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How many guns do you need? How many do you want? How many do you have?

32K views 89 replies 78 participants last post by  SpencerB 
#1 ·
One thing that I have noticed is there are a lot of people in here who own more than one gun. I was showing my wife a few options for my next hand gun and my next shot gun, and she poses the question “How many guns do you need.” I thought for a moment and responded that 15 or so would do. She quickly realized that I was thinking of all the crazy situations that might come up… from shooting an armed intruder with a 12 gauge pump shot gun, to shooting a bear with a 45 because he trying to break into the car when we visit family up north, to teaching the boys how to shoot with a 22 rifle, 9mm for spring & summer carry, .380 to carry while wearing shorts, 40 to carry in the winter, 30.06 for deer hunting up north in the farm fields, 308 for deer hunting in the woods, AR-15 for recreational target practice, and the list could go on.

Right now, I am at five. Four long guns (2 shot guns and 2 rifles) and one hand gun.

What about you. How many would/will you buy and how many do you currently have.





BTW, my wife then said no, 16… so she can have one too.
 
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#2 ·
Nobody but the "Shadow" knows.........
 
#76 ·
The last gun I scored I traded a small air compressor (brand new)+2 huge cans of grub straight across for a Mosin and he threw in 55-60R. That was far too long ago. The 1st thing I found out was it won't fit in my safe. Even if there was ANY ROOM it wouldn't fit. Bolt is somewhere else making it just a really long club.

I have to take 4 rifles out before I can take a 12G out. I have some Russky ammo, 22LR, 500R bricks I paid $9+tax from 1994. Braggin' sure can be fun.......

If I had my druthers I'd be happy to own half the guns Charlton Heston had in his gun vault before he died. I'm speaking of his WWII collection. He had 17 BARs.I only want a couple!! If I had my druthers I'd be like Henry Bowman in Unintended Consequences. I REMEMBER those 20mm Solothurn ads in the backs of Popular Mechanics for like 30-40 bucks complete....Those were the Good Ole Days...when hardware stores out in the tulies had a barrel of Argentine Mauser's for $10-20. I'd be livin' in an old ICBM silo somewhere tinkerin' in my shop. An old sign topside would read...If you see this silo a rockin', Don't come a knockin'!! I'd be rockin' out to old Stones-Beatles-Johnny Cash-Waylon and Willie-Glen Campbell-Vagner- Flight of the Bumble Bee-Canned Heat-Devo-REM-Beach Boys-Stevie Ray Vaugn-Bob Marley...all the good stuff.

Ya wanna know sumpin msgt/ret E-8 I would pay some green backs to see Diane Feinswine have a wall eyed kiniption fit. Heck you could sell tickets I bet!!:danceban::danceban::danceban:
 
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#6 ·
How many do you need? Well, I would say 2 handguns (one for easy carry, one for everything else) a rifle for large game (308 or 30-06, etc.) a rifle for small game (.223, 22-250, etc) maybe a rifle for self defense (AR) a plinker for practice (.22lr) and a shotgun. (12g) So that adds up to 7 guns to cover just about everything that you might NEED overall. I turned my guns into the local police department after Obama said guns are the problem though, so right now I don't need any of them.
 
#23 ·
Seven!? That's a good start, but you aim too low :smile:. You need at least four self defense handguns; subcompact, compact, daily carry, and one for home defense. Then you need at least two .22 handguns, a revolver and a semi. Speaking of revolvers, everyone needs to have a .38/.357 revolver tucked away somewhere. Moving on to the bigger guns; a shotgun is a must, and two shotguns is almost a must, one for defense and one for clays, turkeys, ducks, whatever your preference. Rifles, well, you're going to need a few rifles; one for home defense, maybe an AR, AK, Mini, your choice really. Then you're going to need one for big game, and one for varmint, and at least two .22's, one bolt and one semi. Where does that put us? I think were up to around 14 or something. Well anyways, that didn't work, because we all know 14 guns is far to few.
 
#9 ·
Great post Sir. I remember being asked the same question, 35 years or so ago. I had sold the wife (now ex wife) on buying a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun, telling her I can squirrel hunt, bird hunt, and even deer hunt with this same gun. It worked, and I still own that Winchester 1200 with three chokes. LOL

Later in our marriage I acquired a 32 gun safe, which when we divorced was slam full, including the velcro holsters that stick to the inside panel of the door, freeing up space on the shelves. It became a point of some arguments too, as I refused to divulge the combination to her, or anyone, because that would have rendered it a steel, fireproof gun cabinet, no longer safe.

