Jump Right In and give us an opinion on this;

[Greg Meyer]

What is your "Essential" collection for North America? How many, 5-7-9? Type, caliber/gauge and primary use? You can be specific as to make model or broader in your answer (Now Grandick will answer 235 rifles, 458 shotguns, 57 handguns....)

Duplicates are nice, but this is essential is the key word. Then answer honestly if you have your essential list. If not, why not?

=
Here goes mine. Nine "essentials".

.22 handgun .... S&W Mdl 34 Kit gun
.22 Rifle ... Ruger 77/22 w/ Leupold 4X fixed Compact
.22-.24 Centerfire for varmints ... .222Rem Sako Vixen w/24X fixed Leupold
.24-260 (6.5) for large varmints to deer ... Custom small ring Mauser in .257 Roberts w/ 1.5-5X Leupold
.260-.323 for large deer to moose/caribou/black bear ... Rem 700 7mmRem Mag w/ 2-7X Leupold
.300-.458 for everything else that is big as they come ... Rem 700 .338 Win Mag w/2-7X Leupold
Centerfire Handgun ... S&W Model 19 4" in .357
Small Gauge Shotgun ... Rem 1100 20ga w/23" choke tubes
Large Gauge Shotgun ... Rem 1100 12ga 3" w/28" barrel and choke tubes and slug barrel

 

[AirForce]

.22 Rifle - (4), Remington, Savage (2 each) (pesky critters or to tick somebody)
.380 Pistol (2) Walter PK380 and Bersa Thunder
.454 Casull Revolver Taurus Raging Bull (shoots 410 shotgun rounds, 45 long colt and 454's)
9mm Pistol (2) both Smith & Wesson's, Series 9 and 5946 with four 32rd mags each, and five 15rd mags each
Small gauge shotgun (for fun), 410 (only non person shooting weapon, its for pesky squirrels and rabbits)
Large bore shotgun 12ga (Winchester Speed Pump Riot 7 rd tube), with 15rd sling and 5 rd butt carrier with collapsible stock
Norinco SKS modified custom 7.62x39 mm scoped, five 30rd mags and five 20rd mags

 

[Ron Himmelreich]

.22LR
.223REM
7mm-08 Rem
.375H&H
9mm
45ACP
12ga Semiauto

RH

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Daisy and Red Rider

That's for Meyer........

 

[cq]

PISTOL: 9MM, 45 CAL LOOKING BB, 22 CAL 8 SHOT REVOLVER
RIFREL: 45 CAL BLACK POWDER, 3030 CAL LEVER ACTION, 306 SEMIAMUTO WITH CLIP, TWO 22 (ONE SEIMIAUTO AND SINGLE SHOT BOLT ACTION), 22 CAL BARREL PUMP PELLET, DASIY BB PUMP ACTION (9th Christmas)

SHOTGUN: 12 GAUAGE PUMP ACTION, GIVEN TO ME WHEN I WAS JUST OLD ENOUGH TO HUNT.


cq

 

[Greg Meyer]

Daisy and Red Rider

That's for Meyer........

Oh sure, it is all fun and games until somebody loses an eye with that Red Rider

 

[cq]

I think I saw that movie, I do own and wear a tie that looks like a leg lamp. It does have a on/off button for the lamp light.

 

[fatrap]

Handguns for what goes bump in the night: 9mm hi capacity. 45acp and a .357 wheel gun. Hunting a 44 magnum revolver.
Rifles: Home defense, M4 with 30rd magazines fixed iron sights. Vmax bullets as the breakup quickly. M1Garand comes in handy there too. Hunting. Bolt action .22 rifle with a .22mag throw in for good measure. That's the small game getters. Open sighted 30 caliber rifle(in my case an 1903 A3 Springfield) Moisen Nagant would serve too. A Scoped rifle in .308 caliber such as Remington 700/Savage 110 in .308-30-06 or 300 win mag. As a brush gun Lever action in any decent deer cartridge. Marlin would be my choice. I have mine in 44 Remington Mag.
Shotguns: Your choice of 12 gauge pump action. A good selection of shells from 00 up to 7 shot bird shells. A .410 to back up the .22's as a food getter.
No necessarily firearms but important would be a decent selection of knives. My K Bar, a good fillet/boning knife and a skinning/scraping knife. Throw in my "woodsman's pal" for chopping and close in defense.
Now this is my "Bare essentials"

