Why would anyone need more than one gun?

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  • rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,015
    Harford County
    I buy what I like. I like a wide variety of guns, some have historical interest, some sentimental value, some I like for their uniqueness; Luger, Broomhandle Mauser, TC Contender, etc. And I just like shooting different things.

    I don't try to understand it, I just go with the flow!
     

    kolohekanaka

    Active Member
    Jul 23, 2017
    122
    Howard County, MD
    Little bit of a misleading subject. :)

    I’ve been riding/racing motorcycles for decades. At times I’ve had a dozen or more bikes at once. It makes perfect sense to me. A woods bike, a motocross bike, several road race bikes for various classes, a trials bike, a street bike, a long distance bike, a dual sport, etc. They all serve a unique purpose. Surely it’s the same in the gun world.

    I’m diving into the shooting hobby - I’m early in my journey from “a guy with some old guns that he got from dad” to... well, I guess I really don’t know yet. I like learning and have been soaking up information from this forum, YouTube, friends, etc. I’m starting to think more about my firearm needs.

    I’m finding myself looking at the following categories & options. This is not yet well thought out. Some of this stuff I already own but there are gaps to fill (rationalization!).

    * Home defense (inside) - shotgun, handgun
    * Home/property defense in a SHTF scenario - semi-auto, decent range, decent stopping power
    * Conceal carry - handgun
    * Food on the table - .22 for small game, more capable rifle for deer (bolt action because I like it), shotgun.
    * “Civil unrest” - semi-auto, decent capacity, decent stopping power
    * Fun target shooting/plinking - .22 LR rifles & handgun. Shotgun for clays.

    I’d like to hear why you “need” your guns. More accurately, what niche do they fill? What have I left out?

    Edit: I’m not really looking for recommendations for purchase just yet. I intentionally didn’t specify which ones I already own so that it doesn’t shape the results. While I do hope to learn a little from the discussion, I’m really just genuinely curious what “needs” others have.
    My anti-gun friends always ask that question. I always answer, Because I want to and I can. It's my Constitutionally protected "pursuit of happiness". Such a question is a slippery slope resulting in government tyranny.
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,301
    Arkham
    Like you motorcycles, firearms can to be for specific purposes. IE, the Ruger LCP, great little pocket firearm, but sucks as a range gun. A SW500 revolver is a hoot to shoot, but hard to use a CCW and keep it hidden. An AR can be used for matches, long range, short range, hunting, HD, meet military specs for military matches, etc. We wont get into hunting, a billion choices there. Some are just plain fun to shoot. Some of my favorites are 22's. I go through stages of what I like to shoot.
    Like your bikes, pick the toy of the day for the purpose of the day.
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    I think you did a pretty good job at nailing down the basic "needs". I agree with a few of the above comments about having 2 or more for SHTF set ups. Redundancy is important - ei parts interchangeability, similar manual of arms, can arm a family member or neighbor, and same ammo.

    Up until now, I've been of the philosophy of having many guns in only a few select calibers (5.56, 9mm, 12ga, 22lr, and 308 for hunting). My reasoning being that these are extremely common platforms which can be stocked easily and relatively cheaply, as well as easily found or traded in a real SHTF scenario. Well... good luck finding any of these calibers anywhere right now, and even when things finally calm back down, I imagine it will be tough to find cheap ammo for range use.

    I've got a comfy supply of what I need, but I would be very anxious if I was looking for any of this stuff right now in decent quantity.

    All this has got me thinking of the 5.45x39. It's still readily available and cheap. As I type this I am seeing 1000 round cases for $300 or less, and on Lucky gunner they have it in 20 round boxes for ~35 cents per round.

    I don't care for the AK platform, but I realize it's merits. In addition to the 5.45, there seems to be a decent quantity of 30-30, 45-70, and other common but not as popular cartridges.
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    My anti-gun friends always ask that question. I always answer, Because I want to and I can. It's my Constitutionally protected "pursuit of happiness". Such a question is a slippery slope resulting in government tyranny.

    I grew up in a very liberal part of MD. I get asked this question frequently also.

    Most uninformed folks believe guns are basically death-rays and that owning even a single 9mm pistol will protect you from anything the world may throw at you.

    These are also typically people that have grown up with the means to live in areas where violent crime is a statistical anomaly.

