Pick Three (3)

O

old bear

New member
In response to my posting in an ammo thread here, I received a pleasant member P.M. From his comments, I assume we are the same general age. Both of us felt that at our age the KISS theory becomes more and more important.

I’ve believed that for 99.9% of defense situations, either personal unexpected, i.e. a sudden attack outside of the home. The dreaded late night banging on the door/window. Or a natural disaster, with a loss of public services for 2 – 10 days. Only three assorted firearms are needed; these would be a service caliber handgun, a 20 or 12 gauge shotgun, of your preference, and the rifle of your preference. How many agree or disagree, with my premise? And what would your choices be?
PLEASE NO ZOMBIE OR SHTF stories, OK.
 
I'm sure that no one will contend that a handgun would be as effective as a long arm in the event of a a use of force incident, but I do not think that there is one set of choices for everyone.

In our house, unless a break-in were to happen to occur at a time and from a point that would allow me to immediately access a long arm, a long arm would not prove very helpful, and the layout of the house makes that an unlikely occurrence.

My solution? A handgun, carried concealed in the house--something that I would have considered outlandish just a few years ago. By hey, I would otherwise be putting it on and taking it off whenever I left the house and returned home, and I have dispensed with that routine.

My choice? Well, what works for me might not be all that good for someone else.
 
I don't even need the shotgun.

My CZ-75 compact PCR (and Kadet 22LR slide), S&W 642 and AR-15 carbine are all I really need for any situation I can think of.

That gives me a good hi-cap gun for CCW that can double as a nightstand gun. A 22LR for whatever you need a .22 for, a lightweight j-frame for deep concealment and BUG, plus a home/property defense carbine.
 
I could go with 2....I feel that a shotgun is generally a handicap, unless breaching.

Hear this out....a shotgun has tremendous recoil and, if pump, a relatively slow reload. Last, generally they are 5-7 rd mags with VERY slow reload capability

A Glock 17 by comparison can be shot at high speed, holds 17 and reloads quick.

Running through your house, it does not leave you gun down, when you need it.


So, I'm thinking 16" middy AR and my XD45 tactical are all I need.

Heck, in combat, peopl generally only have their M4, so it must be pretty good.
 
Interesting responses, nothing close to what I expected.

I still believe that a handgun for mobility, a shotgun for nasty close up work as well as intimation, and a rifle to reach out and touch someone as well as intimation. Anyone else?
 
I think the vast majority of situations can be handled with a high cap (preferably 9mm to me) handgun and a light carbine in an intermediate caliber, preferably with 20-30 round mags. This to me would cover everything from a single burglar to full blown LA riots and natural disaster situations. Add a CCW handgun if yours is too big for that use
 
A shotgun makes a fine tool for somebody that can handle the recoil. IMHO a lightweight mid caliber carbine is a better solution for the average person,

In that light were i limited to 3 guns I'd prefer a smaller CCW a service pistol and a carbine.
 
If we were in a non-ROL situation, my load out would be my smallest, lightest AR and my XD45. In general, I feel that an AR is a gun which can do alot against human targets. Handguns are really extra, but a nice extra to have.
 
Interesting responses, nothing close to what I expected.

I still believe that a handgun for mobility, a shotgun for nasty close up work as well as intimation, and a rifle to reach out and touch someone as well as intimation. Anyone else?
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I feel a handgun is good for concealment and portability. If I need a weapon for self defense I'd rather it be a carbine (more firepower, easier to shoot accurately) though there are probably very few situations where that would be possible.

I don't believe is using weapons for intimidation. If a weapon must come out, you'd better plan on using it to good effect and you'd better count on a very unpleasant legal battle when the dust settles. Forget about reaching out and killing someone at distance. How are you going to justify that in court?
 
a shotgun has tremendous recoil and, if pump, a relatively slow reload. Last, generally they are 5-7 rd mags with VERY slow reload capability
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Aye, but you can always top them off without removing that "5-7 round mag", or even taking the gun off the shoulder..... pump or auto, you just stuff another round in whenever you get the chance ......

It's not like you are laying down an FPF from the attacking NORK hordes ....if that's the case, then your problem is not one of magazine capacity (you don't need a hi-cap magazine, you need a belt fed MG with a water cooling jacket, plenty of ammo and water!), but a shortage of people on your side of the argument ......
 
Am i the only one here that finds the recoil of a shotgun over exagerated? It is no more uncontrollable/inaccurate than a handgun. IMHO a handgun is harder....no anchor/braced to your body, smaller sight radius. But to the question, id have a shotgun, rifle, handgun. Oh and they make extended mag tubes for shotguns. If you need more rounds than that, then you need a howitzer or a Ma Deuce, minimum.
 
Am i the only one here that finds the recoil of a shotgun over exagerated
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Not everyone is a XL Taco many are smaller stature, also for many years my father had no problems wielding a 9-10# firearm but now at 85 years I'm not sure he could bring a shotgun with a mag extension full of shells to bear.
 