For a "Bug out" kit
M4 with 5 to 10 30rd mags
Cross draw on the L. hip. My Colt 1911
On my right thigh Sig Sauer P226 Mk25 Navy
Marine surplus knapsack(http://www.cheaperthandirt.net/prod...dium=organic&gclid=CMOtzeaIurkCFbBDMgodtgEAEw# with hydration bladder. Inside, Jerky, tuna pouches, ramen noodles blowout kit, dry socks, firestarter and matches, rainhood, cheap 8x10 plastic tarp. 100 feet of Para shoot cord. Aluminum cup, water purification tablets multi tool with fork and spoon. Stocking hat, gloves, small spool of fine wire. Fishing line/hooks. monocular with lanyard. Extra pair of glasses.
Seal Pup knife to go on belt.

The hardest part would be leaving all my fun stuff in the gunsafes.

fatrap

 

[rbstern]

I don't really ever think of this as a geopgraphy/continent question, since that tends to mingle some types of hunting (which I will likely never do) with issues of a firearms battery that works for local hunting as well as social/defensive scenarios.

To keep things manageable with casting bullets and reloading, I generally stick with guns that have bores of .22/.30/.355-.357.

So, for me, pairing it down to essentials:

- S&W 686P
- S&W 642 (because carrying the 686P all the time gets old)
- Ross M92 lever action in 357 magnum or Marlin 336 30-30
- A "defensive" carbine in .223 (PSA AR15 or Keltec SU-16CA)
- 12GA (toss up in terms of pump, O/U, or semi-auto)
- 22LR pistol (S&W 2206)
- 22LR rifle (Marlin 880SS)

 

[AirForce]

I love the 686, but its been MANY years since I carried one.

 

[rbstern]

I love the 686, but its been MANY years since I carried one.

I like to think of the 686 (or 586, if you prefer blue steel) as the pinnacle of 150+ years of revolver evolution.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Ahhhhhhh..... I never got over S&W moving from the K frame to the L frame... So, for me the Model 19 is the pinnacle. It just feels better in my hands. But, that is a very personal thing . In a 4 inch the 686 feels barrel heavy (4 ozs heavier) because I am so accustomed to the Model 19. And, the DA "feel" of the lower series is soooooooooooo smooth. I had a Model 15 with a custom cut barrel from Cylinder and Slide that had been "smoothed" and "lightened". I believed my Uncle's Model 19-1 was just as "smooth" and the single action pull was "perfect" right from the factory.

The Model 19 was designed in 1955 and produced by 1957, first as The Combat Masterpiece. It is true that a constant diet of full power .357 loads may lead to some "wear" but if you carry for social purposes (different from hunting) and use .38s for practice and stoke it with full power .357 for carry it will last (as has mine) for 40+ years.

 

[fatrap]

I might add my .357 wheel gun is a vintage Model 66 Smith and Wesson recessed cylinder, pin barrel. Stainless. It's soooooo smoooooth to shoot. Bought it off a law enforcement buddy who needed the cash for a trigger on his duty sniper rifle. $200 BTW my Colt 45 1911 Commander was hand made in 1982 in the metal shop where I taught school. The metals teacher was teaching gun smithing to students who wanted to learn. This was with the approval of the administration. Their comment. "What a useful trade to teach." The 1911 was all Colt custom parts except the slide I bought from a local place Cylinder and Slide. Love to twink my firearms.
fatrap

 

[cq]

One thing about this thread is, I spend a lot of time goggling to learn what you guys are saying. Good education for me.

cq

 

[Wayne P.]

Ruger Mark series .22 cal. semi-auto (3) -- small game and target
Winchester M9422 (2) small game
Winchester M94 .30-30--mid size game
Marlin 99 .22 cal. semi-auto-- small game
Colt Colteer single shot .22mag--varmits
Ruger M77 .308--mid size game
Savage 111 .308--mid size game
Winchester Model 12 and 1200----flying stuff
Weatherby Mark V 7MMWM--just because
Muzzleloader rifles .50 in 4 different brands--mid size game
Connecticut Valley muzzleloader rifle .45 --- display
Ruger Redhawk .44 mag--mid sized game
Tompson Contender 14" barrel .30-30--mid size game
Tompson Contender 12" barrel 7-30--mid sized game
Taurus PT740 slim .40 cal.---CCW
several others not worth mentioning

 

[fatrap]

Greg 235 rifles isn't even considered a collection in Texas just a nice start.
fatrap