# The Minimalist Battery



## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

On some other threads, I've commented that I'm pretty much a minimalist/pragmatist when it comes to the guns I own. While I can't say every one of my guns has a practical purpose, most do. Anyway, someone asked to list the guns I find "necessary." Obviously, anyone else should do the same if they want! This certainly isn't the "Last Word."

I break down my gun needs into to categories: defense and recreation. Since I don't shoot competition, except on a super-casual basis, anymore, my "recreational" guns are more oriented toward hunting, which I do enjoy (though not nearly often enough).

Defense:

1. My primary is a Glock 26, but any similar pistol will do. I like the 26 because it is supremely versatile while also very easy to carry and shoot well. With a pinky-rest mag, it works as a belt gun. With a flat-bottom mag, it is an ankle or pocket gun (I wear cargo shorts most of the time), and with a full-length 17 mag, it is a good house gun. Thus, by having different magazines, I can make the gun do all sorts of things very well.

2. KelTec P3AT. This is my backup/light duty gun. I can carry this gun in any mode of dress. I have worn it in the front pocket of a suit, and clipped to my shorts when running in road races. It is extremely light and flat, yet reasonably powerful. When I can't carry the Glock, I can at least have this little guy with me and have a reasonable hope of mounting a defense.

3. M4gery (Stag upper over Bushmaster lower). Loaded with Federal HP, I have 28 rounds instantly on tap, and a quick reload brings me more. The Aimpoint CompM2 sight gives quick, simple targeting. I doubt I will ever have to use this weapon, but if I do, I will know my little part of the world has gone completely to hell. And if hell is upon me, I want an accurate, fast-shooting, lightweight weapon. This is it.

That's it for defense guns for this minimalist; I don't need anything else for defense.

Hunting:

1. Marlin Model 60 .22 for small game. Doubles as a fun plinker, but I don't plink much these days.

2. Remington 870 12 gauge for birds. Mainly I hunt dove and quail out here in AZ. No migratory birds, but the ol' 870 would be good for those, too. It'll work for turkey if I ever get that opportunity. I shoot clays VERY casually out in the desert, mainly as hunting practice.

3. Pseudo-scout rifle in .308 built on a '98 Mauser action. This is my versatile rifle for medium game, javelina through elk. Yeah, I know I am supposed to have a flatter-shooting rifle since I live in the West, but .308 is good to the limits of my humane field shooting ability (about 300 yards) and is very inexpensive to shoot for practice compared to WSMs and the like.

That covers my hunting needs for the foreseeable future.

So basically I could easily get by with six guns. I do have a few other miscellaneous guns, for various extraneous reasons.

Miscellaneous:

1. Browning Buckmark .22. I use this gun when introducing new shooters to the world of guns. Good gun, nice trigger, zero recoil. I may put a red dot sight on it to increase newbie pleasure. I have little personal use for it, and seldom shoot it myself, but I always have an interest in converting new people into shooters.

2. Mossberg 500 "riot gun" in 12 gauge. I bought this plain Jane on sale at a pawnshop for a whopping $82.50. I wanted a long gun for my apartment here in Yuma while I am assigned to the border security mission. Yuma is a pretty "sketchy" town, and walking around in uniform marks you for the banditos. I didn't want to leave my $1700 (with accessories) M4 unsecured in the apartment, so I bought this as a temporary long gun. I'll probably sell it after the deployment, or make it into my "truck gun" back in Phoenix.

3. M1 Garand. This is the only gun I own for the sheer pleasure of it. I have absolutely no practical use for it. I just love shooting the big old thing. It reminds me of a different time and place. I bring it out on Memorial Day, and other special days, to shoot in a tribute to those who went before me in the military.

I could probably pare this down even further, but I'd really be sacrificing utility. Also notice the common thread of ammo. I try to select guns in common calibers, so ammo is inexpensive and readily available. .22, 12 gauge, .223, .308 and 9mm are all cheap and easily obtained. .380 and .30-06 are available but not nearly so cheap.

I ditched a bunch of guns over the last year in an effort to trim down to this minimal battery. This included an AK, an SKS, a couple of M1s, all my revolvers, and a couple of other 9mms. If I buy any more guns at this point, it will be to upgrade what I have (trading the pseudo-scout for a Steyr Scout, for example) or to have backup copies of the same guns (like a spare Glock 26).

