Magpul SGA stock and a sling of some sort. A forend with a flashlight would be preferred.

    Then again, I did see a WWII trench gun at the gun show today. A short shotgun with a bayonet would be pretty useful in a home invasion situation. You know, “Using the iron sights” and all.

  57. As others have observed, hard to beat a Mossberg 590A1. Gun was passed to me by a very
    close friend i worked with. There are memories and good times that piece of metal represents
    that make it more valuable then sum if its parts. That’s why this question for a lot of us
    is very hard. I have my Dads 1911 for example…

    “While I’m at it, just thought I’d say Hi! to the fellas over at the NSA, FBI, DIA, CIA, DPS,
    BATF, FDA and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Jerry’s Kids.”

    I know you LEO drones lurk here….take a GOOD LOOK…. Don’t even THINK about asking
    me to turn mine in. Walk away….

    • I had a funny thought when I read your post. With the results of the election still in the minds of the employees of these federal agencies, I bet they are wondering about their future.

  58. Had to pick just one, be all end all, my Ruger Sr-556e with the vortex PST viper 1-4×24 mounted on top.

    If I could take a handgun it would be my Gen 4 Glock 17.

    Sentimental is my grandfather’s Single Six and his Marlin Model 60. He’s still alive and kicking but gave them both to me when they moved to Florida. I learned how to shoot on both those guns and some of my fondest memories are shooting them with him in his field.

  59. Surprisingly few ARs chosen here. That’s where I’d be in the one-gun universe. And I’d have a couple different uppers for it for varying uses. After all, that’s still only “one gun” according to the ATF.

    Mine is nothing special, a DPMS with a couple Magpul bits and a Leupold Mark-AR 1.5-4x-20mm scope, but it does lot of things well and puts a smile on my face.

  60. SIG Sauer p320 with every conversion kit and grip Sig will make for the gun. Just picked up a 320 a few weeks ago, and it is now my primary pistol.

  61. Any reliable 1911 and at least three magazines.

    (Because I’m a lousy hunter and by that point my needs would likely be handgun related until I could procure a rifle. I wouldn’t give up the rest of my firearms for a wife or anything other than disparity of force. Probably not even then.)

  62. CZ-75BD. Ubiquitous cartridge, standard capacity, and exceptionally comfortable to hold, point and shoot.

    For an “only one gun needed” scenario (assuming you live in a free state and don’t need to go searching for overpriced, poor-quality aftermarket 8-10rd magazines), I don’t think I could do too much better.

  63. i do only own one gun, and it is my smith & wesson 686, with a 7 round cylinder and a 6″ barrel. got the old style wood target grips on it too!

    when i buy my next one, it might become “my gun”, but for right now, this is it!

  64. My 300 blackout AR. IMO the best all around cartridge out there, so many ammo choices (if you reload, which I do). Being in Cali, it’s a standard 16″ barrel, but if the real SHTF, it would be converted to a much more compact version right quick.

  65. I won’t be allowing anyone to limit the number or kind of guns I have as long as I live. Short or long, not happening.

    The gun I need is the one in my hand when I need it. The trick is to stay ahead of the curve far enough to have the right one for the job in hand or near enough, of course. In any case, the first rule is to HAVE a gun. The more, the merrier.

  66. So many choices and a lot of good information the question itself is misleading as no single firearm is right for everything… The comments indicate that single fact home protection, food on the table, CCW, personal protection, hunting, etc. The choices are too broad.
    Given that I’d have to go with the one that would cover most of the issues in a single firearm: looking at the safe I would have to choose a Colt Python the .357 is versatile, common and could bu used in most application in a pinch plus I would subscribe to the KISS philosophy. Otherwise I will need about a dozen as a minimum.

  67. Mossberg 500 in 12 gauge.

    BTW – Made it through 50 seconds of the attached “video”. Can’t believe I made it that long. Any body top that?

  68. That is the most difficult question ever. For functionality purposes I’d have to stick with my Rem 870 Super Express Mag, a good ole shotty is good for putting food on the table and for home defense, though not very concealable. But for the purpose of which one is closest to my heart, Idk maybe my Beretta 92FS with Crimson Trace grips I just love that pistol for some reason it just shoots so good.

  69. SP2022. Not pretty, but accurate, reliable, reasonably light, and holds enough 9mm. Now if you said favorite, P229 Stainless Elite.

  70. As plain and boring as it sounds. My glock 17. Trigger job by my smith (Willy Customs), good worn in stippling, and night sights. Why you may ask? It’s simple and it works every single damn time. There are more mags and parts available for this gun than there are boxes of 22 right now in the US. It’s plain, it’s simple, it works. Much like an old, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a trusty cross pen. First thing I would grab in an emergency… although this may soon be contested by the glock 19 that I’m prepping in an almost identical manner.

  71. My choice for me is my S&W 686 Plus 357 mag. My choice for my wife would be my Winchester 1892 357 mag. We make a good team.

  72. Given that scenario I’d rather ditch both the wife and the government, but If i’m playing along…I’d probably keep the Steyr M9 A1 just due to it’s rarity and the fact that it would be harder to replace at a later date. Though since I just got a geissele trigger (their lowest tier, two stage) I’d probably stash quite a few of the bits I’ve bought for my AR.

  73. I’ve had lots of pistols. Everything from a 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk 44 to a Colt Python 357 to Sig P226 and many others. I used to have a Galil ARM .308. My daily carry is a Sig P229 .40 Elite.
    The question as to what gun I would choose for …..what? Is it to use after SHTF and we are all screwed and on our own? I would choose my SAM7R. Common ammo, reliability second to none, but really, it’s a bad question and as others pointed out, you never have one item in your emergency kit or tool box. The purpose of a pistol it to fight your way to your rifle.
    I’m unsure as to the purpose of the question as it is wholly unrealistic. If a person was to have to choose one weapon and one weapon only, one could imagine something that would fill as many rolls as possible. Self defense, hunting, reliability and commonly available ammo. I would think a large bore revolver would be on the short list.

  74. I loved the AK as a child and thought if you could make the AR “as reliable” as the AK, meaning with a piston, that’s what I’d get no matter what. I find out piston AR’s exist and made it my goal to get one. My second year of college saving up and wha-la… my one gun. A PWS MK118 with Aimpoint T-1, Surefire M600U, and Geissele SD-E.

    I haven’t put much thought into CCW for personal defense (thanks anti-OC/CCW states pre-2014) but found having a rifle more fun, versatile, and lethal. I guess I can’t conceal and bring it everywhere with me but hey, it’s sure pretty to look at and even more fun to dress up.

  75. My suppressed AR. Of course, it is ultra, dipsolucios, evil since I have the suppressor on it. They’d probably want to take it first.

  76. My next tactical FAL build, it will have an ACR stock, VLTOR rails, my ELCAN Dual Role optic, (Variable power 1-4x), I have yet to decide on barrel length, I’m currently thinking 19″ chrome lined, railed gas block and railed lower w/flip up sights. I already have most of the small parts, plus the Ergo grip, ARMS railed top cover, extended mag release, ect. I’m waiting for the ACR stock adaptor right now and I’ll have to order a barrel liner for the .22lr kit 🙂

    I love the FN FAL, great weapon, easy to maintain and operate. Plus, I’ve never had a problem with any of mine, can’t say that for my AK or AR!

  77. The edge city agnostic couple’s decision:
    Her Browning BDA .380 (sister to Beretta 84.)
    His Kel-Tek S2000 9mm.

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