The choices would very much depend on what is familiar and well practiced.
And no doubt be different for each of us.
With age and increased arthritis, long guns seem to be getting more unwieldy.
While recoil won't be a problem, or even noticed, during an altercation, it does reduce the inclination for practicing.
So, with every passing year, handguns and handgun caliber carbines seem to be more useful.
Might be saying that about rimfires, one day.
 
I don't need all three. I only need one good reliable handgun and a very compact rifle - something that can easily fit in a duffel bag or backpack. If I'm going to have 3, then I would opt for two handguns and one compact rifle; with one of the handguns being a small backup.

My 2 guns:

1. AC556 13" folder (where I'm really worried about my life and my family over the possibility of losing a $9,000 gun;

2. Tanfoglio Stock 10mm. Yep, I'm now opting for this over my Glock 17 because of power and capacity. What??? A 10mm??? I can here it now "...but you will never find ammo for that...). I have plenty of good quality 10mm ammo. And, if you think you are going to "find' 9mm ammo during a disaster or a break-in (if you are out of ammo), well you might as well be searching for the holy grail!

And, if I'm permitted a 3rd:

3. Back-up gun would probably be my Diamondback DB9.

Yes, you got it right - I said Ruger, Tanfoglio and Diamondback. Not, AR-15, Glock and Glock.:D


I have no need or want for a shotgun. It's simply easier for me to carry a few magazines of .223 for a total of 90-120 rounds over a bunch of loose 12 gauge shells. If I'm confronted with large groups of attackers, then I'll resort to making cheap....well, use your imagination.
 
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Even though my carry piece is a 6 shot 38, the primary home defense gun is a laser sighted Beretta compact with a "last resort" 357 in the basement. I think that is sufficient as I live in the city and if time permits the cell phone and 911 are always preferred. If I needed to intimidate someone into going away immediately might just grab the double barrel shotgun too. Depends on which I am closer to if someone was breaking in.
 
i.e. a sudden attack outside of the home. The dreaded late night banging on the door/window. Or a natural disaster, with a loss of public services for 2 – 10 days. Only three assorted firearms are needed;
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I would agree, in general, and particularly if you choose the right firearms for your situation.

You are, however posting two different situations, and the best choices for each might not be the same.

Normal times when help (police) are available, and what matters is the amount of time for them to arrive, and abnormal times (natural disaster, etc) where you have no expectation of help for at least hours, if not days.

It also matters if you are looking at what is needed to survive, or what is useful to play a fantasy game in your head.

I could go with 2....I feel that a shotgun is generally a handicap, unless breaching.
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A valid response, from the Tactical Response Team...

I'm not them. And neither are most of the rest of us.

Your location matters. Your options and what is of most benefit are different if you are a city dweller, or 5 miles from the nearest neighbor.

If the need to take game to eat applies to your possible situation, the shotgun has tremendous utility. You CAN take rabbits, squirrels and birds with your duty handgun or an AR or AK, but a shotgun makes it a lot easier.
(a .22LR rifle or pistol wouldn't be a bad thing to have "on call", either.)

Also remember that, at some point, regular order will return. And you might be liable, legally then, if you play it as a SHTF for good situation. It might even be years later, but if you went too far, during the emergency, it might come back to bite you.

(example; opening fire on a crowd of "looters" at rifle range (to chase them off,?) when they have offered no direct immediate threat to you...)

Just because the local law enforcement is overwhelmed doesn't mean the law's rules are suspended. And if you break them, expect at some point, to be held accountable.
 
Not everyone is a XL Taco many are smaller stature, also for many years my father had no problems wielding a 9-10# firearm but now at 85 years I'm not sure he could bring a shotgun with a mag extension full of shells to bear.
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My take on this is that the vast majority of people today live pretty sedentary lives- they don't have the muscle tone that the average person did 50-100 years ago. Even though my grandfather was 135 pounds soaking wet, and was stricken with polio as a child and walked with a limp all his adult life, he worked hard every day, and could out walk, out work and outlast just about anybody in the hunting fields ..... he thought nothing of toting a 9 lb rifle all day, and a 12 guage pumpgun was nothing to be afraid of, recoil-wise...... he did not have 1/10th the gear most people deem necessary these days: he and the people around him did more with less and were just generally tougher than most everyone I know today.
 
Next to my night stand is a 12ga Remington 870 tac loaded with Mil grade 00 , Remington 700 .300 AAC . Sometimes swap the 700 for my Ruger mini14 with 30rd mag . I keep a Ruger Black Hawk .357 Mag and P89 9mm close by .
 
Well I'm pretty old (67), maybe older than you old bear but I'm gonna need more than three guns in those situations. Maybe I could do with just three but my wife also will need three!

While I have two 12 gauge Remingtons, I doubt I'd be pulling them out. I'd be thinking two handguns and an AR. For each of us!
 
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