If you had to start all over ...
 

Let's pretend you come home one morning and the gun safe door is hanging wide open. Everything is gone.

​​​​​​Now lets pretend that for some odd reason you have to replace your belongings in a couple of days and still be prepared to hunt/shoot like you normally do. That will rule out custom jobs and oddball options.

We can even break it down into a few categories that you may need to cover. Of course one gun may cover several of these areas.

Defense
Big game
Small game
Varmints
Competition
blackpowder
Anything additional that you need

​​What are you buying, at a minimum, to get yourself back up and running?

No "wrong" answers here. Just what you would personally grab if you had to restart quickly.

-Jake

Defense: I'm picking up a Glock 17. That's my duty pistol, and I can't miss work.

Big game: I'm looking for a plain Jane Remington 700 in .30-06. probably a synthetic ADL version. As a do-all hunt anywhere big game option, that's what I'd pick up.

Small game: I'm finding a Ruger 10/22. It's reliable, plenty accurate for my needs, and I've always enjoyed shooting them.

Varmints: this is covered between my 10/22 and the 06. But if I was a serious varmint hunter I'd probably look for an older Savage in .223 or .22-250

Competition: not needed

blackpowder: I'd get a cheapy CVA wolf and go kill some deer

Anything additional that you need: I'd need a bow or crossbow. But since this is a gun section I'll skip that.

I don't have a shotgun on the list. I'd go pick up either a rem870 or moss500 in a field/deer combo that way I get a smooth bore and rifled barrel.

I think that would cover all of my needs and I could get along just fine with only those 5 or 6 guns

Life would be a little less interesting, but my freezer would still be full.

-Jake

Defense: AR-15 and S&W M&P40
Big Game: Tikka T3; 30-06
Small Game (including waterfowl & turkey); Franchi Intensity 12 ga 3 1/2"
Varmints: Tikka T3; .223
Competition: Bergara B-14 HMR
Black powder: Lyman 54 cal flintlock and CVA Accura V2
Additional: Ruger 10-22

this is why I have a few different safes in different places LOL

if I had to start over with buying new guns, I would due to so much experience, pick them based on the tash to do!
as if huntinga certian species or terrain!
NOW to pick soem guns, is budget there to get what I want ot just get? this can be a BIG factor

shotgun, I'll take a good tuned up 11/87 with two barrels, (a removable extend mag tube, so can do several things, home protection and ??)
So a smooth bore bbl with bead sights, and barrel with rifle sights i (cantilever scope mount ain;t bad either)

a hand gun, well I too love my glocks, not the prettiest but as reliable a gun as I ever had!, and a 17 as well! have had one since they came out!

a rifle, I'll take a rem model 700 in stainless syn stock in 30/06 as well, just due to it covers most all big game animals I have hunted, but sure would;t be the same as many of my custom rifles I have and love more, but since there out??
and a
Good AR 15 say a Danial Defense MK 12 or a lwrc LWRCI-DI
and a nice ruger 10/22 in stainless

this is a real hard list to make, as if I had the funds, I don;'t see why I couldn;t wait and get exactly what I wanted in some custom builds, I know enough builders that they would get me a build pretty fast if my things got stolen LOL
and well, honestly I have guns in places I couldn't; see them all growing legs in a robbery or even a fire!

But these would get the job done for most anything I do
heck could maybe do most with less than the above,too, but I';d like to have the above if all mine went MIA !

You really like those tikkas bronk.

No wrong answers mrbb. I excluded custom builds cause that opens up a whole other conversation, as the options really are endless.

Was just thinking easy to get, common over the counter options. Sort of a -the season opens tomorrow and I need a gun now! - type of list.

I'm glad my wife won't see this thread. If she knew I could 'do it all' with 6 guns I'd be in allot of trouble lol

-Jake

I hear you, but I was sort of thinking, like this
IF I lost all my guns, and after so many yrs of trying different one's and knowing what I like , dislike on models
having them all taken, and insurance giving me big check, be the perfect time to BUILD the guns I want, and not have a bunch of guns that I sort of like
could maybe do away with a lot less guns needed if I had just the one's I wanted made to suit my needs

but get the, WHAT if side and speed of getting back in the game!

Excellent topic and question. Lot of fun to consider. Probably half the guns I own are because I want them, not because I need them although at one time or another, I used all of them. Mrbb makes a couple of excellent points as usual. Having more than 1 safe in different areas could save some of your guns by burglar(s) thinking you only have 1 gun safe and maybe not looking or have enough time to look for a 2nd or even 3rd safe, let alone steal or break into the additional safes. That is a very clever idea and concept. And getting a big fat check from the insurance company would make it a lot easier financially to buy more than just this list.


Defense--Glock 17 (current duty gun). I usually carry something smaller off duty but could adjust if needed.
Big game--270W for antelope to black bear.
Small game--Mossberg MVP 223.
Varmints--Ruger 10-22.
Competition--17 HMR but used for varmints also.
blackpowder--I own a single black poder rifle but have never shot it. With the money, I'd probably buy another 338WM for those once in a while elk and moose trips. I'd use it for grizzlies but those hunts just cost too much.
Anything additional that you need--At least one shotgun for turkeys and upland game, etc. Probably another Benelli Nova pump.

​​What are you buying, at a minimum, to get yourself back up and running?
For a "minimum," I'd need the Glock 17, 270, 223 and 12 gauge.

​​​​​"​Now lets pretend that for some odd reason you have to replace your belongings in a couple of days and still be prepared to hunt/shoot like you normally do. That will rule out custom jobs and oddball options."

I suppose if I only had a couple of days to get another starting point I would buy and scope an "off the shelf" Ruger or Winchester rifle chambered for one of the 375 cartridges, a Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun, and a good 1911 style pistol chambered in 45. That should give me some breathing room and time to plan the replacement of everything else.

Defense:
Kimber Super Match 1911 and Ultra II laser both in 45acp.
Pistol barrel length 300 BO.
Sporterized British Enfield with ghost ring - lob sight for truck.
Rem M1100 in .410 with barrel shortened to 18.5" cylinder bore.
458WM in light carry rifle with good iron sights for a DG stopper.

Small Game and Competition and Waterfowl combined:
Custom Ruger 10/22
Custom Tournament Grade Rem M1187 (or Beretta A400 Target) with heavy contour barrel.


Big Game:
2 Win Super Grades - 270W and 300HH

Defense .....HK super 90 12 ga,, S&W 1006, AK 47 sporter, ruger Alaskan in caliber 480 ruger
Big game,..... BLR,S in calibers 257 roberts 358 win,,& 450 marlin, and weatherby mark V in 340 wby, and 416 wby, and one in caliber 450 LOTT, and a 7.5" barrel 500 S&W revolver
Small game, marlin 39a 22lr , heavy barrel 22 hornet bolt action savage,
Varmints,....heavy stainless 24 " barrel with bipod AR15 223
Competition, ...... not a thing
blackpowder... 40" barrel 62 cal hawken replica
Anything additional that you need,
ID love a 308 win caliber BREN GUN, but I can,t afford one