I reckon only two factors should limit the number guns an American citizen should own: their ability to buy them legally and store them safely. Of course, that’s none of my damn business. But if we’re looking at establishing a base line for gun ownership, a self-defense-oriented newbie should start with a high-quality handgun that they can comfortably conceal and shoot. And . . . that’s it. If they feel under-gunned, they should buy another handgun for their significant other. If that doesn’t work out—and even if it does—they should proceed to master an inside toy (shotgun) and an outside toy (rifle). Anything after that is gravy. IMHO. [h/t to thefirearmblog.com]
I kind of disagree, I am a bit more worried about the person who owns 1-3 guns. For it’s a sure bet they know how to use them very well.
First on the list should always be a rifle. With a rifle, you can shoot something whether it’s 9 feet away or 900 feet away.
Agreed, rifle. carbine length for lighter weight and greater versatility. Pistols are poor fight stoppers with their one redeeming feature: ease of carry.
We’re talking newbies here. They may master a rifle (and carbine calibers are the bomb), but then what? Nothing. It will gather dust in the corner. If we can convince even a small percentage of Americans to carry a defensive handgun from the moment they get up to the moment they go to sleep (when they store it safely), we win. And them. And society. And gun dealers. Ammo makers. Gun ranges. Holster manufacturers. Etc.
+1
Very well said.
Let’s swell the ranks of those who are armed/trained, and who carry at all times.
Guns aren’t toys, they’re tools. I think that when we call them toys or by any other silly, flippant term, we just end up giving our opponents more grist for their gun-loon mill. Sure, guns are way fun and all that, but first and foremost they are serious tools, for serious people. On the other hand, it’s always fun to mess with the anti’s heads, keep them off balance (not that one could characterize them as being balanced in any way), and generally give them false intelligence.
But to the matter at hand, I think that Vuurwapen Blog has it about right; a couple of handguns of the same model (for parts interchangeability) that one can handle well, in a good and common defensive caliber; a very discrete, concealable handgun (thinking along the lines of the purpose behind the Liberator pistol, but nothing so crude, think a good snubbie); a shotgun capable of taking different purpose barrels; a detachable box magazine fed semi-auto rifle in 5.56 x 45, 7.62 x 39 or 7.62 x 51; a scoped, precision long range rifle in a common, potent caliber (30-06, 7.62 x 51, .270 Win., 7.62 x 54R, .300 Win. Mag, etc.; always stay away from rare or exotic or hard to find or obsolete calibers for one’s primary weapons, but after you’ve got the primaries covered, if you’re hobbyist/collector, go for as much of whatever rocks your world; and follow it up with a couple of .22LR rifles and handguns (perhaps having conversion kits for you primaries).
The only thing that I’d add to Vuurwapen’s piece is that in addition to the guns, several other factors need to be addressed. One would want to have a respectable supply of ammunition for each gun. I’ve always loved Kipling’s quote that, “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books or too much ammunition”. Plenty of spare magazines, and the means to carry/deploy them effectively, is a must. A reasonable supply of common replacement parts for each gun, as well as all of the tools, cleaning supplies and lubricants needed to do your own basic repair work. The above won’t do you much good if you don’t have the knowledge, skill and experience to do that repair work well and safely, so one would do well to become intimately familiar with one’s primary firearms. Lastly, one needs all of the manuals/exploded diagrams/reference materials and such, in both hard copy and electronic formats.
I have a really fast car that I consider a toy. Same with my motorbike. Both are very deadly in the wrong hands.
I also have a couple of range guns that are toys used to bounce around tin cans.
Sorry if you disagree, but they some not serious tools for serious people. They are sold and marketed as toys and there is an entire industry built around them.
Serious talk is serious…pffft
It seems that we take very different approaches to life. Now, I’m up for fun as much, perhaps more than, the next guy. Lord knows that I’ve had much more than my fair share and I consider myself truly blessed that I’ve been on the right side of that particular bell curve. That said, I’ve got to tell you that guns aren’t toys no matter what you may think, if you are indeed capable of extrapolating out that far. Guns are tools, potentially lethal ones at that, plain and simple. In my opinion, anyone who considers a gun as a toy is in serious need of a reality check and needs to come to grips with what it means to be a mature, responsible adult. Junior, you need to get hip to the fact that you need to grow up a bit more. Enjoy your car, enjoy your scooter, enjoy your guns, and of course you have the right hands by which to handle all of that power, right? Just don’t make anyone else suffer because you screwed up using one of your toys. Do you remember back a couple of months ago when a young girl was killed by an errant bullet fired by some young guys playing with their guns, firing across a lake? What are the odds? I don’t suppose it matters all that much what the odds were to her and her kin, does it?
Get real, sonny. And póg mo thóin while you’re at it. pffft
Would it help if I put quote marks around the word toys?
Nah, not really. People will continue to use the term and in the greater scheme of things I suppose that it’s not that big of a deal as most people (at least the ones that count, in my opinion) get the drift. It’s just one of my many idiosyncratic pet peeves.
Those idiosyncrasies are horse blinders.
I use my toys to play games. Sunday mornings are in the mall parking lot with my “toy” car. Sunday evenings are proctoring silhouette and turkey shoots at my range. I suppose that since people are playing games and having fun then somehow it is wrong to say that the instrument is also seen as a toy. The problem is that you see the word “toy” as a child’s plaything in the same way many see “cartoons” child entertainment only.
I suppose the mag/clip thing really burns you up.
Toys can hurt people. I have a garage full of them. Heck some of my guns were at one time sold in the toy section of the hardware store and at carnivals for entertainment.
It all depends on why you own guns. If you own guns to be ready for a SHTF scenario, then the blog’s assertion may be correct. If you own guns because you have an interest in firearms, enjoy shooting, and appreciate the aesthetics of multiple brands, then own all the damn guns you want.
I think the video has the point a little skewed. More appropriate would’ve been, “If you want to be prepared, here’s the way to go.”
“I think the video has the point a little skewed. More appropriate would’ve been, “If you want to be prepared, here’s the way to go.” Agreed, I think that’s the point that he was trying to make. The implication was that, in his opinion, what he put forth was the basic, minimum set of tools to be prepared for uncertain conditions in uncertain times.
I want a couple of handguns, a 22 rifle, shotgun, and a higher cal rifle, that is all I want, ……. For now 🙂
Hmmmmmmm. Gravy. 🙂
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