    If there is any silver lining to everything happening right now, it's in proving to these folks that mass civil unrest is not only possible, but highly probable given even a tiny shift in events. We suddenly don't look so crazy anymore.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    1. It's not the Bill of Needs
    2. Because 'Muricia d
    3. Because you Want ( whatever ) is a perfectly fine reason .

    All that said , I'll take a stab at what I * think * is the spirit of the OP's question , which if so was indeed a popular pastime of friendly discussion back in the day :

    One firearm to do absolutely the most things possible ( at least within its inherent range ) -
    12ga pump

    Starting Point Basic Battery ( Cover the most general purpose ground , but not all optional sub interests :

    Old School Edition :

    .22lr rifle of your preferred flavor , sufficient accuracy to hunt squirrel
    .22lr handgun of your preferred flavor , , sufficient accuracy for meaningful marksmanship training , hit soda cans far enough to amuse yourself , impress your friends , and hunt squirrel .
    Medium-ish size centerfire handgun ( sufficient accuracy for meaningful marksmanship endeavors , at least enough power to be reasonably adequate for ( human) defensive use , sized such for reasonably comfortable belt carry .) The old school default was 4in .357 revolvers , new wave would be an auto with +/- 4in bbl .
    Bolt action .30-06 ( It was ubiquitous , and capable of hunting anything smaller than Mega Bears .

    Modern Additional Catagory - EBR. AR-15 is default , but if you want something in 7.62x39 on purpose , you may substitute .

    .30-06 is now considered passe . Substitute if you wish your prefered flavor of whatever that is larger than .25cal , reasonable trajectory , more than enough power for deer , not laughable for east coast black bear , and recoil not exceding '06 class .

    Depending on your interests , you could make compromise selections for your basic 5 or 6 to fill additional roles . And most people will probably have/ gain additional specialty interests for another 1 or 2 .


    And again , in No Way am I advocating or OK with limiting the number of firearms one can or should own . Just spitballing versatile combos .

    Once upon a time , I had a good friend ask me " Hey Biggfoot , what gun should I buy next ? " And after asking several questions , ending up telling him he had everything covered , and unless he decided to take up additional shooting disciplines , he didn't need any more . And he had Three ! ( A .38 J frame , 4in Colt Trooper .357 , and a DA/ SA .45acp double stack. )
     

    EDA98

    Active Member
    Dec 4, 2019
    121
    Laurel MD
    For me its not a question of why I need more than 1 gun. It's want. When I was younger, I had a lot of lego sets. No one ever asked why I needed so many. I wanted them. Each set was different and fun. For guns it is the same way for me. Each gun is different and cool in its own way.
     

    Jed195

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 19, 2011
    3,901
    MD.
    Here's why...
     

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    BlueHeeler

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,086
    Washington, DC
    Your analogy is perfect. Sure you can start with a do it all SV650 and have a great time riding, touring, maybe even a few track days. After some time you want a liter bike to really feel what 200hp is like. There is no reason the dump the SV though. Then the novelty of a sport bike does not scratch the itch of playing in off road with a dirt bike... the cycle continues and you end up owning 10 bikes.

    Firearms collection is also a function of accumulation + curiosity over time.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    It's always entertaining to have those "you can only have 3 guns, pick them" discussions, but the reality is that if you compete more than casually in any of the shooting sports, or you hunt different things, or you even just participate in multiple shooting disciplines, you're going to want multiple guns. Like, you want to shoot multiple divisions of Steel Challenge or USPSA, you're probably talking at least 3+ guns right there, not even counting backups.
     

    Lane Meyer

    Active Member
    Jul 20, 2020
    212
    Cecil County
    It's always entertaining to have those "you can only have 3 guns, pick them" discussions, but the reality is that if you compete more than casually in any of the shooting sports, or you hunt different things, or you even just participate in multiple shooting disciplines, you're going to want multiple guns. Like, you want to shoot multiple divisions of Steel Challenge or USPSA, you're probably talking at least 3+ guns right there, not even counting backups.