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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

Mike Barham at Galco said:


> 2. Mossberg 500 "riot gun" in 12 gauge. I bought this plain Jane on sale at a pawnshop for a whopping $82.50. I wanted a long gun for my apartment here in Yuma while I am assigned to the border security mission. I'll probably sell it after the deployment, or make it into my "truck gun" back in Phoenix.


Nice collection of guns Mike. :smt023 When you're done in Yuma I'll give you $85 for the Mossberg. :smt033


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

2400 said:


> Nice collection of guns Mike. :smt023 When you're done in Yuma I'll give you $85 for the Mossberg. :smt033


Yee-haa -- $2.50 profit! I can almost buy a beer! Man, do I love gun trading!

I did forget to mention my Glock 17, but I don't give it much thought since the wife, ummmm, "borrowed" it. It now lives in her Galco holster handbag!

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## Revolver (Aug 26, 2006)

Mike Barham at Galco said:


> So basically I could easily get by with _six guns_.


So could I if I had to. Lots of them.:mrgreen:

And I could never do the .223/5.56 HP's. I've gotta have that M885. On my AR15 I've gotta have the 20" barrel. Nothing else will do. I also prefer the A2 sights. All of these are personal preferences of course and I have good reason for the configuration.
Why the 28 rounds? You don't like keeping your 30 rounders to full?

I prefer the Ithaca Model 37(greatest shotgun ever conceived) for defensive purposes. For custom or standard Mausers, I prefer either .30-06Springfield or 8mmMauser.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

I'll list by cal. or gauge
45 acp- good stopper plentiful ammo and parts
22 cal.-good for small game, cheap plentiful ammo
357 great generalpurpose cal.
rifles
22cal.
5.56
7.62x51
shotgun 12 ga.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

I only own three guns, but they all have a specific purpose:

Sig P226 40S&W - My all around carry gun/work gun. I bought it for armored and carried it, now I carry it at the gun shop, too.

Bersa Thunder380 - Concealed carry. Still considering whether or not I want to sell this one, but I do carry it.

Smith&Wesson 686 6" - home defense and target shooting. 

When I get my own place I'll be getting my Remington 870 for home defense and stress relief.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Revolver said:


> And I could never do the .223/5.56 HP's. I've gotta have that M885. On my AR15 I've gotta have the 20" barrel. Nothing else will do. I also prefer the A2 sights. All of these are personal preferences of course and I have good reason for the configuration.
> Why the 28 rounds? You don't like keeping your 30 rounders to full?
> 
> I prefer the Ithaca Model 37(greatest shotgun ever conceived) for defensive purposes. For custom or standard Mausers, I prefer either .30-06Springfield or 8mmMauser.


Definitely personal preference. I have no need for M885 for defense. I don't need to punch holes in steel helmets at 800m. HPs won't zip through a baddie, so I'm happy with them. If I had to use FMJ, I'd actually choose M193.

I prefer the handier 16" barrel for urban/suburban use (which is where I live). 20" makes an AR about as unwieldy as a shotgun. I don't think, even in a worst-case end of the civilized world scenario, I'll ever have to shoot bad guys 300 yards away. A 16" AR with collapsed stock is pretty compact and easy to hide, too, if it ever came down to a New Orleans type scenario and I had to be very discreet or have my weapon confiscated.

Aimpoint is way faster than irons. I have a flip up ARMS BUIS on my M4gery, on the remote chance the Aimpoint goes Tango Uniform. Irons are cool and romantic, but for defense give me "the dot of death" every time.

Downloading to 28 supposedly increases reliability, and definitely makes reloading from a closed bolt easier, at least with the USGI mags I have.

The Ithaca is a nice gun, but I prefer the unstoppable 870. <shrug> I'm not picky about shotguns. My cheap little Mossberg serves its purpose well, too.

.30-06 and 8mm are both good rounds. But .308 is way cheaper and easier to find. I haven't handloaded in years, so I like ammo that is available as surplus for practice, and easy to find in premium loadings for hunting and defense.

But basically, equivalent guns would work about as well for me. For example, I used to have a Colt Commander and a J-frame S&W as defense guns #1 and #2. They fill the same niche, and so do lots of other good guns.

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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

It is all choice of the shooter. One of my favorites to shoot and is a reliable gun is my M1 carbine but ammo is less available. I have several rifles that are tack drivers but thier cal. not common so they will fall by the wayside if push comes to shove.Another great shooter that is easy to break down and conceal is a 1903 22 auto but if you can find ammo it is $17.00 a box of 50.
I feel basics should be of common cal. and common usage for spare parts


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