IMO, every man or woman or couple, should own at minimum a couple of defensive/carry handguns of suitable caliber, at least one battle rifle M4/AR-15/AK/or M14, at least one shotgun, at least one .22LR rifle, and at least one scoped rifle capable of harvesting big game. Beyond this basic battery, everything else is gravy.

Be safe.
 
#10 ·
My wife asked me that same question when I started getting back into guns.

I figured there was no sense in alarming her. I can't predict the future, so I said 'just a few'. :dunno:

She's now come to accept that I'll always and forever be adding to the collection.
 
#13 ·
Pffft. Joe Biden says all I need for self defense is a good shot gun, so I unloaded ALLLL of my pistols last week. I had so many
I was beginning to think I really was an evil right wing extremist.

I feel better now thanks to Joe's stellar advice. Excuse me now while I go outside and hug a tree, heal the injured squirrel in the road, and give $5
to that homeless guy hanging out on the corner every night on my way home from work. Also have to stop at the store to stock up on granola,
fruits and other healthy edibles thanks to Mayor Bloombergs "Diets for Dummy's". Becoming a liberal is just so.....liberating. ....no more
ammo or magazine worries, and I know the police will come to my rescue any time I need them just by dialing 911. Isn't technology grand?
I don't need those evil guns anymore, because Joe and Barry say we live in Utopia where bad things can't happen.
My life now has become so "uncluttered" with holsters, ammo, mags and gun cleaing kits. So much more space for my new found stained glass and pottery hobby.
I wish I had done this years ago. I'm Freeeeeeeee.



......oh, look. Buds has new Glocks in stock. Never mind.
 
#14 ·
One thing that I have noticed is there are a lot of people in here who own more than one gun. I was showing my wife a few options for my next hand gun and my next shot gun, and she poses the question “How many guns do you need.”

BTW, my wife then said no, 16… so she can have one too.
My daughter asked me that one time during a family get together.
I replied that it was kind of like jewelry, it is not a matter of need but of want.
Neither of my daughters nor my wife has brought the question up again.
 
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#20 ·
For people who don't understand that guns are tools it's hard for them to understand the want and need concept. Who knows what the future holds. What I want today I may need tomorrow. Fortunately my wife understands this. Unfortunately my checking account does not.
 
#22 ·
I agree that everyone should have at least:

12 gauge
.22 rifle
big game rifle 30.06, 7mm.. ect.
daily carry pistol & home defense pistol (these can be the same gun)

I personally see a battle rifle as optional if you have the above

With that said I have many that I need, not nearly as many as I want and despite my wives best efforts she has yet to be successful to keeping me to her two gun purchases per year limit!! :smile:
 
#24 ·
i have about 4-5 handguns in may carry rotation alone, so I NEED at least that many for CCW. And that's just handguns.

Of course, I needed to get a Colt Python because they aren't getting any cheaper, and I needed to get a 1911 last year because it was the 100-year anniversary of the gun. I also needed to get a couple Makarovs because I admire the design, and then I needed to get a CZ82 to keep the Makarovs company. Then, there were all of my revolvers that I needed to buy because I saw them for sale at good prices.

I couldn't even speculate on how many long guns I "need".

Need is a crazy thing.
 
#28 ·
I can neither confirm or deny that I currently own ANY firearms.

I can, however, say that in 1975 I joined what seemed to be the handgun of the month club.
I traded in every month or so, unless I got to the store and saw something I just HAD to have and didn't want to wait to go home to get the last month's toy.
I did slow down after a year or so, mainly due to lack of money.
After about 25 years, I had roughly 3 .22s, 1 .25, 1 .32, 2 .380s, 2 .38s, 2 .357s, 1 .44mag, 3 .45s, 3 shotguns, and a few rifles.
I then had a devastating robbery, where every single firearm vanished and has never been seen again.
I still have some wants, but haven't dared feed the addiction for the last 10 years or so.
 
#29 ·
Need: At least one more
Want: At least one more
Have: At least one too few
 
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