    This wasn’t intended to be a “pick x” discussion as much as an attempt to learn what some of the reasons for variety are. I hadn’t really thought about competitive shooting but I can see how that would make the guns pile up quickly!
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    Little bit of a misleading subject. :)

    I’ve been riding/racing motorcycles for decades. At times I’ve had a dozen or more bikes at once. It makes perfect sense to me. A woods bike, a motocross bike, several road race bikes for various classes, a trials bike, a street bike, a long distance bike, a dual sport, etc. They all serve a unique purpose. Surely it’s the same in the gun world.

    I’m diving into the shooting hobby - I’m early in my journey from “a guy with some old guns that he got from dad” to... well, I guess I really don’t know yet. I like learning and have been soaking up information from this forum, YouTube, friends, etc. I’m starting to think more about my firearm needs.

    I’m finding myself looking at the following categories & options. This is not yet well thought out. Some of this stuff I already own but there are gaps to fill (rationalization!).

    * Home defense (inside) - shotgun, handgun
    * Home/property defense in a SHTF scenario - semi-auto, decent range, decent stopping power
    * Conceal carry - handgun
    * Food on the table - .22 for small game, more capable rifle for deer (bolt action because I like it), shotgun.
    * “Civil unrest” - semi-auto, decent capacity, decent stopping power
    * Fun target shooting/plinking - .22 LR rifles & handgun. Shotgun for clays.

    I’d like to hear why you “need” your guns. More accurately, what niche do they fill? What have I left out?

    Edit: I’m not really looking for recommendations for purchase just yet. I intentionally didn’t specify which ones I already own so that it doesn’t shape the results. While I do hope to learn a little from the discussion, I’m really just genuinely curious what “needs” others have.

    You aren't going to be able to compete in any vintage rifle matches without a couple milsurps on that list:innocent0
     

    Lane Meyer

    Active Member
    Jul 20, 2020
    212
    Cecil County
    Like you motorcycles, firearms can to be for specific purposes. IE, the Ruger LCP, great little pocket firearm, but sucks as a range gun. A SW500 revolver is a hoot to shoot, but hard to use a CCW and keep it hidden. An AR can be used for matches, long range, short range, hunting, HD, meet military specs for military matches, etc. We wont get into hunting, a billion choices there. Some are just plain fun to shoot. Some of my favorites are 22's. I go through stages of what I like to shoot.
    Like your bikes, pick the toy of the day for the purpose of the day.

    Thanks. It is becoming clear that the gun world is as diverse as any other hobby/sport/obsession.
     

    Lane Meyer

    Active Member
    Jul 20, 2020
    212
    Cecil County
    I think you did a pretty good job at nailing down the basic "needs". I agree with a few of the above comments about having 2 or more for SHTF set ups. Redundancy is important - ei parts interchangeability, similar manual of arms, can arm a family member or neighbor, and same ammo.

    Up until now, I've been of the philosophy of having many guns in only a few select calibers (5.56, 9mm, 12ga, 22lr, and 308 for hunting). My reasoning being that these are extremely common platforms which can be stocked easily and relatively cheaply, as well as easily found or traded in a real SHTF scenario. Well... good luck finding any of these calibers anywhere right now, and even when things finally calm back down, I imagine it will be tough to find cheap ammo for range use.

    I've got a comfy supply of what I need, but I would be very anxious if I was looking for any of this stuff right now in decent quantity.

    All this has got me thinking of the 5.45x39. It's still readily available and cheap. As I type this I am seeing 1000 round cases for $300 or less, and on Lucky gunner they have it in 20 round boxes for ~35 cents per round.

    I don't care for the AK platform, but I realize it's merits. In addition to the 5.45, there seems to be a decent quantity of 30-30, 45-70, and other common but not as popular cartridges.

    It is interesting how much availability has to be a part of buying decisions today. As a newer enthusiast, the lack of firearm and ammo availability was a surprise.
     

    cantstop

    Pentultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2012
    8,161
    MD
    So... When is polymer80 going to start restocking the distributors?

    (asking for a friend)
     

    rtse4me

    Active Member
    Apr 12, 2013
    298
    Howard County
    Thanks. It is becoming clear that the gun world is as diverse as any other hobby/sport/obsession.
    Yes, you can get a specific gun for about any situation. For example a shotgun for clays, you could buy a shotgun for each specific clays discipline. You don't have to but if you shoot International trap you could get a O/U just for that.
    After getting the basics I would suggest to find what niche you like best first.
     

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