I said "ONLY ONE!"

[dario541]

Just for the fun of it, I would like to propose the following scenario. I notice that there are many knowledgable members of the site so I value their opinions.
Let's say that somehow the government had the ability to take our guns but that they would permit us to keep one. But that one could be anything that you wanted. What would you choose and why?
One person migh opt for a .22 rifle ("it's light and you can carry a lot of ammo.")
Another might choose a .45 auto handgun ("I want to protect my home").
Some one else would take a shotgun ("you can get a Mossberg 500 with 2 barrels, a short one for home defense and a long one for hunting. Also there is a large selection of various types of shells available such as slugs, different shot sizes, etc. A good all around gun for defense and hunting".
One guy might want a hunting rifle "a bolt action for protection and hunting".
After giving it much thought, I would choose a good military style rifle in .308. You could hunt with it and use it for defense. Military people use this caliber for target shooting at 1000 yards! it will take any game in the lower 48 states. You could use it for home defense (a frangible cartridge is available at $3.00 a pop, but I believe that bullet would disintegrate before passing through your neighbor's house.) I lean toward an M1A or a Fal. H&K makes a good one and there are a couple of others.
So, what do you think? Only one gun but it can be the ONE YOU WANT?

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[unionguy]

I'm with you, it'd be a an M1A or FAL in .308. Best general purpose round there is...go read Boston T. Party's Gun Bible, it sure convinced me.

.308 turning cover into concealment for decades.

 

[biggie24420]

I would have to say an AK-47 pistol. As a pistol I can conceal carry it with my CHL and use it for self defense........ well with the hallow points for self defense (a little too much power for self defense, I know) lol and I know it can't be used as a rifle for hunting but I figure if I spray and pray that i'd get something I could eat. AKs are durable and being middle eastern it would be just wrong to not choose an AK hahahahahaha Bottom line, easy to carry and powerful.........

 

[bikemaniac1]

I'm going to have to go with a 12ga./.223 over under combo gun. That covers ALL the bases for what I need. Obviously not a CHL gun but good for everything else.

 

[Parker]

Probably my rifle sighted 870

It can handle home defense chores
Can approximate a rifle with Brenneke slugs out to 100yrds
Reliable and durable enough to last a lifetime
Versatile for anything

 

[dario541]

I'm with you, it'd be a an M1A or FAL in .308. Best general purpose round there is...go read Boston T. Party's Gun Bible, it sure convinced me.

.308 turning cover into concealment for decades.

I agree with unionguy about Boston T. party's Gun bible. This book is absolutely essential for gun owners. We ALL should have one

 

[gunnails]

Pump Shot Gun.

 

[terrylf72]

After giving it much thought, I would choose a good military style rifle in .308.

I'm with you, it'd be a an M1A or FAL in .308. Best general purpose round there is...go read Boston T. Party's Gun Bible, it sure convinced me.

.308 turning cover into concealment for decades.

I agree with unionguy about Boston T. party's Gun bible. This book is absolutely essential for gun owners. We ALL should have one

+++4 M1A/M14

ordered that book on Monday.. agree that everyone should own it!

 

[whatzhizname]

I'd probably go with a good reliable pump shotgun, like a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870, with a 20" slug and buckshot barrel and a 28" hunting barrel. As a single platform, this setup is probably the most flexible available to civilians. The 308 battle rifle would also be a potential option, but wouldn't work very well for small game, which a shotgun can easily do with birdshot. From what I understand, Mas Ayoob still argues for the shotgun for defense even with fully automatic weaponry available to him. Being able to put 9-12 .38 caliber slugs in the air with each pull of the trigger (with OO buckshot) seems like it would be a valuable option, and with some of the new sabot slugs you can take big game out to 150 yards, which is about all you need for our region with our heavy forests.
By the way... This isn't just an intellectual exercise Dario541, as in Iraq each home is allowed to keep exactly 1 firearm for defense. Any more than that are confiscated and destroyed. Probably due to availability in that part of the world almost everyone keeps a full-auto Kalashnikov variant. They have no NFA-type restrictions, but a "one-gun-only" requirement as the OP suggested.....
Let's hope it never gets to that point here.

 

[gimlet1/21]

Marlin 336 30-30 this is the rifle that does it all, from buffalo sized game too squirrel the 30-30 does it all. By the way more than a few humans have fallen in front of this rifle also.

 

[Jerry]

Marlin 336 30-30 this is the rifle that does it all, from buffalo sized game too squirrel the 30-30 does it all. By the way more than a few humans have fallen in front of this rifle also.

Yep...it's the gun for me!

 

[motoman98]

Armalite AR-10 in .308. Fairly light, fast handling and quite a shooter, too.

 

[chiefchip]

A tactical 870

 

[RVNvet]

M1 .30 cal. carbine, in M1A1 folding paratrooper stock configuration. Similar velocity and power as .357 magnum pistol, but much more accurate, out to 200 yards. 100 or 110 grain round-nose soft point ammo. Mine has barrel cut back to 16 1/4 inches, and can be concealed under jacket in with 3-point sling. 30 round clips give plenty of 'second shots.' Light recoil means fast target reacquisition, and smaller family members are not afraid of it. Aside from my concealed carry pistol, this is the only weapon not in my gun cabinet, and is on the wall, ready for immediate use 'when the ghetto hoards come over the hill.' Flip peep rear sight can easily be drifted out and dovetail scope/tactical sight mount tapped in for survival hunting.

Max

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I see some practical, well thought out replies to the original post but they seem to be lacking a little bit on the, "Fun Factor." I choose blackpowder and white smoke and with a limit of one weapon only I reckon I would settle on a caplock 62 caliber smooth rifle. The 341gr patched roundball is a good killer on large game and you have the option of loading bird or buck shot for your other chores. The fun factor is huge.

 

[pokerace]

I have to go with whatzhizname
pump 12 gauge with extra barrel's
although I rather lean toward the over and
under combo 12 and 223.

 

[Benny503]

DPMS panther .308 with scopes bipod and lots of ammossssssssssssss.

 

[fromotoc]

AR w/ a masterkey setup and a top railed 1911 attached as a VFG to the pump shotgun attached to the AR.

 

[JUSTIficatioN]

i'd go with a mini-14, durable and reliable, it can be used for hunting or home defense and even though the round is a little small, i dont think you'd be running into a lot of people with body armor so the round i think would be effective.

 

[hefftuck]

either a 12 gauge or an AK